Mixed Results

After good cardio sessions on Monday and Tuesday last week I ran down to the NSC on Wednesday night, to warm up for circuit training. It was a really good workout, but there were quite a few exercises involving squats and lunges and boy did my inner thighs ache for the next couple of days - obviously muscles I don't exercise enough! On Thursday Vinny, Dave W and I met up at the NSC and did a 5 mile loop, down to Douglas Prom, up Summerhill and back past the Grandstand with a good average speed of just over 6 miles an hour, but it felt comfortable.

Saturday was the usual 'long walk' with Dave M, Michael and Vinny. We decided to do about 15 miles, apart from Michael, who with an eye on the 20km race at the Manx Harriers Ascot Hotel Open Meeting on Saturday, planned to do slightly less. The walk was a fairly easy pace from the NSC, along the promenade and out past Groudle. On arriving in Laxey we turned left opposite the Queens and up Rencell Hill, which Dave claimed to have never been up before, so was a bit surprised at how long it drags on for. The 'prize' when you reach the top is the great view back over Laxey and the hills past Glen Roy in the opposite direction. It was at that point the sun came out, so it was almost perfect. We then followed the back road from Creg Ny Baa to the top of the Whitebridge (where Dave picked up an unfortunate injury, that I won't go in to) and then back into Douglas - a distance of 17 miles, so a little further than planned.

We had a new edition to the family on Saturday afternoon when Kyley's sister Steph and her husband Gareth become the proud parents of a baby girl, Daisy Elizabeth, a little sister to Ethan. Below is a picture of Daisy, who weighed 7lb and 3oz at birth and Tom (our first and best baby, as he likes to claim). Hard to believe at 6ft tall now that he was also the same weight 17 years and 6 days ago!

Today was all about the football. It started this morning at Pulrose where Tom was playing for Corinthians A against St Marys. St Marys are probably the strongest team in the league and Corinthians had quite a few players missing, so had to call up some B team players and had no subs, so they were expecting to get battered. Deservedly Corinthians took the lead after about 15 minutes, but St Marys equalised just before half time. In the second half Corinthians were under a lot of pressure and eventually they conceded a late goal with the game finishing 2-1 to St Marys, but they could be proud of the effort they put in and a great team performance. I thought Tom's day was going to go from bad to worse when his football team Arsenal went 2 nil down against Spurs, but shockingly they came back to win 5-2.

The mighty Colby Vets were also in action today against Onchan. We hadn't played a match for 4 weeks, but we were upbeat following our last performance against St Marys. Unfortunately, we had a lot of players either off the Island or injured and struggled to get 11 today. This wasn't helped when one of the team picked up a hamstring injury after about 5 minutes and we limped to a 3-0 defeat, with two of the goals self-inflicted. Credit to Onchan for the way they played, but one thing you do need in the Vets League is to have the full quota of substitutes and use them correctly. On the positive side Man U beat Norwich to keep the pressure on City and it also brought up an amazing 900 appearances from Giggs. We could do with him in our Vets team when he finally decides to call it a day in professional football!

I will probably take things fairly easy this week on the training front, as I'm going to have a go at the 20km on Saturday, with my objective to get under 1 hour and 50 minutes.

What to Wear!!!

Got shouted at by Dave Mackey tonight, as he had sat down at his computer yesterday morning with a cup of coffee ready to read the latest weekly drivel I had posted, only to find no post. I usually write the blog each Sunday, but this Sunday it was my son Tom's birthday, so didn't get round to it and I was busy yesterday, so didn't get an opportunity then.

Last week was a poor week for training, mainly due to work commitments, so I only managed to get out for a couple of runs. On Saturday morning I met up with Vinny and Dave W and as per the previous two weeks it was raining as we set off. When I had left home it looked like the rain was going to be around for a while, so put on an extra layer of clothing, as its better to be too hot and take layers off, than too cold. We set off from the NSC, up Bray Hill and past the Grandstand. Before we reached Onchan the rain had stopped and I quickly started to overheat - I never seem to get it right! Up to Whitebridge we headed past the Liverpool Arms and after crossing the tram lines took the next right, as you enter Lonan. This road then takes you up towards Ballanette and Lonan Old Church, but we stayed on it and it brings you back on the Groudle Road. From there we held a good pace all the way back to Onchan Head, along the Promenade and a final sprint to Mash.

