A driving instructor in Derry is planning to undertake an epic cycling journey around Ireland to mark his 50th birthday. Jim Doyle, who works for a driving school in Derry, will take part in the Race Around Ireland event. The event is a tough endurance race set over five days and covering 1,350 miles. Riders will cycle for around 22 hours per day, with only six completing the race last year.
The driving instructor commented on the challenge, stating "I have run a marathon in two hours 42 minutes, but the thing about running 26 miles is the pain is over as soon as you finish. Marathon running doesn’t even come close to describing what this is going to be like. It may not be as dangerous as climbing Mount Everest - but it is a lot more difficult.
"When I’m training on the bike and I complete a 100-mile stretch I think ‘just another 1,200 miles to go!’. Hallucinations, sleep deprivation and the challenge of pushing yourself beyond what you are supposed to do and finding out what happens when you get there is a very alluring challenge to someone into ultra sport. Welcome to another day in paradise will be my catchphrase. My wife calls it my mid-life crisis."