There are now just three weeks to go to the Cork City Marathon. I’m comfortably running twenty kilometres per excursion, but my attempts to push beyond that haven’t tended to end well. I’m still undecided about whether I should enter the half-marathon or persevere with my plan to complete the whole course. It’s definitely something I want to do once in my life, but I’m not sure whether this is my year in which to do it.
With college deadlines and work pressures, I have enough to be anxious about. But this dilemma which I’m facing has me addled. Thankfully my worries have been tempered by the imminent arrival of summer. It’s a time of year that lends itself well to optimism, so I might give that a go. It’s not my default mindset for most of the year, but when the nights get longer and the central heating is switched from ‘timed’ to ‘off’, I’ll often allow myself a few weeks of being one of those annoying, positive types.
Another reason to be happier has been the influx of tourists into Ireland. As much as I love my compatriots, the last two years of being denied travel abroad have left me pining for interaction with people from overseas. Hearing different accents and languages is exciting to me, and with the lifting of restrictions and the improving weather, Ireland has once again become the land of a thousand welcomes. Or a hundred thousand, if you’re going by the Gaelic phrase.
I went to Kilmainham Gaol this week and brought along my camera to speak to a few tourists about their trips to this lovely auld sod. Most were extremely happy to speak to me, but not many were as willing to appear on camera or have their voices recorded. That’s fine. I’m sure people visiting Ireland are subjected to the same catastrophising about scammers and pickpockets before they travel as we are before heading anywhere exotic. Nothing like setting off on a relaxing holiday with words of warning ringing in your ears. Anyway, the video below was cobbled together from my very enjoyable interactions with the lovely couple who agreed to be filmed, and the equally pleasant mother and daughter who were delighted to have their voices recorded, if not their images.
If anybody fancies a post-race blog, let me know in the comments below. I’m sure you’re all dying to know how I get on. Have a lovely summer!
