Eat Sleep Trail Fun

02/02/2025

The first day of the challenge was nothing short of chaotic brilliance! Peak Seekers have stormed ahead, but The Nifty Navigators are right on their heels (despite Karol’s tech troubles… lucky for the rest of ye!). Worst Pace Scenario is defying their name, sitting in third place, while others have been… ahem... distracted.

Barbara from Sole Sistas took a tactical detour to Decathlon—new boots for more mileage, perhaps? Gordana of Legs Miserables decided that an Elvis tribute band counted as "cross-training," while Helen and Mary Rose of Bad Bi***es got sidetracked at Leopardstown watching actual four-legged athletes do the running for them! Meanwhile, Sinead from Altitude Angels is testing out the "laps around the living room" strategy—jury’s still out on that one.

And let’s not forget those teams who may have been “recovering” after celebrating Ireland’s rugby victory over England… priorities, lads! ☘️🏉

What’s This Madness About?
This challenge isn’t just about racking up the kilometers—it’s about teamwork, fun, and embracing the unexpected! We’re virtually trekking from Malin to Mizen, with all sorts of surprises along the way.

Want in on the next adventure? Join this group and be part of the next challenge! Or, if you'd rather swap virtual miles for real-life ones, join us on one of our legendary retreats in France or Ireland—hiking, sea dips, treasure hunts, and plenty of laughs guaranteed! 🌍🚶‍♂️💚

Now, back to the trails... or the pub, we won’t judge! 😆

Here is where we post info on retreats and gatherings :

Hiking & Yoga & Food and Wine : https://bit.ly/3TEnAVf

Runners & Cyclists & Adventure Racers : https://bit.ly/3VgHI0I

01/02/2025

🎉🏃‍♂️ And they're off! 🏃‍♀️🎉

Fair play to the 24 mighty teams (116 people!) who have laced up, stepped out, and are now hoofing it down the country towards the ultimate achievement—Mizen Head or bust! 🚶‍♂️💨

May your steps be steady, your blisters be few, and your WhatsApp notifications be filled with pure motivational madness. 😂

Just remember, lads:
✅ Keep it clean—no sneaky bike rides or hitchhiking with your granny.
✅ Stick to the rules—this isn’t the Rose of Tralee, but there are standards.
✅ Most importantly—keep moving! 💪

The leaderboard updates will separate the walkers from the talkers soon enough… best of luck to ye all! 🍀🔥

for updates join Irish Adventure Addicts !!

24/01/2025

National Walking/Hiking Challenge starts on Feb 1st for the whole month !!!

It’s going to be:�
🎉 Exciting�
💪 Motivating�
😂 Fun

And it will get you VERY fit !!

It will be a Team challenge so you will partner up with 3 others to battle against the other teams … Your Team can be your friends or random strangers (new friends)

On Monday we drop all the details in the WhatsApp Group : https://chat.whatsapp.com/DeUH3qyegEGGvFR8BoELjP

19/11/2024

🌟 *Exciting News!* 🌟
We’re thrilled to announce

*RESET for Success in PROVENCE* in the beautiful South of France! 🏡

✨ From *January 19-24*, join us for a transformative session of:
🌱 Healthy, plant-based meals
🧘‍♀️ Mindfulness & connection
📴 A complete digital detox

Say goodbye to what’s holding you back—coffee, alcohol, screens and bad habits —
and hello to renewed energy, confidence, and clarity. 💪💖

Spaces are limited, so don’t wait! 🌞

Secure your spot today and make 2025 your year of transformation. 🎉

Comment for détails and get a 100e discount if you signup before the end of the month !!!

For all future trips stay tuned in here : https://bit.ly/3TEnAVf

👉 Ready to trade the Irish rain for a weekend of sunshine, digital detox, and nature immersion in the South of France? 

13/10/2024

(you might consider sharing this in case one of your contacts needs something different this year 💕)

🌟 Looking for a Different Kind of Christmas This Year? 🌟

Are you tired of the same old holiday routine?

Do you find yourself feeling a bit out of place amidst all the festivities, longing for a different experience?
What if this year, you could spend Christmas under the sun, exploring beautiful landscapes, and sharing laughs with new friends? ✈️🏖️

🎄 Break Away and Join Our Active Xmas Getaway! 🎄

Last year, we organized our very first active Christmas trip—born out of requests from those who wanted something different. And it was a huge success! We brought together a wonderful mix of people, spanning generations, who craved a festive experience filled with adventure and relaxation.

✨ Here’s What You Can Expect ✨

From the moment we pick you up at the airport, you’ll feel the magic of Christmas—our way. We kick things off with lunch by the beach under the warm southern sun, followed by a coastal hike with breathtaking views.

