Friday Fry Day!

Hello blog lovers.

I don't normally go out running on a Friday, but I feel I have been lacking in my running lately.  It's the hot weather, the kids, the things that need doing, the kick up the backside that's been missing, you know the general stuff.  So I thought to myself yesterday that I won't have a rest day today, I shall go out and do a nice short solo run, earphones in, and just have a nice time. Mind you, its blooming warm out, and I really will be frying!

So that is what I did, after giving back grandson to his mummy, and sorting out my computer which had some sort of ad issue, that only I could see! (see what I mean about stuf getting in the way) And no, I am not going mad, honest, I even sent Mr. S and his new coach Maisie, a ....now what did he call it, a screen poo...no, screen tur.....no no, that wasn't it, oh yes, the screen dump to him, and he could try and see what the problem was.

Of course this morning, I was in panic mode thinking my laptop has become infected with something so I called my Internet provider and let them 'take over' my lap top and sort it out.  Which they did, thank you very much Mr. Shankiri (I think that is how his name was spelt).

Waffle, waffle waffle. Anyway, I changed clothes, Garmin on, hat on (it looks like its going to be a warm run) and then outside to catch the satellites.  I wasn't quite sure which way I was going to go, but decided I needed a hill, so I decided to go up Hollingworth,  (It's the shortest and nearest hill that I know) but it is a least a hill. I was thinking on my feet, about the route to take, and I thought I may as well go through Pettswood and maybe even get to run along with The Running Man, you never know.  He runs any time of the day, every day, so I may see him. 

After that I will head on through the high street and then down Southborough Lane to the park and then home.  That should be about 3 miles.  A nice distance for a solo run in the warmth of the morning.  I was sweating!  But on my run today I saw quite a few people, and I think (I hope) I was running each time! Which was good, because I did take a few walking breaks!.  Now who did I see?...

(Think rap as you read this next bit)

There was Ed, and Osc, then Emma in her car,
Who was next, that I saw in a car,
Was that Adele, smiling, waving at me,
Boy was I glad I was running happily.

Through the high street coming around the corner,
Its Karen, running, and getting more toner,
Just like me, she's smiling and enjoying
running in the heat, and enjoying the morning.

Carry on running I pass the bus stop
Ear phones in and iPhone's playing rock
Then some feet came pounding along the street
I saw Smarty Pants with her kids looking neat!

So can I say I was running solo
When I saw all this people, which kept me from feeling low
Smiling, waving and chatting to me?
Running is good, and lots of fun and best of......its free!

Wow, where did that come from!  Sorry, I just been listening to a bit of rap (which really isn't my thing) but it inspired the above ditty! 

It was a great run though, I enjoyed it immensely, (the running that is, not the rapping, my rapping that is) And I am looking forward to my race that I have signed up for on the 11th of August! Can't wait, bring it on!

Geeky stats for you.

Thursday Core Training Session.

Hello blog lovers.

I went along to  Willet way rec today for another session of core training a strengthing session.  And Adele and Jenny were in the lime light today.  Jenny did the warm ups, and the drills and then Adele got out her bag of gloves and mitts.  It was going to be boxercise session today!  I wonder who I was going to be beating up today!

I was about 2 minutes late and they were already on there 1st lap of the park, I tried to sort of  join in and catch up, but me and another young lady (who was also a minute late) kind of took a short cut, and we still didn't catch up. They were already doing a second lap as we were running towards the start!

Anyway, we were pretty warmed up and ready for the next bit. We went straight into the drills. A few side thingys up and down to the cricket crease. Then some butt kicking things and knee highs on the return. Then one last lot of potential tripping over leg thingys.  This particular drill always has people in a tiss as to what the feet should be doing!

The boxercise  next, and there were quite a few of us! But it seemed Adele had brought enough gloves and pads for everyone! I teamed up with Clare, the young lady that came late, and we made up a threesome with the young lad that has joined in all the sessions so far because his mum brings him along, he is only about 7 or so, but so much faster than us!  We boxed and moved and punched and hooked  away like professionals.  All great fun!

Then it was back to Jenny for the speedy running session.  The relay racing thingy that we do.  In teams of 3, number 1's run around the field to our number 2, then they run to the number 3, in the starting place, and then number 3 runs to number 1, and then starts it all again.  Its great fun. And we try and try our best to run as fast as we can.

