Guest Post: Running ...by Pat Walsh

* Running *

' That is no country for old men '

I realised this week I have been posting under the PWR banner and writing weekly posts for 11 years. Is this enough pain and suffering to inflict on the general running population about slow running?

When do we become irrelevant, repetitive or just boring and I don’t want to do that. I used to be writing at this time of year when I was training for Dublin Marathon about strategies and tips to help performance. I was in that zone and had some perspective.

That life is gone, the ship has sailed and now my life is a few easy runs and parkrun family on Saturday mornings. It is good to be still moving and I do miss those long 20 mile runs early on a Saturday when everything seemed a possibility. 

I am still a runner but a greatly modified version of a previous self. But I am still a runner. Beautiful run this morning in Midleton and just met so many nice people.  There was visitors from Scotland, Bere Island and a few Norries from Cork. Actually the less you run the more time you have to engage, mix, talk, learn about all the people who present themselves at a start line. Maybe a late career as a running journalist talking about butterflies and blackberries is my calling.

Story… 

Last week as I walking in Midleton town a car beeped at me to call me over. It was my friend Billy ( who has been previously mentioned in my posts as a daily 5k man ) . 

He had a book for me about the life of Emil Zatopek. 1952 Olympic champion in 5k, 10k and Marathon. A remarkable life and the story is fascinating account of adversity and resilience. If it was good enough for Billy it was good enough for me. He said to me he found it useful for training tips and he thought I might get something from it to help me. 

Just as I’m easing into a life of old age and easy running this tale of heroic achievement drops into my lap. Will it inspire me or finish me? My friend Billy is 88 and I’m 63. We are both runners but am I a journalist or a bluffer? 

'Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.
Caught in that sensual music all neglect
Monuments of unageing intellect.' Yeats. 

#pwr

Guest Post: Glengarriff parkrun report... by Pat Walsh

 * Glengarriff parkrun report *

On the quest to do all 11 parkruns in Cork this year I am pleased to report ‘Mission Accomplished’. Glengarriff on Saturday was the last one on the list and to be honest we saved a peach of a parkrun until last.

Stunning route and if it seems I swallowed a Bord Failte manual then I do apologise. A one loop circuit through the nature reserve on a combination of concrete roads and woodland trails. Running in the dappled shade of the ancient forest and alongside streams that have rocks carved smooth by the last ice-age makes you appreciate the beauty of nature. Few little ups and downs but nothing too serious if you want a good run but I would advise slowing down and taking in all the nature that surrounds you.

The locals who volunteered are not quite as old as the forest but they have the beautiful West Cork way of making you feel welcome. Run Director Cathal Lavin and his team had the usual collection of nationalities at the start line that you wondered was it a parkrun or a meeting of the United Nations. Summer time and visitors from everywhere. 

And before you ask of course there were runners from Kerry. You could go to a marathon at Tierra Del Fuego at the Southern Tip of South America and there will be someone from Kerry there. It was lovely to meet the group from Tralee parkrun who had got a temporary 24hr visa to leave the County.

Sometime I may get around to talking about all the parkruns but today was Glengarriff and thanks to Stephen O’Sullivan who led the group in an enthusiastic and energetic aerobic warm-up pre the run. Lovely ice breaker and many laughs but not much appreciated by our four legged friends who were bursting for the off.

It is a really beautiful part of the country and a quick stop for a coffee and nibble which was enjoyed with a splendid view of Glengarriff Harbour. Life is for getting out there and it really doesn’t get much better than this. 1hr 45min each way in the car to do a 5k run can be equally described as insanity or heaven. Take your pick.

Thanks of course to Danielle and Heike for the company, laughs and your insightful analysis. Why do most parkruns end with a coffee and a sausage roll for me?  What does it say about me and could I rank all the parkruns in preferential order based on the quality of the local sausage roll.

Sin Scéal Eile……

#pwr

Guest Post: Does it get any easier?... by Pat Walsh

* Does it get any easier? *

How many times have we been asked that question by fellow runners, or maybe you have mentally thought it for yourself.

We run hard, we push ourselves, we are wrecked at the finish and maybe we didn’t achieve what we hoped for. What was all the training for? Why doesn’t it get easier as time goes on?

The answer lies in our own hopes and expectations. 

Did we aim too high with no thought for our physical limitations and our ability to find time to train. 

Did we not rest enough between training sessions (or is the case with so many busy people, that just don’t have the time to rest and recover).

Did we look at our birth cert.

If training hard is what we do to improve, then sleep, rest and proper nutrition are equally important to ensuring that the training gains materialize in a race. There is no professional reading this, only ordinary runners doing the best they can.

Do we let others push us towards unrealistic targets or maybe feel we could match or improve the times of friends but maybe without the same amount of training. 

I love the expression (NO) that some people use so glibly to say ‘you would be well able to do that’ without any knowledge of what the other person is capable of actually achieving. 

