The Day (Part Three)

Part Three

By the time we arrived in Ballaugh at 42 miles we 10hrs 17 mins into the walk.  I had another blister forming this time on my left foot, I told Adam to pull up after the church so I could compeed it.  I took my sock off at which time it was raining and quite miserable but I dried it off applied a compeed and placed a new dry sock on my foot.  I wanted to change the other one but my left leg started to seize up and feel tight.  In fear that I would not have been able to stand up and carry on I just put my trainer back on and headed off towards Jurby trying to catch up with Simon who was at this point around 800 metres away.
I caught up with him just after The Cronk near Ballacrye Road and we started our way to Jurby.  This was a busy road and there was lots of standing water towards the church lane, its quite a way up to the church gate to come back down the same way felt at this point quite demoralising.  But I was on home turf, these were roads that I had walked day in day out for the six months leading up to the Parish.  Passing the prison we headed for the Lhen and before I knew it we were at the top of the Lhen heading to practically the end of my road but before I reached my house we had to get to Bride.
I passed some familiar faces through the one end of Andreas which perked me up and I needed something as this was going to be one of the toughest parts of the challenge, heading up to Bride and then back towards Andreas.  Coming into Bride there were scores of people around the tea room and lining the steep hill to Andreas, We reached Bride just after 9pm 13hrs 4mins and well into the second half of the trip. Unfortunately thats where we lost Team Newbie member Dave Baker, a great gallant effort to be honest as I could see he was in alot of pain from just outside Peel but he kept on.
Two miles out of Bride coming into Andreas it was already getting dark and we were instructed to put our lights on. 9pm in "Summertime" and it was getting dark!!!! As we entered Andreas village there were again scores of people sat out around two large tables put together with sun parasols open and three or four people who I knew were sat at the table holding umbrellas over their heads, I then heard a loud roar and cheer of "Come on Tony" "You can do it Yessir!" "Keep Going" a bit further down by the island the usual BBQ was happening and again loud shouts and cheers all this in drizzly rain!!
Now I have walked up Andreas church lane time after time after time and I have had no issues, having spoken with Darren Gorry (50th 19hrs 55mins - an awesome PB!!!!) he said that walking up and down that lane is like walking on hot molten glass, I said "yeah whatever I walk it most days it will be fine"
I remember that reply when I started up to the church, Oh My God!!!, sorry Darren you were right every step hurt!, Seeing two neighbours and friends at the checkpoint again spurred me on and I was again heading down the lane towards the pub and it was then that I would get to see my wife! Adelle has been brilliant throughout this whole campaign I would like to thank her on the record and let her know she has been totally awesome putting up with me, my moods and now my swollen blistered feet, love you to bits and thanks Adelle.
Anyway back to it, I headed out the drive and up towards Adelle and my support car which was parked at the end of my road, A few months ago I thought it would have been hard walking passed my house knowing I had another 29.5 miles to go, I changed the way I was thinking and simply thought I was going to enjoy heading through with the support and seeing my wife.  Off out of Andreas it was now my brothers turn to look forward to something, he was going to see his lad at the Ginger Hall Pub, it was a milestone for him, as we walked across St Judes Crossroads towards the egg selling place one of the support vehicles for someone else said "That's the winners finished!"  All I could say was "Good for them!" I didn't mean to be flippant but it wasn't the time to tell me that!!! Although what a total awesome effort by Vinny Lynch and Richard Gerrard unbelievable really!! When I saw Richard hours later he still hadnt been to bed and was walking around like he had just gone out for a stroll let alone made Parish History!!!!