Club Night!

Hello blog lovers.

Today was a running day. I know Tuesdays is usually a running day, but this morning, when I don't usually run, I did run. I needed to run.  With quite an emotional time yesterday, and a non running day on Sunday, I  wanted to go and do a solo stretch of the legs, stick some tunes in my ears and just run!

I Just Felt Like Running

I dropped off my charge at school and then ran from there.  I was going to use the dreaded A21 as my route. all the way up to Locksbottom.  I chose this route because I dislike it so much, I chose this route so that I could just concentrate on running, not look at ....stuff. No going through the woods, or parks, I didn't want to meet anyone on route, no distratactions.

I ran, I thought about stuff, I prayed, I thought about more stuff.  I thought about the questions that had asked only yesterday by some very confused and worried people, "Why? Why is there all this sickness around." "Why does good people have to suffer" "Why do children get diseases" 

You can tell what sort of place I was in when I was running.  I couldn't answer those questions, I can ask them myself, and often do! I can want answers to them, but I don't know how to answer them.  All I know is I just know that there is more than this.  I will keep believing that!

My run this morning was an emotional one.  Yesterdays visit with my dear friend Charlie brought back a whole bunch of memories.  With my dad and mum both having suffered very painfully with cancer, both not surviving it!  This month is also a very tough one, My mums birthday is at the beginning, on the 2nd, and Mothers Day is also in March!  So with all those memories and emotions going on, it was a slow run, with a few tears! With all the stuff going through my mind, the music occasionally helping to pick up my mood I managed to run about 5 miles.  Enough really considering I had more running to do in the evening.

Hero to Zero!

I couldn't believe my eyes when I turned up at the rec and saw even more eager souls to kick ass with the 'Couch Potato Syndrome'. There were 10 plus Auriol who just needed to run at 7 this evening.  And was I glad she was there.

I had already told them that I would be doing the same route as last week, just so that the new comers will know what to expect, and then they can decide if the want to do the extra mile or run back to their cars on via bottom Crossways. 

As usual I started them off with some warm ups, up and down the paved area next to the pavilion.  Then it was taking to the streets to run up Birchwood.  I asked Auriol to take the lead and I will sweep so that I can keep an eye on anyone that may be struggling.

Let me tell you, they all did really well getting up to the top of Birchwood.  Non stop as well.  When I first started running I don't think I could do that, and I also saw the hill as such a long, long steep hill.  We just a short walking break before we started on our next running section.  The front runners looked so easy with their running, but they are young, and fit.....and skinny!  They just seemed to ease in to it.

They ran all the way to the round about and then down to bottom Crossways.  We had a little break there.  I asked how they were all doing after running for as much as they wanted for the mile.  They all were feeling good.  But unlike the beginners course, Tuesdays 7 o'clock are for building up confidence, and stamina for those that have already gone through the course, and for those that can run for at least 10 minutes plus at a time.  Some of the ladies here have only just completed 2 weeks so far.  But they did brilliantly.

Some of the group decided that they had done just enough for their first Tuesday session, and were quite pleased with what they had achieved.  Three of the group left to go back to their cars, just along the road.  The others had already started running up to the Memorial Hall and so I had to play catchup.....while running on the incline!

I eventually caught them up just as they got to the top!  We ran and talked all the way down.  Oh I just remembered.  It wasn't just an all girl run this evening, we had a rather hansom chap called Henry. He accompanied Kelly, who is one of our beginners.  He seemed to have breezed though the whole run, as those he was just out for walkies!.....oh hang about.......he was!  Henry was a lovely dog, I am not sure of breeds of dogs, but he looked like some sort of collie dog.  Very sweet natured.  

With just the undulations of Greath Thrift and Hazlemere we ran and chatted all the way back to top Crossways and then to the rec.  A great couple of miles with some very lovely people!

Geeky stats.

Group 1......They Merry Group!

Illustrious Leader had been looking at her maps again and come up with a new route.  It was described as 'The Robin Hood' as the roads we will be running on has names with connections to Robin Hood, Friars Road, Forrest Road.  Hilly...ish.

I was beginning to feel a bit tired, but I was determined to do it.  I wanted to run again.  I just hoped I wouldn't be too far behind the group.  Me and Janet were sweepers, we are always sweepers!  The group looked really quite large, at least 15 - 20  runners.  We made our way out and ran down Crossways to cross over the road and up Willet Way.  

I couldn't think of where this Robin Hood place was, but we soon got there.  I was beginning to struggle a bit, and the tiredness started to kick in. Maybe three runs in a day is probably not good.  But then I thought to myself, "It's still don't all add up to a long run" So I just kept on running.

We came to this grassed area and I saw Illustrious Leader running up!  I knew there had to be an up as we had just ran down, Illustrious Leader had told us we were doing this kind of loop, so it was inevitable that we needed to to get back to the top!

I walked some of the hill and ran some of it. It was tough going for me.  But once we got back to the top Illustrious Leader told us the next bit of our run and then we all just ran.  

It was a good run and again it was a much needed run.  Considering I was thinking about probably only just doing group 0 and then go home I was so pleased with myself for persevering.  

Geeky stats.