Positive Mental Attitude

Over the past 72 hours, I have adopted a PMA, and I am confident that after all my niggles and recent scare I will be able to line up in 33 days alongside the rest of you, and have as good a chance as before in completing a lap.

I have been regularly icing my injured heel, and been taking the Diclofenac tablets prescribed by the A&E doctor. The combination of these and some pretty hardcore rest have seen the injury improve significantly. Although I can still feel some pain when I exert pressure, I am now able to walk virtually without a limp, and haven't needed to use the crutches since Friday.

If it continues to improve at this rate, I expect to be burning up the pavements again within the next week to 10 days. Without getting ahead of myself, I have set myself a goal as to when it should be safe to start training again. Once I can do a free standing, one legged calf raise with my left foot without any pain or fear of something twanging, I am ready to go. I certainly can't do that just yet as it still to sore and far far too early to even attempt it.

Naturally, I will be taking advice from the doctor at A&E when I return for my appointment on Thursday morning, but I am only thinking of a positive outcome.

As you would expect, training has been a no go since Wednesday night, so there really is nothing to update you with on that front. What I have been able to do however is lots of stretching to try and stay as flexible as possible, and make sure that my hamstrings don't shorten.

Not being able to train is awful, and I'm certain I've put weight on. I probably haven't but the mind plays terrible tricks on you. I am hoping that I can take a positive from this injury, and allow it to spur me on. At some point in exactly 33 days I will either have been in a pit of despair, or heading towards one, and it is this week that I can draw on to remind myself that at least I can walk.

This is the benefit of being a 'veteran' of the race, you know the highs and lows you will experience and the sort of things you can use mentally to drive you on.

I find that music is a great way to life spirits and I have down a lot of this over the past 5 days. I have listened to a lot of music that I use to motivate me on the day, and I want to share with you some of the fantastic tunes that for one reason or another give me an extra boost when needed. Some are really upbeat that just make you go that bit quicker as they make you walk to the beat. Other songs may have special meanings in the lyrics which drive you one, others have a combination of both, and these are real gems.

I have a really eclectic taste in music and over the next few weeks, I will share some of my favourites with you.

So which one first?

That's not even a difficult question to ask. Every time I hear this song, it just makes me think 'Parish Walk', it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I absolutely love it.

At the 2011 Walk Talk at the Manx Museum, the organisers showed a short video clip documenting the 2010 race, and this was the song that the footage was played to. Since then, I have felt that this song is synonymous with the occasion, and I have placed it as my unofficial Parish Walk anthem.

If I could get hold of the video clip, I will post it so you can hopefully see what I mean. Maybe you'll agree with me, maybe you won't. What would be great is if you have any favourites let me know and I could post these as they may be more motivational than the ones I have in mind.

Finally, I would just like to say an absolutely huge thank you to everyone who has wished me well over the last week. The comments, emails and texts I've had have been huge encouragement to me, and really reminds me of what a great community spirit the Parish Walk instills in people. For those first timers of you, it is this encouragement that really helps you on the day and makes you believe.

Next time, more music and starting to compile lists......