Week 12

Week 12.

Date	Miles	KM	Time	Avg Pace (Min /Mile)	Avg MPH	Elev Gain (Mtr)	Elev Loss (Mtr)	Calories	HR Zone	Avg HR
18th Mar	Rest day
19th Mar	Rest day
20th Mar	6.21	10.00	00:57:41	9:12	6.5	3	3	737	4	165
21st Mar	Rest day
22nd Mar	10.00	16.09	01:46:11	10:37	5.7	450	370	1211	3	148
23rd Mar	5.00	8.05	00:57:01	11:24	5.3	125	108	551	1	130
24th Mar	Rest day
Week 12	21.21	34.14	03:40:53			578	481	2,499
Week 11	53.27	85.72	09:59:05			1501	1296	6,240
Week 10	41.50	66.79	07:46:54			882	773	4,872
Week 9	21.00	33.80	03:53:34			547	545	2,631
Week 8	27.43	44.14	05:02:31			421	416	3,176
Week 7	35.87	57.73	06:41:54			829	927	4,444
Week 6	24.82	39.94	04:36:11			395	443	2,830
Week 5	27.70	44.58	05:24:26			671	656	3,235
Week 4	31.50	50.69	06:11:56			806	831	3,528
Week 3	36.50	58.74	06:58:54			873	825	4,390
Week 2	29.70	47.82	05:37:20			629	621	3,720
Week 1	30.00	48.28	05:51:27			629	580	3,633
TOTAL	380.50	612.37	2 days 23:45:05			8,761	8,394	45,198
To go	869.50	1,403.63

Much lower mileage last week compared to the previous week.

I started the week (Friday 18th) with a rest day because I knew the next day was going to pretty tiring at the Adventure Team Challenge up at Conhrenny plantation (which it was!), but also because I was pretty tired after 53 training miles the previous week.

Even though I classed Saturday 19th as a rest day it was far from it, and if I had included the miles I covered walking/running/cycling around the plantation it would have pushed me closer to a 45 mile week.

As mentioned in my last post, Sunday 20th was a 10k race at the NSC and I was delighted to put in my best time for a few years, just 42 seconds off my PB, especially so given the tiring previous day.

This got me thinking. 

In previous years I have always avoided training in the days leading up to a race.  For a 10k I would stop training 3-4 days before the race, and for a 20k+ I would stop about a week before.

In the last round of the winter walking league, back in week 6, I put in almost 20 training miles in the 3 days before the race and managed to knock 5 minutes off the previous round, dipping under the hour and recording my best time for a few years.

These 20 miles were easy zone 1 and 2 pace (7.5 miles, 5.2 miles and 7 miles) and the main reason I walked 7 miles the day before the race was when I had problems with my heart rate monitor and I was trying to figure it out.

Incidentally I think I have now figured it out.  In the winter I have always applied a water based gel to the heart rate contact points as, in the cold, it takes a little while to work up a sweat so I used to get erratic readings for the first 20 minutes or so. 

In the week I was having problems I was nearing the end of the bottle so had to squeeze quite hard to get the gel out, which then meant I had too much when it shot out.  I didn't think anything of it, but then as the bottle got very empty I used the gel sparingly while I waited for new supplies to arrive, and that's when the monitor went back to normal.

Since then I only apply a small drop to each contact and the monitor has worked perfectly.

Anyway, back to what I was thinking.  Before last weekends 10k I once again had a very active day up at the plantation yet still put in a great 10k time.

Now, if I go back to week 7 and the 20k race at the NSC it was a different story.  I only did one 11 mile training walk in the 5 days before that race and I really struggled.  My legs were tired and heavy after the first few miles and I had a persistent stitch throughout the race.

This suggests it is better not to just stop training completely before a race and instead continue to put in a few easy miles just to keep the legs moving.  After Sunday's 10k I wondered what my time might have been had I not spent the previous day running around a plantation, but to be honest I might have recorded a slower time. 

Another thing to experiment with anyway.

