I could write about the intervening 3 days when we walked The Yeats Trail, up Queen Maeve’s Trail and then Benbulbin. All done in glorious sunshine with the perfect recovery drink (a deep black colour with a creamy white top…). This, however, is going to focus on the cycling. The return trip to Belfast from Sligo.

The hotel were more than accommodating when I told them I wanted to leave around 5am. The night porter was around and let me into the restaurant where I could help myself to cereals and fruit while he made me tea and toast. I had prepped and packed the bike the night before and set off shortly after 5am in the cool dawn air with mist hanging over the waters.

I was bowling along quite merrily when my rear tyre suddenly deflated spewing sealant all over the place. I pulled over and tried to reinflate the tyre but quickly realised there was a hole in the side wall and I would either have to try and put a tyre boot in or an inner tube. I elected for the latter. I was glad to have my Leatherman which I had specifically bought after Josh Reid explained he had to DNF on an ultra race because he couldn’t remove the valve from his rim to put a tube in and had to borrow some pliers from a stranger. I needed the Leatherman!

I estimated I was less than 10km into the route and still had the off road section to do in reverse. I took that very gingerly. I later discovered the side wall of the tyre was damaged and assume it was from my traverse of the stony track I was now reversing.

My main aim now was to keep up progress and find another spare inner tube in case anything happened to the tyres again.

It was when I got to Armagh that I stopped in a narrow, one way street and asked a man if there was a bike shop nearby. He replied “you are standing right next to the famous Danny McShane bicycle shop”. And Indeed I was!

It was a nest of bits and pieces but Danny’s son did find me the perfect inner tube, once he had sorted out a wheel he was fixing for someone.

The weather was pretty much perfect the whole day and I rolled back into Portadown and then along the cycle paths to Belfast arriving at the ferry port with plenty of time to spare.

This time I ordered a roll to go with my ravioli so I could mop it all up before I retreated to the comfort of my cabin and another good night’s sleep.

Stats: Sligo to Belfast 233km / 12hrs 37m moving time / 2773m ascent /5939 calories (all according to Strava)