Summer Swimming At Last!

Clam shells on Trá Pháidín (Páidín's Beach)

As my cycle approaches I should be winding down the training with some light sessions - either on bike or on foot, but instead the weather has dictated that I take to the sea for some lovely swims...  Trá Pháidín is a beautiful, secluded beach that can only be accessed through fields by those of us in the know, and it truly is a slice of paradise.  Yesterday I left the house at 7.30pm with a little rucksack containing a towel, a book, and a transistor radio.  When I reached my paraside destination I found two local women there already, basking in the evening sun.  We three were in on the secret of this beach - the rest of the world lived in pure ignorance.  The water was calm and clear, but the funniest thing was that a shoal of mackerel had come to the beachhead and were swimming around us as we waded through the water.  This happened to me in this very same spot four years ago... back then I rushed back to the house to get my fishing rod and proceeded to land two score mackerel, but yesterday I simply swam amongst them for an hour.  

Tomorrow I'll be on hand to help Conor, as part of his crew for the Connemara Ultra 100.  This will be his very first ultra marathon, but more importantly it will be his 100th full marathon.  What an amazing achievement.  As for my preparation for the big cycle that starts next Thursday - rest is probably key now.