10th March 2011

          Well, it's been a busy week, I think the lack of long blogs says that. I've finished my training, passed my exams, and enjoying a few days off before I'm back to the Lakes for six months. Enjoying a new promotion, but more importantly, my Parish training starts properly on Monday. Or Sunday, if I get there in time. Just over ten miles to work, (and back) every day, with my Garmin pushing me on this time, and the Cardio of the hills out the back of the flat and the Wainwright fells I haven't done yet to keep me going.
      I've got to add to that the weight of my National gold medal will weigh me down a bit. Seriously though, the added impetus of the result at Coventry last week makes me more determined to get better. Like I've said earlier, and I can't emphasize more, I'm a normal guy, and the trophies and such humble me. I can't understand why more people don't do the same. I spoke to John Constandinou, the editor of Race Walking Record magazine, on Sunday, and he said that in the annual meeting of the RWA, my name was mentioned in the award for the best athlete over 40k. It went to Sandra Brown, (rightly so, she has well over 150 centurion races under her belt) but just to be mentioned in the same class is absolutely amazing for me. As my earlier blogs show, my first couple of years show I was just another competitor hoping to finish. The fact I did so was just down to mental toughness and a fear of failure. How anyone can look up to me just alien to me. I've had e-mails saying i'm an inspiration, which is all wrong. I'm just like anyone else, which shows that anyone can do well, given the right circumstances. I'm looking at the start of this years parish as another place in which I could fall flat on my face, make a fool of myself.
      Train right, and anyone can do well. Believe in yourself.
     Hopefully, in the next few days, I'll carry on my story and tell you about my training and taking part in the 2009 Parish, in which I did well enough that I actually thought I could do well later, and which made me take part in my first end to end. It wasn't a great transition, just gradual improvement, which anyone can do.

Starting to look like a race walker, heel and toe, at Coventry. My coach was barking orders at me, such as "keep your head up! what are you looking at the floor for? Are there pound coins scattered there????"