LONG ROAD OUT OF EDEN JURBY – PART 6

 

ENTRIES HAVE CLOSED!

Entries closed at midnight on Sunday for next month’s scenic stroll around the Island’s Parishes and a great entry of 1245 has been announced (although I am sure that 1246 Kelsey Ferguson will be in there somewhere!). Amongst the latest entries we welcome his Honour the Lieutenant Governor John Lorimer and hope that he will become as obsessed about the event as the rest of us, whilst an intriguing addition is that outstanding athlete Gianni Epifani, and it will be interesting to see how he fares on the long distance.

I am especially pleased to see the return of three of the all-time greats of the event. Jock Waddington (4 times winner 2008-2011 inclusive) is I believe only going to Peel this time, though as a member of the Committee’s website and social media team I expect he will be having a somewhat busy evening once he gets back to Douglas. Robbie Callister (5 times winner between 2001 and 2007) ‘retired’ in 2021 citing his inability to continue to challenge at the front end. And this after he had just completed the 32.5 miles to Peel in a time of 5h 53m 30s! Finally, Richard Gerrard (another five times winner during the period 2012-18) who I had prepared a short piece about how he had clawed back from fourth place at Glen Mona last year to overhaul Liam Parker along the promenade for the runners-up spot in 2022 – the sign of a great champion, before indicating that that would be his swansong. His late entry will no doubt now lead to intensive planning as to how to challenge Paul Atherton, Dean Morgan and co to achieve a record equalling (with John Cannell) sixth success. It is also good to see 2018 Women’s winner Bernie Johnson amongst the late entrants. With her husband Lee, I always think of the  Johnsons as our local equivalent of their fellow Centurions, England’s Richard and Sandra Brown and the Australian couple Justin and Sharon Scholz.

With an annual ‘attrition’ rate on the day of roughly 10% it looks like we will have over 1000 taking the starting line once again, and a quality field has been assembled!

 

TRAINING PROGRESS

I have now reached 226 miles of my intended minimum 300 miles ‘proper’ training, though only one session in excess of 20 miles, and longer sessions must be the aim now for May both for myself and all other entrants in serious training.

There has only been one recent competitive event, and it was good to see the return of the ‘Northern 10’ on Sunday morning. Despite the thick fog on the way up north, by the time I reached Ramsey I was greeted by warm sunshine, generally good conditions for competitors. The pace was quickly taken up by Erika Kelly and Neil Wade respectively, and Erika’s superb winning time of 1 22 42 was over half an hour quicker than my own 1 58 43 though at least I continued to beat 2 hours, which I am aiming to continue doing until I draw my pension in a couple of years’ time!

 

AN ALTERNATIVE DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE (WELL MOST OF IT)

The opening five minutes of the event is not dissimilar to the start of  the London Marathon in that the leader (more than once Janette Morgan – Women’s overall victor in 2014 and 2015) has almost completed the circuit of the track before the back markers have barely got round the first ‘corner’.

Once you have walked along the access road you come to the first of the hills/inclines. By my reckoning there are thirty-five hills before the War Memorial, although each time I try to count them I get a different total!

After passing Braddan Church (which thankfully we don’t have to cross the road and clock in at) we meander down into Union Mills where 1977 winner Steve Gardner regularly marshals, before heading up the Ballahutchin to Marown Church. This part is one of at least nine sections where you turn back on yourself (Santon, Malew, Rushen, Patrick, Jurby, Andreas, Lonan and St. Peter’s, Onchan also come to mind).

Heading up the hill to the crossroads, you will find Sue Scarffe and her fellow helpers, who will try to entice you with half a bacon butty, before turning left just down from the crossroads and heading over the hill to Newtown.

It is not too far along before you reach the next check point at Santon Church, and everyone is still pretty much full of optimism and good humour at this stage! Only a mile down the road though, and there is a steep (fortunately short) incline at the Blackboards, which provides a foretaste as to what is ahead.

Successfully negotiating this you will find fanatical Evertonian Juan Kermode waiting to get you safely across the road and will then be rewarded with one of the famous ‘Orrisdale sausages’ as the course wends its way down to Ballasalla on the way to Malew Church, where an enthusiastic band awaits you.

