I knew I wanted to do something meaningful to mark one year on from my husband's tragic passing, something that spoke of the horror of depression and the terrible consequences of suicide. I also wanted to do something that offered hope, that showed a way forward even in the midst of such suffering. Within mountain-running … Continue reading A Winter Denis Rankin Round to Remember
Last weekend’s Quest Wales Adventure Race was a great excuse for a quick holiday break away. All it took was a speedy ferry ride from Dublin to Holyhead and, in less than an hour, I was in Betws-y-Coed in the heart of Snowdonia, race HQ for the weekend. Wales is a brilliant place for anyone … Continue reading Quest Wales Adventure Race
Yesterday, more than three hundred women of all shapes and sizes, of differing motivations and abilities, congregated in the picturesque Scottish town of Crieff. They had entered the ‘Women Run Strong’ event, an annual ladies-only running event with a difference. What awaited them was a mouth-watering spread of activities. First up, they were greeted at … Continue reading Women Run Strong in Scotland
I heard Edinburgh was a beautiful city, steeped in Scottish history. So I was curious to check the place out when I was offered a weekend away there. Granted, the purpose of the weekend was to go to Murrayfield to watch Munster Rugby take on Edinburgh in the Heineken Cup first round. Munster however lost … Continue reading Discovering Edinburgh and Arthur’s Seat
I’d been on the road for nearly 2 weeks, bumming my way around US national parks. I’d hiked up mountains, biked across slickrock, ran across desert trails. I had wilderness overload. I needed some city life. I needed some entertainment. So when the Interstate 15 sign shouted out “Las Vegas”, I followed the signs straight … Continue reading Being Entertained in Las Vegas
Running around a park where a gang of horses died of thirst is always a bit risky. Getting lost in such a park is a really bad idea. Dead Horse Point State Park lies close to Moab in the US state of Utah. Cowboys used it back in the 19th century as a natural corral … Continue reading Getting lost in Dead Horse Point State Park, Moab UT
I woke up early to blue skies, crisp air, and the sun rising over picture perfect slopes. It was my last day in Snowmass village, just outside the ski resort of Aspen. An early morning run would be the best antidote to the 5 hours I knew I’d spend in the car that day. I … Continue reading Classics on a Rock on an Aspen Rim Trail Run
"So where have you flown in from?", the woman beside me asked. I had just arrived in Dublin Airport and was heading straight home on the bus. "Spain", I replied with a fleeting smile. "Were you working there?" she asked, idly making conversation. I thought the truth might shut her up. "No, I've just run … Continue reading I did the camino… my way
I follow a mountain runner on Twitter who lives in Hong Kong. So when I found out I was spending the weekend there, who else to Tweet but “trailrunner852” who duly told me where to run. He sent me to a website that threw up all the long distance trails in the country. There was … Continue reading Hong Kong dishes up Rugby 7s and Trail Runs
I was in Burma last week on a whirlwind tour of the country. One of our stops was in Bagan, one of Burma’s ancient cities. Over 4,000 Buddhist temples were commissioned by Bagan’s kings during a 230 year building frenzy that ended in 1287. And many of these temples still remain, strewn out across a … Continue reading Jogging around Burma’s ancient kingdom of Bagan