TIMES STANDING STILL FOR DELIGHTED MARY SWEENEY

By Christy Parker \ Photo:Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)
Time flies but for some individuals, it seems keeping up with it isn’t a problem. The closing days of 2008 sees veteran Youghal athlete Mary Sweeney continue to defy the clock’s efforts to leave her behind, as she reflects on a year in which she ran equivalent to her pace 20 years ago!

Currently contemplating her preparations for the 2009 spring marathons in Belfast and Cork, the 46 year-old runner recalls her reintroduction to the distance in Cork in June 2007. “I’d only ran one marathon, 23 years before and was surprised to find I covered it pretty easily in 3.29,” she says. “So then I ran the Dublin city marathon in October ‘07. I even won my category in that.”

Mary then ran two further marathons (Paris and, again Dublin) up to October 08, with that Dublin run of 3.07 clocking 20 minutes faster than her June 2007 effort. Equally amazing, it was roughly equivalent to her time 23 years ago! There are people who can’t walk to the post office at the same pace as 23 years ago, let alone run marathons! “To me that was a big achievement,” she adds, with admirable understatement.

Besides inventing her personal time machine, she spent much of 2008 scooping track awards. In one August day in Tullamore she took gold at the Vets’ All Ireland in Tullamore, over 800, 1.500 and 3,000 metres. She had taken parallel honours in the indoor equivalent in Nenagh in February. Her times in both instances were “on a par with 20 years ago.” At ease over all distances, indoor and outdoor, last month she also helped her club St. Finbarr’s and her county take gold in the 4,000 metres cross country at the Munster Vets championship in Killeagh.

An auxiliary nurse by profession and mother of two grown sons, Mary is married to Youghal husband Kevin, previously of Water Lane. The family live in Ballincollig and she is a member of St. Finbarr’s AC since 1985. She has represented Ireland many times at Junior, Senior and Masters level, taking gold for her country in Mullingar in 1977 and flying the flag in the world 1/2 marathon in Brussels in 1993. Aged 16, she won the ladies’ section at the first Ballycotton 10 in 1979 (and has bettered that every year since!)

Mary’s love for running is only matched by her affection for her native and adopted towns. “I love running in Cork, because I know so many people and they are so supportive,” she says. “They ask if I’m still running and seem more surprised every year that I am! It’s the same in Youghal. I love the people there and I find it amazing that anyone is even interested enough to ask what I’m doing.”

In 2004, local recognition brought her the Usual Place Star of the Year award, at which ceremony she experienced less than usual sensation of being caught for words! That year’s achievements included: gold in the 800 and 3,000 metres at the Master’s Indoor Championships; top six finish in Ballycotton 10; silver in track & field 3,000 metres in Tullamore; gold in Cork (St. Finbarrs’) 1/2 marathon; silver for Ireland at Home Countries International Cross country Championships, Croydon; third in Ballycotton 5’s.

Nobody achieves such sporting longtivity without doing something fundamentally correct. “I’ve been very lucky,” she suggests. “I’ve never had any big injuries and I thank God every day for my general good health.” She lessens God’s load by covering up to 10 miles in training six days a week. She avoids too much road training because of the danger of getting splints but has access to the type of green space that was once synonymous with every Irish community. “The Regional Park in Ballincollig is fantastic for training,” she enthuses. A largely sugar-deprived diet, with a strong focus on pasta, potatoes and vegetarianism plays a part too.

Perhaps most important of all, she loves what she does. “I can’t imagine life without running,” she gladly admits. This fosters a “mental toughness” which she agrees is crucial to success and even survival in sport. Striking the best balance of physical and mental ability brings optimum performance “You run half the race with your head,” she says. “If you give up mentally, concentration goes and your race is over.”

She will allow “a few road races” to distract her over Christmas, preceding the All Ireland Vets championships in Santry. “Then I’ll up the distances for one of the spring marathons in February or March,” she says. Time flies. I must do, to keep up with Mary Sweeney.