Just Run!

Hello blog readers.

And breath.....!  What, why, how?  I just don't know where to start with this blog.  It's been an emotional, tough, scary weekend which has just continued to roll on into this week! Lets start from last Thursday.  Last Thursday me and Kirsty went to WOMAD, a music festival.  We went there a couple of years ago, our first ever festival.  This year Kirsty was looking so much better and we were hoping to enjoy the three night stay under canvas with the rest of 'the crew'.  But things sometimes just don't go to plan, poor Kirsty became quite ill and we had to leave very quickly on Thursday night.  Needless to say none of us had sleep that night, Kirsty was exhausted.  But she is a fighter, she fought hard a long all all through the night, along with a dash down the motorway on Saturday morning from Swindon to London.  It was a scary, emotional weekend.  I came home on the Friday, still not having slept since the 31 hours that had just passed.

Friday seemed to have gone by in a blur, with a couple of hours sleep during the day, but making sure I didn't over sleep too much for going to bed in the night time.  I got up Saturday morning, my alarm told me it was parkrun time.  I got up, got dressed and rode off on my bike to parkrun with Naggyneighbour.  I must say, riding my spesh felt ok, I still feeling like I need several pairs of padded shorts but then I deffo wouldn't be able to do a run wearing those.  We dropped off our bikes and walked the length of the park to the start line where we met up with all our buddies. 

I can't call in a run, it was more of a fast paced walk with the occasional running bit.  My legs felt like the didn't belong to me, my head was all over the place but I just knew I wanted to be there in the fresh air to do some sort of running.  I ran most of it alone with people I know catching up and overtaking.  The first runner overtook me at the top of the park just as we come around the wooded bit.  Usually the first runner goes pass me when I get to the long straight!

I just continued to plod along, things from the weekend going over and over in my mind until I got right back to the top of the park again, (opposite end from the start line) and I just cried.  I mean I sobbed.  By this time I was virtually alone and no-one could hear me anyway, or so I thought.  It was then I heard a young lady behind me, just plodding along doing her parkrun, Elisa her name was.  She just talked to me and walked with me for the rest of the way.  We even ran some more, with me being able to step into my 'leader role' and get us both back nice and comfortably to the finish funnel.

Then something else happened. When we had finished parkrun, a pal of ours in group 1 became unwell after doing parkrun (I think even getting a pb!) but an ambulance was needed.  Both these two things after losing a a dear friend, someone who planted our church on our estate over 50 years ago I think, maybe even long than that.  Dr. Kathleen Berger, aged 98. 

You could say it's been a bit of a week.

So that was Saturday.  Today is Tuesday and I have just finished club run.  I wasn't leading this week, which I think I a very grateful for actually, because I just wanted to run along with my pals at the back, not think about leading or routes, or pace.  Carole was leading this week, so she had the route all planned.  I put my hand up for sweeping duties along with K. 

Carole took us on the route that she took us the first time, up the hill and though a park, up another hill and in and out the Closes.  Although I didn't actually do those!  Carole did brilliantly of course, and we managed not to bump into her husband RefMichael, who was also leading and doing virtually the same route with a little extra thrown in to make it a great group 3 distance. 

Just being among my friends felt good, chatting, running having a giggle with them all is just what everyone needs.  Just run! Just run.

At the end of the run there was something completely different happening. Three yoga/pilates were on the green when we all got back from our runs.  They were going to be putting us through some stretches and different techniques to use after runs.  Well, it makes a change!  I took some pictures too, I picked up their leaflet I was going to put it here, but I left it in my car.  But here's some pictures of us enjoying some yoga stretches.

I'm Moving On Up, Moving On Out!

Hello blog lovers.

So now we have this great rota for group 1, I've been with both Auriol and Carole for their inaugural run as leaders, it's time for me to leave the 'baby', step away from the 'comfort blanket' that is Group 1!  I didn't realise just how much of a comfort blanket it has been for me really.  I know I have run in group 2 once this year already, but now it's really happening,  I will be called on now to lead group 1 every third week at the moment and then every forth week from September.  I am going to have to push myself out and up the groups, starting with group 2. (Did I just say 'starting with group 2?)

