Are you even a Parish walker if...

... you didn’t spend all day on 20th June 2020 looking at your watch and saying “ahh I’d be just through Santon about now” and “should be on my way through Peel about now” and “ooo it’s getting a bit dark now, head torch would be coming out” and so on.

2020 was an odd and difficult year and although 2021 has started off on a bit of a back foot, we seem to be going in the right direction again now. It’s ace how well the island pulls together to get back on track. 

After spending the autumn and winter months keeping up with training and taking part in the winter walking league, I was keen to see if my efforts had helped me improve. The Fireman’s walk in April was the perfect course, at just over 30 miles and on a relatively flat route, I could test out my hopefully improved speed and endurance.  But, it was not to be and it was understandably called off.  

Over the next few weeks I carried on with my training in the hopes the PW may still go ahead.  Once we went into lockdown though training became difficult. I’d got myself into a good routine with walking. I was finding that getting a couple of my shorter walks in early morn before work was great as it was then done for the day and didn’t impact on family/work life.  Lighter mornings were much welcomed as was the warmer weather.  I hate setting off in cold/windy weather as I never seem to get the layering right. I’m always too hot once I get going if I layer up too much.  Once the weather turns and I can just put on a vest I’m much more comfortable and walk easier.  So, once lockdown hit training kind of slid.  Especially at the beginning when it was 1 hour of exercise a day.  The kids didn’t fancy trying to get a quick 5miles in, fair enough I suppose.  I did print out some sit up and squat challenges though and had my Pilates kit at the ready. I don’t think the print outs got another look at and the Pilates didn’t fair much better either.  Once restrictions eased, training picked back up again and I was glad to be getting out of the house.  Working from home had it’s upsides.  It was great being with the boys all day and we did do some great things and went to some pretty cool places .  But it also had its downsides, being with the boys all day!  Being back out walking on my own in my own head space is one of the best things.  I hadn’t realised how important it was for me until I’d stopped.  

So 20th June came and with the PW cancelled, I decided I would go out for a longish walk and make the most of the lovely sunshine. It wasn’t the 85 miles I had planned on taking on, but I still enjoyed them and came home to my very own feeding station set up by the boys (although the kids were trying to charge me which isn’t quite the same set up as the official PW feeding stations!) Later that evening sat on the sofa with a large glass of wine and a load of snacks to ease the blues, I could hear the rain bouncing off the windows, next year seemed like a good enough plan.  I’ve always been very lucky with weather so far on any long events I’ve done. I’ve not had to battle with wind or rain yet and I’m hoping that 2021 will be no different. 

With everything going well on the island and no sight of another lockdown, I decided I would enter the End to End walk scheduled for September.  I have done this walk twice before and after the last time back in 2014, I said never again!  It’s such a tough walk.  It’s a bit of a slog getting to the Point of Ayer early morn to start the race and for me I find that I’m going the wrong way as it follows part of the PW route but backwards. But having had the other 2 big events cancelled I really wanted to get out and do something.  I was really looking forward to the walk and had some rough times set out.  I wanted to finish in under 8 hours so had that in my mind but I suffered with foot and leg cramp from about 8 miles in which was annoying. I felt I was just getting into my stride and settling into a good pace when it hit.   I ditched any kind of time plan early on and just focused on getting to Peel and then getting to the Sound and the finish line. It’s not something I’ve suffered with before and I had all the usual drinks and salt sticks in my kit but nothing was working.  The only thing I can put it down to is the day before I was rushing about with the kids to swimming lessons, athletics competition, a party, back to athletics, home, bath and bed for them then packing the car for the walk and by the time I’d sat down I hadn’t really eaten or drank all day.  This meant the next day I was going into the walk dehydrated and was on the back foot from the start.  The day before PW I’m in work so have my water bottle to hand all day and loads of food and snacks.  The second half of the walk was easier for me. It was the half I was dreading more to begin with as there are some steep hills going through Glen Maye and the Round Table but I actually enjoyed the change. Going down The Sloc also wasn’t as tough on my knees and feet as I was expecting. However, going up The Howe and down through Cregneash was a killer. The last 2 miles seemed to go on and on and on. I remember telling Mark never, ever, ever again climbing your there haha. But, I still managed to get in under the 8 hours and finished with a smile.  It was a tough and challenging walk but I was able to take a lot from it.  

So here we all are again, getting ready for this years event. I’m looking forward to swapping the head torch back to sunnies and increasing some of my longer walks in the coming months. 

Thanks for reading and if there is anything you want me to write about or have any questions on, please just give me a shout. 

Happy walking.

