Andrea Mara: 'I cried when I got my second vaccine'

The author and mum-of-three discusses her healthy habits, how she deals with stress, and her new hobby: running

As her kids got older, Andrea Mara found a new love of running. Picture: Nessa Robinson.

The day we get in touch with Andrea Mara is an emotional one. The successful author has just received her second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and it brought the mum-of-three to tears.

"I got my second vaccination today and welled up in the centre thinking about the enormity of it – where we were in January and where we are now," she says. "I’m not rushing back to crowded venues but it feels so, so, good to be vaccinated and to hear good news stories."

Mara's fourth novel has recently hit bookshelves. On top of her fiction writing, the Cork native also runs an award-winning blog, officemum.ie, and is raising her 13, 12, and nine-year-old children in Dublin. When stress hits, she turns to a new passion.

"I remember doing a medical a few years ago when my kids were at the three-under-five stage. The nurse asked me what I did for fitness and I was mortified telling her that carrying toys, laundry, and small humans up and down the stairs was the extent of my regimen. She said there’d be plenty of time for routine exercise when the kids were older. She was right," the 47-year-old says. 

"I took up running, perhaps as a way of escaping the chaos at home, about five years ago and I try to get out at least once a week to do 5km. I’m not very fast and I don’t run far, but I always feel better when I get back."

• All Her Fault by Andrea Mara is out now.

What shape are you in?

I ran 10km for the first time ever earlier this year, so I’m happier fitness-wise than I’ve ever been. Having said that, I’ve only managed 10km once, but am still happily dining out on it.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I don’t like sweets or jellies so never eat them. It's an easy habit to maintain.

What are your guiltiest pleasures?

I love cake. I probably eat it a few times a week between buying this amazing homemade carrot cake from my local deli or eating my daughter’s baking outputs. 

What would keep you awake at night?

Parenting teens. I miss the days when newborn babies were what kept me awake in a more literal sense.

How do you relax?

Walking Dún Laoghaire Pier, reading, listening to audiobooks, and watching Netflix with my husband. After a long day, sitting down together to eat cake and watch a series is one of my favourite things to do.

Who are your sporting heroes?

My daughter has been playing soccer for the last six years for Granada FC, a club that is actively growing its girls’ teams. Stephanie Roche is someone who really inspires my daughter and her teammates.

What’s your favourite smell?

My first coffee in the morning. I begin looking forward to that coffee from about 11pm the night before.

When is the last time you cried?

After my vaccine. I cry a little bit most days though – at ads, good news stories, books, television shows, or if someone does something nice for me.

What traits do you least like in others?

Negativity. It’s very draining to spend time with people who complain a lot and blame everything on outside forces. Also, I’m very wary of people who make up an answer rather than admitting they don’t have an answer. It’s dangerous.

What traits do you least like about yourself?

I like things a certain way which is very annoying for other people, so I work hard to hide it and go with the flow. However, nobody is fooled by this pretend chilled-out version of me.

Do you pray?

No. Though if things are bad, I have been known to beg.

What would cheer up your day?

A Netflix series based on All Her Fault. Failing that, a walk on the pier with my kids, but only if nobody complains.

What quote inspires you most?

“Use the good bath oil.” I came across it some years ago it in an article about the late Nora Ephron and it’s something I think about all the time. Life is short and I want to live in the moment and stop waiting for the next thing. I take it quite literally too - I always use my best bath oil.

Where is your favourite place in the world?

Lake Garda in Italy. We had our best family holiday in a campsite there three years ago, staying in a ramshackle mobile home. It was heaven.