On the bike, 2017 had been really good for me. I completed my first ever Grand Fondo in Northern Ireland and of course, completed the 160km Sean Kelly Tour, held in the most atrocious weather conditions imaginable. Winning an online competition, where I became the owner of an AquaBlue Sport professional bike, presented to me by Martyn Irvine, was the icing on the cake.
During the autumn, a good friend sent me a social media link. It concerned an event, labelled as “Ireland’s premier cycling challenge”. “Here’s one for you” he commented. “If you think you’re tough, do the Wicklow 200 and prove it”.
As the description states, the Wicklow 200 challenges riders to complete a 200km route, over some of the toughest climbs in Ireland. It’s not all that suitable for beginners to the sport and even people with plenty miles in the legs will struggle. The profile of the route made it very clear just what to expect, with over 3,000m of climbing in one day. I had never completed that distance or that amount of climbing in one day, so on to the interweb I went and signed up. I had plenty time to train and due to global warming, we’re getting milder winters in Ireland now, so with a good base of training since 2017, in my legs, it shouldn’t be too difficult.
Once upon a time, I was advised to “work back” from your targeted date. So, with my intention to be in optimum shape by June 10th 2018, the plan was formulated to build up slowly. Winter would be all about base miles and lots of them. 3000m of climbing is way beyond my normal capabilities, so lots of time on the hills will be required. Having put on a bit of weight, I needed to lose 4 or 5 kg as well, as weight is a killer on climbs. Then, there’s my biggest problem and that’s my head, as the small “inner chimp” regularly tells me that I can’t do something. Silencing this guy is the toughest part.
Tuesday and Thursday nights was spent on the road between Cahir and Mitchelstown. A few years ago, I invested in a winter bike and it’s worth its weight in gold. As winter roads are covered with all kind of unmentionables, it makes sense to use a cheaper bike, which makes any repair bills a little easier on the pocket.
Christmas morning was a normal morning training and my abiding memory will be the cold. I couldn’t even operate my brakes on the way home, as my hands were frozen solid. All over Christmas the cold weather continued and I ended up with flu for my sins.
Winter training increases your potential for falling and getting injured. This was brought home to me one evening in February, when I hit a fuel spill on the road and all I can remember is my head literally bouncing off the road, as I fell. I cannot stress the importance of wearing a helmet enough, as my helmet saved me from a serious injury that evening.
My confidence took a severe dent following the fall and as the nice mild winters we enjoy in Ireland, failed to materialise, I very quickly began to fall out of love with the sport. Rain with freezing winds, was followed by snow with freezing winds and back to rain, with the same freezing winds. In between, subzero temperatures with frost, made the possibility of training impossible. Establishing a routine was impossible and at times, I actually began to wonder if it was worth it and I considered giving up.
One evening, I left home to meet with the family in Waterford later on that evening. Cycling to Waterford is easy enough, thanks to the Waterford Greenway, but when you’re struggling with form, there are no hiding places. I arrived in Waterford that evening and almost collapsed off my bike, with exhaustion. Three months to go, I needed a miracle to even consider going to Wicklow.
Sometimes, you just need to work through the pain and keep going. There’s an old saying in the cycling community that “if it was easy, they’d call it football”. One morning I headed out in beautiful sunshine, where my route would take me alongside the Galtee mountains. As I reached the half way point, the clouds arrived over the mountains, with rain, hailstones and snow for good measure. I arrived home battered, bruised and frozen once again.
I got a text from a friend one evening, about a local group that head out a few evenings a week and asking me if I’d like to come along. This proved to be the pivotal part of the season for me, as my interest in the sport returned, thanks to the fun, jokes and conversation with the lads on our training spins. If you attacked a hill, you were immediately labelled as a “mechanical doper”, win a gallop, you’re asked if you have “asthma”. There is no feeling like being out on a bike with a group of people, just having fun. The few hours pass by so quickly and that most important skill, of riding at high speeds in a group safely is honed and improved.
So, with my times improving, my recovery improving and my love of the sport returning, the Wicklow 200 was back on the horizon.
One week before Wicklow, I went out on a training spin, with Dungarvan my destination. I went the hard way, over the Nire Valley, where my climbing legs would be tested. Then, the first monsoon of the day arrived and my bike handling was tested on the crazy descent, through rivers of water.
About 15km from my destination, my phone rang. I had applied for a new job a few weeks earlier and thought the interview process had gone well. It was the owner of the company on the line, offering me a new full time job. My luck was changing and whatever the weather gods threw at me would mean nothing. The second monsoon arrived at Colligan, but it didn’t matter, I thrived on it. That evening, when I reached Dungarvan, the clouds parted and the sun shone.
That weekend, I entered an 80km sportif. We covered over 33km in the first hour that day, so I now had a bit of speed in my legs, my luck had changed, I was back in love with the sport and at this point there was no turning back.
So, on Friday evening, June 8th, we arrived in Dublin. I signed on for the Wicklow 200, it was now time to see if I had one more requirement. Was I was tough enough?
The Unknown Bike Rider 