Not The Sloc!

After a few swapped texts on Friday evening it was decided a route would be chosen at the NSC on Saturday morning. Richard, Andy, Stew and I met Dave Walker, who had managed to fly back home a day earlier than he had expected from the UK, and Sam Fletcher who was also free to walk due to his babysitting commitments not starting, this weekend, till 12 o' clock. It was decided, so Sam could make it home in time, that the Sloc was the best route to follow. Sam had arrived in his Mini Bus so this was the chosen transport down to Ballabeg (Sam's house) he could then turn at will and head back for home to meet his timetable. The weather was perfect for it, nice and clear, if not a little cold to start, but this didn't stop Sam wearing his usual wife beater vest. Not to speak for anyone else but I ridiculed him on his choice of attire, it was only at the top of the Sloc, at the round table junction, that I realised his choice was far better suited to the now sunny, warm weather and pace than the layers I had wrapped up in. We continued on the Parish route to Peel, Sam had turned Dalby side of Glen Maye for home, where the rest of us stopped at a café for breakfast. After refilling are water bottles we set off back, on the main road, to Douglas and the NSC.

With doubling up training Wednesday and Thursday my mileage this week, after yesterday, was up somewhere close to where it would have been without the short break in Brussels. I must admit to feeling a little empty at the bottom of Ballakillowy yesterday morning but I had walked on Friday, late afternoon, and hadn't really eaten much Friday evening apart from a Salad. I think both these factors played their part early on Saturday. For those that are doing the Firemans Memorial Walk, on Sunday 23rd April, who have not walked a similar distance before it really is important, not only to eat and drink on the day, but to eat and drink ( no.. not alcohol, oh.. ok... maybe just one or two! ) in the week leading up to the event. I normally eat  Pasta, Rice and Potato type meals the week before and drink more water than I normally would in any other week. Again, this works for me,  but if it is your first long walk and indeed its being done as training for the Manx Telecom Parish Walk itself then it is an ideal opportunity to try and eat and hydrate well the week before and find foods your  happy with and sit well in the lead up to the event.

Note to Self - Read this before your next South African Centurion event!!

There is only one week left now to enter the Firemans Memorial Walk, entries close at midnight on the 13th, so get them in so not to miss out.

http://www.firefightersmemorialwalk.com/

How Much!!

After arriving back from Brussels to late for training with the group on Tuesday evening I knew I had to do something on Wednesday. Brussels was a great place to visit for a long weekend, the restaurants and bars were always busy, certainly towards the evenings restaurant wise. The bars were busy all day. The weather was great too so most of the day was spent strolling around the narrow streets and The Grand Place. It did not take long to realise the closer to the Grand Place you got, bar wise, the beverage price escalated quite rapidly. We went from a extremely cheap €8 in one bar for 4 drinks to €37 in another that was on the square itself. Luckily, me getting the first round in worked well, as every other round seemed to be the most expensive. The hotel we stayed in was just off the Grand Place so around 20:00hrs we returned to the room for a freshen up. At this point I fell asleep until being woken by my phone around 23:00hrs, it was the couple we had travelled with asking if we were ready to go back out. Christine had decided it was to late so I joined them both and away we went to do it all again. the bars we frequented earlier, which were already busy, were now heaving! Most had bands on, it was only the next day we realised that everything band or DJ wise started after 2300hrs. Breakfast the next morning was the typical continental affair..... a big greasy fry up would have been more welcome than a croissant and yoghurt as some kind of medicinal hangover cure I must admit. All in all it was an enjoyable trip, the travelling was a little annoying to say the least. Sitting in Airports and on coach's / trains really does get frustrating but it is all part of the experience.

The Grand Place

As I guessed the afternoon in Liverpool was for me spent stood outside shops whilst wifey went shopping. We did find a nice garden bar to have a couple of drinks before heading back to the airport for are evening flight home so it wasn't all bad.

