With two weeks off the bike there’s always a certain amount of anxiety getting back out again, a worry about how much fitness you’ve lost over the period of inactivity. With my week long back issue I was a bit more nervous getting on the bike this morning, in fact I was wondering if I’d even have the flexibility to throw my leg over the saddle!
I’m glad to report that I was worried about nothing and it all went well. I picked the perfect ride to go back, joining the Saturday morning Stabiliser Group. This is a slower paced ride aimed at beginners or anyone returning to cycling after a long break, suitable also for anyone returning from injury 😉
📸 by Brian McElhinney
I cycled up to meet the group to see how I felt. It’s 11km so long enough to identity any problems. It was a cold but dry morning with fog rising from the river and quite thick in around Ballybofey. You can see it behind us in the group photo above.
The route took us into Raphoe via Liscooley which has a few punchy climbs to further test my back when putting down extra power and climbing out of the saddle. All still good 👌
The other reason I enjoy this group so much is that it’s very sociable. The emphasis is on getting out and enjoying the ride. A tea/coffee stop is mandatory and we have a usual now in Dolans of Raphoe. It’s a shop and service station but has a separate, heated sitting area with toilets. Luxury!
I was definitely feeling better than middlin’
A final climb with the group up the Broadpath and then a final solo 10km home and the unavoidable climb to the house left me with a solid 56km and the confidence to push on next week and hopefully get my 100km ride in next weekend 🤞
My back has been steadily improving all week since my sneeze of doom on Sunday morning. I was concerned about returning to work on Monday morning but my work car is so comfortable and supportive that I think driving has actually helped. I’m convinced that the heated seats have also contributed especially having them on the high setting for long periods of the day.
As well as warming my ass in the car I’ve been walking each evening. Sunday and Monday I just about managed 3km and 4.75km, very slowly and with a walking pole for additional support. On Monday I could feel a significant improvement although my right leg was still dragging as my glute was operating at about 70% with mild spasms giving me regular reminders.
Tuesday evening I could feel further improvement and after the first 10min I realised I didn’t need the pole. It was still slow but manageable without any significant pain, still dragging my leg very slightly but hugely improved.
Last night and tonight I left the pole at home completely 💪
I’m full sure that this kind of managed, active recovery has helped. I’ve found in the past that stopping all activity to protect my back is counter productive and just prolongs recovery. Controlled and gentle exercise is much more effective.
Of course none of that would have been possible without the prescription grade anti-inflammatories I’ve also been popping!
I got these at the start of November when my dodgy knee flared up (yes, my body is falling apart!). I got a 4 week supply but only needed them for approximately 2 weeks. Like a proper Irishman I did the responsible thing and kept the balance “just in case”!
They’ve definitely assisted my recovery this week also. However, as I was feeling a lot better I decided to skip my dose last night to see how I got on. No major issues today so same thing this evening. I’ve 4 left so that will carry me into and over the weekend when I hope to get back on my bike for Saturday morning.
It’s 2 weeks today since I last turned a pedal on NYE. I’m definitely missing it and it took a fair bit of self denial not to join the Club night spin this evening. I’m also very conscious that I’m already halfway through the month and still have a 100km spin to complete and maintain my RRTY 100 progress.
Saturday’s forecast is just about as good as you can get for January and I’m really having to talk myself out of not doing attempting the 100km this weekend! The long range forecast for the 24th is also looking good but that could change. The sensible decision is to wait of course.
The one member of the household happy about the last week is of course Cooper. It’s hard getting the time to walk him properly with all the other stuff I be doing so he thinks this week is a late Xmas present!
I’ve been getting home from work most of this week between 5 and 5:30pm and the stretching evenings are getting more and more noticeable. Especially this evening with the mostly clear skies. The photo below was taken at 5:30pm. Official sunset was 4:35pm but it didn’t really get dark until 5:10pm and even later they’re was still some brightness in the Western skies.
The Bluestack Mountains just visible below the clouds
Now all we need is a stretch in the mornings. It’s getting progressively more difficult to get out of bed at 7am in the dark…
Since finishing the Festive 500 on NYE I’ve been very lazy. I have various excuses reasons: needing some recovery time, spending some family time, weather, returning to work. Unfortunately, also due to a niggling sore back that was pushed over the edge this morning.
I’ve had an off-and-on issue with my back for about 20 years. It’s the usual issue of an aging body, lack of fitness when I was younger and a weak core that I’ve done nothing really to help.
After the second-last Festive 500 ride I could feel a niggle in my lower back but called in Mr Ibuprofen to keep it at bay enough to get the last one done and the Challenge completed. The evening of the last ride though it was noticeably worse and it has been causing me issues ever since.
