Thursday 24 March 2016

Thursdays - Just the One!

Hello bloggers
Me, Diane, Tracey and Dorette

The morning looked perfect for running,  and I was looking forward to getting out there to do some running.  I knew there were a couple of the usual members that couldn't come along today, and wasn't sure who was going to be there.  But I was hoping for at least 1 other as I wanted to run through the woods.

There were quite a few usual Thursdays runners missing even in the other group, must be the Easter Holidays keeping them away, but Ralf had bought along a friend of his, visiting from South Africa.  He had promised her that we do run at a nice steady (read as slow ish) pace and the we stop from coffee!  Well I think he was telling stories about the coffee, although we have on special occasions gone to the coffee shop after our run!

We all set off in the same direction, as we were all going through the woods.  I was planning on following some of the 10k route, but instead of doing the road bit, we were going straight to the woods!  Our pace was nice and 'steady' best not try and race around on cold unwarmed up legs.  Through the woods the paths were drying up nicely, but now of course, the paths have a 'cobbled stone' effect and it's quite challenging.  There are the 'smoother' sections that people had used to step around all the wet muddy puddles when they were there, so we were zigzagging along our way.

There were four of us today, Diane, Tracy, Ralfs friend Dorette and me.  Chatting away as we ran along.  We got to the first bridge and I told them to that we will be running over the bridge today.  I don't have to see Kirsty in her home today, so a bit of a longer run is possible today.  I am not sure exactly what I had told the others.  I think I did mention that it will be a tad longer!

It's been a while since I ran over all three bridges, the paths have be just too yucky, and of course I did need to be somewhere at 10:30 or as near to that time as possible. The middle bridge he is just such a lovely little bridge.  It crosses a single line of track and you can just imagine the steam engines running underneath! The railway children sat near by waving at each train, it has that feel about it.  But it's only an old metal bridge!  I took a picture of it, and of us too!




The third bridge is the one that is part of the PWR's 10k route, it leads into Jubilee park.  When I said that Dorette said "We're not doing 10k are we?"  I was wondering if I could find another couple of miles going through the woods, but I thought, best not to really, Just the usual 3.5-4 miles max for a group 1 Thursday run!

The only bit of road running.........well apart from the bit to get into the woods through Dog Poo ally, we had to do was when we came out of Jubilee Park and then run past the Bickley Manor Hotel, and then we turn right and the sharp right to run down to the end of the road.

Of course, after this we turn right to the end and the turn left to go back into the woods.  With the big hill facing us, mocking us, daring us to get up it in one go.  It tried to makes us slip and fall during the wet season, it tries to break us in the hot summer season as we get warmer and warmer trying to run up it. But we keep coming back to it, one day we....I will break it, I will get up it in one go and I will not stop getting up it in one go!

Today wasn't that day though.  I got to the top of the hill, panting, (as I always run the last corner of it) to see that the others had done it, all of us walk/ran it....but Diane did the best as she ran most of it.  The cows in the fields were totally well chilled out, there was one there was was particularly chilled out with its head on the grass giving it some '|Z's'.  I tried to capture it as it was laid out, but it raised it head just as I got my camera ready.



We ran along the top of the woods although to the middle path, I was thinking about taking a left path to go through the lovely housing estate, but instead decided to stay in the woods.  We ran past the Day Light Saving memorial and had a photo opportunity there with Dorette, here's some of the pictures.




My legs were feeling pretty good, and I was hoping that we would be getting a good distance.  I just can't remember how long this route is, it has been a while.  We followed the sound of the cars which were really close now, on our left as we ran parallel to the road, past the woodcutters lodge and on towards the railway lines.  Our run was nearly over, we had a good chat, and a history lesson with the William Willet memorial and a great run.  Four miles, still under the hour, which I was quite pleased about!  Ralf was already back at the rec, I think that he was wondering if we did actually stop for coffee!

Here's our geeky stats




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