About Vercentia's

Before heading to the airport today I decided to squeeze in a quick spin on the bike. The weather wasn’t ideal but I need the training. It’s now less than 3 weeks to the Munster 4 Airports Challenge in aid of Touching Hearts and looking at how much training the lads in the Portlaw Village Wheelers are doing I will need to be in good shape.

Whenever I have only an hour to spare I almost always head for Tickincor and Powers the Pot. A good hard effort that has me climb over 450 meters in a single hour. Climbing is like meditation. You have to focus on your breathing and soak up the pain. It clears your mind and then you start to think clearly. I spent much of todays climb thinking about the severely disabled children that Touching hearts takes care of and their families. I gave a silent prayer of thanks for the good health of my own family.

As I climbed the wet road turned a little white and then up ahead a blanket of snow came into view. It can be easy to forget just how high up Powers the Pot really is. As Irelands highest residential property, it leads to a mountain pass that is one of the highest in Ireland. When you get to that sort of elevation conditions can often change, as they did today.

Going straight on at Harneys cross I was curious to see what I would face.