L x

Setting the alarm for 5.45am is never good. Especially when it’s for a Saturday morning.  When I hear the alarm go off I’m like a ninja hitting the snooze button with rapid speed so I don’t wake up the boys. As with any alarm I always hit snooze. I don’t understand people who can just jump straight up out of bed full of the joys. Once I’ve hit the snooze button I have 10 minutes to decide if I’m going to snuggle back down and sod the walking off or get myself up and get out.  Nine times out of ten I get up. I always prepared my walking kit, bum bag and drink etc the night before which makes it easier in the morning and means I’m not being loud while everyone sleeps.  Stepping outside it’s quiet and pitch black and I use my head torch until I’m down on the prom. Once I’ve dodged the dog poops getting out of Onchan and I’m on my way along the promenade, I am always so glad I got myself up and out. I actually love being out at that time of the morning. I walk much better first thing than when I go out after a day at work and sorting the kids out, but I still find it difficult getting up. Maybe I am a morning person I’m just not a getting up person?  Before I know it I am warmed up and the miles are clocking up. When it starts getting light it feels good to know I’ve done a good few miles while everyone else is still fast asleep.  At the moment I’m doing 11 miles finishing at the NSC in time to meet the boys there for my eldest swimming lesson at 8.30am.  Although I love watching him swim, sitting in the heat of the viewing gallery after my walk is hell!  Whilst I feel great after the fresh air and the miles,  I sit there with a bright red head melting and possibly smelling a tad (soz to the rest of the parents).  This is, for me, the best time for training with a young family. Getting a long walk in before they are up, then leaves me with  the rest of the weekend to spend with them.  As the lighter mornings come I know it will be easier and I look forwards to swapping my head torch for sunnies. 

I also walk to work 3 days a week. It’s only 2 miles but it all adds up to my weekly miles. I try to get another couple of walks in during the evenings and if I have time I will try and do a lunch time walk in my dinner hour. Some times this may only be 3 or 4 miles but again, it all adds up.  The days I do school drop off and pick up for Fynn, we walk up with Leo in the pram. It’s not far, but again it all helps (also pushing the little chunk in the pram is great resistance training).  

On my longer walks I have been taking out food with me so I get back into the habit of eating on the go. Taking on food is not something I really struggle with to be honest, although later on in the PW  it’s not as easy to get food down. It seems to go round and round in your mouth for ages. I eat as much as I can early on, little and often. That’s when you need your support car to be on the ball, they need to be on at you to keep your levels topped up as it’s not always something you’ll think of. On training walks I’m not taking full on packed lunches out, just maybe a flapjack/bar or a jam butty. I also have a drink with me, I tend to use a powder mix which contains calories and electrolytes which is then mixed with water. 

While out walking I never listen to music/podcasts etc.  I use to do all my training listening to music and became reliant on it, especially on longer distances. But once I started training for last years PW I stopped.  You are not allowed to have earphones in during the event so I needed to start getting use to walking without the tunes to get me through.  Although I don’t actually mind walking without a soundtrack, the miles definitely pass by quicker when I am walking with friends.

Other than walking I do Pilates. I started just before last years PW In the hopes it would help me with my walking and recovery while training and I saw such a difference. I go to Physio Led Pilates with Susie (other Pilates classes are available although other Susie’s are not ;) ) and I was able to pick up some great exercises to strengthen weak areas. I have bands and balls and rollers now at home and if I can’t get out for a walk, I can do the Pilates exercises at home watching Corrie and not feel to guilty about it.

I’ve been sticking with the winter walking league, and although I missed the last one, they have been great at keeping up with the training and have really pushed me to go faster. I find I can be a bit lazy when walking on my own. I get in a little bubble at a comfortable pace and don’t always push myself. 

At the moment my main focus is on the Fireman’s walk in April.  As I’ve talked about in my last blog, this is a great walk to use as training for the parish.  Great for testing out kit and food intake.

Thanks for reading, if there is anything you want to ask me, please feel free to message and I’ll try and help.

Happy walking

L x

All the wrong gear and no idea!

It’s fair to say that my first couple of entries into the PW I had on some questionable gear! Although  you can walk in pretty much anything, it definitely helps having a few decent bits to make the miles easier. This doesn’t mean spending the earth on fancy garments, just find what works for you and stick with that. I only have a few bits that I wear/wash/wear/wash. If I find something I like to train/race in then I stick to it.

