DIET: Eamonn Coghlan used to eat to win, but now says diet is about balance - and Mexico. He talks to Melanie Morris.
Are you a foodie? "Definitely. I've always been a healthy eater, and I eat small rather than large portions. People think that if you run, you have to cram food in, but in fact it's the opposite. If you're running 100 miles-plus every week, your stomach can't take much food at any time. "
Can you cook? "I used to, in the good old days, before the kids were born, but now my wife Yvonne does it all."
So what's your role?: "To supervise."
Is there anything Yvonne cooks that you particularly like? "We eat lots of Mexican food - guacamole, refried beans and the lot. I bring the spices back from my trips to the US. We're also big into salads. And I love her meatballs, especially the next day, when I put the leftovers into a baguette with the ragu on top. Delicious."
What is your failsafe recipe? "I do a good spaghetti Bolognese and I make the best nachos in the world, topping them with grated cheese, mozzarella, diced jalapenos, some cooked chicken and El Paso taco sauce. Then I blast them in the microwave for about 90 seconds."
Do you entertain? "About once a month for our friends, and my running gang about every two months. That would be quite formal, in the dining room. In summer we love doing barbecues in the garden for bigger numbers."
What's in your fridge at the moment? "Skimmed and low fat milk, vegetables, white wine, various dressings, some cans of Budweiser, ham, cheese, turkey breast, salami, grated cheese and jalapenos from the States."
What was your last meal? "Lunch. I had a baguette with cheese, ham and onion, followed by an apple, with still water to drink."
Do you eat differently when you are training? "Not any more. These days, for the Dublin City Marathon, I'm training to compete, not to win. I know it's in me, so there's a different mindset. And I'm pretty healthy anyhow."
But it hasn't always been this way ...: "No. In the 1970s and 1980s I got very interested in nutrition. I read a lot of books and picked up stuff from fellow athletes when I was studying in the US. I remember in 1985 there was a book doing the rounds called Eat to Win by Dr Paul Haas. People such as Martina Navratilova, Ivan Lendl and Jack Nicklaus used to swear by it. It was low-protein, high-carb and no fat. I started on it and went from a fit 140lbs to a gaunt, ill, nine stone. It was just not the right way for me to go. I now believe it's all about balance."
What is your favourite restaurant? "I'd rather eat what Yvonne has cooked and be at home with the family than go out. Having said that, I like Wongs in Castleknock and Picasso in Clontarf. If we go out, we'll usually go ethnic."
Is there anything you can't resist on a menu? "Crab claws or mussels, especially when we're on holidays in Spain."
Do you order take-out? "Yes, on Sunday evenings after golf. That's Yvonne's day off and so we have Chinese."
What is your favourite treat? "I dive into a packet of biscuits once in a while. At the moment, my favourite are chocolate goldgrains."
Your death row last meal? "Some of my own nachos, two beef tacos, chicken chimmichangas, a fajita, and a can of cold beer to wash it all down. And then I'd like a nice bottle of wine."
And so, Eamonn, if you are what you eat, then you are ... "A Mexican warrior."
Eamonn Coghlan is recruiting 1,000 volunteers for the Dublin City Marathon in aid of Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, and the Grace Nolan Foundation. To find out more, call 1890-507508