On Wednesday Christine dropped me at kirk Michael and I headed back on the main road to Peel. It is the same 6 mile route I do quite often and was what was needed to slip back in to training. I also went out in the evening and walked the route of the Peel Hill race held as part of the Easter Festival next weekend, hopefully i can get a swap or day off so I can take part. Next week starts and finishers at the House of Mannan though which is far more convenient for The Creek afterwards!
Thursday lunch time I got dropped of at the same spot by wifey but walked / ran back on the Raad ny Foillan route, once I had picked it up at Glen Moor. This is the reverse direction to what I will hopefully be doing on the day but was an ideal recognisance of the route. I wrong slotted almost straight away and headed further up the glen than what was required due to missing the small cut up the side of the old railway line bridge pedestal. I would not of made this mistake coming from the correct direction, however, although this year sees the route take on a clockwise course it does get held anti clockwise occasionally and I would have missed this cut on race day for not checking the route first. I  trained with Andy and Stew on Thursday evening around a lap of White Hoe, Port Soderick and Marine Drive. I wore the same shoes as what I had worn to go up Peel Hill the night before with no issues, but maybe due to the higher pace, I managed to tear the fresh skin of the healed blister the shoes had caused, a fortnight ago Saturday, on are walk around Glen Roy. With the Firemans Memorial Walk now only 16 days away I need to decide if I am going to persevere with the shoes and hopefully break them in in time, dig out a pair of  DS 10's I have in reserve or wear one of the other many pairs of trainers I have tried over the course of the last 8 months to aid the Achilles recovery. I think it has more to do with where I have cut the back of the shoe, exactly the same as my original set, than the shoe itself but I am reluctant to order a fresh set in case it is the shoe. Stew and Andy both said last night that they find the size a little more generous than the previous DS's causing them to slip a little on the heel. It is a bit late in the day now to change things so maybe it will have to be a case of taping up the area affected and going with it.

As its such a nice afternoon today I am going to have a stroll round the Western 10 route but missing the part that goes from Ballacraine to Ballig due to traffic. Saturday training will go from the NSC as usual with firm plans to be made later on with the group on distance and route.

Christine has just asked are we out tomorrow for the Grand National  .......... she does come up with good ideas occasionally!!

Brussels Here We Come

with being on nights this week it meant my days, when I should be sleeping, were free. I done a few small gardening jobs on Monday and once finished sat for a while in the front garden thinking I should really make the most of the day and get out for a walk. I didn't want to do anything to pacey as the ankle was still a little tender. My Nephew, Wayne Quirk, swaps and changes his exercise discipline from cycling to gym and weights then walking. he is currently in his walking phase so I met him for a steady 8 miles. Its always good to catch up with him, typically, he only lives 100 meters from my house but since we have both finished are time in motorsport where we could be found in are respective garages till all kinds of hours most days we now only catch up on the odd occasion. when I started walking late 2013 Wayne was up for the challenge also and started walking most evenings competing also on the Winter walking League. At the time he went and spent, what I considered to be a lot of money, on suitable clothing, trainers etc. He still has all the kit he bought which is proof that buying cheap really isn't the most efficient way. I have swapped my kit a few times since I started, spending probably 10 times as much on shorts than what I would when I first started. I wrote a while back about a chafing episode I was unfortunate to suffer during an End to End walk. The shorts I had on then were more likely something I had found cheap on one of the discounted sporting store websites, needless to say, the shorts I wear now are a far cry from those early ones with seamless stitching and compression pants built in.


Tuesday training ended up being a decent enough session. At the start I felt as though I had just come of the back of a longer distance race. everything felt tired and heavy, I was glad I wasn't the only one feeling this way as at least I had company along the promenade as everyone else took off towards Onchan Head. The pace improved towards the end and the body didn't feel much worse for it.


I managed to arrange a massage on Wednesday with Bronwen. With work and breaks away we had not met up since the beginning of February. I am hopeful work will remain as planned now until after the Parish so that I can get back into a routine with Bronwen for my Sports Massage. I have two more sessions of Friction Massage on my Achilles booked with Jorel at the Adjust Clinic in Peel before the Fireman's Memorial Walk also.


The weather was wet when I woke earlier on today (Thursday) . Andy Dawson had sent the group message out to see who was up for what would have been a wet walk. I had slept a little longer than planned so would have been tight for time to make it through (that's my excuse) Dave was working, Stew had had his injections for an upcoming trip to Argentina, Rich was Running and there was no word from Ray so it came to naught. I could of gone out later on but the refuge of the Sofa seemed a much better option than splashing around Peel. I packed my bag for work tonight with lunch etc. to eat during what was my last night shift. I also packed some walking gear with the intention to walk back to Peel after finishing here at Pulrose in the morning. (yeah right)


Entries are coming in thick and fast now for the upcoming Fireman's Walk on the 23rd April with 125 entries so far.


