Training for races can become a very serious thing. So I decided last weekend to sod the training and instead have a bit of fun on my runs.
I was down in Waterford for the weekend and there they were: the Comeragh Mountains. At 16km in length, they are a tidy range of mountains, with the highest peak of Knockanaffrin reaching to 755 metres. Their greatest appeal though lies in the spattering of loughs that huddle themselves around the mountains just waiting to be seen.
We decided to run up to one of those lakes, Lough Mohra. Shadowed by Knockanaffrin itself, the approach to the lough is impressive. A zig-zag of forest trails followed by inevitable bog led us to the lake’s shores in less than 30 minutes. It was purely picturesque: the water, the mountain, the forest, the rocks. It reminded me why I still mountain run: to see scenes like this whilst still doing a sport that I love.
But the fun did not stop there. The following day, orienteering was on in Glenpatrick Woods, a convenient five minute drive from the base of the Comeraghs. The courses offered fast forest trails coupled with runnable open forest. It was great to orienteer in a new area in a low-key event and to discover another of Ireland’s scenic woods.
It was good to have a weekend of fun runs, up new mountains and in different forests. It’s a sure sign I should do it more often!