This leads into the subject of what clothing and accessories should you have with you on the day? I usually pack the following items:

• A spare pair of trainers. Ideally these should be a similar pair to the ones you start in and both pairs fully 'walked-in'. You don't want to be turning up on the line in a pair of trainers you are not comfortable walking distances in and ones your feet are not used to, making them more susceptible to blisters.
• Spare pairs of socks to change into if your feet get wet.
• A cap. It keeps the sun out of your eyes and also useful if it rains.
• Spare shorts or tights, if you're that way inclined (you know who you are.... Ronnie Kelly/Dave Mackey!)
• Two or three spare t-shirts. Even if you don't get wet, if it is a hot day you will sweat a lot and will feel a great deal more comfortable later on, if you have a fresh top to change in to.
• A high-viz showerproof jacket, or if the weather is anything like 2008 a more heavy-duty waterproof/windproof jacket is probably more apt!
• A warm hat and gloves. Before the 2008 Parish Walk experience I would not have even considered needing a hat and gloves in June. However, even if it isn't wet, it can still get quite cool during the night and after you have been walking for hours on end the body is more susceptible to feeling the cold.
• A base-layer. Again, if it is a cold night a base-layer under a lightweight jacket should keep you warm. In last year's walk I was wearing a t-shirt as I approached Bulgham Bay, but there was a cold mist coming in. Kyley was telling me it had got quite a bit cooler as the sun was setting, but I hadn't noticed at this point. Similar to making sure you are eating and drinking enough, this is another area where your support team can make a difference, by ensuring you change clothes or put on another layer as it starts to get dark.
• A high-viz bib to put your race number on. You can wear this all the way round and makes changing clothes easy.
• A head-torch and a red light to clip on to the back of your jacket. As mentioned in an early post on my first finish I carried a hand-torch round after dark, which wasn't ideal! you can also pick up the lights the wrap around your arm fairly cheaply.
• Spare batteries for your lights.
• One of the most important things you will 'wear' during the walk is Vaseline. Apply it liberally to every nook and cranny and reapply regularly, even if you don't think you need it! This is particularly important if it is wet, otherwise when you start to feel the pain from excessive rubbing it is usually too late and it will bother you for the rest of the race.
• Insect repellent. As well as the enduring the long trek from Jurby to Bride, last year was made worse by the unbelievable number of big black flies that were around, unless it was just me attracting them! Whilst it didn't disperse all the flies, spraying my hat with insect repellent made it more bearable.
• Waterproof plasters. Whilst I can't speak for the ladies, I would recommend the gentlemen use waterproof plasters to protect themselves from the dreaded nipple-rub. Personally, I have found Vaseline to only be effective for a short period of time.
• My Garmin GPS watch. The model I have is a 310XT, which I have used for the last couple of years and it has a 20 hour battery life. Before I start the race I will have gone through my times from the previous year to each church and from this will plan times for this year. The Garmin watch helps me keep on track and will tell me if I am going too fast or need to speed up a little.

I was off work yesterday, so got up early to drop Kyley off at work for 8am and then went out and did an 8 mile run. It didn't stop raining at all, so got particularly drenched and it took me a while to warm up. Did some weightlifting yesterday afternoon, but not in the conventional sense. We had bought Tom a new TV for his birthday, which was a straightforward job to set up. The problem was moving his old TV out of his bedroom, which is the heaviest TV you will ever come across, When we originally put the TV in his bedroom I enlisted the help of my brother, who is a strapping 6 ft 3in and leaves just across the road from me. We could just about get the TV out of his house but couldn't lift it across the road, so had to use Tom's Courier trolley to move it, before 'having fun' moving it upstairs to his bedroom, inch-by-inch.

Without my brothers assistance this time around it took Tom and I an age to shift it. Tom slipped going down the stairs and let go of the half-ton TV with me below it. It could very nearly have been the end of this year's Parish Walk attempt had I not been able to wedge myself underneath it, before it flipped on top of me. In the evening Kyley went out to exercise classes in the evening, so given my lack of training the week before I decided to go out for another run and covered 5 miles, again in the rain. Must have overdone it a little as my calves were quite painful this morning.

Now going to undo the good work from yesterday and have a few pancakes!!!

The Importance of Electrolytes....

Not a great week for training, but made up for it with a good session yesterday. Following last Sunday's 10km race I didn't do anything on Monday, as I was feeling a bit under the weather and as football training was cancelled on Tuesday night I went for a 5 mile run instead. On Wednesday night I was out with guests for work and on Thursday and Friday I had to work late.

With a few of the usual Saturday morning crowd either off the Island or injured it was left to me and Mike George to brave the elements. As mentioned in an earlier blog we will build up the longer walk by a mile or two each week, but given the weather Mike and I were initially undecided how far to go, especially if it deteriorated any further. Therefore, we decided to head out to Baldwin, so we could cut the length of the walk if needed.