I haven’t had much issue with my back over the last year or more and I’m putting this occurrence down to an over enthusiastic trip to the gym at the beginning of November. I definitely overdid things on one of the machines and I could feel it for a week after. I figure this hadn’t healed properly and the lack of recovery over the 7 rides brought it back to the fore.
All was going OK until I had an “unexpected” big sneeze this morning and lots of unsupported muscles in my lower back simply went sod this! I’ve been limping around the house ever since trying to find ways of relieving the ache while not straining it any further. I’m hoping it’s sorted by the morning as getting in and out of the car is one of the trickier operations when I’m like this.
The weather over Xmas was one of the helpful factors in getting the Festive 500 completed. From Xmas Eve it turned very cold here with temperatures hovering either side of freezing. Unusually for here though, it stayed dry. This meant that despite some very frosty starts the roads weren’t slippery and cycling could continue. This changed pretty much as soon as I got off the bike on the final ride. It became windier that evening and NYD ended up being quite wet and windy, so much that we cancelled our plans for a beach walk.
Over the weekend rain turned to snow with quite a bit on Saturday and Sunday night. Monday morning I was working from home and was an early morning snow taxi for Owen and Catriona who don’t like driving in those conditions. Returning home after dropping Catriona off it started snowing heavily again and although I could only get halfway up our drive I was happy just to get up our road and as far as the house.
It snowed heavily again after that for another couple of hours but thankfully I was able to get out safely in the afternoon and evening to collect both of them from work again. I credit my success to bringing coats and boots, prepared to walk at least part of the way home, thereby allowing the universe the option of proving me wrong but thankfully in my favour…..
The snow came again on Monday night but this time we all worked from home before a partial thaw on Tuesday evening and Wednesday.
Thursday and Friday saw the temperatures plummet again with the joy that is partially melted snow and ice mixed with rural roads. All manageable but once again I was called upon to provide taxi service.
A pal on Facebook posted some fabulous photos from a snow covered Sperrin Mountains on Friday evening and I concocted a plan to pay a visit to Sawel and Dart on Saturday and get some Winter walking before it all disappears again.
The last time I was on those two mountains was 2007 with my pal Jim. I’m sure the mountains haven’t changed much but we certainly have!
My plans were completely foiled early on Saturday morning when we woke to incredibly difficult road conditions with extensive black ice following overnight showers and then a freeze. I was able to get out locally but decided a trip to the mountains was foolhardy. Aldi was as adventurous as it got!
Good to look at from the inside of a warm house, otherwise rather inconvenient and a bit overrated, except for skiing, in my opinion!
Similar conditions to here in a nearby village
Since yesterday afternoon our weather has reverted to type with much milder, wet and windy conditions and a yellow wind warning for this evening. Pretty gloomy to look out at but at least we can get around safely…
My ambitions for 2026 aren’t off to the best of starts and it’s now only 10 weeks until my first goal….
Some dog photos to finish. Apparently Spaniels have only two states of being: On or Off…
I lied, one last photo. I made a digital graphic as a memento for the Festive 500. My sister printed it on photographic paper on her fancy printer and I framed it. I’m very pleased with how it turned out.
Happy New Year Everyone. I hope everyone had a happy Xmas and wish you all a healthy and prosperous 2026.
At the end of 2024 I didn’t set any goals for the year ahead but ended up hitting a good many milestones regardless, almost 5000km cycling for the year, starting the Audax RRTY 100 challenge, completing the Festive 500 and ticking off a good few summits on my various Mountain lists. We had a great family holiday in Spain at the end of August and Catriona and myself had a really enjoyable long-weekend visit to the Xmas markets in Budapest at the start of December.
For 2026 I’m not setting any massive goals either but there are things I’d like to do this year. I definitely want to keep up the progress I’ve made cycling this year. I want to finish the RRTY 100 but I’m also determined to get back to full Audax long-distance cycling. In 2016 I completed the Audax Ireland Four Provinces Challenge and I’d like to do that again 10 years later for 2026.
I’ve identified four events I’d like to do for the Challenge. The first of these is on Saturday March 21st so that gives me 11 weeks to train for it.
All four events have been chosen to hit the four Provinces but also to find events with as little climbing as possible. The first goal is to get fit enough for March and then I’ll see how the rest go.
I want to keep ticking off my mountain lists but this year I’d like to get a better mix of solo hiking as well as walking with the Club. In 2024 I only managed two solo hikes in Ireland plus one on holiday in Spain.
I did no camping in 2025 at all, partly due to the lack of solo hiking and an increase in cycling. However, a big part of that is nervousness about solo camping. I have all the gear so no excuses. I’m not setting any big goals here either but I want to get one camp done by Easter and then set a new goal after that.
I think the main thing is to have a number of plans to keep me focused for the year and to give me something to work towards. It’s also important not to set overwhelming and unrealistic goals that only end up demotivating. Anyway, here’s to a great 2026.
