Whilst everyone has slightly different training regimes (because what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another), your training in terms of total mileage should be coming to a peak over the next 4 to 6 weeks, before tapering before the big day on 23 June. I've said before that for me I have tried to concentrate on the quality of the sessions over the last couple of years, rather than banging out endless miles, but in order to finish (besides a strong mental approach) you do need those miles in your legs pounding the streets.
It can be quite difficult to maintain motivation to go out training at this point, when it is needed most. It is especially true if the weather is poor (which can't be said for this weekend!), but also if you have a lot on at work and trying to maintain a balance with family activities it can be difficult. I have just finished reading a book by Dean Karnazes called Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner and if you are looking for a bit of motivation or inspiration I would wholly recommend it. Basically, he had an epiphany whilst out drinking celebating his 30th birthday - went home and put on an old pair of trainers and just ran through the night. He had done some running at school, but nothing in the following 10 years or so and ended up covering 30 miles but incapacitated himself for weeks afterwards. However, from this he became a reborn athlete and built up from doing 5km and 10km races to marathons and then on to ultramarathons.
Whilst he manages to acheive all these super human feats such as the 4 deserts challenge in the same year and continuously running for 226 miles, impressively he has also been able to hold down a full time job and maintain a happy and stable family life, whilst competing and training all year round. The fact that he needs little sleep and gets up at 4am most days to train, doesn't detract from the feat. If you get the opportunity I would definitely suggest reading the book, as there are a lot of similarities between the endurance events he does and the Parish Walk in terms of preparation, training, nutrition, mental approach and the overall experience. I'm certainly feeling fired up after reading it and also picked up some useful tips.
Back to this week's training - after Monday Morning's walk with a slight hangover, the following day the two Daves and I met at the Bottleneck Car Park and did the Groudle Loop, which after finishing back on the promenade was just under 10 miles. I didn't make circuit training on Wednesday, but still managed to get out for an 8 mile walk around Baldwin on my own, apart from my I-Pod. With training in a group I couldn't remember the last time I went out walking with my I-Pod on. I didn't really look at my Garmin watch, but was surprised at the end at how quickly I had covered the 8 miles, as my mind had been distracted by the Podcast I was listening to. Apart from the first year I finished the Parish Walk, when I needed any distraction possible to take my mind off the pain, I haven't used an I-Pod in the event since and I haven't missed it either.
I missed the usual Thursday training session due to work commitments and was busy on Friday, so it was important to get a decent walk in on Saturday. Vinny, Mike and I met up at 7am at the NSC and set off towards Marine Drive and on the way up to Manx Radio Dave W met us. He can be forgiven for sleeping in, as he was the on-call Doctor in A&E and had been summoned to the hospital in the early hours of the morning. We carried on along Marine Drive all the way to Port Soderick and took a right turn to join the old Castletown Road and continued south joining the Parish Walk route. At this point we walked it in reverse along Oatlands Road and on to the Cleaynagh Road and then straight through the crossroads. On reaching the Garth crossroads we took a right, which takes you down to Crosby, passed the old Marown School, which I attended as child and remember the outside toilets, which use to freeze in the winter! Continuing straight on at Crosby the four of us had a good race up the hill and instead of stopping at the top it carried on for a while longer, neck and neck all the way. I think we were all relieved when eventually Vinny asked if anyone was going to bother slowing down! We then worked our way through Mount Rule out to Abbeylands and back into Douglas, covering just over 18 miles in the end. Not quite as far as previous weeks, but more than sufficient with the Sara Killey Memorial Walk next Sunday.
In the afternoon I popped into work for a bit before heading out to Laxey. My in-laws own the Shore Hotel, so I decided it was a good idea to go out for a pint to watch the Grand National. It is the only time each year when Kyley and I will bet on a horse race and my record is shocking, whilst Kyley usually picks the winner every year. This year was an exception, as whilst my luck was unchanged (with the various donkeys I chose pulling out early on), she only picked the second (by a photo finish) and fourth placed horses and also won on the sweep in the pub! Not only did the horse racing not go my way, but Man City hammered Norwich and Liverpool got through to the FA Cup final.
I had a couple of drinks to commiserate the run of bad luck and ended up leaving my car in Laxey, so ran out to pick it up this morning. Considering the walk yesterday my legs felt ok, apart from jogging up Whitebridge and I got out there in decent time. Now I have finished this blog we are going to go out for a coffee before I watch Man U beat Aston Villa. We have a really good record against Villa, but having said that we also had an impressive record against Wigan - until last Wednesday, so can't take anything for granted. Paul Scholes is back and it is at Old Trafford, so I'm pretty confident. It doesn't say much for the standard of Premiership this year though when the best English midfielder is a 38 year old, who has come out of retirement!
Sunday, 15 April 2012
Monday, 9 April 2012
Finally entered and number 1000!
After moaning about last week's lack of training, this was a much better week. On Monday I did my usual 5 mile run in the quickest time yet, so that must be a good sign, followed by a quick walk on Tuesday with Dave Walker. The usual text message was sent out in the afternoon to see who was going out that evening and probably due to the wind and sleet/snow there was only Dave and I stupid enough to go out. The weather was in stark contrast to the warm sun the previous Tuesday, so to keep the cold at bay we set off at a very rapid pace around the Kewaigue loop. At the end of the walk we had averaged about 9.45 per mile, which was good considering the strong winds.
Wednesday was circuit training with Liz Corran at the NSC, with too many squat related exercises which again left me half-crippled by the end of it! On Thursday, Vinny, Dave Mackey and I met at the car park by the Sea Terminal and we headed out to the Liverpool Arms via Onchan and back through Groudle and along the prom, which was just over 10 miles. During the walk I had mentioned to Dave and Vinny that I was going to enter the Parish at some point over the next couple of days, so when I got home and read that the 1000th entry was a free one I thought "I'll have some of that". On checking the website that evening there were 998 entries so I decided to come back later, but it slipped my mind until the following morning about 9am. When I turned the computer on there were 999 entries, so I jumped in and quickly entered, so I reckon I was number 1000.
Friday was a rest day, followed by a 7am start at the NSC to do the Parish route to Rushen. Dave Walker arrived a bit the worse for wear after having a few drinks after the 10km run the previous evening, which had Ron Hill as the guest of honour. As I've said on an earlier blog Dave is definitely one to watch as he is a lot fitter than in previous years and this was backed up by him running a PB in around 39 minutes. I mentioned to my fellow walkers that morning that I entered the Parish the previous day and thought I might have been number 1000, but instead of a 'well-done' all I got was shouts of 'you tight-arse'! In my defence I did say to Dave a few weeks ago that it would be good to be the 1000th person to enter.
After a steady start out to Marown we passed the school and sure enough the race to the top of the hill at the Braaid crossroads started. We have a number of routes that we alternate between on Saturday mornings and without any mention of it beforehand, there are certain places where the pace always picks up and for the next mile or so we hammer it. This is the benefit of training in a group as you all push yourself that little bit harder and I know I wouldn't have progressed had I not started going out with people who were faster than me. Marie had left her car at Santon the previous evening, as she had only planned to do a 10 mile session, so she peeled off at this point and the rest of us headed on to Ballasalla where we stopped for fluid.
