Two of our regular lunchtime visitors, a couple of retired gentlemen arrived a little too early for their meal today and decided to sit and wait in their car.
'What them two fellas in black and yellow dooin' goen up'n'down the hill. They went up the one time with their hands up in the air. Some sort o' Parish Walk training is it?'
'Er, I'm not sure.'
'Bloody craackers, they are!'
'Probably.'
Take a bow Mark Hempsall, recent joint winner of the 'Seven Stations Challenge' and Dave Mackey doing repeats on Mona Drive (The Arches) as part of their hill session today.
Thursday, 17 April 2008
Gambling - It's a Mug's Game
How can you hedge your bets on a two horse race and end up losing twice? Read on.
Last night was the presentation for the Sarah Killey Memorial Walk and I'd love to give you a detailed report but unfortunately, the demand outstripped the size of the room at the The Cat with No Tail and I was unable to see or hear any of the details, having produced my usual party trick of arriving late (People who know me well. Don't worry. I didn't back it up with my encore of falling asleep.)
However, they did briefly adjourn outside and I was able to get the couple of snaps featured on this post.
While my reputation was on the feet of Mark (see earlier preview of race,) my money or to be more accurate my bottle of Wolfblass red wine was on Jock as I had accepted a wager with the aforementioned 'Conan the Destroyer,' of Manx walking, otherwise known as Mr. Hempsall.
I could nearly taste my first glass as I saw Mark disappear into the distance like a bat out of hell at the start and indeed I'd almost drained the bottle when despite his best efforts he'd failed to break away on the last of the hills. Metaphorically, I sat back on my sofa, lit my cigar and waited for Jock to switch into 'race walking mode' and leave 'Conan,' in his wake to plan his raid on the off-licence. And... he didn't. They were both step to step right up to the finish and to be frank, they both deserved a bottle of wine for their thrilling encounter. See below.
(Picture by Terence George)
Sunday, 13 April 2008
I Was Careful What I wished For
Great picture of Nigel Armstrong on Manx Athletics. He really doesn't seem to understand that you're supposed to be out on your feet and wobbling all over the place after running a 2:53 Marathon but he looks so fresh, I'm sure he could have gone on to do the two laps as according to Murray's spoof.
After at least two years knocking on the door of a sub three hour Marathon, Mark Clague has well and truly burst through with his 2:53.
I am very honoured that Nigel has agreed to help me during the Parish Walk for the third year and that Mark is also chipping in to back me up this year.
Well done also to the exotically named, Max Bezance who was the fastest man with Manx connections and all the other runners who competed yesterday.
About 3 or four weeks before Christmas, I said to Irene, my wife that I could do with getting a cold as I hadn't had one for ages. Marital relations have never quite been the same since as she went into some length about what a stupid pessimistic doom monger I was to be so idiotic as to wish that upon myself.
Finally, five months late, the aforementioned cold has arrived. My head hurts, my throat is sore, my nostrils well and truly bunged up. My ever present groin strain has also developed into a full grown pull and my right foot has problems with the tendons.
So says she, 'Are you happy now you're ill?' I grunted fairly non-committedly but for fear of her thinking I'm even more barmy than she already does, I didn't reveal the true extent of my feelings.
I'm ecstatic! The timing could not be better! I have a full 13 days left to recover before my 50k walk and it would be extremely unusual for me to contract another disease before the Parish Walk. It also means that I'm unlikely to overtrain during this taper period, so if there was a time to pick up an injury, this is it (during the last month before the race, make sure you don't work too hard so that you feel fresh for the big day.)
So, for now it's back to moaning about how rotten I feel. Time to break out another lemsip and pretend to be really miserable.
After at least two years knocking on the door of a sub three hour Marathon, Mark Clague has well and truly burst through with his 2:53.
I am very honoured that Nigel has agreed to help me during the Parish Walk for the third year and that Mark is also chipping in to back me up this year.
Well done also to the exotically named, Max Bezance who was the fastest man with Manx connections and all the other runners who competed yesterday.