Yesterday’s forecast turned out to be accurate and there was a distinctly chilly feeling leaving the house at 10am and -2°C!
Once on my way though it was clear that the roads were once again dry and frost free. I headed for Ballybofey, looped around and took the main road to Clady before turning off across the border and up one of my favourite climbs into The Glebe, a small village with a view out over Strabane and across to the Sperrin Mountains.
I was nervous about this climb as it’s pretty tough and my legs were definitely feeling the accumulation of the distance over the previous 6 rides. However, head down, arse up and a steady rhythm soon got me to the top without running out of steam.
Part of the reason I like this climb so much is the long sweeping descent that brings you back to the main road. Into the picturesque Victoria Bridge and I took the back road to Strabane following the river.
A quick tea stop in Strabane and I retraced yesterday’s route home via Clady. This time I didn’t need the additional distance and turned off for home at Liscooley.
Getting to the house I had 60.9km on the Garmin and couldn’t finish like that. A few loops of the house was enough to cool me down and tip me over the 61km.
And just like that, it’s done. This is a challenge I never thought I’d ever be able to complete and I’m delighted to finally have done it. As well as a fantastic sense of achievement it’s also given me a new found respect for all of Audax riders that complete 300, 400 and 600km events as well as the huge 1200km events like London Edinburgh London, Paris Brest Paris or our very own Míle Fáilte.
Rapha Festive 500
The festive season is meant to be the moment to take a breath before life resets. But it often ends up being the most hectic part of the year. That is why we challenge ourselves every December – from the 24th to the 31st. Not just physically, but to remind ourselves that the holidays grant you permission to waste some time exactly how you want. We choose to waste ours over eight days, and 500 kilometres. Time is precious. Waste it wisely.
The overnight frost didn’t happen due to the cloud cover which was a pleasant surprise when I eventually dragged my ass out of bed shortly after 8:30am. I was still tired and my legs felt heavy but at least I was in bed at a decent time and had a good night’s sleep. The first since Xmas Day!
Today’s route took me back to Raphoe once again but coming at it from the opposite direction this time. When putting together my plan I had it in as a road I haven’t ridden in a couple of years. As a Club we’ve been avoiding the climb out of Stranorlar to the Kilross junction as it’s the main road to Letterkenny, quite narrow with no hard shoulder and can be very busy with lots of impatient drivers. However, with the very hard frost on Saturday morning we ended up riding it as a safer gritted road for our Club Twixmas Spin. Still, it was nice to get a chance at it on my own again today and the traffic wasn’t too bad this morning with most people probably still off work.
It’s a fairly stiff climb out of Stranorlar with a second climb into Raphoe from Convoy. While the first climb is one I just wanted to get over, due to traffic concerns, the second climb is very enjoyable and it was only when my power output hit 180W that my tired quads starting moaning.
The drop out of Raphoe towards Ballindrait is one of the most enjoyable around here. It’s a rolling road that starts with a big descent with a couple of punchy climbs in the middle.
After a tea break in Lifford I crossed over into Strabane and returned home via the Urney Road and Castlefinn. I’d planned for 57km today but added 3km extra in Ballybofey and 1km at the very end to get me over the 450km mark.
Something weird was going on with my chest strap today. It has been giving some low readings the last few days so I figured the battery was getting low. Swapped it out this morning and while all was well at the start it went bananas after about 20km.
I’ve removed the battery in an effort to reset it and I’ll see what the story is on tomorrow’s ride.
I’m a little bit concerned about tomorrow’s forecast. It’s giving to freeze hard from early this evening and well into the morning tomorrow. I have a good cushion of extra kilometres built up so only need 48km tomorrow to finish the challenge. However, I’d like to do the planned 60km route tomorrow and I’d really like to start and finish from home as I’ve done that with all the rides so far. I just need our road to stay dry and ice free for one final day 🤞
With yet another night out last night and a bedtime well after 1am it was hard work dragging myself out of bed this morning. As it was, my estimated start time of 9:30am soon became 10am.
I had planned to do my second 100km long ride today but part of me was screaming to do a shorter 60km. In fact, a significant part of me was advocating to simply stop and forget about the challenge altogether and that took a certain amount of effort to quieten.
As with most things once I was up and about with a couple of boiled eggs, soda bread and tea in my belly, the headache began to fade and the scratchy throat was gone. Unfortunately, they weren’t a cure for the dog-tired legs!
Today’s route was basically a repeat of Xmas Eve and Day 1 using my East Donegal Audax route. However, with some extra distance in the bank from the first 4 days I decided to shorten it slightly.
