Track Thursday!

Hello Readers

You gotta love a track session, it's the only reason I can think of that gets me out of the door!  Track sessions are tough, but then it is a training session.  I am quite hard on myself, though I feel I could still push myself just a little bit more!  Hmm, more naggying from me and Naggy me thinks!

You know this week has been absolutely glorious, positively spring like in appearance. I even spotted Naggy in flipflops at the weekend!  People were having lunch in their garden (That's Auriol and Nigel) tee-shirt weather!  Yet this evening, when you really need it to be all of that and more, then the fake spring finishes!  The weather was damp, and apparently it really did come down quite heavy earlier during the day, but being indoors I didn't see that!  I knew SnappyH wasn't coming out to play on the track, and Shalini, who has yet to sample the joys of Track, couldn't make it either.  I was just hoping that Naggy wasn't going to say she couldn't make it, that really would make me head for the fish and chip shop!  But fortunately she was in need to run some shit out!  Running does that to you, of course I don't mean it in the literal sense (although......??) but running does help you run some issues out, help you get things off your chest.  Naggy needed to run! Phew, so I am running too, no excuse. Get out there and do some training!

I looked at the session this afternoon, I didn't quite understand what it entailed, probably best really.  Naggy came for me and we got in the car, I don't think she knew what the session was either, all she knew was that she just had to run it out!  We got to the track, which was still damp from the rain, we missed the chat about what we were going to be doing and followed the crowd to our warm up positions.  Jane was taking our warm drills today and we got straight into to.  Four little loops, some skipping, drum majorettes, sideskipping, you know the usual!  You can't run on cold legs!

When that was all done we walked over to the opposite corner to the faster runners, ready to start our session.  That's when I understood what I had read on the FB page.  We were doing 4 lots of 400 hundreds, with 90 seconds rest, with a 2.30 rest after the last lap, then doing it again!  It was going to be a fast one...I hope!  It was around then that the rain started to come down, just nice and gentle, just enough not to make it horrible!

The first four laps took me 15:08 mins, that includes the 3 rest stops of 90 secs or so between each lap.  The second park I only did 3 and a half laps, I did that in 13:20 mins.  A bit of me wishes I did that second half of lap, the other bit of me says, 'Nah, enough, you done enough"  Which is why I only done half of the fourth lap!

But I was quite pleased with it, I think I did all right!  I must go and look at my watch and figure out again, how to do that lap checking stuff, just so that I can see laps!  Anyway, here's my geeky stats.

Two For The Price Of One!

Hello blog readers.

I shall keep this as brief as I can considering I have two to write about!  The first is parkrun, which took place on parkrunday of course.   I didn't do my usual regular parkrun both me and Naggy went to Orpington, Goddington Park, for a great mud fest!  It was one of Naggys 'Meet up with her Tri Buddies' parkrun and so Orpington was the chosen one!  I had done that one before, a good few years ago, it was a Mob Match run.  I remember it well because it was were my Sister, Bims, had a fall and it put her out of running for such a long time! She did get back to it but has now quit again.

Anyway, Orpington parkrun, it was a bit muddy to say the least.  It was the first time I did it too.  I had told Naggy to wear her dirty trainers, I was expecting it not to have changed much.  It's all through the rugby fields, so of course it's not going to have a chance to not be muddy!  I really did take it easy around the three lap course, (two big loops and one small loop).  I didn't want to be falling over and hurting myself, I had a ball to get to in the evening, no sprained ankles for me!

My time at the parkrun reflected that I took it easy, not that I would have been able to do it any quicker anyway,  it was way to slippy.  Still, it was nice bumping into some PWR pals,  look, we even got a selfie at the end!

PWR runners!
Me, Eadaoin and I forgot her name!

me and fat arse

Club Running

So, now we talk about this evenings run.  It's Tuesday which means that its club running and I was leading this week.  I was looking forward to it, I had planned a couple of hills, so that included going up Birchwood.  Well, I think I needed to work of a couple of chocolate cakes I had while visiting Kirsty!  It's a lucky thing that I run, because then I can eat cheeky little choccy cakes! I didn't have some of my usual crew with me, they were going in Group 2 with IllustriousLeader, but K and Kathy were there to sweep for me.  

Getting up the hill is always a challenge, it's a great warm up too.  We don't have to go too fast when there is a hill involved, so when it's at the beginning of a run it just works out perfectly as we can take it easy on the hill to warm up, then we can put in a bit of an effort for the rest of the run!  Even though there were a couple of other cheeky little hills, but that's by the by!  We had a nice little group of 7 runners, a couple of them coming back after injury and a newbie!  Always good to see new people.  I am sure this route will be enjoyed by them all!  Just a little challenge, test out the healing bodies, give confidence to those joining who already to parkruns!  

