ARGGGGHH RAIN AGAIN!

Hello blog lovers.

Remember my mantra, remember my mantra!

You couldn't write this stuff if you were thinking about the worst scenario for a 'first time marathoners training plans', even if you were  J.K. Rawlings herself! Rain, cold, wet, ex-couch potato! The whole of the fictional story is there! But its happening to this Old Girl!

The half marathon is coming up, I am training for that (obviously the half marathon is training for the full). I really wanted to do do about 10 to 11 miles today. But after I came back from a rather fantastic morning at church, the weather was telling the 'old couch potato' to stay in doors and eat huge amounts of buttered toast!

But as the Old Boy has said for quite a while now, due to this continuing wet weather, if you don't go out now then you never will do! It seems as if I am going to have to get used to being cold, wet and jogging!

Naggy Neighbour has joined me today, for my long slow run. She has only ran about twice this year, so I am expecting her to be at my pace now, and (if I'm lucky) a tad slower! ......Yeah right! This is Naggy Neighbour, her resolve is as strong as iron, her body may complain, but she ignores that and just gets on with the job!

Our route (originally) was planned for about 10 miles. But this is me, I still have tiny remnants of couch potato roots inside, so to make things psychologically better I decided to run through the ally, pass by turn around lamppost and then  on up the A21.  I needed that little extra boost, and I feel sure that Naggy Neighbour will appreciate it at some point on this run!

The rain continued down.  When we got on to the A21 we saw another jogger "Oh, so we are not the only crazy people out jogging" said Naggy. We continued up the A21. I felt sure Naggy would start to slow down now, as we approach the hill. "Yeah, this is where she will appreciate those lost couple of miles!.....any minutue now, she will be stopping for a quick 'Old Girl' breather! Just half way up this hill, you'll see! I checked my Garmin, to make sure that I wasn't blasted this hill, I didn't want to wear Naggy Neighbour out! (?) That's when I realised that I hadn't actually started my Garmin! "Oh blast" I shouted out "I haven't started my Garmin"  "We have just done 1 mile" called back Naggy. Only one mile! It feels like so much more! It must be this weather that is getting to me! Any minute now, Naggy is going to stop for a breather! Just a little further, and then she is going to feel it!

She never did! In fact she turned around to check up on me, to make sure that I was running! I don't think she realised that I had already had a 5 second walk! I had to make my self get going again. Ok, so she is younger than me! and.... It's raining (no excuse really as she is also running in the rain) But....she ....is ....younger than me!

I started my Garmin, as soon as I realised my silly mistake, (although it don't matter this run as Naggy has her Garmin running) but at least now I can keep an eye on my pace! We ran through the posh houses, side by side now. She has obviously slowed down a bit, or.....I have caught up! She said she has never been through here.  And we decided that we will each buy a house here! It's good to dream, it passes the time!

There is no stopping N.N. she is all out for a constant non-stop run! Two runs only this year and she is pacemaker! I took another little walk just up Crofton, "Come on, don't stop!" Ahhh, There's the N.N. that I know and love! Can you believe it! She is nagging me to keep going! Well, we still have at least another 7 miles to do, lets see if I can turn the tables!

I felt as if I was stuggling, and N.N. kept me informed of how many miles we had done. I was looking forward to getting on to the 'second route' the one through Pettswood and Chislehurst, because then I know we are at least half way through! 

N.N. kept going though, there was no stopping her. "You're running at lot stronger than the last time we ran together" said N.N. "Oh thanks" I said. I was so glad she said that, because it has been  quite a while, if there was no improvement then I would just through in my trainers now!

Going through Chislehurst now, and up 'Cardiac Hill' My legs were hurting! Right at the top, in the unmentionable area! Maybe I need to do some sort of hip flexing/groin strengthening type of ....stuff.... I'm sure our club physio will be able to give me some exercises to do, or even 'Stretch Leader' from the track sessions, mind you, judging from last weeks stretches, I wouldn't do any of them by myself, I will need someone to untangle me if I did his!

I didn't quite manage to run up Cardiac all in one go! I was annoyed at myself, but I tried not to let it get into my head. But the avalanche of 'stopping' had begun! I made sure though that I kept to my 10 second breather! And then back to running!

I kept telling myself "It's not that far now" Running pass the 'Tigers Head' I know that there is only about 3 miles to go. I kept a regular check on my pace, and a few times I was running at a faster pace, but I felt comfortable. I just need to see how this is going to affect me, (although my groin is going to tell me exactly how it is going to affect me!)   Naggy Neighbour is just looking so strong! Either that or she just wants to stay ahead of me so that I can't see the pain etched on her face!

Getting to Summer Hill was a huge welcome relief. Running down there really did feel like a walk in the park. Me and Naggy were even running side by side now! "My legs are so cold" she said to me, "So are mine." I said "I have an itch at the top of my leg, but when I scratch it my legs are too numb to realise it" All too soon though, the down hill of Summer Hill had finished. N.N. went straight back into trainer mode, "No stopping on this hill, slow down your pace, do what ever, but no stopping. You can stop at the top" After all the miles we have done so far getting up this particular hill, at this point, in one go, seems impossible!

I had managed my breathing pretty well on the down hill section, I was well recovered (?) from the miles so far, and in my mind I was planning on getting to the top of this hill! That's all you need, apparently, a determination! I put my head down, metaphorically speaking, and got stuck into to hill. A nice steady pace so far, the rest before hand has done me good, I was breathing just perfectly, the hill was being eaten up by my shoes, I felt strong! Half way up though, I started to feel it, my breathing started to labour a bit more, but I push hard, I kept it going, I passed the direction sign, the round about just ahead now, and I will be able to take a quick breather! YES, YESSSS YESSS!!! Done it!

A quick walk, I think maybe longer that my 10 second rule, as I watched in awe as N.N. carried on running up the road.  Again I caught up with her/she slowed down, and we chatted a bit as we ran along Blackbrook. Towards the end of the road N.N. asked if we were going through the park "No, turn left and up Southborough" I said "Not through the park!?" she said, totally gobsmacked! "I don't think I can face another hill" and so with that I said "Ok, through the park I said" secretly pleased! The weather hadn't let off at all, even had snow fall on us, so I think we have both done well. Besides it will only be an extra quarter of a mile if we went up Southborough!

N.N. seemed to have found a little extra as she pushed her self through the park. I was feeling rather tired now, but I kept going until the play park! Then took another walking spot "Only to the road" I said  to myself, "Then its non stop all the way home" N.N. was way up the road by the time I popped out of the park! "I bet she is hurting now" I thought to myself, "She is that far from me so that I can't hear her groaning" These are the things that I think of! Anything to keep my ass from stopping on the roads of my estate!

Just a few minutes more and I was home! Straight into N.N.'s house for a drink of squash and then for a walk around the block! In the freezing cold! We really did cool down very quickly, and while we were walking decided that we both earned a pint and a packet of crisps!

Geeky stats, with N.N.'s geeky stats at the bottom, Oh, and one other thing, Naggy Neighbough checked her geeky stats and realised that her last run was on the 30th Decemember, so she hasn't ran at all this year!


And Naggy Neighbours geeky stats