I am loving running. I can say that with almost true conviction. After all, if I didn't love it, then I wouldn't still be writing this blog, right? So dive in, enjoy the ramblings of my open diary.
Well this is the last Tuesday club run before the big day! I do love Christmas, everyone is in good spirits.....or is that just me? And talking of spirits, for a little festivee cheer a couple of us bought along a little sample in a couple of hip flasks! So me and J.J. supplied the festive cheer.
Well, it's Christmas! I got Tracy to pick me up and we drove to Jayne's house. Wendimoo was already there and LittleJ turned up just after us! Oh, yes, this will be Wendimoo's last Tuesday club run! She is moving oop north the day after Christmas! We shall so miss her so much! So another reason to bring along a last little drinky to our Wendimoo!
I decided on the 'Pistol Route' It looks like a 'starters pistol! Get ready, get set, go! for Christmas! Are you all ready!? I was hoping that there were going to be some lovely lights in the gardens and houses for us to enjoy. I know there were a few good displays along Crescent Drive, but I'm sure there's not as many as there has been! There were quite a few PWR's this evening in fancy dress, or Santa and elves hats, or dressed as puddings, and sparkly skirts! Any excuse for a dress up and we are there! I had my Santa hat on! I may just invest in a sparkly skirt! I am sure I say that every year!
After all the leaders gave out their routes we were on our way! I led them out of the rec and then turned right towards Petts Wood road. We were going to get the hill.....ooops the incline our of the way in the beginning. It will be a good warm up but if we are not warmed up once we reach the top then at least we can have a bit of a rest and 'snifter' from the couple of flasks! Either Jack Daniels or Harvey's Bristol Cream! Very warming! At first everyone was a bit shy, but for those that were not driving back home after our run, well we soon got into the festive spirit! In fact some even had a sample of both! We invented a new cocktail! The Christmas WooWoo.
Now I shall tell you where the 'WooWoo' came from! Once we were at the top of the hill, and having a little festive rest. Liz had come up with this idea of a 'mexican wave' with all 12 of us in group 1 today. When we come across some really cool looking Christmas lights we were to 'do' the Mexican wave! Starting from us in the front going backwards! What else can you do on a festive run! Once we were suitable 'warmed' up we continued our way, running the other side of the 'barrel' of our starter pistol route! It's virtually all down hills and flat now. But we still found good reason to stop and take a nice warming drink!
I think everyone on our route could hear us as we 'WooWooed' our way around. Every festive lights we see we mexicaned waved our little hearts out! It really was such a fun run today, and a warming run! I am glad that it was such a good one, just to remind our Wendimoo what a great club we are, and great mates we've become. That way she just has to come back and see us! And she can also run our own 10k in October, it will be great training for when she does the London Marathon in 2018!
We got back to the rec all in good spirits, pun intended! And still with a great festive air about us! I can't believe this is the last time before Christmas now! I am so looking forward to the day itself, I am a big kid when it comes to Christmas! Watching all my kids and grandkids opening their presents, and the Old Boy! Huge turkey dinner, lovely cooked by the Old Boy! Family all around, silly games, sharing, laughing, playing, talking, loving! Yup, I love this festive time of year! God bless you all and have a very merry Christmas!
Geeky stats. Oh and how many times have I written 'festive' in this blog?
Thats, right, you heard it, I am finished with parkrun.......just until next year of course. I am wanting to do my 50th parkrun around the 14th January......just so that I am fully over the New Year and Christmas festivities! But todays parkrun was a great one!
I picked up Tracy, I was running a little late! She was already waiting outside for me, probably hoping that I wouldn't turn up. The weather wasn't inspiring at all! In fact the only thing that was inspiring was the fact that it's Tim "The Old Scrote" 200th parkrun and he is bringing the most delicious looking cake baked by Tim's Mrs. Here, look at this!
Anyway, not that I was only running for cake......who am I kidding......cake is one of the reasons I run! I just love the stuff! Anyway with that on my mind, and a promise from the Old Scrote him self, a piece of that cake will be at the end of my parkrun today! Tracy was going to have to run on her own, cake is all I am running for today!
