Faster and heavier than you

Busy at work. Sore foot. T. Shirt design. That's three of the reasons for not getting much training in this week. It certainly wasn't the improvement I was looking for. A good 90 minute effort on Monday tweaked the foot problem I picked up the previous week. Couple of days off before a lap of Snaefell (Bungalow - Black Hut - summit - Bungalow) on Thursday morning and the evening hill session. Sore again, so left it until Sunday. A three hour walk - glad to get a few miles in, but felt slow and tired. Crikey... this year I was planning to get a bit further than Rushen before blowing up.

TT fortnight is here. Love them or loath them, the bikes are faster and heavier than you, so try to avoid sharing the road with them. If there is a pavement, fine, but if there isn't, don't walk on the busy roads. Find a quiet route (Baldwin, Marine Drive, Maughold, Regaby etc) and stick to it, leaving your iPod/walkman at home. For the ultimate in safe (but tedious?) road mileage, don't forget the half-mile NSC roadway. The hill session was another damp affair on Thursday, but everyone enjoyed it. This coming Thursday (31st), we're meeting at Axnfell Picnic Area for a walk around Glenroy. All very welcome.

Got the gumpf through the post about the Telecom-sponsored 'Sportident' timing system. It will be brilliant (and painful) to be able to see just where (and by how much) you lost/gained on your rivals in the weeks after the race. Another winner will be the ability to have your progress sent by text message to two mobile numbers. I was wondering whether Robbie and Sean might put each other's numbers down - just to keep a tab on each other... The organisers are hoping that this facility will enable support crews to avoid unnecessary driving on the day. I for one will be repeating last year's plan and telling my support to stay at home until I reach (that's right Steve - stay confident) Peel. There were so many drink/feed stations in the early stages last year that I didn't need to have had breakfast. Maybe I'll have an extra hour or two in bed this year.

Up and Dhoon

On the positive side, last week saw me train six days out of seven and three of those days were over 90 minutes. On the less than positive side, I reckon that I did about 45 miles, so there were some very short walks included. Still, it's a move in the right direction.

The hill session for all-comers was a success (look at those smiling faces). Mind you, that's easy for me to say - for a proper review you'll need to ask someone who was there. It rained throughout, but eight of us managed a useful work-out. For anyone interested, we will be doing something similar this Thursday evening. Again meet at the Dhoon Cafe car park for a 7pm kick-off. Don't be put off if you haven't trained in a group before - it's easier than going on your own and it's more fun.

Positive pensioner feedback

Probably too little and probably too late, but I've notched up three days consecutive training. No unexpected niggles and feeling pretty good. Well, I was, until a very old lady, shuffling along towards me on the other side of the quiet country lane, stopped. She leaned on her walking sticks and watched me walk past. I smiled and said 'hello'. She shook her head said 'I hope you're not damaging your hips'. So do I.

With the countdown really on now, I'll try and think of a few things to think about leading up to the big day. Let's start with shoes. It doesn't matter what they look like or how expensive or cheap they were - as long as they are comfortable. That is the only thing to consider. If you haven't got them sorted by now - do it sooner rather than later. Preferably get two pairs (if it pours with rain, you may be glad of the extra pair) and make sure you wear them in. New, untried shoes are usually a recipe for disaster. However, old, worn out shoes - the pair you've had since 1985 and are held together with tape and safety pins - can be equally dangerous to your long-distance chances.

So find the shoes you like, buy a couple of pairs. Then wear them in but don't wear them out. Easy.

Time to ease up

Right, 'cards on the table' time. There are six weeks to go. I'm not ready and I'm not going to be. The past three weeks have been 'stop-start' with a planned recovery from the 50 miler and an unplanned sore knee from lifting paving slabs. I've been out on my bike and been for a couple of jogs, but that's been it.

In the pub on Saturday (two cokes and no crisps), someone said 'oh, just six weeks to go? You'll be easing down now then..." Hmmm. To be able to ease down suggests a period (however brief) at which you were operating at a higher level. So I need to ease up a bit first. I started the ease up with a 90 minute walk yesterday. I think I'll give the Carragyhn a miss this evening though. It is one of the steepest local race descents and has 'sore legs for the rest of the week' written all over it.

For anyone who might be interested in a different training session, I've got a group of mainly novice Parish walkers lined up to do an hour's hill session on Wednesday evening. It will be useful for all abilities and anyone who wants to join in will be made very welcome. Meet at the Dhoon Cafe car park in time for a 7pm start.

Wonders never cease

If it wasn't for the wonder of on-line entry, I would be tip-toeing up Liz and Gordon Corran's path on my way to work in the morning to drop my envelope quietly through their door. As it is, I have been on the official entry list for almost a week. Amazing.

After the 50 miler, my recovery has continued at a leisurely pace this week. Apart from a 90 minute run on the hills and a day moving concrete paving slabs 100 yards uphill (a day which confirmed that gravity is a cruel mistress and that I am a proper weakling) this week has seen little exercise. The run was memorable. Not only was the sun shining and the hills clear on both sides of the Irish Sea, but I went with Cal. Nothing special in that - except that we very rarely go training together. This is mainly because one of us (not me) usually spends the whole time checking that the other one of us (not her) isn't being 'held up' or 'having to wait' for them. Apart from the compulsory 'you run in front' ruling, our run this week was great fun and we even discussed making it a regular date. Wonders never cease...

There are Parish walkers out everywhere at the moment, lured onto the roads by the warmer conditions and the fact that time is against them. We play 'How Many Parish Walkers' (I've thought long and hard, but a catchier name eludes me) whenever we're driving in the car (it's a rubbish game if you are just parked up somewhere). Basically, everyone in the car decides how many Parish Walkers they think we will pass by the time we get wherever we're going. Then you count them and... well you can guess the rest. The driver has the final say if there are any 'disputed identification issues'. As a rule, walkers pushing prams or bicycles, carrying shopping bags, holding an infants hand or walking a dog are not Parish Walkers. Likewise, men waiting at bus-stops don't count - even if the little voice from the rear seat says 'I saw him before and he was walking then - he must be so tired that he has to get the bus home'.