Club Run, In Search Of A Dry Path

Hello blog lovers.

You gotta love summer time, apparently, according to Farcebook, it was the first day of summer yesterday.  It said it right there, on my newsfeed, the first thing yesterday morning, I said "Welcome to the first day of summer, tell your friends!"  Really!  It was absolutely pissing down outside, and it didn't stop until evening time!

But Summer time it is, and I know it may be cruel to our lovely group 1 runners in their shiny shoes, but summertime is running in the woods time!  I have been missing it so much of late!  You can breathe so much easier in there, you run and not even notice how far we have run! I know I say it again and again, but it needs to be said, spread the word!  So, darn it, we were going through the woods!

Hels gave the announcements today, especially about our run time for next week, we are meeting up at 7:30! But that's next weeks blog.  I had J.J. and Janet back from their holidays taking up their positions as sweepers, and Auriol and Illustrious Leader were mixing in the middle of the group today. I told everyone were we were going, a nice easy one through the woods.  I went through the safety instructions, "What do we say when we see roots?" "Roots" they all responded, and with all the other instructions too, 'low branch!, poo!, mud!, woodman!'  Yes, they all knew what to say.  And so we were off.  Out of the rec turn left and then left at the bottom of the road.  In to the woods from Poo Ally and then turning right to go up, up, up!  At least it is the less steepest path!

It was going to be a shorter than normal route, as running through the woods requires more concentration, and it just is slower!  It must be a terrain thing.  We were running up the incline and dodging the icky sticky bits and I was calling out "roots!" and waited. "Mud!" and waited. Hmmm, I feel a talking to when we get to the top!

We had a bit of a rest and catch up and I mentioned again, the cal needs to filter down to the very last person.  Not everyone needs to call it.  I'm a bit of a task master really, but I do like to know that everybody is safely through the 'obstacles'  I guess it's not such a peaceful woods really, not when there is 15 pairs of trainers traipsing over it, and probably more with the other groups, there is bound to be a little bit of banter going on!

We continued running along parallel to Orpinton Road, heading towards the Woodmans Lodge.  The girls have yet to see the infamous, the elusive woodman, I feel sure they all think he's a figment of my imagination!  I shall have to ask Michelle to tell me he was real, before I start thinking he was!  We continued along the top of the woods, I was surprised the puddles were not bigger and more puddley if yu know what I mean.  They were big sticky foot prints in the mud, some times there were wetter than they looked as the mud cover the toe of my shoes!  But it was great fun.  I should have changed my shoes really, that way I could have gone straight through the middle of the puddles.  But then, I couldn't have done the 'pathfinding' for all those that don't 'embrace' the mud as much.

We got to the top of the middle path, quicker than expected, but not enough time to run along to Botany Bay Lane.  So I decided to do just one more little bit of the woods before heading back to the rec.  Being a fair, ......ok along side the task master......sort of leader, I gave the option of a bit more mud before heading back down.  I show of hands showed me that everyone was enjoying themselves.  So I continued along the top of the woods before turning left to start our down hill section of running.  The path I chose was one that we use for our 10k route, expect we make our entrants run up it!

It was along here that one of the runners said "Wow, just look at this, it's like the country side"  And it really is!  There are trees, winding paths, fields, cattle, horses and sheep!  All within a stones throw of Bromley Town centre!  I still find it amazing that this little bit of countryside is on my doorstep, and I feel so happy showing it off to others who didn't know it was here, and the ideas that start to form in their minds.  "The kids would love this, maybe get them to do a mini run through here"  I would think the logistics of that could prove to be a bit of a night mare though.  Just knowing my kids, getting lost if they just took their minds off the subject.  I have bought my kids, the kids that I childmind in here, just for walks and stuff.  And it is a great thing to do.

So with a renewed spirit and the smell of the woods filling my nostrils, and one of the other runners actually!  She was sneezing all over the place by the time we go this far!  Hayfever, that dreaded awful thing that happens to some of us (yup, even I seem to have developed slight hayfever!)  We ran all the down to the rail lines and turn left.  We really were nearing the end of our run this evening.  A very short one as we ran just one more very small incline before getting back to to Poo Ally.

A most pleasant if a little shorter run today.  One that I much needed, especially through the woods.

Geeky stats for you.

I Should Call Him Cigarette!

Hello blog lovers.

Dexter!

Q. Why do you call your dog Cigarette?  A.  Because  take him out for a drag!

Seriously, if this dog isn't speeding off when hes let off the lead then I am having to drag him along like a spoilt child with it on!  I can't win, but even with his bouts of speediness my run was blimmin slow!

I decided I needed a run, I missed out on parkrun Saturday, and on Sunday, I had things to do people to see, Kirsty in particular, (she has only been in hospital for a week and I miss her!). There was no getting out this morning or this afternoon as my day was filled with waiting for people to turn up with deliveries or  for people to see my mother in law!  Then it was school pick up time!  I am not sure how I fitted in all my running and cycling before hand, but some how things are taking over my time.  I don't, mind, needs must, there will be plenty of time for me again, when I am no longer needed.  When that time comes I will need to run!

To kill two birds with one stone I took Dexter with me, he's young and he goes running with his 'mummy' my daughter, so I am sure he can come running with me, I am a lot slower than she would be.  So that he could have a good stretch of the legs and run 'free' I went to Normans Park.  Three laps I was planning on doing, 3 laps, only 3 miles.  I was looking forward to it.  The sun was out, the whole of the day it has been raining, but now, when I needed it, the son was there.

