Parish Walk Training Diary

So far this week, I’ve done one walk which I’d count as a training walk, even though I was pushing the pram at the time. I went from Laxey Beach, along the main road to Baldrine corner then up the steep hill to the Begoade Road, just before the Five and a Half. I thought, “How can I make this a training walk, as opposed to a fast stroll?” So I decided to keep up the same pace I’d walked at on the flat, main road. This was quite a feat, considering the steepness of the road and the fact that I was pushing an 18 lb baby.

What I noticed, though, was that the knot of muscle on the left hand side at the back of my neck - which has been knotted up since breast feeding and is still knotted with carrying the baby - was burning like mad. I tried to relax my shoulders while I walked but it’s a bit difficult when you’re hanging onto the handlebar of the pram.

Once at Axnfell, I came down Rencell Hill, greatful that we’d bought a pram with a disc brake and continued along the Glen Road and up Old Laxey Hill to home. It took just under two hours which means I must’ve been walking at about 2.5 miles an hour which can’t be bad with a pram, can it?

I haven’t had a chance to do my usual Monday night swim as I’ve been in London on a course for a few days. I miss having the swim, even if it’s only once a week. Walking through the underground in London, I felt like a real Manxee, being overtaken on both sides by feverish commuters. I don’t miss living in London but I realised that I actually did a lot more walking, in an average day, when I lived in the city.

My first Mothers Day! My husband brought our baby to me, holding a special First Mothers Day card for me - how sweet! He then went off on his Sunday cycle training. (He’s been a member of the British Cycle Team since I met him so Saturday and Suday mornings are sewn-up, training-wise for him.) So…I had two choices for the afternoon: go for my first Parish Walk Training Walk or spend the afternoon with my new, little family. Guess which one won? I wonder whether pushing a pram at full-tilt into the wind from the Point of Ayre to Ballaghennie counts as Parish Walk training? I hope so.

I’ve been having a look at the Training Diaries on the Parish Walk website. God:these people are serious athletes. They talk about running up Barrule; going snowboarding; one person mentions something pulling at his ‘hip abductors’ - I don’t know what they are but after 18 months of little exercise, I could do with some of those myself.

The other Bloggers seem so dedicated. They’re aware of their bodies. They’ve already done the Parish Walk or they’ve taken part in organised events like 10 km road races. I have never, ever taken part in an organised, sporting event - not even at school. (Infact, I have to admit that I hated games lessons at school so much that I can’t bare to watch sport on TV, even now. )

I bet they’ve got all the kit: the right kind of air-cushioned trainers; luminous bibs; non-chafe clothing that keeps you warm in cold weather and stops you sweating in the heat. I need some proper clothes if I’m going to start training seriously. My old trainers should do for now but I’ve heard that the sports shop in Douglas has one of those treadmills where you run on the spot and they study your style and find you the right trainers. I also need some running leggings as my wide-bottomed tracksuits are not very wind resistant.

But the fact remains: when am I going to make time to train? On work days, I get up at 6.30 in order to get our baby ready and get to work for 9am so there isn’t really time in the mornings. On the other days I’m looking after our baby - and I want to spend time with her because there are three days when I’m away from her at work. I could try doing an hour’s training in my dinner hour then having a sandwich at my desk. I’ve measured the distance between the Manx Radio building and the first kissing gate on Marine Drive and the return trip is at least two miles. So that would make six miles. Then once the evening are lighter…Hang on…Let’s try the dinnertimes first…