I made an observation when I was on my second or was it third time to the no.2 position, and I said "It makes me smile when I hear everyone moaning, and saying "Is this the last one?" But the strange thing is everyone is smiling, and enjoying the pain that they are in! Ok, so just the aching muscles that we are putting to good use. But we all turn up each week looking forward to doing all over again!  That has only got to be the feel good factor, the adrenaline, or that other thing that happens in your body, endorphins, is that the right word.  But what ever it is, it feels great!

We had a stretch session and then that was the end.  Well, I think we sort of missed out the cool down jog around the field, which some of them did after the stretching.  But, I and a couple of others, waved them off!

Hot And Steamy!

Hello blog lovers.

I know the title is, shall we say, a bit evocative. But that is exactly what it felt like at club runs yesterday evening, very hot and steamy beginners and group 1 run. And unlike. erm, the other kind of meaning, I looked far from glamorous and or sexy!  Who said running will make you look gorgeous!  Well, I s'spose everyone can look half decent after a good blow dry!

Ok, enough of the innuendos! Sometimes my mind really does hit gutter level! Anyway, yesterday it was Tuesday, (so yes, I am a day late writing up) and it was the beginners groups turn to hit the sauna pot of Willet Way Rec.  When we first started around 7 ish, there was bit of rain, heavy mist, as the Old Boy would say, which felt quite cool on my skin.  I think some of the beginners were looking forward to a bit of rain too.  Today it was walking for 2 minutes and then jogging for 4 minutes.  It seems quite a step from that first week when they were all worried about jogging even for a minute!

But everyone managed to do it even in this heat.  Us Brits are just not used to constant heat.  We complain like mad when there is too much rain and then we complain like crazy when its too hot!  Changeable weather, that's what we are used to! But to see the beginners running around, not caring (too much) about old Mr. Sunshine turning us all into steamed runner(beans) [ ......I don't know where this stuff comes from inside my head, full of nonsense...] and then feeling pretty darn good that we have done it , is an awesome feeling!  Now that is what running/keeping fit is all about!

Geeky stats for the beginners.



Group 1 run was taking us on our annual Pettswood 10K route, voted by the Runners World magazine as one of the best in the country for 10K Races, so that we will all be aware of the route and what is expected of our 600 entrants that will be running it.  Oh and by the, I have been given a mission to recruit at least 2 people to come at run at our race, and I have promised a signed photo of our club mascot, Mr. Woody Gorilla himself, and if he hasn't eaten all the bananas he may just share his hoard of bananas with you.  So who is up for it?

I regularly run some of this route anyway, and it really is a lovely place to be running through.  The woods were again hot and steamy, very humid indeed.  I sprayed myself with jungle formula insect repellent, but there was obviously a few very determined little b......blighters that thought I was worthy of the risk to dine out on!  I tried to stay in the middle of the pack today, let someone else take over sweeper duties! But guess where I ended up!? Yup that's right, at the back, puffing and panting and looking like a complete steamed pudding!  Just as well I had my water to continue to 'baste' myself, [hmmm.....all of a sudden I'm hungry...]

It was a good run, and we got back to the rec, and asked very nicely by our leader, the Illustrious Leader, to run around the green once (it was going to be twice, but she took pity on all of us melting Lolly's, I mean melting joggers)

A good run though, and I must push on and do some more, I have signed up for another race, the Mid Kent 5, on August 11.  It should be interesting!

Geeky stats for group 1

Taking The Short Route! - Club Night

Hello blog lovers.

Its a day late with Tuesdays blog, and you will see why as you read through!

Tuesday again, and its our beginners 3 week.  The weather has bought a few more to our course, I am hoping that they will be able to cope with the heat and the days activities today.  It's walk for three minutes and run for three minutes!  Every one had their water, it was deffo going to be need today, everyone that is....except me! Some trainer I'm turning out to be! 

We started off with the drills, and the skipping, and the trainers all keeping an eye on knees! We even watch Hitchy's knees, as she has started to come along to help with the beginners course too. Why were we watching the knees? Well its obvious isn't it, to see if they have good glutes! I know! It sounds weird, but it all connects up somehow.  I wish I paid more attention in biology class instead of dreamily looking at the teacher! *Sigh* Mr. Thomas, a very popular teacher! 