About 3 or four weeks before Christmas, I said to Irene, my wife that I could do with getting a cold as I hadn't had one for ages. Marital relations have never quite been the same since as she went into some length about what a stupid pessimistic doom monger I was to be so idiotic as to wish that upon myself.
Finally, five months late, the aforementioned cold has arrived. My head hurts, my throat is sore, my nostrils well and truly bunged up. My ever present groin strain has also developed into a full grown pull and my right foot has problems with the tendons.
So says she, 'Are you happy now you're ill?' I grunted fairly non-committedly but for fear of her thinking I'm even more barmy than she already does, I didn't reveal the true extent of my feelings.
I'm ecstatic! The timing could not be better! I have a full 13 days left to recover before my 50k walk and it would be extremely unusual for me to contract another disease before the Parish Walk. It also means that I'm unlikely to overtrain during this taper period, so if there was a time to pick up an injury, this is it (during the last month before the race, make sure you don't work too hard so that you feel fresh for the big day.)
So, for now it's back to moaning about how rotten I feel. Time to break out another lemsip and pretend to be really miserable.
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Superb Race
Keeping up the theme of my last post, I really wanted to report on Sunday's race earlier in the week but failed miserably to find the time.
I was lucky enough to witness first hand a magnificent race in the Sarah Killey Memorial Walk. Driving down for the start, we could tell it was a cold morning but the really worrying aspect was that we could actually see the snow falling on Port Erin and Port St. Mary and sure enough, when we arrived at the start, the roads and pavements were covered in the 'white stuff.'
One person who didn't seem to be affected by the temperature was Mark Hempsall who set a blisteringly hot pace right from the slightly delayed start. He was followed at a little distance by Alan Cowin who was walking in his first race since 2006 Parish Walk, then Sean Hands, myself and Jock Waddington.
The speed was in excess of 6mph and it was very doubtful that Mark would be able to maintain such high cadence and so it proved when he was reeled in by the chasing pack by Castletown.
At this point in the race, Sean Hands and I moved to the front of the field in the safe knowledge that we were stopping in Peel but the action was still well poised with Mark, Jock and Alan in close company. The conditions although now mainly dry were very cold with a biting wind in our faces, making the ascent up the Ballamodha Straight very testing. At least this year, we could see where we were going as opposed to in the inaugural event when visibility was severely reduced, although balancing that advantage was the fact that you see it rising up to a height of 200m, the distance nearly as far as the horizon.
Sean seems to be making a welcome return to full fitness after a couple of quiet years and indeed I was unable to maintain his pace, blowing up completely on the Patrick Road and finishing a good five minutes behind his 2hours 47 minutes to the third station.
Marie Jackson finished strongly to overtake the lads in her last long training session before her 50k debut 27th April for which I feel she should now have great confidence.
Mark had worked hard to try to shake Jock off up the long drag into Foxdale but only succeeded in dropping Alan.
At this stage, Darren Mealin was the surprise package on his walking debut?, only a few minutes behind with Sue Biggart, followed by Alan Kinvig, Andy Green, Ian Wakely, Debbie Storry, Pete Betteridge and a host of others still in contention for the minor places.
Hempsall and Waddington continued to stretch their lead into and after Kirk Michael and by this stage Tony Okell and Marie Gilbertson were also coming to the fore.
By Ramsey, you just had the feeling that something had to give between the two main protagonists, yet despite a scare with Mark's hamstrings which turned out to be minor cramps quickly cured with Diuralite, they remained inseperable.
As expected, Sue Biggart withdrew and the running order had settled with Alan Cowin still in third, Ian Wakely fourth, Andy Green looking extremely stylish in fifth, Darren Mealin still an excellent sixth place, Tony Okell seventh with Marie Gilbertson first lady and 8th overall.
In a titanic battle between Jock's easy walking style and Mark's powerhouse performance this was the way it remained. I had expected Mark to perhaps pull away on the hill up to the Rest and Be Thankful but his electric start seemed to have taken too much out of him and eventually I was quite surprised that Jock didn't use his race walking technique to pull away over the last mile or so.
