Tuesday 26 June 2012

Midsummer Eve Club Run!

Hello blog lovers!

Today I was really looking forward to our club run. Today is the day where we all join together and really look like a formidable running club.  It's our two 'drinks station stop, then Pimms at our Kit mans, MidSummers Eve', Run!

We have seven running groups in our club, group 1 being the 'Beginners Group' and group 7 being the fastest group! We combined together to make three for this evening, 7,6 and 5 will run as one group, 4 and 3 will run and 2 and 1 will run as another. We ran out together, all heading for one point in Chislehust, to the first drinks station, with, obviously, slightly varying routes and distances to keep it challenging for everyone (and so we can time ourselves to arrive at the same sort of time)

When we have our Midsummers Eve run (yes it really is midsummer!), it's not just your ordinary H2O that is on offer, oh no, we provide your squash as well, (thats undiluted orange juice to my USA readers) to flavour it up, I do believe there were two different flavours today, plus we had a choice of ....... beer or even a shandy! Perfect for running, I believe! It certainly kept me moving!

Our  group, today, were heading through the woods, which were still quite wet and muddy in places. I could hear all the girls in front and behind me squealing as they are trying to find the safest, less muddy, places to cross, as the boys just squelched through the middle of them, with the beer on their minds, no doubt!

Our route took us through 'Poo Ally', left along the railway tracks, and up to Botony Bay, a hill I have yet to conquer, with out stopping to walk! But today I did it! I ran and squelched and squealed non stop to the top of the first part, where we normally stop on our first official regroup. I made it to the top!

I didn't quite make it the rest of the way, to the first drinks station though, with me walking on a couple of parts of the hill and the road.  The drinks station wasn't that far to go.  After we all congregated there, the other groups drifted in.  It was soon time to run to the next drinks station.

Our Illustrious leader was trying to gather up her 'flock' of runners, so this where I introduced my infamous whistle! My whistle has stopped taxis in their tracks that have driven passed and missed our hailing, my whistle has brought my kids home from the woods when I needed them home for their dinner. And tonight, it got everyones attention. Our Illustrious leader was able to call in groups 1 and 2 without hardly raising her voice!

On to the next station. This was at Scadbury park. Again I seemed to have kept pace with the front runners, (a shandy is a good incentive to keep moving, it seems) I was impressing myself. Even Nagging Sister noticed that I had kept going! We were going through some more of the fantastic  woods that we have here. The path, which we took, runs parrallel to the road, so muh nicer to run through here than the road. It's a route we have taken in our group 1 before but when we popped out of the woods, onto the the road, instead of going right to head back to the meeting/start point, we turned left to go to Scadbury park.

Our Illistrious Leader held another regrouping here, (it also gave a little time for the drinks station to be organised at Scadbury park!) We were waiting for the sweeper to be popping out of the woods behind us.  "Just run up to the park" she said to us "And if you see the blue car then go on in to the park, if not just turn around start running back to us until we all catch up again" So, while our Illustrious leader waited with another runner for the sweeper and anyone else that was behind, we all headed to the next drink stop.

We arrived at the park and we could see that the blue car was there! "Fantastic, we don't have to run back", I thought to myself! We ran across the  long grassy path, towards the blue car and we saw.......hmm, , shall I name him? Yes I will!, we saw Jonathan! He was our sweeper!, and there he was busy pouring out drinks!

"How did you get here" we asked him "Oh I got a bit lost, we couldn't see where you went and we just kind of took a short cut" he said! "Oh but our Illustrious leader is waiting for you at the end of this road" we informed him as we pointed in the opposite direction of where he came from! Well guess what? I volunteered to run back to let her know that Jonathan was at the drinks station! I know, can you imagine me, doing extra bits of running, and after a fizzy shandy!

The next stop from here, though was our Kit mans lovely garden. By jove, I will name him too! He and his wife derserve recognition! His name is Mike. He and his wife have this amazing garden, just beautiful. He opens his garden once a year and collects donations for the Harris Hospice! Amazing! So a big huge thank you to these guys for letting us trample all over their amazing velvet lawn! I hope we didn't didn't do too much damage to your lawn.

Here in Mikes garden also, we held our prize giving. I had the privilege and the pleasure of presenting prizes for our  Pettswood Runners members only, 10k race, to six of our runners who were the fastest in their particular groups, with Nagging Sister helping me. (and Mr. S. heckling me! Did I go on then, Mr. S?)

I had fogotten to take my garmin this evening so no geeky stats, I think I was probably a little nervous and worried about what I will be talking about! Obviously I didn't wan't to be going on and on like I do in my blogs, after all they all had to get home some time this evening!

A great day, a great run and a fanastic time in Mikes garden, drinking Pimms.

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Club Run - Post L2B

Hello blog lovers,

Today was club run night. I do love running with my club, and it seems just at the moment this is the only running that I am doing!