If you have nice strong glutes, this helps your knees to not cross in front of you, thus saving you lots of problems down the line.  Being a helper in the beginners is helping me a lot to understand how to avoid injuries, as well as how to encourage total beginners to run their first 5k.

Everyone more or less kept up with the running today. Of course there were the ones that could run faster, and some that just plod along at the back doing their thing.  But it is all so heart warming to see people actually doing something to keep them healthy and fit, and away from their t.v. and the couch!

This is the geeky stats for the beginners group.



After the beginners it was the usual club runs.  But, actually, it wasn't the usual club runs.  Because today they were going to be doing relays in Jubilee park! I didn't know this, and I was just so looking forward to running through the woods today. I felt kind of disappointed, and totally unprepared to change! I felt like a stubborn school child! "But I wanted to run through the woods!"  Somehow, from changing to our old website address to the new one, I have not been getting the emails about what is going to be happening each week.  I seem to have become 'lost' in the system, along with a few others, it's not just me.

It's not a 'cull' of PWR's as the Old Boy put it "Oh, they think you have outstayed your welcome in Group 1, they've thrown you out" he said to me teasingly.  "I don't think that is the case, it's just a clitch" I told him.  But I was totally relieved that I wasn't the only one, phew!  But after this relay thing, which is more of a social thing, to get every body talking to each other, from the other groups, then we were going to meet at wine bar Heathcliffe and krook, to rehydrate in PWR's way, with a couple of bevvys!

Anyone, to cut a long blog short, if that is at all possible with me, there was this kind of small splinter group. Me, Hitchy, Kim and Alan formed this little breakway group and there was an even faster group heading off somewhere else at a faster pace.  But my little group decided to go through the woods, and do a short run and then go to the pub. 

Our route went in through "Dog Poo" Ally and then straight up to the top of the woods and turned left.  One of our usual routes that we do with group 1.  And guess who was leader? Well, I can't say leader really I was more just the navigator, calling up to the faster two to turn left, right or what ever way we needed to go.   

We were going to do a loop around, back to 'Poo Ally' and then go straight to the pub.  We did this in a fairly nice conversationally paced run, it was cooler in the woods, but it was still very humid!  I was melting underneath my running clothes!  We got back to the beginning when Alan said, "Oh I know where I am now, shall we do a bit more" Well, I for one was heading for the pub now! After doing the beginners course, I felt I could leave the last mile or so, due to exceptionally warm weather conditions.  You wouldn't go running on your holidays in warm weather like this would you? Actually I like the way PhysioMike put it, it came across so much better. Because I know that some people do go running on their holidays!! But anyway, I'm heading for the pub, Hitch was going with me.  So Alan and Kim carried on running up, yes I did say up through the woods to finish off a very warm run.

The thing is, they didn't actually come to the wine bar, I am hoping they are not still running around the woods!

Geeky stats

Jelly Legs And Acid Drops

Hello Blog Lovers.

Any one would think it was a trip to the sweetie shop with the title of todays blog, but seriously, the only sweet bit was the fact that I did the core training today!  And it is sweet! Knowing that I can do it, albeit slowly, maybe not as many reps as others, (or as smoothly as our designated instructor today) but it really is sweet doing something that is good for you.  There, that's the mental training done as well!!

Oh my bloomin word! It was tough today! Emma (you remember her from the S.A.S. School of instructors) it was her turn again to take the core strengthening and drills today.  Nagging Sister and her attachment JLo came along as well.  I told them it is fun. In fact PhysioMike suggested that some of the beginners come along, even if they did the homework for this week, for the running part of todays session, they could do the core training still.

Emma arrived, bouncy and full of energy, and wondering if any of us had done a warm up lap yet. Of course we hadn't, so she sent us round the rec for two warm up laps.  And then it was Emma's 4 minute Hit!  Oh how we love that!  I could see the fear on Nagging Sisters face.  "You will love these" I told her, but some how that didn't stop the look of fear. 

But first off it was the drills, butt kicks up to the cone, which was set up, and then back again, and then some very elegance side steps with ballet arms to the cone and back. So far so good, and then it was the 4 min hit.  A minute each of star jumps, pencil jumps, leg kicks and mountaineering type of thing!  All great fun to do, all very hard to do! You know you have worked muscles after that.

