Thursday 11 January 2018

Doing a Double!

Hello blog readers.

I'm still doing 'the first of the year' bits and bobs, and today is the first double of the year!  I didn't do it last week, I am sure I had a brilliant excuse, but I can't remember what it was!  Anyway my double today was the morning run with the usual Thursday group and then track this evening!  Here's the low down on both.

Morning Run

It was very pleasant out there this morning!  It was grey, it was wet and it just felt miserable!  It did nothing to lift my spirits.  Maybe the run would do that.  I decided that going through the woods was the only answer.  I didn't fancy doing the Cinder path again, and I don't know any other tarmac paths that go through parks that are in group 1 distance.  So I decided that I would try the woods,  we met up with all the other Thursday Morning runners at the rec, there were 5 of us running today, IllustriousLeader, Tracy, Paula and PinkladyJo.  There were loads of other runners in the two faster groups too.  

I chose to go straight up the middle path and hoped that it would not be too muddy!  I wanted to run rather than get slowed down by muddy puddles.   We set off just after all the others, we chased them out of the ground and into the woods.  We could see one group just disappearing up the middle path by the time we had got there.  I have missed running through the woods, its so much nicer, fresher, you have have 'me time' in there and just enjoy your running.  

It didn't seem that long till we were up to the top of the woods.  I was going to nip out of the back entrance of the housing estate, but when I looked at the distance on my Garmin it would mean that our run would be so short, so I decided that we would run along he back of the woods and then up Botany Bay Lane.  We then ran along the road to the end and crossed over the main road to run through Scadbury Park.  Of course we had to have a look at how the renovations of the game keepers cottage is coming along.  It looks amazing!  We continued our way and then got t Leesons hill where we were joined by the faster group, let by David.  We all crossed over the road again to finish our run through Petts Wood.  I was running along and found myself trying to keep up with the faster group, which was not good for our group so I took them along Rhododendron path and then out of the woods that way.  It was a lovely run actually, even with the drizzly weather!  Geeky stats for you.

Track Thursday

So this is the double, I finally got back to track today.  I didn't have my running buddy NaggyNeighbour to kick my ass out of the door, so it really was all down to me.  And that is the way it will be, until I get to track! 

When I arrived there most of the others were there, some even turned up like they were going for a gently jog on a warm beach!  I again had more layers than an onion, including my big warm coat that was in the car for when I drive home. 

PhysioMikeTheMod didn't keep us waiting around too long, he sent us all off on a tempo run around the track for 10 minutes, and then we did some strides before the session.  And boy was it a session.  I don't think I have done this particular session before, he had tailored it to suit athletes like me to athlets like Stephen and Matthew Pond, group 11-12 runners.  When you look at the session on paper, again it looks pretty doable.  But listening to the faster runners they were saying it looks pretty hard! The session was to run 10 min tempo, 1600 (for the real faster runners) 1200, 1000, 800, 600, 400, 200 with 90 sec rest.  But I was to start off with 800, and then 800, and the real faster ones were to start of with 1600.  I told you he tailored made it to fit all! 

I started with the tempo run, PhysioMiketheMod was going to let us know what our 'marathon pace' is after we done just one lap, mine was 5:30.  If only that was the case for when I did actually do the marathon!  After we ran for the 10 minutes it was time to do the session.  I was looking forward to, it seems to be right up my street, running longer then getting shorter and shorter laps.  Perfect for ex couchies like me!  But in actual fact it was blimming hard!  I really tried to run as best as I could, I was sweating and working real hard.  I could feel those 3 miles in my legs from this morning, and I think I did hold back a bit.  Maybe next week I could push myself a little bit harder.

It felt good to be back, PhysioMiketheMod keeping a close eye on all, helping those doing the spring marathons, taking care of the first timers.  And as everyone else it just felt good to be back!  The encouraging 'Hey Donna' as people ran pass me was so good to hear!  Yup, I just hope this is my year!  In this body is a thinner, faster Old Girl!  I can feel it, I just need to focus all my energy on me!

Geeky stats.

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