The training for the 2015 End to End walk, held only 5 weeks after the Castletown Centurion, started immediately after I had returned from a week’s Holiday. This was planned as an added incentive to finish the 100 mile event. The legs still felt quite tired and it took another couple of weeks to start to see and feel any kind of speed returning to the training sessions.
During the 100 mile event it was required to have your own support situated at a fixed feeding station with food, water, additional clothing and any medical items that may have been needed over, what could potentially be, 24hrs of walking. I had convinced Christine that it would be good if she did it and for the most part this worked out ok. I say the most part as sometime during the late evening around 10 hours into the Walk, it started at 12 o'clock, Chris phoned my daughter to arrange, something other than the huge amount of food we had transported to the event, to bring to Castletown something for her to eat and drink . My daughter turned up sometime later, however, I'm still not sure wine and carrot cake was the best idea as it ended in Christine leaving her duties as my soul support to go and crash out (intoxicated) in the back of the van we had used to ferry everything down to Castletown. My daughter Emily and Ray, who had retired from the event sometime earlier after covering a distance of 54 Miles, stood in. Christine did wake up sometime later and regained her role of support.
The Ramsey Bakery End to End was to be the first event since starting walking were I was to have mobile support at every mile or so along the route. With Christine not keen on assisting I enrolled the help of a work colleague, Colin Gilbert, himself a Parish Walk regular with a first time Parish Walk finish in 2015. The event went really well, the support was spot on, and a finish time of 7hrs 17mins in Joint 6th position with Adam Killip was recorded. The advice I had been given regarding support and its frequency had really paid off.
Another winter was spent competing on the Manx Harriers Walking League improving technique and speed to finish the League 3rd Overall with a 10k PB now at 57mins 06secs. The 20k and 10k Championships were next up during March and times of 1hr 57mins for 20K and a new PB of 56mins 32secs posted on the 10k event brought training and competing nicely onto the next event, The Fireman’s Charity Walk, this was previously the Sarah Killey but had taken on a name change only, the distance and route remained the same. Colin supported me again and the race ended in a time of 5hrs 12mins and 3rd overall. Dave Walker won the event along with Sam Fletcher who caught Dave in the closing miles to finish jointly at Ramsey Fire Station almost 10 minutes ahead of my 3rd position.
The 2016 Manx Telecom Parish Walk was now only 7 weeks away.
Dave Walker had managed to sign an exclusive sponsorship deal with The Caff (Home of the Big Boys Breakfast) for are training group, we eat their on Saturdays after are stroll. After getting back to training and then tapering down the mileage the week before, I turned up on the morning of the event at the National Sports Centre in my Team Caff T Shirt along with the other team members.
From left - Andy Dawson, Ray Beattie, Myself, Jock Waddington, Dave Mackay, Dave Walker, Richard Gerrard and Sam Fletcher.
The event started at 0800hrs and the first 3 miles or so to Marown church seemed to go quite quickly. I was walking for the first few miles with Alan Teare, another previous multiple Parish Walk finisher, 8 finishers and a PB of 18hrs 51mins and Juan Readshaw a 6 times finisher with a PB of 17hrs 58mins. I had set myself a target of 2hrs to Santon (11 Miles) and arrived at the church in a time of 1:57.30 so I was happy with my early pace. Malew, Ballabeg and Rushen church's came and went and it was then up over the climb from Colby to the Round table and the drop down into Dalby. It was at the bottom of the steep hill dropping into to Dalby I felt my right calf tighten. I was sure I had pulled something but as I got closer to Glen Maye it turned into cramp. Andy Dawson and Jeanette Morgan both suggested taking in some Salts, however, I had not thought of salt tablets before so it was something Christine was not carrying in the support vehicle. Christine had kindly agreed close to the event to support me as Colin was taking part and then supporting his wife Sophie after first walking with her the 19 miles to Rushen. Andy's support, his wife Christine, gave me some of his salt tablets and once through Peel the effects of cramp was starting to ease off. Around 45 miles in on the way to Jurby church I started to feel unwell, the training group had been out the Thursday before the event for a meal and unfortunately most of the 16 people that attended had in someway been effected by dodgy stomachs. I ended up in a few fields between Jurby and Bride 'down loading' most of what I had taken on in food and drink during the first 50 miles of the event. A Shorts change was also required during this time, I will leave the reasons for this to your own imagination, and brought on the thinking that I may not finish due to how my stomach was feeling. Andreas church was next up and on the way Alison Kenyon, herself an excellent walker being a 3 times Parish Finisher with a PB of 19hrs 57mins in 2015, was parked up offering refreshments which typified the support you receive on this event not only from official feeding stations but from friends and strangers alike who appreciate the effort that goes in to taking part. On the way towards St Judes Jock Waddington, who had walked his Niece Becca Great batch to First Under 21 Female Finisher at Peel in a time of 6hrs 58mins passed me. Jock went on to finish an excellent 5th O/A from being 50th through Peel. Stew Jones another training group regular also past me at this point, I kept Stew in sight through Lezayre and Ramsey and on the long winding run through Maughold eventually caught back up with him and walking for several miles together until The Dhoon where Stew left me once again. At this point I was again starting to feel a little unwell but carried on through Laxey with the knowledge I was going to finish unless my legs fell off. My younger daughter Annalise had now joined her mum as support and company but it also helped the issue of Christine having to park up and get out each time I was getting near, this was not so much of a problem for her in the daylight but once dark she was finding it a little disconcerting. Lonan and Onchan churches had now been passed and the walk down Royal Avenue to the finish on Douglas promenade was made a little quicker than I had planned by Bridget Kaneen informing me if I wanted to get under 18 hours I better push on. Bridget was judging the event but had stopped at the bottom of Royal Avenue to see me through. I saw Bridget again half way along the promenade section toward the War Memorial finish line and was delighted to see her at the end to thank her for her invaluable support and advice. I eventually crossed the line in a time of 17hrs 54mins in 15th position winning the Fastest First Time Finishers Award and also winning the Team Award along with Richard Gerrard, Dave Walker, 1st and 2nd overall respectively, and Paul Clark, a work colleague of Dave Walkers from Nobles Hospital and another First time finisher with an overall time of 22hrs 52mins at his First attempt.
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