Today, Friday 25th, I walked the 3rd quarter of the parish walk from Ballaugh to Ramsey, a total distance of 21.72 miles from the church to Parliament Square in 4 hours and 3 minutes, an average pace of 11m:12s per mile.

I was hoping to get under 4 hours while remaining within my heart rate zone, and I probably would have done it had it not been for the strong head winds I encountered after climbing to the top of Bride hill and turning towards Andreas.  The wind was relentless for about 7 miles until I joined the TT course at Sulby bridge where I was sheltered by the trees and hedges through into Ramsey.

I'll happily take rain, hail and snow over wind.  It's not just the fact it makes the walk harder but it just seems to sap all my energy, and the constant noise in the ears is just soul destroying and I very quickly lose all motivation and want to throw the towel in. 

One minute I'm walking strong, feeling great and the next minute bam!  Every time it happens I instantly think of the original Superman movie when Lex Luthor chains some Kryptonite around Superman and pushes him into the swimming pool.  That's exactly how I feel in the wind.

That's all for now.  I still need to post about Rushen to Ballaugh, and now Ballaugh to Ramsey, and I will try and get some time over the weekend for that.

And don't forget, the second part of my challenge is to try and raise £2,016 for Finley's Tracks and all donations are welcome here.  A big thank you to everyone who has already sponsored me online or offline, and to those who have pledged to donate later.

Week 11

Week 11.

Date	Miles	KM	Time	Avg Pace (Min /Mile)	Avg MPH	Elev Gain (Mtr)	Elev Loss (Mtr)	Calories	HR Zone	Avg HR
11th Mar	Rest day
12th Mar	11.00	17.70	02:04:43	11:21	5.3	341	220	1327	2	144
13th Mar	22.77	36.64	04:22:24	11:33	5.2	644	641	2612	2	148
14th Mar	Rest day
15th Mar	8.50	13.68	01:30:10	10:37	5.7	211	124	1001	3	151
16th Mar	Rest day
17th Mar	11.00	17.70	02:01:48	11:04	5.4	305	311	1300	2	144
Week 11	53.27	85.72	09:59:05			1501	1296	6,240
Week 10	41.50	66.79	07:46:54			882	773	4,872
Week 9	21.00	33.80	03:53:34			547	545	2,631
Week 8	27.43	44.14	05:02:31			421	416	3,176
Week 7	35.87	57.73	06:41:54			829	927	4,444
Week 6	24.82	39.94	04:36:11			395	443	2,830
Week 5	27.70	44.58	05:24:26			671	656	3,235
Week 4	31.50	50.69	06:11:56			806	831	3,528
Week 3	36.50	58.74	06:58:54			873	825	4,390
Week 2	29.70	47.82	05:37:20			629	621	3,720
Week 1	30.00	48.28	05:51:27			629	580	3,633
TOTAL	359.29	578.23	2 days 20:04:12			8,183	7,913	42,699
To go	890.71	1,437.77

Another big jump in the miles last week. 

I wouldn't normally do such a big increase from one week to the next but it wasn't really planned, and I felt good so just went with it.

On Saturday (12th) I only had time for a shorter 'long' walk as I needed to be home, showered and out again for just after 11am.  My original plan was to do a 10 mile loop from Onchan which goes over the Creg Ny Baa back road, however when I headed out it was quite misty so thought better of it and instead did a loop of Baldwin where the visibility was much better.

About 4 miles in I met Richard, James, Dave and Vinny who were coming the other way along the Baldwin road and were about 11 miles in, having started from the NSC at 7am whereas I chose the more sensible option of starting from home just before 8:30.

I was convinced I had done that loop a few times this year, but after uploading my data I realised that was only the second time.  Interestingly, the first time was 2nd January, the start of my challenge and the start of my focus on heart rate training.

As you can see above, my time was 02:04:43, average pace 11:21 and average zone 2 heart rate of 144.

11 weeks ago over exactly the same course my time was 02:11:28, average pace 11:47 and an average zone 2 heart rate of 149.

