2024 Foray #6: Woodenbridge loop and PSA

This was going to be taking advantage of maybe the last fine weather this year, an overnight cycle exploring the Grand Canal. But I was uneasy for various reasons, one being the uncertainty of how much of the canal towpath was suitable for a road bike. This web page is the most up to date and comprehensive summary of work to upgrade the path to greenway standard. Maybe I'll get to do this exploration next year? But who knows what next year will hold for me?

Instead (and encouraged by A to make good use of the weather) I settled for a one day ride around the Wicklow Mountains, taking me over the Wicklow Gap, through Rathdum, the beautiful Vale of Avoca, Woodenbridge, Augrim, Tinahely, Hacketstown, Kiltegan, Baltinglass and home. Oh, and I tried for the coast but turned back through lack of time: that's the little appendage at far right of my track.

My track: 124.7km, elevation gain 1254m, average 16.3km/h

No photos. No thoughts of great inspiration, lots of hard slog, lots of magnesium supplement to ward off inevitable leg cramps. I also tried adding electrolytes to my drink: I'm not sure whether this helped. But all in all, I did it, I completed the course I had roughly planned the night before. My insides were a mess on returning home but I slept, oh how I slept (always punctuated by loo-breaks nowadays).

Loo breaks. Leg cramps. In a routine doctor appointment some six months ago the blood test indicated a higher than normal PSA level. This is a marker for possible prostate problems. That together with more frequent loo breaks recently. In spite of a second and a third blood test showing normal PSA level my GP sent me to a specialist at St. James, the specialist did an internal examination and sent me for an MRI scan and I now have an appointment on Tuesday next to hear the worst. Am I worried? Am I bothered? It one sense no, what will be will be. But worry isn't that easy to dismiss or control. Of course I am worried. I thought my body was doing passably ok for my age. Sometimes I look at my arms. Younger readers of this blog might think me simply phoney if I told you how I feel about my own arms. I know they've no muscle and are pretty mouldy, but I am so glad to see them. Why should that dreaded word "cancer" invade my thoughts? What right has it over my body? And so I cycled away yesterday with a big challenge before me to blow the cobwebs out of my machinating mind. Of course I am not worried: what good would that do?

2023 Foray No.2 Waterford Greenway

 Waterford Greenway

It’s always good to have a goal. In this case the goal was to cycle the Waterford Greenway (46km of free-for-use, dedicated, paved cycleway / footpath on the bed of a former railway line - more on that later), which implied an overnight stay. The Greenway boasts three original viaducts and a tunnel, and numerous other bridges including a new bridge over the N25. The details included balancing tent and sleeping bag on my bike, with backpack for the rest of the stuff even we minimalistic humans require to exist, cycling from home to Sallins (Naas), then train (using my free travel pass) with bike to Waterford (I had to change at Kildare), thence following the Greenway to its terminus at Dungarvan. Potter about a while, visit Lidl and finally to succumb to fish and chips, and after consumption thereof setting off for Trá na mBó on Ireland’s majestic Copper Coast, where I made camp on a grassy promontory. 

Without doubt Trá na mBó is an idyllic spot and A1 for wild camping. The name translates disappointedly to “Strand of the Cows”. The Irish is more charming. In old Irish Bó translates as ‘cow’. The prefix ‘m’ is a mutation (i.e. modification of the initial consonant of a word) so that a mBó translates as ‘their cow’. Or ‘cows’. Leastways I think so.

The night was fitful, not warm and with the leg cramps I always get after arduous cycling, but I survived. I got up at around 7am with the original intent of frying bacon. But Trá na mBó had lost its charm - it was overcast, cold and windy and all I wanted to do was to hasten to warmer climes, so I struck camp without breakfast, travelling north to Kilmacthomas where I rejoined the Greenway and found myself a bit of grass on which to stand my new camping stove and cook my bacon.

Track statistics

1. Tuesday: Home to Sallins (Naas) 13.2 miles average speed moving 11.65mph

2. Waterford to Lidl Dungarvan 30.4 miles (48.7km)

3. Dungarvan to Trá na mBó 13.1 miles, average speed moving 8.95mph, elevation gain 274m

4. Wednesday Trá na mBó to Waterford 23.7 miles average speed 8.1mph elevation gain 243m 

5. Newbridge to home 15.2 miles average speed moving 8.7mph elevation gain 250m

Grand total distance on bike 95.6 miles

My pictures can be found here.

Check out the Suir Valley narrow gauge railway here where can also be found:

The Waterford, Dungarvan and Lismore Line was still not linked to the main network of rail lines, to overcome this problem, the Red Iron Bridge was built in 1906 and after this passengers could travel directly to Rosslare. Many wealthy families living in London bought summer houses in Killarney and could leave Paddington by the evening express train to Fishguard complete with children and domestic staff. On arriving at Fishguard the train ran alongside the ship and passengers were able to transfer, thus allowing immediate departure. The ship journey was at least half an hour faster than nowadays, and the train was waiting on the pier at Rosslare when the boat arrived alongside, facilitating another prompt departure. There were of course no customs delays in those days. The train stopped at Waterford around breakfast time, breakfast being served in the dining car of the train. On arrival in Mallow the train took the Kerry line from Mallow, arriving at Killarney around lunchtime.

Sadly so many of these branch lines have now been closed. Thankfully the branch to Killarney and Tralee is still operational.

Kilmacthomas viaduct drone video courtesy of JJ's World Tour:

The morning after

Yesterday's run was relatively strenuous and hard on my feet. I was running or walking over rocks by the lake-shore, over heather on the mountain slopes, picking my way across a felled forestry area on the lower slopes and then along the uneven surface of a minor road on the return. And pushing myself all the way as I had said I'd be back before 6pm.

Last night I suffered from leg cramps and sweating - almost as if I had a temperature. They say drinking pickle juice is good - pickle juice?! And this morning some stiffness whilst I repaired various small cuts on my feet. All par for the course. You don't get joy without a bit of suffering.

In church a visitor commented on my feet and, on hearing about my escapade, put his arm around me as if to offer consolation or condolence. But I don't run barefoot to gain prestige or sympathy - I do it because I want to and because it feels good. And I'll run again this afternoon, albeit not 10 miles.

Advice to would be barefoot runners - don't give up!