LONG ROAD OUT OF EDEN JURBY – PART EIGHT
MY THANKS
I wish to start my final blog
for 2023 by thanking Jock Waddington for giving me the opportunity of sharing
my experiences of the ‘P.W.’ from the last 25 years, touching on its history,
my training progress and tips from other ‘veterans’.
Also my gratitude to Ray Cox and
his organising team for another superb event, and all the spectators/supporters
around the course who ‘make’ the day for the competitors.
SATURDAY 24th JUNE 2023
My Parish Walk day started
with a bit of a panic when I missed the alarm and didn’t wake up until 6.38
a.m.! Fortunately, everything was laid out well in advance and I managed to get
down to the start in good time.
All went to plan to Rushen
though the music blaring out at the Blackboards (The only way is up) gave a foretaste
as to what was to come. I was trying to put in the minimum effort to each
church to save energy for later, and boy did I need it!
Turning at Rushen I actually had
no issues on the ascent up Ballakillowey, though by then the sun had come out
and everything unravelled. At the top of the Sloc at the turning toward the
Round Table I managed to empty the contents of my stomach, not once but three
times… I had predominantly eaten bananas up to that point so don’t know whether
I should have adopted a more varied diet,
but the damage was done. A similar tale occurred on the hill up to Glen Maye,
and I am eternally grateful to the occupants of Glen View towards the top of
the hill, who sat me down for five minutes and refreshed me with two pints of
iced water in order to get me going again.
‘Digging in’ I managed to
complete the last three miles to Peel before the St. John’s Ambulance team give
me some welcome shade under their canopy (after a fifth ‘evacuation’) before heading
back home to catch up on the progress of those with my fortitude than myself...
SPECIAL AWARDS GO TO…
A special mention now for some
of those whose efforts have come to my attention whilst strolling through the
results:
All 134 finishers – Fantastic performances
in the conditions.
Chris Cale - a 20th finish for
Chris, who crossed the line immediately following Andrew Titley (now on 21
finishes)
Charlotte Barham and Danny
Metcalfe - the respective first-time
finishers, who should be feeling extra proud of themselves today.
Samantha Bowden - a selfless performance by my fellow
blogger to get her friends ‘over the line’.
John Lorimer - our Governor is certainly embracing the
Manx way of life!
Ffinlo Moore and Anna Moore - great
debuts by my nephew and niece – only a couple of years and I can hand over the
family ‘baton’!
Gordon Erskine - still donning the trainers in his 80th
year.
Adam Knight - Adam’s achievement ranks up there with
those at the top end of the field.
AND FINALLY
Finally, I wish to reiterate
what a fantastic event the ‘Parish’ is, and my continued addiction to it despite
what I shouted to former finisher Garry Reid when he stopped on the straight to
the Round Table to check on my discomfort ‘’I ******* hate this event’’!
I didn’t mean it, and as Tony Edwards
posted overnight, ‘there’ always next year…‘.
Relieved to get into Peel (Courtesy of Elaine Cain)
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