Then it was over to the little fence to work on those bat wing arms!  My bat wings can probably shelter a whole colony of bats! Now how did Emma put it, do the exercise until failure, or something like that! Which meant do as much as you can until you can't do any more.

I like that idea, no pressure of numbers! I wasn't the first to stop, but then again, I didn't know how many the others had done before they stopped!  But it still felt good.  Next it was ab crunches, so back on the grass, just getting to lay down felt good! But then trying to get just my shoulders up off the floor, without using my hands to yank my head from my shoulders, or indeed using my neck muscles to get said shoulders off the ground, which by the way they only seem to move about an inch!

then we had some press ups and of course there was those obligatory burpees again, I think I managed to get 11 of the 15 that was required! After that, it was jelly legs! It was great fun, I can't believe that I am saying that! But it's true!  Getting healthier and getting fitter is fun!

Next it was DiscoRich's session. Now I can't remember what he said this session was called, but it had something to do with Lactic Acid!  We had to 'feel' the burn! Apparently, it seemed DiscoRich wanted us to run really fast, for 3 minutes, well at our usual 5k pace (for me that's anything from a jog to a 20 mi/m walk) then rest for a minute or so, and then run 3 minutes at half marathon pace, again with a minute or so rest. We were to do this 6 times! S. I. X. times! From jelly legs, to acid legs, which no doubt will have us all dropping! Now, do I mention the fact that DiscoRich was doing an impression of a singer today, someone that he is going to be watching on Saturday? Hmmm, well at the time he did say for making him do that he will do an extra lap, so maybe I won't, but if anyone who was there today, would like to spill the beans of who he was impersonating (And there is a clue, I have already mentioned her in this blog somewhere)

But again, it was good fun.  I know now know though, that I still have to push myself a little bit harder on these sessions. And next week I will, for sure! 

I took my Garmin with me today, just to see if I did indeed speed up on some of the loops! I hope I did, so here is the geeky stats

Sunshine And Happiness!

Hello blog lovers.

It's Tuesday and its club night. And also week 2 of our beginners group.  The group has grown a bit bigger than last week, at least double the number! It's the sunshine you see, it just brings out that, wow, I got to get out in the gorgeous day and do something constructive!  So 20 or so beginners all looking as they are walking into the lions den as the hear that they are going to be jogging around for 2 mins and walking for 3.

After the drills and warm ups we walked around the field for the first of the three minutes.  My mate Tracy has decided to come along and see what all this jogging malarkey is all about.  I have been telling her about it for years, and I even managed to convince her to do a lap of Normans Park one particular year, but way back then I didn't know how to even begin to teach someone to get walking, let alone get jogging, and so it didn't work for her then. 

I am hoping this will show her that it is fun! And its free! And its healthy!  It's a fat burner, you meet the nicest of people, all pluses in my mind!  She really did seem to enjoy it, ok she came on week 2 but I told her what the homework was and she managed to do a least 2 days last week of  that.

Nagging sister and her her little attachment came too, JLo, she seems to be enjoying it, and is flying around the rec with her mother.  There was also another lady there, who missed out on the first week and she is struggling just a tad, but I feel sure she is going to get right into it and surprise her self at how well she does.

It seemed everybody is beginning to enjoy it, and you know they are working hard as well, because all of a sudden, little bits of them are complaining, Achilles hells, calf muscles and such things. You just know that it is going to hurt!

I had actually forgotten about the aches and pains.  Getting up in the mornings where you try to swing your legs out of bed and realise they don't actually want to move, because every time you do move them they hurt like hell!  I feel I need to do some more longer runs to get back to basics again! It's either that or push myself to go faster! Which with my Old girl body, well its just not built for speed!

Next it was our group runs.  Our Illustrious Leader was leading today, and she said "This evening we are going through the woods" and there was a big cheer from the group 1 ladies "Yeahhhhhh" which made everyone laugh!  But poor SingstarJo felt a tad rejected, well, she is still working on her girl guide badge for orienteering!

And todays run is going to be completely in the woods, no popping out crossing over roads and then popping back into the woods.  We were going in through 'Dog Poo' Ally (I know the name is unfortunate, but it  has stuck, even the leaders call it that) and then going straight up the hill first. Get that out of the way, and then right along the top, towards Goss Hill.  I guess I.L. could have had her evil hat on and taken us in the other direction, which some how seems a lot harder.  It must be the steepness of Goss hill that makes it look harder.

