Introducing our May Athlete Profile, Kathleen Flaherty AKA Katie!
Katie works as an accountant for an animal health company and she is halfway through completing a Bachelor of Accounting degree. Katie says that studying and working full time takes up a lot of time right now so she likes to keep it pretty low key with her free time.
You can usually find Katie out running early in the morning with the Run with Rob crew (sometimes skipping the run & turning up for the early morning coffee and cupcakes on Friday), training at the gym or spending time catching up with family and friends. She is reducing some of her study load to enjoy some well overdue travel this year. Katie is currently enjoying a few weeks of warmer weather in the Pilbara & Broome and has a few trips planned over the next couple of months (there may be some running events incorporated into one or two of the upcoming holidays).
How long have you been running and why did you start?
I started going to Parkrun in 2018/2019 for general fitness but didn’t start running consistently until early 2022. Besides playing netball, I was never overly sporty growing up. I was usually the kid trying to get out of school when there was a cross country or sports day; I never had any intentions of running more than 5 or 10km and definitely never thought I would join a running group. In January 2022 I went along to my first morning run with Run with Rob and quickly realised this was more than just a running group. It’s a community of like-minded people who are getting out each day to socialise, improve their own personal health and fitness and also help raise money for local charities. The group support each other in all aspects of life (not just running) and are like one big extended family.
What draws you to the back-yard ultra-format?
I’d never even heard of a backyard ultra until last year when we made a last-minute decision to help crew some of our runners. It didn’t take long to decide that I was going to sign up and give it a crack in 2023. It was mainly the community that drew me to the BYU format – most of the runners were there to push themselves instead of trying to compete with the other runners. It didn’t matter if someone had a goal of 1 lap, 15 laps or to be the last one standing; everyone was there encouraging and celebrating each other’s achievements.
Have you done a backyard Ultra? What is your next race?
My first backyard ultra was in April this year at Dead Cow Gully where I completed 15 yards before turning back on 16 – this would be one of my favourite events to date. My next race will be the Backyard Masters in June. I don’t have a set number in mind for this event, I just want to go out and see how much further I can push myself. It will also be an amazing experience to meet and run with some of the best backyarders.
What is the toughest part for you in an ultra?
It’s hard to say because to date I have only done one ultra. I started to struggle once the sun went down at DCG – most of my training was done early morning or afternoon so I’ll be doing some training at night to get myself comfortable with the night loops.
What do you think about during long runs?
I don’t think about a lot. I will try to do them when a group run is planned because long runs are more enjoyable if you’re around people. If I can’t do it with the group, I’ll have music or a podcast playing to keep me entertained. I tend to zone out or daydream for at least the first half of the run so if I’m alone I’ll go somewhere familiar where I don’t need to think too much or worry about getting lost. Towards the end of a long run, I might start thinking about what to get for breakfast which helps get through the last few km’s.
What advice would you give a new runner thinking about doing a backyard ultra?
Just sign up and give it a go – I still consider myself fairly new to running and don’t have a lot of ultra experience but I think the backyard ultra is the least intimidating format. I also think it’s important to practice the format during training runs and just go out and have fun on the day. I found the training runs organised by BYU Australia helpful in the lead up to DCG. It was a good way to trial what to do for the actual event. The training runs are also a great way to meet other runners and share different tips and tricks.
What is your greatest running moment to date?
There’s two that come to mind. Reaching 100km for the first time this year was a really great moment. Prior to DCG my furthest distance was a 50km training run so I was stoked to double my PB. My other favourite moment wasn’t during an actual event. In November last year my dad decided to raise money for Movember by doing Movember Marathon. He ran 42.2km every week and completed the challenge on the last day of November by running his first marathon distance. On the day of the marathon, members of Run with Rob met him along the way to run part of the course and I jumped in and ran the last 15km with him. Dad is usually the one running and encouraging others. When I first started running parkrun he would be the one pushing me to run the whole 5km or helping pace me to a PB so to be able to reverse the roles and support him during his run was a special moment.
Do you have the support of family & friends with your running?
Absolutely! My parents both run so this is something we get to do together and usually end up signing up for a lot of the same events. It also helps to be part of an incredible running group who are out supporting and motivating each other every day – running wouldn’t be as enjoyable and I wouldn’t be as motivated if it wasn’t for the Run with Rob group. I think we all struggle at times to get up for the early morning sessions, but someone is always giving kudos on Strava, a shout out on messenger or a high five as you run past in the morning. I am so thankful for all the support & encouragement and can’t wait to get out and support at some events later this year.
Thank you Katie for sharing with us! We can’t wait to see what you do at Masters Backyard Ultra in a couple of weeks’ time. You have never been fitter or stronger and we are all behind you! Go get it!!
