Wednesday Run!

Hello blog lovers

What a beautiful afternoon!  Just perfect for a nice run out through the park.  I was planning to run with another lady, to put her through her paces of the beginners course, but that didn't happen today.  Which left me all dressed up and no-one to train!  What's a girl to do!  I could go home, get the ironing board out, nah....... I could go home and do some housework........nah......I could go home and chill-lax......watch t.v., have a nap......nah!  My running legs were just not listening to my brain!  Maybe that is where my solo running mojo is!

So I headed for the park, I was going to do three miles, no more, no less, it's no good knackering myself out before my holiday! Is it?  So today, nice steady no pressured run, just me and the open.......park, with runners, walkers, school kids, dogs......but still just me!  I had to do it, I need to give my solo running a boost!  But there I was no music, so it literally was just me and my thoughts.  I don't like to think to much when I'm running solo, I generally say things like "You should slow down a bit here" or "It's time for a walk now" or even worse than that, "You've done one lap lets call it a day!"  That is what it has been like lately!  Tough! Mentally at least, tough!  

But I started off running, nice a easy, pass the workmen fixing the fences, to the trees, pass the school kids, lounging on the grass!  It looked so good to be lounging on the grass in the sun! But I wasn't there for that, running, running, that's what I have to do......oh where is my music!  I do like running solo with my music!  

I decided that I was going to do just two laps, but two laps parkrun style, which is of course 3 miles, or 5k!  When I was running along the first of the 'river runs', that's where we cut across the grass, run to the other side around the river and then back to the other side to continue with the lap. Well, that bit, there, that I just wrote, that bit, when I was running back  along the river to the second of the short straights, some cute little dog decided to follow me, and run with me, and then bark at me.  But the mutt had her tennis ball in her mouth and she stood in front of me barking with the tennis ball.  It looked so cute, I reached for my phone to grab a picture and realised I had left it behind! Darn it! I slowed down off course, in fact I stood still.  It is a barking dog after all!  

So I continued to finish the first lap and then started on the second.  Running down the long straight towards the play park.  My mind was still trying to stop me from running, to give up, give it a rest, but my legs kept on running.  Running by the river again, I really wanted to stop running, in fact I did.  But then my mates popped into my head.  Surprising not my running mates this time, it was my cycling friends.  The Pangua Ladies members have been to Ireland riding around some ridiculously long route, over about three days.  Now if you know Ireland then you know how brill that its.  It's hilly, its all green and lush too.  It's green and lush because it gets 'water' quite regularly!  Yes they were riding huge hills around the some of the coast in Ireland!  Crazy ladies, but they were raising money for a worthwhile charity!.  And also another friends of mine was tackling some ridiculous hills in Spain!  I mean really ridiculous!  One of the ride they did over these last couple of days, well, the profile looked like an upside down ice-cream cone!  A sharks tooth!  And they were doing it for fun, for fun I tell you!  Fun!!  And there I was thinking about walking some of a very easy peasy 3 mile slow run! Tut tut!........I still did some more walking thought! But every time I looked at my watch while I was running I was well under the 12 minute miling, sometimes as fast as 11.5 min miling!  Not bad I thought. But then add that together with the walking sections (some of them I really told myself off for doing)......well lets say, it's not a pb!  But quite frankly I am pleased about that.  How would I have felt if I got a pb for this route and no email to let me know that it was!  Exactly!

Anyway, the second lap was totally uneventful, apart from my cycling buddies popping up in my thoughts while I was running, they have no business popping up in my thoughts on a run day! No, Hang on......no......that's ridiculous, no....no.. not unless my subconscious is thinking about a tri!!  I have toyed with the idea....I quickly dismissed it again, but it was in my brain for a split second!  No!! Deffo no.  So, uneventful second lap,  no dogs barking at me, people still walking minding their own business school kids still lounging.........don't they need to be in school?  But I was smiling.....if not on the outside I was on the inside.  Three miles done, fairly nice pace in sections.  Yup I was pleased with that!  So I guess that just leaves me to add the geeky stats to my blog!  Oh and by the way, thanks for reading my ramblings, I often forget to say thank you to people! So a huge thank you for your popping ins.....comments and likes!

Geeky stats. And you can see on the stats, exactly where I was ambushed by the gob stopped pooch!  I don't usually like running past a dog that is barking, even if said pooch has tennis ball in its gob!

