For most of my adult life, running has been my primary form of exercise/fitness. In addition to the obvious physical benefits, it's proven to be a great way to relieve stress and there is something about moving and sweating that helps me process/reflect on what is going on in my life. I know that regular running has helped me be a better husband, father, colleague and friend and I feel fortunate to have been able to stay healthy enough to continue doing this.

Over the years, I've tried a number of different things to help motivate me to continue this cornerstone habit including periodic races, run streaks and shoe/gear changes. One of the most fun and effective things I tried was a virtual (i.e., pretend) run across the United States. From January 2016 to August 2017, I used a travel blog site called "off exploring" to track a run from my house (at the time) in Panama City, FL, to San Diego, CA. I mapped out a course and tracked my mileage to see where I virtually would have been if I was doing this run for real. As I passed through different cities, I used the blog to document some of the cultural and historic aspects of each of location. This including providing information on local running clubs/races and community events that were occurring on the dates when I was (virtually) passing through. This provided me with a consistent motivator to keep running as the more miles I ran, the sooner I would complete the cross country trek. It also helped me establish a consistent writing habit and taught me a lot about the beauty and diversity of the different areas of our country.

It's now close to a decade later, and I think it's time to add another chapter to the virtual run series. For this one, I'm planning to (virtually) run around the country of Ireland, focusing on the cities and tourist attractions that I will pass by along the way. As of now, I'm planning to use the Ireland tourist sites web site that is highlighted in the picture below as a primary source for the cities and sites I encounter. I also plan to share some of the experiences and memories of a trip to Ireland that my wife Jody and I were able to take with my parents shortly after we were married.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this journey leads and welcome others who choose to follow along.

Cheers, Pat