What a beautiful morning it turned out to be! But first thing on waking this morning my thoughts were, "It's far to early, I want to go back to sleep" I got up and looked outside. On top of the houses was a nice covering of......FROST! "I really want to go back to sleep" I thought as I opened the window and saw my breath!
But still, I will warm up when we get going. As I had said to someone during the week, "Enthusiasm waits for you only after you get back from your run, Determination is at every lamppost!" or in this case it will be trees and bushes as well! And the more I thought of that, the more I thought it was right. Who in the right mind can be enthusiastic about getting up at ridiculous o'clock on a Sunday, to put on thin layers of Lycra, thermal socks and hats, to go out on a train with some 40 other crazy people, only to run back again! But that is exactly what I did!
Here, this is some of them at the station. We sort of took over the little area at the top as this was the warmest place!
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| Just some of the our runners today. |
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| Checking tickets and hats! |
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| Say cheese ladies. |
We loaded on the train and filled up the seats.
One chap appreciated our banter as it seemed to have given him a wake up call before his stop came up!
This is an annual event with two groups running at two different distances and pace! Group 1 - 3 were getting off the train at Knockholt while all others were going further, to Sevenoaks. Both routes are run over country fields, lanes, paths and roads. So it will be lots of fun for all runners.
Now that I was at Knockholt, I really was looking forward to the run, I always enjoy running, but that first bit, of getting ready, getting out and getting going, has always been a struggle for me. Being with all my running buddies, however, has put me in the right frame of mind. Here is a picture of us just before we started, just as we left the station at Knockholt!
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| I thought I would show you that I was actually there! |
Me and SingstarJo were sweeping for todays run (it was no surprise that I would be at the back today, especially with some group 2 and 3 members running as well!) and we set off running along towards the A21. It's not as bad as you think, Illustrious Leader has found a great route through fields and paths, so running 'along' the A21 will feel like you are in the middle of no-where. With the sun shining down and birds flying over, you could almost think that it was the middle of summer as well.
There are a couple of rather nasty, cheeky little hills this on this route. Steep little blighters that have you gasping just at the sight of them. But it is still a whole lot better than running along side pollution spittng traffic.
All though the sun was shining, there were still some patches of frost on some of the paths that we had to run on, the frost still hiding from the sun in the shade of the trees and houses that we passed. I was wondering if the fields that we were to be running on will be sticky and muddy like they were last year, or if Old Jack Frost had been at work and made the ground as hard as stones. It wasn't that long before we found out. The ground was hard, at least there would be no wet feet early on in the run!
The first field done, and we were back running next to the traffic along the A21. When there are two or three different groups running together as one, it does seem to pull along at a faster pace than that of the slower paced groups. I glanced at my Garmin and I could see we were 'racing' along at 11 minute miles. All though later on it will show up as an average slower pace, I still wanted to just slow it down a tad and just relaxed a bit more. I was trying to keep up with them, but then me and SingStarJo decided that we would do our normal pace. They will be stopping soon for I.L. to explain the next bit. And besides, she had said to the faster runners that they were to do 'loop backs' Their run today would probably end up as 6 and half miles with the extras they are doing!
We soon came to one of the cheeky little steep hills that I mentioned. Last year we stuck to the tarmacked road, but this year we kept the 'off-road theme going as stayed on the footpaths through the woods that ran along side of the road. This was particually interesting, as during the recent stormy weather a tree had come down and had blocked the foot path. We had to scramble over it.
Here, this is how it looked.
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| I.L. hoicking herself over the fallen tree |
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| Just one at a time! |
It was nice getting back into the woods again, although I must say, I had walked up most of this hill. When we crossed over the road to continue on the other path I managed to jog along again. Well, it was down hill and flat sections!
We came out of the woody area and crossed over the road and entered another field. This was also a hill! I stopped to take a couple of pictures!
This is SingstarJo showing how we do our sweeping!
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| SingstarJo, showing the Sweeper Arms! |
And this picture is taken of the direction we have just come from! It doesn't feel as if there is any houses or traffic around!
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| Some joggers and dog walkers going the other way |
On the other end of this field is a housing estate. We had to run through here to get to another little section of wooded aread! There are lots of little wooded areas around here! I feel very foturnate to be able to live so close to some great places. The townie that is still inside of me is quite happy to see the houses and roads and tarmac, and to know that London is but 30 minutues away by train, yet the runner that has been hiding inside is being totally spoilt to pieces with the miles and miles of brilliant trails just on my doorstep.
Nearly at the end of our run today, and we are running by the woods that reach down to my road. No race to train for, a 'just run for fun' run, I could quite easily say to the group that I shall head on home from here. But I like to finish what I have started. The end of todays run is not my house. It doesn't cut through Sparrow woods it just skirts it. The run ends at Pettswood, where we started! And also, someone mentioned popping into the coffee shop to finish off the morning!
We got to Crofton road and crossed over the road, but SingstarJo, Sue and some others continued along the road, heading for Southborough lane, adding another 2 miles to the 6 miles that we have done today! A great effort by everyone, really had a great time! Can't wait to do it again! (See, there's that enthusiasm!)
This is just a few of us at the coffee shop.
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| Sandwhich and coffee already enjoyed! |
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| All very happy to have been running today. |
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