It can get easier if you find peace with where you are at any stage of your running life. Run hard and then accept that, as the here and now. You will find that your performance will improve if you relax and take the outcome rather than set a goal to be disappointed with.

Our bodies are fantastic and allow us to get out there and run. Finishing a run and the temporary tiredness, followed by the euphoria of chatting to other runners and proving I can still do this time and time again is maybe acceptance that this is getting easier. If it is that bad why do we enter the next race.

You run for the physical, mental and social benefits that running brings. It challenges your mind and body. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy so don’t ask.

“Smile As you find a rhythm 
Working you, 
slow mile by mile, 
Into your proper haunt.” Seamus Heaney

Lecture and pontificating over. Have a lovely run this weekend.

#pwr

Guest Post: Castlehaven parkrun report ...by Pat Walsh

* Castlehaven parkrun report *

We had a lovely visit last Saturday to this most quaint and beautiful parkrun. A nice jog on a woodland trail but book-ended by some unique performances.

Guest Post: The Bear and the Wolf ...by Pat Walsh

 * The Bear and the Wolf *

Oh, someday girl, I don't know when
We're gonna get to that place
Where we really want to go, and we'll walk in the sun
But 'til then, tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run….. Springsteen

What a fantastic Summer we have had and while all hope isn’t lost yet for the rest of August and September we have to admit the evenings are drawing in. It was fantastic to be able to pull on shorts, t-shirt, running shoes and out the door. No need to worry about cold or rain. I went for a cycle one day and it took me 20 minutes to get the bike out of the shed, pump the tyres, oil the chain, test the brakes and the gears and then find my helmet and glasses. I would have a few Kms done at that stage running.

I do honestly think it is hard-wired genetically into our DNA to just run. Nothing mad fast, but enough to be moving and stay ahead of the bears and the wolves that chased us when we put our nose outside of the cave a few thousand years ago. We were running then and we evolved and graduated to running around a field or a mountain trying to mind goats and sheep. We have always ran. Nowadays the beauty is that we have a choice for our health and mental sanity. We are blessed to be able to do it.

There is no mention of triathlons or kite-surfing in the annals of ancient Ireland and no sport except for Cú Chulainn hitting a ball around the place with an old stick. People either walked or ran. The bicycle is less than 200 years old and you only swam back then when you fell out of a boat. We were born to run. There were running events in the Greek Olympics 2500 years ago. Some, like Mark English must have had very fast ancestors but I think I’m more related to Fred Flintstone. My instinct and breeding is to be in the middle of the field, the safest place to be in the history of human evolution.

Of course it is important to do different things and try our hand at every type of exercise. But when all is said and done you can’t beat an easy run, with good company in a peaceful scenic location and the sun shining down on us. It was also nice to be able to go for a coffee afterwards without the fear of hypothermia from wet gear and a biting cold wind. I know the farmers are worried about the lack of rain but as my lawnmower is enjoying a restful summer then I’m not complaining.

I met some lovely people while I travelled around this Summer and those beautiful memories can help shorten whatever winter lies ahead. Running is a great way of socially mixing, strangers in a race become buddies as the miles go on, and many a kind word is exchanged at the finish line.

Thanks to all for saying hello and your very kind comments about my posts. They are welcomed and valued. I write about what I see and feel as I run. Keep getting out to run and socialize, it is part of your nature and no fear nowadays of the bears and the wolves.

'I write to see and the seeing is through language'.. McGahern

Please don’t ever take me seriously.

#Keeponrunning

#pwr

Guest Post: The Straight Road ...by Pat Walsh

 * The Straight Road *

This famous road in Cork has hosted many a sporting occasion and today we finished the St Finbarrs AC 10k in the Lee Fields at the foot of the County Hall at the end of the road. It is also known as the Carrigrohane Road.

To help your sporting and social knowledge this road has hosted a Formula 1 race of its time, a leg of the Tour De France, National Road Bowling finals and a concert one time in the Lee Fields was headlined by U2. Various Kerry football teams would have used it as an escape route back to Kerry when they got a hiding from Cork down the Park.

But why do I mention it today? Well one of the features of this route was the fact for years as you turned onto the road heading for Cork you could see the County Hall for 2.5 miles in front of you (4km for the young people). It was long, and mentally tough, it appears late in the Marathon route when the energy levels are flagging and you are questioning your sanity. 

Time stood still on this road, you were going nowhere, it was still there in front of you and no closer. Einstein’s theory of time and moving forwards and backwards could actually be tested while running this road of a hot sunny day. I once saw the County Hall moving in a heat shimmer but as it was around the same time as the moving statues in Cork I could never be certain what was going on.

So the good news as I ran in today towards the finish is that the trees on the right hand side have grown up, to completely obscure the view of the County Hall until the last half mile. The things we do to distract the mind while we run as I reflected on this particular route. Flashbacks to late 80’s when this was our regular lunchtime training run. Memories of the late Derry O’Driscoll who lorded over us and who sadly passed away earlier this year. 