So, in 11 weeks not only I have taken nearly 7 minutes off my time for that course but I have also reduced my average heart rate by 5bpm.

I have many more examples of this over the different routes I have taken these past few weeks and I will try and post about them soon.  Suffice to say heart rate training is most definitely working for me.

On the Sunday I was only planning on another 10-11 miles, however my wife was heading down to the airport to pick one of our friends up around 10:30am so I convinced her to leave a bit earlier and drop me off at Rushen church so I could try and walk the next 1/4 of the Parish walk route to Ballaugh.

Compared to the previous day the weather was absolutely glorious.  As I approached the bends at the very bottom of the Sloc the Bradda Fell run was in full swing.  Watching these guys running up the Sloc made me forget all about heart rate training and I just pushed 'comfortably hard' right the way to the top. 

The newly tarmacked road surface is very nice to walk on.  Very smooth and almost bouncy like an athletics track. 

I certainly couldn't have pushed that hard with the previous 19 miles to Rushen in my legs, but that didn't stop me day dreaming about how fantastic it would be to feel so great at the top of the Sloc on the day.

This ties into my previous post about my planned pace from NSC to Rushen.  If walking a little slower over those first 19 miles means I can feel good walking up over the Sloc and into Peel then it's most definitely worth doing.

I arrived in Ballaugh after 4 hours and 22 minutes and felt reasonably ok.   I will post more about the route itself later.

Despite already hitting my weekly mileage target I still wanted to get out for a quicker walk on Tuesday so joined the experts for another good session.   These guys definitely seem to get quicker every week as I struggled to keep up, although the 34 miles in the previous couple of days probably didn't help me.

These sessions are definitely helping with my speed as, except for races, I don't think I would push myself as hard on my own.

I rounded off the week with one of my usual 11 mile loops on Thursday to bring my total mileage to 53.  Despite already having a good 42 miles in the legs I still managed a PB by nearly 3 minutes over those 11 miles, and my average heart rate was 1 bpm lower too.

The only reason I went for 11 miles is because I knew I wouldn't get many miles in this weekend. 

On Saturday (yesterday) I took part in the Children's Centre Adventure Team Challenge which took place up at Conrhenny plantation just off the Creg Ny Baa back road.   It was a full on day of activities from 8:30 to 4pm with no time to rest in between.  I must have clocked around 8 miles walking and running around the plantation, followed by a final hour challenge on a mountain bike. 

I hadn't ridden my bike for a couple of years so needless to say after it finished and the team results were announced and the food was served I was quite happy to keep standing up.

Today, Sunday, was the Manx Harriers 10km Championships.  When I tried to get out of bed this morning I could really feel the affects of running (and cycling) around a plantation for 8 hours and I was having serious doubts about entering the race and instead considered going out for a longer 'recovery' walk.

I'm really pleased I decided to man up and do the walk as I recorded an excellent time of 57:41.  This is just under 1 minute quicker than my last 10k in February despite not feeling 100% from yesterday, especially the glutes and quads, and off the back of a 53 mile training week.

It's still not a PB though (42 seconds off), so I've still got plenty to work on !

That's all from me for today.  I'll try and post an update on the Parish route between Rushen and Ballaugh next week

And don't forget, the second part of my challenge is to try and raise £2,016 for Finley's Tracks and all donations are welcome here.  A big thank you to everyone who has already sponsored me online or offline, and to those who have pledged to donate later.

Parish walk NSC to Rushen

After walking the first quarter(ish) of the Parish Walk route the weekend before last I thought I would post a little bit about the route itself along with how I usually tackle it.

In a later post I will add my thoughts on the next quarter, Rushen to Ballaugh (which I walked last weekend), and then follow this up with Ballaugh to Ramsey and finally Ramsey to the finish.

The biggest mistake I make every year is starting off too fast, although the first year I did it is probably an exception as my strategy was just to walk nice and steady in the hope of finishing (which I did, in a time of 19:40:24).

