And I would cycle 500 miles.....

And I would cycle 500 more.......well not quite yet.

I'm sure The Proclaimers will forgive me. Poetic licence aside, a week of walking sideways has passed since I set out to try and cycle 500 miles in 5 days round the roads of Northern Ireland and Donegal for the Children's Heartbeat Trust and it's as good a time as any to sit down and reflect on the whole experience.

A meeting with my cardio on the very eve of the trip was 'eventful' and despite a few reservations and the knowledge that I wasn't to be deterred, I was allowed to continue with the assurance that I would quit if the crap hit the fan.

Setting off from Tesco Bridgewater Extra
with Amy, Pamela and Davy

So, next day the team and I were met at the start by Lynn from the charity and after a bit of a natter we were off down the road. 

Heading out of Banbridge was when it dawned on me that this was finally it, months of planning were behind me and it was time to finally get on with it and pedal. 

After a quick stop in Portadown it was off through the Orchard County to the next stop at the Navan Centre where after a bite of lunch for me, Pamela, Davy and Amy decided to have a look round as I headed on for Tyrone. 

At a bridge on the approach to Caledon, I spotted a motorcycle parked up on my side of the road and a gent with a camera on the other side. 
As I got nearer I realised it was a certain Mr. James Lee esq.
Jim had kindly taken the time to come down and see me pass by and take some photos both here and up the road in nearby Aughnacloy, not only that but he stopped and gave me a donation on the roadside which was really, really decent of him...thanks Jim!!

By this time the temperature was in the high 20's (it topped out at 29C) and from Tyrone it was into Fermanagh and on to Enniskillen via Tempo, a road I'm in no hurry to be on again. 

It wasn't so much the terrain but the road surface, a common theme on my journey. 

Anyway from Enniskillen it was out to Castle Archdale where we had kindly been given 2 free tent pitches for the night.

Now I know from bitter experience that Fermanagh is infamous for its midge population and the little blighters took a serious dislike to poor Davy whose arms and head were used as target practice.

The next morning dawned damp, but by the time I set off it had brightened up. 

Kesh: Co. Fermanagh

Even though I had an excellent team around me, I was still determined that it should be a holiday for them. So, as I headed solo for Donegal the guys ventured off to see the Marble Arch Caves and whatever else they might happen to encounter.
I went through the village of Kesh, a place that holds many memories for me from my camping days. With the exception of a new road layout, the place hasn't really changed much in the 20 odd years since I last graced it with my presence, although like everywhere else the addition of more shops seem to add more bustle to the village. Anyway enough of this reminiscing, I headed along the shores of Lower Lough Erne through Boa Island and crossed the border at Belleek. It's been a fair few years since I was on this road and it again brought back a lot of memories.

From there it was on to Ballyshannon and Donegal Town itself. 

Donegal Town

Now Donegal Town is a lovely place but it is not for the faint of heart and it really is every person for themselves in the town centre traffic. However I survived and after a quick stop at the beautiful castle I continued my journey north.

Soon I was heading along the Barnesmore Gap, a beautiful stretch of road but on this particular day a strong head wind was my constant companion. 

I could see 5-6 fellow cyclists spread out about a mile ahead and was able to use them as a kind of marker. After passing them it occurred to me that it had been a while since I had heard from the support team, it then became evident that the phone reception was non-existent and that, with 45 miles to go, I was on my own and down to my last drop of water, two fig rolls and one jelly baby.

Thankfully when I got to a mile from Lifford and nearby Strabane, the phone picked up the UK connection again and soon rang, however they were about 30 miles behind me so I decided to slow my pace and venture on. The guys eventually caught up with me on the outskirts of Londonderry/Derry and quickly replenished my food and water levels.
By this time it was around 6pm so the others headed to our hostess at Limavady as I followed behind. I arrived in Limavady around 8pm and after meeting our lovely host Mary and her friends (and not forgetting Brodie the Labrador) we settled in. Mary had prepared a lovely meal for us which went down a treat and soon it was off to bed.
Mary had to leave early next morning and had left us the key, so after having spares cut (only joking Mary) we prepared for what I knew would probably be the hardest day of all, along the Antrim Coast and on to our next stop near Ballyrobert. 