Dexter was eager to get out of the car once we parked up, straight up and wanting to get going.  I kept his lead on until we got off the car park, away from the ladies doing some sort of class on the grass, and once we got on the left long straight. Up until then I was pulling and calling, and dragging and pleading with the pooch to come along!  He just kept looking at me as if he was saying "Hang about Old Girl, I am doing an important job, these smells are not going to sniff themselves you know"  It was the way he looked at me, every time I gave a gentle tug on his collar!

Once I let the little terror off he took off like a rocket up the long straight!  Now I should be able to get some running done.  I whistled him to Stop! Such an obedient doggie........not mine (or my daughters I should say) oh no, not little Dexter, he just carried on!  When he came to some really interesting smell, one that just needed to be sniffed he ran back towards me, and I was thinking "Oh good he's listening to me!" But no, he ran to some clump of poop (horse poop!) and stopped dead, almost tripping me over!

I get him going again, and I am thinking that maybe we can, possible, get a nice time for a 3 lap Norman park run, for a young pooch and an Old Girl of course.  But no, because then the four legged park users all need to be said hello to, in the most embarrassing ways only dogs do!  Wet nose right up the........ooo look another dog to say hello to!  Seriously, every dog we saw, every lamp post, every tree, bin bench clump of grass, blade of grass has to be sniffed and marked to say it's been sniffed!

We came across a couple of other dogs, one was a lot bigger than our little Dexter, he his only a little Jack Russel, he just laid prostrate on the floor saying "Go on sniff me!"  I never know quite what to say to owners, "Oh he's a one" or "Such a a tart"  I am just so glad that that us humans just stick to a smile, a hello and a handshake!

Going down the long straight (the one on the right, where the end of parkrun finishes) I kept Dexter on his lead.  He didn't like it, but for some reason this side seemed to be bloody busy with doggies!  At the top, by the Hayes Lane car park end is where a big puddle forms, (usually is one of the reasons we have the winter route when we run parkrun) Dexter decides to go and play in it.  He has just little legs but he went bounding through it and thouroughly loved it.  He decided to seek out all the other puddles after that.

Our second lap was much the same as the first......only slower! Maybe he was getting tired, he is only little after all!  Sniffing, saying hello and weeing all the way round till we get to the big puddle.  I just looked at my Garmin and though this isn't going to be fast, only to be faced with a blank screen!  My battery had gone! Oh well, it wasn't going to be anything to write about........well ok, I am writing about it, but you know what I mean!  I let Dexter play in the puddle for longer this time. He was jumping about and then trying to catch the bubbles that he was making! He was having a whale of a time.

With just one more new dog to sniff at, a Sharpie, Charpay, sharpy.......some sort of big dog with the most wrinkliest of faces, (trying to breath through his squashed little nose) decided to try and play with Dexter.  He was a big dog, and very playful, Dexter is a little puppy, still unsure......he didn't like it!  So there was I dragging Deci away, telling the other dog to sit and stay and not to let it get to violent!  No, I have decided, even more so, that I do not want to get another doggie! After having him for 6 days now, it really has made my mind up!

I decided not to do another lap and just to do the two, we walked back to the car so that little Dexter can sniff away to his hearts content!  It was good to get out, I needed it so much.

Here is some of our geeky stats.

From Gentle Running to Running like a steam Train!

Hello blog lovers,

My Thursdays will be a bit different for a while.  If I can get a run on a Thursday morning that that will be good! So today it was good to get out at 10:30 to meet up with Tracy.  She has been off for two and a half weeks with injury! She said she is biting at the bit to get back at, running again!

So I went to hers to see how she can achieve this. When I saw her walking just briskly I thought "This is going to be tough for her!"  I was thinking that maybe jogging would be difficult let alone running.  So our warm up walk is so going to be necessary!  To keep it to a nice pleasant route we went through Jubilee park and not down Southborough Lane which I first planned on!

We walked up to the top pass the library and then turned left into Crest View Drive.  From there I suggested she just run for 30 seconds, no more than that.  As soon as she did I could see she was struggling, I was thinking that maybe we will just walk to Bickley Manor and then back again.  She did try and have another run, but I think we both knew that it would be best to just walk it.

When we were walking back I had a brilliant idea, I wasn't sure how she was going to feel about it!  But I thought, just a couple of exercises, out there on the grass, in front of everyone, if there was anyone around, and just see what we can do!  She agreed!  So I started to think about a couple of exercises that could strengthen the core, the glutes and the upper body!  When we got back into the park and the open space I looked at the grass!  It was longer than the grass that was in front of my house up until yesterday, and almost as long as one of my neighbours!

I noticed that the paths had been cut, so we are just going to have to  requisition a quieter one to do our session.  The first one was squats, just 10 of those and then it was on our fronts to do some planking, about 30 seconds.   Straight on to our backs to do some ab crunches, just gentle ones, lift the shoulders off the floor.  I thought that would be enough, and I said about doing burpees next time. "Whats that?" she asked, so I showed her.  She wanted to have a go at that too!  So five burpees done!

After that we walked along to finish the route.  But just as we walking along I asked her about the way she ran.  She was landing very heavy footed, and I was wondering if that was aggravated her injury more!  So I told her about the PhysioMike's Scooby Doo style running. This I have told her before, when we run over the walking bridge, keep light on your feet, run on the front of your feet.  She tried it and she said it felt better!  We finished our walk once back outside her house.  She was so pleased that she did it, made a start to get back to running!