The amendment was at Raphoe. Instead of doing The Broadpath climb into Stranorlar yet again, I decided to head across country via Carnowen and into Liscooley. Instead of going straight home I went as far as Killygordon village before crossing the river to give me an extra 5km and 96km in total for the day.
Today was the first day I experienced some saddle irritation. I had on my best shorts but the back to back days seem to be mounting up with some irritation today. I’m actually blaming it on Saturday’s choice of shorts. I’ve only worn them on 40km rides up to now and think 60km was just too much for them. I’ve taken all necessary precautions since I got home so hopefully it doesn’t cause me too many issues over the last two days.
Frosty conditions returning overnight tonight so I’ll wait and see what it’s like at 10am before deciding which route to do tomorrow.
Today saw a slight change in the weather with enough of a warming overnight to melt all the frost away. One of my planned routes goes over higher ground so today was the best day to get it done.
It’s not as easy a route as I probably should have been doing with 523m in 62.5km and two fairly significant climbing sections. However, it’s one I haven’t done for a while.
Our Club Xmas night out was last night in Ballybofey. A very enjoyable night but the third night in a row to be in bed between midnight and 1am. Doing this challenge at this time of year it’s difficult to get proper recovery between rides.
I was driving last night and obviously cycling this morning, so I stuck to alcohol free cider. However, four of these late at night meant I still had a broken night sleep getting up multiple times to pee!
I lay on a little after the alarm this morning and left half an hour later than planned at 10am to a chilly but not cold morning. I have a feeling though that this was all relative to the freezing conditions of the previous two days.
My route today took me West up and into Barnes Gap before turning left to head towards Castlederg via Killeter. This is a really enjoyable rolling route with small, punchy hills and descents that are just enough to challenge and then allow recovery. I really do enjoy this section of road and in the right conditions (like today) you can get down in the drops and get some decent speed up.
I could definitely feel the three back to back days and late nights in my legs this morning but it was a strange mixture of tiredness and strength. I can feel my legs getting stronger with the jump in mileage this week despite the lack of good recovery.
The forecast tomorrow is for much the same as today with Tuesday and Wednesday returning to some frosty conditions overnight into the morning. I’ve decided to bring my 100km ride forward to tomorrow to make the most of the conditions and also allow for later starts the following two days if needed. I also think it will be nice to have two shorter days to finish.
Boy that was a cold start! A hard frost overnight meant it was still -3°C at 9:30am ❄️🥶
With yesterday’s temperature not getting much above 1/2°C it left everything looking white and crisp this morning…
It looked foggy but it was just a thin blanket that I soon dropped below and it burned off quickly in the sun
I was a wee bit nervous setting off but despite white roads they were dry and the surface frost wasn’t slippery at all. Grainne cycled down the road to meet me part way and to get some extra km for the day. She made a big effort, coming decked out on a full Santa outfit and picked up the prize for most festive bike/rider 🤶
In total we had 15 members out which was really good considering the conditions. We went to Raphoe for refreshments sponsored by the club and returned the same route, making the safe decision to stick to gritted roads. We had also delayed the start from 9:30am to 10:30am to let the roads clear a bit.
Cycling up and down from home meant I got my 60km for the day without too much additional effort. Although I had to do a lap of the house to get me the last 100m, I couldn’t finish at 59.9km!
Tomorrow’s forecast shows overnight temperatures to stay just above freezing so I might change my plans slightly and do the Killeter loop that goes across the higher ground. It wouldn’t be safe after a hard frost but should be OK tomorrow. Also I’m getting kind of sick of Raphoe 🤣
Despite a hard overnight frost the roads were dry and I was out the door just after 930am as planned. Important today as Boxing Day is still very much part of Xmas here and another important family day. I really needed to be home by lunch.
Today’s route was a repeat of the start and finish of Wednesday’s just without the 40km bit in and out of Derry. A short link section from St. Johnston to Raphoe was the new section and one I haven’t ridden for ages.
It was good to ride this road again today but it was the quietest and therefore sketchiest of the day. I kept my eyes open and only one section had me concerned. A hill near the beginning is very sheltered and has a lot of tree cover which left the road very damp and prone to black ice. The descent was particularly concerning but taking care saw me down without a tumble.
Back at the main road and into Raphoe I was finally able to get up a bit of speed and cruised into Raphoe mostly at around 30km/h.
A quick stop for my traditional tea and kitkat allowed me to defrost my toes and then it was the drag up The Broadpath, just like yesterday, into Stranorlar and home via the main road.
The main roads were a lot more enjoyable today with the reduced traffic 👌
Tomorrow will be a lot more laid back as we have our Club Twixmas Spin. Back to Raphoe again but a social spin with refreshments in Raphoe. I’ll cycle up and down to get somewhere close to 60km again. I’ll be leaving the house shortly before 9am so hopefully the roads are as good tomorrow morning 🤞
niall harran 