So, Things Don't Go To Plan!

Hello blog lovers.

After church I got things ready for later, chopped some salad, tidied up, you know stuff that you are not wanting to do after a a planned long run. So, when all was ready, and Bims was here, we set off for our planned  10 miler!  Lets see how we fair.

So before we even got out of the door, the Old Boy said that the road I was going to take, Barnet Wood Lane, was a bit dangerous, one thing is that is doesn't have any pavements!  Which is true, but even the grass verges are non existent.  That wasn't really any problem, because we can cut across the field, it may be a tad sticky with all the rain that we've had!  But at least it will be a most welcome break from traffic fumes! I had put the map on FaceBook, to show anyone that may want to drop in and out of our run, but I feel sure that Barnet Wood Lane wouldn't be needed anyway!

We were going to get a couple of 'hitch hikers' on route WendiMoo, but unfortunately she couldn't make it, and ZippySherry was going to try and meet us en-route too, but I think that she got bogged down with those things that just need doing!  It's so annoying when 'things and life' get in the way of your running!

My plan, for my long runs, is to do what I will be doing on marathon day.  It was something that quite a few people have said to me, DiscoRich, SingstarJo and NaggyNeighbour, and that is to build in walks, plan the walks.  I've tried the timing walks, where you run for so long the walk for so long. NaggyNeighbour suggested run for a mile and then walk for a minute!  When If you think about it, that works out only 25 minutes of walking over a marathon distance!  And those mile breaks can come along quite quickly!  So today, me and Bims will be doing that.

We set off nice and steady, there is no need to speed along, this is for endurance!  I had already told her not to look at her watch, just go for it.  she didn't even want to know where we were going either!  She will know soon enough though.  The first mile got us to the Havester, and we had our first 1 minute walk.  Even though we could have gone on further (Bims ran for 3.3 miles yesterday non stop!) But a plan is a plan, and it's best to stick to it.

It went really well actually.  All the way up to the Crown, Toby Inn, and then we crossed the road and went through the Park.  Just knowing that there is a planned walk after a certain distance was very good for the psyche!  Our second mile was just as we were entering Normans Park.  It was there that Bims realised where we were going "You're going to take me up Hayes, aren't you?" I smiled!  "There may be a bit more walking than running" she said.

As it happened, we ran up and up and got to The George, where we did take an unscheduled stop just so that she can point out her neighbours Cafe!  Marco's!  I must pop in one day and say hi!  This is where our route went slightly array from the map.  Because I wanted to keep us safe from traffic I was taking the detour through the common!  It will be fine....or so I thought.  I have my new trainers on!  The ones that my Big Son bought me for Christmas!  They were never made to go off road!  I should have changed them before I left the house!

It's too late now, I shall just have to do what some of the other ladies manage to do when we go through woods and that's to hover!  Impossible I know!  I am way to heavy......but let me tell you that I have actually lost weight!  The needle pointing to the stones has now left the starting figure and is now on it's way to saying 'Hi' to the lower number!!! Was I pleased to see that this morning!  Anyway, I digress.  This way was pretty muddy!  Ok very muddy. Ok, Ok, it was a lake! With some raised muddy bits to walk on!

Bims was not pleased at all!  I could feel the daggers coming at me.  I think she would have preferred to to have dodged the cars, if they came down that road (it's not a very busy road, but it is a winding one!).  Here, I took a picture of her face, and just one of the sections we negotiated!

Just look at the Boat race!

Just a little bit sticky!

We ran along Oakly road now, towards the A21.  I was starting to feel it.  We both were.  From here to the end we kept going as best we could. We had only done 5 miles and we still had 5 more to do!  Our feet were covered up to the ankle in mud!  But still, she is doing 'Tough Mudder' it's good for her to experience a tiny bit of mud!

We ran along to the Crown again and turned right to go back down Southborough Lane.  My legs were feeling so heavy!  yet when we stopped running, the rest of me felt like it was floating!  So maybe I have got the magic after all for hovering over the mud!  Maybe we should try it again!  Maybe I was becoming delirious!

When we reached Blackbrook Lane we turned left to run along it as far as Thornet Wood Road. Then some more traffic free running, through Jubilee park.  We decided at the moment from when we turned on to Thornet Wood Road that we would not do the extra couple of miles, through Petts Wood high street, but go instead directly to Southborough Lane via Crest View.

For the last couple of miles I seemed to have walked after just half a mile, but I still took the minute (or more!) when we reached another mile!  It was ok, I was pleased with that.  Both me and Bims were tired but still smiling, and happy to be running, and that's what it's all about!

So geeky stats for you, and as you can see not quite the 10 miler but its not too bad.