Thursdays Fitness

Hello blog lovers.

I'm still doubling up on a Thursday!  And while the sun shines it is core training.  But first off I shall write about my Thursday morning blog!  This Thursday is the first of 3 groups going out.  My group 1, (slow), HistoryDavid's group 2 (intermediate) and DiscoRich's group 3 (speedsters)  This does mean that I have lost some of my group 1's to the middle group!  In fact I thought I was the only one there, until Liz said "Oh I'm with you! And then I looked over towards the car park and I saw DottyKat.  Well that was three of us, so at least we can run through the woods.  And then DiscoRich introduced a young man to me, Patrice, who wanted to come in group 1.  He looked like he could so keep up with the faster ones, but I was more than happy to have him join a happy band of group 1's.

We had an extra special reason for getting back in good time today too as it is Michelle's birthday!  She had in her boot of the her car an icebox full of cakes and chilled water!  Just one more incentive to keep on running!  I love cake so much, if it's on offer then who am I to say no!  I had this route planned that will cover about 3 and half miles, so we should be back in time to enjoy the birthday celebrations with the other groups.

So the four of us set of to Poo Ally, just in front of us was the other two groups,  they will split into two a bit further on through the woods.  We were all running in the same direction, straight up the middle of the woods.  And, I may add, we were not that far behind them!  I expect that wouldn't last for too much longer tho, as they were pulling away from us with each step.  By the time that we had got to the very top of the woods they had gone from our sight.

My group were running quite well together, although I feel Liz and Patrice could probably fit in quite nicely to the middle group, but I am glad they were here as we were all enjoying running together!  Across the top of the woods and then down and up the undulations!  This is the nicer way of running this route, if it were in reverse those undulations would not be called undulations, they would certain be called hills!

I do like to tease people when they say they are not quite sure where they are in the wood. and they try and work out exactly where they are in relation to places they know.  Now chaps seem to have inbuilt Satnavs, I am sure of it, but Patrice wasn't entirely sure of exactly where we were.  Now do we have a giggle and pretend to be lost or just keep going.  You can guess the way I went, exactly!  Cake, the cake will be getting dished out soon and so there wouldn't be any mucking around, we are just running, and enjoying and still chatting of course.

We were just running along the back of Coopers school when at the other end of the path there was a school party.  We were having a little walking break but I suggested that we need to keep running, show the school party that we are athletes!  The teachers had got all the kids to stand at the side while we ran along the path and then they cheered as we ran past them!  And then Just a little further on, as we got to Botany Bay lane, DiscoRich's group emerged from the path that we were going to run along.  They had obviously had divided the group now as birthday girl Michelle was among them.

The next hill is Goss hill, but we were running down it!  The last couple of times that we have done Goss hill we have been running up it.  I have no idea why I moan about this hill, especially running in the opposite direction, as it's me that plots out the routes!  After we got to the bottom of this I usually turn left and go along by the river.  But I felt that maybe the faster two could do with a good run, so I chose another hill to slow them down at bit!.......No, no, of course I didn't, but I did want to run through Jubilee park today, I have not been through here for a while.  So that's what we did.

After Jubilee Park we ran over the bridge and then back out on to the road, rather than back through the woods, because time was of the essence now, those cakes are not going to get eaten by themselves.  We arrived at the rec to be met by Group 3, DiscoRichs group but not Group 2, where Michelle was running with.  We could quite easily have gone through some more of the woods, as it was another 10 or so minutes before they come back.  They must have been really enjoying the woods today!

A rousing chorous of 'Happy Birthday' was sung and then Michelle shared out her delicious cakes washed down with some very nicely chilled water.  Just perfect for a lovely sunny morning run!

Oh by they way, this was my group!  Had to have a selfie didn't I!

Core Training and Speed Session.

I was a bit weary when I arrived at the rec today, but I knew that once I started into it I shall liven up again.  Illustrious Leader was leading the session today, usually it's quite fun when she does.  But when I said that she gave me a knowing look! "Ah, well maybe you should just wait and see" she said! Hmmm, I wonder what she means by that!

As always our sessions start with a couple of laps to warm up and then the drills!  This is some of them doing the 'Ministry Of Silly Walks'.  In fact it was I.L. that made reminded about getting some pictures, especially this one!

Silly walking!

It was then that I remembered seeing all these 'Live Broadcasts' and 'Live Videos' on Facebook and I know I have that facility somewhere on my app!  I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to try it out!  So I did!  I am not sure how to actually get the footage to show you all here but I will try and find out!  You can image my fellow running buddies were just maybe a little camera shy!  I am so going to get a telling off!

After the drills we went into the speed session.  I.L. had this idea of getting two groups 'racing' each other around the cricket pitch.  Groups 1,2 had the inside lane while the faster groups had the outside lane.  But we all had a 'partner' to run against.  So we started off, our first runner set off running against the other teams runner, get to a predetermined cone, raise your hand and the next runners go.  the first term to get all runners back are the......winners! Everybody seemed to have fairly equally matched opponents!  Then my turn came, we were slightly in the lead, which I thought was quite good and probably necessary really, and then the other team let off their ringer! This tiny little bit of a girl flew past me like a rocket!  It must be the red hair, racing red!  It was ZippySherrys youngest daughter!  Last week I was put into my place by her eldest and this week I was totally annihilated by their whippet youngest!  Not only that, but getting to the third cone a "HA!" came out of her.  Put into my place and made sure I stay there!

Next came the core training, five disciplines, Push ups, squats, lunges, planks and burpees.  All very good core and strength and conditioning disciplines!  I just wish I could do them as if I have been doing them all my life!  With every one of them that give away noise of older age, creeps out, and no I am not talking flatulence!  The 'ooofs' and ahhh's and 'pffffff ooo' that escapes our lips with each repetition. There was one moment when a four legged friend decided to say hello to all those that were on the floor, the plankers and the push uppers, and even us in the burpees section!  I am afriaid that I didn't see him behind me and accidentally kicked the little fellow! But it didn't see to bother him much.  Every one carried on once owner bribed the doge with a ball!  But still, everyone was smiling!  

One more speed session with the relay batons and then time to cool down.

Fantastic day for exercises.  Love Thursdays!