What about today. Super race, well organized by St Finbarrs AC. Great buzz and a race that catered for all abilities even for old fellas like me at the back of the pack. 15 minutes slower today than a handy training run 38 years ago. Madness, insanity, old age, resilience, stubbornness, delusional… or just don’t care and be happy to be running. 

Thanks to my pals Danielle, Iosla and Daniel for your company at the start and waiting around afterwards for me 😃 . I was grand, don't worry …. !

Thanks to all who organized today and keeping up the great tradition of a St Finbarrs City race. It has been held in various locations and distances around the city but always one of the highlights of the year. 

Sorry for wasting 5 minutes of your time with my ramblings. This is a diary post rather than a running education for anyone. Thanks Graham, Mick and Joe for all the pictures even if we look half-dead.

'Every hold that I had on time
Every dream that I thought was mine
Well, it's all quite forgotten now
Lost without the double cross of you... '

St. Finbarr's AC 

#pwr 

Guest Post: Project 3664 ...by Pat Walsh

* Project 3664 *

I was fascinated recently with Josh Kerr and his attempts to rewrite athletics history and run a mile in 3.42. He called it Project 222. That is unreal and he publicly declared he would do it. 222 seconds to run a mile. 3 x 60 and + 42. Do the math.

The world record of 3:43.13 had been held by Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj ( hero of mine when I actually could run 😃 ) since 1999. 

For 27 years, some of the greatest runners we have ever seen had attempted this and failed, he succeeded. 

What is that to do with us mere mortals. Not a lot really or maybe if we plan and dream we all have no limits. I don’t have the answer but to dream is good and to see the completion of a fantastic record attempt is just mind blowing. It beats sitting on a couch.

So Project 3664 was a work in progress that was never planned properly, but was completed today. Not sure if Josh knows about this.

I decided to volunteer at my local parkrun as the tailwalker, the last man home, the sweeper upper, the marker collector, the official broom wagon driver. Time to give back something to the running community.

What fun exists at the tail end of the run. The buggies flying along, the dogs sniffing one another, the dog-owners looking at one another and trying to be sociable while thinking their own dog is the chosen one. Also we have those whose competitive days are over and want to take part in something pleasant and fun. Have the chats and be supported while walking. ' There will be coffee '

Be part of something bigger. Have a reason to get out on a Saturday morning. Volunteering can be good for your overall self esteem and give you a reason to be, a purpose, a sense of importance and involvement. Life exists on many levels and in so many different ways for everybody. I had a lovely morning. Thanks to my partner Aoife for the company. In Ireland a stranger is someone you have not met but after walking the 5k parkrun I now have another friend. 

We were  last home in 1.01.04 so I actually completed project 3664. Do the math…..!

The other volunteers were thrilled to see us. They could finally tidy up and go home.. 

Like El Guerrouj my days of glory are long past but my days of participating and supporting hopefully have many days ahead. 

#pwr #keepsmiling

Guest Post: Can the year please slow down? ...by Pat Walsh

* Can the year please slow down? *

'If I could save time in a bottle

The first thing that I'd like to do' 

We had the longest winter ever followed by a very warm settled phase that resembled a Summer and here we are now in August. Are the years flying by faster, or does our very lifestyle make it seem that way? Constantly going, always planning, chasing our tails and wondering about time and the lack of it.

The next BHAA evening race in 2 weeks is the last of the evening races for this year, how did that happen? Are we mentally ready for the passing of another season and head into another autumn / winter of running. There will be a good September, be optimistic.

To train regularly during the week and to run in a few races gives structure and a sense of achievement to counter balance the always on, super busy mode in life where we never get around to doing half the stuff we intended to. To look back later in the year at races completed and a decent training log is personally satisfying and a mental tonic boost in the midst of chaos.

Life can throw curveballs, life can be demanding and challenging at times. Life can get in the way of running if you are not careful. We need to run for our sanity and health. Don’t worry about time or how far. Just get out and breathe the fresh air. Slow down and enjoy the fact that your are moving. Life can wait until you get home. 

I was running recently and spotted a fabulous hedge of blackberries that had just ripened. Perfection. A revisit later and the middle drawer in my freezer is looking good for winter. I have learned from the birds and animals how to be a hoarder too and plan for life ahead.

Start now. 

I will train next week and the week after.

I will bring order and structure to my life.

I will embrace my running and enjoy it for what it brings to me.

I will drink coffee and travel to different places to run.

I will run a few races to be sociable and for the sense of purpose it gives me.

I will not entertain negative thoughts while I run and in fact I will try to forget I have another life.

I will not let 2026 pass me by without something notable notched on my belt.

I am not wishing my life away, in fact I want it to slow down. But I know I can’t. Next best is to bring order to the chaos and a feeling of something done. 

On New Years Eve I will look back on the year and think it wasn’t totally wasted.  Do the things you want to do. Don't wait. If I have collected a t-shirt and a medal from some run while eating my porridge with a few thawed out blackberries on top, then it will not have been totally wasted. 

