Adidas Dublin, Ireland Marathon: October 29, 2007

Erin go bragh! The end of October snuck up on me and suddenly it was fall (although it still felt like summer outside), and I was once again sprinting from work to the airport to catch my flight to another continent. I have started counting these airport sprints as part of my weekly mileage. When I landed in Dublin about six hours later, I was unsettled by the familiarity of it all. After trips to China, Africa and Brazil, Western Europe and the English language felt slightly less exotic.

Landing in Dublin after a relatively short flight (although note that my relativity scale is a little skewed), I was relieved not to worry about mind-altering jet lag like in China or friendly but troublesome microorganisms like in Africa. Dublin is a fascinating city with a striking contrast of old and new in its architecture, economy and personality. Two days before the race the pubs were filled with an international crowd of vibrant, prospective marathoners. Disclaimer on the pubs bit: Given that I am attempting the Guinness world record, I felt a strong obligation to sample its other products.

I think conventional wisdom recommends staying off your feet the day before the marathon but I set a bad precedent at my first marathon by climbing the Great Wall of China the day before (oops, but worth it). I figured a walking tour of Grafton Street, Trinity College, The Book of Kells, St. Patrick’s, Temple Bar, and a few museums couldn’t do as much damage (on the muscles that is, not the wallet).

In the Running chose the Dublin Marathon to further support our sponsored organization for Europe, Co-operation Ireland for the cause of peace reconciliation. Our vision is to invest in a successful peace program and eventually offer a replicable model for sectarian conflicts in the Middle East. During our stay, Co-operation Ireland arranged for us to meet the US Ambassador to Ireland, Thomas Foley, at his residence in Phoenix Park. Apparently, the United States leases the property for $1 a year from the government of Ireland, thanks to a very old agreement. I wonder if the Irish consulate in New York is also rent controlled…We met the Ambassador’s houseguests, including Frank McCourt (the author of Angela’s Ashes) and coincidentally the parents of a classmate of mine from college!

After a tour of the residence and grounds, a few quick photos and many thank you’s, we were off for the race expo and some carbo-loading. My friend and former college cross-country captain Mairead O’Callaghan lives in Galway, Ireland, so she and a friend met me in Dublin to watch and cheer during the marathon. If you are looking for a good, accessible international marathon Dublin is a great time, and with a flat and friendly course there is the potential to run a great time too.

Preparing for Ireland in October, I filled three quarters of my suitcase with rain gear, thus ensuring that race day dawned sunny and perfectly brisk. The race started at 9am, which was positively luxurious after a few 4am wake-ups for previous marathons. The Dublin starting line is an elaborate maze and the race is very congested for the first five miles or so, but running through the heart of Dublin, ritzy suburbs, Phoenix Park and the prospect of negative splits compensate for this sufficiently. Spectators are consistently present and enthusiastic, especially at miles 11 and 25. There is a ton of energy in the last mile and the finish line area is a little chaotic, but ecstatic. After I finished I was hobbling back to my hotel toward visions of Guinness (the beer and the record!), when an Irish woman noticed my finisher’s medal. She ran up to me and gave me a huge hug, congratulating me on winning the marathon. I didn’t correct her. Everyone wins in some small way by finishing a marathon.

The rest of my time in Ireland was necessarily short as I had to get back to work, but managed to visit Galway, the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula before departing. On the Dingle Peninsula, I visited the hometown of Tom Crean, an Irishman who allegedly was responsible for carrying the beer on Ernest Shackleton’s legendary explorations of Antarctica. It is rumored that Shackleton himself described Crean as “one of the hardest men who ever lived.” What a perfect transition. After the next few months I’d better become one of the hardest women who ever lived, or alternatively I might realize (like Shackleton) that Antarctica is one of the hardest places to live, let alone run 26.2. Next up…the bottom of the Earth!