Absolutely. I arrived thinking the name “land of smiles” was just tourist marketing but it’s completely true. I enjoyed having a pint of Guinness in the random “Irish” pub in CM too. It was too novel not to.
I have some friends that are conservative and are constantly complaining about the high tax here in the northeast, but this is the exact stuff I point to when it comes up. You get what you pay for. You couldn’t pay me to move to the south.
But why would the state need to forcibly send unwed mothers to give birth at these sites and then in some cases involuntarily adopt out the children? None of that was necessary even if they couldn’t afford a state run system.
It takes a while for all the support muscles to strengthen. Once the body pain stops or at least is manageable the best way to improve your heart’s ability to keep up on the run is to interval train. It sucks but it’s worth it to pick up speed and stamina.
Oh yeah; do a good stretch before and after the bulk of your run. Focus on the areas that are most sore after you’re done. I have plantar fasciitis and tight hips so I do a ton of hip and calf stretches once I’m warmed up, and when I’m cooling down.
Having had pints in Ireland and the US… not the best, haha