Great to be back cycling Mizen to Malin with my friends from Kilmacud Crokes and Breast Cancer Ireland.
Feels ‘normality’ may have returned
Met at 4.30am at Kilmacud Crokes and headed off by bus for Mizen Head. No masks – all the old slagging in full flow, even before sun up. Just great to be heading off with nearly 100 people to do something worthwhile together. Stopped for breakfast at Skibereen 
and arrived at Mizen Head c. 11.00am.
Day 1 cycle
Blessed with fantastic weather as we sped through Cork and Kerry (slightly slower climbing to Caha Pass and Moll’s Gap!). Scenery in West Cork and Kerry never fails to amaze – and in sunshine like Wednesday hard to beat it anywhere. Four groups on the road – and we met up at various stops on the route. 
Tired bodies arrived in Killarney at 7.00pm. Dinner at 8, preceded by Liam O’Carroll’s Rose of Tralee and ‘de Banks’ – and almost everyone gone to bed by 10.00pm. After a 4.30am start, 5 hour bus journey, 120km cycle – and the promise of a 7.15am breakfast and 8.00am departure the next day – not that surprising.
Highlights of Day 1
The weather, the craic with your mates, getting our team on the road and cycling hard and safely. always love cycling through Cork and Kerry – top of the Caha Pass and Moll’s Gap on a day like this is very special.
And loved the chat on the bikes – when not climbing. and I have blown past my initial fundraising target of €2,000 – headed for €3,000.
and thank yous
To all the support team – keeping us safe on the road, moving our luggage, providing water, fruit, food at all our roadside stops. And in my own case – thank you the our physios in the group – lots of support, help dealing with the limits of my ageing, ‘slightly’ inflexible body.
