Saturday 21 March 2015

Woods and Beginners

Hello blog lovers.

Thursday Morning

It was a nice morning on Thursday, at least, it was raining.  My group was just the two of us, Michelle and me.  DiscoRich's group had a few extra people.  We all were going to be running through the woods.  Although it had rain DiscoRich said that the paths were passable, I need no more than that to help me decide; running on streets with the car fumes, or running through the woods, possibly a bit of mud?  No brainer really!

I had woken up with a slight back ache, I think maybe it's because I spun my mattress round, like you do, and I have to work my groove again!  I had only planned on doing just about 3.5 miles, but all of them will be in the woods.  Just perfect.

We went in through 'Dog Poo' ally and then took the right path, heading towards Chislehurst road.  The paths were fine, a tiny bit sticky but most certainly runnable.  Just what I needed, fresh air and a run. I nearly took the wrong path when we spotted the woods keeper busy doing what wood keepers do, he must have thought us really weired as we ran past him again!  We ran a loop of the woods, running down Goss hill, always a pleasure, and the running along beside the little river.  

I think we were running quite well, not particularly fast, but then I never do.  Running through the woods is not about speed, well it isn't for me, just plodding along, enjoying the whole sensation of being in the woods, the sounds of the birds, the dogs running through undergrowth, and the trickle of the water as it flows.  All of that just few feet from the streets, the cars, town!

The last part of the woods was the stickiest!  We really had to pick our way around the hug muddy holes.  I had actually forgotten to bring my old trainers with me and was wearing my Christmas trainers!  But they are all washable!  You can't run and expect to remain clean really!

It was a good run and the only run that I had for that day as on Thursday evening I had to go to a meeting!

Geeky stats.


Beginners Course.

I had my usual training session the previous night, beer and curry!  But it was lovely to spend the evening with my daughter and her boyfriend.  Turning up at the rec a little bit tired with the weather being really chilly, I was a bit surprised to see only 2 people there, and one of those was Hels!  I didn't think I was that early.

But after only a few minutes waiting the runners came, all looking apprehensive about this weeks task.  It will be the first time they will be running more than they will be walking!  Four minutes running then 2 minutes walking!  All around the rec.  We did our usual warm up couple of laps and then the drills, to make sure all our muscles were nicely warmed up and ready for action.

I had forgotten to take my Garmin, but I was pleased with that, I remembered it when I was just heading towards my car and then I turned round to go and get it.  It was then that I decided to not bring it today.  Sometimes you just need to run and see how much you can do, within the allotted time!  I had noticed that I was telling the runners each time how many seconds they had left.  Sometimes, just sometimes, you don't need to know!

Hels blew her whistle, (her new whistle) and the first running section started.  The field starts to spread from about the first half of the first lap.  From the faster runners to the slower runners, all concentrating on doing what they can.  There were about 22 people who had turned up today, to face their demons, to do battle with unfitness, to draw on their will power to run 5 reps of 4 mins run 2 mins walk.

I was running along beside a young lady, she has a goal in mind!  She wants to be lapping some of the other beginners by the end of the course!  The 'knowing' is there, the 'I can' is there, and there is also some of 'if they can do it then I can' thrown in for good measure.  And now what she needs to draw on is that all important "I will do this"  She did brilliantly, by the way, she kept going to the end of the session, with just a little persuasion from me.

Everybody finished the session and the were also smiling!  Exactly how you should be after every run!

"I often hear someone say 'I am not a real runner'. We are all real runners, just some run faster than others" Bart Yasso


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