Tuesday Club Day! - What An Evening!

Hello blog lovers.

Group 0

This group is going fantastically!  Today we had nine people in this group, including couple of new people to the group.  We also one who couldn't make it, plus one who has now felt ready to go join in group 1, so I shall see her later!

Again it was getting them out to do their own pace, and to run as much as they feel they can at their most comfortable jogging pace.  DiscoRich was helping today and took the faster runners through to their pace,  He also had them looping back to come and re-join those who are slower!.

So they could actually be doing group 1 distances, without them actually realising it!  Which is very good.  And they may be read even quicker to 'move up' to the next group.  I got them doing the warm ups again, the evening was mild but the wind is very chilly!  At least it's not raining.  To run are your usual pace on cold legs is not good, so the warm ups are essential for group 0. 

The route was the same as last week, up the hill and then the long run down, with the little undulations just to keep the heart rate up and to let our legs now that we are serious about this running lark!

The group started to split into the various paces as we ran up the hill.  DiscoRich heading out, running with the fast runners, and I was running along sweeping, making sure that no one gets lost.  There was only the two leaders today, but it worked out pretty well.  The middle of the pack could see the faster paced runners and just followed.

We all got back to the rec virtually at the same time were we continued with the warm down stretches.  A really good run today, and everyone done brilliantly!  So love doing this stuff!  And I looked forward to seeing everyone back next week, unless of course any of them move on up to the next groups!

Group 1

I was a bit apprehensive about doing this next run, but runners are a weird breed of humans, they just want to run!  I have had a persistent cold for what seems like months, but I'm sure it's only been a few of weeks.  Some weeks have been particularly bad, with the sinus type headache, and other times I have just been feeling bleh!  But today, it is affecting my chest! I can feel the raspy type tickling which I know, if I run any faster that what I did in group 0, then my breathing is going to be totally off!

I talked myself into doing group 1, "You're out already old girl, it's only a park run distance, it's no problem" were just some of the thoughts going through my mind, Any other sane, non-runner person would be saying, "You've been out an hour now, its freezing it's going to rain! And you want to do another 3 miles or more?....Get back yourself back home, Now!"  But there you have it. It's only for another hour and then I shall be home!

So I stayed there, met up with another new runner who joined PWR today, and we waited to hear where our leaders were taking us this evening.  Sherry was leading today, and she said that we are running DOWN Southborough Lane and the doing a little loop, and then back.  Of course going back is going up.  Sherry did a fabulous job of actually leaving out the word 'UP' in her brief, so very well done Sherry!

Of course I will be at the back of the pack today, (really Old Girl, you do surprise me!) I started struggling before had we had even crossed the first road at the end of Crossways!  I knew that this particularly route is virtually a straight out and back, with just the little loopy bit at the end.  So I was just going to tell them all that I would just run and then wait for them near the Harvester, and then just jog back at a speed that wasn't going to hurt my chest too much. 

So there I was, floundering at the back of the pack, trying to keep up with them all, and not to let any of them wait around too long for me.  That wind was just awful so they don't want to be standing around too long waiting for me to get my ass up to speed!

I could see that most of the group had jogged up to the Harvester and then we heading off to do the little loop, and there was also three other people just waiting at the usual place, for the people who don't want to do the loop, to have a bit of a rest.  It seemed we were there for quite some time.  When we eventually saw them running up towards up from Blackbrook Lane, we realised that we hadn't actually told the leader that we will wait there, while they do the loop, (Sorry Sherry!) She had actually had the group waiting for us somewhere on the loop, and I'm not sure, but she may have actually gone back a little bit to look for us.  But it all ended well, at least it wasn't raining, and not any of us who were waiting were tempting into the pub just opposite us!

So just the jog back up to the Newshopper car park, over the bridge and then jog to Crossways! Sounds easy doesn't it!  Well, we had that head wind, every time I breathed the wind seemed to steal it from me.  My chest was feeling particularly tight, and I was coughing a bit more.  "Not to far now Old Girl" I thought to myself.  I started to chat to Janet, to take my mind of the hill.  She was keeping me company now! 

I could see that she was needing to keep  going so I told her to just keep jogging no need to wait for me, and that I shall be ok.  Just then Illustrious Leader started to run back towards me, there, we can now run along together.  She has done well to keep on going after her bout of illness!  See what I mean about runners being a weird breed!  Just then I saw one of our runners fall! She fell right next to the back of a car!  I ran up to her, probably the faster I have ran all night!  She had hit her head, hurt her hands and grazed a knee.

But the people whose house she had fallen outside of came running out, and they were really, really very helpful.  They even offered to call an ambulance, but she didn't want that.  After a few moments, and having some ice on the bump on her head, (kindly given by the same couple from the house) she stood up.  And then both her and me climbed into the lovely couples car and they drove her home!    So there they were, in their pj's driving two sweaty runners to take her home!  Not only that but they also drove me back to Crossways so I could catch up with the rest of group. There are still some very lovely people in this world, that are prepared to go that extra mile for total (sweaty) strangers.

Just as they dropped me off we looked across to the corner of Crossways and noticed yet another huddle of runners. "Oh dear, will I have to take another runner to their home?", our knight in stripey PJ's said.  Yup, that's right, we had another faller!  This time a grazed top lip!

Mind you, when I got back to the rec the story of our first poor lady was that she was knocked over by the car! But the fact is, that where she feel, she had landed at the back of the car, right next to the wheels!  It did look as if she was mown down!  But she just feel!

Some days are just not good days! But, will both people go back to running?..... my answer will be.....Too right they will be,  I just hope that they both just have a couple of days to recuperate before they do!

No runners were injured in the writing of this blog!   Oh, actually, yes, there were two, but both of the ladies assued us they were fine.  And I will check up on them and will let you all know as soon as I do, that they are fine!

Geeky stats for you, oh and I forgot to stop my garmin while I was in the car, so my best pace is looking pretty good!!