At Malew Church Dave M and Vinny left, as they had to get back into Douglas, so Dave W and I continued towards Rushen at a steady but reasonably comfortable speed. Just coming out of Colby we realised we didn't have much time to get into Port Erin to catch the bus, so we had to run the last mile or two. Literally as soon as we got on the bus in Port Erin it left, so the run was worth it! When I took up walking in January 2007 and was preparing for the Parish Walk that year, I did my first long training walk on Good Friday, which was the same section of the Parish to Rushen. My trainers were battered old ones, not suitable for walking in, I didn't have a clue about the right sportswear and how to avoid chaffing and nipple rub. Needless to say I ended up with massive blisters on both heels, extremely chaffed bits and with red spots on my t-shirt, so it made me chuckle reading and looking at the photo on the latest blog posted by Ed. I can remember going round to my brother's house for a BBQ later that day and hardly being able to walk, through a combination of my various injuries and feeling extremely stiff, so some useful advice to heed from Ed.
On Sunday, after devouring a large Easter egg, I forced myself to go out for a run to try and counteract the effects of my greed, plus Kyley and I were off to the pub later with Ronnie and Karen for the quiz, where I planned to have a drink or two. The Woodbourne was packed when we arrived about 7.30 and I had a chat with John Cannell at the bar whilst waiting to get served. I'm sure he only thinks I turn up for the pub quiz when the prize pot for the raffle is at it's upper limit, as last night it was £1100! Anyway, none of our team won, but we had a good night and Ronnie introduced me to one of the guest ales, which I think is called 'a taste of spring' and is green. A few of those sorted me out and I agreed to meet a few of the guys for a walk at 9 this morning. Jock was also in the pub and I encouraged him to come along, but he obviously had more sense and decided to stay in bed. After quite a late one it wasn't pleasant getting up this morning, but after Dave W's initial enthusiastic start where he teared off in to the distance, it wasn't too quick and ideal for me in my delicate state and we ended up doing about 10 miles. Definitely glad I went out, even if it rained most of the way!
Finally, a reminder to get your entry in by Monday 16th April for the Sara Killey Memorial 50km Walk, which is on the following Sunday. This is an excellent training opportunity for the Parish so don't miss it. I was really surprised and delighted to finish second last year to Michael George in a time of 5:05. It was a really quick race and after a rapid first 20km, we were still just under 4 hours at the 40km mark. It was at this point I got my first taste of what it is like to lead a race by yourself. After walking with Jock and Vinny for the first two thirds, Jock pulled out as planned and Vinny stopped shortly afterwards, just before Bride, as he had a painful hip. This left me out front on my own and to be honest I didn't feel comfortable at all to start with. Just after Bride Michael caught me up and flew past me and that was the last I thought I would see of him. However, on reaching Andreas village I came across him as he was retching at the side of road, as I think a gel hadn't agreed with him, so I was in the lead again, even if only for a short while! Michael passed me on the way to Sulby Bridge and whilst I could see him most of the way to the finish I had run out of steam, whilst he appeared to be really strong. I think getting under 5 hour mark this year is out of reach, so I will be happy if I beat last year's time, but my money is on Michael to win again.
Wednesday was circuit training with Liz Corran at the NSC, with too many squat related exercises which again left me half-crippled by the end of it! On Thursday, Vinny, Dave Mackey and I met at the car park by the Sea Terminal and we headed out to the Liverpool Arms via Onchan and back through Groudle and along the prom, which was just over 10 miles. During the walk I had mentioned to Dave and Vinny that I was going to enter the Parish at some point over the next couple of days, so when I got home and read that the 1000th entry was a free one I thought "I'll have some of that". On checking the website that evening there were 998 entries so I decided to come back later, but it slipped my mind until the following morning about 9am. When I turned the computer on there were 999 entries, so I jumped in and quickly entered, so I reckon I was number 1000.
Friday was a rest day, followed by a 7am start at the NSC to do the Parish route to Rushen. Dave Walker arrived a bit the worse for wear after having a few drinks after the 10km run the previous evening, which had Ron Hill as the guest of honour. As I've said on an earlier blog Dave is definitely one to watch as he is a lot fitter than in previous years and this was backed up by him running a PB in around 39 minutes. I mentioned to my fellow walkers that morning that I entered the Parish the previous day and thought I might have been number 1000, but instead of a 'well-done' all I got was shouts of 'you tight-arse'! In my defence I did say to Dave a few weeks ago that it would be good to be the 1000th person to enter.
After a steady start out to Marown we passed the school and sure enough the race to the top of the hill at the Braaid crossroads started. We have a number of routes that we alternate between on Saturday mornings and without any mention of it beforehand, there are certain places where the pace always picks up and for the next mile or so we hammer it. This is the benefit of training in a group as you all push yourself that little bit harder and I know I wouldn't have progressed had I not started going out with people who were faster than me. Marie had left her car at Santon the previous evening, as she had only planned to do a 10 mile session, so she peeled off at this point and the rest of us headed on to Ballasalla where we stopped for fluid.
At Malew Church Dave M and Vinny left, as they had to get back into Douglas, so Dave W and I continued towards Rushen at a steady but reasonably comfortable speed. Just coming out of Colby we realised we didn't have much time to get into Port Erin to catch the bus, so we had to run the last mile or two. Literally as soon as we got on the bus in Port Erin it left, so the run was worth it! When I took up walking in January 2007 and was preparing for the Parish Walk that year, I did my first long training walk on Good Friday, which was the same section of the Parish to Rushen. My trainers were battered old ones, not suitable for walking in, I didn't have a clue about the right sportswear and how to avoid chaffing and nipple rub. Needless to say I ended up with massive blisters on both heels, extremely chaffed bits and with red spots on my t-shirt, so it made me chuckle reading and looking at the photo on the latest blog posted by Ed. I can remember going round to my brother's house for a BBQ later that day and hardly being able to walk, through a combination of my various injuries and feeling extremely stiff, so some useful advice to heed from Ed.
On Sunday, after devouring a large Easter egg, I forced myself to go out for a run to try and counteract the effects of my greed, plus Kyley and I were off to the pub later with Ronnie and Karen for the quiz, where I planned to have a drink or two. The Woodbourne was packed when we arrived about 7.30 and I had a chat with John Cannell at the bar whilst waiting to get served. I'm sure he only thinks I turn up for the pub quiz when the prize pot for the raffle is at it's upper limit, as last night it was £1100! Anyway, none of our team won, but we had a good night and Ronnie introduced me to one of the guest ales, which I think is called 'a taste of spring' and is green. A few of those sorted me out and I agreed to meet a few of the guys for a walk at 9 this morning. Jock was also in the pub and I encouraged him to come along, but he obviously had more sense and decided to stay in bed. After quite a late one it wasn't pleasant getting up this morning, but after Dave W's initial enthusiastic start where he teared off in to the distance, it wasn't too quick and ideal for me in my delicate state and we ended up doing about 10 miles. Definitely glad I went out, even if it rained most of the way!