Because we were a little late we had to run from one side of the park to the other, just like last week actually! Which I hadn't even blogged about! Naggy Neighbour did the same to me a couple of weeks ago, she drove to parkrun but she had booked her car into the garage for its MOT, which meant we had to run from Chatterton Road to Normans park........the other end of Normans park! Because we were running a bit late then too! She had me running all the way! Boy was I knackered! Anyway, I had Tracy doing the same nice warm up jogging to the beginning! We had about 5 minutes before we started off! Not bad really, at least we didn't have to wait around and cold on this misty morning, before we started our running.
The 1, 2, 3, go, was given and we all surged forward, Tracy had Kay to run around with her, so she wouldn't be alone, Michael and Carole were there too, They are just so fit these days, their parkrun times are just incredible, considering they only started running from our first beginners course this year, back in March, well! What can I say! Brilliant! Anyway, there was me, in the middle of this group of wonderful people, thats the parkrunners, as well as Carole & Michael, and Tracy and Kay! So there was me, or is it I, well, grammar is not my fortay, as you already know, I was running along, going at a good pace because I was up there with the big boys ands girls! But I kept it going for just a little while, don't think about the pace, just do it!
Anyway, of course I slowed down a bit after a while, it's what I do, but I still have it in mind that I want to take a few seconds of my fastest time for this year, and indeed take into the new year! This time I had my Garmin, unlike last week. By the way, I totally didn't get anyway near my fastest time last week either! But I carried on running around. This week I didn't actually talk and run to anyone! It was just me, I passed a young lady who had hurt her foot and I offered to get her back to a bench, but she had plenty of people to help her. That was on the first lap, I carried on from there, just me and my thoughts. I knew Tim 'The Old Scrote' was somewhere in front along with all our PWR's that turn up to parkrun every week. It was fancy dress week too, so even if they were in front of me I probably wouldn't have recognised them!
The Crew, I wasn't in the picture, this was either early or after they all came in! (if latter then I was late then too)
Well as usual I did some walking, but I feel sure I did more runnig! I feel sure of it! I was feeling pretty bright this morning, only 1 pint of lager last night and an irish coffee.......after my curry......but I was feeling pretty good, pretty awake. I was hoping this would be enough to knock a few seconds of my fastest time this year!
The second lap I just concentrated on getting around, no pressure on myself just keep on doing as much as I can. When I got to the long straight I was joined by on if the chaos that comes to track, not that I've been for a few weeks! But he was chatting to me for the rest of the way. Keeping me going. I managed to run to the end of the long straight and done of the shirt but too. I took a walking break. Just a few moments later a young lady cane past me while I was walking, and she said "I was trying to keep up with you, but you run too fast" and then she passed me! Well, that just sent off signals in my brain! It was a challenge! I just had to get back in front of her!
So I stepped up the gear and I ran pass her saying "I'm sorry, but I just had to!@. My pacemaker just laughed at me!! I wish I could remember his name!
I was soon in the last short straight towards the funnel. I didn't stop running. I even had a sprint finish after my nice young pacemaker said "sprint finish?"
I went through the funnel collected my token and then noticed my time! Darn it. No faster time this week. Just look at my geeky stats below! But then my results came through on the rank! Putting me well over a minute faster than my Garmin! That's not right. I know people usually complain that official results are usually slower than what they have, but this time I am thinking, "no wY, I am going with my geeky stats". Seriously, I have not run faster yet!! That will have to come next year.
My official parkrun time was 37:11 mins. But my Garmin says 38:33 mins. That is my time today
I shall add geeky stats later when my computer has rebooted itself!!
It's a 'soft' evening, as my Old Boy would say! A gentle misting of very light rain was coming down. But I don't think it will last for our entire run! Besides, we won't notice it, we're hard core! I picked up Tracy and then we drove to J.J.'s house LittleJ was already there. It's our routine now, we go there for a pre chat before our chatty run!
