Esther McCarthy: My teen is my trainer for the Echo Women's Mini-Marathon

"I’m so jealous of those cool people who casually say, ‘I’m just going for a run’, pop a homemade protein ball, and then gallop off, all earbuds and effortlessness and coordinated hand motions and normal cholesterol levels. The smug bastards."

Esther McCarthy. Picture: Emily Quinn

About 10 years ago, I got a birthday present of Ruth Field’s Run Fat Bitch Run, from my husband.

By the time he came out of the coma and recovered from the surgery, I’d actually read it and, to be fair, there were some brilliant nuggets in there.