Last month 40 intrepid cyclists took part in the Hospice Africa Ireland Cycle Challenge 2011 and raised an incredible amount of money in the process. Blessed with one of the nicest days of the year, they took to the road on either the 60km or 100km routes, enjoying the beautiful scenery but certainly challenging themselves at the same time!

Fundraising money is still coming in, but even at this stage it has been a fantastic success thanks to the efforts of those taking part. This money will go towards support Hospice Africa and the life-changing work they do with sufferers of HIV/AIDS and cancer in Uganda and beyond.

Some photos from the day can be found at our Facebook page, and if anyone else has any others please feel free to add them!

Huge thanks once again to everyone who took part, and also to the team at Cycling Safaris for all their work in making this year’s cycle such a successful and enjoyable event.

By this time next week, the cycle will be done. I hope the training will have been enough!

I have been out on a few longer distance routes, heading in various directions around the city.  Last weekend, I headed south to Dalkey/Killiney.  I had no specific end point in mind, rather a timeframe of 2.5 hours and a goal to find some hills.  And find them I did.  I had a pleasant time exploring parts of the southside that I don’t know very well and admiring some of the houses in the area.  I ended up doing a few loops around a small area as I basically pointed the bike upwards whenever I came to a crossroad.  I also explored all the gears on my bike, figuring out the best time to switch between them and at what point the bike would creak rather than switch because I’d left it too late.  I discovered too that I am not a natural descender as I prefer to keep the bike in check with the brakes slightly on, rather than descending as fast as gravity would like to take me.  Given the traffic and the twists in the road, I felt this was the safer choice.

When I got home I discovered that I had cycled about 40km.  Although this was longer than I had cycled before, it was shorter than I had hoped.  On the other hand, according to my mapping website, I had climbed 177m with two climbs at a grade of >2.5%.

This weekend I built up a few more kilometres. By cycling to Phoenix Park and circling it a number of times, I clocked up another 40km doing what was a very pleasant cycle. It hardly felt like training!  My legs were definitely feeling the ache by the next day however when I headed for another spin after playing soccer!  This time I headed northside with my brother.  We rode out along the coast in glorious sunshine with a warm breezy blowing across us.  The effort of cycling around Howth Head was rewarded by the stunning views at the top.

As I descended slowly, a more practiced cyclist flew past, chest low over his handlebars. I could only laugh in admiration.  We were greeted by marching bands in Howth itself, but finally we got through the traffic and made good time on the way home. Another 35km, and another 143m climbed.

I had intended doing at least one training cycle that was >60km, to ensure I wasn’t being foolish in attempting 100km.  However, my weekly totals have been fairly respectable, even if they have been broken up into shorter spins.

So this week, I will take it easy.  My bike has gone in to the shop for a few niggles to be sorted out. I have yoga and zumba to keep me loose and on form. And I have another few days to boost the sponsorship total before heading up to Carlingford.

Our Carlingford Lough Cycle Challenge has been featured on Clare Mulvany’s One Wild Life blog. Check it out here.

Clare has been involved with Hospice Africa for some time now, and continues to be a huge support. Check out the rest of her blog for interesting stories and thoughts, and gorgeous photography!

After 3-4 weeks of training, I am starting to get into a rhythm on the bike. I repeated my 30km cycle out to Howth and managed to shave 15 minutes from my first time.  This may have had as much to do with the wind as my legs but I will take encouragement where I can get it!

On the other hand, as anyone who knows me will attest, I am a procrastinator.  I can spend my days planning and listing what I need to do, without getting any of it done.

This applies to exercising and training as much as anything else.  One particular evening I spent an hour trying to figure out the best way to maximise my time in order to fit in a swim and a cycle in the limited time I had available.  Of course, I spent so long thinking about it that I did neither.

What has kept me on track is that I have started to use my bike as a main method of transport.  5, 10 and 15km journeys that would have required driving, have now become opportunities to build up distance on the bike while saving petrol and parking costs (and sometimes, in Dublin traffic, even time!)

Another encouragement has been the generosity of my family and friends.  I started to fundraise in earnest this week, and have set up a link online to allow friends to donate, as well as taking my sponsorship card with me everywhere. Knowing that people have pledged money, when there are so many other demands on their cash, has been an impetus to continue training.

So for the next couple of weeks, I need to remain focused. I am planning to start increasing the mileage I cycle each week so that the full distance starts to look less daunting and more achievable. I also need to branch out from the city in order to find some hills to train on.  Somehow I don’t think the gradient on the Liffey bridges will give me sufficient experience by themselves!

Bernadette Brady

Having broken my bike in on a few spins around town, I finally headed off on an official “training cycle” last weekend.  I chose a route that I had previously taken while running, starting in the city centre and going out along the Clontarf coastline.  Because it was my first long cycle, the original aim was not to push it too much so I was planning to go to Bull Island and back.  This would have been about 14km.

Despite the cobblestone streets and the erratic cycle lanes, I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable I found the cycle.  Compared to running, there was a feeling of speed and of “getting somewhere”. Also there is the possibility of freewheeling if you’ve built up a bit of momentum.  Unfortunately running doesn’t offer this luxury!