We all walked over to the rec, still chatting, and waited for the rest of PWR to arrive. It was strangely mild for a November, I know the weather has been so much colder already this winter, surely we can't be over winter yet! Over the next 10 minutes the rec started to fill with all the PWR's. It was soon time to make the announcements and tell everyone of our routes this evening. Our route was going to be the fairly flat route, with just the one hill.....ooops I mean incline, going up Kings Way. Then it's on towards Petts Wood and the 'Troll Bridge'. Of course I told them all to run over this as quiet as possible. They must have flew over the bridge because I couldn't hear a thing!
We ran around Crest View road, my group of 10 started to split into two groups. So I had the faster runners run all the way to the end of the road and then to turn around and head back and run all the way to the sweepers, and then run with them till we got to the end of the road. These loop backs work so well. It keeps the faster runners nice and warm, they don't cool down and the back runners don't feel like they are keeping anyone waiting around. It's a win/win
We used this technique all they way along Crescent Drive and Shepperton Road. It's a great way to keep everyone running together and having little breaks together. At the rec I had in mind to go to Tudor way from here, and then do the undulations of Great Thrift and Hazlemeer. But once we got to the end of Shepperton I decided that we would go the easier route of Beaumont which is over the bridge.
I am so glad that I did though. The Christmas lights down there are just so lovely. I am going to try and find some other little 3 mile routes around here to find some more Christmas lights. My group all stopped under a tree lit up with blue lights. I just had to get a picture of them all! Here, look at this, don't they all look angelic, J.J., LittleJ, Tracy, Michael, Carole, Martina, Anne-Marie, Becky then other name escapes me....it's my age I think!
We were nearly back at the rec. Once we were on Tudor Way and asked Michael to lead the way with the faster runners back to the rec, and then I took up sweeping duties after saying to J.J. and LittleJ they they should run back to the rec at their pace. Me and Tracy will finish this together. Nice and steady run, perfectly and evenly paced. I tried to use a beat that PhysioMike has on his phone. It's a metronome thingy, but it works well. We ran all the way to the gate like that. Tracy was pleased with herself. She was in two minds whether to come out tonight. I am glad she came out tonight, its the determination that keeps us going. I know 2017 I shall be back fully in my right frame of mind, I shall be back to running and cycling and losing weight! It needs to be done! Determination and hard work! That's what I have planned!
So geeky stats, and you will see that the numbers also include time doing our stretches!
It was a bright morning, very unusual for the time of year, you could feel the warmth of the sun. But the air was still chilly! Everything about this morning was very peculiar. Let me introduce myself, I am a shepherd and my name is Pie. I was with my other brothers, Germain, also a shepherd and Chris! We were in a place called Ditton, and many strange things were happening. There were people around looking very colourful indeed. Maybe it is some kind of festival. There were stripey people, and people were shouting "Where's Wally?" at them.
We, me and my brothers, were tending our flock of sheep, all nice a peaceful like, here, look I took a selfie of me with a couple of my ewes!
All of a sudden this chap with wings and a halo appeared from no where, making the day even more brighter, if that was possible. We were so scared! Particularly me, I am afraid of my own shadow. I always arrive after my brothers, sisters, friends, just so that they can make sure the way is clear.
"Behold Shepherds" said this chap "Behold, I am Angel Gabriel and I bring you good news, A baby is born this day, He is the Saviour of the world. Follow yonder star and you will find where the baby is" Well as you can imagine, I was terrified! My brothers, although a bit scared, they of course were keen to go and find this baby, I just wanted to run and hide. I am sure I saw a place where they were serving tea and coffee, I may just rest there till they come back, I am afraid I over did it with the jollys these past two days and wasn't really 'feeling it' ! But then I noticed that one of our tiny little lambs was missing. "You go ahead without me, I shall see you back here later" I called to my brothers, "I will go and save the lamb!" I said, trying to act all cool! By then they were joined by some others. Some very fine looking geezers with crowns on their head and a few other of these angels and the Inn keepers too along with donkeys! I watched as the whole group disappeared among the very strange and colourful people, and sprouts! Yup that's right big huge green sprouts......and turkeys......lots of turkeys!