A Double, But Not A Double!

Hello blog lovers.

Sorry for the cryptic title!  It's me trying to look good instead of lazy! The double is because it's a double blog!  I have only just written up my blog for Saturdays beginners! Tut Tut, I know, see, it's me being lazy!  So, let me begin!

Beginners Course Saturday 17 September 2016

It was our second course of the year, and so far our biggest turn out! Well over 80 people wanted to go from 0 to 5k!  It was totally awesome seeing them all there.  And totally overwhelming considering I was first up as leader!  The whole format of what we were supposed to do went completely out of my head as I stood in front of nearly a hundred people!  There were at least a dozen or so PWR's to mingle and interact with them too! Sherry was there, she will be leading next week, DiscoRich and Illustrious leader, J.J. Janet, Auriol, Wendimoo and loads of others including Michael and Carole who were at the first beginners course of the year!  They were so blown away with what they had achieved by doing the course they couldn't wait to come along and share their experience and encourage the September group!

So as I said, I was overwhelmed, and totally forgetful (old age!!) of what we should have been doing.  I started doing the drills first before the warm up lap!  But that's fine!  I think I got away with it!  I got them all skipping like school kids and kicking butt towards the already laid out cones.  And then we got them walking around the perimeter of the rec......after I gave them all a shock first.......I said they had to run all the way round!!  So far so good.....I still think I got away with it!

So next it was the actually run/walk.  One minute of running and five minutes of walking.  I sounds so easy doesn't it.  Well it is if you write it out quickly, and even if you say it, but come to actually do it and that's a different matter, for both the beginners and the ones that have been running for ages.  "How comes?" I hear you say. Well let me tell you.  When you have never run before you are just not used to it.  Your lungs are not quite sure of what you are asking them to do!  "Hey, you there, what do you think you're doing?" is what your lungs would be saying if they could talk, and the rest of your body would be saying "Well, I'm running......so come on stoke up I need some air!"  And it does take time for your lungs to get into a rhythm to keep their oxygen flowing to all your muscles!

"Well that explains the beginners Old Girl" I hear you saying "Why is it had for all the runners among you" Well of course I will explain that to you.  You see when you have become a regular runner you will notice that you can run for a minute and not even notice it, in fact you can run for quite a few minutes an not notice it.  As Michael said to me this evening (at Club run) "I didn't want to stop running when we got to a minute, it seemed quite strange to stop"  And it's true.  In fact it's so true when we were running for that first one minute I was talking to one of the beginners and actually forgot to blow the whistle!  One minute and twenty two seconds was the first rep!  And that was only after Sherry and some others were calling out to me to look at my watch!  Still.........I think I got away with it! Although Michael did call out "Not that old chestnut again Old Girl"

After that I did keep a very close eye on my watch, and made sure that I wasn't actually chatting to anyone when I was getting close to blowing the whistle!  We did another 4 reps of the run/walk and then cooled down with a walk around the rec, and during that the free hydration arrived for them, perfectly timed, just as everyone was getting warm.  It fell from the sky ever so softly, like a fine mist, landing on us as so gently, as if we were running through tiny spiders webs. We  some stretches to ease our muscles our first session was done  I think everyone enjoyed themselves.  I am sure I saw nothing but happy faces on everyone!  I know next time I lead I shall not be so nervous......I mean overwhelmed!  

Club Run - Tuesday

Well that is definitely it for the woods.  It is just so dark now.  It's not even slightly bright out any more!  I can't wait for summer!  But, look on the bright side, running this time of year is a lot cooler!  My lovely niece Beanie wanted to come back to running.  She really enjoyed it when she came along with her mum, Bims, 2 years ago.  But then Bims did something silly, she got a job that has her working on Tuesday Evenings!  So Beanie couldn't come either.  But now she is all grown up with a car of her own and she can make her own way here!  Fantastic.  So the two of us went to the rec together.

J.J. wasn't going to be there today, she is off topping up her tan! Lucky mare......or hang on.......where am I next week.....woo hooo!  Anyway I digress, no J.J. but LittleJ, Wendimoo and Auriol were there to help with group 1 today, a whopping 15 of us!  That's not bad. 