I wasn't sure who was leading group 2 and I kept thinking if it's one of the faster group 2 leaders I may just tag along in group 1.  I told NaggyNeighbough that I was thinking, 'thinking' of moving up to group 2, you can imagine what she said "Do it, don't think about it, I want to be reading that you ran in group 1 today" So I left the comfort of group 1, of group 1 leading, of doing my own thing!  And now this is how it's going to be!

All the leaders gave out their routes and pace, Sarah gave out the route and pace for group 2.  I can run with Sarah" I thought to myself, "I can do this"  And so I gathered around Sarah with the other two members of group 2.  I could see that group 1 was huge!  Twelve runners in there this evening, even RefMichael was running with them, it was too hot and he didn't want to push it this evening.  I almost jumped on to that little idea, but I kept my resolve and stayed in group 2.

Sarah was taking us through the words, always a great run if it involves going to the woods. Maybe it will be cooler under the trees!  We are enjoying this heatwave, record breaking temperatures I am sure, it must still be still in the high 20's if not at least 30!  I know it's going to reach at least 35 degrees on Friday! 

We got through Dog Poo ally and group 3 were already there, just taking a chill, going over safety stuff and whatnot, Sarah had us wait until they started off as they were going along the same path that we were!  Just then Group 1 popped out of Dog Poo Ally. the pull to go over and join them was immense!  I was hot and bothered, I am at the back of the group (which of course I expected) but seeing all my mates there was good.  "I think I will go and join group 1" I said to Sarah, just so that I didn't feel such a fat frump running at the back.  It took me back to the last time I used to run in the back (well apart from when I did it a couple of months ago!)  Sarah wasn't having any of that, "Oh no, keep going, you're doing well" she said to me.  I came to my senses and decided, actually I don't my comfort blanket, I need to push, push, push to start getting fitter!

That was pretty much how it was through the run!  Me running at the back playing catch up.  At least I could take a sneaky little walk while they were all running! But then I had to run a little faster to catch them up.  The hill, you know the one, Goss Hill was in Sarahs route today!  Do I not love a hill! No, seriously, I do not love a hill!  But I know they are a challenge, and that blimmin Goss Hill is my nemesis!  Ooo, One day Goss hill, I will run up to the top again!

After the hill we ran along the back of Coopers school and we me the new 'Walking Group'.  See, we are a very all inclusive club!  The new walking group is a way for our injured runners to keep up their Tuesdays fix, meet up with club buddies and still feel part of the club.  LittleJ was leading it today, she could be the new leader of it, as the docs told her not to run anymore!  But there are always those that get little niggles, or are recovering from sickness or surgeries that will be walking each week.  We are a huge club now!  But it was good bumping into them en route!

We ran up a bit more of Botany Bay Lane and then went along the top path, with the cheeky little undulations, just the two of them, but at least we are running the easier way around.  I was really hot, I had my drink with me, (Naggy told me to take on!) I had drunk about 2 thirds of it, it was just as well we only had about another mile to do!  I don't usually take water on a 3 mile run, but I was sensible enough to listen to Naggy today!  In fact Sarah and Sonia had taken drinks, but the other group 2 runner didn't, I have forgotten what his name was.!  I was forgetting my own name by about mile 2 anyway!

We only had just a short bit to go, just running along towards the rail lines now and then Group 1 came into the woods from the road.  I can't think of where they had been!  They came in through Dog Poo and now they are going in from the top of Birchwood.  Hmm, strange!  We watched them run down by the side of the rail line while we had a little break for some water.  Then we started running again, maybe we would catch up to group 1.  In theory we should, but this heat was totally exhausting and group 1 had been running ahead of us before we got to the break spot.  But catch them up we did, as we approached the end of the path, just by Dog Poo Ally, I heard RefMichael saying "Keep those legs up Old Girl"  Ahh, Group 1, you gotta love em!

