The Parish Walk is over once more for another year and forever for me.
You'll be shocked to hear that no one actually believes that statement!
However, after 9 finishes, 8 of them attempting (and failing 7 times) to win and to be honest, I've had enough of the level of effort required to be at the sharp end of the event, not to mention risking permanent injury to the knee I'd been operated on.
I've even reneged on my promise to do a lap with Irene in 2016!
Unfortunately, I didn't quite go out in the blaze of glory that I'd been hoping for but under the circumstances, I was very pleased to come 2nd in 15:04.
This year, I hadn't really been on the money in training and I was very disappointed with my 50k race in Slovakia in March but just put that down to trying to go a little too quickly on a warm day.
However, my times just weren't what they should have been throughout my preparation and at the 10,000m championships in May, I was almost 5 minutes above my best and received some negative comments about my technique. This was was the catalyst for having my blood tested and sure enough, it was found that I was lacking in iron and my blood count was low.
Unfortunately and frustratingly, due to a clerical error, there was a delay in me receiving the results and I had to go for a 2nd test.
Panic was starting to grip and then just 3 weeks and 6 days before Parish, I was well down the field in the Northern 10 Miles and was beaten by Richard Gerrard by 11 minutes, the big day looming large .
My old chum, sports masseur, therapist, personal trainer and top policeman, Mark Hempsall suggested the Hyperbaric Chamber. On the recommendation of David Downey who runs the facility, I was referred by Dr David Walker for a course of treatment which was extremely good of him as he is after all a rival as well as a friend.
Therefore, for two weeks, I spent an hour diving without the fishes. You are put into a pressurised container (with comfy seats,) air is pumped into it until you reach an equivalent pressure at the depth of 14.5m.
On the first occasion, I really struggled. It was a similar feeling I've previously experienced being in a plane about to land and it was if someone was tightening a steel band around my skull but I soon became used to it and the technician Dean Cooke watches you on video, should you need to stop at any time.
As those of you who saw my last blog will know, I made a late decision raise money the charity which receives only a small amount of support from Isle of Man Government. They help patients from all walks of life with a wide variety of different complaints, divers with decompression sickness have been flown in from all over the British Isle and although not everyone in medicine agrees, hyperbaric medicine's contribution to the welfare of the community is underrated and underfunded.
Unfortunately, my, 'Just Giving' page was unsuccessful with only £20 donated. However, using the old fashioned method of a form on the Reception desk, the generosity of friends and guests staying at the Welbeck added a further £233 with us adding another £100, which as you can see above, I handed to them the other day.
For more information, please see: http://www.hyperbaric.im/
Although I'd managed my first respectable training session, (3 x 3k @ 12kph) for quite some time, I had absolutely no idea as I stood on the start line whether I could be competitive or even last the 85 miles because with my recovery being so close to the race, I had no real way of testing if I was ready other than proving the pudding by eating it.
Everything felt fine on the day, though I knew that when Mr. Gerrard made the decisive break only 9 miles or so into the battle, I was unable to match his pace. He controlled the race brilliantly from the front and gradually extended his lead.
After the climb up Ballakillowey and the Sloc, he was 7 minutes ahead at Glen Rushen, so I decided that I had to reel him in a little if I was to remain in contention. Descending has always been a strong point of mine but unfortunately at this point, my ego overruled my brain and I pushed hard with the idea of striking a psychological blow by reducing his advantage considerably in a short period of time.
On the approach to Dalby 3 or 4 miles later, I had reduced the margin by a mere 17 seconds but more to the point, as the sun began to to add a little warmth to the occasion, I had expended far too much energy and struggled for the next 10k or so to recover and once again the gap widened, this time to 12 minutes.
What I hadn't realised was that Richard had also overworked himself a little, so finally I was beginning to hold the advantage and even eat into it a little on the other side of Peel. By Kirk Michael, I had reduced the deficit to 11 & 1/2 minutes. However, after Jurby, near the Lhen I think, I had the first of my three bouts of vomiting and thereafter, I didn't threaten the lead again.
It was very tough coming back down the East coast but the fact I wasn't wearing my spectacles kept me laughing at myself as I'd spot something totally bizarre like a modern building in a field or a judge/marshal hiding behind a shelter in the distance, then I would change my mind about 3 times about what it was before finally realising it was nothing more than a tree or a lamp post. At least I don't think I was hallucinating.
Relief finally came at 11:04 but not before my eyesight played one final trick. The Onchan Silver Band was playing as I approached the end and all I could see were lights around them toward the roadway. It occurred to me that the finish line must have been altered and moved to a new place, so I headed for them, only for Ray Cox to come sprinting out to re-direct me to where I'd been so many times before.
I would like to thank Graham & Martin Young for all their input over the years and of course Irene & my family for allowing me to go out and play
Congratulations to Richard Gerrard for being a worthy winner and lap record holder and also to Janette Morgan who claimed victory in the women's race for the second successive year too. In fact as Alex Eaton and Danielle Oates won the u21 races to Peel, this was the first time that all 4 titles had been retained. It is a source of pride that the latter two are products of Manx Harriers junior coaching programme run by Elizabeth Corran with which I have been associated to varying degrees since December 2004.
Thank you to Manx Telecom for their sponsorship of the event, Manx Harriers and the Parish Walk Commitee, Murray Lambden and all his photographers (I nicked them in the end but did try to buy them making a donation.)
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