Missed By A Whisker!

Hello blog lovers.

This is the last run before the marathon.  I can't do any more training, this is it now!  I was going to meet my running buddies at the rec for our Thursday morning run.  I had to drop off my grandson to school today, but also my daughter wanted to get some paracetamol, she is not very well.  So that's what us mummy's do, we try to fit everything in!

So grabbing some Lemsips from my cabinet ushered Dude out of the door and we got into my car ready for the school run.  For some reason there seemed to be just a little more traffic on the roads, but we got to the school on time.  My daughter was at work so I decided to got down the A21 so that I can pass her work on the way to running.  It was then that I realised I had left my Garmin and my phone at home! I don't like running with out a phone on me.

The road towards the A21 was absolutely chocka blocked!  I realised I had made a mistake going this way and spun around to go back the way I had come, and go down Southborough Lane!  I was in a bit of a stress now!  I was thinking I was going to be late, I just hate being late!

So after literally almost flinging the tablets at daughter I drove back to my house, picked up what  needed and then drove to the rec, again, there seemed to be a lot more traffic than usual!  I was really getting stressed as I drove along and when I started driving up Crossways I looked up Kingsway and saw DiscoRich's group running along!

I drove into the rec and saw that there wasn't anyone that was waiting, any of the runners that would have gone in group one had gone in group 2 today.  I felt really bad.  I should have texted to say that I would be running late, but I am a slow texter!

Why am I telling you all of that instead of my run?! Well, you can image the mood I was in by now.  I could have just though stuff it, and go home, after all I do have a few miles to run on Sunday, but I decided that I needed to be lifted out of this bad feeling and decided to go for a solo run.  At least I would be able to just go as slow as I wanted, no pressure, just a short run.

I ran to 'Dog Poo Ally' and then turned left, I was going to go up to Botany Bay Lane.  There were loads of people out walking their dogs, there were a group of about 4 ladies, it seemed instead of coffee morning, walking mornings seem to be the order of the day!  And why not.  It was gorgeous out!

I just took a nice steady, slow walk/jog and yes, I did meant to write it as a walk first!  Just being out in the fresh air was bring my bad mood to an end.  My jogging interspersed with long walk sessions was really doing the trick.  I decided to take the pedestrian path which run along the boarded path next to the little pond.  I heard a mother duck calling her little baby ducklings to her, I stood and watched.  I then noticed on the right, perched on a fallen tree in the pond, was a heron with its breakfast of a fish in its beak!

I just marvelled at the site, I just shifted my position to get a better look but the heron saw me and flew off to the other side of the pond.  I stayed where I was, I could see the heron, and it just perched on a tree and finished its breakfast.  The mother duck swimming away from the heron, calling her chicks to keep tight to her.

Well if that didn't lift my mood then I deserved to become a grumpy old woman for ever!  The heron took off again and flew behind me, I watched it as it disappeared.  The mother duck seemed a little more relaxed, and I continued on my way of what ever route I choose to do.

I was struck by the serenity of the woods just then, I hadn't seen anybody for a while, the birds were the only noise I could hear, "I don't want anyone to call me, text me or email, this is just too good" I thought to myself.  Then I remembered, I had left my phone in my car!  I really was just totally solo right then!  No one can contact me, no one can ask me for anything, fetch anything, do anything!  Totally selfish I know, but just then it felt good!

Of course being the sensible person I thought "I better not fall over right now"  Sometimes I can just be too sensible!  The rest of my run, I walked some, I ran some, and I stood watching as a squirrel jumped from one tree to another as I disturbed it while it was looking for food on the floor.  I watched it run up a tree in front of me, right to the very top.  It sat there for a few seconds, probably waiting for me to go, but I wanted to see what it would do.  That's when it jumped on to the out stretched branch of the tree behind me!

Lovely stuff, and I am sure I wouldn't have noticed any of this if I was leading a group.  I would have been concentrating on the runners, making sure I don't lose any, whether they were in front of me or behind me (mind you my Thursday runners are rarely behind me!)

It really was a lovely run, my mood was totally lifted, and I am sure things happen for a reason!  I did catch up with DiscoRich's group at the end of the run.....in the rec.  And it seemed as if they all managed to keep up!  about 9k in less than an hour, I think my job is done!  Now to get some more runners to join me on a Thursday morning!

Geeky stats.



Just as a little footnote, this evening me and the Old Boy went for a walk in the woods right next to us.  It's been a while since we walked through there.  I think we must have walked about 3 miles or so, walking right up to 'Fever Hospital'  But all that is left of that is the Gate Posts, a drain, and the foundations of the wall that ran all the way around the hospital!

The Old Boy was giving a running commentary of how it used to be.  It used to be an isolation unit for Lennard's Hospital, it was where they took all the small pox victims, there was no cure, they went in but they never came out.

It's amazing just how nature reclaims her land back.  The walls are just like a scar on her land, the road that was used to enter the hospital looks just like a narrow path, you wouldn't even know there was tarmac underneath!

So a very nice day, birds, herons, squirrels and nature!  Nature claiming back her land!  Fabulous!