Come On China!

Hello blog lovers.

It's Sunday, and I have a slight hangover!  Family day yesterday in Herne Bay! A great time was had, even though we never managed to get on the beach, it was too windy. So we ended up still having our BBQ at my brothers house!  In the chilly sea air, BBQing, sitting around in coats and fleeces! Only in Britain!

My old 'China Plate' Mr. Adrian 'Crazy Fool' Clay (hence the reference to China), in fact that will be his nickname from now on, 'China'! Well China wants to get back to running.  He was doing  well until about 18 months ago, and you know how it is, you have a week off running, that work stuff gets in the way, kids, schools, life, beer, holidays! It all grabs your attention and tries to make you forget about your running.  But, once the running bug is in there it will re-surface again.

So China asked to come along for a run.  I planned to take him through the woods, up Goss hill, and just generally have a nice plod along the paths enjoying the freedom of getting out!  I wasn't quite sure how he would do, and he admitted he wasn't quite sure how he would do.  So we shall just 'wing it'.  I ran to his house, so that I can warm myself up, and then knocked on his door. He was ready! Brand new shoes for running, only purchased about half hour before I got there! And looking as if he was really looking forward to it!

I took him for a slow jog to Tent Peg Lane to get him warmed up, and that was before I started to the Garmin!  We had a quick, breather, and then went straight into our jog!  It was going to be lovely.  The weather is not too bad, brilliant for jogging, especially long jogs, (not that this will be a long jog) it wasn't hot, it was overcast but no rain, we shall be just nice and comfortable as we jog along. 

It was a nice 'conversational' paced jog.  "I think we shall jog for 10 minutes, with two minutes rest" I told China "If it is too much then we can cut it down to 8 minutes jog" "That's fine, I think I will be able to do that" he said.  I started the Garmin and we jogged along through Jubilee Park.  It was a very nice conversational pace as we chatted away catching up with what's been happening over the last 7 months (has it been that long since I saw you guys!) and the 10 minutes soon went by virtually unnoticed!

Then came Goss Hill. "I remember this hill" Said China, "It's steep!"  We ran this particular hill with group 1. It's good to remind him of what he has been missing with the running club!  I was feeling particularly good as I was running up this hill! I ran passed most of the 'stops' I normally stop at, I turned around to see how China was doing, considering he hasn't been running for a while, to get just a bit up the hill is pretty good going! He did walk the hill.  I stopped jogging a little further up the hill and walked a bit of the hill and then waited for him to catch up. Just the last bit of hill to do, "Come on China, lets run this last bit" And he ran up to the top of the hill.  There was no stopping altogether, I got him to walk along the next bit.  This was going to be our 2 minute walking bit.

We turned left at the end of the path, ready to turn right along the bridle path and up and over the next couple of little undulations.  China was doing very well, the down hill sections were a most welcome relief, and a time to shake out the shoulders and relax into the run.  Then he saw the little 'undulations" "Oh blimey" he said, as he saw it sweep up.  But we got up there, the walk/jog scenario working out well!  It was soon time to go down the path, towards the railway lines. A time to pick up the pace a bit! Well, I did try, but decided to keep it a the nice conversational pace, just for this time!

I pointed out 'Dog Poo Ally' and how close, now, we are to finishing todays run.  Just the next section along the side of the railway lines, and then up and over the three bridges.  I Think Mr. China Clay enjoyed his run out in the woods today, but I didn't let him stop there!  We were going to just run along to his house and finish the run there!  I kept an eye on my Garmin! It is going to be a 4 mile jog out! Not bad for a come back run!  And he has decided that he will be back at club run on Tuesday!  A successful jog out.

Geeky stats for you.