So with just the little bit of road work left to do, a sprint, well I kind of did a bit of a faster finish, it was all over and done with!  I was happy, but I think I probably slowed down the average pace for group 2 this week, but I am hoping to get better! 

Geeky stats.

Mob Match Day!

Hello blog readers

Yesterday was our annual friendly match against the ORR (Orpington Road Runners).  For the past few years we, Petts Wood Runners, have won!  Both on the 'mob' side and the points side of the match we wiped the board! It's quite an unusual way of scoring.  It took me a while to understand it, but it's relatively easy.  The best way that I can say it is like this.  The mob part of a match is fairly easy, both teams gather as many of their club members as possible and then run against each other, but for the purpose of scoring points the only same amount of runners from each group, for instance, if PWR had 100 runners and ORR had 50, then only the first 50 people from each club will be gathering the points.

The points I can only describe as 'fines' for each runner home.  The first runner will be 'fined' 1 point, the second runner will be fined 2, the third will be fined 3 etc etc.  So the team who is 'fined' the most is obviously the losers!

The ORR did receive an award though, the first runner over the finish line was an orpie!  So now, you all know about how things worked, and of course the results, by the way Sonia did an awesome job of getting it all down on the computer and getting it all ready to reveal in the pub later in the evening!  So let me tell you about the run!

Oh my goodness!  It was blimmin hot HOT HOT!  Not only that but I was running a tad late as I wanted to take my bike for the ride back home after.  But after I got my bike, back down the shed to find bike lights, found the bike lights, rushed to my bike, I realised that I had my second bike out, and the lighting mount was on my other bike! Grrr!  So I just hoped on and rode off,  I shall have to come through the park with company and then I can ride home on the pavement the rest of the way home.

I rode up Farringdon and then crossed over to Oxhawth.  I was thinking of riding up the hill to Crestview and then go into Jubilee park from Tent Peg lane. But as I got to the main road, Southborough lane I saw a PWR runner going along the drive near the Catholic school.  Now I knew he was heading for the mob match because he was wearing his colours!  I decided to follow him, I crossed over the road and then rode along the drive towards another entrance to the park!  I caught up with him and we continued to walk the rest of the way to the start.  I hadn't realised just how near the start was to this entrance.  Jubilee park always confuses me.  I can't work out in my head where paths lead out to, probably why I have never taken group 1 through there before!  I have taken the Thursday morning runners through there...and then got lost!  Well, when I say lost, we popped out of the woods which was the complete opposite side of where I wanted to be!

Anyway, I met up at the start with all my running pals, and some group 1's as well as just over 200 other people!  It really was an amazing turn out!  I collected my number, I was no.11, legs eleven as the say in the bingo halls!  I was still pretty sweaty from the bike ride to the park as we all walked over to the start like.  DiscoRich had parked his car (with permission) by the start line with a speaker on top with some tunes coming out from it and also so that we can hear him when he used the microphone!

It was a brilliant atmosphere as we all waited for the off!  The faster, scoring runners were all at the front and us from the slower groups were all at the back!  My group 1's were all there, some with their new PWR tops, some just wearing a white top, as they haven't ordered their club shirts yet.  Mixed among the PWR's were the orpies with their yellow tops, all getting excited and ready for the off.