But today I am feeling fat and bloated! I think it was all the celebratory drinks that we had after me and my team completed the  London to Brighton bike ride! But running through the woods, I was hoping all the scenery and smells (and huge muddy puddles) will keep me suitable focused on the running.

I heard our illustrious leader mention "That hill!" Some of our club members are running the Orpington 10k race on Sunday, and this is good practise for that.  Now, the only hill that I can think of going through our woods that can be called "That hill!" is Goss Hill. I mentioned it to Nagging Sister, because she had decided to run with Group 1 today, but I don't think she heard me!

We headed off to 'Poo Ally' and then turned left, running along side the rail way line.  I was thinking to my self, "It's either going up to Botony Bay, or it definitely is Goss hill" So when Illustrious Leader turned left when we reached the little river, I knew it was 'That Hill' 

The weather was perfect running weather, not too hot, not too cold, the going, however was sticky in places. When I noticed I.L's footwear earlier at the Pavilion, I knew that she was planning on coming to the woods, and dug out her old trainers! We were all like gazelles, tippy toe-ing all along the muddy puddles, looking for the firmer ground. Good exercise, I thought, and kept us all looking very ladylike, and sound like it too, with the "ewww, yuck, ohhhh, aaaggghhh" echoing from the woods, but obviously not from the only chap that was running with group 1 today, (he obviously not too bothered about England playing the Ukraine tonight......by the way we beat them! 1-0 whhooo hoooo!)

Any way, I digress again. I expect you are all wondering if I made that hill today?! You got to be kidding! Over 50 miles cycling on Sunday, another 16 miles on the bike yesterday, fat and bloating feeling today! I am surprised I actually ran at all today! But I was quite surprised that the hill didn't seem that long today, not as threatening as it has done!  I am sure, when the time is perfect, I will be flying up that hill, non stop!

Just a couple more smaller hills, of course......I didn't quite manage to run up these either, but from the top of here it was down hill all the way, and I ran all the way, (of course you did, Old girl, you virtually rolled down!) Through 'Poo Ally' and back to the rec, where we were to run around to make it at least just over the 3 miles running today.

An enjoyable run, just what I needed after a busy weekend!

Geeky stats.


Tuesday 12 June 2012

Club Run - Lethargy, Get Out Of Here!

Hello Blog lovers.

After a drought of exercise, during this 'drought with hose pipe ban' period we are having, I finally got out for a run.

The weather has been appalling! It seems to have been raining now for weeks and week, non stop, without a break. I think I will have to count the days its been raining and then go and read the bible to clarify things! But I feel sure that it won't be raining for that long again!

Nagging Sister wasn't feeling too well today, she stayed at home. "This weather don't help put you in a good frame of mind" she said. And I do know exactly what she means! Continuous rain! It's enough to get a duck down! But this evening it seems to have stopped! It feels bloomin cold though, so a long sleeve running top is in order, and just in case I shall be taking my rain jacket as well!

We have handed keys back to the Pavilion, our club has grown and grown in the the last few years, and it was becoming quite a squeeze for all of us in the little nursery room! We have enjoyed the nice and warm space during the winter months, and have appreciated the room to have our bags locked up. So now, we still meet at the pavilion, only these days, there are more runners turning on on foot, rather that by car and bikes! and also I think, backpacks will mark us out as 'The Running Club to be in' as we will all look so fit!

Our illustrious leader was taking us through Jubilee Park. It's better than running along the roads, but it is only a very short part of our 3 and 3/4 mile route this evening, and then it's back on the pavements.  I am so looking forward to going through the woods again! But this rain is just making it so difficult, it will be so muddy going though there!

We had a couple of stops on our route today. The first one was just as we got out of the park. There we discussed the Orpington 10k, but I am not sure if I will make it. My other sister is having her 50th birthday party the evening before! Probably not a good idea to run if I have been celebrating too much!

It was back on the pavements. We all kept up quite well with the main group. I was at the back, where I usually am, and only had about 3 or four short 'unofficial' walking stops! So maybe absence makes the legs get stronger!  We ran up Southborough Lane, and then turned right into Oxhawth! So close to home! If I hadn't had my car, I could have just ran on home! Well, actually I was having quite a good run. So even if I didn't I would have still carried on!

When we got to the round about at Tudor way, our illustrious leader gave the instructions run as fast or as slow as you want back to the rec. She took over the sweeping duties and I just picked up the pace just a tad more before I got Crossways and then I started my sprint. I was smiling as I was running towards to the sign, well at least I was smiling inside. I was feeling very good. Lethargy hopefully on the way out, lets keep on praying that the sun will finally shine on through these rain clouds.

As we got into the rec I looked at my Garmin, 4.11 miles! Well, I am pleased with that!

Geeky stats for you.