I had the route planned, it was the first route we did when Group 0 first amalgamated with groups 1 and 7 or how ever many groups it was back then! But when we first started running at 8 o'clock instead of 7.  And I wasn't going to make them do the little hill more than once this evening either, as I wanted to make sure that the whole route was 3 miles with Little Thrift included.  Little.J. will be taking the lead next week, and I needed to have the mileage of two routes for her to chose one to lead.

We set off for our run.  The cooler air being very welcomed.  I did wonder if I should have bought along a jacket, but I knew, once we got running we would soon warm up!  Even Beanie had a vest top on, and she doesn't have half the 'insulation' that I have.  With the announcements done we went to our poles and grouped up.  The rec soon started to empty as the each group ran off.  We were the second to last group to leave.  Our first hill will be hitting us real soon.

Out of the rec, turn left and then turn right once at the bottom!  And there is our first hill, it's Birchwood!  It's best really not to think of it as a hill, just a slight undulation, yeah, we don't like the 'H' word!  Now I am not sure about the others, and maybe it's me, but that 'undulation' wasn't as bad as it sometimes has been.  Sometimes rest is just as essential for your fitness as is the exercise it self.  It gives your muscles a chance to 'knit' back together after each exercise.  So while I have been getting ready to go see my Daughter in Chicago I have decided to less exercise too. Or is that just me being lazy!? Hmmm.

But anyway, everyone was doing brilliantly, did brilliantly! Up that hill!  I think we were running at the faster end of our advertised pace too...uphill as well!  So proud of my group 1's.  We had a break at the top for a little bit and then had a brisk walk to get past the first tree and then we started running again.

We crossed over the road and then down the turning, all the way to  Tillingbourne green.. We were not going to be running around there, I might chose that for the week I am back!  I know I shall be needing to shed a few pounds by then!  We ran up the little hill, the one where I usually make......no encourage them to go back down and do it again.......fast.........and then again.......and again......!  But they do it, it's fantastic once they start 'nurturing' that running bug, they just don't want to lose it!

Once up the hill we had the long straight, all the way to the Petts Wood memorial hall.  It's a steady down hill and then a little undulation Pett's Wood.  This is where Steve left us, he was going to the Train station to go home, the rest of us were going back to the rec, the long way round, long and slight undulations!  But a great challenge.  Mind you once of our group did say what a great route it was, no traffic to speak off!  Perfect!  

Once the undulations of Woodside, Great Thrift and Hazelmeer were done, including the little dip into Little Thrift we ran back to the rec.  Just a perfect run, and I felt really good.  So what if it's the only run I've done  this week, it don't matter.  A rest is as good a a good workout!

So geeky stats for this evenings Group 1 Run

Single Session!! On A Thursday!?

Hello blog lovers.

Can I say again, "Phew, what a scorcher!" No, well Ok I shall take it back!  Blimey, it was hot!  It's the last of the summer!  It must be, its mid September! And it is also my 32 Wedding anniversay!  and I forgot! Tut, tut.  Anyway, I met up with the rest of the hardcore PWR's.  It was only going to be me and Becky in group 1, and then there were about 3 or 4 in group 2 and about 6 or seven in group 3!  If we can, we just get out there and run!

I was just going to be doing a loop, taking in the three woods, or is it two.  I shall have to check out the geeky stats after.  I was thinking of doing a bit of a longer run, but the heat wasn't do it for me!  And I wasn't quite sure how Becky would feel about it, although  towards the end of our run she enquired how much further would we go.  But it was too late really, I couldn't think of where we could add a mile quickly enough!

But I think the run we done was just about perfect.  It was a warm one, and I was hot and sticky before we even entered the woods anyway!  That first mile still is so hard, but it is along my favourite bit of path.  Its down the left hand side, and it's a mixture of down hills (mainly) and wooden paths and running along side the Kid Brook, very pretty path.  And then that lovely down hill to the other  bridge over the Kid Brook. It does put you in a good place!

But then we were faced with the up hill!  Boy did it look steeper than ever!  Just to the gate, just to the gate, and then rest before tackling the rest of it.  We both set off up the hill towards the gate by the house.  I was determined to run the whole thing, despite the heat!  Becky was running next to me, side by side we ran up the hill!  I started flagging before we got there and stopped running, "Come on, we can do this" Becky encouraged, "Come on keep going"  That was all I needed and I immediately I started running up the hill again!