A four miles flat stretch follows , taking in Colby though I am not sure whether anyone still undertakes the former practice of many social walkers in stopping for a pint at the Colby Glen! Once you reach Rushen Church, you have the sense of ‘getting somewhere’ though the next couple of hours will test your resolve! Much has been said and written about the Sloc though in recent years the sentiment has turned to the prior Ballakillowey stretch being the ‘killer’. It gets gradually steeper, particularly the last section from the picnic area to ‘Tom the Dippers’ and takes me about 20 minutes to reach the top. Eammon Harkin always recommended ‘attacking’ this section, whilst Tony Edwards’ suggestion that the best way to improve on hills is to train on hills has a certain logic!

However, once you reach the top there is a good flat section of just over a mile to recover and contemplate the expanse in the distance as you see little figures towards the top of the hill and wish you were that far along the route!

After the next long hike up, you are greeted around the corner with a view of Corrin’s folly, and for those aiming for Peel the knowledge that there is less than eight miles to go and only around two hours remaining on tired legs. Approaching the Round Table, you will be greeted by several very well- dressed gentlemen in dinner suits who will try to entice you to have a glass of beer. I haven’t succumbed yet but will one day! Turning down the hill and enjoying the views of Niarbyl (and many walkers claim that they find it more difficult on the knees going down- rather than uphill) you will eventually reach Dalby, where the tempting offer of flapjacks from Margie Killey and co just has to be taken up in order to refuel for the next hazard – the steep hill up to Glen Maye.

Down the stretch towards Patrick Church, passing the recent innovation of the ’fan zone’ en route, then there is only the small matter of Glenfaba Hill before you enter Peel where you will pass bemused shoppers in Michael Street before Elaine Cain steers you up Derby Road for well-deserved applause as you check in after 32 1/2 miles.

For many walkers though Peel is just the ’start’ of the Walk. So, after the option of re-fuelling at the ‘top chippy’ there looms a long stretch to Michael. As well as the spectacular views towards the Mull of Galloway, you also have to contend with late afternoon horseflies (don’t forget the insect repellent) and some very uneven pavements, which you can’t step off due to the large number of support cars parked both before and after the Devil’s Elbow.

Down and up the dip of Glen Wyllin you stride/limp into Kirk Michael where the throng at the Mitre are always vocal and shout out your name from the programme. A ‘short’ stretch then to Ballaugh, though beware if you see the man who asks if he can spray you with the hosepipe to cool you down. The year I agreed to this, within five seconds I thought that I had been splattered with buckshot! It was only later that I found out that I had neglected to put sun cream on the backs of my legs, and paid the price…

The next stretch is not much longer, though is deceptive in that you can see Jurby Church almost immediately, although at one stage you appear to be going away from what is classed as the half-way stage. Heading up the road to check in you will pass some who have called it a day and their hobbling gait is a testament to the effort they have put in throughout the day.

Next comes my least favourite section. The road to Bride is seven miles long, the light is going, you are getting tired and are struggling to keep concentration. The only other people I usually see apart from those in the support vehicle are the odd competitors who mutter words of encouragement as they are passing me! Beware the road sign which announces ‘Welcome to Bride’ as there is still a mile to go to the Church, the spire of which can also be seen a long way distant though never seems to get any nearer…

Once you make the commitment to proceed past Bride, Andreas is entirely achievable and there is always a great turnout of good-humoured support. The stony path up to the Church though soon brings you back to reality, as does further uneven pavements heading out past the Grosvenor, so make sure you have the angle set correctly on your head touch.

Once you are back on the main road again the next target is to get into Ramsey where the cheers of the crowd at the ‘Swan’ will lift your spirits once more. Heading south the important task is to make sure that you take the correct turning to Maughold and yet another hill awaits before you can briefly join the big party held on the Green each year in front of the check in. In 2023 the organisers have indicated that they will remain ‘open’ until the last competitor has arrived so if things go well please save me a burger for consumption at 2.49 a.m.!