Finally, a reminder to get your entry in by Monday 16th April for the Sara Killey Memorial 50km Walk, which is on the following Sunday. This is an excellent training opportunity for the Parish so don't miss it. I was really surprised and delighted to finish second last year to Michael George in a time of 5:05. It was a really quick race and after a rapid first 20km, we were still just under 4 hours at the 40km mark. It was at this point I got my first taste of what it is like to lead a race by yourself. After walking with Jock and Vinny for the first two thirds, Jock pulled out as planned and Vinny stopped shortly afterwards, just before Bride, as he had a painful hip. This left me out front on my own and to be honest I didn't feel comfortable at all to start with. Just after Bride Michael caught me up and flew past me and that was the last I thought I would see of him. However, on reaching Andreas village I came across him as he was retching at the side of road, as I think a gel hadn't agreed with him, so I was in the lead again, even if only for a short while! Michael passed me on the way to Sulby Bridge and whilst I could see him most of the way to the finish I had run out of steam, whilst he appeared to be really strong. I think getting under 5 hour mark this year is out of reach, so I will be happy if I beat last year's time, but my money is on Michael to win again.
Sunday, 1 April 2012
Party Time
A fairly poor week on the training front. Went for a 5 mile run on Monday evening round Douglas and there were a lot of other runners and walkers about, obviously taking advantage of the lighter evenings following the clocks going forward.
As mentioned on last week's Blog I went to Guernsey on Tuesday and Wednesday for work and stayed in a hotel called the Old Government House and I managed to pay one visit to the Gym, which had an impressive range of equipment. Having said that I only used the rowing machine, X-trainer and treadmill, but had a decent workout. Managed to get out for a brief wander around St Peter Port. Some of the guys I go walking with have been across to Guernsey for the annual Church to Church Walk, which starts in St Peter Port. They had said that the walk is fairly straightforward apart from the big hill at the start, which was described as Crellin's Hill but quite a bit longer. Having strolled up it at a very leisurely pace, I wouldn't fancy racing up it, straight from the off!
Unfortunately, with being away I missed the Walk-Talk on Tuesday and by all accounts it was well attended and a very informative event. Also, with being out of the office, work built up in my absence, so training took a back seat on Thursday evening and I was busy on Friday, so another rest day. All the more reason for a decent walk on Saturday morning.
Mike, Vinny, the two Dave's and I met up at 7.30 at the NSC with the plan to do two loops of Baldwin. We walked from West Baldwin to East Baldwin first, carrying on to the Strang Crossroads where we stopped at the shop for water. I had seen the weather forecast on the BBC the day before and there was rain over the Isle of Man, so I put on my 'storm-proof' jacket (bright orange by the way) and a thick base layer (to avoid being cold and wet). I mocked Vinny when he turned up with his sunglasses, but he had the last laugh there was glorious sunshine most of the morning and I was again overheating from too many layers!
After stocking up on fluid we re-traced our steps doing the same route in reverse. From Injebreck Reservoir back to the NSC Mike set a very high pace and on the way back towards the Strang Crossroads neither Vinny nor I could keep in touch with him, so we backed off a little and decided to carry on through Quarterbridge and down to the Prom. On the way there Vinny said he was going to have a 'paddle' in the sea to help the legs through recreating the effects of an ice bath. Reluctantly I decided I would give it a go and you only imagine my disappointment when we arrived to find a low tide!
When I arrived home it certainly felt like it had been a hard walk and I decided to have a cold bath instead but I only lasted a short period of time. Assuming you can last longer than I could, the theory/benefits are:
Unfortunately on Saturday, my Garmin had a low battery ( I must have left it on the previous time I used it), so I'm not sure how far we walked or the mile splits in the second half of the session, as they certainly felt very quick. Richard Wild left a comment on my last Blog asking about the Garmin data for the longer walks I have done, so next Sunday I will post Saturday's splits Richard.
Saturday afternoon was spent tidying and preparing for a party at our house, which was a belated one for my 40th birthday. I had tried to let it pass by without any fuss, but Kyley convinced me that a little get-together in fancy dress would be a good idea, with the theme being 'R'. The picture below is me in my E-Bay purchased Cockroach (Roach) outfit, with Roland Rat, which certainly kept me warm all evening. There were some cracking outfits on show, such as a Roman Gladiator, Robin Hood, Robin (from Batman and Robin), a Rabbi and a couple of Rubik's cubes, but Kyley got a surprise when she answered the door to some of my fellow walkers and their wives dressed in walking attire sporting masks with my face on them! We ended up having a really good evening, too much to drink and eat, with a corner of my kitchen/dining room being turned into a dance floor. As you have probably gathered there was no training done today, so next week I am really going to have to make up for it!!!
As mentioned on last week's Blog I went to Guernsey on Tuesday and Wednesday for work and stayed in a hotel called the Old Government House and I managed to pay one visit to the Gym, which had an impressive range of equipment. Having said that I only used the rowing machine, X-trainer and treadmill, but had a decent workout. Managed to get out for a brief wander around St Peter Port. Some of the guys I go walking with have been across to Guernsey for the annual Church to Church Walk, which starts in St Peter Port. They had said that the walk is fairly straightforward apart from the big hill at the start, which was described as Crellin's Hill but quite a bit longer. Having strolled up it at a very leisurely pace, I wouldn't fancy racing up it, straight from the off!
Unfortunately, with being away I missed the Walk-Talk on Tuesday and by all accounts it was well attended and a very informative event. Also, with being out of the office, work built up in my absence, so training took a back seat on Thursday evening and I was busy on Friday, so another rest day. All the more reason for a decent walk on Saturday morning.
Mike, Vinny, the two Dave's and I met up at 7.30 at the NSC with the plan to do two loops of Baldwin. We walked from West Baldwin to East Baldwin first, carrying on to the Strang Crossroads where we stopped at the shop for water. I had seen the weather forecast on the BBC the day before and there was rain over the Isle of Man, so I put on my 'storm-proof' jacket (bright orange by the way) and a thick base layer (to avoid being cold and wet). I mocked Vinny when he turned up with his sunglasses, but he had the last laugh there was glorious sunshine most of the morning and I was again overheating from too many layers!
After stocking up on fluid we re-traced our steps doing the same route in reverse. From Injebreck Reservoir back to the NSC Mike set a very high pace and on the way back towards the Strang Crossroads neither Vinny nor I could keep in touch with him, so we backed off a little and decided to carry on through Quarterbridge and down to the Prom. On the way there Vinny said he was going to have a 'paddle' in the sea to help the legs through recreating the effects of an ice bath. Reluctantly I decided I would give it a go and you only imagine my disappointment when we arrived to find a low tide!