We walked some of the next bit, just to recover somewhat!  And then started running up and up!  Right up to the road!  We didn't make it the whole way in one go but we had a bloody good go!  We had a bit of pavement work to do before we got back to the woods, or 'touching on' Scadbury park!  That is a nice route through there too.  I know Scadbury Park with quite big and it's easy for me to get lost in!  But I just make sure that I keep the traffic noise on my right and I know I can't go wrong.

We popped back into Petts Wood woods and continued on.  Just the last bit, along the side of the woods and then following the path back down to Dog Poo ally

A great run today.  We got back and did some stretches, and just as we were chatting group 3 arrived back and we did some more stretches with them. Viral has this routine down, he says he never changes it, it just abouts stretches everything.  Mind you that whole kneeling on my left leg hurt.....I think I may have housemaids knee!

Anyway, geeky stats for you.

Club Night - Phew What A Scorcher!

Hello blog lovers.

My goodness, what sort of weather is this in September, hitting the 30's, us Brits are just not used to it!  But that didn't stop us from turning up to run for a few miles!

I was feeling a bit tired, I had been for a bike ride in the morning, about 19 miles!  Up hill!  My legs were not friends with the rest of me!  I still had my run to do though, there's not a lot that can keep me away from my club run.

As it was warm though I decided to do a fairly easier route, the one we did last week.  Just that one hill at the beginning that is steeper than the rest of the undulations!  We had a new person with us, and a returnee!  Both of them did well up that hill!

I kept a keen eye on my Garmin to make sure that I wasn't going too fast, which I was when I was chatting to people!  I seem to forget myself and just run with the rythem of us chatting!  But as soon as I saw that I was running a tad fast I slowed down.  I then come up with my cunning plan!  For those that want to run ahead of me that is fine.  They can run to the next corner, or to the end of the road, but then they will have to run back to me!  Not only just to me, they will have to run to the back of the group and then work their way back to where they want to be!  Evil, nah, I am just making sure that everyone has a good run!

With fourteen of us running we were quite a big group.  I decided that I would change the route slightly and continue up towards the Off License, we were going to go down Beaumont road.  It's a nice road, slightly undulating and it just feels like we are getting closer to the end of our run.  I also decided to run past the pub, The Day Light Inn, only because Jenny's friends said they would be there sipping on their beer!  Sometimes it good to show off to your mates, not quite sure Jenny thought she was showing off though!

I could have taken them on the unddulation of Woodland Way, Greath Thrift etc, but I think we had all done quite well, it was warm, very warm and I didn't want anyone to feel ill including me!  So I lead them down Petts Wood Road and then back along Crossways!  Three miles done!  A great run!

Geeky stats, and I am missing bits as I was fiddling about with my watch trying to take off the auto pause!  I failed by the way lol.

Another Double!! Get In There!

Hello bloggers!

I tell you one thing, mojo or not, I am flipping doing it!  Stuff this getting old shit!  I ain't 'avin' it!  It's going to be kicking and screaming and running and sweating into the next 'phase' of my life!  I know rest days are good, but I do have rests, for the rest of the day and evening (unless it's a double day!)  And I know if I start to feel too tired, or my body starts to complain too much then I will deal with it rather than ignore it!

My first of todays runs was through the woods.  I didn't know who was going to be with me today.  Some of my Thursday group 1's  have moved onto the middle group and Little.J. was away.  But Diane was feeling a little sore.  She had done the Weald 10k and was still suffering, so she wanted to go a little more gentle than group 2 or 3.   I knew I wanted to do track in the evening, so the route I chose was the easy way round, going through Petts Wood, right up to the top and then along the back of the woods to Goss Hill and then down again.  I was thinking of going out to the road, and under the rail bridges, but I decided against that, Maybe try do that route next week if I have time!

It was a really great run with Diane, we chatted and laughed and really had a good social run.  Sometimes you really need to do that!  I was feeling a little tired, I am not a good morning person, just ask the kids that!  And if I haven't had my shot of caffiene then I am not even human!  But this mornings run was just like a shot of caffiene, it made me human!

So Geeky stats for you.

Track Is Back!

