I really needed to pick up a bit of motivation this week after a scrappy week including no walk on the Sunday. Felt like I needed to kick myself to get back into the intensive training of a couple of weeks ago, and forget about the previous week. With only 13 weeks until we go although I am in far better shape than 2 months ago I think that stepping off the training is dangerous and I just need to keep at the same fitness level but increasing the distances.
Standard start to the week, went spinning and then to the gym. Tuesday did a bit more cardio with an hour and a half of squash with Marky B & Claire J which was good. Wednesday again played football and then went to squash with the hockey boys. Was a bit off form again on the court, including taking an 11-1 kicking by Cooky which didn’t exactly put me in the best mood! I am ultra competitive and get very frustrated with myself if I play badly. Luckily I have calmed down a lot in the last few years, I remember in my first year of university by the end of the year I was on my sixth squash racquet!!!
Trying to keep up the training I went to hockey training on Thursday which I really enjoy. It’s not the most intensive sport I do all week but it’s great banter and a good laugh and does get you running around! Since spinning has now been cancelled on a Friday (apparently not enough people turn up….turns out the pub is a more tempting option on Friday night…..don’t I know it!) I went to the gym and then headed back to the flat to host a poker night at the new flat. Was a good night but a few hours later and £20 down the swanny I was counting the money I didn’t have!
Played hockey on Saturday against the league leaders, managed to lose 5-1 but I didn’t feel that the scoreline was a fair reflection on the game, we put in a good performance and Dale scored the only goal they had conceded all season! Still it was played in a great spirit and but for some questionable refereeing decisions (I have to say for both teams!) it could easily have been closer. Stayed down south to try to win some money back again at a poker night at PK and Chunk’s new flat and despite being down to 2 chips at one point managed to win the game and the £60 kitty!! Problem was that we went down the pub straight after and the victor bought the first round in! As I’d paid £15 into the kitty and the round cost approx £23, I worked out that after 2 poker nights I’d managed to make a total profit of about £2!!!! Still a great couple of nights and coming out with any profit at all was a bonus!
Finally it was time for the day of truth and the big walk. As we’d not had a big night out before we decided to start earlyish (11!) and head from Rushen church up the sloc and over to Peel, and then back again! The total walk was about 23/24 miles and was up and down hills so would definitely be our biggest test so far. After about an hour I was really struggling, I get pains in my calves and round my ankles and the first hour of uphill walking is an absolute killer. The weird thing is that after about an hour the pain dies off and I don’t feel it any more, if anyone has any suggestions why please let me know! I just have to keep going and walk through the pain!
The other point it highlighted for me is that we need to concentrate on our pace, I think on the way back we had it about right (as it was getting dark) but we need to maintain a consistent pace and monitor it more closely, I’d hate to be denied the opportunity to complete the Parish because of a time constraint. Overall though I felt the benefits of the walk outweighed the negatives. It showed that I could walk for an extended period of time and the legs could stand up to it, after you learn to walk with the aches and the pains I think it will be more of a mental challenge than anything else. It is also helping that we are hardening our feet to road walking. These longer walks hopefully will toughen up our feet and decrease the chance of blisters etc.
All in all though a very satisfying week, I feel I’m back on the trail and back on target to tramp all over that mountain and put my best into completing the walk!
Dave.
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