After having a stroke, Paul found cycling was the sport for him
AS the Innisfree Wheelers Autumn Sportive is on September 2nd, cyclists in the locality are training hard for the event, which is in Association with The Sligo Champion and Skoda Burns Car Sales.
Many people thinking of giving cycling a try but are unsure about doing so.This is very common: “I haven’t cycled in years, I wouldn’t be able to cycle very far, I wouldn’t be able to do what they are doing”.
People come from all different approaches and reasons for getting involved. An example of this is Innisfree cycling couple Paul and Kay Duffy. Paul, a Dubliner and Kay from Sligo, met while they were both working in the Office of Public Works in Dublin. Growing up Paul had a Chopper bike and Kay a hand-me-down Raleigh bike. Paul was a keen runner and a member of Metropolitan Harriers, Athletic club in Islandbridge Dublin. Kay played a little basketball but was more of a couch potato. They moved to Sligo in 2000. Paul still works with the Office of Public Works and Kay now works with Sligo County Childcare Committee.
Paul continued to run and in 2010 completed a Tri A Triathlon with a view to doing the Rosses Point triathlon in the summer of 2011.Unfortunately in December 2010 Paul had a stroke. Having a good level of fitness prior to his stroke he feels this greatly helped his recovery. Post the stroke Paul had some weakness in his right leg so running was not an option. He was however determined to get fit and active again. Paul had a straight handle bar bike and decided to try cycling on a more regular basis. He then bought a road bike on the cycle-to-work scheme. He recalls a spin to Lissadell with his friend Martin Keville, a discussion on gears was the major topic and the hill at Rathcormac proved a challenge.
Finding that he was really enjoying the cycling Paul and Martin came along to IT Sligo one Sunday morning to check out the Innisfree Wheelers and decided to join the club.
Paul did the 60km in the An Post in May of 2011 and followed that with The Three Counties cycle in June. The weather for the Three Counties that year was particularly bad and Paul described it as one of the lows of his cycling life. He was not put off by the weather and became a regular weekly road cyclist and a very involved member of the club. Paul enjoyed cycling in a group and picking Sportives to do during the year.
Kay in her own words thought he was mad! His passion for cycling motivated him to do the Bike for Life Leaders and Coaching course in 2014. Paul has run over eight Bike for Life courses. He has designed and been head coach supported by Martin Keville and Carmel Scott in running these courses aimed at beginners or restarter cyclists. These courses have been very popular with all of them being oversubscribed.
In 2015 some of Paul’s enthusiasm for cycling finally rubbed off on Kay. She was starting to get curious. She went along to a Sofa to Saddle course in April 2015 run by the Sligo Sports and Recreation Partnership which had Paul as the coach. Kay stated that she was literally coming from the Sofa to the saddle and had not been on a bike in over 30 years. She had recently lost 5 and a half stone with the Slimming World Carraroe group and felt she needed to get more active to maintain her weight loss. She was surprised at how much she enjoyed the course and began cycling short distances on a regular basis.
In August Paul ran an Innisfree Wheelers women’s only Bike for Life course aimed at getting all of the participants fit and able to comfortably cycle 40km in the Ladies Tour of Lough Gill. The course was oversubscribed so a group of ladies were unable to get on the course. While these ladies waited for the next Bike for Life course Paul designed and delivered a separate half day basic cycling skills course. Kay went along to the course and met like-minded ladies at the same level of ability. Two years on she now cycles two to three times a week at a comfortable pace and cannot believe how much fun and enjoyment cycling has brought to her life. Her longest distance has been 90km. Kay has now cycled distances she never thought were possible.
Paul has been continuously reviewing and improving the delivery of the Bike for Life coaching sessions ensuring that the courses can accommodate many situations, group sizes and meet the needs of all participants. Paul has got great enjoyment from seeing the absolute beginner cyclists improve in confidence, bike fitness, cycling ability and cycling distances, that weeks before they thought were not within their capability.
As a couple Paul and Kay enjoy doing all the local Sportives and have also done The Gift for Life Sportive in Enniscrone, The Tour of Lough Conn and Saddle up for Epilepsy in Castlebar.
Kay has also done the Great Dublin Bike ride. Last year Paul cycled the Lough Key Sportive challenge a distance of 120km in May. He used this as a training event in preparation for The Delma Kavanagh cycle from Limerick to Dromahair which Paul did in August over two days. This was a great achievement and the first time Paul had completed a total distance of 270 km.
Paul and Kay both agree that cycling has definitely contributed to better health and wellbeing for both of them. They get a great feel good factor after doing a cycle. They have made new friends and enjoy the whole social aspect of the club. Away from the bikes, Paul is a big Star Wars and Star Trek fan and Kay likes baking. Paul’s favourite route is the Strandhill loop of 30km which he does at a brisk pace with some interval training and his favourite coffee stop is to call into Bernie and Agnes in the shop in Ballintogher.
Kay likes to cycle around the lake and to Lissadell house and Mullaghmore. Her favourite coffee stop is The Tea rooms in Dromahair and Lissadell house.
Kay and Paul will be doing the 60km event in the IWCC Autumn sportive on September 2nd, the second year of the event.