We were not to spread out, and the pace wasn't too bad.  I know my sweepers have sometimes been in front of me at parkruns and I was feeling pretty good with the pace that I was doing.  I kept the running pace a fairly average middle of the road 13.00 mi/m ish type of pace.  I had noticed on the odd occasion we were doing a tad faster than we should have been doing, it's amazing what can happen when you are chatting and totally relaxed with your run!  

So we soon got to the 'last' hill. it's on Kevington road, I usually do some hill reps here, but my group was just a little spread out so I sent the faster runners to do just run up the hill and down while the backsters caught up.  Then we all ran up together.  It did mean that our route won't be quite as long as I thought it would be, but I can make that up somewhere, depends how well we are all together when I get to a certain place!  I kept that quiet, to myself!  No need to panic anyone just yet!

Once we got up the hill and back out of Marlings park road we ran along Chislehurst road towards the big roundabout and then turned right.  Time for the sweeties part of the run, a nice downhill section towards Crossways.  I was totally enjoying this part of the run and just chatting and having fun, I looked behind me and could see that my group was again splitting up a little too much so I sent the runners to wait by Crossways and then waiting for my Sweepers.  I looked at my Garmin and realise that actually we were about just under half a mile short, I didn't want to by group to feel they missed out so I asked K and Kath whether they could make the last hill going up, they said "fine, go for it".  I ran to the ones waiting by Crossways "My car is just there, so I might just go now" said of the runners "Oh, right, well that's good" I said just as the backers turned up, "So, we still got just a bit more to do" I said as I looked up towards the memorial hall "and then we are done!"  I finished!  Well, I think I saved them all from worrying about the last hill, because they really didn't have a clue that I was planning that!  But they all went ahead and did it, we got to the top and then turned right and then right again.  Another lovely little sweetie bit as we ran down to Crossways and then left towards the the rec.  All over and done with, smiling faces at the end is always a bonus.  I think they enjoyed it, including that last surprising hill!

Geeky stats.

Track Thursday - Solo? Never!

Hello readers.

So it's track day and my usual running buddies are doing stuff, either eating dinner or doing some sort of teacher work, even Shalini who was going to try track today had stuff to do. Naggy wasn't going, SnapperH wasn't going to go!  Usually I would have found some sort of excuse not to go too, but weirdly I was really looking forward to it.  I think the weather helps, it's quite a mild evening, so much warmer than other track sessions have been.  Also I had told Paula that I would be there too, she wanted to see what track was all about, so really no excuses and a real reason that I had to turn up, not matter what.

I got myself ready, got my money, got my water, I put my shoes on and I was out of the door.  I get to the car park in Normans park and realise I had actually left my water at home!  Oh well, it could have been worse, I could have left my money at home!  That would never do!  There were about 35 or so people there today, included Paula who didn't chicken out of it and Jill and Mick too, the ones that have recently got engaged, they were trying this track thing for the first time too.Auriol was there as well, apparently only because she knew I was going, just as well I didn't bail out either!  We were to do this Yasso session (I think that's what PhysioMikeTheMod said)  now for the life of me I can't recall what he said it meant, all I know is that it sounded like something I could do and really try hard at!

We had to run 4 lots of 800m, the faster ones were doing 4 lots of 800's with a 90 sec static recovery and the 4 lots of 200m.  You just know that the 200's are going to have to be fast!  I was looking forward to that!  Weird, so weird! Is this what it's like to have mojo firmly in place!  I don't know, it's been so long!  Let's not say no more, I don't want to frighten mojo away!  Of course there are the warm up drills to be done for us slow ones while the faster ones do warm up with PhysioMikeTheMod.  We had a special stand in for Jane this evening, everyone seems to know her.......it was me!  That's right, PMTM asked if I would stand in for Jane as she couldn't make it this evening!  I felt quite honoured really!  PMTM kept an eye on all of us though once he had got the faster ones started.

Once that was all done we walked over to the opposite corner from the faster runners which is going to be our start and finish, then we started our running!  I started off slower, still warming up, and then I tried to just push it a bit more, after all this is a training session!  Mike stood and watched us all as we did the first 800, me and Auriol came in behind everyone else.  He told us that we should do just 3 lots of 800 as it wants us to do all of the200 reps!  Of course, they are the faster reps, that's why he wants us to do those.  The 200's are only half a lap so we can really push out and got full out! Just seeing the end of the sprinty bit has a great psychological effect on me, I really want to do as best as I could.  After I did my last 800 I took my 90 second recovery and then just went for it, my body was totally warmed up I was hoping that I was doing faster than my usual parkrun.  I must try and look at how to do the recording for each lap on my Garmin. 