Then it was jog along by the little river, the Kidbrook, I think we decided it was called, and then turned right towards the railway lines.  This is a little upward section, but we all ran up it.  nearly back to the beginning now, just about another mile through the woods and its all over for another day.

It seems everyone was sticking to the safety brief, 'Keep a couple of feet away from the person in front, so that you can see the roots and things on the floor' And also the calls out for particularly high roots or obstacles that could be a trip hazard.  Now this is being part of a group, all working together, helping each other and encouraging each other as we jog along!  We may not be the fastest running group, but we sure do love what we are doing!

We popped out of 'Dog poo' Ally, and Illustrious Leader said that we could do the usual of running as fast or as slow as we wanted, to get back to the rec.  I was just making sure the last of the group are out of the ally, and started to put on a bit of a spurt to get to the rec when I noticed that I.L. had stopped outside PhysioMikes house.  She though she would do a bit of 'spin' and talk about the 'Open Garden' day on Sunday, where PhysioMike and his lovely wife and family, open his garden to raise funds for Harris Hospice.  A very worthy cause.

I.L. decided to change her mind slightly, and go in to the rec the other way, and for those that had a little bit of extra energy then they could run around the perimeter of the rec before stopping at the pavilion.  I had a little bit of energy, and being as I was almost at the front of the group as we entered the rec, I decided that I would do the loop of the green.  But it seemed as if everybody just followed us, there was not one that just went straight to the pavillion!

Great stuff!  There is no geeky stats today! I had forgotten to take my Garmin! Oh well, sometimes it's good just run 'naked' but not as naked as Spider!

A Perfect Rest Day!

Hello Blog lovers.

Ok, so it's not an exercise blog, or cycling blog, but it is kind of running related!  Because if I hadn't been a runner, then I wouldn't been interested in reading So Lets Go Running, and if I hadn't read that then I wouldn't have entered the competition that was in the magazine to win, wait for it.......a photo shoot! Now at the time, I thought, 'Blimey, how did I win that?' And in fact, the magazines next competition was for chocolate, which I thought then, was better!  But that was until I actually met Jodi today (Jodi Hanagan Photography). Oh and by the way, this is going to a shameless advertising blog, to show off some great peoples work! So do click on anything that is blue,  I am sure you won't be disappointed, and don't forget to 'like' the pages too! I am sure I should get some sort of fee for this..... nah!! ..... I'm just sharing some good friends work!

Now girls, who back in their school days wanted to be one of those girls that walked the catwalk.   You know, the ones, the clothes show, and all those fashion programmes.  I remember one day at school we put all the tables together and did a fashion show of our own, wearing the school uniform in various guises!.(and differing lengths of skirts!) Of course back then I was way to shy to be one of the girls pretending to be models, preferred instead to be in the audience!

So, how to get from this

to catwalk ready model.  Well it's easy! First off, meet a fantastic hairdresser, Clare (Supercurls Hair extentions) who tamed those locks, with the power of ghd's.  Never again will there be a curl on my  head, well apart from after every run and every cycle ride that I do! Ok, so what's next, oh yes. Then, enter a competition from a running magazine, (as mentioned above in the link, go on, I bet you clicked on it) and it really was a very simple competition, because look, I won it.  All you had to do was to like her (Facebook) page and send in an email, and voila, you entered the competition.  Then choose a fantastic place to have your shoot. What's next. Oh yes scenery, greenery and plants  and only God can make such beautiful and stunning places plants and trees and not only that but He laid on the sunshine too! A perfect day!

After I found out that I had won, I had panic stations! What to wear, where to go, who to take with me to hold my hand?! Does my bum look big in everything I own?!  But I need not have worried so much. After meeting Jodi in High Elms, in the little café there,  I was instantly at my ease.  She was having a sneaky sausage sandwich, which I am sure I disturbed her from finishing it.  We sat and had a coffee and a chat and we really got along very well.

She told me that she had dragged her friend along last week to reccy the place out, and she thought it was just a perfect place for a mornings photo shoot.  She had all these ideas of where and how the photos was going to be taken, and I just said "You're the professional, just go for it".  And then the fun started. 

