A Birthday Blog!

Hi bloggees,

Its my birthday today, and what better way to start the day than running! Right! But today I was running with another friend who is into running, and needs company especially in the winter months during the evenings.

Now this new friend I have decided to call the whippet! She is fast, she has run 5 marathons so far and is bouncy and energetic.

She came to my door bearing gifts, which I thought was really lovely, and she was looking good. Proper running gear on, she left her garmin in doors. This girl is a proper runner, like naggy is. Why do I do it to myself! "I will run at your pace" she says, I was thinking that is the only pace I can run at. Now its pretty cold out there today, it feels even colder than last night at 8, but I'm sure that's because I just walked out my nice warm house! So no standing around discussing which way we are running, its just run and discuss on the way.

You can tell that Whippet is a running, she is keen to get going, and I was already in my out of my pace zone trying to keep up with her, and had to admit, "I am a slow runner" "Oh so am I" she said with all seriousness! So I thought I would just let the run explain to her as we jogged on.

She was chatting away to me, in her hat and gloves, and not sounding out of breath in this cold air, and I was just about answering her. The chill really has affected me! But I slowly reel her in and she is running at my pace. She almost looks as if she is running on spot! I can tell she wants to 'take off' and we are only on Farringdon! But I managed to keep her at arms length, but the cold is getting to me, the run yesterday is still in my legs, yet I am still so happy to be out!!

By the time we get on to Southborough I have had to stop, of course, when I say stop, its not like the breather I had on Tuesday where we all come to a full stop and heard advice from the coach, no! Just a stop from jogging and walking. Walking fast to keep up with the whippet!.

I managed to get to the pub with maybe one more walk and then past there heading towards Turp. Then I get a phone call, of course I had to answer it! It was my friend, she couldn't believe that I was out jogging, in the cold, on my birthday and talking to her on the telephone! Even the whippet was impressed (I think)

Onwards and onwards towards Turp, each left turn we passed the wippet was asking if we turn here, I was obviously running rings around her, NOT! She was probably thinking how far can this old girl actually go! We soon reached the turn left. And I just walked again. Just a little further on and even walked into Greenway, but then I started running again. By now the whippet was well warmed up and you can tell she just need to let go, so she took off, and then she ran back! What a show off! And this is how we ran the rest of the way home.

I think I may have stopped a couple of other times before we get to the road that I will never allow myself to walk on. By now I was puffing, my legs were beginning to tire more, and the aches and pains were telling me that they are there. I think whippet was quite pleased with the little jog, because she is suffering from her own aches and pains in her hip, which she thinks maybe due to running on pavements. Maybe next time we will run through the woods or Jubilee park, let her run free on the fields!

Totally focused now, run to the end of the end of this road, turn right and finish in style! Well that was my plan, I only just about managed to build the speed up, just a tad, not enough for whippet to have noticed. We got to my door and she looked gorgeous, not a bead of sweat, it was almost like a warm up 3 miles before the rest of the race! I looked a sweaty pink mess as per usual.

She popped into my house and just chatted for a short while, swapped mobile numbers and I suggest that her and naggy should get together and they could run together on those long distances they both like doing, 10 - 13 miles!

So todays run 3.34 miles in 43 mins, only a minute slower than yesterday! I was sure I was running at a slightly faster pace! Oh well, the fact that I am out and I am running and keeping fit, that's what its all about!