I am off to Brussels for a long weekend with Christine  so there will be no walking now, apart from shopping miles and sight seeing, until next Wednesday. No doubt wifey will find a whole host of well known clothing stores to browse around knowing full well if I dare complain, even once, that will be my support gone for the upcoming Fireman's and Parish Walks. I don't know how she can dare make comparisons with the boredom for me of standing in shops with her sitting in a car for hours on end waiting on my every need ................ cheeky mare!

Another Week.......... Done!

I started another set of nights on Thursday. as I scrolled through some news items on the net I seen a '30 days to go' post referring to the London Marathon, of course the Fireman's Memorial walk is being held the same day. as always I will be on nights till next Friday morning which will see me head straight to the Airport for a long weekend away in Brussels. Sitting writing this now I can only think of the training miles I will be missing whilst off the Island, however, I am sure as it gets closer I will begin to look past that and may even become a little relieved at the prospect of some time away from walking. My plan is to train well over the next week, night shifts helping with this, so I don't feel to guilty come next Friday morning.


Training on Tuesday night took in Marine Drive for the first time this year as a Tuesday / Thursday loop. It was a late change to the normal prom route but was evidence of the nights stretching that enable us to take on this route. Admittedly it was a little dark once we started to drop down back onto South Quay, we had gone out round White Hoe first so not to be on the road back from Port Sodrick in the fading light, but the extra miles and the route was what was needed after a practically no miles day on Monday apart from a short stroll with Christine.


On Wednesday evening the Isle of Man sports awards were held at the Villa Marina. Deservedly, for the second year in succession, Richard Gerrard won the veterans sports person award. The year for Rich seen wins on the Parish, End to End, the African Centurion Walk in Cape Town and also a sub 3 hour London Marathon. Thankfully, like last year, Richard will be taking part in the London Marathon on April 23rd so at least we can all finish one place higher up the finishing order on the Fireman's due to him being missing!


Thursday evening was spent back round the usual lap of Douglas due to Ray being on call for the ambulance service. the head wind on the prom was enough to make me want to turn round and head back to the car, thankfully, the wind let up by the time we were in Onchan so the route back to Bikestyle was a little less arduous. I wonder with Bikestyle moving in the future down to the Market Hall will we still be meeting at Bikestyle when its no longer there. Many shops etc. seem to move on or close but remain a landmark used to give directions or explanation as to the where abouts of another buiding or shop still trading. Being Peel born and bred I am definitely guilty of confusing people with directions that may include Looneys, The Creel Chipy, The Peel Castle Public house (PC) and The Chocolate Box. these are four examples of building that although still standing have either changed name and business many years ago or closed down but will always be known to me as I remember them historically. This is of no use however, to a TT visitor say, when asking directions to the Bus Station. If I made mention of any of these in my directions It would definitely lead to them missing the bus or perhaps never finding it at all.

Saturday, once I had finished, I headed straight to the NSC for 7 o'clock to meet and head off on a planned 20 miles. From the off I knew I had made a mistake wearing a new set of racers. I had cut the back out of them to give the Achilles a little more room but had not cut enough. Normally I can start to wear a new set without any concerns, this was certainly the case with the older DS's I was wearing. Perhaps the new evolution need a little more time to break in. I struggled all of the way round which was unfortunate as the weather and route made for an enjoyable walk otherwise. Again its better I have found this out now rather than starting a new set of shoes the week of a race, which I was confident to do before, and finding out then. A short stroll today (Sunday) has brought another week to an end. The fine weather was definitely an excuse to do alot more, hopefully it will continue into next week.

Nice Weather (Part 2)

I managed to get out on Saturday morning for a stroll before the Judging and Health and Safety course I had opted to attend. Ray, Stew, Andy and Dave walked me back to the NSC and then continued on for a lap off Groudle before finishing at The Caff.

I intended, once the course had finished, to go and spend a few hours in the Pubs of Peel, however, the weather was poor once I returned home so the decision was made with Wife'y to get some wine and have a night in. The pubs would have been busy with the Rugby being on and the couple we usually have drinks with on a Saturday evening had bought tickets for the band Space at the Villa, both these facts made the decision of staying in easier. Until Thursday I was on days over the weekend so had not planned anything with them but I managed to get Saturday and Sunday off so at least I could chill before Sundays 10K. Christine and one of my daughters, Daniella, drank the wine so I had an alcohol free evening, this is something I plan to change today as soon as I have finished writing this.