Our weekends are all about enjoying the South of France, indulging in great food, and connecting with like-minded adventurers.

🎁 Why Join Us This Year? 🎁

This experience is specially designed for solo travelers who want to escape the typical holiday routine and embrace a fun, homely atmosphere. It's the perfect balance of relaxation, activity, and social time—ensuring you return refreshed and recharged.

🔥 Activities do 🔥

🌲 Scenic Hikes along stunning coastal trails
🌊 Sea Swims to refresh and energize
🔥 Sauna & Pool Dips for ultimate relaxation
🍽️ Group Dinners that feel like family
🧘‍♀️ Yoga Sessions to stretch and unwind
🌟 Explore Christmas Lights in picturesque towns
🏰 Charming Village Walks that transport you to another time
🍷🧀 Wine & Cheese Masterclass—learn and savor!
🎲 Board Games & Craic for cozy, fun-filled nights
🚤 Island Hopping (weather permitting) for the adventurer in you!

Ready to make this Christmas one to remember?

Let’s create new memories together! ✨

All details here : https://eatsleeptrailrun.com/xmas-south

we have a similar session for NYE here : https://eatsleeptrailrun.com/nye2024

24/09/2024

Seanie Runner Clifford was on Radio Kerry recently ... to discuss his 275 mountain running adventure ...and ALOT more ...

https://www.radiokerry.ie/podcasts/travels-through-a-kingdom/sean-clifford-travels-through-a-kingdom-401100

21/09/2024

Be like this girl in a few weeks !! but with more cool people ... great food ... unlimited wine .... and LOTS more ....

Hey Guys,

Question 1 :

I had a few people asking about the October 3-7 hiking trip !
The definition of strong hiker I suppose is intermediate … people that do it regular and can easily manage a 5-6 hour hike … obviously taking breaks etc …
But just generally ppl that are pretty fit and up for good solid days of going epic routes in the sun !
There is 2 places left in case anyone wants to join …
All details are here : https://eatsleeptrailrun.com/hardcore-hiking-oct
(FLIGHTS STILL SO CHEAP )

Next running trip :

The trail running weekend from Shannon is still open from Oct 22-26 ...

https://eatsleeptrailrun.com/island-running

Question 2 :

And another question from just about everyone .... is YES we will be doing a NYE trip !!
But there is a big list of people that have joined a priority list ..
if you want to be first to be notified please join WA group here : https://chat.whatsapp.com/KYSuJhEY2hwAVY5OBLwbpr

10/09/2024

The mind was giving up ….
I was just hours from finishing but the wheels were falling off…

20 days in and here we were at the point I was waiting for …
It was inevitable it would come sooner or later

The point where the mind is so worn down that
you begin to doubt yourself
you begin to question your motivation`
you begin to present valid excuses
You begin to question everything

I wrote very early in the challenge that the clock was ticking …

and it was… not to beat any record or anything …

The time pressure was simply to finish this before my flight back to France … to prepare for a group of people coming to one of our south of France retreat

… my ultimate responsibility is the people trusting us to show them a great time in France...

After climbing and running for 19 days …. It became apparent that the only way to finish this out was to go non stop for 36 hours.

It was very early morning on rough Kerry country roads….
Leroy Kulczynski was driving, seemingly swerving right and left
Dodging pot holes and sheep….
To get to the next stage ….
I was overcome with fatigue
The heating was on and my eyes would not stay open
Despite being in wet and dirty clothes … I was comfy
Despite my head hopping against the van door window … I was comfy
I was in a happy place … out of the rain and not enduring the pain every time I placed a foot on the ground ….

The van stopped and my heart jumped …. Was it another sheep blocking the way or was it time to go again …. I prayed it was a sheep !

Niall Foley opened the door from the outside… to give me the brief …
I had to slap myself to get alert.

it was pi***ng rain (again)
And this was going to be the hardest point of the challenge … to leave that comfy seat…

There was so much doubt that my eyes closed giving me a way out …. I was about to tap out of this whole challenge and I reflected why I was doing it ….

As much as I wanted to see Ireland, as much as I wanted to get fit again, as much as there was a record in the balance …. None of that really mattered any more ….

I simply wanted to see where the break point was …
And how I reacted when the chips were down…

it was me against me ....

I slowly forced an eyelid open and murmured to myself …
‘toughen the f**k up’ …

And I did just that …
I opened the door, took a deep breath and .... said to myself … “its going to be a f**king AMAZING day” ….

I then disappeared into the night to tackle my 3rd last stage ….

01/09/2024

The body decided to call it a day… 😱😱😱

I was running for about 16 days and a small quad issue just turned into a MAJOR issue …. 😱😱

It was sore when I got into the car to drive to next stage ….