Then we heard it, 1, 2, 3, Go!  The throng of people started to move slowly at first and then we broke into a run.  My running buddies were all ahead of me, Carole, RefMichael and even most of the group 1 runners were ahead, but there was still a couple behind me, so I slowed down.  I really wanted to make sure that I was behind all of them for this run.  I wanted them to see how fun it is to have a friendly match against another running club,  that it's not all about speed all the time, it's fun to be part of a mob match and......it's even better to be part of a winning team!  So I slowed down a bit, let the runners behind me over take until I heard IllustriousLeader and Tracy behind me, they were the last runner marshals.  Just the first bit of the run, the bit that took us up the path and then left into the carpark and through the gate to go back into the park, well that bit, that was tough!  I was sweaty, I also had a beer not an hour and half before, and I really thought I wasn't going to make it around in any sort of decent time!  But then I head Alison, Charleys mum,  just behind me saying that she really didn't feel like she could do it, and that she wanted to stop.  IllustriousLeader sent Tracy on with me and walked a bit with Alison.

Alison soon caught up with me again and was feeling a little bit better.  As I said, it was really very warm indeed.  I said to Alison that I would run next to her for the rest of the run, I really wasn't feeling to good either!  My running has really suffered of late.  It's my own fault, I have put on way too much weight!  I've been eating and drinking totally all the wrong things and not doing nearly enough exercise to overcome that!  So being at the back of the pack was always going to be on the cards for me, only now I will have company! Of course Tracy and IllustriousLeader are great company!

So together me and Alison ran along next to each other, encouraging each other as we got around the course.  The course was very well marshaled by PWR's, and the PWR Cheer Station was just simply amazing!  You could hear them from when the first person reached them until the last people (me and Alison) got back to the finish!  They had pompoms, noise makers and they were all in fine voice as they cheered, screamed and called out to every runner as they ran passed them!  This is them.

The marshals were dotted in though the woods, by the sharp corners and by the gateways.  We cam along a gate way and there was LittleJ,  oh it was good to see her.  We do miss her in group 1, but when the docs say no more running I guess you have to listen.  But it hasn't stopped her being part for our group, Spence has created a walking wounded/healing group that meet up a with the usual groups on a Tuesday.  So it's great that she is still a part of PWR.  Then we ran along just a little bit more to see K, she was standing by the gate that I came through when I followed the PWR runner to get to the registration early on!  And now I know where that gate leads!  I feel the more I run through here, the more I can learn new routes for club night runs.

We were not far now from the start line, Alison was feeling a bit better and she was pleased that she hadn't given up.  I was still suffering, but as I said, no sympathy, I am way to overweight!  We started running along toward the start again, of course we were being overtaken by just about everybody and we had to sometimes just stand by the side so they could run on by.  At least when we do the second lap we won't have to do that!  But coming up to the finish line (for the first time) was brilliant, Kevtwoballs was there with his camera taking some pictures, and he got some fantastic shots!

I still had one more lap to do, however, and so we ran on by the cheering crowds, the runners who had finished and some cheerleaders too, to do the second lap. Alison was in her stride by then and was deffo looking forward to finishing.  We started and we will finish!  I have never not finished a race, whether it be a 5k or a marathon!  Fortunately this run was only 5k!

The cheer was still brilliant, they never stopped, Spence reminding us about the whole in the board walks, Natalie showing us through to the right path, Littleton pointing us in the right direction!  Just marvellous!  The whole evening run was just marvellous, from the registration, to picking up our numbers to getting our finishing positions and of course the all important results!

Kev was still there taking pictures of us as we finished!  I still looked pretty exhausted and made running a 5k look pretty blimmin hard!  By the look on my face it looked like I was finishing a marathon, but it was hot, did I mention it was a rather warm evening!

I finished, last, Alison was second to last and another Alison was third from last!  All of us from Group 1,  I was just so pleased that for this year, group 1 was well represented!  All of them had finished well ahead, which was pretty amazing as it was really hot!  The terrain was a bit of a challenge too as the ground had all dried out and was cracking!  But we managed to get everyone around the course with no one getting injured!  A fabulous day, a fabulous run and a fabulous win for all of us in PWR!

Of course we al celebrated in the pub afterwards, this is me and the girls after we had a couple!

Pictures from Kev Howard, Spense Davis


Geeky stats.

Er.....Some blogs!

Hello blog readers.

