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| Derroura Trailhead in Connemara |
I was able to convince my local colleagues and friends Cecil Looney and Mike Mulligan to take me for a trail run after a busy day at the office. At 5:30PM we met at the Derroura trailhead in the Connemara region on the west coast of Ireland after a 45 minute drive from Galway. Neither one of us knew what to expect. Me, because I'd never been to this area and they, because they had never been on a trail run. Hey, with a little luck, I'd turn these two road warriors into trail runners by the end of the day.
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| These sheep weren't quite sure what we were doing here. |
Mike and I had researched the course beforehand and expected a 10 mile trail loop. However, neither one of us knew anything about the elevation profile. As luck would have it, the first half was mostly uphill while the second half was mostly downhill. This surrounding area was just as amazing as the area surrounding the race course 4 days earlier, but this time I took the time to take pictures, plenty of pictures.
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| My running mates Cecil and Mike. |
Wherever I looked, I saw Hallmark picturesque sceneries waiting to be captured. Unfortunately, I have no talent in that area, so my pictures could be considered snapshots at best.
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| These "bridges" were used to cross bogs in several swamp areas. |
Although I spent most of my time snapping pictures, we still managed to run a decent pace for the entire 10 miles. It even stayed dry until the final mile of the run, when it started to drizzle. By the time we arrived at the trail head, both Cecil and Mike sounded like they were ready for more. I have yet to meet a road runner that didn't enjoy a nice trail run to break up the monotony of road running....even if it is in Ireland.
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| Two "Bens" in the background just off in the distance. |
It was way too warm and dry for the local runners Martin!
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