Theirs not long left now

Well time is closing in i have to say im still slightly worried, my weight is hoovering around 81kg, my bike still hasn't got the wheels and gearing i want for the trip, on plus side theirs over 700euro raised with still a month to go, and im climbing ok slow and steady.


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Big planned ride with group of us going on trip among others, some of lads planned to do 200km, i opted to try cut short at one stage so i could get home for the football. I departed at 7.30 to meet up with the group who would be leaving at 8am. Enjoyed the riding in group, bit of banter and the company i found the miles flew by a bit easier, climbed ok im better going down than up still thou.

Their was some iffy roads in the first 80kms, and with the wet roads from the night before i didnt like some of the descending and had swerve wide on one bend when blocked by rider in front of me where i had no racing line to keep going. After 80kms i decided enough of wet back roads, and cut to roundwood and then laragh by the main road, alot easier, that left me in laragh by myself, i then headed for the sally gap, the climb from laragh is not steep but it is long and is though on days when wind is against you which it was, i was tired at this stage and could only keep with the fresher group i met on way for half of it, i struggled up the rest, then pedalled on, i then did one more climb of cruagh road just to up my climbing for the day, i was slow and the time i recorded said as much a mixture of tired legs and low energy. 148km ridden on the day with 2,300 metres of climbing my most in a day but i hope to surpass it soon with anotehr big climbing ride.

Sunday i went out to spin the legs and did one full climb and bit of easy hill work, legs felt ok but will need be better for the 5days in france of constant climbing. 42km with 600metres of climbing to round off my week, 228km for the week with 3,541 metres of climbing alot more than i had been doing. only the week i did 390km had more climbing.

This week so far the wet has held me back  iv done 121km so far haven taken time off to recover from the weekends climbing. 1,380 metres o climbing so doing bit in the hills, did a climb from tallaght today id only been down, set fair pace were i knew always had more, murder on the top thou when i got hit with the easterly wind. Fun avoiding the sheep on my way up, and delighted to have got back in just as the rain started.

Unlikely i'll get out tomorrow hope do core work, and stretch lossen up and hopefully get in a big weekend ride and do some good climbing. Plans for another challenging day and week before i leave, france is calling.

A map of the planned route, plenty bumps

 Food and gear for the morning

 Beautiful scenery on way upto sally gap.