I have had a bit of a lazitus, not from my running, although I should be doing more, but from my blogging!  How can anyone get lazitus about that!

So, some quick updates for the runs I have neglected to tell you about!

Thursday 5th, Morning

Just the three of us on that Thursday morning, if I can remember it was quite a warm one too.  Just me, Paula and Tracy was heading out the rec.  There were a few more in the other groups, I was a bit late as well, and the other group was just about to head out with Paula as there was no one else at the rec, (I had picked up Tracy) I think she was a bit relieved when she saw us!  I think she would have been running with some group 4's and up!

It was a good run, we had a photo opportunity by the river, which is always nice.  Here this is it!

And of course our geeky stats.  Not bad for a warm morning!

Thursday Evening Core and Speed

DiscoRich was taking the session this week and he had some instruments of torture for us to try out.  Of course there was the usual warm up laps and drills to be done to warm us up, even though we were all pretty warm any way.

So the instruments of torture were these little bunny hop things.  DiscoRich, at first placed cones in a zig zag patten.  We then had to jog forward to one, job backwards to the next jog forward to the next and then so on until we had passed all 8 cones and then we had to jog back to our team mates.

Then he made us hop in the same manner, obviously doing that twice, and then jumping forwards and backwards.  I have just realised that I am no good at hopping or jumping!  Now when did that actually happen?  I used to do it all the time when I was a child! I was quite shocked at how pretty useless I was at this simplest of activities.    But then DiscoRich throws into this simple activity these little hurdles, and we had to do the same thing again but of course include the jump over the hurdles! Hmm, I think some good long hard workouts is needed.  I may even try and find my skipping rope,  maybe that will help!

The core training actually consisted of planking!  We had a plank off!  I couldn't even last for the 40 second min, but the it was left to Illustrious leader and someone else whose name escapes me.  They had to tie at 4 minutes!

With some par luffs at the end to finish off our session we were all pretty exhausted by happy with what we had done!

Saturday parkrun

Well, what can I say about this!  It was bloody hot!  Oh my goodness, it had already hit 22 deg c by 9 in the morning. I knew it was going to be a very warm run.  I had remembered to bring water with me, having Naggyneighbour nag me about the week before reminded!  Naggy wasn't feeling the run that week either, and she had decided to walk around with Janet just to be a part of it and too keep active.  I had already drunk about a quarter of my water just walking to the start. I had met my running buddies in the car park, there was a card to sign, as it was Auriols 100th parkrun!  That means cake!  And Janet's mum makes the most delicious fruit cake in Bromley!  I just wished I liked fruit cake!  But I don't get left out of the cake eating, Carole does bake up a tasty chocolate brownie!

It was a very slow parkrun as I met on the last quarter of a mile of the last lap, Graham.  Now he is usually way in front of me, in fact Naggy herself uses him as her pacer, she likes to keep him in sight for when shes running!  Yet here he was, not looking good at all.  I grabbed his arm and asked how he was doing.  All he could say at that time was, "It's a bit warm"  I gave him my water to rehydrate him and asked if he wanted to sit of go directly to the pavillion, but he insisted that he was going to finish this parkrun! So, on a lovely, very warm, Saturday morning I walked arm in arm with a lovely gentleman, just don't tell my hubby!  I found out on our walk that his best parkrun was 20 something minutes at the age of 72! He's been chasing it for a few years now, as now he has reached the age of 78!  Amazing!

Go Kane........Uh Um I Mean Carole!

Hello blog readers.

Ok, I did do some other running before today, but I shall write up soon.  This blog is all Caroles'!  You see, Carole is one of our many success stories, her and her hubby, from our beginners group!  Our beginners really does work if you really want it too.  It can inspire, it can encourage and it can grab hold of your running soul and just keep you permanently looking at the Internet for more running shoes and attire!  It's true, Carole and Michael, a hubby and wife team will vouch for that!