I got to Dunlewey Church this year. One less from the milk-churn list, yes mine is bigger than a bucket list.....!

'But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go through time with' Jim Croce 

Have a lovely weekend and keep on running.

#pwr 

Guest Post: Clonakilty, parkrun Number 9 ...by Pat Walsh

 * Clonakilty, parkrun Number 9 *

The quest to check out all the 11 parkruns in Cork this year. Cork is a big County and we have to do road mileage to get to some of these runs. 7.45am leaving home for a 9.30 start isn’t too bad.

The usual clichés but hey are still true. Lovely people and an honest open welcome. Lots of visitors on the day as West Cork is a tourist hub this time of year. 

Not sure if we can answer to ‘any visitors today?’ when we are from the same County. ‘Fake Tourists’.

We passed signs for Michael Collins Trail and replica Model T from Henry Ford. Jaysus the Yanks love this stuff. No sign of Cillian Murphy looking out over a ditch with a fake rifle thanks be to God.

All I need is a pair of running shoes and a race and I’m happy.

4.5 laps on a loop around the Showgrounds which is handy for keeping an eye on those in front and behind you. No paranoia here I say, but I was lapped by the winner fair play to him. 

Thanks Annabel, Danielle, Heike, Anna and Mikey for the company. Whatever you all lack in running skills ye more than make up for in Breakfast Company afterwards. Thanks Sandra and Siobhan for gracing our table.

Insanity as a form of relaxation is vastly underestimated and we had the pleasure of company with Tom O’Riordan Watergrasshill AC on his quest to do 8 parkruns and a junior parkrun in the one day. Starting with junior in Cobh about 6am and followed with Tramore Valley, Ballincollig, Clonakilty, Macroom, Mallow, Glen River, Youghal and finally Midleton about 6pm. Pleased to say he completed his task this evening. Well done to Daniel for driving and doing some of the runs. Great effort. A Marathon of 42k completed with about 400 miles of driving in between. Congrats.

Pleased to say I ran 5k with them and drank coffee when he took off for more madness. With age comes sensibility.

Thanks to all in Clonakilty and especially Patrick Murphy, Race Director and I even got a picture with the ‘real Boss’ Sandra Walsh. ( I will be killed for this 😃 ) Our Anna was first Lady home on the run for the 2nd time in West Cork this Year. ( I can’t be killed twice thankfully )

Keep running. Have fun.

#pwr

Guest Post: The Punt and the Euro ...by Pat Walsh

 * The Punt and the Euro *

You read the heading and ask am I losing my marbles? Maybe

Has this anything to do with running you ask? Maybe

Wednesday night I ran the Bord Gais BHAA 5k race in Cork. 5euro entry and I reckon that relates to 4 old punts for anyone old enough to convert. I also came home with a free t-shirt. A pint in my local is north of 6 euro at the moment.

No, I did not win a prize, the moon hadn’t turned blue on this occasion. It was 23 degrees starting the race and we also got a tan top up free of charge. Luckily what I lack I talent and speed is compensated by a sense of self worth and humour.

We have been through currency changes, recessions, depressions, inflation, stagnation and all kinds of troubles with money. We have moved in 2002 from the punt to the euro but still the BHAA continue to give us a reason to run without breaking the bank.

All-Ireland tickets are priced in the hundreds

Ryder Cup tickets are priced in the thousands

World Cup final football tickets are priced in the loony zone for a single event.

Running gives us an opportunity to still be active and engaging in a sport we love while avoiding negative equity. I had so much fun. The usual hugs, kisses, handshakes, fist-pumps and the odd slag from a steward who wasn’t running. Thanks Annabel for the run company. You couldn’t buy for any money what enjoyment an evening like this can bring to you. Sustenance for the soul. 

What prompted this post?

I had a lovely chat and photo opportunity with Aine Murphy after the race. We both featured in a recent photo I shared from 1989 when we paid for entry in punts and I have no idea what it cost then. Probably 2 or 3 punts. Aine was 3rd lady home on the day, a great runner and a huge supporter of the Cork running scene. Last night we paid 5 euro to run and laugh somewhere at the back of the field. ‘The fun zone’. 

It was only 37 years ago and I dare say half of the 726 field weren’t even born then. We have both gone through a lot of age category changes since.

‘I've seen the world, done it all
Had my cake now
Diamonds, brilliant, and Bel Air now.’

Incidentally two Mallow men Pat Kerrigan and John Holland featured in the same 1989 photo and were participating in this weeks run. They were too fast to get a picture with them..! Alas I got a picture with the Goonies for my troubles.

Run while you can and for as long as you can. Forget PB’s as you age past a certain mark. The trick then is to find peace with yourself. We have seen it all, done it all but still continue to participate for the joy it brings. You will never regret it. You will get value whatever currency you pay.

Thanks Joe, Mick and Graham for all your wonderful pics.

