Sunday 15 May 2016

Petts Wood Members 10k

Hello blog lovers

It's today, it's one of our favourite club runs together, our members 10k, next to our Mid Summer Run of course, and it was a beautiful day!  I was early, even had time to fuel for the event, breakfast and tea, and even got myself into that 'nervous' state that you get when you are lined up for a run!  Why I don't know. So of course it was the couple of trips to the loo before I even got out of the house.

When I arrived at the rec there was much activity!  There were quite a few people there and I had my first glimpse of our clubs brand new gazebo!  It looks fabulous, and it makes a statement, "Petts Wood Runners, a formidable running club" (we are working on some club motos!). Here, look at it.



I was hoping there were going to be a few of our group 1's here.  Janet said she may come, and even J.J. toyed with the idea, but they are saving themselves for our next 10k in a couple of weeks.  There was a couple of group 1's that came along, they usually run ahead of me and do the loop backs.

It was a staggered start just a short walk from where we were.  PhysioMike gave a briefing and then we all walked to the start in Tent Peg Lane!
Groups 1 and 2 were the first wave, there were about 5 or so of us to start and we got a huge cheer from the rest of them as they waited for their start times, which will be 6 minutes after us for group 3 and 4, 6 minutes after them for group 5 and 6, you get the picture.  I was thinking to my self, I know that I am setting off first, but I will be the last to finish!  A defeatist attitude, no, deffo not.  It's my race, my pace!  The group 1's and 2's I know are all faster than me (.....and younger, and lighter.....and fitter......did I say younger!)  yet they have all got their agendas too.  That's what I like about this race, this club, the complete all inclusiveness (is that a word).

There is a race going on though, there are trophies to be won or a Mars Bar or something, so that is firmly in our minds.  My mind is on quicker that last time!  If I try hard I can do it!  PhysioMike gave the count down and the we were off!
There's me, 4th on the right
(picture courtesy of Olivia)
Five of us to start with, then the second wave will begin 6 minutes after!  As usual we started off far to fast.  Maybe next time I should just go with it, not look at my Garmin and just see how I get on!  I don't think I would like to run without it, but I could just ignore it, until the end anyway!

The route consist of two laps of Crest View, Southborough Lane, Blackbrook Lane and then Thornet wood Road, coming back to Tent Peg Lane.  Once that is done then we turn left instead of right out of Tent Peg and then make our way back to the rec, along Woodside, Great Thrift as well as the little cul de sac of Little Thrift.  Once in the rec we do one lap of the rec and it's all done.  Sounds easy!  In fact the route is a pretty good route for some PB's for those that have already done it!  But for little ole me, anything more that 4 miles is a tough course!  Add to that a glorious sun shining day and I was a mess after the second lap.  This is me on the first lap though, still smiling!

Curtesy of Kevin


I was lapped by loads of people, the first ones that lapped me were the second wave, Moy. She was running really well, and I wondered how many others were in her wave.  Along Southborough Lane I had a cheer from PhysioMike, he was on his bike, just keeping an eye on how the race was unfolding! More people lapped me, from all the other groups by the time I got to Blackbrook lane! This is a selfie, it was about the half way point along which was along Blackbrook.

Each time I was lapped though, they all encouraged me to keep going.  I cheered on them, well, as best as I could,  "Well done, keep going" I said to them.  By the time I was running or I should say walking up Thornet Wood Road for the second time, I heard some rather enthusiastic cheering from Sarah and a big group of PWR's!  Just when I needed it too!

Running through Jubilee park, the bit with no shade some of the walkers were cheering too, which was nice. It's always good to have the back up of the the people to keep you going.  There was one rather, not so happy cyclist that wasn't planning on waiting for the few moments that would allow for the runners to get past, or even for our BasketBall Bouncing Kev to take pictures of our runners!
This is Cliff, but behind him
is the cyclist!
 (pic courtesy of Kev)

Once I was over the walking bridge, I was convinced that I was probably the last runner left on the route.  I wasn't counting how many people had passed me by, not that I would have remembered anyway!  But as I was running along Woodside I was passed by one more runner, she was a group 7 runner, and she had slowed her pace down so as not to cause injury to herself as she had a niggle somewhere.

There were a couple of marshals directing me down to Little Thrift, it's the road that I keep forgetting about when I am leading group 1, so it's just as well they were there!  I didn't want to cut my 10k short, not that I am in the running for any trophies.  I'm running for cake!  As I got nearer to Towncourt road I saw J.J. and Kirsty.  I hope I didn't keep them waiting for too long!  But it was good to see them there.  I gave them a sweaty hug and continued on my way.  Just the lap of park now, "it's going to be a lonesome run" I thought to myself.  But when I started running on the grass Neil came over and said "Do you want some company?"  I don't think he knows how grateful I was to hear him say that!  He ran all the way round encouraging me, telling me all about the Guinness cake that was on the table!  I so wanted to try that cake!  I had seen pictures of it on our Facebook page, it looked so good!

Towards the end of the lap Neil left my side and I sprinted......yup sprinted for the last, oh I don't know how far it was, 50 feet(?)  (what that is in decimal I don't know)  to the cheers of the rest of the club that was still there, getting through the tons of cakes that members had been busy baking the day before! Yes I was last, but it don't matter.  The time I thought I was going to get in I did (if the other ladies from group 1 had come along, then it would have been a bit slower).  But I did it.  It's a good practise for our next 10k at the end of the month!

Just two of the many cakes today.


It was another great PWR event, well organised by our ever hardworking committee members, with our fantastic volunteers who marshaled along the route! Oh, and I know why Olivia had to slip away early from her marshaling duties!  And I won't bare face lie why she did! A clue though is........she didn't need her club vest for this particular race!

So geeky stats, unofficially, last PWR in!  But still a proud member!

1 comment:

  1. I've been running on and off for years, unfortunately, I can't do it full time due to recurring shin problems. When you do long runs like this be sure to keep proper form and don't try to run off any unusual muscle pains, better to avoid injury before it sets in.

    Emmett Fletcher @ CKPhysio

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