Here's our geeky stats, but you will noticed that there is extra bits in there, and that's from my house to hers, from hers to Bickley and back and the from there to back home!  Was good to get out, and just what I needed too.

Core Strengthening and speed.

With the threat of rain supposedly happening at some point to today I was really hoping that it was going to be during our session this evening.  But I am sure it wouldn't have stopped most of us getting out there anyway.  DiscoRich was in lead position again and he had some new plans for us.  Easy plans for us in Groups 1, 2 and 3 at least.  He has obviously noticed the quality of our running, and needs to protect us from being overtaken too or pushed to much on the first warm up laps.  He splits the group into two, the slower groups take the inside line and the faster groups take the outside line and we run around the rec to get warmed up!  Perfect, I think we all finished the first lap together.  And then for the second and even third warm up lap we had the choo choo trains!

I know I have mentioned the 'train running' before, its where we run in a straight line and then on the sound of a whistle the runner at the back runs to the front and leads the line, and so on and so forth. I decided to 'cheat' a little, by going in the front.  I thought that maybe he would blow his whistle to finish before I had to do the fast sprint!  But, just to show me that cheating is no good (just as that bloke from TOWIE sister!) I soon found out that maybe being the first one to sprint would have been better!

I can't remember all the names of my running buddies in my group but there there were, one after the other getting in front......and making the pace quicker each time!  JennyLongLegs sprinted on past and that was it! The train that I boarded was a nice slow steam train, JennyLongLegs comes along like a Japanese bullet train! Mind you, she has done so well with her running, moving on up from group 1 to group to group 2.  Becky was next (I think) but with each runner after that the train stretched longer and longer!  (just like concord used to do, I believe and that's how fast we were running).  So when it came to my turn to run to the front I got there and immediately put on the brakes!  Just so that Auriol and me could catch our breath!  It was good fun though.  And we had to do it twice!

After that it was a quick drill session, the quickest drill session with only one drill done and then we were into our speed running.  Pyramid running to three cones all set out about 100 meter intervals.  We were to run at about 80% of our maximum to each of the cones, first to the 100 meters, then run back to start, then to the second and run back, then to the third.  It was tough going!

After that we had our core exercises, with some of the exercises I did with Tracy included!  Laying on the damp grass again!  After that it was our favourite running, parlufs, or relays!  On my last leg of the relay I set off with the baton to give it JennyLongLegs after Auriol had handed it to me.  Becky was about 40 ish meters in front of me. "Right" I thought, "Old girl you need to race, just catch up to Becky and run next to her"  I thought it maybe a bit of a tall order, but I focused in on her, I imagined drawing her nearer to me, closing the gap, getting faster.  I couldn't believe it when the gap did start to close.  I even started to think I could beat her to the next base!  I was just slightly on her left, so I had the inside lane but I kept at it, running faster, Ralph and someone  else (sorry didn't see who it was)  ran on the very outside passing both me and Becky!  "Go on Old Girl"  Becky said as I passed her! 

We got to the next base and I stopped!  I did it! "Thanks for the race!" I said smiling!  It was just as well that was the very last leg I had to do.  We went back and did our cool down stretches!  a great session this evening, and not a raindrop in sight!

Geeky stats, just mainly for heart rate, I like to see if I could work a tad harder!

Tuesday Run Club

Hello blog lovers.

I am writing this today even though it was yesterday that I ran with the club.  My internet server decided not to serve anyone last night, and not until quater past four this afternoon.  So it's today!  And I shall try and remember everything!

We met up.

We got in our groups.

We ran.

We came back and stretched.

Nah!  Thats not me at all is it?  I am sure you wouldn't like it if that is all I wrote, would you?  But met up we all did.  The summer time lets us all see each other again!  I love summer time, every ones lovely smiley faces, shorts sleeveless tops and looking forward to running in the woods!  Well, 2 out of three isn't bad!  Running through the woods is off the agenda!  It rained yesterday, and boy did it come down!  Flamining June they call it!  I am sure this must be one of the wettest Junes on record!  I had to chose another route, pavements, but with a bit of a challenge for the group 1's.  After all, running through the woods is a great challenge I have to try and keep it going!

With my group 1's ready to go with Auriol sweeping today, there were 9 of us today, by the way.  One newbie and one chap coming back from injury, I chose to go to Tillingbourne Green,  Usually once I turn right and not even touch on the green but today I decided that we were going to run around the green.

It's a sneaky little route actually.  I shall tell you why in a second.  We most of the groups gone I started off on our run, with a little prompting from Illustrious Leader, who was leading group 2 today.  We set off up Birchwood Road, the first of our hills today.  With my eye kept on my Garmin we steadily ran up the incline to the top.  We had a short walking break once at the top and then started running again. I was chatting to May Lin, the newbie runner, as we ran along.  I really wasn't paying attention to where we were.  I suddenly looked up and then looked back, I felt totally disoriented as to exactly where I needed to be, I could see a roan on the other side of the main road and I really thought I had passed the place I was heading for.  I looked ahead and could see another road just ahead.  It took a good few seconds for me to know exactly where I was and to know that we hadn't ran past the road that I needed!

