Assumpta joined Athenry AC in January, 2008 and over the next couple of years competed in several half marathons in New York, Longford, Dublin, and Connemara. Baby girl Brynn arrived in 2010 and curtailed her running activites for a couple of years. However, from January of this year, it's been back to serious training with her buddies Michelle Tooher and Anne Hunter.
1.What running shoes do you train in?
ASICS Kayano
2. How many miles did you run last week?
About 18 miles
3. What’s your favourite racing distance?
Half Marathon – Take off too fast, tire out, recover and get back into it again. I’d never have time to do all that in a 5k!
4. Where’s your favourite place to train?
Athenry, especially around Kiltullah/Esker.
5. What’s your favourite event or race each year?
Connemara half marathon – I feel a great sense of achievement when I cross that finish line. And, of course, there’s always the great buzz around Athenry for the Fields of Athenry 10k race.
6. What annoys you most at races?
Either pushing/shoving or people starting off at the wrong end of the pack.
7. What race, that you haven’t yet run, would you most like to take part in?
Definitely the Dublin City Marathon.
8. What was your best-ever running performance?
The Longford Half Marathon (2009) is the one I remember, so I’m sure that’s the one I ran my best time in.
9. What was your worst-ever running performance?
Dublin Half Marathon (2008). My legs would not work at all that day and I can remember crying to Maeve the whole way round. She is a saint, by the way.
10. What’s the strangest thing that you’ve ever seen on a training run?
Climbing bales of hay, sliding into water and trudging through muck for the best part of 3 miles.
11. Favourite piece of running gear?
My Garmin. One of the first things I bought when I started running and could not do without it now.
12. Who would you most enjoy beating in a sprint for the line?
Anybody that’s ahead of me with about 50 metres to go!
13. What was the best bit of training advice you were ever given?
Not to overuse the same muscles by just running. To do some core work as well such as CrossFit/Circuit training.
14. In ten years time will you still be running?
The weekend long runs with Michelle and Anne are becoming a bit of a ritual now, so I hope we’re still up for it in 10 years.
15. If for some reason you were told you could never run again, how do you think you’d react?
If I could still cycle, it might not be so bad. Anyway, I need a bike these days to keep up with Anne and Michelle.
16. Have you ever been bitten by a dog while running?
Not while running but a wee terrier was hanging out of my runner one evening when I went for a cycle.
17. Have you ever had to stop for an emergency "Paula" during a race?
Not yet.
18. Favourite post-race food?
Lucozade
19. Most embarrassing ever running-related moment?
It was cross country at school. Heading for a bronze medal. Looked over my shoulder to see how far behind the next girl was but then stumbled, tripped and fell. You know the whole “palm slapping off the forehead” type of embarrassment.
20. The greatest Irish Athlete of all time is/was?
Zola Budd was my favourite. I used to run barefoot, just like Zola! Irish, oh well! It has to be Eamon Coughlan. I grew up watching, admiring and roaring at Eamon Coughlan every time he was on the telly.