It's not the rec anymore.  It's become too dark to continue with our core training, so, for me, it's back to the track for the winter!  I was tempted to  'have a rest' just like the other Thursday rec'ers are doing.  They will be doing pavement pounding in a week or two!  But I know if I start resting then it may just be that be harder to start again.  I was going to cycle over too, but I talked myself out of it.  My excuses were quite logical. For one, I didn't want to wear myself out before I got there, I really wanted to do the whole of the session without stopping 'unofficially'. and two, if I did cycle, and then I worked really hard, then I might be too exhausted to ride home, and be a danger to myself or other road users!  See I told you the excuses were logical! I am the queen of excuses!   Oh and thirdly.......I was just running a little late, I was sat watching the telly!

It seemed the whole world and her husband was running late too, the traffic on the roads! I made it just in time, sort of.  I missed what the session was going to be.  But after our warm ups (which nigh on knackered me anyway!) we were lined up on the start line and  PhysioMike quickly ran through what we were going to be doing, which basically, as a chap said  "When PhysioMike blows the whistle run, when he blows it again, rest, and repeat!"  I think I can do that!  No problem!! She says! 

But for the first whistle it was running at just faster than 5k pace, for 30 seconds, then 1.30 (I think) and then 4 minutes, with a 90 second 'rest' in between!  Do that 3 times!  Now I do like running to the whistle, It saves me counting laps! I can get so confused at how many laps I have done after oooooo say the first.........half lap!    The whistle I can listen out for, I can think "It's coming, any second now, just keep running"  It does help!  Where as those laps, that finish line, mocking you, and it seems to stretch away from you as you're trying to run towards it! 

It felt good to be back at track. Running with the speedsters.  It gets one used to be passed by when one is on races! But knowing that I am running the best that I can is all I need to keep me doing what I am doing.  And not only that, just as the Thursday Rec crew, the Tracksters are just as encouraging to me as they've always been! "Well done Old girl" "Keep going you doing great" were just some of the lovely things they were saying to me as they passed by. What a blimmin great running club I am in!  Since my last time at track it seems that quite a few others have found the virtures of running on a spongy track!  Some new people I have not seen before, and one chap introduced himself to me, just as I was flagging on the very last 'cool down' lap, Richard his name is, "Come on nearly done".  It was just what I needed, as I was thinking right then I would just walk the last hundred meters, after all it's just a cool down lap before the strethces!

It really was a fabulous session, and I did feel good to have ran in all the running sections, and kept moving when it was the rest sections!  Yup, I am going to be back on form soon!

Geeky stats.

Back To The Grindstone!

Hello blog lovers

The kids are back at school, yay!!!! I mean, oh shame, it was so good not having a tidy kitchen! Any way, it does mean that it's back to running, running every single minute I can!  As you probably know, and if you don't, I can't understand how you have missed all my moaning and groaning about it, I am going through this awful thing called 'The Change of Life'  I seriously feel like I am metamorphosing into something that's else, that's for sure! It's not a pretty sight! Most women are just letting it happen, ignoring it's happening, or just not refusing it is happening, but not me!  I'm not liking it one little bit, and I am not being quiet about it either!!  So I am doing everying possitble to try and get rid of symptons!

But right now I feel I am on the brink of becoming like my nanny Drew!  She was a gorgeous lady, don't get me wrong, loved her dearly. She had brightly orange coloured hair, huge pink lips and she was round, oh so very round!  But everyone's nanny was like that in those days, weren't they?  She was always with a bag of sweets for us all!   My nanny used to sit in a chair breathing heavy after a walk around the shop!  I don't want to be a round nanny! I don't want to be breathing heavy going up the stairs, like I used to back in my fat, round days!

No this Old Girl here is going to be a fit nanny,  and it's going to be hard work!  I need to be wearing a mask as well, to stop myself stuffing food in my mouth!  Anyway, I am surrounding myself with my good friends to help me.  Naggy Neighbour, my friends at my running club, and the Old Boy, when he's feeling better.  Today I was with Tanya!  We used to always meet up on a Wednesday afternoon with Tracy, before the school holidays, and now we are meeting up again!

I met up with Tanya and little Max at Normans Park.  The heat wave thingy the forecasters predicted seemed to be in full force this afternoon, and I knew it was going to be pretty tough, but for our half mile warm up we was in the shade! Hmm, maybe I should have gone around the the other way instead.  Start nice and slowly in the sun and put in the effort when we got to the shade! Oh well too late!