But stepping out into the Kerry twilight zone ….

Things very quickly disintegrated

With my first step my left leg gave a jolt of pain right up through my body….

I was accustomed to slow and painful starts over the previous 15 days …

it was almost an expectancy at this stage … the need for an hour to ‘warm up’

But this time was different …..

The pain was unbearable ….

I sat back into the car …. And Niall and Alicja paced around outside … trying to find solutions

They wanted to call it a night and opt for rest before making any rash decisions…
There were murmurs from Niall that this may well be THE END …

Alicjia did shave my leg and tape me up to see if that would help….

I tried again ….. and took to the trail ….

The short test on the road was ok and could be managed but anything downhill was very painful …

and to think I could do a few peaks and 16km at nighttime in those conditions was disillusional

So we drove back to Killarney….. in silence

It was a big day :
Big kms were eaten for breakfast and lunch
But it was not big enough

I had a few big failures :
> not being able to descend onto Faha ridge from Brandon due to wet and windy conditions (setting me back 1/2 day)
> not being able to do the planned 16km stage (setting me back ANOTHER 1/2 day)
> my quad injury (possibly ending everything)

I knew that in such a long challenge just one thing going wrong could result in the end …and when we are dealing with all of Ireland’s highest and most technical mountains … the risk was sky high…..

And whereas it seemed the body was giving up … the mind was certainly not….

I started this to finish … but the clock was ticking…

Both myself and Alicja are ultimate solution orientated people (due to what we do in the south of France) ….
and Alicja was not accepting any premature finish...

NEXT MORNING…

After strapping … hydrating … massaging … MANIFESTING … things felt considerably better so we head for that AMAZING Faha Ridge …

It was time to toughen the f*ck up…
It was time to take control back …

I truly did believe that this was a mind vs body challenge and the mind was not giving in so easily .....

14/08/2024

He has now left Donegal and is headed for the Mournes !

https://www.facebook.com/eatsleeptrailrun/posts/pfbid02QzdnAK8zU3hWYSgV2hpn5WWcwi8XbmoH18wxASw12kU3XJ7bZA3WWBDpcNTigUUal

Yesterday was rock'n'roll!

After making a decision NOT to head out on the trail in the middle of the night, in the middle of an orange weather warning,
got up early in the morning ( the end of the storm still roaming around) and ran the next 7 mountains in Donegal.

He was joined by a local for a bit (thank you for ALL your help and absolutely out of this world hospitality) and then continued on his own.

After that, we rocked up at the bottom of Mt.Errigal, and the crazy man ran in up and down in 50 minutes 🤦‍♀️ which he is paying for now with his swollen ankle…

Next, it was time for a pretty intimidating Slieve Snaght…it’s one of those mountains that looks at you and radiates the energy of “I’ll eat you for breakfast”! 😱

The road leading to the trail head was closed…but there was a decent looking man standing at the barrier, so we decided to combine Kerry and Polish charm and try to persuade him to let us through…😏

He said NO 🤣 There is a movie being filmed down in the valley and we can’t go, no matter what we’re trying to do… But he was a good man, so we took our time reversing the car… he came back after 60 seconds and said he spoke with his boss- we can drive through, but I have to bring the car back. Yes, sir! 🫡

Off he went...for hours... and came back kinda quiet…The mountain did try to crush him, and it nearly succeeded.

Without even asking, I drove straight to the next start point - Dooish (funny name indeed) and kicked him out of the car
“c’mon, it’s just 4,5km, hurry up”…🙈

It was the longest 4,5km ever, his body was exhausted, he kept loosing the trail, his ankle hurt…he came back the most direct way back down and one glance at him was enough to call it a day.

09/07/2024

sometimes i wonder….

18 months … we’ve been working non stop to provide something different …

and sometimes i like to stop and reflect …

the last day a person that had been before passed a comment that the end of August trip she was considering was too expensive … 🤯 (which is now 90% full)

👉 despite it being the same price as her first trip over a year ago …
👉 despite rampant inflation over the last year did not modify the price …
👉 despite adding ALOT to the experience and property
👉 despite the food being MUCH better

i also since employed one of the best women ever to make FAB FOOD and entertain people and do yoga in epic locations and dance in the party van …. and do ALOT more 🤔

but that’s all ok …. we understand WE ARE NOT FOR EVERYONE …

but the disappointment came because this lady was left stay on in my villa for FREE …. after her first trip for as long as she wanted

yes for FREE …. quite simply because it was empty and i was trying to be Kind …

yet she is now questioning … what? a fictitious price increase of …. 50 or 100 euros ??? 🤔

it is not the first time that it has happened that we have IMMENSELY overdelivered and made BIG KIND GESTURES to strangers and they come back with similar behavior…

and where common logic would suggest they would be a big support going forward … they do exactly the OPPOSITE !! 🤓

Go figure !!! humans are complex beasts indeed… 🤡

it seems that the more you give the less some people support you…

luckily not everyone is like that …

Luckily we have some amazing people that come out to us and support what we are building … and

👉 understand the value of what we provide …
👉 understand that we want to provide the best and spend time and money on trying to make everything home cooked/prepped
👉 understand that without support there is no job for Alicja Pilarska …
👉 understand there are no renovations …
👉 understand there will be no funky cool experiences that we are dreaming up (and taking action on)

Despite the struggles & doubts we march on….