When I arrived home it certainly felt like it had been a hard walk and I decided to have a cold bath instead but I only lasted a short period of time. Assuming you can last longer than I could, the theory/benefits are:
- Constricted blood vessels, which flushes out waste products such as lactic acid out of the affected tissues
- Decreases metabolic activity and slows down physiological processes
- Reduces swelling and tissue breakdown
Unfortunately on Saturday, my Garmin had a low battery ( I must have left it on the previous time I used it), so I'm not sure how far we walked or the mile splits in the second half of the session, as they certainly felt very quick. Richard Wild left a comment on my last Blog asking about the Garmin data for the longer walks I have done, so next Sunday I will post Saturday's splits Richard.
Saturday afternoon was spent tidying and preparing for a party at our house, which was a belated one for my 40th birthday. I had tried to let it pass by without any fuss, but Kyley convinced me that a little get-together in fancy dress would be a good idea, with the theme being 'R'. The picture below is me in my E-Bay purchased Cockroach (Roach) outfit, with Roland Rat, which certainly kept me warm all evening. There were some cracking outfits on show, such as a Roman Gladiator, Robin Hood, Robin (from Batman and Robin), a Rabbi and a couple of Rubik's cubes, but Kyley got a surprise when she answered the door to some of my fellow walkers and their wives dressed in walking attire sporting masks with my face on them! We ended up having a really good evening, too much to drink and eat, with a corner of my kitchen/dining room being turned into a dance floor. As you have probably gathered there was no training done today, so next week I am really going to have to make up for it!!!
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Is Summer here?
A pretty uneventful week, but got still some decent training sessions in. Monday was a run after work, followed by the 'Kewaigue Loop' on Tuesday. I hadn't eaten much during the day and literally ran in from work, got changed and down to the NSC. 5 minutes into the walk I knew it was a mistake as my energy levels felt particularly low as I dragged myself around chasing Dave W up the hill past the school. I had to give circuit training a miss on Wednesday as it was an End to End Walk Committee Meeting. Things seem to be going to plan, even if the entries haven't started to flow in yet, plus we have also had another company approach the Committee wanting to get involved alongside the other sponsors.
I plan to enter this year's End to End, to walk with Kyley, but the only problem is that it falls a week after the Roubaix 28 hour walk. This annual event in Northern France has been running since 1953 and the objective is to see how far you can walk in 28 hours, with the current record standing at an impressive 255km (158 miles). As publicised on Murray's manxathletics.com website there are a number of people from the Island planning to have a go at this year's event, so our support teams should be able to a establish a Manx quarter somewhere on the circuit. As well the fact that physically I won't be able to be competitive for the End to End, it wouldn't be too clever to go for it due to the high probability of doing some permanent damage to myself only a week after Roubaix (assuming I can still actually walk at that stage!).
On Thursday night the two Daves, Vinny and I met up at the NSC and we headed out along the promenade, up Summerhill and Blackberry Lane and back to the NSC. On Friday evening I wasn't feeling too good and as Kyley was out with work I took the opportunity to lie on the sofa and do nothing part from watch Sport Relief. A superb effort from the comedian John Bishop as he cycled through Northern France, was delirious whilst rowing across the Channel before running 3 marathons - with millions raised for charity. Whilst the Parish is obviously on a smaller scale to Sports Relief, it shouldn't be forgotten the money that is raised for local charities through this great event.
Had a terrible night's sleep and got up on Saturday morning not feeling like walking at all. However, I didn't want to miss the long walk of the week so decided to see how things went. Vinny, Dave M, Michal and I met up at Dave W's on Ballanard Road at 7.30 and Dave's wife Sally joined us for the first few miles as we set off through East Baldwin, up past St Luke's Church and down the hill to Injebreck Resevoir. It was at this point I started to feel very intrepid about lay ahead, in my delicate state. If you haven't ventured up the hill from Injebreck to Brandywell then I recommend it as an excellent training walk to build stamina for tackling the hills in the Parish. It is very steep at the start and then is a long slog to the top, plus there is very little traffic on the road. Dave W and Vinny set the pace and I had to dig really deep to hang on to them.
It was a very warm morning, by comparison to the last couple of Saturdays and the concern was we wouldn't have sufficient fluid, as the route we were taking was around the middle of the Island with no shops to get any supplies. Fortunately, we needn't have worried as Dave W had been out on his bike the day before and had strategically placed bottles of water around our route. On reaching Brandywell we continued on the road before taking a left turn past the entrance to the former Sartfield Restaurant and down the hill to Little London, which really feels like you are in the middle of nowhere. It was at this stage we expected to see a 'good ol boy' sitting out the front of his house playing his banjo, with his shotgun propped up beside him! On joining the TT course at Cronk-Y-Voddy we traced it backwards to Union Mills before returning to Dave's house for refreshments, finishing a little over 21 miles.
Unfortunately, I was unable to compete in today's Manx Harriers 10km Racewalking Championships, but congratulations to Alex Eaton and Michelle Turner, the men's and ladies's winners. Instead my morning was spent in the glorious sunshine in Ramsey watching Tom playing for Corinthians V RYCOB in the U17s football. Tom is currently studying PE at A Level and one of his assignments involves documenting and filming a sport he participates in. As such, I was on camera duty for the morning. RYCOB had already won the league and when Corinthians only had 10 players to start things didn't look good. However, at half-time the score was 0-0, which was a fair reflection. During the second half RYCOB made the extra man count and matters weren't helped when Corinthians went down to 9 men as a result of injury to one of the team. The match finished 3-0 to RYCOB but a really committed performance from the 'Super Whites'.
This afternoon Kyley and I walked down into town to pick up a few things and as the weather was so nice carried walking along the promenade instead of heading straight home. We wandered up Summerhill and then through the Glen that brings you out by Governor's Bridge. I hadn't walked through the Glen in years but I have really fond memories of it as a child when me and my brothers would pester my parents to take us there to see the lights at night and then work on them to take us to the chippy at the bottom of Summerhill afterwards. It was a little bit of a let down this time around! Walking past the Grandstand we noticed some of the new fitness equipment installed by Douglas Council in Nobles Park at a cost of £20,000. We only found 5 of the 7 pieces of equipment but tested them out and were both impressed. It looks to be a good circuit running between each of the 'stations' and I just hope they remain untouched by vandals. All-in-all a good day out in the sun and hopefully the start of a long, hot summer!!!
I am in Guernsey this week, so will unfortunately miss the Parish 'Walk Talk' on Tuesday evening, which starts at 5.30pm with doors opening at 5.00pm. If you have any concerns about the Walk and need some advice I would recommend you get down to the Manx Museum where a panel of experts will pass on their experience. Also if you need a little motivation or are undecided whether to have a go at the full distance, this is a great opportunity to meet fellow entrants and pick up useful tips.
Anyway, I plan to bring my sports gear with me this week, but when away with work it is often difficult to find the time or the enthusiasm to use the hotel gym. However, now that the training schedule is increasing I will be disappointed in myself if the kit comes back unused!