A stream of people were all heading in the same direction, maybe they were following the star too! But I had a mission, I had to find my lost lamb! Let them go and follow some bright star that some Angel told them about, my missing lamb was most important. I looked everywhere for it. I was running for about 1 and half miles or so keeping my eyes peeled. I looked at my time recorder (Garmin) and I saw that it had stopped, dead! I had no idea how far I had ran all ready, I was guess it was about 1 and half miles as the last time I looked at my time recorder it said 1.34 miles. With my tunic slowing down my running I decided to hitch it up instead, and run along showing off my 'breeches'. It was hard going, but then just up ahead I saw my little lost sheep! He was trying to hide in some leaves.
As I got closer to him I think he heard me and ran off before I could get to him. I was beginning to think this little lamb was just as frightened of the Angel Gabriel as I was!
I ran on some more, being heavily laden with my cumbersome costume. It was getting wet and caught up on stuff. The ground was difficult to run on and I kept stumbling over things, bricks and roots. My ankle started to complain a little! But this is a most important job, I had to get the lamb, keep it safe so I ran on. I spotted some people, soldiers I think, looking rather bright in yellow tabbards. Standing next to one of them was a child and in his arms was my little lost lamb! "Very clever" I thought to myself "Fancy trying to disguise your self as a knitted childs toy wearing a PWR buff, very clever, but I have spotted you."
I ran up to the boy but my lamb jumped out of his arms and ran off again.
I was getting very warm as I tried all sorts to try and run fast without undressing in public! I tried tying my skirts up, I tried hoicking it up some more under the tie belt, I even tried tucking it in to my breeches! But it still came down and wrapped around my ankles! Just up ahead I saw a watering hole, "I shall stop a while and refresh myself, maybe the inn keeper will have a room for the night" But then I remembered the Inn keeper was also following the star! "I will stop and have a drink at least before I continue on my way" I thought to myself. It seems as if the yellow tabbard soliers are in control. Just then on the grand table I saw my little lamb drinking from one of the cups!
I quickly downed my water and tried to grab my lamb! Too late, it had ran off!
I had no idea where I was, or where I was going, but at least I wasn't following the crowdor the star. There was no one in front of me and no one behind me! I am safe, apart from some rather friendly yellow tabbard soldiers (marshals) pointing to pathways and roads. I don't know why they were doing that, some of the paths were nothing but more than huge mud hols filled with cold water and very sticky, slippery mud! Why would anyone want to run along there, only crazy people would do that! But there was no way of getting away from them. They seemed so friendly too, cheering me and clapping! Maybe they had heard of my quest, after all and were impressed with my efforts to save the lamb, some of them even mentioned my flock of sheep!
I could see up a head of me one such soldier, and with him I could see my lamb. He had a blue cow bell attached to him!
Now pretending to be a cow?! "No lambsey, no! You are way to small for that" I thought to myself. I tried to creep up slowly to my lamb but the soldier rang the bell, and cheered as did all the other yellow tabbard wearing soldiers! My little lamb startled, jumped out of his hand an ran off again.
By this time I was feeling really tired, my feet were wet, my tunic was wet and I hadn't got a clue as to how far I had come. I was sent up hills and down hills, along muddy paths and roads. One such road led to a fine looking home, and just behind a rock I could see my lamb.
There were no soldiers about, there were no people about. I again crept slowly, slowly getting nearer to my lamb, but he spotted me and once again escaped my clutches. The road lead to a path behind some other dwellings. I looked closely at one of the back gardens and I could see my lost little lamb!
But with one little 'baaa' he sprang back over the fence and ran off in front of me! The people who lived there was most amused by this!
I didn't spot my lamb again for a while. But I came across this ancient stone with an arch structure embedded in it, just placed by the foot path. Maybe the lamb was taking shelter from the sun, or having a nap!
I almost managed to grab him as I ran towards it. Surely I must catch him soon, it cannot keep on running! I am exhausted and in need of food! I knew I should have eaten something earlier. Those sprouts and turkeys came back to my mind!