Carried by the waves of AMAZING SUPPORT & Laughter that radiate from our little Haven of Happiness! 😘😍💕🥳😻

If you want to join our group : Irish Adventure Addicts

If you want to be notified of our trips and meet ups then join WA notifications :
Hiking / Yoga & Craic : https://bit.ly/3TEnAVf
Trail running and adventure : https://bit.ly/3VgHI0I

03/06/2024

🍂 We Are Hiring for Autumn! 🍂

The last few months have been a real hoot...
Our cozy little village has been overrun by climate refugees from…. Ireland.

Yes, it's delightful to hear those charming Cork accents echo through the village square while I fetch my morning baguette,
*but honestly… I’m exhausted*

So, we’ve decided it’s time to bring in some reinforcements for autumn! 🎉
We're looking for a superstar to join our team and make our lives a bit easier. Here’s what you’ll be up to:

🚤 Yacht Watcher Extraordinaire: Stand at the bow of our private boat and alert the driver if we’re on a collision course with any luxury yachts. (Think Titanic lookout, but way cooler.)

🏝️ Water Temperature Tester: Ensure the pristine, turquoise waters around Paradise Island are warm enough for our guests. Bring your thermometer (and maybe your swimsuit).

🐠 Counter of Tropical Fish : Before we begin snorkling you will be required to try to count the tropical fish in the underwater wonderland nature reserve … alas an impossible and futile task but someone has to do it !

🍾 Prosecco Popping Pro: Open bottles of Prosecco with flair! We're talking style, pizzazz, and maybe a little confetti.

🍷 Wine Glass Whisperer: Keep the evening wine glasses perpetually topped up. A steady hand and a keen eye are your best friends here.

🎂 Tasty Treats Taster : comprehensive tasting of all our lovely treats before they are served to people on our private beaches and creeks.

If you want to escape the most dreary Autumn of this decade (according to certain sources) ….

If this sounds like your kind of gig…..

to help us keep the village vibe delightful and the Prosecco flowing…..

Join one of our WhatsApp communities to get the deets on how to apply in a few days :

Hiking / Yoga / Food & Wine : https://bit.ly/3TEnAVf
Trail running : https://bit.ly/3VgHI0I

[share this with anyone you think might fit the bill]

01/06/2024

Yesterday marked a rather significant day—our remaining trips for this year sold out faster than a pint of Guinness on St. Patrick's Day.

👉 Pyrenees Paradise: FULL
👉 Food and Wine: FULL
👉 Donegal: FULL

And that's after EVERY - SINGLE - TRIP* we’ve organized this year reached max capacity. 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

It's unbelievable, to be honest. How did this happen?
Did we accidentally find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow?

A wild idea, just a short time ago, has turned into something quite explosive. It's given us the chance to unleash our creativity in all sorts of ways. And let me tell you, I was SCARED SH*TE-LESS to start this whole thing.

👉 What if I failed?
👉 What if I went bust?
👉 What if people didn’t like X, Y, or Z?

Yes, I had (and to some extent still have) IMPOSTER SYNDROME. There, I said it. The big, scary, “I’m not good enough” monster.

So, what do you do when you’re faced with something that could define your future?
Do you stay where you are, AFRAID to start, or do you GO ALL IN?

Well, as you can guess, I chose the latter. And it has changed everything. Now, I’m not saying it’s all been smooth sailing. Just look at the photo—things are not always pretty, and we are definitely not always living the dream.

I won’t lie to you. There’s been blood, sweat, and tears. Probably more of the latter, to be fair. But the human rewards are unfathomable.

If you take anything from this, remember: if you change nothing, nothing will change.

So, if you need any help, advice, or just a private, objective someone to discuss a change or idea, my inbox is always open!

And remember, it’s better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all.
Just ask the fella who invented low-fat Guinness. Cheers!

And yes i know i have been talking about Autumn dates for ages ... but they will be ready VERY soon

*in complete transparency we did cancel one trip in the Alps becuase it was slow to fill but in hindsight and how people are joining last minute