Before I started going out with the group on a Saturday morning a year or two ago, I would quite often head out by myself and do the loop round Baldwin and then do it in reverse the following week. I now know the route like the back of my hand, but I still enjoy it as it has a variety of testing hills and the views are great. It is only in this last couple of years that my walking has significantly improved and apart from being due to improving my general fitness, it is as a result of going out training with a group of quicker walkers. You end up pushing yourself a lot harder and there is a friendly competitiveness. One mistake I use to make was to go out on longer walks without anything to eat and wonder why I would be short of energy, so I now always make sure I have some sort of snack with me.

This leads on to the question of what should you eat and drink during an event like the Parish Walk. Given you could potentially be walking almost constantly for up to 24 hours it needs careful consideration, planning and trying out what works for you beforehand, rather than hoping it works out on the day. During my first two Parish Walk finishes my diet and drinking regime throughout the race was shocking and mainly consisted of jaffa cakes, jelly babies, Mars Bars and bananas, washed down with Lucozade.

I'm certainly no expert on sports nutrition and what works for one person is no good for another, therefore it is important to experiment with different food and fluid combinations on long walks. Eating during an endurance event like the Parish can often by tricky when you are on the move. To maintain sufficient energy levels throughout a race, adequate proportions of fluids, carbohydrates and electrolytes are essential. Eating too many carbohydrates or not drinking enough fluid can result in cramping, fatigue and will ultimately affect your performance.

Some basic tips are below:

1. Ensure you are hydrated before you turn up for the start i.e. start taking on liquids a couple of hours beforehand.
2. Don't drink endless isotonic/energy sports drinks such as Lucozade or Gatorade during the race. They do have their place in an endurance event, but they tend to be too sweet and you may feel a little sick later in the race and it could affect your ability to take on food as well. I tend to use the powder sachets of High Five Energy Source (but watered down more than the recommended level), as they contain carbohydrates, whey protein and electrolytes. Electrolytes are responsible for keeping the body properly hydrated, so the muscles and nerves can function properly. Since the body is composed mostly of water, it is important that we take in adequate amounts of electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and phosphates. When we sweat and lose these vital minerals, we need to replenish, not only with water but with these minerals. If we combine intake of fluids with electrolytes, we will actually hydrate quicker, as water follows electrolytes. Dioralyte can also be used to ensure hydration and electrolyte levels are maintained
3. Load up on carbohydrates a few days before, on the lead up to the event. A pre-race meal should consist of high energy foods like bread, cereals, pasta, rice, fruit and vegetables and lean sources of protein.
4. Take on small amounts of food on a regular basis. The best and most natural way of replenishing electrolytes is from food. In fact, sugary sport drinks only provide a quick burst of minerals, but deplete the body over time. Easily digestible, carbohydrate-rich foods such as a banana or granola bar are ideal, but bearing in mind that during the time you will do the Parish Walk (without evening considering the extra energy you will expend) you would normally eat 3 or 4 meals, this won't be sufficient. As I pointed out earlier my diet during my first couple of Parish Walks was poor, but more recently I have tried to vary what I eat and a lot of it is down to trial and error. Last year I ate a fair amount of fruit in the early stages such as dried apricots, bananas and melon and later on I ate mash potato and gravy as it was easy to digest and also salty, so kept the sodium levels up (some of the top walkers swear by soup, with sweet potato being a favourite, so something I plan to try as well this year). Towards the end of race I did fall back on the jelly babies, but at that stage I just needed them for short bursts of energy.
5. Make sure your support team are fully briefed beforehand on your eating and drinking requirements. In the early stages of the race you will probably be telling your support exactly what you want and when you need it, but after you get past half-way it is easy to lose track of what you are consuming, so it is important they know your plans and essentially they recognise the signs if you are not taking on enough fluids or food. As it is often said, if you start feeling really thirsty then the chances are you are already dehydrated. Similarly, if you don't take on food you will 'hit the wall' and it will take a while to recover your energy levels and wreck your chances of achieving whatever objective you have set yourself.
6. As part of the the post-race recovery it's important to take in carbohydrates as soon as your body will allow, this enhances glycogen replacement. Try something like a fruit smoothie, chocolate milk drink, banana, or yogurt. Taking on a protein shake is also important as it helps repair exercise-induced muscle damage.