We crossed over and continued on towards Tillingbourne Green, and the questions started, "Are we running around the green?" "Is there hills involoved"  With just a smile from me told them all they needed to know!  Running around the gree, up and down the hills and up again!  This is what I was going to say earlier.  When we approach Tillingbourne Green we are faced with a hill!  It's only a short steepish little hill, and then it goes down.  But it actually goes down further than we ran up, if you get my drift!  The hill on the other side goes down further than where we started!  Which means, that we have to run up to the starting point of the green!  Does that make sense?

The moans and groans of going up the hill was met with some happy sounds on the way down.  I don't think those that had not done this green before realised that we were going further down!  They sure notice though as they start running up to the beginning.  But I am not completely horrible, at least it's not as steep as the first bit!  And I am only making them do it once! This time!

Everybody did really well actually, they all made it look so easy! Once we got back to the beginning we ran up (did I say up!) well, it is only a short little hill, and then we turned right.  On our way back now.  I kept an eye on my Garmin,  I noticed that when I chatted to a runner next to me the running speed was just a tad faster and I kept having to bring the pace back to 12:30 min/m, especially with one of the coming back from injury, nice and steady, that's how we are.

Over the roundabout and keep on going along Petts Wood Road......all the way to the end, the little flick upwards and the end of the road. So, we like a few hills, we are Group 1, we can handle it, and I sure hope so as when we turn right again we have the little undulations heading back.  It was when we was at the top, just by the memorial hall when a car did this fantastic Starsky and Hutch type skid in the car, in front of us and out jumped the passenger and came up to us! Ok, so it wasn't quite like that, but a car did stop next to us and the lady passenger jumped out to chat to us all.  She wanted to know if we were an organised running group!  Obviously  new resident in the area! Who hasn't heard of Petts Wood Runners!?  We gave her all the information she needed and hopefully she will be with us next week!

With just the last long, long road to run down we were running pretty good, we were also a pretty tight group, not too spread out at all.  We got back to the rec and cooled down with some stretches!  A great run, and so nice to have some new people running with us, and great to have a regular runners too.!

Geeky stats.

Thursdays Fitness

Hello blog lovers.

I'm still doubling up on a Thursday!  And while the sun shines it is core training.  But first off I shall write about my Thursday morning blog!  This Thursday is the first of 3 groups going out.  My group 1, (slow), HistoryDavid's group 2 (intermediate) and DiscoRich's group 3 (speedsters)  This does mean that I have lost some of my group 1's to the middle group!  In fact I thought I was the only one there, until Liz said "Oh I'm with you! And then I looked over towards the car park and I saw DottyKat.  Well that was three of us, so at least we can run through the woods.  And then DiscoRich introduced a young man to me, Patrice, who wanted to come in group 1.  He looked like he could so keep up with the faster ones, but I was more than happy to have him join a happy band of group 1's.

We had an extra special reason for getting back in good time today too as it is Michelle's birthday!  She had in her boot of the her car an icebox full of cakes and chilled water!  Just one more incentive to keep on running!  I love cake so much, if it's on offer then who am I to say no!  I had this route planned that will cover about 3 and half miles, so we should be back in time to enjoy the birthday celebrations with the other groups.

So the four of us set of to Poo Ally, just in front of us was the other two groups,  they will split into two a bit further on through the woods.  We were all running in the same direction, straight up the middle of the woods.  And, I may add, we were not that far behind them!  I expect that wouldn't last for too much longer tho, as they were pulling away from us with each step.  By the time that we had got to the very top of the woods they had gone from our sight.

My group were running quite well together, although I feel Liz and Patrice could probably fit in quite nicely to the middle group, but I am glad they were here as we were all enjoying running together!  Across the top of the woods and then down and up the undulations!  This is the nicer way of running this route, if it were in reverse those undulations would not be called undulations, they would certain be called hills!

I do like to tease people when they say they are not quite sure where they are in the wood. and they try and work out exactly where they are in relation to places they know.  Now chaps seem to have inbuilt Satnavs, I am sure of it, but Patrice wasn't entirely sure of exactly where we were.  Now do we have a giggle and pretend to be lost or just keep going.  You can guess the way I went, exactly!  Cake, the cake will be getting dished out soon and so there wouldn't be any mucking around, we are just running, and enjoying and still chatting of course.

We were just running along the back of Coopers school when at the other end of the path there was a school party.  We were having a little walking break but I suggested that we need to keep running, show the school party that we are athletes!  The teachers had got all the kids to stand at the side while we ran along the path and then they cheered as we ran past them!  And then Just a little further on, as we got to Botany Bay lane, DiscoRich's group emerged from the path that we were going to run along.  They had obviously had divided the group now as birthday girl Michelle was among them.

The next hill is Goss hill, but we were running down it!  The last couple of times that we have done Goss hill we have been running up it.  I have no idea why I moan about this hill, especially running in the opposite direction, as it's me that plots out the routes!  After we got to the bottom of this I usually turn left and go along by the river.  But I felt that maybe the faster two could do with a good run, so I chose another hill to slow them down at bit!.......No, no, of course I didn't, but I did want to run through Jubilee park today, I have not been through here for a while.  So that's what we did.

After Jubilee Park we ran over the bridge and then back out on to the road, rather than back through the woods, because time was of the essence now, those cakes are not going to get eaten by themselves.  We arrived at the rec to be met by Group 3, DiscoRichs group but not Group 2, where Michelle was running with.  We could quite easily have gone through some more of the woods, as it was another 10 or so minutes before they come back.  They must have been really enjoying the woods today!