The IOM 10k Championship was held in wet and windy conditions which kept some of the regulars away. I completed the distance just over a minute slower than my current PB but with the weather conditions, and the mileage covered this week, I was happy enough. I ended up 4th Overall 3rd Male (Adam 1st, Gianni 2nd and Hannah 1st Female 3rd O/A)

I was also delighted to receive a Trophy awarded by the Manx Harriers committee for my performances over the last 12 months on all events that I have competed.

Next week I am on evenings Monday till Wednesday and then off for 2 days before starting another set of 7 nights on Friday. I hope everyone's training is going well and hope you have all entered the Firefighters Memorial walk by now.

I'm off to the Pub!

Nice Weather!

A good start to the week weather wise meant I got out for  training walks on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and although colder on Thursday the group met as normal at Bikestyle for are usual lap. Dave Walker turned up wearing a heart rate monitor and proceeded, once we were on the promenade, to break some kind of unofficial heart rate record. Hanging on I managed to glance down at my watch and blurted out through bursting lungs the speed I had seen displayed, Dave immediately dismissed what I said, however, he confirmed sometime later that my watch was reading correctly. God knows how many beats per minute his heart rate monitor recorded. My Dad would always say the heart will only beat so many times before it stops, if this were remotely true, I think a good portion of the beats I have left were spent on Douglas promenade on Thursday evening!

I decided to have a rest day today (Friday) the weather, once I had got to Peel from work, compounded that decision. Tomorrow I am attending a Level 1 Judging Course at the NSC. My intension is to walk with the group earlier in the morning and get back to Pulrose Power Station with enough time to shower before making my way over to the Harriers club house for 10 o'clock. The Caff may have to be missed unfortunately.

As a reminder from last weeks Blog - Manx Harriers have a 10k event on Sunday with entries being taken on the day. If you don't fancy taking part, helpers will most certainly still be required.

Another Week Closer!

After Sundays walk with Dave I rested on Monday evening, I had planned on just a short recovery walk but the evening, once home, seemed to come and go. Tuesday, at work, I could not wait to get home, changed and back to Douglas to meet the group at Bikestyle due to the fine weather. I left work at 1530, but by the time I got to Peel it had started to cloud over a little and on my return to Douglas the heavens opened and the day I had been looking out on, from my office window, could not have been more different. It was good to get out though and the rain meant the pace wasn't bad either.

Wednesdays training with Sam was a no go as he had other commitments, so a stroll with Christine to Shoprite and back was the alternative. I did manage to get out on Thursday morning for a few miles before work which was a bonus as I had thought no miles would be covered due to being on evenings, starting at 1500hrs. Friday morning seen me start another D.I.Y task at home (another ceiling). I have only myself to blame really, having finished the new bathroom ceiling last week i still hadn't got round to tidying the tools up and putting them out of sight in the garage, because of this Christine suggested maybe I could start on the bedroom whilst all the tools were still in the house that were needed (I normally pretend not to be able to find tools to stall these things). It seems a harsh punishment for not tidying up after myself, but on the other hand, it is a job that has needed finishing off since we renovated the house nearly 4 years ago so I don't really blame her for taking the opportunity to finally get it done. It did mean my plan to get dropped off in Kirk Michael again and either walk or run back was pushed aside. I made sure I tidied up after myself before leaving for work so not to fall into the same trap next week, however, in my eagerness to place everything out of sight in the garage I neglected to push the Lawnmower back into its space and left it outside. I have already received a text saying whilst it is out I may as well make a start on the lawns, I will never learn!


Andy Dawson, Stew, Ray and I met on Saturday morning. It was a rather foggy start to the day and by the time we had finished it had became damp also. I got back to Peel with enough time to get showered, make lunch and leave for another evening shift so any extra miles walking around the streets of Peel frequenting the local pubs will have to wait until next weekend. I have taken Saturdays day shift off next week so I can attend a Judging course at the NSC, held by England Athletics. Hopefully, with an early start, I can get some miles in first before using the facilities at the Power Station to get cleaned up in time for the course to start.
Manx Harriers are holding their Manx 10k and junior championships next Sunday at 10:00am. Entry can be made on the day. Helpers, as always, are required to lap count, marshal or make tea / coffee. If I can manage to get another day off I will see you there!