Back to training - this Saturday Mike and I started at a fairly sedate pace and slowly started to wind it up as we headed towards Mount Rule on the way to West Baldwin. Turning right just before Injebreck Reservoir we ploughed up the hill and past St Luke's Church. Rather than turning left to East Baldwin we decided to go straight on and back down to West Baldwin and retraced our steps to do a quick loop, past Injebreck and St Luke's Church again and then finally down to East Baldwin. It was at this point that someone must have strapped a rocket to Mike as he shot off at a ridiculous pace. When I got home I looked at my Garmin watch and I had covered that mile (admittedly it was mainly flat or downhill) in 8 minutes and 3 seconds and Mike had pulled out a decent gap on me at the time!

After that exertion we 'strolled' up to Onchan and the rain started to get a bit heavier, so it was a relief to head back in to Douglas. By the end we had covered 14.9 miles in 2 hours 31 minutes on a fairly hilly route, so I was pleased with the walk given our reticence at the start. After a nice hot shower to warm up (and a protein shake!) I went into town to pick up a few bits before having lunch and settling down in front of the TV to watch the Man U v Liverpool game. I won't gloat about the score Ed - as it will probably come back and bite me on the arse at a later date!

Today's vets game against Braddan was cancelled as the pitch was unplayable due to the rain over the last couple of days, so I ended up going round to my godson's 8th birthday party for coffee and cake. Settling down now for a relaxing evening and to watch the Hangover 2. Bye for now.

Don't try this at home kids!!!

A pretty normal week on the training front culminating in a slightly shorter walk on Saturday morning, given it was the 10km the following day. There was only Jock, Dave W and I out and when we met at 8am it was overcast, but not too bad. We headed out from the NSC and along the promenade, up Summerhill and through Onchan to the top of Whitebridge, where we took a right turn. At was at this point it started to rain and the wind started to get stronger. In the dip at Groudle we were fairly sheltered, but as soon as we reached the top of the hill on the way to Onchan Head it was completely exposed and the rain got heavier. 

Dave W left us at the bottom of Broadway, as he had a flight to catch for a family holiday on the ski-slopes and from that point it was race to get out of the rain as Jock and I were both starting to seize up. On arriving at Mash the first few minutes were spent trying to dry out and warm up, but the tea and sausage baps that greeted us were the ideal reward! Fortunately, Sandra Halpin had also stopped in Mash for breakfast and offered us a lift home.

The poor weather takes me back to my first Parish finish in 2008, which was the wettest on record. Throughout the week on the lead up to the walk the weather forecast seemed to change numerous times with predictions that the bad weather was going to arrive later on the Sunday so everyone would be finished. Then the forecast changed and the rain was definitely arriving on the Saturday, however, you couldn't have predicted how heavy and persistent it would turn out to be. I had worn a jacket from the start, so when it started raining on the climb up to the Braaid it didn't bother me too much, but there were numerous people with just t-shirts and vests on, who would pay for it later.

By the time I reached Rushen Church the rain had started to get heavier and as I headed up towards the Sloc the wind got stronger and stronger. My abiding memory climbing up the Sloc was being in a line of about 20 people each of us trying to shelter behind the person in front, whilst I tried to stop my hat blowing off. At the top of the hill there were people sheltering in hedges trying to get warm or waiting to be picked up as the cold had got the better of them. My jacket had kept me reasonably dry but my hands were chilled and I was having trouble using my phone to contact Kyley who was doing my support. Thinking the weather would be fine and that I would have all the food and water I would need, I didn't arrange to meet her until just before Peel, so she had planned things for earlier in the day. I had to phone my mum and dad to get them to bring me a hat and some gloves.

Once I arrived in Glen Maye I had started to warm up a little and from that point on I was determined I was going to finish. The time wasn't important to me, as all I wanted to do was to banish the memory of 'failing' the previous year. At this point I did consider changing my socks and trainers as I could feel blisters starting to form, which had been exacerbated how wet my feel were. Given the rain was constant I thought there was little point in changing, as my feet would only be dry for a short period of time. That was a big mistake! Shortly after Peel I started walking with Rob Wright, who had finished in 2006 and 2007 and we got chatting. Not having finished before he said he was going to help me get through the rough patches and we carried on together until Lezayre. At that point he said to me that I was over the worst of it (walking through the 'river' running down the middle of the road in Andreas was fun), was looking strong and he had no doubt I would get to the end. I would just like to say thanks to Rob for the encouragement that day and helping me get through the times when the easiest thing to do would have been to pack in and get out of the cold and wet.

