Is it this hard for everyone?

Instead, I was looking around me at the other members of my group.

But then it was back to work: we had four or so miles left to run.

Group of women running outside on trail in Ireland

The author, second from right, in Ireland’s Wicklow Mountains with her group from Run Wild Retreats.Credit:Molly Keane

I remembered what Jen had said about letting gravity guide you and then I tried it myself.

The cool wind on my face was exhilarating.

A longtime competitive trail runner, Fish had noticed a different dynamic when she led all-women running retreats.

Pair of photos from Ireland - 1 showing women running, 1 showing Ireland map

From left: A footpath near Glendalough Abbey in Wicklow Mountains National Park; surveying the country’s best running trails.Molly Keane

Women have to juggle more demands on their time and energy, she told me.

With their long hair and slim figures, they could have been a giddy group of high school friends.

We arrived at the famous Cliffs of Moher in the pleasant chill of a thick, soupy cloud.

Two women sitting outside Celtic Kitchen Cafe

Retreat leader Jan Curl, left, and guest Melisa Holman having coffee in Killarney after a day on the trails.Molly Keane

But the landscape I loved the most was still to come.

The Lake Hotel, where we stayed, backed onto an exemplary vista.

We were all getting soaked.

Four women sitting under trees.

Caroline Garner, Jess Malone, Ginger Stephens, and Tamara Elliott take a break in Killarney National Park.Molly Keane

Both creatures eyed me with a mixture of possessiveness and suspicion.

Then our local running guide, Catriona Doolan, whooped and cheered us on, and we rallied.

In my suite, the bathrooms heated marble floor soothed my aching feet.

Two Cows in misty field

Cattle near the Cliffs of Moher.Molly Keane

I sat in an armchair and had a cup of tea.

The next seven-day Ireland Trail Running & Wellness Retreat begins May 17, 2025.

Its 205 spacious rooms and suites are decorated in subdued colors and plush fabrics.

Pair of images - 1 of women running cliffside, 1 of old abandoned church

From left: Guide Nicola Cleary leading the way up Djouce Mountain; St. Kevin’s Church, at Glendalough Abbey.Molly Keane

Pair of photos - 1 people stretching, 1 woman smiling

From left: Warming up before a trail run up Djouce Mountain; the author on the grounds of the Lake Hotel Killarney.Molly Keane

Pair of photos - 1 of women smiling, 1 of feet running in woods

From left: Michelle Hughes, the retreat’s Irish guide; hitting the trail.Molly Keane

Two women talking in front of Lahinch Bookshop in Ireland

Retreat participants Nicole Leung, left, and Melisa Holman on Main Street in the town of Lahinch.Molly Keane

Group of women in distance running on trail

Runners at the summit of the Spinc Trail, in Glendalough.Molly Keane

Women sitting in hot tub

Runner Melisa Holman unwinds at the Spa at Muckross, in Killarney.Molly Keane