I plan to enter this year's End to End, to walk with Kyley, but the only problem is that it falls a week after the Roubaix 28 hour walk. This annual event in Northern France has been running since 1953 and the objective is to see how far you can walk in 28 hours, with the current record standing at an impressive 255km (158 miles). As publicised on Murray's manxathletics.com website there are a number of people from the Island planning to have a go at this year's event, so our support teams should be able to a establish a Manx quarter somewhere on the circuit. As well the fact that physically I won't be able to be competitive for the End to End, it wouldn't be too clever to go for it due to the high probability of doing some permanent damage to myself only a week after Roubaix (assuming I can still actually walk at that stage!).
On Thursday night the two Daves, Vinny and I met up at the NSC and we headed out along the promenade, up Summerhill and Blackberry Lane and back to the NSC. On Friday evening I wasn't feeling too good and as Kyley was out with work I took the opportunity to lie on the sofa and do nothing part from watch Sport Relief. A superb effort from the comedian John Bishop as he cycled through Northern France, was delirious whilst rowing across the Channel before running 3 marathons - with millions raised for charity. Whilst the Parish is obviously on a smaller scale to Sports Relief, it shouldn't be forgotten the money that is raised for local charities through this great event.
Had a terrible night's sleep and got up on Saturday morning not feeling like walking at all. However, I didn't want to miss the long walk of the week so decided to see how things went. Vinny, Dave M, Michal and I met up at Dave W's on Ballanard Road at 7.30 and Dave's wife Sally joined us for the first few miles as we set off through East Baldwin, up past St Luke's Church and down the hill to Injebreck Resevoir. It was at this point I started to feel very intrepid about lay ahead, in my delicate state. If you haven't ventured up the hill from Injebreck to Brandywell then I recommend it as an excellent training walk to build stamina for tackling the hills in the Parish. It is very steep at the start and then is a long slog to the top, plus there is very little traffic on the road. Dave W and Vinny set the pace and I had to dig really deep to hang on to them.
It was a very warm morning, by comparison to the last couple of Saturdays and the concern was we wouldn't have sufficient fluid, as the route we were taking was around the middle of the Island with no shops to get any supplies. Fortunately, we needn't have worried as Dave W had been out on his bike the day before and had strategically placed bottles of water around our route. On reaching Brandywell we continued on the road before taking a left turn past the entrance to the former Sartfield Restaurant and down the hill to Little London, which really feels like you are in the middle of nowhere. It was at this stage we expected to see a 'good ol boy' sitting out the front of his house playing his banjo, with his shotgun propped up beside him! On joining the TT course at Cronk-Y-Voddy we traced it backwards to Union Mills before returning to Dave's house for refreshments, finishing a little over 21 miles.
Unfortunately, I was unable to compete in today's Manx Harriers 10km Racewalking Championships, but congratulations to Alex Eaton and Michelle Turner, the men's and ladies's winners. Instead my morning was spent in the glorious sunshine in Ramsey watching Tom playing for Corinthians V RYCOB in the U17s football. Tom is currently studying PE at A Level and one of his assignments involves documenting and filming a sport he participates in. As such, I was on camera duty for the morning. RYCOB had already won the league and when Corinthians only had 10 players to start things didn't look good. However, at half-time the score was 0-0, which was a fair reflection. During the second half RYCOB made the extra man count and matters weren't helped when Corinthians went down to 9 men as a result of injury to one of the team. The match finished 3-0 to RYCOB but a really committed performance from the 'Super Whites'.
This afternoon Kyley and I walked down into town to pick up a few things and as the weather was so nice carried walking along the promenade instead of heading straight home. We wandered up Summerhill and then through the Glen that brings you out by Governor's Bridge. I hadn't walked through the Glen in years but I have really fond memories of it as a child when me and my brothers would pester my parents to take us there to see the lights at night and then work on them to take us to the chippy at the bottom of Summerhill afterwards. It was a little bit of a let down this time around! Walking past the Grandstand we noticed some of the new fitness equipment installed by Douglas Council in Nobles Park at a cost of £20,000. We only found 5 of the 7 pieces of equipment but tested them out and were both impressed. It looks to be a good circuit running between each of the 'stations' and I just hope they remain untouched by vandals. All-in-all a good day out in the sun and hopefully the start of a long, hot summer!!!
I am in Guernsey this week, so will unfortunately miss the Parish 'Walk Talk' on Tuesday evening, which starts at 5.30pm with doors opening at 5.00pm. If you have any concerns about the Walk and need some advice I would recommend you get down to the Manx Museum where a panel of experts will pass on their experience. Also if you need a little motivation or are undecided whether to have a go at the full distance, this is a great opportunity to meet fellow entrants and pick up useful tips.
Anyway, I plan to bring my sports gear with me this week, but when away with work it is often difficult to find the time or the enthusiasm to use the hotel gym. However, now that the training schedule is increasing I will be disappointed in myself if the kit comes back unused!
Monday, 19 March 2012
Bus Wa**ers!!!
After last Sunday's football I took Monday off from training, plus my ankle was feeling a little tender after the Union Mills's left back caught me a little late. I seem to have developed this knack of getting hit either above or below my shin pad when I get tackled. Maybe it is a sign I should wind up my season before my 9 lives run out.
Tuesday's training session with Dave W, Vinny and Jock was a good one, as we did the loop from the NSC down to the Quay, through Kewaigue and back to the NSC. Not a long walk, but we had the usual 'race' up the hill past the school, whilst pretending it wasn't hurting. Dave Mackey couldn't make it as he said he was off work for the Cheltenham horse racing festival. I assumed he was actually going to Cheltenham, but instead his week was spent moving back and forth between O'Donnell's and Joe Jennings. On Wednesday I went to circuits at the NSC and again managed to cripple myself doing side lunges!
Thursday was the Dursley Stott Spring Handicap 5K Walk and my first race in the V40 category. Neither Michael or Jock were walking so I started off last; however, instead of assisting the lap counting or just providing support from the sidelines, they were in new roles - as judges! Both had successfully passed the judges exam the previous weekend, so were there on the sidelines with their cards at the ready. I managed to avoid one all race, before picking up a yellow from Graham Young 20 metres from the line! I knew I was close to 25 minutes and I think with a final effort to get under that time I lost my technique a little, finishing in 25:03. Still a PB though, so I was pleased. There were some excellent performances on the night, namely the top 3 - Alexandra Valentine, Stew Jones and my fellow blogger Ed Walter. Also worth a mention was Michelle Turner who with a time of 26:59, seems to be making big improvements in every race with more to come. I had guests over from the UK with work, so after the race I met them at the Regency Hotel where they were staying and we popped into the Queens for a couple of pints before heading to Chillies. Nothing like a few beers and a curry for your post race recovery!