I came out on the road again. It felt good not to be stumbling over roots and bricks. My poor ankle! I could hear some more cheering in the distance, but the cheering was not from the yellow tabbard cladded soldiers, no! This was different, there were more voices in the mix, and one a particularly loud voice as if it was being amplified! I was intrigued. No longer afraid, I was way beyond that now! I decided I will head for this noise and see what it's all about! I then heard my name being called out "Welcome Shepherd Pie" I looked over and there in the distance was my lamb, he was with my flock of sheep! Not only that, but The wise men, Angel Gabriel with a host of other angels, my brother Germain Shepherd and Chris with the inn keepers of Petts Wood Runnersville. They were all there, they had followed the star as it lit up and shone brightly in the day over Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus! I was here, seeing the baby! I need not have been afraid after all! Whether I am fast or slow, I still got to see baby Jesus! Brave or scared, I followed the lamb!
I realised then that actually I was not saving the lamb, the Lamb had saved me! He had been guiding me the whole way! But it was still a strange topsey turvey day, with running sprouts and turkeys, and Mary looking noticeably masculine while Joseph some how had some feminine charms under his beard!
There were also other residents of Petts Wood Runnersville here today as well, I managed to capture the moment, although there were still a few more around that didn't get in the picture
Thursday again, time seems to be flying by! Although there were a few PWR Thursday Morning runners, there were none in my group! But that's ok, all enforced solo running for me has to be good right, after all, that solo mojo is not going to find itself now, is it? So the woods it was but I will also do a little bit of road work as I planned on going through the manor housing estate, the one with the lovely houses.
I started off towards the gate and turned left and then bumped into my friend from Panagua Ladies! So just a quick chat with her and then I was off for the woods. I ran through Dog Poo Ally and then straight up the middle path. There were plent of dog walkers out this morning, the mild weather, I expect, was bringing them out, such a lovely morning. I looked up the path looking at all the leaves that covered it. No sunshine to make them shine like gold, no rain to make them shiny, slippery, hard to run on. Instead they were just lay there, not happy, not sad, but hiding all sorts underneath! I bit like I feel actually. Sometimes I run through the woods and have all sorts to think about or all sorts I want to forget! But today, there's nothing! My mind was really just empty! Could I say my mind was resting? Well, maybe that is what it means. To have nothing to think about, worry about!
I kept trying to prompt things to think about, but those thoughts only lasted for a few minutes and then I noticed I wasn't thinking about anything again! Weired! But nice. So I just ran along, not thinking, just running. Not noticing the paths or trees, or the peace and quite. It's all so natural, those things, when I am in the woods. Maybe they just look different depending on your mood, or the sun or even the rain! I am enjoying my run, there is no doubt about that, I am not finding it a chore. No, the only chore I have is actually getting out when I KNOW I am going to be the only one! But I have decided. January! January will be the start of my new regime......again.......like it is every year! But hopefully I will have a new new plan, something I have never really tried before! But I will talk about that when it happens.
So really, my run was rather none descript! I guess if you are a non runner, than all my blogs are non descript! But It was a productive run.......I came across a crook! Well a stick really! I shall try and make a crook bit for the top of it later! It's for my run on Sunday at Ditton......I am running in fancy dress. There will be a few of us........but again.........that's another story.......Sundays blog!
I was hoping this route was at least three miles long and no less than that, so you can imagine my smile when I saw my geeky stats. For the second time this week I have hit the target, spot on! Three miles done!
Club night tonight. I do love club night. It's also move up week so my group today was a smaller one! Just 6 of us running in group 1, it does make me feel proud seeing them all move up to the higher group.
In group one today there was, J.J. LittleJ, Chris, Tanya and Charlotte, you may remember Charlotte from my Thursday Morning blog. We were all in need of a good run, just to run out the day. Whether its been a hard emotional day, long hours working, crap crapity crap day or just a wonderful day, that a run would be the cherry on the top! I hadn't really planned a route and I was thinking about it all the while, driving along to the rec. I decided on one of the routes that we hadn't done for ages......in fact we have only ever run it once before, but I do remember it had hills in there! Just a couple of short ones!