So as you know, Carole and Auriol both took the LiRF course a couple of weeks ago, Auriol lead last week and this week it was Caroles' debut lead.  Now Carole, well, she I am sure she won't mind me saying, but she is quite a shy person, and gets anxious, especially when everyone is looking at her.  So today she was there, in the front, holding the group 1 paddle telling us all about a new route that she will be taking group 1 on.  She did it perfectly!  But now add that to the fact that England was playing Columbia in the World Cup, you can imagine how she was feeling, "Will anyone turn up, and I going to be the only one there?" along with all the other worries that go with you when you lead your first group run!

But she needed not worry, she had a very respectable 8 runners in her group today.  I was running along with her, running up the front with her, while Auriol and Kay were sweepers.  Her route included the road directly opposite the park! Yes, I am sure you all know the one, if you ready my blogs you know it's the road that we take the beginners on for the first time when we start running out on the roads!  It's a steep little fecker of a hill, or as we like to call them, inclines.

So, There she was, I should have got my camera, but I was just happy looking at Carole give her run details out, her hubby, RefMichael, was standing there, hug smile on his face, proud as punch, with his England shirt on and his England shorts on! Yup, RefMichael was not running this evening, he is going back to watch the footie after the leaders bit!  But he just didn't want to miss seeing his lovely wife standing there with her leaders bib on, standing at the front!

We gathered around Carole, and when we ready we headed for the gate, we crossed straight over and then started up that hill!  Wood Rise it's called, even the name gives you jelly wobbles!  You can image it, no one has warmed up, we've all just dragged ourselves away from the England match......well I did any way,  our fist bit of road running is all up hill!  I was deffo not ready for hills, but Carole did brilliantly encouraging us all getting up there! It was slog for me and my legs were not quite expecting it!

She was taking us on a route that we have never been on before, but first of all we had to go pass Caroles house.  Now RefMichael wasn't running as I have already said, but he was still looking out for us.  He knew we were going to be coming by his house, "Hi all" he called out "England are just about to take a penalty" he said immediately after!  We all just looked at each other, just for a split second and then we all said "Well open the door, let us in"  We all piled into Carole and RefMichaels house, completely forgetting that Carole wouldn't want us tramping all over her carpets and floors and we watched and waited for the Kane to take that penalty that put England ahead of Sweden!  Oh my goodness the house nearly shook when it went in!  RefMichael was looking very happy that he shared that moment with us in group 1, we went outside to continue our run, then we saw Carole!  Oops!  She did not look too happy, I'm not sure if the look was for RefMichael or for us!  But I think she forgave us all in the end!

She took us on this route which lead through a little road with a path that led into a park.  I can't say that I knew the park, but it was quite nice to get off the roads.  As it was Caroles first lead she wanted to lead with confidence, she is not to sure of the paths in the woods, but she sure made up for it when we went through this park.  It's a completely new route for all of us in group 1, which is a bonus and of course it's was off road, something that we all love in group 1.  It even had a little woody bit before we were back out on to the road.  A lovely route, one that I must learn I should think.  It's perfect for those times just before it starts to get dark in the evenings during spring and autumn!

The way out of the park lead us to Cardiac Hill, and then I began to recall that I had actually been in the park before, doing speed  session with A good coupe of years ago with DiscoRich and and others one Thursday evening!  We all managed to run up that hill before she lead us along Willet Road.  There are the little cul-de-sac's that we could all run down and back if we wanted to put on a bit of speed, but it seemed we were all quite happy with the the pace.  The road came out on Petts Wood Road, just opposite Crossways.  We were nearly back, and we were all very happy,  in fact we were all quite happy with the run, with the leader and..Englands Win! 

A fantastic debut leading role for our Carole!  I am positive that group 1 will have yet another fabulous leader, now, come September there will be four of us to lead group 1 giving us all a chance to move up the groups in a fantastic club, PWR.  Can you tell that I love this club!

Here's us after our run, with our newest leader in the Leaders Bib!

Our Carole's first run as Leader!