Thursday 2 July 2015

Yay!!! I'm Back!

Hello blog lovers.

I can't believe it's been nigh on a whole month since I last jogged!  But I felt it was necessary and I have come back with renewed determination to just keep going!  The holiday put a few extra pounds around my waist line and I will have do do battle with that!  Soon I will have everything aligned and I can really start improving! (I am saying this publicly, so if you see a big fat chocci cake in my hands feel free to remove it and eat it, bin it or feed to your pet dogs!)

My first run back was actually on Tuesday.  I did group 0 with J.J., Wendimoo, Janet who I have decided to nick name J. (too long to explain why, but we do miss Kay!) and Kym.  All five of us were not really 'feeling it' on Tuesday.  The weather was Caribbean hot!  Melting ice cream before you can eat it hot!  I did ask everybody to bring water!

I was a bit apprehensive as to how I would get on, I really didn't like all those little niggles around the shin area, mainly on my right shin.  But you hear such awful things about shin splints that I erred on the side of caution and stopped running.  I was still thinking by this stage that I would manage to run in group 1 after as well,  With having weeks off rest I thought it would be a breeze!

We set off at a very slow pace, just so that we can warm up a bit, get our breathing right.  Of course we were going through the woods, I made sure I sprayed my self with jungle strength mozzie spray.  I can't believe how these little critters just make a bee line for me at the first opportunity!  Mind you, they plus side of the mozzie spray, it does enhance the slight tan I have!

In through Dog Poo ally and then immediately turn right to head up the hill to Chislehurst Road.  It became obvious to me then that maybe I was being a little too ambitions thinking about running with group 1 after!  The muscles that I had been relaxing by not running suddenly woke up and just let me know that they were not amused!  The muscles that had a weeks break from riding my bike, already were aching from a ride I did on Monday, also let me know that I am 50 something year old ex couch potato, who should be learning lawn bowls!

Not to be deterred I encouraged all the others to get going, and I will lead from the back!  I didn't think it would look to good to be looking a total wreck trying to keep in front!  But my lovely friends wouldn't think that anyway!  We all encouraged one another,  All of us there on Tuesday were either post holiday chubsters, or coming back from injury or just working on getting up to group 1 spec!  So I was in good.....nay great company!

We have a few walking breaks and and few stops to catch breath.  I lead them (from behind) all the way to the top of the woods.  I normally would have gone down the middle path and then back to the wreck, so that I could compose myself for the next run, but as I wasn't going to do that we carried along the top of the woods all the way to Botany Bay Lane. I was thinking of going down there, and then back along the rail lines to Dog Poo ally.

But the ladies weren't ready to finish yet!  Which I was pleased about, Kym was willing to give it a go as well.  We were not speeding along, just taking it nice and steady, chatting all the way.  So the extra bit was to go along the path that comes to the top of Goss Hill, and then enjoy the run down it. Left at the bottom along by the river (mozzies eat your heart out I've got the spray on) and then right up the path to the rail lines.

It really was a brilliant run with the girls.  We finished our run going along side the rail lines until we got back to the beginning and then along to the rec.  By the time we got back to the rec there were throngs of PWR's, all in shorts and sleeveless tops, some were standing about, some sitting on the bench some were just laying on the grass ready to hear from the leaders.

I heard a voice from the crowd, "Hi Donna, you have a trophy.....er...it's in the loo!"  The loo, by the way is the disable toilet that we have a key for that we can safely use to lock our jackets and things away while we go for a run, a lock up!  But my trophy, well, its a first place trophy, 1st place in the Group 1's Grand Prix!!  (just don't ask how many people were entered into last years GP)  I am hoping that there will be loads of group 1's for this years GP, otherwise I might just withdraw!  Here's a picture of my trophy!



When I got back from the rec, I called the Old Boy up.  He had been on some epic bike ride, in that heat!  In fact he was really suffering, what with doing some 'get out of here' hills on his ride, the last one proved just too much!  He had to walk up it.  I have never known him to get of his bike and walk up hills before, and I was a bit concerned.  So I arranged to meet him on route, on my bike, I had water on me and just to make sure he was ok.  But as I was going to meet him, I saw DiscoRich's group running along the path that I was taking, with his group 4 runners!  They were all looking pretty warm to!  I was thinking that maybe I should have bought barrel on my bike instead!  The St' Bernard's dog came to mind!



Geeky stats.


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Thursday Morning

So to todays run.  I turned up at the rec, the weather was a lot cooler than it was on Tuesday, quite cloudy, with the hint of rain to come.  I thought it would be quite muggy going through the woods.  As it happened though, there was only me for the group 1 run and about 7 or 8 in DiscoRich's group 2.  I think I am going to have to make that my goal, to be able to get fitter and stronger and faster (enough) to keep up with them when I am on my own!  It would be nice to see some different parts of Scadbury park!  But for today, I was quite happy to plod out on the route that I did on Tuesday.  A no pressure run, just to see how I get on with my solo running!  See if I can discipline myself to push just a little harder at times.

We all set off at the same time, group 2 were going in through Dog Poo ally as well, I trundled on behind them, and even just that little distance between the rec and the ally they were slowly pulling away from me.  But I soon caught up with them........as they ad to wait to cross the road, and then the bottle neck of the entrance to the ally!

As soon as we were through DiscoRich's group took the second turning on the right to take a diagonal type path to the Chislehurst Road while I took the path next to the rail lines.  The chatter from the group died down the further along the different paths we got.  All though these woods are extremely popular with dog walkers you are not inundated with mutts baking and wanting to sniff you or chase along with you.  The first dog walker I saw was just along this path and I wasn't to see another one until further along my run.

I was running along all alone, past the woodmans house (I am presuming this is the woodmans house by the way!) and straight up the path.  Not a soul around, just the chirping of the birds and the scampering of the squirrels.  It's so peaceful, but the air is just so muggy, I was expecting to be like a magnet to the mozzies around, I had forgotten to pick up my mozzie spray when I left.  I half expected to roll out of these woods looking like The Thing from the Fantastic four, although not skin like stone, but more like squidgy blobs!



I got to the centre path and carried on running along the top of the woods.  I decided to go on the other path, with the little smelly pond on my right, I wanted to see if I could see the heron today, or any other wildlife, but alas not today!  I got to the Botany Bay Lane and ran along the back of the school.  The children were out on the fields, I am not sure if they were supposed to be doing PE, as there were some in PE kit and some in full school uniform, complete with blazer!  

I started to think then about how much I hated any form of physical education!  Hated hockey, hated tennis, hated net ball and hated swimming most of all!  How I wished just then that I had paid more attention to my health, instead of buying cigarettes and chips during the lunch breaks!  I wanted to shout over at them, "enjoy your P.E. lessons, or become a couch potato like me!" Or at least, like I used to be, because look at me now!  Out running, so what if don't have anyone to run with, it doesn't matter.  So what if I am a slow runner, the fact is I am a runner!  Two marathons, half marathon distances, 10k's 5 ks and......and.......three 1st place trophies!

Yup, it's good to be back to running!

I finished my run following the same route as Tuesday, bumping into our canine friends and their humans who seem to favour this side of the woods, along Goss hill and the River, mind you, what canine don't like a paddle in the river!

I got back to the rec, used the loo, splashed cold water on my fact to cool down a bit and then did my stretches before the others got back from their run.  Most enjoyable!

Geeky stats


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