I stood out front and gave my directions to the PWR's looking nice and twinkly in my arm bands and ONE shoe lace! (the other one packed up again!) Then after all the other leaders gave out their directions and pace we all went over to our numbered stakes. My group did look smaller, group 1's rank seemed to have swelled as it accomadated my group 1 move-uppers. It was soon time to get running!
Now, as I had only just decided on this route I obviously had had a chance to look at the route on line, to check it all out, re-acquaint myself with the road names. It is going to be a all done on recognition, once we get there. The thing is, my memory is just awful, which is why I always write my blogs up, so that I know how well or bad my exercises are going! I just need to remember to look back at them though, to help with my mojo! Our first hill was Birchwood, we ran all the way to the top! Yeah, we're bad, we're hard core, we can get to the top non stop! But we did have a little walking section one we got to the top and turned left, just while we all stuffed back our lungs into our bodies. We ran all the way to the first road on the right, Marlings Park Ave. Don't it sounds just so posh! Avenues always do, Park Avenue, Shaftsbury Avenue! Stick a number in front of it and it still sounds posh! Anyway, I digress as usual. We ran along there and then turned left. We were going to do a loop and then back up the Avenue after that, if I don't get lost!
I kept looking at all the road signs that we came across and just hoped that they triggered a memory in my one functional brain cell I keep around in my head. So far so good, it all came back to me just as I hoped. It was also coming back to one or two of the others as well. "This is the route with the cat!" I think Tanya said that, Chris also remembered the cat too, and the J.J. remembered the cat! I am so glad it's not just me that is forgetful these days! But what they did forget was the hills! Even the little short sharp one that I asked if they wanted to run up it 2 more times the first time around! This evening though I only suggested that they might want to do it once,,,,,,,more! The second time going up though, we all ran it, the first time we all WALKED it, which is why I got us to do it again!
The loop finished and we ran back along Opington Road towards the round about. Then it was all the way down towards Petts Wood. Tanya needed to leave us at Crossways. Usually I never send runners back alone, but this is the road near the rec anyway, the finish line! We said goodbye to her and we continued up the hill to the memorial Hall and then right on Towncourt and then right again on to Kingsway. A nice little down hill section to finish the route! Nice! A good run today with some lovely ladies!
I woke up this morning to a glorious day! It was a lot milder than it was last week! Not a cloud about, a perfect running morning. I drove to Normans park feeling positive! I parked my car up and locked up and started my warm up walk to the other end of the park for the start. I went to look at my Garmin and that's when I noticed that I had forgotten to put it on after charging it! It's just as well it's a parkrun and having it all timed for me!
I saw Carole and Michael walking over to the start and a ran to catch up to them and we chatted as we walked over together. I didn't know who else would be there today but I was sure there would be a couple more people that I knew at least. There were loads of 'blue shirts' there this morning too, the Zero to Hero group were graduating from their beginners class today! There looked like there were quite a few of them too. In fact there seemed to be quite a few people running, it must be the lovely perfect running morning that has bought them all out! Then I saw Wendimoo and K! They came over to chat to us, I also noticed quite a few others as well, but there were a lot of PWR's that were not here too because of various reasons, I believe John was doing is 150th at another parkrun venue.....no cake for me then! And also there is the KFL races going on a bit later, so they were all saving their legs!
And so the start began. We all surged forward, I said to Carole that I was going to do my own thing, run at my pace and just see how I get on. That was my plan, have fun with parkrun, and just push it a little bit, maybe, if I can! But if I didn't then I wouldn't beat myself up about it! I shall just have to try next time! Put it this way, I shall be aiming not to get any slower than I do today! I will just try and get a few seconds quicker each parkrun that I do while I am running by myself! My quickest this year was when I was running with NaggyNeighbour! All that puking and farting going through the tunnel was not pleasant, although I was blimmin pleased I that I got under 38 even though I was hoping to be 36!
