Imagine Daddy has boundless amounts of energy and he sits you on the swing at 12 o'clock at night and gives you gentle pushes until 0300.

Then you sleep on the swing until 1100 the next day whilst he pushes a bit harder and varying the force his pushes.

You spend the next day on this swing where he varies the strength of the pushes with a really strong 3 every now and again, the third being the biggest. This goes on all day.

Now do this sitting down, working, walking, climbing stairs, eating, sleeping, going to the toilet (1 &2), having a shower brushing your teeth, watching Ireland fall out of the running for Germany 2006, watching a movie........need I go on?

My stomach muscles are sore, my brain is sore, my eyes are sore. One minute your heavy, then your light. You're either stuck to the stairs or lifted off it.

It's all well and good being cavalier about "Oh I've seen worse" which is true in this case.

What you do remember is the view from the bridge of the green, foam flecked sea, the bow digging in, the spray lashing the windows, the wind howling around the bridge wings, wathcing the big greenies 500m's away wondering will it be that big when it gets to us?

What you forget is the constant clenching of muscles, the occasional grabs for the table, keeping an eye on your tea, walking uphill and walking downhill, walking uphill and walking downhill, walking sideways along the hill. Whens bedtime?