Day 2 Cycle Report...

Destination for Day 2 was Mullingar, where I just had to toast a pint to the great Joe Dolan!

I had great intentions to blog immediately after each of the cycle days, but it became so hectic that I'm nearly a week late with it!  However, here goes the description for Day 2 as best recalled:

Day 2:  We left Carrick on Shannon at around 11 o'clock, some of us were stiff, sore and tired (namely me!) but we were excited and ready for the road.  As was the case on day 1, we split into two groups - one slightly faster than the other, with the slower group going off ten minutes earlier.  I nestled into the faster group this morning as I had spent the first day with them.

From the Landmark Hotel (where we had spent a very comfortable night and ate like kings), we turned out the Longford Road, heading Edgeworthstown direction.  Bums were sore.  Legs were aching slightly!  Our first stop was not due for another 40km so on we went without complaint.  I was finding the pace a little too fast for me this day - the tiredness after day one meant that I was hanging on a little at stages, but still I was enjoying the crack.

Cycling in a group is far different from my solo experience from last year.  It works in a chain-like motion, whereby you pair up on the road and continue to change partners as you either go up or down the chain.  It makes for a very sociable exercise - as I got chatting to all who were participating for a few minutes at least each day.

At our 40km stop my good wife D and Ruth had sandwiches, cakes and you name it ready for us.  We pulled in behind a Texaco garage in Longford Town... the sun was shining and all were feeling good.  I made up my mind at this stage that I would swop over to the other group for the rest of our cycle down to Mullingar.  

The trip to Mullingar was fantastic... we had the hard shoulder all the way and I had the added extra of having 16 new riders to acquaint myself with!  The pace in this group was far more manageable after a day and a half with the Tour de France crew so it was all good for me.

Pulling in to Mullingar Town - our destination for Day 2, was fantastic.  We had a good crew waiting for us there in their orange Jack and Jill t-shirts, collecting money in their plastic buckets.  As for us cyclists- we rushed into Canton Casey's pub in the main square and had a well deserved pint!  Only one day to go now!