Carole an Michael was running next to me for the first half mile, chatting away so easily like they were out for a stroll. I was running next to them answering with just the one word. When we had run around the little stream I started to fall back, they started to pull away in front of me. So now I was running on my own, well apart from 556 other runners of course. With my plan in mind I plodded along, just a little bit extra than I did last week, I still wanted to try and beat last weeks results, it's the competitiveness!
I gave myself little goals to do, catch up to the woman walking, keep running pass the pavilion, a walking break only after......! It worked for me. It should do, as that it what I tell all my beginners to do, and those that come to group 1! With each tiny little goal I started to feel a little more confident. I can get this 'non stop' 5k under my belt...one day! But for now, it's just getting a few seconds quicker from this week! I can't keep an eye on my timing, I am just going to have to rely on what I feel like as I run, but still make it all about enjoyment as well. There is no need to dislike running, that will just make it a chore!
I kept going, each little goal getting me to my bigger goal, the end! There were walking episodes and there was some running episodes, more running that walking of course. I also had a chat with whoever was next to me when I was doing the walking sections too! Parkrun is all about the friendliness of the runners after all! It was good having a chat with the Zero to Hero runners who were doing their first parkrun, and a couple of little chaps running with their daddy too! One of them said they were tired after the first lap, but he kept going. I think his dad used me as a little goal for the kids after that as they were running behind me. So I tried to keep running for as long as I could. I think they finally lapped me when we got to the woods, (Hook Farm end of the park) for the second time. I think that must have given them some extra energy because they just seem to have shot off then.
I was feeling pretty good about this run, I didn't push too hard so that I found it too difficult, nor did I take it too easy. I think I paced it about right for my new plan. next week I will knock off a couple more seconds from todays result, and I shall remember to bring my own Garmin too! But I won't look at it while I am running! I shall try and do exactly what I did today and then some!
My result by the way was 38:14 mins! Almost a minute and half faster than last week!
So it's just the one run today! I turned up at the rec in glorious sunshine, just like DiscoRich had said it would be! There was not a cloud in the sky, a brilliant morning for running. There were quite a few others there as well, including a new one to Thursday Morning running. She was one of our beginners and now is a club member. She, Charlotte, got there early, as she wasn't sure what time we all set off. And she sat in her car waiting to see if I turned up, because she is not ready to run with the faster runners just yet!
My route was the usual loop of the woods, going the easy way around, which would take us down Goss hill, not up it! We all set off together, heading for Dog Poo Ally. The faster groups getting there before us! Me and Charlotte went through the tunnel to see the middle group head up the middle path. We took the path on the right, straight up to the road. It was quite cold now, the ground underfoot was nice and firm, just as Phil said it was (he was coming into the rec just finishing his run with Andy). I was glad I had company this morning. My solo running, as you know, is taking a while to get back into place. But I know that I have to go to the rec on Thursday mornings just to see if anyone else turns up, so up, out and ready to run I will do it by myself if I have to. We ran to the top of the incline, by the road and I took a quick walking break! My lungs were ready to pop out! The cold weather is great to run in, but it is also a lot harder! And besides, I am still a bit poorly!
We chatted all the way around on our route today, I do like a chat, except when we were on those little undulations, they always get me puffed out. I also had to concentrate so hard on the ground, because it was so frozen over I kept twisting my feet down the ruts and grooves! Charlotte blamed my new shoes! I guess that is one of the pitfalls of running through the woods, especially when the floor is still covered up with the fallen leaves!
The hill at the top of the woods was fun this morning. I 'galloped' down it, you know, like you used to do as a child. Gallop like a horse, with hands hitting the side of your legs! I think Charlotte was amused by my style of getting down there! It really was a lovely run, still chatting all the way around the route. We soon was back to Dog Poo Ally. It was a shame, I felt like I could have gone on for more! But I had to get back, tidy up the house and shower, a double glazing man was coming to my house! I needed to be ready to kick him out of the house if he went in for the big hard sell! (incidentally, he was here for no more that 15 minutes, I told him what I wanted and bish bash bosh, he was out the door)
So geeky stats for this morning! There were a couple of little speedy sections among the slow walking sections! I was pleased with that!