Trainers - I use to wear a pair of Adidas original trainers which although never gave me any bother or blisters, they didn’t really give me any support. Once I was serious about tackling the full 85 miles, I decided to get some advice on footwear. I went to Up & Running for help and there I went on the gait analysis treadmill which looks at how you walk.   The results from this are then used to find the right trainers for you. The guys in there were so helpful and made sure the fit, size etc were all right. I went away with a pair of Saucony Fastwitch trainers and I’ve never looked back. They are lightweight, breathable,  fit my feet great and also look good.  The only negative I would have is the 3 holes in the bottom of the shoe, as soon as you go anyway near water you feel it soaking up to your socks. I have found this is easily fixed by filling the holes with silicone, although I do believe these holes are not on latest model.

My trainers are the only thing I spend a bit of money on really. I’m not sure if I need to, maybe  a cheaper pair like my old faithfuls would see me round just the same. But the way I see it, the amount of time I spend in them, I definitely get my money’s worth and I know that they won’t give me any problems.

Socks - I use the 1000 miles double lined socks which I have always used. I’ve never tried any other kind of sports sock so don’t have anything to compare to but I find these great.  They aren’t too thick and the seem on the toe is really soft and sits on top of my toes rather than the end, which I find doesn’t cause any problems on long walks. I prefer an ankle sock rather than a trainer sock. I find that they keep out any little stones and gravel that fly up when walking.

I also keep my feet smooth and soft. I know a lot of people who let their feet go tough and swear by it, but I end up with problems if I do this. I don’t suffer with blisters or sore feet generally when walking which is lucky. I’ve had the odd little one that’s come out after the parish but nothing major. I  also cake my feet in Vaseline before long walks. Just make sure you have your socks to hand before you put the Vaseline on or you’ll end up crawling around on all fours so you don’t make a mess looking for them!

I suffer with my ears if they get cold. It’s the one thing I can’t stand when out walking. I use to wear a woolly hat which even in the winter became to hot and then I’d end up having to carry it. Worse still if it rained I’d be left with a heavy soggy head!  I now use the stretchy headband/snood things (unsure of the official name for them?)  which I find great. They are really versatile, use them as a headband, a hat, round neck (soaked in cold water if it’s hot) hair tie and when I don’t need it I can wrap it round my wrist so that if wind picks up I’ve got it.

I tend to stick to the same running tights as I know they don’t rub or annoy me. I’ve had ones in the past where the seems have aggravated my ankles and tummy on long walks and a pair that felt so comfy at home, seamless, sleek, looked the part, but as soon as I stated walking one leg would ride up towards my knee which really got on my wick!  Once I found a pair that suited I bough 2 pairs and stick to them for long walks or races.    That’s the same with the rest of my kit really.  Things that don’t seem like they be much of an issue will be when your 60 odd miles in. The Fireman’s Walk which is held in April, pretty much follows the PW route from Peel to Ramsey and is a great event to test out your kit (entries are now open). It’s a good distance and the time of the event fits in great as a Parish test run. It’s a good one for trying out different drinks and foods also. Especially if you are not use to taking on food while on training walks. 

Other bits I have which are useful are gloves, not sure if I needed them last year for the parish but always good to have just in case. They were definitely needed on the Fireman’s walk last April along the coast from Peek to Kirk Michael.  I tend to change my vest for a light t shirt around Bride. I find it refreshing to take off the sweaty one that’s covers in sun cream and whatever else and put on a fresh clean one. I always like checking into Bride as I’ve then passed my worst stretch. The use of the loo and a fresh top sets me up again and gives me a lift. I have a long sleeve breathable top which I layer on top later on. I’m rubbish when cold so I try to put my layers on before I feel the cold to save my body having to use up reserves to warm me up.  It also takes me ages to warm up from getting cold.  I have a lightweight jacket that’s a mix of mesh on the back and under the arms and a reflective wind proof  front. I like that it’s not fully enclosed jacket which stops me feeling too hot especially coming up that very long hill out of Maughold (I’m also rubbish at being too hot, never happy!)  My head torch isn’t anything fancy but it does the job. I took it out on a training walk beforehand to check what the beam and vision was like with it.  I have a couple of lights I’ve picked up over time which clip onto my bib and arms for the evening.  I have a waterproof jacket in my support car just in case.

I also pack spare everything!  The more the merrier. Tops (short and long), coats (thin, thick, warm) and hats/bands/gloves/spare batteries (for head torch). The only thing I don’t think I’d ever change or mess with would be my feet. I do always put in spare trainers because well, I don’t know why really but it’s definitely better to be over prepared than under. You don’t want to be 20hours of walking in and wishing you had your warm snuggly gloves or an extra layer.