I made good time along the seafront and reached the bridge at Bull Island after about 15minutes.  I knew there was another bridge further down the road that was too far for me to run to (if I wanted to make it home again!) so I decided to keep going.  And when I got to Causeway Road, there was a signpost showing that Howth was only another 7km away.  So I decided to go for it.

I should have been suspicious that I was coping too well with the cycle considering how little time I’d spent in the saddle up to this. But I made my way to Howth and was rueing that I hadn’t brought a bit of cash to enjoy an icecream on the harbour.  Then I turned for home and was hit by the headwind!

The 7km back from Howth to Causeway road were alot less pleasant cycling in the other direction.  Luckily the rain that was threatening didn’t develop.  The wind continued to hamper my efforts all the way home. At times I felt I was cycling just to stay still.  But I had made plans for the evening and was already at risk of running late so I persevered.

Luckily I had the scenery to keep me distracted – it is no wonder the seafront is such a popular place for walkers, runners, cyclists and even a few rollerbladers.

Finally I got to Fairview and could turn out of the worst of the wind for the last stretch home. A journey that took me less than 45 minutes out had taken a full hour home.  But I was impressed to find, when I mapped the route later, that I had cycled 30km.  Not bad for a first effort!  I was even happier to find that I wasn’t too stiff and sore the next day.  I waited a few days before I got back in the saddle just to be on the safe side, and spent some time at yoga and in the gym instead.

I’m just hoping that on July 3^rd, we are cycling with the wind rather than against it!

Bernadette Brady

I have signed up to cycle at least 60km, if not 100km on July 3^rd, in aid of Hospice Africa.

Supporting this cause was a no-brainer.  Hospice Africa does amazing work, supporting patients in Uganda, providing affordable palliative care, in their own homes whenever possible.  They also provide training and support to healthcare workers in other African countries to promote palliative care across sub-Saharan Africa.

Cycling, however, is a new experience for me.  It has always been a feature at home as my father was “a man of the Rás” and has spent many years participating in the Rás Tailteann, the FBD Milk Rás and latterly the An Post Rás as a medical officer. However, I last regularly cycled when I was heading to primary school in the early 1990s.  I have been planning to start cycling regularly, to commute to work without the drag of city centre traffic.  So I took the plunge last week and I bought myself my first adult bike.  That was an experience in itself.  But I duly got myself kitted out with a bicycle and all the attendant accessories.

Unfortunately, due to a combination of travelling for work, and the wind, I have not had the chance to get out for a long distance cycle as yet.  But I have been getting used to my bike, by cycling into town, around the city and to and from the gym.

Last year I trained for the Dublin Marathon. Through a mixture of training and stubbornness, I completed the course last October in something over 5 hours.  I promptly gave up my training, having achieved my goal.  Now I am trying to keep up my interest through varying my activities. I go running with a friend to break up the monotony and play in a 5-a-side kick around. I have started learning to swim, and I go to the gym to use the machines and to attend yoga and zumba classes.  So even though I haven’t been cycling, I’ve been maintaining my cardiovascular fitness.

And so my training for the Carlingford Lough Cycle begins.  I have cajoled and persuaded a number of friends and family to join me on the cycle and I am hoping they will also join me on some training cycles for mutual encouragement.  It is a big goal for me, and I may be unrealistic in aiming for the full 100km.  But I know I am determined and can push myself if I have something to aim towards. And I am doing this for a cause I believe in which in encouragement in itself.

Bernadette Brady

The end of May is upon us and suddenly the 3rd of July seems to be getting closer and closer! Our Cycle Challenge is well underway here at Hospice Africa Ireland so we thought we’d let you all know how everything is coming along…

Preparations are in motion! We’re hearing very impressive reports from some of our volunteers who are already in training. But if you haven’t started yet, don’t panic – there’s still plenty of time left!

We’re getting excellent feedback from local businesses in Dublin and Louth  and they have been more than happy to get the word out about our charity cycle, which has been fantastic.

If you haven’t signed up already, contact us in the office on 01-4068708 or email us to info@hospiceafrica.ie and we can help with all the sponsorship materials you might need.

All the money raised is going to fund much needed pallitive care for cancer and
HIV/Aids patients in Uganda and we really appreciate the work our volunteers are doing to support this extremely worthwhile cause. Keep up the good work!

At Hospice Africa Ireland we’re gearing up for the challenge and we’re really excited for what is shaping up to be a great event. We’re here to help so if you are interested, or you know somebody who might be, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Hospice Africa Ireland Carlingford Cycle 2011

Hospice Africa Ireland are delighted to announce their 2011 Charity Cycle, taking place on Sunday 3rd of July.

Starting and finishing in the easily accessible town of Dundalk, this looped cycle explores the Cooley peninsula.

This little-explored part of the country is home to some wonderful coastal cycling along the shores of Carlingford lough with views across to the mountains of Mourne. The village itself was the 2008 European Destination of Excellence and is one of the best preserved medieval villages in Ireland.

At the centre of the peninsula is the majestic Slieve Foye mountain and we will loop around this mountain passing the “long womans grave” before enjoying the great views out to sea.

We will then continue on backroads to return to Dundalk and our finish.

Two routes will be organised – one of approximately 60 km and another one of around 100km, so that those hardened cyclists  will get a chance to really push themselves!

For more information ring (01) 4068708 or email info@hospiceafrica.ie