Why I love to... walk on the beach

Author Caroline Foran takes her dog for a walk every day in Clontarf


Whether it's running, pilates or rock climbing, I am – admittedly – the kind of person who will take up an activity with the utmost enthusiasm only to drop it moments later when I get distracted by something else or simply lose interest. The one constant in my life, however, is my daily walks by the seafront with Bear, my Shihtzu/Pomeranian puppy and rising star of Instagram.

We wrap up, drive to Clontarf, grab a tea to go from Ebb & Flow and then shake off the cobwebs. It takes a while because Bear hasn't yet grasped the concept of walking in a straight line and must stop and greet every single person and dog on the way. But our routine walks – looking out at those chimneys and breathing deeply – clear my head of all the noise while his happy little face keeps my cortisol at bay and my serotonin topped up.

Only then am I in the best position to head home and get to work on writing my second book about which I’ve been plagued by the fear of failure. As it happens, the theme of this book is also the fear of failure. The irony has not escaped me.

Tell us about the activities or sports you love. Email magazine@irishtimes.com with “Why I Love To” in the subject line