In subsequent years no matter how many times I tell myself on the start line to start slowly I get caught up in the moment and before I know it I'm zipping along a little faster than planned.

Common sense tells me to ease off a little, but the adrenalin is pumping, the crowds are cheering and I'm feeling good so no matter how much I know I should back off, it usually doesn't happen. 

I try to convince my legs that I know what I'm doing.  "Listen up legs, you are going to start hurting and get a lot slower in a few hours, so bank a few good miles in now while you are fresh."

I know this is wrong.  Yes, my legs will get tired later and I will slow down, but if I start a little slower then hopefully I can delay the inevitable a bit, hopefully a lot, longer.

While getting to Rushen 10-15 minutes ahead of plan may seem like a good idea at the time, that gain can easily be wiped out over the rest of the course.  

My plan for this year was to walk this first section to Rushen a bit slower than previous years in the hope I can recover that time, and more, over the next 65 miles.

The trouble is, as I sit here now writing this blog I am feeling a lot stronger than in previous years.  I have been following heart rate training for 3 months, I feel quicker than I have for a long time, my stamina is building nicely and I have dropped just over 1.5 stone since Christmas.

If I can keep this momentum going for another 3 months and walk a good Firemans 50k in a few weeks, and a good 50 miles in Rotterdam a few weeks later then it seems a shame to hold back when the gun goes off at 8am on the 18th of June.

I think I'm going to try and walk this route a couple more times between now and June and experiment with 2 different paces (not heart rate), one being a slower pace and another being a quicker 'A' game pace.

Based on how I feel when I get to Rushen at both paces I can decide my exact strategy for race day, and stick to it !!  

Anyway, on to the route itself.

My Garmin recorded a distance of 19.22 miles for this section.

It's a surprisingly hilly 19 miles, and my Garmin measured an elevation gain (uphill) of 398 metres and a loss (downhill) of 390 metres.

Mile 1

Flat.  Lap of the athletics track and out onto the TT access road, with the 1 mile marker being just underneath Braddan bridge.  Nothing much to say here really other than 84 miles to go!  Woohoo!

Mile 2

Continue along the TT access road and then it's a pretty sharp climb past a few houses.  It's not a long climb, but it is quite steep so try and keep your boundless energy under control and take it steady. 

After the short downhill back to the oak tree at the roundabout you will pass the first church in the parish of Braddan.  There is no checkpoint here, so continue straight past the church.  The rest of mile 2 is slightly up hill again, with the mile 2 marker just before the right turn into the Snugborough industrial estate (B&B furniture).

Mile 3

Past the industrial estate and a short downhill past the first pub directly on the route, the Railway, and into Union Mills.  The Quarterbridge pub is not quite on the route so I didn't include that.

It's then a fairly flat few hundred yards before the first real hill of the day, the Ballahutchin.  It's not overly steep, but it is approximately 0.5 mile long and it's all too easy to get carried away on fresh legs.

The mile 3 mark is about half way up.

Mile 4

At the top of the Ballahutchin it flattens out a bit, past Glen Lough campsite and around Ballagarey corner or, as the TT riders call, it 'Ballascary'.  Nice downhill and flat section towards the second church in the parish of Marown, but again there is no checkpoint here.  Mile 4 is more or less the church itself.

Mile 5 and 6

Other than mile 85, mile 5 is probably one of the best miles on the course because it doubles back towards the traffic lights and you get to see hundreds of other walkers swarming towards you, exchanging "Hello's" and "Good Luck's".

At Marown school, about 4.25 miles, is the first official feeding station where you can get bananas and small bottles of water.

Depending on pace you burn around 100 calories per mile so it's never too early to start eating even if you don't feel particularly hungry, so I always take a banana here.

Just after the school is where you start to see support vehicles, but I've never quite understood why they are needed so early.

For the past 5 years I have arranged to see my support around the 4.5 hour mark, which usually puts me between Ballakillowey and The Sloc. 

