Fit-4-Life is a programme for all runners whether a beginner or just a regular jogger/runner. It helps people to achieve an improved level of fitness and wellness within a club structure in a fun and sociable environment.
The Fit-4-Life squad at Donore Harriers has been mentored by coach Barry Potts (see Interview No. 23) since 2008. The squad has always maintained the Fit-4-Life principles of training together at the appropriate fitness levels and making/building new friendships.
In this interview we meet two of the Donore Harriers Fit-4-Life long-term members. Both Deirdre Healy and Jo Hughes joined the club in circa 2009 and have been mainstays in the FFL squad since then. Their rapport epitomizes a squad that is united, sociable, and vigorous … Long may they run!
STANDARD QUESTIONS
PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH?
DEIRDRE: Castlebar, 1970
JO: Born in Holles Street to Wicklow and Wexford parents in 1970. Yes, that makes me 50+
WHERE WERE YOU EDUCATED?
DEIRDRE: Convent of Mercy, Castlebar
JO: St. Mary’s College, Arklow
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR CAREER PATH?
DEIRDRE: Varied and interesting. From European to Health to Telecoms to FMCG <<fast moving consumer goods>>
JO: Not as varied and certainly not as interesting as Deirdre. Started off in Scotland as a school leaver, met my now husband in an accountant’s office typing up his letters and moving on to bookkeeping, quit work then to raise 3 mannerly and very tall and athletic (ish) boys who are now all grown up, dabble in and out of a part time office job now in local primary school.
IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU JOIN DONORE HARRIERS?
DEIRDRE: Probably about 2009
JO: Probably around the same time
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS?
DEIRDRE: Close to work, uses the Park and I love Barry <<Potts>>!
JO: My eldest boy used to go to karate in the Club and I used to run into O’Connell Street and back while waiting for him (I’m a great time manager). Noticed FFL gang running at same time and one night I plucked up to courage to say hello to Barry…. the rest is history!
WERE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER CLUB BEFORE JOINING DONORE HARRIERS?
DEIRDRE: Athletics club in Castlebar as a kid. Have a silver 100m relay medal from Community games, u15s I think!
JO: No, but I always ran a little since school
DID/DO YOU PARTICIAPTE IN ANY OTHER SPORT?
DEIRDRE: I used to play basketball
JO: Serious camogie player in my day. Won an All-Ireland U14 medal for Feile. Played (once, I think) for Wicklow.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ATHLETICS EVENT?
DEIRDRE: Marathon to watch, half to participate in
JO: Same as Deirdre. I stayed in bed last year for 4 hours watching the London marathon. I also sat by a pool in Marbella for about 4 hours watching little black dots on a phone which translated as Barry Pots and a few others from FFL – I won’t name as I surely will leave someone out! I had trained for same marathon but was injured so got myself off to the sun instead but couldn’t resist the little black dots…
WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT ROLE AT THE CLUB?
DEIRDRE: FFLer
JO: Same! Turner upper during covid and making sure our little bubble doesn’t get lazy on me coz without them I’m in big trouble…
WHO WERE/ARE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATION/INFLUENCES?
DEIRDRE: My second cousin is Sinead Diver who runs for Australia. Her Mam and my Dad are first cousins from Mayo. I think she took all the running blood in the family! Sonia and Catriona of course also.
JO: Caterina and Sonia. Can I just say Deirdre never met Sinead Diver in her life.
SOCIAL QUESTIONS
WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?
DEIRDRE: AKIN by Emma Donohue
JO: Vicky Phelan’s book Overcoming. Very inspirational!
WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU ATTENDED?
DEIRDRE: Fleetwood Mac RDS September 2019
JO: Gosh can’t remember. Not really a groupie. I did love Imelda May in Vicar Street and Take That and loved loved loved the Bee Gees in concert.
WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVOURITE FILMS?
DEIRDRE:
1. True Romance
2. Three Billboards
3. Goodfellas
JO:
- Love Actually
- Bridge over Madison County
- Pretty Woman
FAVOURITE COUNTRY VISITED?
DEIRDRE: Toss-up between USA – NYC, Grand Canyon and Santa Monica and Kenya for safari
JO: USA, particularly Boston
WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/SPORT?
JO: Bit of a Jack of all Trades, Master of None. I dabble in painting, love houses and interior design, love decorating and DIY, gardening on sunny days, sewing on wet days, wannabe carpenter…. All in the FFL squad would say I’m a great poet too… hahaha!
<<NOTE: Here is the opening two verses of Jo’s poem, written to mark coach Barry Potts 70th birthday.
>>Barry has a little group
>>Its name is Fit-4-Life
>>30 odd members 2019
>>No arguments rifts or strife
——————————
>>Mondays and Wednesdays, we always meet
>>Whether its hills or track or run
>>Rain or hail we rarely miss
>>We get miles and chats and fun
The full poem is included in Club Interview No. 23 – Barry Potts>>
IF DESERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PLAY 3 SONGS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
DEIRDRE:
1. Is it wrong to like O Holy Night!
2. Anything by Killers
3. Take a Load of Annie
JO:
Oh, I’m a bit of a Sunshine FM fan. Too embarrassed to say what songs I turn up on the car radio.