After Lezayre I knew I was going to finish and the only mishap I had was just after the climb out of Maughold. I didn't have a head torch at this time, so was just wandering around in the pitch black with a small hand-held torch. I fumbled in my pocket to get something to eat and fell into a ditch at the side of the road! Fortunately I didn't hurt myself but it slowed my progress and it took me hours to get to the next church in Lonan. The rest of the walk was straightforward, but the feeling as I turned the corner at Port Jack and looked along Douglas promenade was unbelievable and I haven't felt the same sense of achievement in any of my further Parish finishes. The sun was just starting to come up and after trudging through the rain for hours I couldn't believe the end was in sight. I eventually crossed the line in 21:12:38 for 60th place. It was a few minutes afterwards that someone pointed out my red trainers, which was the blood from the numerous blisters on my feet.

When I arrived at home taking off my trainers was extremely painful, but mild in comparison to the excruciating pain peeling my socks off and realising the whole layer of skin on the bottom of both my feet was moving round independently. Kyley was tears as she tried to patch up my feet in vain. I didn't sleep a wink and couldn't walk properly, so in the end Kyley persuaded me to go to A&E and get them properly looked at and cleaned up. There were a number of fellow Parish walkers in A&E with hypothermia, but I felt pride when the doctor who saw me said I had the worst feet he had seen that day!

Since then I have tried numerous different things to try and avoid blisters, with limited early success, but my tips are as follows:

• Get yourself two decent pairs of trainers and wear both in well in advance of the Parish walk. If it rains and one pair gets wet then you have a spare. Get the experts to help you choose a pair that fit properly, by carrying out video gait analysis (Up and Running on Bucks Road offer this service). As your feel will swell as you walk, get a pair half a size bigger than you would normally wear.
• Find socks that suit you. Some people like the double skin sock, which act against each other to reduce friction. Personally I prefer a sock with padding on the heels and toes.
• I have tried putting vaseline and bodyglide on my feet and it hasn't worked, but others swear by it. Similarly, some people like to strap their feet up and even put Compeed plasters on their feet before they start.
• Lastly, keep your feet dry!

All I do these days is make sure I am wearing the right shoes and socks, as my feet have naturally toughened up over the last 5 years. In the 2011 Parish Walk I only had one small blister, so this year I am hoping for none!

Back to the present day - on Saturday night Kyley and I had been invited to a party, where cocktails were the theme. Unfortunately, my will-power isn't the best and I succumbed to sampling every cocktail on offer. We had a really good night but eventually I decided that it was time to walk home, given the 10km the following morning. Unfortunately, with an inebriated wife in tow the walk took longer than expected and we stumbled in about 2am. The following morning I started to regret having that extra Blue Lagoon and considered staying in bed, but managed to drag myself out and down to the NSC.

Expectations weren't high, but over the last couple of weeks I had started to feel fitter, so thought I could do a reasonable time. The pace was really quick from the start and whilst Michael George (congratulations on your PB Mike) and Alex Eaton disappeared into the distance I tried to hang on to Jock and Adam Cowin. I went through the 5km mark about 25.45, but given the excesses the previous night I expected to tire a bit in the second half of the race. Shockingly, I managed to hang on and finished in 51.49, which was a new PB. However, I do not recommend drinking cocktails the night before a race, which is the theme for the this blog title. I now intend to have a few alcohol free weeks until my 40th birthday in March.

Just a final word of thanks to the organisers, marshalls, timekeepers and sponsors of the Winter League for another excellent series.

Set myself up for that one!

A reasonable week training-wise. Went for a short run on Monday night and on Tuesday I had planned to go to football training, but it was cancelled due to a problem with the floodlights. Only found out whilst I was still at work, but it was too late at that point to get home changed and down to the NSC to meet the guys at 6pm, so had a lazy evening.

On Wednesday I went to circuit training at the NSC with Kyley. Michael George was there and put me to shame when he mentioned it was his 3rd training session of the day. He had already been for a walk along Marine Drive in the morning, and had then done a number of 1 mile reps in the afternoon, before winding down at the NSC in the evening! I haven't been to circuit training for a while and whilst I didn't have any problems with the stations that involved running, steps up, skipping, etc, it was certainly more of a struggle with the weights and abdominal exercises. This manifested itself for the next couple of days in the aching stomach I had.

If you have done circuit training before it is conditioning that involves performing multiple exercises within one session, moving from one exercise to the next in a circuit. At each station, the exercise is performed  for a certain amount of time, and then you move to the next station. The goal is to move between them with little or no break. Once each has been performed, you can move back to the beginning of the circuit and perform them in order again. The benefits of circuit training are:

 

An effective means of improving strength endurance

Can be easily structured to provide a whole body workout, using a range of different muscle groups.

