Swimming & Running - most popular sports in Ireland

The Irish Sports Council have just published figures for activity in Ireland:

@sportireland @IpsosMRBI Most popular sporting activities #ISM2013 pic.twitter.com/fQQWernFZ4
— Irish Sports Council (@sportireland) October 1, 2014

I have asked them if this is across all age groups or just a defined adult portion of the population.

@amphkingwest @sportireland Survey covers those aged 16+. Type of activities differ by age, and this is covered in the report.
— Ipsos MRBI (@IpsosMRBI) October 2, 2014

Obviously working in a #running store like +Amphibian King West - Galway I'm delighted to see Swimming and especially running up top as they are, but these figures also represent a massive swing in the Irish population to looking after themselves.

There is a certain attraction to 'solo' sports such as swimming and running. Naturally there is a social aspect to all sporting activity, club events for sure, but there is also a huge beneift to the individual.

Have you ever felt the solitude and peace of tapping out lap after lap of a swimming pool? The rhythm allows you to go to auto-pilot and the submersion clears the head.

The feeling of you, just you and the road when running is fantastic. Watching a sunrise through a misty forest is a spectacular, life affirming event.

After so many years of depression, doom and gloom through the recession, I for one am delighted to see so many people taking care of themselves.




 

The stats may not show clearly in the image copied from the Irish Sports Monitor 2103 Annual Report but Running has grown rapidly as the most popular individual activity.

Interesting to see at the start of the recession in 2008 & 2009 the number of participants remained static at 2.5 and experienced rapid growth in 2011 and 2013:

The increase in running is particularly interesting. It was the fifth most popular form of sporting activity in 2009 when its participation levels were half those for swimming or soccer and significantly behind those for golf. Since then it has become the third most popular form of activity, ahead of soccer and golf and with a much narrower gap to the most popular activities of personal exercise and swimming.

Another stand out stst from the #ISM2013 report is the level of participation in sport in Connaught. Nationally 'Running' represents 8.5% of overall activity, in Connaught it is 10.2%. The highest percentage of the population that is running lives in the West.

In addition to having higher levels of sporting participation at overall and individual sport levels, those living in Connacht are also more active across multiple sports. Figure 4.7 below indicates the proportion playing in more than one type of sport, with 21.3% of those living in Connacht indicating that they were involved in two or more sports within the past week. This compares to 18.6% of the population at a national level.

Sure no wonder they say "West is Best!!" :)

Personally, am I disappointed to see the low figures in GAA? 

Not really. It's a choice of team sports that I played as a youth and young man but never excelled at. There was rarely thinking time, we went through training like machines played for each other in matches. In one way it is very selfless (you play for your team-mates) and of course team building, working with others etc in a life-resource kind of way.

I think it is an indicator of the times we live in where the idea of just popping on a pair of runners and heading out for an hour is so convenient and such an easy way to 'clear your head' after a stressful day at work, minding kids, college, stuck in the house etc. 

Whatever your situation, your outlook can always be improved by a run!

For me exercise in general is about health, about your health and the only way to look after yourself is to look after number 1.

Take care of yourself & go for a run!! 

Exercise or Training ??

The first third of 2013 is over and I'm looking back at my training diary since the start of the year.

While I haven't been blogging about it I have been logging the sessions. The stand out question that I now have to ask myself is, have I been training? or just exercising?

The distinction has got to be made between exercising with a specific purpose in mind, ie. target races and a planned structured approach to getting fitter, faster and leaner and just exercising to get fitter and diet to get leaner.

I've been fairly consistent in knuckling down to doing sessions but with no big balance in the week or any structure.

I set out my stall in January with some Goals rather than Resolutions for 2013. Technically while I have entered x2 of the three middle distance races I targeted (Tri an Mhi and the Humbert Challenge) and plans are afoot for Amsterdam Marathon in October, I have missed my first stated goal of weight loss.

I'm not too upset by this, I'm still 5kg off the mark. I can become ultra serious about this and lose the weight or I can enjoy the odd beer and slice of cake.

I like cake! :)

 

If you look at the calendar to date you can see the rather sporadic nature of the sessions. SOme weeks really good and others with nothing. Now, swim sessions are not included in this calendar as I use a Garmin Swim for recording those, however, swim sessions have been thin on the ground as I decided not to rejoin my gym. I was solidly doing Monday / Wednesday and Friday sessions just before I would go to work, right up until the pool was closed to members on account of a schools session. (It's a membership gym which has hired out the pool, due to child protection they close the pool. Fair enough, but excuse enough for me to stop swimming!)

January:

Good solid month to start the year, like most people, motivation is high and the promises to self are still clear.

• 138k running (treadmill, trail & road)


• 8k swimming


• 301k bike (indoors & out). January was also the scene of the crime for my first foray into bike FTP testing.

February:

Again not too bad, no major rhyme or reason. Mostly trying to tick off the Polar endurance training sessions for the run. Supposed to be working towards the Rock and Road Kinvara Half Marathon in March but if I'm completely honest I was struggling with tiredness, uncertain of my running on account of the injury last autumn and really busy with work so there was no real focus.

Still tried to tick off  a tempo run and several steady runs through the week. Also long runs on Saturday as I ran in & out to meet our #Zero25k group session.

• 140k running


• 4k swimming


• 204k bike

March:

Brilliant start as I ran a super PB in the Kinvara Half Marathon of 01:39:51!

I've no idea where this result came from and looking at the data it was perfectly paced and comfortable for me. Maybe all the marathon training last autumn is still standing for something!?

I did sit back a bit in the week month or so after the half (recovery!) but managed another bike FTP which had a small increase.

• 104k run


• 0k swim


• 179k bike

April:

With race season imminent I finally gave myself a shake and started out the month the right way.

A week's holiday in Lanzarote with the family. Lovely place to do some running, a bit of swimming and just to relax in a bit of sunshine and warmth.

I returned with a bit of vigour (blog post on my 'Volcano Run' to foll0w) and started hitting training targets properly. It helps that a pal and myself keep up the regular longer run on Saturday mornings too.

• 158k run


• 3k swim (Open water)


• 284k bike

First race coming up on 18th May, the goal is to keep ticking off the running sessions, continue with 2 turbo sessions per week (focusing on strength / power) x1 steady outdoor session on the bike and get into the sea for some open water swims. Brick sessions with decent effort on the bike followed by progression runs will also feature weekly.

So to answer my openign question, I think I've mostly been exercising this year, time to get training!

Roll on the second third of the year!