Introduction

I was browsing the running in Cork Blog last night (Friday August 5th 2022) and suddenly our life in Dublin appeared in Cork. John D of the reknowned Running in Cork Blog asked about cycling to parkrun in cork here. I dashed off a quick email to John encouraging him that yes this is the way to go. We’re taking this battle on parkrun by parkrun in Dublin.

When Julie ran for election in Cork (2019) we ran a data driven campaign. We found data in the Cork profile that said in the city centre approximately 80 % of journeys were 5km or less. There is no need to put a car under your arse for that distance if your young, fit and able get on your bike and go. We believed so strongly in it we put out a video of Julie on a Cork Bike. We seen the swing from the Green party votes to Julie at the count. Some people couldn’t believe it. I could believe it. I knew that common data driven sense was there in the electorate. An hour in the car versus 5 - 10 mins on a bike. Never willing waste someone else’s time in this life it annoys the hell out of everyone.

If you’ve turned into an enormous red rage monster because you’re elderly and not able to cycle my point above is designed to protect your car space/bus stop next to the door of wherever you need to go. If my car is parked there your trapped in your car and can do nothing. If I leave my car at home and cycle you sit in less traffic and have more parking.

In short and just in case you find that opening boring we’re going to have to change this Winter because President Putin is going to try and squeeze us and freeze us. I once heard Phil Knight the founder Nike describe business as “War without Bullets” well we’re in a war with climate change but this isn’t motivating us to fight as hard as we should maybe because it lacks a visible foe to defeat? Defeating Putin and his regime by getting on your bike now that’s got the feeling of victory behind it. Do that. Picture it as every time you crank a bike pedal you’re kicking Putin out of office. Yes climate action just got easy and at eye level. Pump that bike pedal hard and send Putin packing.

Course

Warning the course was slightly altered when we visited Tolka Valley parkrun. The great hole of Tolka Valley was being filled on the course so were running a slightly altered route. Tolka Valley cleverly marked the course using on the route markings below.

We tore around three loops 1 long and 2 short. On the first lap you’ll head out passed the soccer pitch to the west side of the park. The wind was in our face hear and as usual I found it hard to breath. Turn your mouth away from the wind and breath out. You will be ok. Look at the view in front of you and live a little because when you turn around you’ll have the wind at your back and it will be top speed time. When you get back from your wild west adventure with the wind still at your back you’ll slope down slightly and then up the hill for the first time.

You will run up this hill 3 times. By all means go wild the first two times but save yourself on the final round. The first two hills sap your legs more than you might realise and yes you have two drops to give you a little time back and recover but on that last hill with the excitement of toppling your goal at Tolka parkrun you might forget the slight mole hill just before the final left turn and the 100 meter sprint home. Yes I did just reference a second surprise hill. You’ll discard this as nothing the first two times but the last time you’ll be turning on the warp speed only to realise it’s too early to travel faster than light. I love a sprint finish and I’d hate to let anyone get hacked down by a hill they forget before the thrill of a Tolka Valley sprint finish. The morning we visited the volunteers were terrific at giving you one final tidal wave of encouragement to finish. What a thrilling run overall.

Volunteers

We met the volunteer team just off the start point of what seemed to be a hub for all activities. They were getting the gear out. We got the terrific Tolka Valley parkrun welcome. Unfortunately they found out we were from the People’s Republic of Cork and this ended up in the RD speech. I’m not sure how this happened in true Cork fashion I told them we were from Cork but I still can’t figure how this came up in conversation ;-). Even worse they also knew our Tramore Valley parkrun was built on the dump in Cork. At the end we said goodbye with “see you at the dump if you’re in Cork”. The banter flew out of every top hat in Tolka Valley that morning and I’m only now mentioning the first finisher who finished in a very respectable 19:33. His dog ran the whole way with him on a lead and later we found out he was a Dunamore man and had been coached in the GAA by Julie’s uncle. It’s a tiny Tolka Valley world.

Coffee

I nearly lost faith in us getting coffee and then just as we thought everywhere was closed we turned left just passed the Tolka Valley Community Training Centre. The farmers market is in a Tolka Valley industrial estate which at the weekend is like a ghost town. I regret not dropping a pin on google maps but here are some pictures. Order the vegetarian sausage rolls and you’ll never look at pork or pudding the same way again.

Conclusion

Tolka Valley parkrun you’re a thrilling run in the valley