We only did two laps, way to warm really, and little Max's tongue was hanging out.  But the first lap we did non stop, the second one, there was a couple of walking bits!  I am just glad I am back on the road..........paths.......trails and whatever else I shall be running on........to fitness!

Now, about this diet........?

Geeky stats

Double For A Tuesday!

Hello blog lovers.

Thats right, you read it here first!  A double run for a Tuesday.  The first one was this morning, I was supposed to run back from my grandsons school, as he has now started year 3!  I got into my running gear, or I should say I struggled into my running gear.   I was running a bit late getting ready and I was having 'a moment' as well. I am sure putting on a tight fitting wet suit would have been easier than getting into my lycra!  Then to find out that my grandson was ill and not going to school!  I could have had a lay in, or at least have waited till my 'moment' had passed before trying to get in to my running gear!

So now I had a dillema!  I could not go for a run, I mean it's not as it was something that I did before, and I wasn't dropped off at the school and the only way back was to run.  I was already at home, my planned 2 mile run was cancelled.  With my solo running mojo still out of touch I had to force myself out of the door!  I still planned on doing just a short one, after all I am running in the evening too.

So I ran, just the longer way through my local park, and up Southborough Lane and back home.  That should be about the distance that I would have had to do had I ran back from young Dudes school!  My legs were not ready for it, that was obvious, and it took a while for them to loosen up.  My psyche however took even longer to wake up, if in fact it did wake up!  I wouldn't say it was the best of runs, but they way I am looking at it, I am glad.......maybe that is a bit over zealous description, but I was ok that I went out!  After all what's the alternative, give up?!  Nah, no way.

This is what I would look like if I give up!

No,  that is'nt going to happen.  People have said to me that I am brave putting pictures like that one and this one below, for all to see.  But I would sooner people see me like this

 than the first one!  At least this shows that I am doing something to get fit and stay fit!


So, I shall just change my mind about my morning run, it was a good run just slower!

Club Run

So I turned up for my club run feeling ok.  Looking forward to my run.  I do love leading, at least my club running mojo is still well and truly here!  My running team were all away today, due to holidays and injuries and what not, but I know we will be all ok, I shall make a sweeper out of those who turn up today. 

My route was the flatish one, on the other side of the rail lines.  I say flatish, we do have one cheeky little incline up Kingsway, just at the beginning of our run!  But thats fine, we shall forget all about that once we had done it! Like it was nothing. We did it, like it was nothing, and we did it at a fairly fast pace, well for group 1 anyway!  And today being move up Tuesday!  I let us all gather at the top and then we walked for a bit to gain our breath back.  Then it was back to running!  I took them over the bridge, nice and quietly, just as PhysioMike tells us to run. "Just like Scooby Doo!" is they way he says it.

We ran down Crescent Drive, I was planning on running along Shepperton, but I was too busy chatting and ran passed it!  I had to think on my feet about how to add the extra distance needed to make it a decent group 1 run.  I knew there were some little cul-de-sac's along Tudor way, so that is where we are going to be running, in and out the cul-de-sac's!  It may bring us up to where we need to be.

It was a good run, all run's are good!  That is what I am saying from now on, all runs are good!  And the banter and chat through out is just brilliant!  Love leadig group 1.  So here's our geeky stats.

A Must For Monday!

Hello bloggers.

Today is Monday, I think the giveaway is at the top of this blog. But for the past few Mondays me and the Old Boy have been running together through the woods.  But not today.  He wasn't feeling it today!  Which means I am on my own.  My solo running mojo is still somewhat elusive, and it was a great effort for me to get out and do my run.  Especially when there was nando's mentioned!  Running, nandos, running....... If it was the nandos, then I was all set to run out the door right then then to do my running first, and miss my favourite soap on the t.v., Maybe my mojo is closer than I think! But even that was not an option in the end as the Old Boy decided he didn't really want that anyway!

So running it is, after my favourite soap had finished of course.  I was all set to go just after 7 o'clock.  I was going to run to Turpington lane and back.  Nothing to far just yet.  Next week I shall start to add a mile on to my regular runs......maybe.  But today, it's just this route.  Trying to find that zone, I could feel myself all tense as I was running, and kept having to 'shake it off' and relax my arms and shoulders.

