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I
just returned from a short visit to Ireland, but managed to venture out to my
ancestral home of Kinsale in addition to Dublin. I did not run as much as I
planned, but I did manage to clock some miles in the Emerald Isle.
Ireland
is not a country typically associated with world class distance runners - the honor typically reserved for Kenya and Ethiopia – but my ancestral homeland
proved to be a near perfect spot for my marathon training, especially in the
summer, for the following reasons:
The Climate
During
the course of my visit, as my home town suffered in heat, humidity and violent
thunderstorms, the weather in Ireland remained mostly cloudy, cool (daytime
highs never passed the 60’s) with the occasional rain shower the first two
days, ideal racing weather. I did not experience a fluke, but typical Irish summer weather, a climate similar to the great American running Mecca of Portland, Oregon. For those who would remind me about my recent post
about heat training, I know I will have plenty of opportunities the remainder
of the summer for heat acclimated training.
The
Irish climate is also considerably more forgiving in the winter. While many
residents of the eastern two-thirds of the United States suffered through
multiple polar vortices, Ireland’s climate reduces the risk of slippery ice,
obstructive snow, and frost bite.
Green Space
Yes,
Ireland is nick named the “Emerald Isle” for its Kelly green hills, but on the
urban leg of allowed ample opportunity for “green” running. Dublin boasts more public green space than any other capital city in Europe. Phoenix Park alone,
Dublin’s largest park, is larger than all of the combined park space in London and twice the size of New York’s Central Park.
In
the tiny picturesque town of Kinsale I ran less than a half a mile from the
town centre to rural trails that offer soaring harbor views. On the trails
there is another added benefit…
Absence of Snakes
Legend
holds that St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. It’s widely interpreted
as a metaphor for driving out the evil spirits upon Christianizing the island,
but there literally are no snakes, at least in the wild, in Ireland. Runners
are immune to the danger of a venomous ambush.
Absence of Hangovers
This
sounds laughable. After all, the hangover is frequently labeled the “Irish flu.”
Predictably our first stop upon arriving in Dublin: The Guinness Storehouse. We
proceeded to enjoy Ireland’s pub culture throughout our trip, including the
iconic Brazen Head Pub (in operation since 1198).
But
the unexpected happened: neither of us woke up with a hangover the entire trip.
Perhaps, we theorized, it’s the quality of the beer?
Admittedly
our experience is anecdotal with an added caveat that we stuck to beer (mainly
Guinness, Murphy’s, and Smithwick’s) and did not take advantage of Ireland’s
famous whiskeys (shameful I know). But the clear heads each morning knocked out
one excuse to skip a workout.
Long Hours of Daylight
Dublin
sits at 53 degrees latitude which is well into Canada in North America. In the
summer that means more daylight. Sun rays still streamed over the city past
9:30 PM. Longer hours of daylight opens a larger window for safer running. If
you intend to visit Ireland in the summer don’t bother to pack your nighttime reflectors
or head lamp. You will be fine. Trust me.
The
trade off to those lengthy summer days is the dark winter days. So if you
intend to visit over Christmas vacation, I recommend scheduling a run midday or
packing the aforementioned reflectors and head lamp.
So for those seeking a lovely "runcation" spot, I highly recommend Ireland.
