Early Morning Run!

Hello Blog lovers.

Ok, explain title today. Early morning, for me on a Saturday is anything before 11 o'clock. So park runs and anything else is seriously me nagging my ass to get out of bed! But as Smarty Pants couldn't make 9 o'clock park run, (so I will save that little joy for her for when she can make it) I volunteered to help out DiscoRich with the improver's group, which meet at Willet rec at 9 in the morning.

So, ignoring the headache that I seem to have woken up with, I made my way to the rec to meet up with everybody else. For a chilly moring there quite a few people there.  It's good to have camaraderie, it keeps all motivated, and helps us all to 'keep on at it'.  DiscoRich organised us into three groups, I was taking the first group, Isi the second and DiscoRich was taking the faster joggers.  The route was given, and also mention of speed sessions and maybe, maybe hill reps. It depends on how we all do after the speed sessions.

Cardiac hill is our destination, going down it, which is good. But on this road there is a path that leads to the play park, which is where we will be doing our speed sessions. The amount of times I have been down this road and I have never noticed this little path before!  We set off, all chatting away, and just happy to be out with our running buddies.

The second and third groups were ahead of us, but we, in the first group, jogged out at the stated pace of 13 mi/m. Well, I was going maybe slightly faster of 12:30 mi/m, but who's counting!  We kept the other two groups in view, and we didn't make them wait too long for us when they had reached the path to the park.

We ran around the perimeter of the park once and then regrouped for the brief for the speed sessions.  The second and third groups were to run around it three times, and my group were to run it twice. "I want you to run it at 80%" Said DiscoRich. Now, I know that I have been running for a while now, but I am still not quite sure what he meant by that, and I was quite pleased when he explained it. "That means you're to run it faster than you usually do, so that conversation is jut maybe one or two word answers"

So that was it. Off for the first of the speed rounds.  Half way round I was chatting to Kay, and she was conversing with me quite nicely "Well, thats good chatting" I said to her, "Which means you need to give me more speed" I said, as I encouraged her to run just a tad faster.  I then sidled up to Janet behind and encouraged her to keep up the good work.  They all did really well, and the people walking their dogs around the park, I think, were all impressed by us all.  I just hoped that we have encouraged some of to think about getting fitter and maybe joining us!

After the second speed lap we had a couple minutes rest. Then DiscoRich said we were going back to the rec via Wood Rise. He also said that he would save the hill reps for a next session! Which seemed to please the group. He did, however show us the hill that we would have been running up and down! I'm glad it's for next time!

The jog back to base was really nice. A gentle paced run back.  A couple of the others went back a slightly different way, and one of my group left at the round about, as he lived on that road anyway.  Back at the rec we did our stretches, chatted a bit more and then went on our way home!

A great start to the day!  I went back home, showered and the had the rest of the day with the Old boy, who is still out, injured.  Well, he can limp about a bit, so we went for a drive, and went out for the rest of the day!  A nice pleasant Saturday! Even though my headach has stayed with all day long!

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