I use a larger water bottle/bag for this first stint and can easily carry a few extra energy gels, energy bars, jelly babies etc, and there are more than enough feeding stations en route to Rushen offering bananas, mars bars, water refills etc to happily keep me going. 

Shortly after the feeding station we come across the next big climb up Glen Darragh road.  This is a long steady climb at approximately 1.5 miles long, and does get quite steep at one point, so again it's important not to overcook it up here.

The 6 mile mark is reached just before the Braaid crossroads.

Mile 7

This starts with a welcome flat and very slightly downhill 1/2 mile across the crossroads and towards St Marks, before taking a left turn onto Clannagh road where you will find the next official feeding station offering bananas and water.

Straight after the feeding station is another climb up Clannagh for about 3/4 of a mile, and is probably the steepest climb so far.

Mile 8

Starts just before the top of Clannagh road and then turns slightly downhill for most of the mile.  The road surface is really nice and smooth and the downhill is a welcome break after the last 3 miles of constant up hill.

You get a really good view of the south of the Island along this mile, and you get your first glimpse  of what the weather might be like on the Sloc....

Just before you join the A5 Douglas to Castletown road is another official feeding station although if I recall correctly only water is supplied here.  Mile 8 ends just around the corner after joining the A5.

Mile 9

This remains nice and flat down past the old Lancashire pub (now demolished), although take care on the pavements here.  They aren't in great shape, and it's a fast road to be walking on.

At about 8.5 miles you cross the A5, thankfully aided by the Police who stop the traffic

It's a short, sharp climb after crossing the road (about 100 metres) before a nice long downhill to the end of mile 9 just before joining the old Castletown road.

Mile 10

This is a relatively flat for about 1/2 mile before heading downhill for the rest of the mile.

Mile 11

Continues downhill before quickly turning into a steep up hill towards the 3rd Parish Church, Santon, and the first official checkpoint at around 10.5 miles.  My times are below.

Year       Leg Time      Total Time
2011       02:17:35         02:17:35
2012       02:08:06         02:08:06
2013       02:08:54         02:08:54
2014       02:03:31         02:03:31
2015       02:05:57         02:05:57

Just after the checkpoint is another feeding station offering water, mars bars, other sweets etc.

You can also fill your own water bottle here which is very handy.  I will normally carry some extra energy tablets that I can pop into the water.

Mile 11 continues slightly downhill from there.

Mile 12

Continues about 1/3 mile down hill before another sharp climb towards 'The Blackboards' where you briefly re-join the A5 that you crossed at 8.5 miles.

This climb continues to the end of mile 12, but just before it is the next feed station, and if you are lucky you might get a sausage bap too.

Mile 13

This is a nice long downhill section as you join the A26 St Marks road towards Ballasalla.  Just before joining the A26 is yet another feed station again handing out water but also a variety of snacks such as nutrigrain bars.

The downhill ends with a short (100 yards) up hill section, with mile 13 marker being more or less at the top.

Mile 14

Here you enjoy another long downhill and relatively flat section into Ballasalla where you take a right, with mile 14 ending just before Cross Four ways.

Mile 15

At Cross Four ways there is usually good entertainment with a band singing out your name as you come into view. 

This is a flat mile that takes a short out and back detour up to the 4th Parish church, Malew.

You will find another feeding station here.

Year       Leg Time      Total Time
2011       00:49:26         03:07:01
2012       00:47:11         02:55:17
2013       00:46:55         02:55:49
2014       00:44:56         02:48:27
2015       00:47:03         02:53:00

Mile 15 ends just after you pass the band a second time.

Mile 16

For some reason I really struggle over these next 4 miles to Rushen. 

I'm not quite sure why, but I think part of the reason is the condition of the pavements.  At this point there are now a lot more support cars around, so walking on the side of the road is not an option. 

The 4 miles are reasonably flat which is good, but the pavements are very gnarly (especially mile 16) and it seems to take a lot of energy to navigate over the lumps and bumps.

There isn't really much to say about mile 16 other than watch your step!

