09/04/2015
Cheers Jim, get your rest tonight and i'll be back Saturday to join up with the team again.
9.40pm, Thursday, April 9th – Protection
Today saw me arrive in Schull, County Cork; a jewel of a place on a jewel of a day with a gem of a community. But, I was wary.
Anyone who has been to Schull will tell you how it unfolds before you in one gasp after another. It is an awesome marriage of sea-scape and landscape cradling a chocolate box town full of colour, smells, busyness and welcome.
Yet I was wary.
As I approached the centre of the town, I willed myself not to look left or right. Better, I thought to look straight ahead. Better not to risk a glance.
I knew what I was doing. I knew what was happening. This was me protecting me.
You see, Schull is synonymous with one of my happiest childhood memories. My Dad was a sailor and he liked to take us out on the water. When I was 12 years old, he took me on his boat all around the Fastnet Rock, Garnish Island, Sherkin Island, Bere Island, Cape Clear and the myriad of islands in-between. One sunny day, he anchored at Schull for lunch and throwing the dingy in the water, we paddled our way to the slip there. Just before emerging from the sea, it was our practice to swim in the water – a washing of ourselves if you like after our toils at sea.
In our frolics in the water, the dingy capsized and I swam underneath it to right it. Discovering a pocket of air between the water and the dingy has become an abiding memory for me. For those brief moments, the world was mine. The sun poked, peeked and prodded at the rubber’s membrane, but I could dodge it and embrace it how I wished. I was never more alert to my breath or in touch with the life of me; I could taste it, smell it and feel it. I was at absolute peace in a vacuum of air under a dingy in Schull harbour on a sunny day over 30 years ago.
That memory has stayed with me my entire life. There is nothing hugely remarkable about the picture of it, I know. But it was the calmness that stays with me, or more accurately the ‘idea’ of that calm has endured. If only I could have bottled it and kept it. All through my life, I have tried in vain to recreate it; that same calm, that utter peace and that immeasurable contentment. I get glimpses of it every now and then, but in much the same way I dodged the sun that day, the calm dodges me.
A childhood memory; very strong, yet so very fragile too. And I like to protect it.
And I do this today. In Schull.
I don’t allow myself to look down at the slip. I don’t allow myself to tarnish that memory and I don’t allow myself to question did it really happen in the first place?
So instead of recreating old memories, I created new ones. The people of Schull mirrored the people of Goleen in their awesome welcome of the Cycle Against Su***de Team. Last night in Goleen Community Hall, we were the recipients of the best cooked meal that I have ever experienced. Served beautifully by Ellen and the other volunteers, it was something I would have run two marathons for!
Which brings me to how my body is faring; it has never been better. It has never functioned so efficiently, adapted so quickly or supported me so generously. My hair and nails have taken a growth spurt and my skin, though weathered, is holding its own.
I owe much of my physical well-being to my trusted friend and lead physiotherapist Colm Duffy. Colm has been with me from the beginning. It has been a daily marathon for him too, tending to me as he does every day. He has just recently taken a few days off and seeing him today after those days of respite, I was struck at how much younger he looked and I was reminded that the Run is taking its toll on those who are helping me make it happen.
Often I feel undeserving for the countless gestures of kindness I am shown; everyone is out to mind me. But I too want to mind. I want to mind our message, our objective and our mission. I want to mind those who are minding me. So Colm, take your rest, Darren Prince, Anthony McGovern, Shaun Burke, Kevin Finn, Damien Martin and the rest of the crew are looking after me very well.
And can I add that Skibereen gets top marks for recruiting homestays - http://www.cycleagainstsu***de.com/homestay/? Skibereen is currently leading the rankings with the highest number of homestays already secured. Every night during the 14 day Cycle, we need 300 beds for a motley crew of tired but dedicated cyclists and volunteer crew members. These are people who, shoulder to shoulder, are breaking the cycle of su***de on the island of Ireland. These are people who believe in spreading the message of the orange army “It’s ok not to feel ok; and it’s absolutely ok to ask for help”.
West Cork has opened every last crevice of its community to us and welcomed us in. Although I am still wary of losing old memories that protect me, my time here has generated new memories that will also protect me. Knowing and being assured that our message has made its way down the country lanes, coves and hills of Ireland’s largest county, has become the sun on my back; the same sun that warmed the back of a 12 year old as he swam to shore 30 years ago.
Old memories joining up with new; I will protect them both.
Thank you West Cork.
Until Tomorrow.
48.5km completed today in 6 hours and 20 minutes.
548.1km to date over 72 hours.
17 days and 851.9km to go.
Register today for Cycle Against Su***de 2015 at www.cycleagainstsu***de.com.
Follow us on Twitter ***de.
Tomorrow's Run departs Mizen Head at 9.00am for Bantry. Again, all are very, very welcome to join us for some or all of the 50k route.