It must also be said that both men were remarkably restrained when passing two louts were heckling and waving lager under their noses at the Liverpool Arms. It came as a great relief to Dave Mackey and me that neither of us choked on our beer; a wish that Jock had fervently hoped for.
Tony Okell overhauled Darren Mealen in the closing stages and Andy Green used his style to put Ian Wakely under pressure but the former resisted, finishing two minutes ahead of the Castle Rushen School Teacher.
Congratulations to all walkers and the Fire and Rescue Service whose organisation was excellent throughout.
I was lucky enough to witness first hand a magnificent race in the Sarah Killey Memorial Walk. Driving down for the start, we could tell it was a cold morning but the really worrying aspect was that we could actually see the snow falling on Port Erin and Port St. Mary and sure enough, when we arrived at the start, the roads and pavements were covered in the 'white stuff.'
One person who didn't seem to be affected by the temperature was Mark Hempsall who set a blisteringly hot pace right from the slightly delayed start. He was followed at a little distance by Alan Cowin who was walking in his first race since 2006 Parish Walk, then Sean Hands, myself and Jock Waddington.
The speed was in excess of 6mph and it was very doubtful that Mark would be able to maintain such high cadence and so it proved when he was reeled in by the chasing pack by Castletown.
At this point in the race, Sean Hands and I moved to the front of the field in the safe knowledge that we were stopping in Peel but the action was still well poised with Mark, Jock and Alan in close company. The conditions although now mainly dry were very cold with a biting wind in our faces, making the ascent up the Ballamodha Straight very testing. At least this year, we could see where we were going as opposed to in the inaugural event when visibility was severely reduced, although balancing that advantage was the fact that you see it rising up to a height of 200m, the distance nearly as far as the horizon.
Sean seems to be making a welcome return to full fitness after a couple of quiet years and indeed I was unable to maintain his pace, blowing up completely on the Patrick Road and finishing a good five minutes behind his 2hours 47 minutes to the third station.
Marie Jackson finished strongly to overtake the lads in her last long training session before her 50k debut 27th April for which I feel she should now have great confidence.
Mark had worked hard to try to shake Jock off up the long drag into Foxdale but only succeeded in dropping Alan.
At this stage, Darren Mealin was the surprise package on his walking debut?, only a few minutes behind with Sue Biggart, followed by Alan Kinvig, Andy Green, Ian Wakely, Debbie Storry, Pete Betteridge and a host of others still in contention for the minor places.
Hempsall and Waddington continued to stretch their lead into and after Kirk Michael and by this stage Tony Okell and Marie Gilbertson were also coming to the fore.
By Ramsey, you just had the feeling that something had to give between the two main protagonists, yet despite a scare with Mark's hamstrings which turned out to be minor cramps quickly cured with Diuralite, they remained inseperable.
As expected, Sue Biggart withdrew and the running order had settled with Alan Cowin still in third, Ian Wakely fourth, Andy Green looking extremely stylish in fifth, Darren Mealin still an excellent sixth place, Tony Okell seventh with Marie Gilbertson first lady and 8th overall.
In a titanic battle between Jock's easy walking style and Mark's powerhouse performance this was the way it remained. I had expected Mark to perhaps pull away on the hill up to the Rest and Be Thankful but his electric start seemed to have taken too much out of him and eventually I was quite surprised that Jock didn't use his race walking technique to pull away over the last mile or so.
It must also be said that both men were remarkably restrained when passing two louts were heckling and waving lager under their noses at the Liverpool Arms. It came as a great relief to Dave Mackey and me that neither of us choked on our beer; a wish that Jock had fervently hoped for.
Tony Okell overhauled Darren Mealen in the closing stages and Andy Green used his style to put Ian Wakely under pressure but the former resisted, finishing two minutes ahead of the Castle Rushen School Teacher.
Congratulations to all walkers and the Fire and Rescue Service whose organisation was excellent throughout.
Keepy Uppy Bloggy
According to Monday or Tuesday's Daily Mail, there is apparently a new condition afflicting a portion of the population:
Pressure to update your blog!