#pwr

Guest Post: Heroes ...by Pat Walsh

 * Heroes *

Officially the heatwave is over in Cork as it only got to 24 degrees thankfully. The extreme temperatures were causing me and I suspect many others to slowly go insane through lack of sleep. I am NOT complaining. The winter was long enough and it is lovely to be out in shorts and a vest even if it is at 6.30am. Today was lovely and hopefully we get a few weeks of this. An odd night of rain to help the garden and I will be delighted.

Last weekend I met the lovely McRae family at coffee and had the pleasure of speaking to Elle-Kate before she headed off to the Under 18 European Athletics in Rieti, Italy. To say she did well is a total understatement. She was magnificent. Irish U18 400 Hurdles record broken 3 times. Irish U20 record broken twice. 4th in the final today… OMG keep an eye on this name. Olympics 2032.

I have written before about the great Billy Griffin a serious hero of mine. One early morning this week well before 7am when I couldn't sleep or stay in bed,  I met Billy while I was out on a peregrination on the Midleton Greenway. “Mighty morning Pat, great to be out running’ . Billy is 88 years young.

There is only 70 years between the 2 of them. Both heroes in my eyes. Running gives us everything and offers everyone a chance to shine at every level and every age.

'So shine bright, tonight, you and I
We're beautiful like diamonds in the sky
Eye to eye, so alive
We're beautiful like diamonds in the sky'

This is a kinda personal post as the last few weeks have been a bit introspective due to circumstances. Last Friday I attended an annual Cemetery Mass in Mocollop Cemetery in Ballyduff Co. Waterford where my late grandparents are interred. Moving, thought provoking and quiet beautiful in its own way. Thanks to all concerned. It would help keep one grateful to be here and still running but also appreciate those who came before you.

I can’t tell the future but if I keep an eye on the past and the present then I have some hope. Keep running, keep meeting and talking to the wonderful running Community we have.

#pwr

Guest Post: Random Diary Entries ...by Pat Walsh

* Random Diary Entries *

“Either you run the day, or the day runs you.”

10th October

Not sure if I can run in the morning. Where did the Summer go and leave Winter in so quickly. I will need a long sleeve and a woolly cap. All I have is my Summer gear and the winter stuff was either dumped or buried at the bottom of a cupboard. Hope I washed it before I put it away. Could be a fair hum from some of the gear if it didn’t see the washing machine before I stashed it. I suppose nothing major ahead until the Turkey Trot  and it would be ok to miss a run. I’ll sort the gear for next week. I hate missing a run,

10th January

Not sure I can run in the morning. Baltic weather out there. Frost and ice in the forecast for tomorrow morning. Have to be careful, as one slip and a fall on icy footpaths and it could be a hip or a collar bone out of action for the year. Bambi on ice comes to mind. Couldn’t be taking a chance on it. I’ll stay in bed and let the lunatics off for themselves. You have to mind yourself. A nice hot whiskey before bed and set no morning alarm call. Bad start to the Year, World domination may have to be put on hold for a while. I hate missing a run.

10th April

Not sure I can run in the morning. Where in the name of God did that wind come from. One of those storms that blow in from the Atlantic named after some imbecile in the weather department. Storm Lilith I ask you. How can we have respect for a storm named after a character in ‘Cheers’. It could be a bit wild and bring down a few trees or branches. I can handle most weather conditions but wind and rain is just not nice. I wouldn’t like to get a cold or the flu and be suffering for the Easter Holidays. I hate missing a run.

10th July

Not sure I can run in the morning. You couldn’t make this up. A heatwave in Ireland just as I am hitting my peak in training. Tropical temperatures during the day and night. Advisory to not over exert the body in these conditions, and to be fair it is like a sauna out there. 

'Hot summer nights, mid-July

When you and I were forever wild'.... Lana Del Rey

I have the fair skin complexion of a Northern European with zero tolerance for very hot temperatures. I’m sweating putting on my running gear. Can you imagine exposing my milky white legs and arms to that sun, I could be scalded. George Lee says this could become the new normal. Will I even bother replacing my running shoes as they could be sticking in the tar like the current ones. I had great plans for July to be ready for the Autumn. I hate missing a run.

In Ireland we are lucky to live in a temperate climate where outdoor activities are possible all year round if you actually want to do it. 6.30am is a beautiful time of the day on the Greenway at the moment. Existence precedes essence, I run therefore I am.

Have a lovely weekend and stay safe.

#pwr

Guest Post: A Run ...by Pat Walsh

* A run *

The weather is picking up again and hopefully the good vibe will last for a while. 

The last few weeks / months haven’t been easy on the body or the mind. It happens, 

"We are gathered here today
To get through this thing called "life".... Prince 

Too many funerals and not enough celebrations. Hearing of illnesses and injuries to friends. Lots of bad news on the TV and radio. Doom scrolling on the internet.

When you enter a race online and have to scroll down a long way to find your birth year.. Jaysus 😃

The one saving grace through it all has been a run. 