Friday was a rest day, as a long walk was planned on Saturday. Looking at the weather forecast on Friday night, I was all prepared for rain all morning, so it was out with the thick base layer and waterproof top, as we were taking on Ballakillowey and the Sloc, starting at Colby. Vinny sent a text message to remind us all the bus was leaving Douglas bus station at 6.40 and not 6.45, so make sure we were on time. I was running late on Saturday morning, so decided to drive down to the NSC and catch the bus from there. Whilst it was a clear morning, my car windscreen was frozen, so I considered the warm clothing a good idea. On arriving at the NSC Dave M was wandering around looking agitated, so I pulled up and asked him what was wrong. The bus had gone through 10 minutes earlier and we had missed it! We phoned Vinny who seemed upset that the bus timetable had changed in January, but no one at the DOT had personally contacted him to let him know! Fortunately, the delay meant that I could nip home and pick up my Garmin that I had forgotten and Dave could get himself a banana. The bus eventually arrived at the NSC and Dave and I hopped on to join Vinny, Jock and Dave W. The title of the blog is taken from a scene from the series the Inbetweeners, which if you have seen it is hilarious and dedicated to Vinny.
We stepped off the bus in Colby and started at a slow and steady pace. By this time it was clear blue skies, with a really warm sun - so much for the forecast rain! Ballakillowey was the usual slog and it was immediately evident I had put on too may layers of clothing. Next the Sloc! When anyone talks about the most difficult part of the Parish Walk on the way to Peel, the Sloc is always mentioned. Personally, I find Ballakillowey much more of a challenge, as it is considerably steeper and tougher on the hamstrings. After going through the Round Table we raced into Peel maintaining a good pace all the way. As we headed into Glen Maye it was good to know that it is not only me who suffers from cramp walking up the hill past the Waterfall pub. Every year I suffer in the same place and it must be something to do with such a steep hill after miles of downhill.
In Peel we stopped for refreshments - tea and sausage/bacon baps, or just eggs and bacon in Vinny's case, as part of his gluten free diet. After sitting down for a few minutes it was really difficult to get going and it was only by around Peel School that my legs started moving freely again. We then pushed it most of the way back into Douglas averaging 10 minute miles by the time we reached the NSC. Overall we covered not far short of 25 miles in a shade under 4 hours and 30 minutes, so a good workout. It was a bit of a step up from our previous longest walk and I think we all felt it by the end. I managed to spend a lot of the afternoon watching the Rugby and well done to Wales for winning the Six Nations, but England's performance later in the day was equally impressive considering the young age and limited experience of the team.
Sunday was more relaxing, but given it was another beautiful day Kyley and I decided to go for a walk around Onchan and Douglas for a couple of hours in the morning. I am trying to talk her into doing the End to End Walk, so a good start to her training! It also helped build up an appetite for the day of eating that lay ahead to celebrate Mother's Day. We commenced our eating Marathon at Kyley's parents' house for Sunday lunch and whilst I tried not to fill my plate too much, the food that was on offer was too hard to resist and I admit I did have more roast potatoes than I should have done. I also should have avoided the after dinner mints! After leaving Laxey the next stage of the endurance event was meeting up with my side of the family at the Italian Job. Garlic Bread for starters before demolishing a large pizza and I still found room to share a desert with Kyley. A really good meal but the service left a bit to be desired. Got home too full to do anything but fall into bed. On day's like this it's not too difficult for me to remember how I managed to get so big in my 'jabba the hut' days; however, I now know I need to take it easy the next few days and train that little bit harder.
Tuesday's training session with Dave W, Vinny and Jock was a good one, as we did the loop from the NSC down to the Quay, through Kewaigue and back to the NSC. Not a long walk, but we had the usual 'race' up the hill past the school, whilst pretending it wasn't hurting. Dave Mackey couldn't make it as he said he was off work for the Cheltenham horse racing festival. I assumed he was actually going to Cheltenham, but instead his week was spent moving back and forth between O'Donnell's and Joe Jennings. On Wednesday I went to circuits at the NSC and again managed to cripple myself doing side lunges!
Thursday was the Dursley Stott Spring Handicap 5K Walk and my first race in the V40 category. Neither Michael or Jock were walking so I started off last; however, instead of assisting the lap counting or just providing support from the sidelines, they were in new roles - as judges! Both had successfully passed the judges exam the previous weekend, so were there on the sidelines with their cards at the ready. I managed to avoid one all race, before picking up a yellow from Graham Young 20 metres from the line! I knew I was close to 25 minutes and I think with a final effort to get under that time I lost my technique a little, finishing in 25:03. Still a PB though, so I was pleased. There were some excellent performances on the night, namely the top 3 - Alexandra Valentine, Stew Jones and my fellow blogger Ed Walter. Also worth a mention was Michelle Turner who with a time of 26:59, seems to be making big improvements in every race with more to come. I had guests over from the UK with work, so after the race I met them at the Regency Hotel where they were staying and we popped into the Queens for a couple of pints before heading to Chillies. Nothing like a few beers and a curry for your post race recovery!
Friday was a rest day, as a long walk was planned on Saturday. Looking at the weather forecast on Friday night, I was all prepared for rain all morning, so it was out with the thick base layer and waterproof top, as we were taking on Ballakillowey and the Sloc, starting at Colby. Vinny sent a text message to remind us all the bus was leaving Douglas bus station at 6.40 and not 6.45, so make sure we were on time. I was running late on Saturday morning, so decided to drive down to the NSC and catch the bus from there. Whilst it was a clear morning, my car windscreen was frozen, so I considered the warm clothing a good idea. On arriving at the NSC Dave M was wandering around looking agitated, so I pulled up and asked him what was wrong. The bus had gone through 10 minutes earlier and we had missed it! We phoned Vinny who seemed upset that the bus timetable had changed in January, but no one at the DOT had personally contacted him to let him know! Fortunately, the delay meant that I could nip home and pick up my Garmin that I had forgotten and Dave could get himself a banana. The bus eventually arrived at the NSC and Dave and I hopped on to join Vinny, Jock and Dave W. The title of the blog is taken from a scene from the series the Inbetweeners, which if you have seen it is hilarious and dedicated to Vinny.
We stepped off the bus in Colby and started at a slow and steady pace. By this time it was clear blue skies, with a really warm sun - so much for the forecast rain! Ballakillowey was the usual slog and it was immediately evident I had put on too may layers of clothing. Next the Sloc! When anyone talks about the most difficult part of the Parish Walk on the way to Peel, the Sloc is always mentioned. Personally, I find Ballakillowey much more of a challenge, as it is considerably steeper and tougher on the hamstrings. After going through the Round Table we raced into Peel maintaining a good pace all the way. As we headed into Glen Maye it was good to know that it is not only me who suffers from cramp walking up the hill past the Waterfall pub. Every year I suffer in the same place and it must be something to do with such a steep hill after miles of downhill.
In Peel we stopped for refreshments - tea and sausage/bacon baps, or just eggs and bacon in Vinny's case, as part of his gluten free diet. After sitting down for a few minutes it was really difficult to get going and it was only by around Peel School that my legs started moving freely again. We then pushed it most of the way back into Douglas averaging 10 minute miles by the time we reached the NSC. Overall we covered not far short of 25 miles in a shade under 4 hours and 30 minutes, so a good workout. It was a bit of a step up from our previous longest walk and I think we all felt it by the end. I managed to spend a lot of the afternoon watching the Rugby and well done to Wales for winning the Six Nations, but England's performance later in the day was equally impressive considering the young age and limited experience of the team.