Having only completed the final 18 miles of the course in training, it would be inequitable of me to attempt to describe what you can expect to experience over the remaining five hours, so for thoughts on the other infamous hill (Ballajora), plus what is available in the early hours at the Dhoon café, the uplift you feel when dawn eventually arrives, the wonderful marshals at St. Peter’s Church who have been up all night and the feeling you get when you finally turn at Port Jack and spy the War Memorial in the distance – please refer to a previous finisher!  

 

COMPETING OFF ISLAND

As mentioned in an earlier blog, I had to miss the 2022 ‘Parish’ (my only absence since first entering the event in 1999) due to attending my God-daughter Charlotte Quarrie’s wedding in Dubrovnik, although I was surreptitiously keeping up to date with events throughout the day! Instead, I decided to enter the Centurion event to be held in Middlesbrough in August.

I had only ever entered one off-Island event previously.

In 2017 I booked to travel down to London to see the ‘Their Mortal Remains’ Pink Floyd Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum and wondered how to fill in the rest of the weekend. Whilst looking at the ‘Centurions’ website one evening I noticed that their 2017 event was to be held the previous day to the museum visit near the Skyliner Sports Centre, Bury St. Edmonds and that there would be ancillary distances. I duly decided to enter for my first off-Island Race walking event - the 20 miles race walk.

Having arrived at Gatwick on the last flight on Friday I had an early start on the Saturday morning to get the Gatwick Express into Liverpool Street station and then onto Bury St. Edmonds via Ipswich. I eventually arrived at the Sports Centre where the 100 miles event was already in progress (including legendary husband and wife Richard and Sandra Brown, the ‘usual’ Dutch contingent and Manx Harriers’ own James Bassett) and completed my preparations as the Rules of the event were being read out.

The course was a circular 2 miles loop. Roughly half was adjacent to a main road before cutting into a wooded area where the shelter was very welcome as the temperature was not too dissimilar to the ‘Parish’ earlier in the year. There was also a good field to contend with, including Olympian race walkers Ian Richards ( Moscow 1980) and Lisa Kehler (Barcelona 1992 and Sydney 2000). Well known Parish finisher Edmund Shillabeer was also on the starting line-up and the race got underway at 4 p.m.

The camaraderie was excellent with all the competitors I walked with speaking kindly of Manx athletes they had met and about the Island itself. I did my usually ‘graph’ of a quick start averaging 5.6 m.p.h. in the early stages slowing down to a last loop at 4.4 m.p.h. and eventually finished 11^th of 19 and being rewarded with a 3 seconds’ personal best of 04 hours 07 minutes 16.80 seconds! Somewhere along the line I also got presented with the 55-59 B.M.A.F. age group champion for the distance for 2017, a proud moment.

 

 

             Taken shortly before heading back into town to celebrate via the local Greene King!

 

So, in 2022 I travelled to Middlesbrough (via National Express as we were in the middle of the train strikes) and spent early Friday evening having dinner in the very genial company of Chris Flint, Secretary of Centurions 1911 as well as being Parish Walk winner in both 1997 and 1999.

The following morning, I headed down to the cycle track where the event was to be held and met fellow locals Andrew Titley and Haydn Kenna, the husband-and-wife team Justin and Sharon Scholz (who were interrupting their tandem cycle ride round Europe by competing (and both finishing) the event. It was  a great pleasure too to meet the New Zealand ultra walker Richard McChesney who (I learned later) had walked the 70 miles from Leeds to Redcar the day before the event, then undertook a Parkrun on the Saturday morning, before completing the 100 miles with a quarter of an hour remaining!

As for my own walk, all I can say is that I was happy with my performance for the first 30 miles though then sat down for a break which as usual, was fatal. To make things worse the heavens opened, and it lashed down for the next two hours, which sapped my enthusiasm pretty quickly!

I eventually called it a day after 10 hours 20 minutes, having recorded 41.76 miles (although my Garmin showed a mile less which is puzzling to this ‘statto’).

I have entered once more for this year and will take more than one yellow jacket in case it rains, which will probably mean temperatures of 30 degrees centigrade on the day!

  

   

    

  The two hours ‘monsoon’ at Middlesbrough on 20 August 2022 finished me off!