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Parish walk finish, in 18:51:58

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Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 May 2024 Europe & UK (3) days 42 and 43 No cycle, 136.58km walk (1783m up/down) That was some walk.  And though Shaz and I have done about 36 centurions between us, they’ve all been flat.  We’ve done much longer events with more hills too, like 9 finishes between us at the 240km Coast to Kosciuszko race in Australia, with at least 4000m of climbing.  They were as runners. Which made the Manx Telecom, 2024 Parish Walk, probably the hardest walking event we’ve done.  Relentless hills in the first 40 miles sap the energy from the legs, and still, you’re not half-way.   Thankfully, we slept well on Friday night.   Then we followed Bernie and her team to the start.   Finally got to meet Nicola, the fourth member of our team, “Aussies and co”.   Like Jayne, Nicola is a very competent racewalker.   Fast.   And a three-times finisher of this gruelling event.   Headed into the VIP starting area, thanks to the sneaky Bernie, and waited for the st
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We've arrived on the rock.

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Yesterday, just prior to 3pm, our catamaran-style ferry from Liverpool sailed into Douglas harbour, at the mouth of River Glass.  A very smooth ride on a calm day, we are excited to finally be in the Isle of Man.  This is our first visit, and a visit which has been on our mind since 2015. Though we've seen no tail-less cats, nor three-legged men as yet, we presume that those will appear over the next seven days.  They could even appear on Sunday morning, as the fatigue levels creep into our bodies towards the end of the Isle of Mans largest annual event. That event, of course, is the gruelling 85 miles Parish walk around this wonderful island, starting with almost 2000 other hardy souls on Saturday.  A challenge that includes near 4000 feet of climbing and decent and takes in the seven parishes of this Island.  An event, which for various reasons, sees only about 10% of all starters lifting their arms in triumph over the 85 miles finish line.  With a time limit of 24 hours, it is a
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Just one week to go!

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Sharon and I have spent the last four days in Bridgwater, having our tandem bicycle Happier rebuilt.  Our jouney has crossed 21,000 miles in just over the last two years, and Happier has been with us for all except the first 2,500 miles. We've changed tyres, chains, bottom brackets and other things as we've travelled Europe, then Africa and South America, but the bike needed extensive works from all that journeying.  Hence, a return to Thorn Cycles where Happier has had just about every single moving part replaced. Today's ride is first in a series of six consecutive days which will ultimately see us arrive Douglas on Thursday 20 June.  We are very fortunate to have been invited to stay with former Parish Walk female winner, Bernie Johnson and her family while we are on the island. Through Bernie, we have also secured the crew services of Rose Taylor, an accomplised walker and runner in her own right.  We are in very safe and welcoming hands, and that's a good thing as
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We're in the UK

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 Sitting in a tiny community named "Titchfield", just south of Southhampton, we arrived in the UK two days ago. The journey was not without drama though, with our ferry from Calais being cancelled due to "Industrial action".  We received an SMS stating that we should proceed to Dunkirk, to be loaded onto a next available service. That would have been OK, if we were in a motorised vehicle.  But not so easy on a tandem bike! We were up at 4am and cycled 34km (21 miles) to make the ferry, and when on the UK side of the channel cycled another 100km to make it to Eastbourne. Before all that, we enjoyed our last few days with friend in Mol, Belgium, before cycling west and across to Calais in France.  Plenty of cycling, but no real walking training of substance. Sharon's feet are now good enough to hopefully pose no problems for final Parish walk training, or indeed for the event itself.  But we're not doing much committed walking as the cycling is tough right now
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Relaxing in Belgium

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 We cycled to Mol back on 24 May, and have done quite a lot of cycling since, based at a friends lovely apartment in the town.  It has been refreshing for Sharon and I to have friends close to us for the last week.  Sometimes, though we are together, it can get a bit lonely on the road, cycling to a new destination each day. Though Parish walk is now firmly in our minds, we haven't done a lot of walking.  We did participate in a 50km event which started and finished in Geel, about 15km from where we are staying.  This was completed with our friends at a conversational pace, much of the time in rain and more often even than that wading through thick mud and slush. Unfortunately, that wet and muddy walk exacerbated some of the issues with Sharon's toes.  Blisters from the continental centurion walk became hot and red and sore, and with careful treatment since she is just now getting these back to a place where they are comfortable.  We will probably walk today to see how she fare
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