Training for a marathon is never simple. Long runs, early alarms, aching legs. For Kate, the challenge has come with an extra twist. While preparing for her first road marathon, she was also preparing to open her first Pilates studio. Then, just days before launch, the premises fell through and her plans collapsed.
No keys. No opening day. No clients through the door. In the messy middle that followed, she reached for something simple and steady. The Dublin City Marathon in late October. Twenty six miles with purpose.
“I was two weeks from opening when the space was gone,” she says. “There was nothing I could do about it, so I got straight on to the next thing. Then it hit me a few weeks later. That is when the marathon training really helped. It gave me a plan, a reason to get out the door, and a good lift in mood.”
Kate isn’t a newcomer to running. “I’m mainly a trail runner,” she says. “In the past, I’ve done a 50K ultra marathon.” But Dublin will be her first road marathon, and she admits the flat streets are a different challenge.
A New Career Path, then a Curveball
After a spell working in tech, Kate circled back to what she studied at university.
“My degree was in health and performance science,” she says. “I liked my sales job but my heart was in health. Early this year I took time out, upskilled, and started teaching full time. Then I decided I wanted my own studio. Pilates to start, then grow into strength, coaching, nutrition. I had the site, I put a load of work into it and then the space fell through for reasons beyond my control.”
That is when structure mattered.
“Training gave my week a backbone,” she says. “It is free medicine. You head out with a cloud over you and come back lighter. I know not everyone has spare time, but in my case it helped me make sense of things and keep moving.”
Trail Miles, Injuries and Lessons
Running has been part of Kate’s life for years, but not without setbacks. She had previously built up for big city races like Paris and Amsterdam, only to be forced to pull out.
“I always had to pull out because I would just get injured,” she says. “My focus now is to get to the start line uninjured. I’ve had a nice slow build up and I think having more mileage in my legs has helped.”
Trail running gave her a way of moving that felt kinder on the body. “Because the terrain’s always changing, my body agrees with trails more,” she explains. “You never really run the same trail twice. It’s about survival, how much energy can I put into getting up this hill, then enjoy the downhill.”
Road marathons are different. The steady pacing, the metrics, the pressure of a clock. “It’s very metric driven, which I find very intimidating,” she admits. Dublin will be her test.
The Pilates Advantage
What makes this build different is Pilates. A back injury years ago was what first drew her to it, and now she credits it with keeping her fit for training.
“Pilates is really great for getting into all those kind of slow twitch stability muscles,” she says. “We’ve all been to the physio and been told to strengthen your glutes, work on flexibility, avoid shin splints by strengthening your calves, build up your core strength. Pilates gets into all of that.”
It has also become her career. She now teaches Pilates full-time alongside health coaching and personal training. The studio setback was a blow, but it hasn’t dented her ambition.
The Path Toward Race Day
Kate is nine weeks into a sixteen week block using the Runna app.
“The long runs are the hardest part. Not always the legs, more the boredom”
She mixes things up with podcasts and different routes to stay motivated.
“I would love to finish somewhere between three hours thirty and three hours forty five,” she says. “It is a wide range because this is my first road marathon. If it does not happen, that is fine. The big thing is getting to the start in one piece and keeping it steady.”
Her fuelling is sensible and tested.
“For long runs I go out early and carry gels. Closer to race day I will practice the full morning. Porridge with honey or white toast and jam about two hours before. Afterwards I get protein in fast. Sometimes a smoothie first, then a proper feed. Electrolytes are key too. On hot days you can feel the headache building if you do not stay on top of it.”
Running for HerSport Foundation
Kate is fundraising for the HerSport Foundation, an organisation she has worked closely with for several years.
“I am close to the team,” she says. “HerSport started as a media push to put more women in sport on the front page. If you cannot see it you cannot be it. Now they also run education and community programmes for girls, parents, and coaches.”
The numbers paint a sharp picture.
“One in five girls leaves sport by fourteen, compared with one in twenty boys,” she says. “Then look at senior female leaders. The vast majority played sport into adulthood. Keep girls in sport and you are not just helping health and confidence. You are building skills that matter years later.”
The charity’s work stretches from media campaigns to workshops in schools, teaching young athletes about everything from nutrition to training. They also support parents and coaches, helping them keep girls engaged at a time when many walk away.
The early response to Kate’s fundraiser has been strong. “I only started sharing my link recently and I am nearly at target,” she says. She has also been running free Pilates sessions in Rathmines and launched a 21-day online challenge, inviting people to join in and, if they enjoy it, chip into her fundraiser.
What Comes After Dublin
Kate is not planning to hang up the shoes when Merrion Street is behind her and the medal is on. Even before Dublin, she is already thinking beyond the finish line.
“I always like to have the next carrot… maybe I’ll set a 5k target to work on my speed for 10 weeks,” she says.
There is also a simple wish for the start line. “Get there healthy,” she says. “Then keep it honest. Enjoy the crowd, soak up the city, and keep going when it bites.”
Longevity in sport is something Kate sees close to home. Her father, Sportsworld runner Liam Lenehan, now over 65, recently returned from the World Masters Mountain Running Championships with two team medal for Ireland. It is a reminder that the love of running and the community around it can last a lifetime.
Kate is fundraising for the HerSport Foundation through her Dublin Marathon entry. Donations can be made here
She is also sharing her marathon journey through her Instagram page @themondaycoach, where you’ll find free Pilates sessions, YouTube classes, and regular training updates.
👉 Follow Kate here:
📸 Instagram: @themondaycoach
▶️ YouTube: @Pilates-with-the-monday-coach
🌐 Website: themondaycoach.com