Mile 17

Another flat mile.  The pavement improves a lot here, and around 16.5 miles you come to the 5th Parish church, Arbory.

Year       Leg Time      Total Time
2011       00:24:38         03:31:39
2012       00:24:11         03:19:28
2013       00:23:16         03:19:05
2014       00:22:37         03:11:04
2015       00:23:20         03:16:20

Mile 18

Another flat mile where you pass the second pub on the walk, The Colby Glen, and it's probably not far from opening time either! 

Right next to the pub is a small shop, so if you do urgently need any extra drink or snacks you could quickly pop inside.

Shortly after the shop there is a very friendly family who offer their loo to walkers in need, and I have to say last year they saved my life. 

Last years Parish walk was the first time and, luckily so far, the only time I have experienced that '30 second warning' while out training or in a race.  If that house hadn't been so welcoming I really don't know what I would have done as it was still over a mile to Rushen church. 

Mile 19.22

The final relatively flat mile (and a bit) as you close in on the 6th Parish church, Rushen.

A welcome sight after my least favourite 4 miles, before the sudden realisation that the long 1 mile climb of Ballakillowey followed by the Sloc is next!

There is another feeding station here too.

Year       Leg Time      Total Time
2011       00:34:34         04:06:13
2012       00:33:00         03:52:28
2013       00:31:22         03:50:27
2014       00:31:48         03:42:52
2015       00:34:08         03:50:28

As you can see, my PB to Rushen was in 2014 by nearly 8 minutes...  but that gain soon unravelled over the rest of the race, before I finally retired at Maughold.

This is a clear example of how an 8 minute improvement can easily be wiped out, or worse.

And that's it for now!  Sorry I have waffled on quite a bit here.  I hope at least somebody finds the information useful, especially first time Parish Walkers or entrants from overseas who won't get a chance to see the course in advance of the race.


And finally: The second part of my challenge is to try and raise £2,016 for Finley's Tracks and all donations are welcome here.  A big thank you to everyone who has already sponsored me online or offline, and to those who have pledged to donate later.

Week 10

Week 10.

Date	Miles	KM	Time	Avg Pace (Min /Mile)	Avg MPH	Elev Gain (Mtr)	Elev Loss (Mtr)	Calories	HR Zone	Avg HR
4th Mar	Rest day
5th Mar	20.00	32.19	03:53:08	11:39	5.1	398	390	2293	2	148
6th Mar	Rest day
7th Mar	5.00	8.05	00:55:37	11:07	5.4	122	104	536	1	136
8th Mar	8.50	13.68	01:31:13	10:44	5.6	202	117	1081	3	149
9th Mar	Rest day
10th Mar	8.00	12.87	01:26:56	10:52	5.5	160	162	962	2	143
Week 10	41.50	66.79	07:46:54			882	773	4,872
Week 9	21.00	33.80	03:53:34			547	545	2,631
Week 8	27.43	44.14	05:02:31			421	416	3,176
Week 7	35.87	57.73	06:41:54			829	927	4,444
Week 6	24.82	39.94	04:36:11			395	443	2,830
Week 5	27.70	44.58	05:24:26			671	656	3,235
Week 4	31.50	50.69	06:11:56			806	831	3,528
Week 3	36.50	58.74	06:58:54			873	825	4,390
Week 2	29.70	47.82	05:37:20			629	621	3,720
Week 1	30.00	48.28	05:51:27			629	580	3,633
TOTAL	306.02	492.50	2 days 10:05:07			6,682	6,617	36,459
To go	943.98	1,523.50

My biggest week last week, making up for the slightly lower mileage in week 9 to make sure I remain just ahead of target in case anything goes wrong.

The weeks are rushing by at an alarming rate!  Here we are at nearly a quarter of the way through 2016 and I am just under quarter challenge target, so looking good so far.

The week kicked off with my longest walk of the year so far, 20 miles, and in keeping with the 'quarter' theme the route was the first quarter(ish) of the Parish Walk route from the NSC to Rushen.

