Six months without bicycling and 37 miles all in one day. That's right, on Monday the 14th, I found a nice sunny (and warm) day to rent a bike and ride to Kinvarra. You can see on that fine map my route around the end of Galway Bay- 18.4 miles each way and let me tell you, I was dying on the last couple of miles.
But it really was a great ride. I had such amazing weather and I was plenty warm. I was such a fool when I left though- not only did I forget normal clothes to wear over my biking jersey, I forgot my map and my camera! Ugh, what a fool. But I didn't get lost and I just wandered around Kinvarra in my awkward clothes and didn't care.
The beginning of the ride was stressful because of all the traffic and people trying to kill me. Apparently riding on the Galway-Limerick Road on a bike is such a grievous crime that it warrants the death penalty- only there are no judges or juries, just lots of little executioners riding their weapons past you as fast as they like. I enjoyed the smaller roads to say the least.
When I got to Kinvarra, I found that I had been to Dungaire Castle already with my previous ISP trip- amusing and frustrating. I chilled in town , eating my lunch and declined to pay 3 euro to climb to the top of the castle, then headed back.
As I was nearing Oranmore (the last town before my home) I was beginning to lose stamina... coming past the Dueling Field up Robber's Hill (where highwaymen would rob traders' wagons coming into Galway in the days of old) I saw why the theives chose the spot because one cannot go up it very fast, let alone after riding 30 some odd miles in my out of shape condition. Fortunately it is the 21st century and there was no ambuscade.
I did actually make it back in only a little longer than I took to go out- 1 hour there, 1 1/2 hours to get back. The guy at the bike shop was impressed I made it that far in that short of time :-) All in all I'd say 37 miles in 2 1/2 hours was not bad for having gone so long without biking and I really enjoyed seeing Ireland from a bike.
The rest of the day was spent recovering, eating pastries with friends and walking miles on the prom- my legs got quite to workout but I was not sore the next day... hooray!
Pictures Maren took of me as I headed out on my rented 21 speed:
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