ATHLETICS QUESTION
WHO IS YOUR COACH(ES)?
DEIRDRE: The Great Barry Potts!
JO: What she said, he’s a legend!!!
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT?
JO: My husband would say my 4.59.57 marathon a couple of years ago. The iron tank was at rock bottom, marathon a few days after a 6-hour infusion in hospital. I hit the wall at 9 miles and set myself a new target at 20 miles (4hrs) to get home under 5 hours. And I did it with 3 seconds to spare!
WHAT ARE YOUR BEST TIMES (PBs)?
DEIRDRE: 53m in Kinvara 10k, 1.56m Kinvara half, 4.21 in NYC marathon
JO: Think I did 1.56 in Kinvara on Deirdre’s heels, 4.22 marathon, no idea of any others. I’m not a noter of times but Anne Rush tells me I did a few good 10k’s over the years. We’ll say I did a 52-minute 10k anyway!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COACHED SESSION?
DEIRDRE: Hills
JO: I used to like the pyramid session on the track.
DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU HAVE DONE?
JO: Two weeksago, on the hill with 2 sore knees
WHAT IS A TYPRICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN?
DEIRDRE: 3/4m on Monday, 5m on Wednesday, 8/9/10m on Fri and sometimes 5m on Sunday
JO: 4 miles Monday (hills or speed), 6/8/10m Wednesday, 5m Friday and Sunday
DO YOU HAVE A FUNNY OR UNUSUAL STORY RELATED TO THE CLUB/ATHLETICS?
DEIRDRE: None that I can think off.
JO: Human singing archway outside the loos in Achill after the half marathon
WHAT ONE CHANGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AT DONORE HARRIERS?
DEIRDRE: That we should all have fobs to get into building as part of membership fee automatically. Better loos
JO: Mmm ye I try to go to the loo before I turn up. I’ve never seen the gym actually – prob because of the loos. I should really check that out and save myself another fee.
WHO ARE YOUR TOP 3 IRISH SPORTSPERSONS OF ALL TIME?
DEIRDRE:
1. Sonia O’Sullivan
2. Catriona McKiernan
3. Jo Hughes
JO:
- Cateriona McKiernan
- Sonia O’Sullivan
- Deirdre Healy
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
YOU ARE A LONG-TERM MEMBER OF THE FIT-4-LIFE SQUAD, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CAMARADERIE WITHIN THE GROUP?
DEIRDRE: We have a wonderful crowd of people in the FFL. Jo Hughes keeps it all together by managing the WhatsApp and organising the social events and Barry is the glue of course. We have had lots of nights out and trips away over the years and we have all made Friends for Life as much as Fit for Life.
JO: The camaraderie in our group is top class. We go out of our way to welcome and include new people all the time. The WhatsApp group works great for this as we do extra runs outside club times and everyone is invited. Barry is the key, and he comes away on our weekend trips to keep us looking pro.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE AWAY TRIP WITH DONORE HARRIERS? AND WHY?
DEIRDRE: Achill Half a few years ago. Think we got to bed at 5am.
JO: Yes, Achill and Kinvara annual trips. No idea which one or where… I keep missing my husband’s birthday for Kinvara, so there’s your proof. He had a happy birthday home with me and the lads this year.
HAVE YOU EVER COMPLETED A MARATHON? GIVE DETAILS…
DEIRDRE: NYC in 2013. Loved it. The crowds, the scenery, the feeling, the prosecco immediately afterwards in the Plaza Hotel though it took me 45mins to walk there from the finish line…
JO: Dublin all the way! 2006 with my brother and now fellow FFLifer Deirdre Coyle. My first and fastest 4.22, 4 more Dublin in recent years, 4.24, 4.28, my iron deficient one of 4.59.57 and the virtual last year, walked it with my sisters and brothers, 30 miles, spent the day at it, was fab, in Wicklow from sea to summit Croghan Mountain, but the “friendly marathon” is my real highlight.
HAVE YOU EVER DONE A CROSS-COUNTRY RACE?
DEIRDRE: No
JO: Only when Andrew and Sean want to take a short cut back to the club
HOW ARE YOU COPING WITH TRAINING DURING THE LOCKDOWNS?
DEIRDRE: Doing my own thing as I live more that 5km from the club, but miss the camaraderie
JO: Thankfully, I am close by to the club and we have our little 5km bubble. It’s been great, 4 times a week and quite consistent. My sanity!
HAVE YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH A SERIOUS RUNNING INJURY? WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF THE INJURY? AND WHAT WAS THE REHAB PROCESS?
DEIRDRE: Luckily no
JO: Don’t get me started… Knees! My little 5k bubble group will stop reading if I say anymore…
DO YOU HAVE ANY RUNNING TARGETS ONCE WE GET BACK TO REAL RACES? DEIRDRE: No!
JO: Yes, the Achill and Kinvara half marathons and there’s a Dublin marathon slot all paid up for.