I started on the NSC perimeter road about 200 metres past the Manx Harriers club house to take account of not being able to do a lap of the athletics track first, but after that I followed the route exactly, including the 3 little "out and backs" to the gates of Marown, Santon and Malew church.

My Garmin recorded a distance of 19.22 miles to Rushen church, and a time of 03:41:53. 

This a PB to Rushen by just 1 minute from my 2014 time (the year I retired at Maughold), which I am pretty pleased with given I was following heart rate training in zone 2 so I had to hold back.  The more observant of you may notice that my average was 148bpm, whereas my zone 2 max is actually 145. 

This is because at the start of mile 18 I decided to ignore the HR monitor and just push as hard as I could for the next few miles to Rushen church, the idea being to really push myself on tired legs.  It was pretty tough and I could feel the burn instantly.

I recorded 11m 04s for mile 18 and 10m 31s for mile 19 which, after 17 miles, is quick for me.

During the hard push my HR was into Zone 4 for approx. 20 minutes and therefore dragged my average above the 145 I had maintained up to that point.

I was certainly finished at the end, and there was no way I could have tackled Ballakillowey and the Sloc, but on the day I will be aiming to maintain a slightly slower average pace to Rushen and I certainly won't be pushing hard on the approach to the church, not with another 65 miles still to go !

I had arranged to be picked up by my wife, Maeve, in Port Erin on the condition I bought her lunch, hence the total distance of 20 miles into the town centre (I slowed down after reaching the church).

Based on the fact I wasn't really 'dressed' to go anywhere posh for lunch I got away with taking Maeve to Subway just inside Shoprite, so I got off quite lightly there.

Luckily she does like Subway, especially their latte coffee, so I didn't feel guilty.  I did make it up to her later that evening and we went into Douglas town centre for a few drinks and a cheeky curry at the Taj.

Something I have noticed more than ever this year is that drinking the same evening as my weekend long walk isn't much fun! 

The first time was about 4 weeks ago after the tough 16 mile group walk with the 'pros' (Richard, Jock, Vinny, Dave W etc).  Later that evening I went to Artisan and it was "Taxi for Jones" after 2.5 pints (I had to leave half, and that's pretty unheard of for me !). 

A similar thing happened last Saturday after my walk to Port Erin, but I lasted a little longer this time with a pint in the Manx Arms and another in the Prospect.  This was followed by Artisan once again, but I avoided the draft beer and played it safe with a bottle, followed up by another bottle of beer in Sir Normans. 

We then walked over to the Taj where I sensibly declined the offer of a Cobra (one of my favourite beers) and opted for a refreshing lemonade instead.  Indian food is one of my favourites so that had to take priority over beer. 

Anyway, the moral of the story is you need to ensure your long training sessions and beer drinking sessions are not scheduled for the same day if possible.

Joking aside, the real moral of the story is you need to ensure you sufficiently rehydrate both during and after a long training session.  You may not feel like you sweat a huge amount in the colder weather but you would be surprised.  It can take a long time to fully rehydrate after a particularly long training session and that long drink of water when you get home really isn't enough on it's own.

I was going to write more about the Parish Walk route to Rushen but, just like the weeks, time has rushed by tonight so I'll hopefully try and post about it in a few days.

I hope everyone's training is going to plan, and if you are thinking about entering the Parish Walk but haven't done so yet then do it today!  It doesn't take long. 

You can enter here https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=2468

Also, don't forget the Fireman's 50k walk is only 6 weeks away and is ideal preparation for the Parish. 

You can enter here: Firemans Walk

Thanks for reading.

And don't forget, the second part of my challenge is to try and raise £2,016 for Finley's Tracks and all donations are welcome here.  A big thank you to everyone who has already sponsored me online or offline, and to those who have pledged to donate later.

Week 9

Week 9.