A rousing chorous of 'Happy Birthday' was sung and then Michelle shared out her delicious cakes washed down with some very nicely chilled water.  Just perfect for a lovely sunny morning run!

Oh by they way, this was my group!  Had to have a selfie didn't I!

Core Training and Speed Session.

I was a bit weary when I arrived at the rec today, but I knew that once I started into it I shall liven up again.  Illustrious Leader was leading the session today, usually it's quite fun when she does.  But when I said that she gave me a knowing look! "Ah, well maybe you should just wait and see" she said! Hmmm, I wonder what she means by that!

As always our sessions start with a couple of laps to warm up and then the drills!  This is some of them doing the 'Ministry Of Silly Walks'.  In fact it was I.L. that made reminded about getting some pictures, especially this one!

Silly walking!

It was then that I remembered seeing all these 'Live Broadcasts' and 'Live Videos' on Facebook and I know I have that facility somewhere on my app!  I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to try it out!  So I did!  I am not sure how to actually get the footage to show you all here but I will try and find out!  You can image my fellow running buddies were just maybe a little camera shy!  I am so going to get a telling off!

After the drills we went into the speed session.  I.L. had this idea of getting two groups 'racing' each other around the cricket pitch.  Groups 1,2 had the inside lane while the faster groups had the outside lane.  But we all had a 'partner' to run against.  So we started off, our first runner set off running against the other teams runner, get to a predetermined cone, raise your hand and the next runners go.  the first term to get all runners back are the......winners! Everybody seemed to have fairly equally matched opponents!  Then my turn came, we were slightly in the lead, which I thought was quite good and probably necessary really, and then the other team let off their ringer! This tiny little bit of a girl flew past me like a rocket!  It must be the red hair, racing red!  It was ZippySherrys youngest daughter!  Last week I was put into my place by her eldest and this week I was totally annihilated by their whippet youngest!  Not only that, but getting to the third cone a "HA!" came out of her.  Put into my place and made sure I stay there!

Next came the core training, five disciplines, Push ups, squats, lunges, planks and burpees.  All very good core and strength and conditioning disciplines!  I just wish I could do them as if I have been doing them all my life!  With every one of them that give away noise of older age, creeps out, and no I am not talking flatulence!  The 'ooofs' and ahhh's and 'pffffff ooo' that escapes our lips with each repetition. There was one moment when a four legged friend decided to say hello to all those that were on the floor, the plankers and the push uppers, and even us in the burpees section!  I am afriaid that I didn't see him behind me and accidentally kicked the little fellow! But it didn't see to bother him much.  Every one carried on once owner bribed the doge with a ball!  But still, everyone was smiling!  

One more speed session with the relay batons and then time to cool down.

Fantastic day for exercises.  Love Thursdays!

Hello blog lovers

It's club night, and I am feeling good! So no feeling sorry for myself thinking about my running buddies out running.  This week I am here!  I was back in lead and planning a route.  This morning the weather was just perfect, I even managed to get out and do a cycle ride, my laps of Blackbrook!  I think I may even have got a PB (I said that about the Harvel, until I checked my geeky stats!)  But this afternoon the heavens opened!  I mean they really opened!  Somewhere in the south there were streets flooded, with cars just poking above the water!  Not in my immediate area, but we had thunder rumbling around and rain! Which meant that my planned run through the woods could quite easily be shelved for the week!  But after a few messages about on Facebook I decided that we are going to attempt the woods!

I arrived at the rec and i realised that I had forgotten my leaders running bib! Oh well, I am sure they will all be able to see me!  So I told them all where we were going, Carol, with her lovely shiny new looking shoes!  We are so going to have to 'christen' those today!  There were a few other shoes that cold do with a baptism of mud as well!  Eight of us running today, and I'm never any good at remembering names, but the numbers I can remember! We had a couple of people that hadn't run through the woods before, so for them and also for making sure everyone remembers the 'rules' I went through what we need to call out!  "what do we say when we see roots?" "Roots" they couroursed, "What do we say when there is a low branch?" I continued "Low branch" they unisoned, (is that a word?) "The woodman?" I shouted "Here, Old girl, he's there" was just one of the answers!  Now that girl knows me!!

We started our run by going through Dog Poo Ally, and we turned right.  It's going to be a a climb up to the top by the railway line.  Although I hadn't checked out the distance of the this route, I was kind of 'guestimating' that it was just about 3 miles, or maybe just a tad less.  It needed to be.  Running through the woods, especially when it has been raining, is quite hard, a lot harder than just running on the roads.  It gives your ankles and your calves a good work out too, as the uneven ground gives you a challenging platform to run on!

I kept them all running to the top and then we had a proper stopping stop!  Just to catch our breath.  Then we walked for a bit before continuing our run.  I had in my mind that we could run two woods today.  I like taking group 1 through two woods, it seems as if we have ran quite a way when we tell people!  Who are we to say that we only just touch on Scadbury!  When we were just running up to Leesons Hill we could see up ahead, running on the road, group 2!  I don't think they saw us as we ran through the woods.

The run through Scadbury was a little different for me, because this will be, I think, the first time I have run this way!  Usually I am running in the opposite direction, and you all know what I'm like when directions change, I get totally confused!

