New Beginnings

Hello blog lovers

Today it really is new beginnings. New beginners for the new recruits to the 'couch spud, to 5k stud' or 'stud-ess', ok so I couldn't find anything else that rhymed with potato or spud!  Also coming back to the fold was Nagging Sister, with one of her little attachments, my niece.  Skinny, tall, talkative, with this cute little......well, lets just say her nick name for my blog is JLo!

All the new faces staring back at us, and a couple of familiar ones as well. They looked a bit nervous, but PhysioMike put them at the ease straight away, and all were smiling as the looked, listened and copied all the warm up exercises that Physio Mike was showing.  We have become a team now, and it feels really good to be part of it.  There is PhysioMike, SingstarJo , Pete and Hitchy was there as well.  All of us eager and happy to be encouraging the new students to the joys of running.

Today it was a 4 minute power walk, which P.M. made a point of saying this evening, and a 1 minute jog. I think in the last class we were all a little guilty of just plodding around!  The first 4 minutes done, the whistle blows and the jog begins.  The little lad that came along with his mum was like a greyhound out of the cage! Swoosh! and he was off! But I assured the rest of the group to just go at the speed they felt comfortable with!

We did that 5 times! And everyone did very well indeed. See, its not that bad!  Cool down stretches, which your's truly was asked to do, *smiley face mode* I just wished I learnt a bit more at biology lessons! which muscles we were stretching, instead of me point to the particular one and saying "We are now stretching this bit!"

After ,it was our usual club runs.  SingStarJo was leading group 1 today, and Illustrious Leader and I was sweeping!  We were staying with the pavements today, only because S.J. didn't get her orienterring badge at Girl Guides or Brownies, and didn't fancy getting lost in the woods.  I am going to have to take her through a couple of easy paths, maybe quite near the railway lines, so she can have some thing to follow.

We have a few of the graduates of the last beginners course with us, they are just as keen on running, even my sister-in-law is back with us after getting a huge bump and bruise on her leg.  The bump has gone down now leaving a rather colourful bruise! Anyway, I digress, as I usually do.  Our route was going along Willet Way, and down cardiac hill, to the little undulations of the Crofton road.  I do love this road, just as you are getting into your stride with the down hills, then a cheeky little up-ness shows its self. Just to keep you on your toes.

Then we were going along and pass the school and down Shepperton to a favourite road of Kay's. She herself, will tell you that she loves this road! She embraces it, the little up-ness of this road that used to get her looking for words she couldn't say at Great Aunt Agne's house!  The first time she came across this road she just couldn't do the whole thing, it had her, shall we say, de-stressing by saying words that you can never say in front of kids! But I saw her today, and she was doing it! I think she did have just a tiny bit of a walk, but otherwise flying up there as if she was floating on air. 

That is what joining the beginners course can do for you!  She is now a regular of park run runner along with Janet and JJ!  I feel so proud! Blimey I digress again. Where was I,  I kept up with my jogging along, encouraging my sister-in-law and her friend Angela to keep going.  Angela is in fact going to being a 10k this weekend! 

It was a great run, and generally the group held together quite well.  S.i.l. and Angela struggled only towards the end of the run, but they both did well. 

As for me, well, I enjoyed my run, I enjoy helping the beginners and helping those that struggle at the back. Next hard push for me is Thursday, after I have done some marshal duties at Normans Park! If I can get to the rec in time.

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