It wasn't just a stroll around in the park,  a picture here, a picture there. With a "Look here Old Girl" and a  "Happy happy" there. Oh no! Jodi had me climbing under ivy, hugging spiders and trees and every conceivable wall in the place,  doing gardening as we went along. We had the 'Jodi lean' going on in all sorts of places over fences and walls and branches.  I didn't actually think about what to put on my feet and I was wearing my wedgies, so climbing over fences, nestling among stinging nettles and climbing up on tree branches was quite an adventure!

But look what she got from those!

1. could this be the Old Girl here?

2. Look, blue bells!

3. peek a boo

Great fun,  thanks Jodi, thanks Brian for running the competition, and thank you God, what a beautiful place we live in.

Photos 1, 2 and 3 used with kind permission of Jodi Hanagan Photography

New Beginnings

Hello blog lovers

Today it really is new beginnings. New beginners for the new recruits to the 'couch spud, to 5k stud' or 'stud-ess', ok so I couldn't find anything else that rhymed with potato or spud!  Also coming back to the fold was Nagging Sister, with one of her little attachments, my niece.  Skinny, tall, talkative, with this cute little......well, lets just say her nick name for my blog is JLo!

All the new faces staring back at us, and a couple of familiar ones as well. They looked a bit nervous, but PhysioMike put them at the ease straight away, and all were smiling as the looked, listened and copied all the warm up exercises that Physio Mike was showing.  We have become a team now, and it feels really good to be part of it.  There is PhysioMike, SingstarJo , Pete and Hitchy was there as well.  All of us eager and happy to be encouraging the new students to the joys of running.

Today it was a 4 minute power walk, which P.M. made a point of saying this evening, and a 1 minute jog. I think in the last class we were all a little guilty of just plodding around!  The first 4 minutes done, the whistle blows and the jog begins.  The little lad that came along with his mum was like a greyhound out of the cage! Swoosh! and he was off! But I assured the rest of the group to just go at the speed they felt comfortable with!

We did that 5 times! And everyone did very well indeed. See, its not that bad!  Cool down stretches, which your's truly was asked to do, *smiley face mode* I just wished I learnt a bit more at biology lessons! which muscles we were stretching, instead of me point to the particular one and saying "We are now stretching this bit!"

After ,it was our usual club runs.  SingStarJo was leading group 1 today, and Illustrious Leader and I was sweeping!  We were staying with the pavements today, only because S.J. didn't get her orienterring badge at Girl Guides or Brownies, and didn't fancy getting lost in the woods.  I am going to have to take her through a couple of easy paths, maybe quite near the railway lines, so she can have some thing to follow.

We have a few of the graduates of the last beginners course with us, they are just as keen on running, even my sister-in-law is back with us after getting a huge bump and bruise on her leg.  The bump has gone down now leaving a rather colourful bruise! Anyway, I digress, as I usually do.  Our route was going along Willet Way, and down cardiac hill, to the little undulations of the Crofton road.  I do love this road, just as you are getting into your stride with the down hills, then a cheeky little up-ness shows its self. Just to keep you on your toes.

Then we were going along and pass the school and down Shepperton to a favourite road of Kay's. She herself, will tell you that she loves this road! She embraces it, the little up-ness of this road that used to get her looking for words she couldn't say at Great Aunt Agne's house!  The first time she came across this road she just couldn't do the whole thing, it had her, shall we say, de-stressing by saying words that you can never say in front of kids! But I saw her today, and she was doing it! I think she did have just a tiny bit of a walk, but otherwise flying up there as if she was floating on air. 

That is what joining the beginners course can do for you!  She is now a regular of park run runner along with Janet and JJ!  I feel so proud! Blimey I digress again. Where was I,  I kept up with my jogging along, encouraging my sister-in-law and her friend Angela to keep going.  Angela is in fact going to being a 10k this weekend! 

It was a great run, and generally the group held together quite well.  S.i.l. and Angela struggled only towards the end of the run, but they both did well. 

As for me, well, I enjoyed my run, I enjoy helping the beginners and helping those that struggle at the back. Next hard push for me is Thursday, after I have done some marshal duties at Normans Park! If I can get to the rec in time.

Geeky stats.