The appreciation that I can run, when so many others that want to be active cannot do it.

On my own, a slow run and sorting the head out in a quiet place free from distractions where I can think.

Meeting someone to run and chat with, where there is a welcome ear and support while we cover the miles.

Going to a race and meeting everyone for smiles, hugs, laughs and yes we run a bit. The social bit is priceless.

Look at your watch when you finish a race and be happy that you and your watch got to the end line whatever the time is. It is an affirmation that you are alive.

The cuppa after a run.

The feeling afterwards when you are showered and dressed, where you feel you ran some of the bad stuff out and you have a little pep in your step.

We all have choices in our lives. 

Be positive or be negative. 

Some use the cliché glass half full or half empty. I like half full after I have drank the top half of a nice beer and half of it it still left…. but not for long and fill it again.

Live to the full each day or barely exist.

Be a support for others and know that everyone has some issue that they need help with.

'we give each other a smile with a future in it' John Donne

I won’t get religious or spiritual or predictions of an after life. I can’t predict tomorrow why would I be pontificating?

Enjoy your best life and in the absence of professional and scientific authority just listen to an aging slogger who has seen life. 

But go for a run.

#pwr

Guest Post: Holy Grail... by Pat Walsh

* The Holy Grail *

The search for eternal youth or sustenance in infinite abundance or any elusive object or goal of great significance.

Bere Island parkrun today was on the cards for a while. 11 parkruns in Cork to be done in 2026 was the goal and this was the Big One. 184 miles round trip. Left home at 5.55am to make the ferry to the Island.

The weather was dull and overcast but we didn’t get wet and in Ireland that is always something to be grateful for. I had the best of company to lift spirits and make the day special.

The Island had a mystical, magical aura to it today and the openness and genuine welcome from the locals was fantastic. It is easy going, slow it down a bit, everything will be grand kind of a feel. Maybe what we need more of in today’s society. There is no doubt on a bright sunny day the views would be more spectacular, but if you can impress on a dull day then you are going well. This is an Island loaded with its own history and so many stories. I was in awe today.

We left the ferry ( great pilot and solid Beara GAA man, = safe hands)... sorted.  Entered the island through the non-Schengen zone for oversea travellers and made a procession of runners to the local GAA field as the the base for the run. We waited for the minibus from the other ferry, on other side of the Island to arrive before we commenced. All in good time, it will happen, no panic, don’t be getting excited. It started at 9.30am West Cork time….

Parkrun number 551 today. They have it sorted. Low key briefings, enjoy the day and away you go. Undulating, scenic are two beautiful adjectives to describe the course. Every runner worth their salt knows that means hills. We survived, completed, smiled, hugged, posed for the requisite pics and selfies and congratulated ourselves on a job well done. 

Famous scientists for years worked on space-time continuum that continues to baffles the worlds greatest minds. Maybe they never went to Bere Island parkrun.

What can I say. Parkruns the country wide are brilliant and each with their own special feel to them. Taking the time to find them and understanding and appreciating them for what they are worth is what is important. It is local people doing their best to help their own area. Appreciate them and never ever go home without saying thanks to someone involved. 

You can pay huge money to run a race or you can go to Bere Island and run for nothing and have a memorable experience. Annabel, Liam, Anna, Heike, Danielle, Jack thanks so much for your company today. We laughed and that is important.

Due to personal domestic circumstances I have been missing my weekly missives. You need to 105% and have a little left over to be able to lift and inspire people. Hopefully today has restored the equilibrium in my favour. 

#pwr

Guest Post: Pilgrimage ...by Pat Walsh

 * Pilgrimage *

I took a few days staycation break in Ireland this week and one of the highlights was a first visit to the ruins of the old Dunlewey Church in beautiful Donegal. Always on my agenda, always associated with Clannad and their music. It was mystical, magical, wonderful. Why did I wait until after the death of Moya Brennan to go visit? 

As runners we have wishes and goals. Maybe we should give them a bit more priority.

Do we wait until we can’t and then say why didn’t I? Life can throw curveballs.

Life can bring it’s share of difficulties and obstacles and it is in running that we escape from the tedium and become ourselves. 

I always wanted to do……?

Do it,

Don’t wait until you can’t,

Don’t have regrets,

What have you put on the long finger for the future but not made a definite plan?

What should you have trained for but didn’t, and made an excuse?

Is there things to do and places you would like to go?

I have a lot of great memories and races ran, but am I finished? NO

Make a new list of memories to create, not things I should have done.

Running / training isn’t easy but sometimes life isn’t either. Put the work in and take the rewards. They last a lifetime. It isn't easy getting out to train but it has to be done.

Go visit the places you want to, run the races you dreamed of. Always remember nothing learned or gained on the couch. 

Open your eyes and see what is around you. Travel the world but don’t neglect the beauty of our own country. 

The future starts today.

Few early morning runs on the banks of the River Finn were good for the soul. Donegal didn't disappoint. 