The music that was going on in my ears was helping me to keep a nice even, steady pace and I decided to just enjoy my music, with my running as just a secondary thing that I had to do.  It was still quite muggy outside, it feels like it could be stormy.  I like a storm, when I am inside my house, but not when I am outside.  A bit of rain is fine too, just not that thunder and lightening!  That's what it feels like, a storm is a brewing!

I put all thoughts of storms away, I didn't want to talk myself out of doing a shorter run, blimey, it can't be any shorter really, can it!?  As usual I ran the first mile!  I can do that, I really can, it feels a lot harder these days, but I can do it! It's this mental thing of mine saying "You can't do two miles Old Girl" and then my legs hurt, my breathings goes haywire, and I start believing that evil little voice in my head!  "You can't do it, you're lazy!" I can hear the negative heckling going around my head as I give in to the walking!

That's fine, that's ok!  It's my age, it's because I haven't had a good lunch, it's because it's muggy!  I can find an excuse for not having an excuse!  I just need to do!  Let me tell you, it's a lot easier writing that down than it is to actually do it!  But I think what I got to look at, is.........I am here running, by myself!  I didn't succumb to the comfy armchair, nice cuppa and chocci biscuit!  Although, now that I have just written that, I may indulge after I have finished writing this!

Just to keep my psyche 'happy' I went the opposite way round the loop once I got to Holbrook.  Instead of going straight down to Turpington Lane I ran down Holbrook, into Magpie Hall Lane and then into Greenway.  There will be none of those mental stopping points now!  That's what I was hoping!  I managed to run all the along Greenway, something I haven't done for a while!  Maybe going in the opposite direction is slightly easier!  We shall see!

But that's the things, right there!  It's not easier! Arghhhh!  Mojo, where are you?  I am going to have to sign up for a race!  That's all there is too it!  I need a goal, I won't say challenge, because really, challenges scare the pants off me!  I hate letting people down, or myself!  But I will get a race going!

So the end of my run today, and I was beating myself up bad!  "You shouldn't have stopped, you should keep running, what on earth were you thinking" were the thoughts going around my head!  Who needs a Naggy Neighbour or Old Boy or even a Bims (aka Nagging Sister) to nag me, I am my own worse nag ever!  I even get violent with myself, the whole slapped ass was going on as I was walking it out around the green, even having my eyes brimming, just slightly, but that could be sweat that was pouring from me, getting into my eyes and stinging!  You gotta do better! I can do better......I will do better!

I know I worked hard today, I know I did.  You know that noise that your clothes make, just after you come back from a run in the most torrential rain.  You pull your clothes off and you get that 'schhhllluuup' sound as you peel them off!  Well my clothes sounded like that.......and it wasn't even raining!  That's how much I was sweating! Still......could do better!

Geeky stats!

Two Runs, 1 Park!

Hello blog lovers.

I did parkrun yesterday, it was slower than last week.  Last week I had Naggy Neighbour, pushing, pulling, willing and yelling for me to get around quicker.  I needed that to try and get a good parkrun time for our Club Grand Prix.  Yesterday, however it's back to mojo hunting!  Just running around, trying to get into the Zone.

Naggy drove us to Norman Park, we had to park out side of the park because of the road being blocked as it was being fixed (water main went last Saturday)  She had bought Chocolate with her, and I am sure she just loves those Saturday mornings running around the park!  At least she makes it look so easy, I suppose having four legs makes it easy anyway!

When we all set off Naggy ran ahead, she has her own agenda now.  She has got some big plans ahead with her running!  I saw her disappear into the throng of people!  I just looked ahead and tried getting into the zone.  Not running fast, but not particularly slow either.  I saw some other PWR's running ahead of me, but I decided to not catch up with them (they run way to fast now days!)  So I stayed by myself, but not for long!

As I was running down the short straight, just before we cut across the grass I spied Becky.  I was gaining on her.  "Hi Becks" I said to her once I caught up.  "Hello" she said to me.  From then on me and her just ran side by side together, each of us pacing each other, encouraging each other to the end.

