Kellogs Tour of
The challenge, ride 500miles, through 4 provinces, in 4 days. This was what my Father, aged 58, called me with in mid January. I was at a good fitness level when he suggested it, having put in a good winters training up to that point. There was no reason, with another 16 weeks consistent training, that I would not be ready. And besides, if he can . . .well, I couldn’t leave myself open to that around the Christmas dinner table !
Well, I say no reason, but I was niave. We were due our first baby you see, in mid January. How much time can it take up, I mean, if I’m up to do the early morning feed, I could get out training at about 08:00, get 2 – 3 hrs in, and be back when the house starts to wake up. I can see the parents among you now smiling at my innocence.
Well it worked fine for the first week, as I was off work, and between us we managed to find the time for training and parenthood. It became increasingly difficult however, when I went back to work. So in early April, as some of you may have noticed, I started cycling to work. That way, I could leave work at 5ish, ride home a scenic route, be home at 7, and have my training done. One 4 hrs spin on the weekend, and I should be okay. Well it worked, I got around the 4 days, and with the exception of the first stage from
The stage details were as follows,
Stage 1 –
Stage 2 - Cavan to
Stage 3 -
Stage 4 - Kilkenny –
I arrived up in
And we were not wrong. In 17 years riding a bike, at varying standards, I have never had as tough a day on a bike as I did that day. We had almost constant rain, and a wind blowing from the south west, for 7 hrs. The Mourne mountains were the main challenge of the day, and they did not allow us any time for recovery. The ascents were vicious, and the descents technical, wet and dangerous. Climbing was at one stage down to about 8 kph, in a 39 x 26 with arms, legs and lower back screaming for relief,10 minutes later on the way down off the mountain we were be riding at 85 kph. We had a stop in Greenore, where we filled water bottles, grabbed energy bars etc. and set off again, into a head wind, , , again. We climbed out of Newry, up a steep climb, that literally had grass growing up the centre of the road. Stand up on the pedals and the back wheel spins up, sit down, and the gradient gets you. Crossing the border saw a definite change in road surface, but thankfully the hills and mountains were behind us, for today at least.
We had another stop in Ballybay, which, saw us provided with a welcome bowl of soup and sandwiches. At that point I was at my lowest that I have been on a bike for a long, long time. I had had enough. I was going home at the end of the stage. Everyone had taken a big hammering over the course of the day. However, soup can be a wonderfull thing, we were now only 25 – 30 km from the finish in Cavan.
We finished in a sprint, on closed streets, with garda motorcycle sirens ringing in our ears, a PA system announcing our arrival, and believe it our not, crowds lining the rain soaked streets. Hot showers, warm clothes, and a woolly hat donned. The magical powers of a warm hat, can never be underestimated. I was tired, but was now again looking forward to the following day.
Six Naas Wheelworx CC riders started the stage, and all 6 finished the day, namely –
Derek Clifford - 6:49:31
Cormac Durnin - 7:14:18
Paul Doyle - 7:14:28
David Concannon - 7:40:05
Marc Wauters - 7:42:20
As for my Dad, Hugh, he arrived in after 9 hrs 10 min 16sec, all 58 yrs of him. A broken man. I could see he had had enough, It would be unlikely he would start the next day, warm woolly hat or not. Having said that, if I can ride a stage like that when I am 58, I’ll be a happy man. He refused to give up, and I genuinely believe he found a new inner strength, and determination, to push himself beyond limits that he has seen in the past. He does however, have an endurance backround in his previous sporting years having completed the first 8 Dublin City Marathons. His personal best been a time of 2hrs 59min. A sub 3 hr marathon, one to be proud of. I wonder will my new Son, Callum, will write of a day when I arrive in like my father did that day. . .
I had finished in 7hrs 14min 18sec, losing 25 min on my club mate, Derek Clifford, and was determined to pull the time back over the next three days.
To be Continued . . . .