Sunday was more relaxing, but given it was another beautiful day Kyley and I decided to go for a walk around Onchan and Douglas for a couple of hours in the morning. I am trying to talk her into doing the End to End Walk, so a good start to her training! It also helped build up an appetite for the day of eating that lay ahead to celebrate Mother's Day. We commenced our eating Marathon at Kyley's parents' house for Sunday lunch and whilst I tried not to fill my plate too much, the food that was on offer was too hard to resist and I admit I did have more roast potatoes than I should have done. I also should have avoided the after dinner mints! After leaving Laxey the next stage of the endurance event was meeting up with my side of the family at the Italian Job. Garlic Bread for starters before demolishing a large pizza and I still found room to share a desert with Kyley. A really good meal but the service left a bit to be desired. Got home too full to do anything but fall into bed. On day's like this it's not too difficult for me to remember how I managed to get so big in my 'jabba the hut' days; however, I now know I need to take it easy the next few days and train that little bit harder.
Sunday, 11 March 2012
A Win at Last
After having Monday off after a heavy Sunday night to celebrate my 40th birthday, I arrived into work early on Tuesday and there was a large photo of me on the front door, lying naked on rug. Fortunately for all concerned it was a baby photo!!! From the reception area and throughout the floor I work on there were various other photos from my childhood, kindly supplied by my brother to try and humiliate me. In keeping with how I was 5 or 6 years ago, I was big lad as a baby with rosy red cheeks (probably from heaving my over-fed body around), which everyone at work found particularly amusing. Kyley did once say that if she had seen photos of me as a baby before she got pregant, things might have been different!!
I managed to fit in a quick run on Wednesday night, followed by a 5 mile walk on Thursday with Dave Walker. We didn't push it too hard as I still had tight hamstrings from the 20km the previous Saturday and Dave had run the Leinster Management 20 mile on the Sunday, so we just kept a steady pace going. I had mentioned in an earlier blog that Dave had been training well, is a lot fitter than last year and is a potential 'dark-horse' for the Parish. This was evident by the fact that he knocked 22 minutes off his time for the 20 mile run from last year and if he could have maintained the same pace this year for marathon distance, he would be around the 3 hour mark.
Friday was a rest day and yesterday morning I met up with both Daves, Jock and Vinny at the NSC. We set off up Bray Hill, through Onchan and to the top of Whitebridge where we took a left and started the climb up along the back road to Creg-Ny-Baa. As you reach the top of the hill there is a lay-by that looks like 'Tom the Dippers' on the Parish Walk route at the top at Ballakillowey and the next section of the road looks bizarrely similar to the Parish route from Regaby to the bottom of the Sloc. It was at this point that Dave M and Vinny started to discuss the benefits of a gluten-free diet, but I don't want to put anyone off their tea, so I won't share the gory details with you! Continuing, we turned off towards Glen Roy, which surprisingly some of the guys had never walked before, which was probably best as there are 3 decent hills to climb prior to reaching Baldhoon Road. If you want a decent training route, this has everything in terms of terrain and great views. On reaching Laxey we stopped at the Co-op for refreshments, before racing back into Douglas via Groudle. Unfortunately, I was pushed for time so couldn't enjoy the late breakfast at Mash this week.
I always forget how hard the climb out of Laxey is and the first year I finished the Parish Walk I tried to turn off right too early for Lonan Church. The second year I finished I didn't have the same problem as my father-in-law Paul joined me going past the Queens Hotel. I should point out that he had been drinking there during the evening and jogged alongside for a while providing 'encouragement'. Kyley and I now have a running joke each year when I ask where the turn off for Lonan Church is.
On the lead up to the Parish Walk in 2009 I started to get involved in the Winter Walking League, as well as few other races and discovered what a welcoming bunch the race-walking fraternity is and the considerable amount of time that various people volunteer to keep the interest levels up in the sport. It was through doing these races and being given tips to improve my technique, plus going to the Tuesday night sessions at the NSC that I started to see a rapid improvement in my times. Whilst my race-walking style has a lot of room for improvement, I wouldn't be able to walk anyway near as quickly and maintain the pace I can over longer distances without the friendly hints and guidance I have been given. If you have finished the Parish Walk before and are serious about improving your time, then I would recommend you go along to the various races in the build up to the main event. Murray Lambden's website http://www.manxathletics.com/ has details of forthcoming races and there is a 10km walk on 25th March at the NSC hosted by Manx Harriers.
To give you an idea of how the shorter races helped me, in 2008 the time for my first finish was 21:12:38 and I improved this by 4:00:18 to record a time of 17:12:20 in 2009. Normally this would have won the award for biggest improvement in a single year, but Gillian Cunningham did a fantastic walk to improve by 4:12:46. My memories of 2009 were of setting off fairly conservatively and getting to Peel not too much quicker than I did in 2008. However, this worked to good effect, as I slowly worked my way through the field in the second half of the Walk and had some of Stephen Harvey's chips as we left Ramsey. From that point to the end I continued to maintain a decent pace and only Andy Green passed me going to Laxey and he had a storming finish to the end and just kept me out of the top 10 placings. At the end I actually felt really good and knew at that point I could push myself harder to quicker times. One thing I should mention about 2009 was that Michael Bonney, Malcolm Newton, Selwyn Callister and I won the Team Award. We certainly weren't 4 of the quickest walkers in the field, but we were the only team with all four members to finish the full distance.
Back to the present day - Colby Vets played against Union Mills at the Bowl this afternoon and after 3 games without a win, we triumphed 3-1. I managed to come through the match unscathed, as Kyley had a dream in the early hours of Sunday morning and woke up convinced that I had broken my leg playing football and that my Parish Walk ambitions were finished for this year! We only have 3 matches left now and I have promised I will stop playing for the season at the end of March.
I managed to fit in a quick run on Wednesday night, followed by a 5 mile walk on Thursday with Dave Walker. We didn't push it too hard as I still had tight hamstrings from the 20km the previous Saturday and Dave had run the Leinster Management 20 mile on the Sunday, so we just kept a steady pace going. I had mentioned in an earlier blog that Dave had been training well, is a lot fitter than last year and is a potential 'dark-horse' for the Parish. This was evident by the fact that he knocked 22 minutes off his time for the 20 mile run from last year and if he could have maintained the same pace this year for marathon distance, he would be around the 3 hour mark.
