Recovery frustrations

Another week in and my hamstring still isn't right.

I went to see John Barton the Physio on Saturday. I haven't torn anything but I need to take it easy and gradually build back up over the next 10 days to full volume again.

I managed to get a 5k in on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I did the boxing day relay run, which was a mistake.  I should never have started but I didn't want to let my team down.  I pulled up after 2k with a very sharp pain and walked back in.  I managed to jog the final kilometre.

I managed another 5k this morning to make it up to a 20k week.

Rather than leave this as a dull blog entry, I will tell you how I got into walking.

We used to stay in Wales as a family, same farm each year, family friends.  When I was 10, my Dad announced he was doing a mammoth walk the following day to raise money for the local church roof.  I asked to go along but was told I was too young.

My Mum persuaded them to let me go on the first leg, which was three miles.  The walk was 32 miles right around the Gower starting in Swansea.  There were about 40 people who started out, plus a keen as mustard 10 year old.  There were support cars set up every few miles to bail people out or to give refreshments / socks etc.

After we got to three miles, they suggested I get in the car with my Mum.  I refused.  I wanted to go to the next support stop.  This kept happening all day and I made it to the finish along with only three of the other starters.

I was then greedy for walking!  In my head it was my "thing".  I used to go for long walks with my Dad, we did the Millennium way in all directions, bagged all the hills in on Island, then did the lakes and bagged loads of them and then Scotland and bagged loads of them too.

I lived in Douglas near the (now) NSC.  I often saw Murray and others training down there when I was about 12 years old (1982).  I'd park my bike and try to keep up with them, managing about 100 yards.  Looking back, they probably thought I was taking the p1$$.

Then we did race-walking at school (1984).  They made the whole class do 3k.  In my head it was still my 'thing'. I tried to copy the style of Murry and the other guys training down the NSC and absolutely blasted it.  Lap after lap I flew round.  I managed to do 17:02.  The games teacher was pretty impressed and took me down to Graham Young's house (two times Parish Walk winner and Commonwealth walker).  Graham took a look at me walking and agreed to be my coach and get me ready for the English Schools trials.  I would go there every day straight after school religiously for several years.

I got quite quick.  I can't remember my old PBs any more, but I do have a few newspaper clippings from when I was 15.

Round 6 1985/86 winter league at the Hawthorne Pub.

There are a few names in there that some may recognise. Including the Chief Judge at the 2012 London Olympics!

Round 5 1885/86 winter league at Ballakermeen.

Few more in this one including at least two Parish Walk winners and many more well known finishers.

Peel to Douglas Walk 1986.

Last piece of memorabilia for today.  The 1986 Peel to Douglas walk when I was 16 years old.

That is how it all began for me.  I left the Island in 1989 to go to university and I stopped walking.  We came back a few years ago when Jessica was school age.  

So I decided to take it back up again, and here we are...