Thursday 17 October 2013

Iron Fist In a Velvet Glove?

Hello blog lovers.

The rain was with us this morning, first off, but then stopped just in time to get the kids to school.  Then I drove to the rec to wait for the brave souls who would venture into the woods with me!  After 670 pairs of feet had churned up the muddy puddles to a lovely thick sticky consistency I was expecting cries of "No, let hit the pavements, or hill training, or run the London Marathon route, anything but the mud" But no, every one seemed up for it!

There was only 5 of us today, so our route was through "Dog sh.......Poo ally" and up the middle of the woods to the top.  Only last Sunday was Ade and Tracy running down here, in the torrential rain.  I am still very proud of the them, and I am sure they are very proud of themselves too.  The path wasn't as bad as I had expected.  It is good to run just some of the route all those runners did.  I don't want anyone to think that we wouldn't do what they had done!  PWR's are not afraid of a bit of mud!

It was a bit of a slippy up hill slog, bug just being out in the now perfect sunshine made it all the more pleasant.  I kept Tracy on her toes, on Sunday she had jogged the whole way, with maybe just a minuscule amount of walking! Today we only doing just over half that distance! We got to the top of the hill and waited.  "As soon as Tracy is at the top we shall go again" That's when I.L. said "And I thought you were soft, you have an Iron fist in a velvet glove" she said.  But I know Tracy can do it.  When you see her do some speed work on the pavements, with a determined look on her face, you will know she can do it.

She caught up with us up at the top, and I said "You ok to go?" She nodded, and we were off.  This bit is not too bad at all, apart from the sticky muddy sections, its flat with a nice little down hill bit, a little undulating before some more flat sections.  We stopped at the other side of the path on Botony Bay Lane, and then it was some more of the lovely down hill of Goss Hill.

The sun was still shining brightly making it look like a perfect autumn day!  Now this is what running is all about. No matter how far you run, whether its just for a mile blast, a leisurely  three and half miler or a long slow run of 15+ plus miles, its just so nice.  I felt like I could do another loop of the woods, but getting back to the rec was our goal. 

After Goss hill it was time to pound pavements.  We had to negotiate a 'traffic jam' to get to Barfields road.  Maybe we should have used the cars and lorries as obstacles and climbed over them!  But it we all squeezed through the gaps.  There seemed an awful lot of hi-viz men about, and a fire going.  I could just imagine the chestnuts cooking on a fire like that!

Just a few more slight inclines to go before we get back.  Through Jubilee park and to the first bridge.  I waited for the I.L. and Tracy to catch up and then said that after we get over the bridge and out on to Little thrift it was as fast as you wanted (or slow) to the rec. Ade seemed to have liked this bit.  He found a little bit left in the tank after we got on to Little Thrift and took off.  He looked like he was on a mission!

Me and Pink LadyJo tried to keep up with him but we didn't quite manage it.  The other two jogged on behind us!

A great run today, and everybody seemed to enjoy it.  You can't beat running the woods, sticky mud or frozen ground, soft going or leafy spread, just perfect!

Geeky stats.


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