It was a good run,  and I really...........enjoyed it.........yeah........lets start to really believe that!  Because running is hard! It's bloody hard!  Just because I have been doing it for years it doesn't mean that it gets easier!  It's not like, say, playing my guitar!  When I first picked it up along with a 'Teach yourself guitar' book, I was bloomin awful!  But these days,.......well I am no Nancy Wilson.......but I can knock out a few chords easily!  But this running malarkey.  It's hard, but you just find yourself going further and (not in my case) faster!  But the effort is still the same.  That lovely feel good feeling happens only after you have done it!

Geeky stats



Just like I felt for todays run.  Yes, I am trying to keep my blogs short.......just like my runs....for now!  So my run today, Sunday, it was a solo run!  Just me and my Ipod.  I was procrastinating though, thinking I had so much to do that I couldn't possible be out running!  But the Old Boy had Sunday lunch under control, my floors had all been steamed, and I had plenty of time!  So I got into my running gear and went out of the house.

I drove to Normans park!  I want to 'practice' around this park, I want to get 'better' at running around here.  Away from car fumes, fresh air and not alone in the woods! (although I am quite ok running through the woods, but the Old Boy don't like it when I do).  I started my Garmin and started my run from the Hook Farm car park end.  My plan is to try and run 'easy' relaxed as PhysioMike is always telling us to do.  That was my plan, that is what I was going to concentrate on.

Every time I felt tense I told myself to 'relax'.  I shrugged my shoulders, I rolled my head and I shook out my hands.  I must have looked pretty peculiar, but I don't worry about things like that anymore, just take a look at some of the pictures I have put up of myself!  I had another plan in my mind, but it was just a plan I thought of for just one fleeting moment!  It was a plan to get around in one go! No walking!  I will do it, and I will do it while I am running solo!  I know it's all in my head and I just have to get back to place where I just can't wait to get out and run, instead of all that procrastinating lark!

I ran around the park, doing the parkrun route, but it wasn't in any speedy style and I did have a few walking spells in there! So annoyed with myself!  But I am pleased that I went out, and I did enjoy it......after I had finished of course.  Here's to more happy mojo hunting!

Geeky stats.

End Of Season Core and Speed Training!

Hello blog lovers.

This evening was the only exercises I did today,  as this morning I had the last of the kids sessions before they are back to school!  Six children this morning!  We had some interesting games!  I was trying to think of 'rules of play' on the spot!  And I was also way off the 'p.c.' clap-o-meter as I put the kids in two teams.....girls against boys! (the girls won by the way!)  It was a good end to the summer season!  Hasn't it gone quick!

The session this evening was led by DiscoRich, and it's the last of the 'rec sessions'.  In a couple of weeks he will be leading out Thursday training evenings.  Interval running and speed running, on the pavements.  As for me, I shall be back at track!  I got to try and get my speed and stamina up again!

We started off with the usual 2 lap warm ups, and more or less straight away I could feel the little ache in my left hip!  Just a niggle, but it's letting me know that 'it's there'!  Maybe this session I won't push as hard as I was planning to, just enough to know that I have done a good job.  That was my plan after the warm ups, and I started that with the drills.  If DiscoRich said 'butt-kicks' then I was going to make sure that my heels kicked my but.  If he said opposite elbow to opposite knee (keeping a straight back) then by George I will try my best to make sure elbows and knees touch!

I was going to try and do everything to the best that I can do.....without speeding around of course.  With the running then it's running correctly, head up, shoulders back, breathing correctly and everything!  When we do the core exercises I shall make sure that my posture is correct, my lunges are at 45 degree angle's and my plank was as plank like as I could get it!

The first of the running sessions was a tempo run, or interval run?  But it was at least 4 times around the track, half was running at 5k pace, half was at recovery pace.  The harder pace was also running up the hill!

Core strengthening started with SingstarJo, (it's so good to have her back with us!). She took us through a lovely routine of stretching and strength with the Sun Salutations.  It's a good little movement thing, smoothly taking you from 'tree', to table,  lunge, to downward dog, plank and cobra.  Then working back to tree.  DiscoRich took over again and gave us some more exercises, some sort of bridge thing on our back, lunges, squats and of course a plank!

With just the last of the running to do, relays, our session was done!  My Garmin ran out of battery on the first warm up lap! Oh well.  So no idea of how far I ran around the rec today, but I hoped it was quality stuff rather than just doing it to build up miles!

Track sessions here I come!