‘Down past Dunlewey's bonny lakes one morning I did stray,
Until I reached sweet Clady banks where the silvery salmon play,
I strolled around through old Bunbeg and down along the shore,
And gazed with admiration on the green fields of Gaothdobhair’…. Clannad

#pwr

Guest Post: Was it just me ...by Pat Walsh

 * Was it just me *

Taking time to reflect properly on last weekends Cork Marathon I was struck by the friendliness and warmth of the occasion. Us runners are super anyway and good to encourage each other but last Sunday through the 3 events, Full, Half, 10K there was a little extra this year.

I think the energy, sense of celebration, acknowledgement of grief that the family and friends of Ellen Cassidy brought to the day just lifted each and every person there.

Greetings were more open, smiles were larger, encouragement was everywhere. I honestly lost count of the number of people who said some version of ‘ we should be grateful to be able to take part today ’.

Fair play to the organisers who went out of their way to accommodate the family and while the loss of a loved one can never be overcome, then hopefully last Sunday will provide some solace to them for the future. To Eamon Hayes and those in charge of Cork City Marathon I wish to say very well done.

There was some fantastic and quality running at the business end of the field and the local runners Ryan Creech 1.04.51 in the half and Niamh Allen 32.14 in the 10k would feature in any quality race anywhere.

As I watched at the finish, there were many who walked over the line at the end. They cheered, they celebrated, they finished the quest that they started. Where running was once an elite sport, it is now a mass participation event for people of all ages and fitness levels and that is to be applauded. 

I walked last year myself when I was recovering from injury and I like to think I took part the same as everyone else.

The crowds out supporting, the kids with jellies and water, the housing estate that turned it into a sea of yellow, Ellen’s friends in their yellow vests with tears of joy, the cheers on the new finish line on the Grand Parade. 

Was it just me the eternal optimist who felt it or did anyone else feel  that we witnessed and participated in a very unique occasion?

Does it take some tragic event to lift us or should we strive to make every day, every run, every event be a celebration of life and our good fortune to be able to take part. It doesn't take much to be nice, to say thanks, to be supportive.

Not everyone is so lucky. Make every day special. Have a lovely weekend and thanks for supporting my ramblings.

“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame.” …Yeats.

#pwr #BeNice

Guest Post: Reality v Expectation... by Pat Walsh

* Reality v Expectation *

'But past is all his fame. The very spot

Where many a time he triumph'd is forgot.' Goldsmith.. The Deserted Village

When do we accept ourselves and where we are. As runners we are fantastic and still we beat ourselves up trying for further glory. When does acceptance finally hit us with the reality of age and just how we are actually beating it and performing on a daily basis.

I’m old in my sixties or am I young in my sixties?

I run a few times a week and go to races. I'm doing things that a person of my age couldn't, wouldn't or be encouraged to attempt years ago.

I have the mentality of a 23 year old

I have the social internet skills of a 33 year old

I have lovely friends I run with who are 43. 

My Garmin tells me my actual fitness age is 53

My birth cert age is 63 and not long to go for free-travel

My knees feel 73 years old

I’m home from hols today and tomorrow’s parkrun could feel like 83 after all the beer and food.

Serious

Too many people pack up or lose enjoyment when they are not hitting the marks and making improvements continually. We age, accept it, but please allow yourself to be able to get slower and know that you are ahead of 99% of the population because you run. Accept your body however flawed it may be.

With age comes a deterioration in function but runners defy / delay / beat  / kick the sh**e out of ordinary process. We are special. Injuries happen, recover, drive on.The majority of runners who stop running do so because of inability to accept a slowing process instead of embracing the love of still running. 

I love seeing young people running and performing, striving to improve and setting new records. That is life and progress. 

If your best days are behind you in term of times then maybe your best days are ahead in terms of love of running. The head or the heart? Support or despair?

Lecture over

'And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew, that one small head could carry all he knew.' Goldsmith.. The Deserted Village

#pwr

Guest Post: Apologies ...by Pat Walsh

 * Apologies *

Never got around to a proper post this week. I contemplated retirement from running and writing rubbish recently. Let me elaborate.

I cycled with a friend of mine a year or 2 ago on a nice fine summer evening. Thanks Miss Ciara. It was a hilly scenic route and we passed the 42 km mark in a few seconds over 2hrs. Leisure cycling with a little effort, (not your head down, arse up, lycra brigade crew.. don't get me started..!), just normal people using a bike. I remarked that when the sub 2hr marathon mark was broken then a person would be running faster than we were cycling. Congrats Sabastian Sawe and fair play but you are killing me man.

So to compensate I took myself to sunnier climes to do a little warm weather training and wonder have I a future in running. Training for what has yet to be decided but at least the intention was there. 

Sun, sand, sea, some dubious cocktail selections, some boardwalk runs, some sand dunes, some prayers for a good pair of knees. The future isn't any clearer.

Folks don’t take me seriously as I jest.