It's time efficient and incorporates strength, flexibility and cardio in the same workout

It doesn't necessarily require expensive gym equipment, so you could do it at home.

You can work in small groups, motivating each other and it also allows beginners to be helped by more experienced people, as well as getting guidance from the person running the session (Liz Corrin runs the Wednesday session and is always on hand to provide encouragement).

It is more motivating and stimulating than spending hours in the Gym on a treadmill or rowing machine.

It has the potential to burn more calories than conventional aerobic exercise or strength training, both during and post-workout (increase in post workout metabolism), thus beneficial for those attempting to lose body fat.

Saturday morning was a really good training session. Met up with Jock, Michael, Dave W and Vinny at the NSC and headed off on the Parish route again. It was freezing cold with the roads frosty with ice in places. I usually make the mistake of wearing too many layers of clothing when I go out training, so on Saturday I only wore a base layer and a waterproof jacket, which was a mistake. I never really warmed up during the whole walk, which was probably why it was a very quick session, as I so was keen to get back into the warmth. After reaching Santon we came back along the old Castletown Road and ended up covering just under 14 miles, but it was only about 7 minutes slower than the previous week when we walked 2 miles less. Stopped for the usual cuppa and sausage bap in Mash, which really felt like it had been earned this week. If these early training sessions are anything to go by, then Dave is going to knock a lot of time off his PB in the Parish - definitely one to watch!

I'm ashamed to say that Saturday afternoon and evening were spent in the pub. I met up with a few mates to watch the Man U v Liverpool FA Cup match and wish I hadn't. We had a lot of possession but couldn't turn it in to goals, so had to stay in the pub longer than planned to drown my sorrows. In my last blog I made the mistake of commenting on Man U beating Arsenal and also having a dig at my fellow blogger Ed's team Livepool losing at Bolton. He returned the favour on his blog by asking if I enjoyed the footy on Saturday, hence the title of the blog.

Sunday was a big match for Colby Vets against last year's champions St Mary's, who beat us 7-1 last season. We have steadily started to improve over the last couple of games, so confidence had grown but our expectations weren't that high. We settled into the game really well and played some good football on a pitch that was starting to cut up badly after the constant rain and the Under 17s match in the morning (my son Tom was playing for Corinthians against Colby).

We turned round at half time with the score at 1-1, which was a fair reflection of the first half. Despite the cold wind and driving rain our manager decided to keep us on the pitch at half time (inspired by Tony Pulis no doubt) to deliver the team talk and show the opposition we weren't a team of southern softies who could be pushed around. Unfortunately it didn't work very well as we conceded a goal almost immediately after the second half kicked off. We dug and pulled a goal back through a long range effort from one of our midfielders that hit the cross-bar and went in off the St Mary's goalie's back to level the score at 2-2. We then had a period of 10 minutes where we had them under constant pressure but just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. A couple of minutes later they were up our end of the pitch and we had things under control until their centre forward decided to throw himself up in the air over an imaginary leg and the ref fell for it! He converted the penalty to make it 3-2 and in our enthusiasm to get an equaliser and put right the shocking penalty decision we conceded a late goal to finish 4-2. Undeserved but it was a great team performance and it is matches like that, that make it difficult to think about packing in football to avoid a potential injury before the Parish!

 

Quality not Quantity

In my last blog I mentioned the football match I played in for Colby Vets against Peel. Towards the end of the match ones our team, Roger, went down heavily after a 50/50 tackle. Eager to get on with the match we all encouraged him to get up and run-off the injury and he was soon be fine. After a minute or so it was evident that he wouldn't be able to continue, so he hobbled off to the sideline. In the dressing room after the match he was complaining that his ankle didn't feel right, but decided to have a beer and see how it felt later. Anyway, it didn't get any better so he thought it best to drive himself to A&E, where following an examination and x-ray was advised he had broken it! That'll probably be the end of Roger's season, but wishing him a speedy recovery, and it's such a shame as he's our leading goal scorer. One thing it did highlight again to me was that football and training for the Parish Walk aren't a great mix! I will definitely be winding up playing any more games after March.

After the 10km walk and football last Sunday I had a rest day on Monday. On Tuesday I met the usual crowd down at the NSC and rather than do laps round the perimeter we headed out on to the road. From the NSC it was a stroll along Peel Road, down on the quay and then we picked up the pace out past the nunnery. We then had a good blast up the hill past Kewaigue School, which whilst not that steep is a long drag and definitely one to get the lungs gasping for air. It wasn't a long walk, but by the time we got back to the NSC it felt like a decent workout nonetheless. Did my usual 5 mile run on Wednesday and on Thursday Dave Walker and I walked the same route as Tuesday and the Kewaigue hill was no easier!

