18th - From “I Can’t Believe This Is My Life” to “I Can’t Believe This Is My Life”

One sentence, 5 years, completely different meaning.What does it mean to become a “real runner”? And why do so many of us still feel like imposters, even when the evidence says otherwise?In this deeply honest and uplifting conversation, Mairead Hogan joins Your Race or Mine to talk about discovering running in her forties at a difficult moment in her life, finding confidence through community, and building a life around friendship, movement and joy.Mairéad shares the story of nervously walking into Dunboyne Running Club for the first time, believing she wasn’t a “real runner” — before going on to win national medals across distances from 5K to marathon.But this episode is about far more than medals or PBs.We talk about:The unique suffering and beauty of cross-country racing,Balancing training with work and motherhood,Marathon mentality and post-race wheelchair requests,Why club running creates such powerful bonds,Injury fears, imposter syndrome and longevity,and the importance of doing something for yourself.Mairéad speaks with huge warmth, humour and vulnerability about how running transformed not just her fitness, but her confidence, identity and happiness.This is a conversation about learning that it’s never too late to surprise yourself, and how one sentence, spoken 5 years apart in a different context, can have such a different and powerful meaning.If you or anyone you know has a story that should be told, email:[email protected] Cross XC referenced, view from 3:34 https://youtu.be/5nHfRJVxL80