It's Thursday, just in case you didn't know that, which means double exercise for me! It's also school holidays, usually there are a lot less people to go running with on Thursday mornings as everyone just does their own thing. But I showed up anyway, it was a beautiful morning and it just needed to be enjoyed. My daughter text me and asked if I could take little Dexter with me for a run. I thought it wa a great idea! I expected to be running alone anyway! But when I got there, some of the mums had bought their kids along for a run too! Oh no! Dexter is not too keen on big crowds. He will be fine as soon as we are in the woods and he can strut his stuff.
So to calm him down we left promptly at 09;30, all 10 or so of us, leaving the faster and the middle groups to arrange themselves. Me and Dexter was out in front where he likes it, out of the gate and then......potty stop! Of all the places he has to dump and he decides the pavement is where he wants to go. We shall be going through the woods in 2 minutes, he has his choice of trees, bushes, hideaway places, but no, he decides that the pavement is the perfect place! The group moved on while I waited for Dexi to finish. He looked up at me and back at his poo as if to say "Pick that up" Unbelievable! So I have to play catchup to get back into the lead.
Once we were in the woods Dexi was in his element. He loves it in the woods. We started running, I kept him on his lead because we were running up towards the road. He will come off his lead when we start heading in the opposite direction! The kids, however, were not on reigns! They were flying up the path! They kept on having to stop for us (me) to catch up with them. In the end Nicola said she would take them on a loop so she, the kids and one other, (maybe?) went off for their run. I think it's the first time that group 1 has split on a Thursday morning!
So while the youngsters ran off we collected our breath, waited for a few moments and then we ran after them. Just four of us left now,. Me, Illustrious Leader, Ruth and Emma, oh and Deci Deci of course. The weather was just wonderful, we were running along, inside the woods but parallel with the road. I was slightly distracted with the dog, but we ended up taking the wrong path! It was totally my fault really because I took the lead off the dog, when I thought we were on the other path. Then Dexter took the lead and I followed him. To be honest he took us on a great route! But once I realised where were were heading, towards the road again, I had to take back the lead! We ended up on the Middle path but further down to where I wanted to be!
Anyway, it all worked out pretty well, it was a bit of a mystery tour! Once we discovered exactly where we needed to be we carried on running easy, not having to think if we were on the right path or not! We ran along the back of the school to Botany Bay Lane and then turn left and then right. We were going to run down Goss Hill. Always nice to run down this particular undulation! And then we ran along by the river. Usually Dexter jumps in, and has a whale of a time in there! But this morning, he wasn't interested in taking an early bath! He looked at it, sniffed at it, and then left it! He wasn't getting his feet wet for anyone!
He was a nice steady pace back up to Botany Bay, and then along the rail lines. We were all chatting away and having a great time. Dexter was behaving beautifully, coming to me when I called him, not barking at anyone! I think maybe it's the lead that he doesn't like. I had to put him back on the lead once we got to Dog Poo Ally, and then a nice run back to the rec. Of course then Dexter wanted to bark at everyone! I put him in the car and did some cool down stretches with everyone!
A fabulous run really, I did apologise for bringing the pooch, but he calmed down once we were in the woods. So Geeky stats for you.
Track Time
The VLM'ers have two weeks before the big day. The Brighton Marathoners, well they are all in rest mode! They will be running on Sunday! Not only that but there are some that are running the first Assembly League this evening! PhysioMikeTheMod (by the way, he will be doing both marathons, with his leg powered Lambretta! why not click the link and sponsor him) So he only has a few people there, me being the slowest of course. It was good to see Mr. S back to track in his monkey feet. And KevTwoBalls was there too, getting in some training too. He is doing the London Marathon, he will be running it while dribbling two basketballs! Click the link and you will find out more!
Anyway, the session was a mile (four times around the track) as a warm up and the 10 x 800 at marathon pace, with 90 seconds rest, I think PhysioMikeTheMod called it yasso or lasso, or something like that! I thought I could do it, not all 10 reps, but do the 2 laps and the 90 second rest, for as much time as we had. I think I heard PMTM say to young Luke that he should do 6 so I was thinking that is what I ssould be doing!
I started off all well intentioned, and just kept going for as long as I could. The track was pretty busy with all the young athletes still with the coaches going through their paces. My goodness are they fast. This one girl came pass me, PASS ME, and what I can only describe as a bouncy casual style! It looked like she was just casually running across the room to answer the phone or something! Literally that, yet she was pulling away in front of me! Like I said, they are all pretty fast.
Mind you, our PWR's are fast, I was overtaken by all of them I think at least once on the warm up lap, and then the session, well, everyone will be finishing the 2 laps at different times. But PMTM has his iPad set up that it just reads out the numbers and you just check it out when you have done your 2 laps and then wait while it counts out 90 seconds. It's a great system.
I did the first one, and I think the second, but then I started to get tired! My excuse/reason is because I did a run this morning! So I decide to do just 1 lap, with maybe less seconds rest. Lets see how I deal with that! I kept it going until my Garmin said 2:80 miles. "I'm done" I said to Mr. S. He had completed what he wanted to do, 5k non stop! "Go one 1 more" he said to me. I didn't really want to, but I found a bit of extra in the legs and did one more lap. Not only that but then both me and Mr.S did a cool down 'victory' lap too!
A great session, totally enjoyed it, but now I am beginning to enjoy my running. I just got to find the love of pushing myself a bit out of my comfort zone!
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