I just had to check with my sweeper that I was heading in the right, and not heading off deeper into Scadbury Park!  Once that was all sorted we ran through the park and came out on the fourway junction.  We were going straight across and down Manor Park to pop back into the woods at the end of the estate.  After admiring all the house along this road, we did the cheeky little 'flick' of a hill to go back into the woods.

After this point, I told them all, that there were no more hills to day, at least none that 'they'  would be struggling with.  Everybody was doing so will well indeed.  And it was, virtually all down hill "Ok Barbara" she said to me.  "are you sure there are no more hills" she said.  i think Tanya knows me too!  Just because I try to get people to eat!

Once we got to the middle path of the woods we all enjoyed the lovely run down there.  All the way!  Ok I had a quick stop to let the others catch up.  We tarted as a group and we will end as a group, maybe with just one or two minutes between  I had to get a picture of us all by the memorial commemorating Francis Joseph Frederick Eldman, for giving the woods to the National Trust.  They could so easily been a block of flats by now, or even a little housing estate!

We continued our run all the way down to Poo ally and then back to the rec where we did some stretches.  It was then that I noticed Carole's training, I think we finally have got them dirty!

Carole's shoes!

A great run today, with a great bunch of girls, here's the geeky stats. It shows actual moving time, not how long over all (I still got the auto-pause on!) but we got back to the rec about 20:58, so perfectly timed really, as long as we get back before 21:00 then I think that is perfect pacing.

Monday Blues?

Hello blog lovers.

Today I should have been on my bike, but things sometimes stop you from doing what you want to do and you do the things that you need to do.  Today was a need to do day!  I managed to get everything done, well, apart from my housework, get my dinner out of the freezer, do my washing and get on my bike, but apart from that, everything else that was, priority was done! That's more important than anything else that I wanted to do today.

So just a nice steady plod out, just me, on my own, with my ipod and my thoughts.  I only wanted to go about 3 miles, and going through the woods was probably not a good idea at this time, so I just went on my usual route up to Turpington Lane and back.

As soon as I had finished work I rushed up stairs and got changed into my running gear, I was thinking running would be done with in 40 minutes and I could be back sorting out stuff that I had to do at home (like sort out dinner!) even though I really wanted to go out on my bike today.  Maybe tomorrow I may be able to get on my bike for an hour.  Just as I was getting ready the Old Boy came home.  Ooops, that's when I realised that I had forgotten to get our dinner out!  Never mind, I am sure there is something else I can sort out for our dinner!

I started running up my road and then turned left.  I took a big deep breath and felt good.  I am out here running, with my two good (slow) legs and running.  Who knows what is around the corner for any of us, but right at that moment, I felt good, I felt good that can run, at my age!  Running, just for shit's and giggles! Yup, I needed to run this evening!

It wasn't until I started running along Southborough Lane that I realised that I really hadn't eaten much today, not that it matters, there is plenty of fat reserves in this Old Girl to last a fortnight of running 10k a night! But for the next few meters I ran along Southborough Lane thinking about what I would like to have eaten!  It came to a crashing blow once I reached the Harvester and realised that I am not going to get the chance to eat what I had planned for this evening (chicken nandos and salad!), and my thoughts turned to what I had at home! Fish, egg salad? All the while the smell of steak cooking from the Harvester filled my nostrils. It wasn't helping me focus on my run.  It's funny what pops in your mind when you are solo running, today was obviously a food day!

So from the Harvester on I just thought about what was playing on my Ipod, family, friends, running....cycling!  Anything that took my mind of food.  It worked! All the way around Turpington lane and Green Way, thoughts about today crept into my mind, and how me and the family can make things better for my Mother in Law, she was the one who needed me today.  It made me more positive about what I was doing, I was running!  It's good to run!

I got back to the Harvesters and the waft of charcoaled grilled steaks teased me again!  "Shit, what am I going to have to eat?" I thought to myself.  I carried on running down Southborough Lane, on the way home now.  It wasn't the most fastest of runs, I wasn't planning on breaking any records, (still nothing new there then Old Girl!) but I was feeling tons better, my head was back where it should be, and on wards and upwards to the next day!

I got home and the realised, I wasn't actually hungry anyway!  Maybe just have a little snack later, if I need it!

Geeky stats, and like I said, it's no record breaker!

Harvel 5 - 2016!

Hello Bloggers!

I managed to pick up a place in the Harvel 5 run this year (I was a bit late in getting my registration done and it had all sold out) but fortunately for me HelsHart couldn't use her place and we did a swap!  I am sure I have told you before but I really am not that confident at driving, not on motorways and not to places that I don't know, so getting there I relied on my running buddies to come to the rescue.  David 'Marmite' and Pherenice offered to take me.  Then someone had a brilliant idea of getting a coach to take them.  I said that I would take a place on there if they didn't fill it all, as I already had a lift anyway, but they did fill it.  And it's no wonder really, who would want to run when you are doing a Harvel Hash House Harriers race?  Harvel Hash House Harriers, the drinking club with a running problem!  Thats how they describe themselves!

So, I was ready to go by 12;15, Marmite was outside waiting, all went swimmingly.  We picked up Pherenice and headed on to Harvel.  Here, this is village sign.

We collected our race numbers and located our club mates, which wasn't difficult as the village green is not huge, and we had our flag up with a tent as HQ. Here are some of our members before the run, and me as well of course.

The race count down began, we made our way to the start which is just about 200 meters away and of course took the obligatory  start pen selfie.

