Such A Good Weekend!

Hello blog lovers,

I did have such a very good the weekend just gone, I didn't train at all! I know! But it doesn't mean that I am going to fail, bail out, quit or anything like that, it just means that I had a good weekend! Simples!

I helped out at our beginners group again yesterday (Tuesday), not only does it give me a sense of giving back, and to encourage all the next group of runners to come and join our running club, but it also helps me out immensely!

Having not run since last Thursday then and extra 2 or 3 miles is just what was needed! Kit man Mike asked me to do the warm up lap with beginners! I just did exactly what Mike did with them last week, a bit of jogging, side crabby thingys and some flailing our arms in a windmill like fashion soon got us all warmed up.

But the time I did the little warm up lap the other two ladies were there and ready and willing to take the beginners through to the 10 min jog, 1 min walk x3.

It was a good workout, and they all did so well. Here is the geeky stats for their route, there was a bit of a hill, which would have killed me a few years ago, but these guys and girls were doing really well!



When we got back Kitman Mike said that it was nearly time for our group runs, so it was straight in the car to get to the rec on time.

I saw Hitchy there and she was talking to a new member that has just joined. The new member is going to be doing the VLM as well next year, and decided that she needs the support of a club to help get her marathon fit! I am sure, once she has settled in she will think, "Why didn't I do thi ages ago?"

My legs were a bit tired after running up the hills today, but as we were going to be having a club draw to see who will get the 3 allocated club places for the VLM I though that we would be doing one of the shorter routes, "Staying local" as our illustrious Leader says.

And there were the words I needed to hear "We are staying local,......" her words kind of trailed of for me then, I was just pleased that we were not straying to far. I offered my services to be sweeper again, as I knew I would be in the back anyway, and then were were off.

I was chatting along with Paul, he has been away from running for a few months, but, I'm not sure what it is, the call of the running shoes pounding the pavements does bring us all back to it as some point. Ok, it took me a whole year after I stopped running, but I found my mojo again, and hasn't really left me. I know that some peoples mojo has to be looked for. Nagging sister found hers doing park runs, Even now, after hurting her foot, the call to work hard at getting fit is strong with her,  she is missing her running! She has signed up for a month at a gym just so that she can participate in some form of exercise while her ankle recovers from the recent fall! Paul has come back to the club! Running. once its in there, it stays there!  This is why we run!

Anyway, I have so digressed! The route we took was all a bit twisty turny, I hadn't a clue where we were! I was just hoping that I would stay up with them! I was quite pleased that Paul was there, he was running along at my pace, 4 months out will do that. but we wasn't stretched out, we were all quite evenly paced. The new runner admitted later that she was glad that she chose group 1 as this was her pace. She was thinking of going along with group 2 as they do a slightly longer route and slighter faster as well!

I had told her that group 1 was my pace. I am not going to be going any faster any time soon! That is obvious they way I plod along, and so there for I don't feel the need to 'move up' to the next group.  My longer runs will be done at weekends and during the other days of the week with the Old Boy. The endurance I have to work on, my pace will stay the same I am sure.

We eventually came across the new railway bridge. It was only then that I realised where I was! So if I did get left behind, lost, then at least I knew how to get back to the rec. But we were all still virtually together. We had another quick little break here for our Illustrious Leader to tell us that we can now go as fast (or as slow) as we wanted, all the way back to the rec, and the she will take over as sweeper.

I like the down hill of Birchwood, as Hitchy said, you can shake out your shoulders, relax your arms, smile! and generally have a good time heading down. As I was no longer needed for sweeper duties, about 3 quarters of the way down I started to put a bit of a faster pace on, getting ready for the sprint on Crossways. I just picked it up a little, eased into the fast run, tried to stay focused. I was hoping I didn't start to early, coming from the other end of Crossways, I didn't want to burn out before I got to the gate!

I turned the corner, checked for the traffic and then started to sprint even faster, keeping my eyes on the sign to the rec! I did it. I didn't start to early, even though I didn't see my sprint road, I managed to keep up a steady faster pace.  I must try pushing it a little harder now I think, start my faster running a little bit earlier, and then sprint only on Crossways!

So my geeky stats for group 1 run. And it turned out it was one of our longer runs! 3.89 miles!! So much for me thinking I was going to have it easy! After this some of us went to the wine bar to watch the draw, and to watch our club secretary hand over 'the Big Cheque' of £3,000 to Harris Hospice, the money raised from our Pettswood Runners 10k run held last month.