Friday was a rest day and yesterday morning I met up with both Daves, Jock and Vinny at the NSC. We set off up Bray Hill, through Onchan and to the top of Whitebridge where we took a left and started the climb up along the back road to Creg-Ny-Baa. As you reach the top of the hill there is a lay-by that looks like 'Tom the Dippers' on the Parish Walk route at the top at Ballakillowey and the next section of the road looks bizarrely similar to the Parish route from Regaby to the bottom of the Sloc. It was at this point that Dave M and Vinny started to discuss the benefits of a gluten-free diet, but I don't want to put anyone off their tea, so I won't share the gory details with you! Continuing, we turned off towards Glen Roy, which surprisingly some of the guys had never walked before, which was probably best as there are 3 decent hills to climb prior to reaching Baldhoon Road. If you want a decent training route, this has everything in terms of terrain and great views. On reaching Laxey we stopped at the Co-op for refreshments, before racing back into Douglas via Groudle. Unfortunately, I was pushed for time so couldn't enjoy the late breakfast at Mash this week.
I always forget how hard the climb out of Laxey is and the first year I finished the Parish Walk I tried to turn off right too early for Lonan Church. The second year I finished I didn't have the same problem as my father-in-law Paul joined me going past the Queens Hotel. I should point out that he had been drinking there during the evening and jogged alongside for a while providing 'encouragement'. Kyley and I now have a running joke each year when I ask where the turn off for Lonan Church is.
On the lead up to the Parish Walk in 2009 I started to get involved in the Winter Walking League, as well as few other races and discovered what a welcoming bunch the race-walking fraternity is and the considerable amount of time that various people volunteer to keep the interest levels up in the sport. It was through doing these races and being given tips to improve my technique, plus going to the Tuesday night sessions at the NSC that I started to see a rapid improvement in my times. Whilst my race-walking style has a lot of room for improvement, I wouldn't be able to walk anyway near as quickly and maintain the pace I can over longer distances without the friendly hints and guidance I have been given. If you have finished the Parish Walk before and are serious about improving your time, then I would recommend you go along to the various races in the build up to the main event. Murray Lambden's website http://www.manxathletics.com/ has details of forthcoming races and there is a 10km walk on 25th March at the NSC hosted by Manx Harriers.
To give you an idea of how the shorter races helped me, in 2008 the time for my first finish was 21:12:38 and I improved this by 4:00:18 to record a time of 17:12:20 in 2009. Normally this would have won the award for biggest improvement in a single year, but Gillian Cunningham did a fantastic walk to improve by 4:12:46. My memories of 2009 were of setting off fairly conservatively and getting to Peel not too much quicker than I did in 2008. However, this worked to good effect, as I slowly worked my way through the field in the second half of the Walk and had some of Stephen Harvey's chips as we left Ramsey. From that point to the end I continued to maintain a decent pace and only Andy Green passed me going to Laxey and he had a storming finish to the end and just kept me out of the top 10 placings. At the end I actually felt really good and knew at that point I could push myself harder to quicker times. One thing I should mention about 2009 was that Michael Bonney, Malcolm Newton, Selwyn Callister and I won the Team Award. We certainly weren't 4 of the quickest walkers in the field, but we were the only team with all four members to finish the full distance.
Back to the present day - Colby Vets played against Union Mills at the Bowl this afternoon and after 3 games without a win, we triumphed 3-1. I managed to come through the match unscathed, as Kyley had a dream in the early hours of Sunday morning and woke up convinced that I had broken my leg playing football and that my Parish Walk ambitions were finished for this year! We only have 3 matches left now and I have promised I will stop playing for the season at the end of March.
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Midlife Crisis
Yesterday I turned 40, so time for the midlife crisis and to go out and get myself a motorbike or sports car. I also now fall in to the V40 category at walking events! Having said that I am a lot healthier and fitter than I was at 30 and possibly even 20 (as I sit here writing the blog stuffing my face with Lindt chocolates I received for my birthday).
Last week was pretty uneventful training-wise. I did nothing on Monday after playing football on Sunday and on Tuesday we did the loop (the more difficult way round) from the NSC out along Peel Road down to the Quay and out to Kewaigue before heading back to the NSC. The pace always starts off nice and easy and the nearer we get to the White Hoe someone (usually Vinny) starts picking it up before we hit the bottom of the hill before Kewaigue school and then it becomes a race to the top, with everyone pretending that it isn't hurting at all. Wednesday was circuit training and I did nothing on Thursday and Friday, with the 20km on the Saturday in mind.
Come the day of the race I was feeling okay and was pleased to see the rain from earlier in the day clear up. Whilst the sun was out, it was still quite windy down at the NSC and it was difficult walking into the wind down the far side of the circuit. After the earlier 2km, 3km and 5km races the 10km and 20km started together and it was a decent size field. As usual I got a bit excited at the start and went off a bit too quickly for the first two or three laps. I then settled into a good rhythm and tagged on to Jock and he pulled me round for a couple more laps before he stepped up the pace a little and the gap started to open. At this point I managed to acquire a yellow card from Steve Taylor for a bent knee, so I slowed down a bit and tried to focus on the technique instead.
My first 10km was around 54 mins and 30 seconds mark so still on target for the sub 1 hour and 50 mins I was aiming for. I didn't have a great third 5km and was feeling a little rough and left myself just under 27 mins for the final 5km to achieve my target time. There was a lot of encouragement from the sidelines and Richard Wild was kindly giving me regular updates on my lap times, but going into the final lap I still needed to cover the circuit in 4 mins and 25 seconds. Using every last bit of energy I managed to get over the finish line in 1 hour 49 mins and 52 seconds, so 8 seconds below what I set out to achieve. After recovering and having a cup of tea I was then talked into competing in the Vets 3km event, which in hindsight wasn't a great idea, as I had already started to stiffen up. After a quick warm up we were off and to be honest I had very little left in the tank, so took it fairly easy. A big thank you to the organisers, judges, timekeepers, lap counters and the sponsor (the Ascot Hotel) for putting on another excellent event. Well done to Michael George on a superb walk in the windy conditions.
On Sunday morning when I woke up my hamstrings were particularly tight and I could certainly feel the effects of the previous day. Went to watch Tom play in the under 17s for Corinthians v Peel and whilst it was a fairly even game Peel won 2-0, so I had to put up with a grumpy teenager for the rest day. Fortunately the afternoon's Premiership football brought a better result with Man United winning 3-1 against Spurs, despite being second best for long periods of the match. Always a good sign when you win whilst playing below par. On Sunday evening Kyley and I went out with friends to the pub quiz at the Woodbourne and finished second, so won ourselves some bottles of Fosters and a pack of Fruit Pastilles! Managed to force down a few pints of Guinness, followed by a whiskey or two and we were eventually 'kicked-out' of the pub in the early hours. Fortunately, we were both off work the following day.
Woke up on Monday morning feeling rough and every one of my 40 years. After dragging myself out of bed we went to lunch in town before heading off to see Kyley's family in Laxey. As soon as I arrived Kyley's dad offered me a pint of his locally brewed Bosun Bitter, which after a tough first couple of sips went down surprisingly well. We spent the evening at home with my family round for a Chinese as my dad and I share the same birthday. After a few glasses of red wine and too much to eat I went to bed last night planning a few weeks of sensible eating and drinking. At my age I need to start taking more car of myself!!!
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