TransAtlantic Way Race | Race around Ireland | June 17, 2016

It all begins in the mind. This morning I woke up to dark, threatening clouds and I thought, let’s go cycling! This is unusual, trust me, because the usual me would wanna bundle up, stay indoors, keep warm, and not get uncomfortable. But not this morning - I was excited and roaring to hit the road with my bike. Why? What changed? Here’s what… and it’s a huge announcement...

I have decided to do the TransAtlantic Way Race which circumnavigates the western coast of Ireland over a distance of 2,500 km (1,600 miles). Yes, America was 2.5 times longer so what’s the big deal with Ireland? Oh it is a big deal. Because Ireland is much shorter, I am upping my personal challenge. Instead of riding 100 miles daily as I did crossing America in 2014, this time I will be riding 160 miles each day, and aim to complete the race in 10 days. I will be one of only two female solo riders in this race (the rest are all gentlemen!). Plus, Irish weather ain’t gonna be as beautiful and forgiving as the summer in America is (well, sorta). If Ireland is known for three things, it would be Beer, Guinness Stout, and Rain. Ok, beer and Guinness Stout are similar, but seriously, throw a stone at anyone and ask them what do they think of when they think of Ireland, you’re gonna get pretty much the same answer.

So knowing that I will run into a lot of dark skies and rain in Ireland, I gotta brace myself for it and learn to love the suck, don’t I? That explains why I was so excited to hit the road this morning upon seeing dark clouds!

And you see, back to my original point: It all begins in the mind. Truly, as Napoleon Hill inspired me when I was 10, whose quote is the bedrock for my crossing America in 2014, and which continues to hold true for my upcoming race in Ireland: “Whatever your mind can conceive, and your heart can believe, you can achieve.”

Image credit: blog.secretscapes.com http://goo.gl/HrY3f7

Are you ready to stand with me in agreement, support, encouragement, and prayers to send me to Ireland on eagle’s wings (ok, not wings, but two wheels) so I could complete the race in 10 days? Well, I’ll take it by force even if you aren’t ready! To Ireland I come! Oh wait, not now. In about six weeks - on June 17. Stay tuned for more updates! In the meantime, for you who are curious about Ireland, here are some interesting trivia about the Emerald Isle.

And oh, calling avid cyclists - if you have days to spare during your summer holidays, consider joining me in this race too! This is an excellent race put up by my friend Adrian O'Sullivan, a very accomplished Irish-English ultra distance endurance cyclists with lots of epic races under his belt. Registration closes on May 12, but the experience is gonna last way longer than that - so consider racing Ireland with me!