Glac bóg an saol agus glacfaidh an saol bóg thú. 

Take life fine and easy and life will be fine and easy on you.. The Tailor Buckley. Tailor and Ansty 1942. One of my holiday reading books

#PWR

Guest Post: Mickey Mouse Zero Fly-by’s ...by Pat Walsh

 * Mickey Mouse Zero Fly-by’s *

During the week I caught up with with a fellow runner who had a fantastic London Marathon. His time came from 4hr+ to a sub 3.30. He agreed to be interviewed for this post. Name changed to assure anonymity.

Pat... Well done John, what do you put your big improvement down to?

John... Well you know like, I did a bit of training like, and prep work as well but I bought these new super shoes and jaysus man they were fantastic. The bees knees, top class, pure mule man…!

Pat... That is brilliant, can you tell me what shoe type you wore.?

John... It was the Mickey Mouse Zero Fly-by’s 9.0.1 with the go-faster stripe on the side. I was bouncing off the road so much I had to be careful I didn’t hit my head off the low bridges. My wife said I was moving like Roo from Winnie the Pooh. I was a Johnny Dazzler type, I even had to put sunglasses on while I was wearing them. There was bounce from them, it was like running across a new King Koil mattress in a furniture showroom.

Pat... You mention a go-faster stripe on these.

John... Indeed. A little orange strip from front to back and it improves the aero dynamic co-efficient by 0.001% which equates to 6 seconds over an entire marathon. Surely they were worth the small fortune I paid for them, even though we won’t get on any family holiday this year.

Pat... You mentioned training and prep work.

John... Yes I actually trained for this one for 9 months. I did the long and short runs, paced tempo, hills, fartlek, you know the usual stuff you should be doing before a marathon. I was training so much the neighbours starting calling me Kipchoge. Normally I wouldn’t put the runners on until 6 weeks before a marathon. Someone shouted 'Run Forrest Run' at me one day and I don't even look like Tom Hanks.

Pat... I hardly recognized you today, you are looking very fit.

John... Ahhh fair play and thanks. I gave up the fast food and the fry-ups. I only have the occasional beer and I think I’m 2 stone lighter than I was a year ago. I have discovered salads, fresh fruit and vegetables. To be fair, if I died and they buried me tomorrow it would be like planting a human grow-bag. 

Pat... Did you do anything else that may have helped?

John... I suppose I did start that ol’ stretching lark. I touched my toes for the first time since P.E. in secondary school. Herself took me to a yoga class one night. ‘In ainm Dé‘, I did more twisting and turning than a politician on Prime Time. I tried a few stretches on the ground at home one day and the dog ran out of the house barking as he thought I was after getting a seizure.

Pat... I’m absolutely thrilled for you but can I ask a hard question. Maybe your improvement was down to your own work, dedication, diet, training and little to do with the shoe you paid so much for.

John... Ahh jeepers no way man. If you spend the big money on the best of gear it must be a guarantee of a good finishing time. If it was that simple a solution with training and diet then why wouldn’t we all be doing it the proper way in the first place.

Interview suspended a minute later as John fainted when reality dawned on him.

#PWR #satire

Guest Post: Well earned ...by Pat Walsh

 * Well earned *

Beautiful spring weather and great to be alive and outdoors. I dug some of the vegetable patch today to get the plot ready for the onions and courgettes. I need to rake it next before I plant. Then weeding, watering, harvesting and drying just to have a few onions for winter. A bit of physical effort in the fresh air. Working with our hands in the soil, a time to think and be free from the world. A chat with the robin who thanked me for opening a free takeaway of worms with such a glorious song. 

If I had a literary bone I could invoke the spirit of Heaney, McGahern or Kavanagh and wax lyrical about the loamy brown fertile soil of East Cork crumbling in my fingertips but I can’t. It would be easier and cheaper to go to the supermarket and buy a few onions. But where is the satisfaction in that. 

What has all this to do with running you ask? Everything really.

We train, we plan, we start something and bring it to a conclusion by finishing a race and all you might get is a banana. But it isn’t any banana. It is one you have earned and cannot be bought. 

It isn’t the intrinsic value of whatever we are handed, it is the joy and self satisfaction that you accomplished something worthwhile. Cherish that moment, you did it. In team sports it can be an overall effort that determines winning or losing but in running it is your win and you alone. 

The greater the effort, the longer time from inception to finish the more you should value the moment. Think of the physical and mental benefits the entire process has brought to you. The fresh air, the friendships, the laughs. We forget the tears. You cannot quantify the value of that.

In a world where we think we can buy everything then it is important to appreciate the things you can’t purchase. The next time a small child, who is helping at a race, hands you the banana, then know it is a special one. My banana. When I’m having steak and onions for dinner in the depths of winter I will still hear the robin singing his beautiful refrain.

‘Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests.
I’ll dig with it.’….. Heaney

Take care and be kind in a world of turmoil. No fossil fuels were burned in the garden today. 

#pwr