Certainly, I think I'm a victim of this latest mental, medical fad but there just aren't enough hours in the day. What you really need is the likes of Dave Mackey, who chimed in with a witty aside about why I hadn't blogged lately. Well listen, Pal this is number 39, compared with your measly 22 last year, so stuff you! I wonder is one of the symptoms unreasonable mood swings and aggression to innocent comments?
So on one front, I'm losing grip with reality due to the travails of being ready to compete in this year's race and on the other I have the pressure cooker of writing about it.
Oh well, most people you meet, say you'd have to be mad to walk 85 miles and therefore, on that score, I think I'm just about ready for the task.
Pressure to update your blog!
Certainly, I think I'm a victim of this latest mental, medical fad but there just aren't enough hours in the day. What you really need is the likes of Dave Mackey, who chimed in with a witty aside about why I hadn't blogged lately. Well listen, Pal this is number 39, compared with your measly 22 last year, so stuff you! I wonder is one of the symptoms unreasonable mood swings and aggression to innocent comments?
So on one front, I'm losing grip with reality due to the travails of being ready to compete in this year's race and on the other I have the pressure cooker of writing about it.
Oh well, most people you meet, say you'd have to be mad to walk 85 miles and therefore, on that score, I think I'm just about ready for the task.
Thursday, 3 April 2008
Lets Give Sarah a Fitting Memorial
Had I been less idiotic, the career for me would surely have been sports journalism. What more can a man (or lady for that matter) ask for than to travel the world watching football, cricket, rugby, athletics etc. AND getting paid for it.
So I thought I'd have a go at a preview for Sunday's Sarah Killey Memorial Walk, formerly known as Seven Stations Challenge. Apart from Peter McElroy informing the world that it's on the wrong date, it seems to have been totally ignored by the media, though I'm not certain they have all received the entry list.
The other excuse for the newspapers is that it's very difficult write about this when you don't know how far everyone intends to walk. However, using my network of contacts (as a professional journalist, I never reveal my source) I think I have a fair idea of who's going where.
Of the top walkers, I can see in the entry list, rumour has it that Sean Hands, Chris Cale, Marie Jackson, Sue Biggart are not, like me completing the full course while Ray Pitts and Dave Mackey are believed to be injured.
The two outstanding favourites in my opinion, are Mark Hempsall and Jock Waddington and what a battle it would seem to be. A true contrast of styles: Mark the ultimate 'PowerWalker,' Jock, the stylish 'Race Walker.' They had a very good dice in last year's End to End and despite some initial concerns over Mark's technique, he settled down to finish the deserved victor in the race behind Robbie. Since then, Jock has had a succession of P.B.s culminating with a blistering 5k last Thursday night when he dipped under 24 minutes for the first time (incidentally that's 6 seconds better than mine, so I might have to leg him up on Sunday.)
On the other hand, Mark hasn't raced since his second place breakthrough walk, concentrating instead on his base fitness in preparation for events such as this one.
At any distance up to 20 miles, I think Jock would emerge in front but I believe that Mark's extra fitness will triumph over his superior technique.
Behind them could be also interesting with Alan Cowin and Terry Moffatt also having excellent Parish pedigree. Andy Green and Vinny may also feature, though I'm not sure that they have enough miles on the road on this occasion.
Although I haven't spoken to Tony Okell since I noticed his Parish Walk entry, I cannot see an athlete of his calibre just making up the numbers, though I have no idea what to expect.
The Ladies race is even more difficult to predict but I anticipate Terri Salmon and Marie Gilbertson will be the main protagonists though Bethany Clague seems to be competing in every endurance race known to man at present. It will also be nice to see Maureen Cox take a well earned break (ha ha, change is as good as a rest) from judging duties.
Fingers crossed Adrian Cowin's arranged for good weather, so good luck and see you there.
So I thought I'd have a go at a preview for Sunday's Sarah Killey Memorial Walk, formerly known as Seven Stations Challenge. Apart from Peter McElroy informing the world that it's on the wrong date, it seems to have been totally ignored by the media, though I'm not certain they have all received the entry list.