8 of us turned up for Saturday's training walk, which was a good turnout and the most I can remember since I started going out with the group on Saturday mornings. We left the NSC and followed the Parish Walk route as far as the Old Castletown Road and instead of turning right at the end of Oatlands Road towards Santon Church, we headed back in Douglas. It was only just over 12 miles, but we did it at a decent pace, mainly interval training, so when we finished I felt like I had earned my sausage bap at Mash!

In this blog I thought I would do a rough outline of the training I will do over each week in the build up to the Parish Walk. It is not a rigid schedule, but as you have probably gathered it doesn't focus purely around walking, as for me doing different sports helps my overall fitness and stamina levels and improves my walking.

Saturday - this is the long walk for the week and I start off in January doing about 10 miles and build up by a mile or two each week, to 20 miles or so by the end of March. I probably won't walk much further than this in one training session, apart from the Sara Killey Memorial Walk at the end of April, which is ideally placed and also an ideal distance (50km/31.1 miles) to be used as preparation for the Parish Walk. From mid-May the distance of the long Saturday walk will start to reduce each week down to about 15 miles, but will get quicker.

Sunday - at the moment I have a football match every other week, but when I don't have a match I will use this as a rest day or just go out for a leisurely walk.

Monday - if I have played football on the Sunday then this will be my rest day. If not, then I will go out for a fairly easy run, anywhere from 5-8 miles.

Tuesday - football training on the astroturf for an hour and a half. If there is no football then I will meet the usual crowd for a fast session at the NSC doing interval training, but as the nights get a bit lighter I will head out on to the roads, with the distance between 5-10 miles.

Wednesday - a quicker 5-8 mile run or occasionally circuit training at the NSC, which Liz Corran runs, if Kyley talks me in to it!

Thursday - a walking session, similar to Tuesday

Friday - a rest day

As you can see not too many miles walking - maybe a maximum of 40 miles at the peak week. A couple of years ago as preparation I did nothing but walk at the same pace, as training for the Parish - probably doing 60/70 miles per week, mainly by myself. Firstly, I didn't feel as fit as I do now and secondly I was bored. So to reiterate what I have said previously; find other people to train with and focus on the quality of the training - shorter, quick sessions rather than just monotonously cranking out the miles.

Good result for Man U yesterday against Arsenal (my son is an Arsenal supporter), but a shame City won with a goal scored by someone who should have been sent off. All being well he should have 4 matches off to think about his behaviour. As my fellow blogger Ed is a Liverpool fan I won't mention that match!

The First Attempt

Quite a good week on the training front starting with running my 5 mile loop on Monday evening. Tuesday was back to football training for Colby Vets after the Christmas break. Following a warm up all we did for the next hour and a half was have a kick around, but I could certainly feel it the following morning - just shows how you use completely different muscles from walking and running, but good for the allround fitness.

Had a rest day on Wednesday as we had our first committee meeting for the End to End Walk, which is held in September. A long way off but a lot to organise.  On Thursday I met up with the two Daves and we did a few laps round the NSC. It wasn't too strenuous and we had a good chat with one of the topics being the 28 hour walk held each year in Roubaix, but more about that later. Went out with the two Daves again,  plus Vinny and Michael for the usual Saturday morning walk from the NSC. Given that we all planned to do the 10km in the Winter Walking League the folowing day, we decided not to go too far, except for Michael who did a 2 1/2 hour walk, but couldn't convince any of us to join him!

A cracking turnout for the walk at St John's this morning - there must have been nearly 70 people taking part, which can only be good for the future of the sport. It was a bright morning, but with quite a cold breeze and other than that conditions were perfect. After a quick start I settled into a good rhythm, but when Jock passed me after about 3 or 4km I couldn't stay with him, but just tried to keep him sight. I went through the 5km mark at 25.55 and ended finishing in 52.09, which was a PB and my pace didn't drop off too much in the second half, so I was really pleased with how it went. Had my Garmin GPS watch on as usual and for anyone who is interested, below are my stats from the race.

