Your Fitness

Why I Love To . . . run in St Catherine’s Park

Reader Brian McGrath on his favourite form of exercise

Jo Linehan
Sat Apr 7 2018 - 06:00

“When I came to live in Leixlip in 1975, St Catherine’s Park was privately owned. I used to delight in sneaking into the dense woodland area with my young children.

It was a beautiful place then and it still is now. The big difference is that nowadays you and I own it.

Though I’m in my 65th year, I am blessed with the health to be able to run in the park every day, whatever the weather, mostly in the morning. I usually run for about an hour but that can go up to two hours some days, depending on what I am training for.

I lost 3.5st in weight slowly and surely, almost exclusively down to my activities in St Catherine's

I often then go back to the park in the afternoon for my beloved lazy stroll. I am a retired civil servant and I still pinch myself to think that I live so close to a place that makes physical activity such a joy.

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From the time I retired from work eight years ago, I lost 3.5st in weight slowly and surely, almost exclusively down to my activities in St Catherine’s. I was an athlete in my younger days and went back to competitive running with the Le Cheile Athletic Club in Leixlip when I was 62.

Having the fitness to be a competitive athlete again was the furthest thing from my mind on retirement. St Catherine’s Park and the time to enjoy it brought that about.”

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Brian Mcgrath