Championship performance....

With only three weeks to go I just wanted to put in another full week’s training before I can start to think about getting into peak performance for the events. On the walk talk with Roger Black we were advised that an important part of preparation is making sure you are fully fit for the day. E.g don’t do something stupid like walking over 30 miles less than a week before the event because you may still be feeling it! Therefore it was time to start winding down the training and making sure I give my best chance on the mountain. I figured though that I would at least try to get another full week of training under my belt before slacking it off.

Monday was again spinning and weights, something we’ve been pretty consistent on and definitely helps start off the week. For our Tuesday evening walk we just did a quick one around Marine Drive and then back along the Old Castletown Road back into town. Nothing too major but a good hour and a half walk and a chance to keep the legs ticking over. Wednesday footy and Thursday hockey as has become religion, as the hockey season is drawing to a close we tend to play matches in training now which is a good laugh but as there are only a couple more games this was the last training session! Looks like we timed Kili well as our training is dropping off!

Friday night was a bit of a surreal night, it was our end of accounting year work do and after nipping to the gym early for a session I went out to find all the drinks were being bought for us! Two non-alcoholic cocktails and a J20 later I was thinking maybe this whole training thing was a bad idea! However, as we have raised almost £800 for the charities now and there is definitely pressure on us to at least give it our best shot. With only three weeks to go the least I can do is have a few sober nights out!

Saturday I was given the great honour of being called up for the mighty Cosney (our fifth team) at hockey as they were short a couple of players and the captain Laurence Watterson took great delight in starting me on the bench. I managed to get on the pitch after a while though and even scored the scrappiest goal all season with my first touch! Really good game with a good bunch of guys, I was just gutted James ‘Diver’ Smith didn’t get himself on the scoresheet in the final game of the season! Saturday night was a similar story to Friday (I think I know too many alcoholics…) with our end of season hockey do at the curry house In Port St Mary. Putting the healthy diet to one side for the night, the curry was great and it was a good laugh. I figure if I can survive a free bar work do and an end of season night out without a drop of booze then anything is possible! And no hangover!

It was the junior golf championships on Sunday and my little brother Rich had got into the semi final so I was caddying for him, a good excuse for a 5 mile walk! He was playing the favourite and scratch golfer Tom Harris and the omens were not looking too healthy when he went 2 down after 3 holes. However, an absolutely brilliant run followed and Rich didn’t then drop a hole until the 12th, including back to back birdies to lead 2 up with 4 holes to play. A brilliant putt from Tom on the 16th closed the gap to all square after he took the 15th and it remained all square with each getting a birdie on the 17th. Unfortunately for Rich, Tom’s extra experience just told down the 18th but it was an unbelievable performance and made me very jealous I just never had the temperament for golf! No doubt I would have blown up on the 4th at 2 down but Rich has definitely got the head for the game!

Finished off the week by going up and over Fleshwick like the start of training, over to Milner’s Tower, having an ice-cream on Port Erin beach then around the Sound to Port St Mary back up the sloc and back down Fleshwick! Absolutely shattered but a decent bit of uphill and I was glad to get the week over and done with!

Dave,