Club Run - Move Up Week

Hello blog lovers.

It was touch and go whether I would get there this evening, after last Wednesday back injury.  But I felt as right as rain!  CharleyBear however, was not feeling good, she has an injury, so I am down to lead, which is why we were running a nice gentle easy route.  Not only that but it was 'Move up week'!  You would think that being group 1 (the slower pace) in the club that we can't possible accommodate any from moving up!  Well, today we did!  We had a couple of our beginners join us, not only that but two complete beginners!  One has been inspired by the marathon!  I know exactly how she feels!

So after I gave out our route we listened to all the other leaders and then we went to our stake post to have a count up!  There were 12 of us.  J.J. and LittleJ were missing from our group this evening, they have this dreaded lurgy thing going around, Michael, who has now become a leader,  joined in group 2, as that will be the group that he will be rota'ed in to lead but we had Auriol and Carole, plus Tracy and K!  Plenty of our regular group 1'er's  We shouldn't lose anyone on this evenings run.

The route I chose was the Crescent Drive route, a nice flat route, with a possible short cut if we need it.  Our first part though was uphill, Kings way to begin with.  Ok, so I said it was relatively flat, but that is the only hill we had in this evenings run, honest. So we started, we ran out of the gate, turned right and then turned right again to go up the hill.  Those who got there first I gave them the option of going back down to join in with the backrunners, or do some squats!  So squats it was!

I took a short walking break after we all re-grouped and then started our run again over the troll bridge, introducing 'run like 'Scooby-doo' to our newbies to the group!  Considering we have new people joining us with the loop backs and squat breaks, we were not that far off our group 1 pace.  Even with move up week timings (we should be running at the slowest advertised pace) we were on time.  I was thinking to myself that we wouldn't be needing the shortcut to finish this evenings run!

We continued all along Crescent drive with little breaks or loop backs for the fast runners, and then walking breaks for the slower runners.  It worked well all the way down to the corner of Shepperton road and then down (and up) Shepperton.  We had a quack break and the turned right to go along to the off license!  The faster ones knew were we were going, so I sent them off in front while I kept an eye on the backrunners and we re grouped again by the shop.

Once over the bridge I thought that the faster runners could do with a bit long stretching their legs, so I designated Carole, being the most fastest experienced group 1 member with me and Becky,  to run with them to the end, while I ran with the backrunners.  It worked out perfectly, Carole even got a a couple to run back to us when they got to the end.

We stayed all together as we ran up Tudor way and then I let them off the leash again to finish their run at their pace along with Carole and Becky, while I ran along with Kym, the complete beginner runner and with Tracy and K bringing the rear!  A great run, but definitely a run of two halves, the faster half and the slower half!  But we finished together as a group....almost....together!

Geeky stats.