Ok, not strictly a selfe!

Then a big bang was heard and the crowd started to move,  My running buddies soon started to move away from me, I think I am the only one from group 1 here today, but I didn't have any expectations of trying to keep up with them.  I am just happy to running this great fun run!

Although the sun wasn't shining brightly it was quite a muggy warm day, either that or am am just hot stuff!  The first part of this run is uphill, just a slight incline, but it's still there.  You can feel it.  I just plodded along, everyone seemed to be passing me by, but I decided that it won't worry me.  I know I am not going to be last, I feel sure of that, I maybe the last PWR that comes in, but I won't be the last one that comes in on the face.  

I head some music behind me, getting closer and closer, somebody has their ipod playing really loudly I thought, and then I head "Hello Old Girl" it was Marmite and Pherenice!  I thought all the PWR's had passed me by already.  Now I know I am the last one!  We were on the roads for a a bit, I was expecting the woods to be a bit damp, which is why I put on my old trainers! I had my other trainers with me as well,  I thought going home in someone else's car with muddy shoes is probably not very polite!  

When we got to the road that runs around the outside of the little housing estate I heard the icecream van.  I was having wishful thinking about it stopping along the road that I am on so I could indulge, but do you do know, that icecream van seemed to be doing the rounds on all of the roads that I seemed to be running parallel too!  I could here it, just over the trees, it seemed to be following me, taunting me with its cheerful tune, alerting everyone that there was some lovely freezing ice lollies and icecream to enjoy!

When I got to the woods the runners were really spread out, I kept my eye on one chap, he was my race for a while, he kept over taking me and then I would over take him.  Getting to the water/beer stop meant I had to have a complete stop.  I wasn't going to indulge, but then I thought, why not, this is one of the highlights of the Harvel 5, beer stop!  I don't think I know of any other race that do this, rude not too really.  So I enjoyed my cup of beer!

By this time I was about half way through the race, almost to the turn around point.  It's a sharp left turn going down hill!  If the weather had been really inclement this could have been a 'fun' spot to watch the runners!  I kept on my feet, thankfully, and started the run back.  About 3 miles in it felt like I was the only person in the woods.  Here this where I was running, 

And this is my 'race' behind me.  He looked quite warm when I passed him.  There is something to be said about running in technical tops, and not cotton tops like he had on!  It just looked most uncomfortable!

You can just about see them behind me!

And this is the view I saw on my right just a little further down.  How lovely is that!

Just a little further on I caught up with Kat and her friends.  She was doing brilliantly.  'Just a parkrun to do" I said as I passed them.  There were groups of people somewhere in the woods, (I can't quite remember the exact place) but they were all shouting out and encouraging all the runners, it really does give a boost to us runners.  And the marshals are so encouraging too, everyone of them ready with a cheer and a clap!  And not only that, but with just one mile to go another beer stop!  Just when you think I'm going to give it some welly! As I was enjoying my drink Kat and her mates came along, she took her drink, water, and just poured it over her head, as I said it was blimmin warm!

After my refreshment I carried on running.  The last mile, I didn't want to stop this time, Kat had already passed me by, she didn't actually stop at all, I didn't think I would catch her up, but when I saw her up ahead I just had to 'race' her.  The gap started to close and I started to feel that maybe I could be passing her by if I don't stop.  Nearer and nearer I got until I was side by side!  So far so good.  "It's good to see you, not seen you for ages" Kat said. Oh darn it, there was me racing but I need to chat to her now (not that she knew I was racing) and not that I don't like talking to Kat!, but still, I had my race head on!  I did run along besides her and we had a lovely chat actually.  How I could answer her though I don't know.  

But then the count down started for the finish, I focused again and I started to pull away from Kat and her pals.  400 meters to go, 15000 cm to go!  Now that sign did make me smile, it almost put me off my stride!  I could hear the crowds cheering and the announcer saying everybodys name as the cross over the  mats!  Keep going Old Girl, still no time to slow down, got to keep it going!  I turned the corner and the crowd began cheering me in!  I put a bit of a sprint on as I ran towards the mats that would give me my time!  Stopped my Garmin, picked up my medal and breath!  I can't remember if I said thank you to the young ladies that handed me my medal and water, so I will say it here, thank you so much!

It was a brilliant day, and it didn't end there!  Picnic on the green, more beer and fizzy wine and did I mention beer!  Then there was the awards!  Well, what can I say........no, I didn't get into those realms but our PWR Ladies team won first prize while our PWR Mens came second!! How cool is that!  I am sure if there was a 'mob' award with would win that too!  Look how many of us showed up!

This is us at the end, bottles of beer and fizzy wine!

Oh, and this is my number and my medal, how cool are these, they are useful too, for opening up beer bottles!

Of course HHH have this fantastic in house competition to decorate the porta loos, and this year was just brilliant.  I forget to get pictures but these are some that the PWR's took!  PoOLympics!  Brilliant

Marmite and Pherenice had plans on leaving early and I managed to grab a place on the 'party bus' back home.  And that was stopping in Petts Wood, near the pub!  Perfect end to a perfect day.......or was it!  Because after the pub the faster runners were still celebrating and I was still with them!  The next stop was a curry!  Now this is one brilliant club!  There is no barriers between the faster runners and the likes of me when it comes to celebrating!  We are all in the same pen!!

Here are some more pictures from the day!

our winning ladies team!