Antrim Coast Road near Ballintoy

The team headed into Coleraine as I took the scenic route via Downhill (which was anything but) and after a brief stop in Coleraine it was a 20 minute run to Portstewart and some lunch. 

From Portstewart it was on to the coast road via Portrush and I could tell from the wind direction that this was going to be 'fun' with a small f!!

Now the Antrim Coast past Dunluce Castle and through Bushmills, Ballintoy etc is a beautiful place to be on an extremely warm day such as I experienced that Friday, but there was a vicious head/side wind from inland and it hindered progress badly. 

The old ticker didn't appreciate the heat and was protesting a bit as I arrived in Ballycastle around 4.45pm, and with 45 odd miles to my destination there was no time to lose.

I 'charged' on through Armoy and on to the main Ballymena-Ballymoney road which was still being dug up meaning single lane traffic for quite a few miles which wasn't too safe on a bicycle to be honest. 

But I eventually hit some carriageway and managed to get a decent pace going and soon I was in Antrim and on towards Templepatrick where our host Brian, himself a keen cyclist, met me at a large roundabout outside the town and we cycled the short distance together to his home where I met his lovely wife Fiona, son and daughter-in-law, and again settled down to some of the finest hospitality one could hope for including tea, buns and cake.

The next morning saw some heavy rain in the area and after saying my goodbyes I ventured towards Belfast via Carrickfergus where by this time the sun had again come out. 

A Tall Ship in Belfast

Progress along the Shore Road was hindered by traffic lights and roadworks, but I eventually made it to Belfast where the Tall Ships crowd and traffic again made life more awkward than it ought to have been. 

I arrived at Stormont almost an hour behind schedule and missed Cathy and Sarah from the charity (apologies ladies), and then it was on to Bangor, which once 'was the place' according to the comedian James Young.

By now it was really hot and from Bangor it was along the coast to Ballywalter via Groomsport, Donaghadee and Millisle. 

At Ballywalter I swung inland to Mount Stewart and on to a dangerous stretch of shore road to Newtownards where I had a quick 10 minute replenishment stop.

Soon it was on to Comber, Killyleagh and Downpatrick on a most hateful stretch of road, and from Downpatrick it was on to Newcastle and the welcoming sight of the Mourne Mountains, and where Tollymore Forest Park had provided us with free camping (thanks guys). 

It was nice to see a face, or three, from home as we met up with my sister Sharon, bro-in-law Mark and niece Ruth.

The next morning once again started wet as we headed from Newcastle over the hills to Hilltown and Rathfriland.

From Rathfriland it was through Bronte Country to Loughbrickland and Newry where we stopped for lunch.

It was now early afternoon as I ventured on over the border where the bright sunshine of Newry was quickly replaced by torrential rain which only cleared as I got  to Omeath. 

Job Done

As planned, we turned in Omeath and ventured back to Newry and down the carriageway to Warrenpoint and Rostrevor before picking up the coast road in bright evening sunshine to Newcastle where I arrived around 7pm with 500 miles clocked up....WE had done it, 500 miles in 5 days.

On Monday we awoke to one of the worst summer days I have faced in all my time on this mortal coil, extremely windy, cold and with heavy rain!!

After waiting until it eventually cleared, I headed back to the official finish at Banbridge where Lynn was waiting with her trusty camera, and my Tesco Bridgewater Extra colleagues had provided a warm welcome and some champagne, wine, flowers and cards...thanks guys!!! (my apologies to my colleagues who were expecting me the day before). 

It was also fantastic to see my friend Aron and his wife Judith there with their daughter Grace...the inspiration for the challenge. 

And, with that the cycle challenge/adventure had come to a successful conclusion....until next year. ;-)