The other excuse for the newspapers is that it's very difficult write about this when you don't know how far everyone intends to walk. However, using my network of contacts (as a professional journalist, I never reveal my source) I think I have a fair idea of who's going where.
Of the top walkers, I can see in the entry list, rumour has it that Sean Hands, Chris Cale, Marie Jackson, Sue Biggart are not, like me completing the full course while Ray Pitts and Dave Mackey are believed to be injured.
The two outstanding favourites in my opinion, are Mark Hempsall and Jock Waddington and what a battle it would seem to be. A true contrast of styles: Mark the ultimate 'PowerWalker,' Jock, the stylish 'Race Walker.' They had a very good dice in last year's End to End and despite some initial concerns over Mark's technique, he settled down to finish the deserved victor in the race behind Robbie. Since then, Jock has had a succession of P.B.s culminating with a blistering 5k last Thursday night when he dipped under 24 minutes for the first time (incidentally that's 6 seconds better than mine, so I might have to leg him up on Sunday.)
On the other hand, Mark hasn't raced since his second place breakthrough walk, concentrating instead on his base fitness in preparation for events such as this one.
At any distance up to 20 miles, I think Jock would emerge in front but I believe that Mark's extra fitness will triumph over his superior technique.
Behind them could be also interesting with Alan Cowin and Terry Moffatt also having excellent Parish pedigree. Andy Green and Vinny may also feature, though I'm not sure that they have enough miles on the road on this occasion.
Although I haven't spoken to Tony Okell since I noticed his Parish Walk entry, I cannot see an athlete of his calibre just making up the numbers, though I have no idea what to expect.
The Ladies race is even more difficult to predict but I anticipate Terri Salmon and Marie Gilbertson will be the main protagonists though Bethany Clague seems to be competing in every endurance race known to man at present. It will also be nice to see Maureen Cox take a well earned break (ha ha, change is as good as a rest) from judging duties.
Fingers crossed Adrian Cowin's arranged for good weather, so good luck and see you there.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Brian Goldsmith
If anyone does not also read the Manx Athletics main site, they may be still unaware of the untimely passing of Brian Goldsmith. Reading the various contributions to the Forum and the Tribute Page, I realised how little I really knew Brian but as with many other people, I also felt that I had a special bond with him.
He always had a word of encouragement for me both when in my early racewalking days he was passing me and latterly when I was overtaking him. He was always keen for us to train together, particularly on Friday nights when the N.S.C.is traditionally very quiet, although we didn't quite manage to meet up quite as often as intended.
After the death of my father, he and Sandy were very friendly towards my mother at the Villa Marina dancing as she sought to rebuild her life.
One day, my son Terence had an accident in Peel and Brian and Dougie Allen helped us and nothing was too much trouble.
In his professional life, he was always available to offer any advice with V.A.T. matters which such an advantage when many civil servants make you feel somewhat intimidated.
It still seems incredible that along with many others, I saw him on Good Friday at the 10k in Port Erin and he was in fine form despite the cold weather.
I'm sure that all the walking and general athletics community will miss him greatly and hope our sympathy will offer some comfort to Sandy and his family.
He always had a word of encouragement for me both when in my early racewalking days he was passing me and latterly when I was overtaking him. He was always keen for us to train together, particularly on Friday nights when the N.S.C.is traditionally very quiet, although we didn't quite manage to meet up quite as often as intended.
After the death of my father, he and Sandy were very friendly towards my mother at the Villa Marina dancing as she sought to rebuild her life.
One day, my son Terence had an accident in Peel and Brian and Dougie Allen helped us and nothing was too much trouble.
In his professional life, he was always available to offer any advice with V.A.T. matters which such an advantage when many civil servants make you feel somewhat intimidated.
It still seems incredible that along with many others, I saw him on Good Friday at the 10k in Port Erin and he was in fine form despite the cold weather.
I'm sure that all the walking and general athletics community will miss him greatly and hope our sympathy will offer some comfort to Sandy and his family.
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