Mozzies and Mobs and Kissing Mashals!

Hello blog lovers.

This evening our club had the annual friendly mob match. It's a very friendly affair. The idea is to have as many of our club runners as possible. Then we run around a 7k route to get back to our start point for water, tea and cakes, and to feed our local insects, the mozzies! Can you imagine what its like when 165 runners turn up at 8:30 - 9:00 at night after running a 7k route? Sweaty warm bodies! The mozzies were having a blood festival!

I donned a new pair of trainers, (well my new shoes from last week were dirty!) Ok, so I am still testing equipment. I am  trying out my new adidas shoes, which I just love! The are white, with shiny bits and pink laces! So what I would chose in the shops!

We walked up to the start point and waited for the off.  We took over the road, and there were a few cars wanted to use it. But they were very friendly about it, and you could hear from the back (which is where I was) "CAR UP" as the car crept slowly up to pass the runners.

The Old Boy was mashalling (hence the title of todays blog, in case you were wondering if I went along kissing all the mashals)  along with a few of other runners friends and relatives. Because of his mashaling duties he wasn't cycling so he decided to have dinner early. I had dinner early as well. I don't usually eat dinner that time of day, not on a running day, but we will all be conveneing in the pub at the end of the run, so I needed to eat something. I just can run with food being processes in my tummy!

The start of the run is up hill! My tummy was feeling like a football with the amount I had eaten, even though it was at around 5:45 in the evening that I had it. I struggle up the hill. Nagging sister was with me, she has been running for a few weeks due to illness and her holiday. So the two of us was struggling up the hill behind the mass.

Eventually getting to the top to turn left over the bridge, we were just behind one lady from the 'other' club. Me and NS chatted away to her. She had told us the she though this was just an ordinary club run for her, and she didn't realise it was 'Mob Match' She also told us that had only been running for 16 weeks. Well, that inspired me to put on a bit of a spurt and get in front of her as we entered the woods.

Now I had to try and run fast enough to keep the mozzies from having an early feast.  The Old Boy had told me where his mashalling point was, and it was at the top of the woods before we turn left to run past the school. But right now, I was enjoying the nice down hill section of the run.

It seems as if the down hill sections are very short lived! I was soon running up towards the OB's mashalling post. A great opportunity to grab a chewing gum from him, as well as a sneaky kiss to keep me motivated! And there he was, with his camera at the ready trying to photograph me running up towards him! "Keep going, you have done these woods tons of times, you shouldn't be at the back! Go on, straight down there now, you can do it" he said encouragingly "And what out for the horse"

I knew what was next. It was the undulating, up and down sections. It seems as if the path is narrower. And the sticky icky mud patches were covering the path. My new shoes were going to be filthy, oh well, another pair getting a thorough testing!

Running past the school now, and its all down hill. turn left to run up the path on Botony Bay, and the then down hill, down Goss hill! Yes, I am a definite down hill runner, Maybe I should take up skiing! That is always down hill!

NS had left me ages ago, as we were running up towards the OB, but I had another PWR in my sites, and I just tried to keep up with her. But I think she must have liked the down hill sections too and put on even more speed than I could muster!

Now it was more road section. A gentle incline as Jan had said "But you know its coming though" she said in her best mashalling manner. She wasn't running today as she has injury issues that need sorting out, but her mashalling is top notch, (and when she turns up at the pub she will still be looking glam!) 

The gentle incline seemed like Mount Everest. My full tummy was really weighing me down now. I was feeling bloated and heavy, and the bloomin mozzies where thinking I was a 'Haemoglobin to go' was swishing them away trying to keep them from devouring all my precious oxygenated blood!

Up through the park now. Not far to go at all. Up in the distance I saw the familiar site of union jack shorts! "Come on, get a move on, get and catch your sister up! he bellowed across the park. "Whats your excuse today?" Says Mr. S, "new shoes" I shouted back at him, which for how I was feeling, pretty quick thinking! "Too much testing, now go on, at least overtake the yellow shirt that has just gone past" he ordered.

Jubilee park done and now just the last little bit of road running to do. More mashalls to point the way, although I knew where the finish line was, thanking each one as I passed on by. Now the stitch in my side started. I was holding on to my side, hoping that will cure it, or at least stop it from getting any worse. I could see the last of the roads, the last of the mashalls pointing the way.

Into the park now, and the obligatory run around the green! I put on my usual sprint finish, I could hear the clapping and the cheering! I knew I wasn't the last one home, especially as some of the runners were already leaving to go to the pub or home!, but I knew I was pretty much one of the last!

I did it. My number on my token said 163, the pain in my side said "you're gonna chuck up any minute, so sit down"

I great evening run. But because of the pain in my side I had forgotten to get any cake!! I sat down on the bench, and between my sister and my husband I was trying to keep the mozzies from taking their fill. I was hoping that maybe the mozzies were already full, but each time I felt an itch I looked and found a mozzie hanging of the end of me! I had two of the little blood suckers having a chat on my leg! Yuck!

Geeky stats for you

Oh and my shoes by the way, they must be selt cleaning shoes! It hardly looks as if I have worn them! Maybe I just floated with the woods!