Unfinished business....

I said a few weeks ago that if you are previous Parish Walker (finisher or not), you should train your socks off on parts that you found difficult or struggled with whether mentally or physically the year previous.

Well, as the name of this post suggests, I have unfinished business from last year on a certain part of the course, and for a finisher, I am extremely surprised at how early I struggled last year. My 2010 arch nemesis was Glen Mona to Dhoon, but 2011 was far far earlier.

As we came into Ballasalla, I felt a bit of the old familiar burn that you get immediately prior to a blister. Unfortunately this was on both feet, just on the outside of my arch, a point that has always been a weak spot for me, and for all previous long range efforts, I have pre-empted any issues by compeeding (other brands are available but are nowhere near as good).For some peculiar reason I didn't bother this time, and it turned into one of the lowest points of my whole parish career. I took the decision just after Malew Church to stop and see to them. Blisters has already formed on both feet, and although small, they were blooming painful. I literally ripped the blisters with my thumb and forefinger to drain the liquid and immediately covered them with the aforementioned Godsend plasters. I don't condone the use of fingernails in such a blasé fashion, and any good medical professional will tell you that this should be done with a sterile needle, but in the absence of one of those, my grubby hands were the next best thing.

Most of you may be thinking that why would two tiny blisters put me into such a downward spiral, but it wasn't actually the blisters themselves, but the knock on effect physically and mentally that came straight after. I was walking with my mate Peter (aka Dicko) and I said to him not to stop with me and carry on, we were going at a reasonable pace but I knew I could catch him.

After my feet were sorted, I jumped back up and set off like a bullet to catch him. I passed literally tens, maybe even hundreds of people and eventually caught him on the way into Ballabeg. I was absolutely shattered by the time I got there, and this was the beginning. Because I had gone so fast, my mind was racing, my feet were now fine by the way, but my legs felt heavy because of the effort and i started thinking negative thoughts. By the time I reached Rushen, my left leg had started to cramp and I really wasn't enjoying myself. As you all know, the point straight after Rushen is really when you need to have your mind and body in the right place, and Ballakillowey is not forgiving in the slightest. I really struggled up the hill, and given how hot it was, it was the most uncomfortable I have ever felt. I really felt stupid as well and I think this compounded the issue. Previously, I had always said that Ballakillowey and the Sloc were nothing, and just an inconvenience, but this year they almost put paid to my effort.

The drop down through Lhinguage offered minor respite, but the Sloc compounded my already drained mental state. Dicko had moved on ahead a bit as I was absolutely no company at all, and although I could see him ahead, he was getting further and further away and I was being passed regularly which just made things worse. As anyone who knows me well, I hate being passed, I like to do the passing where possible, and as I am so competitive it is just excruciating to see people go past me.

Finally, the doom and gloom started to lift as I started chatting with a young lad who was also in bits, he had the most battered old pair of trainers on and he said his feet were hanging off. I managed to draw some positives from this and was also encouraging him to just keep going, as he was threatening to quit - I know exactly how he felt but I just told him that he'd be alright at the top as we were almost over the worst. Feeling slightly better I pushed on and eventually managed to catch Dicko (I think he was actually waiting for me) on the way to Round Table. He was chatting to a guy who was attempting the walk for the first time, and he was going well. Before long, the three of us were gassing away about something and nothing, and barring a little stop by Eairy Cushlin for a cramp related stretch, the mist had dissipated, and I was feeling confident and relaxed and more like my old self.

The rest as they say is history!

I think this anecdote underlines a number of things we experience on the big day, the highs, the lows, but also the camaraderie. Everyone is a friend, and believe it or not, if you're feeling down, there will be someone not a million miles away from you who is either feeling the same, or has done, and I bet you your bottom dollar, if you let someone know you're struggling, they'll help you out!

So why tell you this story now? Well, today was the first time I returned to that stage since last June. Me and my mate Ciaran, and a friend of his, Kate, met up early doors as we wanted to do Ballakillowey and the Sloc, so we set off from Santon Church at about 7.30 and made our way along the route. 7.30 felt a lot earlier, probably because of the change to BSTBallakillowey and ready to begin the ascent. I was still feeling last week's training in my hips and legs, so the slower pace was welcome, and we went up both inclines without concern. I was met at the top by Caroline who had previously arranged to walk with a friend from Rushen to Peel, but unfortunately her friend couldn't make it. I suggested she join us to walk to Peel, but because she had set her mind on the Sloc and hadn't done it, she was not in the best frame of mind, so instead decided to drive back to the bottom of the Sloc and walk to Round Table and back - a good effort !

We finally made it into Peel, just over 20 miles, in about 4 hours 35, which was much slower than the 19 miles in 3 hrs 36 mins last week, but I felt really good, and instead of getting the bus back to Douglas could quite easily have walked the 10 miles if only I had the time.

Think I'll take it a little easier this week as I want to make sure I recover properly from the long walks I have done this and last weekend, and as the Sara Killey is coming up 4 weeks today, I will probably restrict my maximum distance to 15 miles before then.

Finally, if you haven't heard, it's the Walk Talk at the Manx Museum on Tuesday at 5.30 (doors open at 5pm, arrive early to avoid disappointment), and I would highly recommend that you go whether you are a seasoned veteran or a novice, as there is so much to draw from this event. The guys who do the talking are highly experienced and pass on all sorts of useful tips, and are definitely worth listening to. Last year I went and it was real turning point in my training, previously I had just been coasting, but listening to the guys talk really helped me focus my efforts. I would encourage everyone to do the same.

See you there.