Thursday's Shenanigans!

Hello blog lovers!

After feeling pretty under par over the past couple of days, totally due to over indulgence, (I think, not that I am a doctor!) I didn't even do group 1 running this week!  My bad! But today, feeling a lot better, it's a two session day!  And boy does it need to be!

So session one was group 1 running, there were five of us.  DiscoRich's group were meeting and running somewhere else, although he came along to the rec to pick up any who couldn't make it Hook Farm Road.  My route is going to be the cinder path.  The rain yesterday was creating rivers along our roads I can only imagine it would have made quagmire in the woods, and I really wanted to have a good run.

With me today was Janet, Diane David and Tracey.  It's going to be fun!  We ran out of the gate and turned right and then right again, up Kingsway.  It was only once we got to the top of this that I realised, when I head for the Cinder Path I usually go straight down and then along Tudor way!  A quick review and we ran along past the pub instead and then right down Tudor after that.  

Along this Cinder path there has been this 'bug bear' niggle little thing that always get me annoyed at myself. I want to run the whole way, from the beginning to the end. From the moment we pass the gate till the moment we step onto the road to do the loop.  That's what I want to do.  I ALWAYS start walking that this one particular spot, It's just after the new twiddly bit (It's actually been a couple of years since they re-routed the path) and I seem to give up running there.  But this time I had it in my mind, "It's not that far Old Girl" I thought "Just keep on going don't stop, you know it's just a few seconds away now"  I kept going, this time I kept going, I knew that Janet was being looked after and there were three of them behind me, but I kept running, with Diane all the way.  Totally focused.  I could see the road up ahead, I almost broke into a smile but I didn't want to 'jinx' things, and just ran up along the grass to the road! Done it!! Yes!! Pleased with that.

The others joined us, everyone of us had ran the whole length of the path.  Well, I knew David, Diane and Tracy could do it, but I know me and Janet haven't done it before!  Was good to finally put that little 'bug bear' to bed!  Now I need to keep the faith, that I can do it, have done, and will do it again! 

David came up with a suggestion for the next bit.  It's the little loop around the pretty houses.  We will do the 'train run'  We all run single file, then the person at the back sprints up to the front and then runs at their usual pace, as soon as they are in the front the person is at the back then runs up to be at the front, and so on and so forth.  "Well, this should be interesting" was mine and Janet's thought, as we are the slowest runners out of us all! I took the lead, so at least that way. its our pace at first, she just needs to sprint to me then keep her pace slow again.

The little loop is a loop of two halves.  The the first half, is down hill and then, yes you guessed it, the  second half is up!  We decided, me and Janet that is, that we will do 'the train' until it starts to go up again!  But in actually fact, we kept going, and going.  Ok so we didn't complete the whole of the train ride till we got back to the beginning but we kept on running until we did.  This run really has been a little gem for me and Janet, and I am sure the others are enjoying it just as much!

We continued our way back the we came, after have a little rest and a geography lesson for Diane to try and help her figure out were we are!  I had no expectations of running the whole length back again, but if it it happened then I would be thrilled.  I was at the back this time, Diane and Tracy were in the front and me and Janet were running along with David bring up the rear.  We ran most of the way back, as far as the paddocks.  I felt I could have gone on but the others had stopped, and I had no will power to tell them to 'come on, keep running!"  We walked for a while and then continued to run all the way to the end.  We crossed of the road and ran to Ryecroft road, and headed back to the rec.  We covered nearly 4 miles today!  A blrmmin good run! Most enjoyable!

Geeky stats.

Thursday Strength and Conditioning

I was a little late in getting there, tried to find parking in the car park, (there wasn't any) and eventually got there just as the group and finished the warm up laps!  I thought maybe I had got away with not doing the but DiscoRich sent us (I wasn't the only one late)  around for just one lap to warm up.  Of course then it was into the warm up drills to really warm up our muscles. 

DiscoRich had laid out some cones on the green and his speed training today was to run a straight line, then turn and run for a little bit before turning again and coming back to the rest of the group.  We were paired up, I was paired with ZippySherry's eldest daughter.  You just know sHe is going to be fast, "Are you a fast runner?" I said to her She just shrugged her shoulders.  I think being ZippySherry's daughter she is bound to be fast, plus the fact that she is young, fit, she is going to fly past me.

When it came to our turn I was right!  But at least she kept me trying to keep up with her.  Next after that it was our core training session.  Because of the rain DiscoRich was kind to us, not making us lay on the damp grass doing planks and push ups.  Oh no, he is good to us.  He had us doing planks on the concrete pavement slabs instead!!  We had to hold for 35 seconds this week.  I feel a patten coming on!  I feel next week it will be for 40 seconds!

We did some push ups while still on the slabs before transferring to the grass for some lunges and squats.  After that it was the relay races, the parlufs.  Always a favourite of everyone.  For 15 minutes we had to do as many circuits as a team as we could.  I feel sure that we complete at least 5, at least!

Just the cool down stretches to do after that.  All of us having had a great time, we always grunt and groan.  But we do it with affection to our leader and ourselves.  It really is great fun, as great fun as track is!  It's all about what you put into each exercise!  Love it!

I let my Garmin run, just to check on the old heart rate and see how much in the aerobic zone I get, I do like my numbers.  It was a great session.  And I am glad that I am feeling better.  I just need to keep going now.

Here's the numbers, the graphs show that I at least did as I was told!