My other must have is my watch. I have the Garmin Vivoactive 3 and although I only bought mine after last years PW, I’d be lost without it.  It’s made a massive difference to my walking.  I borrowed one for last years event and was surprised at how much of a difference it made. I was aiming to finish under 20hrs and had some rough times written out on paper for my support car. Having the watch made it so much easier to keep  me on track as I was able to see my pace and time. It was also a help going between checkpoints as I could see how many miles I’d ticked off and knew how far I was to the next. The downside to this watch for this length of event is the battery life is only 13 hours. There  is no chance of me getting back to Onchan in that time!  The upside is that it charges really quickly. I had a power bank charger in the support car and plugged it in for a about 40 minutes before the battery went and then it seen me right through to the end. It also kept the miles clicking along while it was in the car so it didn’t throw me when I put it back on. There are loads of watches out there and some that have 24 hr battery but with this the cost goes up.

Thanks for reading and if I can help out with anything give me a message.

Happy walking

L x

Introduction

1st December, Christmas trees are going up, advent calendars tucked into and Parish Walk entries are open!

I have been asked to write a blog in the run up to the 2020 Parish to share my training, experiences, the ups and the downs and other helpful tips I have picked up along my way which I hope will be of help.

My name is Lorna Gleave, I’m 35 and live in Onchan with my husband Mark and little lads Fynn (6) and Leo (2).

My first PW entry was in 2012.  I entered it with not much thought and was pretty chuffed to make it to Peel.  The year later I went back for another go in the hopes to get a bit further. I’d had my eldest boy in the February and the only way he would sleep was being pushed around in his pram like a little lord!  This proved great training as I managed to make it to Jurby.  

The PW bug now had a hold of me and I set my sights on a finish in 2014.  I was still out pushing the pram which was great resistance training as the fitter I was getting the heavier the load was getting.  I also upped my number of long distance walks and changed my thinking from “I’ll see how far I get” to “I want to cross that finish line!”  Race day was glorious sunshine which I was pleased about and I couldn’t wait to get going.  I walked with my friend Kath to Peel who I’d done a lot of training with and knew we walked well together and the time flew by.  After her stroll to Peel, Kath jumped in my support car and seen me through to the finish. It was great having Kath in the support team as she had finished the parish the previous year so knew exactly how I was feeling.  Kirk Michael, Ballaugh and Jurby all seemed to fly by quickly. I felt like I was ticking the churches off at fairly good speed. That was until Bride!  The stretch from Jurby to Bride was by far the toughest part. It went on and on and on. I felt like a kid in the back of a car saying “are we nearly there yet” every 5 minutes to my support!  Clocking in at Bride was such a relief. My mood picked up and I felt confident again for my aim of finishing. On my way to Lezayre it was time to get my warmer layer on and lights/head torch. This was a really exciting part for me and it felt like a new race. Ramsey onwards is my favourite part of the course and I enjoyed every step. Although I must admit, I didn’t realise how far off the main road Lonan church is. I found coming back down that hill tough on my knees and feet and the same going down the butt to Onchan church.  Once I got onto Douglas prom the feeling was incredible with the end in sight.  I flew along that prom and crossed the finish line with the biggest grin. 

Highs of the PW, definitely the support along the course. There are loads of feeding/water stations along the way to Peel, but there are so many people who sit out in their gardens, street, the pub till all hours to cheer you on.  It’s amazing. I have to say Maughold village throw one hell of a welcome party!  The lows, definitely that stretch up North for me but having a cracking support team to push you through those rough patches really does make all the difference. Having 3 of them in the support car was great because they all took it in turns to get out and sort me with whatever I needed. Seeing different faces and being offered different things each time was really refreshing.

So that was it, I’d conquered the PW and I put my feet up.  Until boy number 2 came along and I was back out with the pram pacing the streets of Onchan and Douglas.  I loved being back out walking and decided to enter the 2019 PW in the hopes of knocking some time of my previous finish and of really hoping to finish under 20 hours.  My training this time was a lot different to 2014 as having 2 small lads I didn’t have the time to do so many long walks. I crammed loads of little walks in where I could and tried to work on my speed. I went into the walk feeling unprepared but it turns out that this style of training actually suited me better and I managed to knock a good chunk of time off and get across the finish line in under 19hrs.

My goal for 2020 is undecided as of yet, firstly I need to get myself signed up.  My training is still on going , I’m definitely a fair weather walker (which is something I need to push myself out of, I just hate being soggy!) so getting the miles in when and where I can at the moment. I will talk more about my walking and training in my next entry.  If there is anything you want me to write/ramble on about let me know and I’ll try and help.

Thanks for reading

L x