This afternoon Colby Vets had a match against Peel, so given this morning's exertions I was hoping to be on the bench. Unfortunately, I was in the starting line-up, but the the Isle of Man FA, obviously recognising the physical limitations of the older footballer, allow 4 rolling subs throughout the match. The game took place at our new ground, so before we kicked off we had a few team photos taken, went through our warm up and then realised there was no referree. Appears no one told him we were playing at our new place! It was a tight game with a few feisty tackles and Peel took the lead late on in the second half, only for us to equalise right at the death, for what was probably a fair result. My legs 'went' with about 15 minutes to go, so I decided to substitute myself.

Contining the theme from my last blog, where I started to trace my intial steps into competitive walking, in this one I will cover my first Parish Walk experience. My training was anything but organised, as it started off merely as a method to assist with my weight-loss. At this stage I started going out walking with Kyley every Sunday, dressed in boots and jeans. We would dump the kids at my parents house and just ramble for an hour or two. It was only then I started to realise that walking might be a decent form of exercise, owing to the fact I ached after each walk and usually developed decent blisters, due to the choice of footwear.

I progressed through February and March doing a couple or shorter walks during the week, to complement the 'longer' one at the weekend. However, I realised I would need to step it up a bit if I was going to beat my father-in-law who had got as far as Kirk Michael the previous year, so on Good Friday 2007 I decided to walk the Parish route from the start to Rushen church. I got myself some decent walking gear, including a pair of trainers, in preparation for the walk. I thought I was well prepared, but omitted to bring anything to eat or drink with me, so by the time I reached Malew and was able to stop at a shop, I wasn't in great shape. I pulled myself together to stumble on to Rushen church, When I finished I couldn't understand why my feet were in such a poor state with numerous blisters, despite investing in some quality trainers. What I didn't realise was that I would need to wear them in first, rather than expecting to walk nearly 20 miles in them, on their first outing! After that training walk I had no idea how I was going to make it Peel, never mind past Kirk Michael!

Anyway, learning from some of my earlier mistakes I kept up the training and the big day arrived. The first thing that struck me when I arrived at the NSC the day of the 2007 Parish Walk was the sheer number of people taking part. The second thing was the atmosphere and the sense of anticipation as people nervously chatted to one and other, wondering what lay ahead. It was only then that it hit me as to what an amazing event the Parish Walk really is. This only increased throughout the day, as the sense of community and support from the spectators came to the fore.

On the day the walk to Peel was a lot easier than I expected and passed fairly quickly, as I spoke to numerous people and made new friends. Only after Peel, when the number of competitors visibly reduced, did I start to feel pain, but nothing that a few painkillers wouldn't sort out. On the outskirts of Kirk Michael blisters on both my heels had formed and walking was starting to feel uncomfortable - couple more painkillers. I passed Kirk Michael and had beaten my initial target, so was feeling quite pleased with myself, so the next objective was to get to Jurby, which is roughly half way round. Continuing to Jurby wasn't too bad and I then began the walk to Bride. Only in the last couple of years have I actually enjoyed the leg from Jurby to Bride, as I hated it so much in the 2007 walk. My blisters had got even worse and I was also feeling unwell - time for more painkillers! I was getting slower and slower but received a short lived boost by the Welcome to Bride sign. I say short lived, because the sign must be at least 2 miles before you actually get to Bride church.

On reaching Bride I barely had enough energy to carry on and seeing the short, but steep hill out of the village that faced me was hardly a great motivator to continue. Kyley told me it was only 2 or 3 miles to Andreas, so I should at least try and get there. By this time I had resigned myself to there and this decision was compounded by the walk up the path to the church. My badly blistered feet feeling every one of the small stones on the way to check point. I had no hesitation at all in asking the marshall to cut off my dibber. I was relieved to finally stop and pleased to get to Andreas, which I thought at 55 miles was no mean feet.

I gingerly made by way back down the path to the entrance where my wife and mother-in-law Jill were waiting, There was no sign of my father-in-law Paul and they confirmed he was still going strong. I then started to feel ill, like I was going to pass out and I stumbled over and grabbed a tree at the side of the road.  Paul then strolled past, looking really fresh and asked me if I was stopping for a rest (he went on complete to the first of his 2 Parish walk finishes).  At that point I went from feeling like I had achieved something to knowing I had unfinished business. This was made worse a few minutes later when I started to feel a lot better and wondered how I would have got on if I had just rested for a bit and then continued. What I learnt from future Parish walks is that everyone will have a rough patch and that you can push your body and overcome pain a lot more than you initially think. If you feel like quitting, stop and rest. At least then you will definitely know whether you could have carried on or not. Also, don't have too many painkillers unless you want to bring your walk to a premature end!

Below is a picture from my first attempt and as you can see I'm still carrying a little too much weight but a huge improvement on the last blog's photo!