Date	Miles	KM	Time	Avg Pace (Min /Mile)	Avg MPH	Elev Gain (Mtr)	Elev Loss (Mtr)	Calories	HR Zone	Avg HR
26th Feb	5.00	8.05	00:55:48	11:09	5.4	119	116	650	2	147
27th Feb	Rest day
28th Feb	Rest day
29th Feb	11.00	17.70	02:04:17	11:17	5.3	312	328	1304	2	145
1st Mar	Rest day
2nd Mar	5.00	8.05	00:53:33	10:42	5.6	116	101	677	3	154
3rd Mar	Rest day
Week 9	21.00	33.80	03:53:34			547	545	2,631
Week 8	27.43	44.14	05:02:31			421	416	3,176
Week 7	35.87	57.73	06:41:54			829	927	4,444
Week 6	24.82	39.94	04:36:11			395	443	2,830
Week 5	27.70	44.58	05:24:26			671	656	3,235
Week 4	31.50	50.69	06:11:56			806	831	3,528
Week 3	36.50	58.74	06:58:54			873	825	4,390
Week 2	29.70	47.82	05:37:20			629	621	3,720
Week 1	30.00	48.28	05:51:27			629	580	3,633
TOTAL	264.52	425.72	2 days 02:18:13			5,800	5,844	31,587
To go	985.48	1,590.28

I spent last weekend doing a house clearance so only managed 3 sessions again, and unfortunately due to the awful weather the rest of the week I didn't quite hit my weekly target average of 24 miles.

I got absolutely drenched on Monday night while on one of my regular 11 mile loops, to the point that when I got home and opened my coat pocket about half a pint of water came rushing out! 

Conscious of the miles, I headed out again on Wednesday for a short 5 miles and got battered left right and centre by the strong winds, but at least it was dry!

I was hoping to do a quick 5k on Thursday just to hit my weekly target but this time we had strong winds and rain, so I threw the towel in and opted for the sofa instead.

I have generally been quite lucky over the weekends and from around 6pm during the week, but I think last week was the worst weather wise.

The good news is I am still ahead of my 2016 challenge target, and the even better news is there are now less than 1000 miles to go.  Yipee!

During this weeks wet and windy walks I reflected a lot on the second part of my 2016 challenge, to try and raise £2016 for local charity Finley's tracks. 

We all take walking for granted, and while I may have struggled to walk for a few hours through the torrential rain and strong winds it's nothing compared to what Finley and other children suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy go through day after day.

I haven't really thought through how I will go about trying to raise the money, but I don't want to leave it all until the end of the year.

My main events for the rest of this year are:

24th April   Fireman's Walk              31 Miles
14th May    Rotterdam                       50 Miles
18th June    Parish Walk                    85 Miles
14th Aug    Isle of Man Marathon     26.2 Miles 
24th Sept    New York Centurion      100 Miles

I decided to enter the 50 mile race in Rotterdam rather than just do another 50k 3 weeks after the Fireman's.  My mouse hovered over the distance selection box for quite some time, and not just while I decided between 50k or 50 miles but while I decided between 50 and 100 miles!!

I know I have made the right choice because I can't risk any injury for New York even it is 4 months later.

I know I could equally get injured in the Parish which only gives me 3 months to recover, but the difference is I have more experience of the Parish so if something isn't right on the day then hopefully I will have the sense to stop, whereas Rotterdam is an unknown to me. 

Moreover, if I am away from home and racing a new event for the first time I am more likely to ignore common sense and push past a possible injury rather than retire.

Anyway, it's unlikely that I will try and raise sponsorship for each individual event because people will soon get fed up if I keep asking for money every month, although I may make an exception for the USA Centurion.

For now I have setup a just giving page which you can find here:

https://www.justgiving.com/StewJones2016/

I would be very grateful for any type of donation throughout the year, either a one off or a smaller amount after a particular event. 

I'd also like to thank everyone who has already pledged to donate so far, with the most common being 1p per mile, optionally capped at £20.16 :-)

Finally I would just like to add that, unlike other fund raising events, 100% of all donations are for Finley's tracks and you are in no way funding my trip to Rotterdam or New York.

Thank you in advance.