I finished the last of my 200 with Auriol with me, Paula and Gill were way in front of me!  Gill said that she really pushed out too hard on the fist 800 and found it hard.  So after that she used me and Auriol as pace makers, just keeping in between us, as she didn't want to not enjoy track.  But when those 200's came you could tell that she was warmed up too and when and did her own pace again.

It was a fantastic session, I really enjoyed it, I am totally sure that Paula, Gill and Mick enjoyed it too!  Our KevTwoBalls was there today, he wasn't running but he was there with his camera!  He is just practicing and experimenting, he kept a few, look!

Can you see me, far right in my white hat!  Doing stretches
after the run

Look at this lot, the faster runners!

I only ran for a couple of miles but it was fun, here's my geeky stats.

Club Run

Hello Blog Readers.

I was looking forward to my run this evening, only a few extra days left to get into my frock for the ball of the year, Kirsty's Ball, A Night To Remember.  I don't know if you know this, but I look after a very lovely young lady who has Cystic Fibrosis, she is 25 years old and would you believe she is the great niece of Max Bygraves!  Kirsty and her mum have been very busy behind the scenes doing all they can to make this ball a real night to remember.  They are raising money for three charities that are close to their hears, St Christopher's Hospice Young Adults, Bucket List Wishes and Cystic Fibrosis Trust.  It's going to be a glittering occasion, please click HERE to help them raise as much money as they can for these three worthy charities.  I promise I will put some pictures up of the occasion on Sunday!

So with that in mind, and with Sundays run still fresh in my mind, it really does make me think about just how fortunate I am that I can run.  Ok so it's not fast, but this Old Girl was never built for speed anyway, and it's definitely not graceful either.  I look and sound like an elephant on 50 fags a day, but I am out there, running, chatting, running!  I can do it through the grace of God!  Sometimes we really do need to count our blessings, be thankful for what we can do.

I was running in group 2 this evening, Ruth was leading.  There were 18 of us in the group, quite a number considering it's half term week!  Maybe that is the reason, everyone wanting to get out and run!  Naggy couldn't make it but Shalini could, I knocked at her house and then we went to collect GetYourLegsUpTracy.  A quick stop off  to J.J.'s and we went to the rec.  There really were quite a few people there, we were stood at the back of the crowd trying to listen to the routes.  I could here some of them, Nikki is always so clear and I deffo can hear her!  I must try and remember to project my voice next week, like she does!

Dispersion into our groups and then a count up.  We were all ready to go.  The lights went on and we moved to the path and started running.  We turned left out of the gate and then ran along to Manor Way, Ruth wasn't making us run the whole length of this road.  I offered to sweep as usual although we all shared in the sweeping, me, J.J. Ariol and GYLUT.

It seemed to be a nice gentle run in group 2, Ruth did say that she wasn't feeling a 100% so it won't be too fast.  I loved it, I was chatting away to who ever was at the back and just having a great time.  I love club runs, it's a social!  Thursday evening club runs are a completely different animal!  Those runs are the ones that you run hard!

I was feeling pretty good, even getting up the undulations seemed more pleasurable, I do like runs like this when it all just feels good!

So here's my geeky stats, looks a bit spooky, don't it!  It is spooky that I am feeling good running along undulations!  But I really did!

Why Run? Because We can!

Hello readers.

Well, I didn't know what sort of spin I was going to put on my blog today, I mean considering I need to blog yesterdays run to.  Do I go straight back into 'Normans Angels' persona or do I just blog and blah on on like I usually do.  And then sometimes the blog is just there!

So, let me blog on and get this done!  Normans Angels were not meeting up all together this weekend. but we did meet up at parkrun yesterday.  Naggy and SnappyH were doing more that parkrun miles, but were incorporating parkrun in their routes, so they took off earlier in the morning, met up on route, ran for a bit then turned up at parkrun to do that!  Then they scanned their barcodes and carried on running back home!  Me, well I had planned to take it easy as I knew I was running today with my club.

We all met up at the start line, on a lovely morning, it wasn't sunny but it felt quite mild out.  The RD, which was SingStarJo, gave out the usual info for everyone and then we all started to run.  It was good to see J.J. there and K, they have been mojo hunting for sometime now!  GetYourLegsUpTracy was with her daughter, putting her through her paces, and CarolWithAnE and RefMichael was there too, and a host of others!

Of course the faster runners just whizzed off in front and I just plodded along in the back chatting with J.J.  She realised on route that she hadn't brought her barcode with her!  It's so annoying when you do that isn't it! A wasted run she called it, I say it's a free, easy, no pressure run!  Anyway, it was done, we did it, we didn't stay indoors, wrapped up in our duvets, we got out and ran. We gathered at the end for a nice stretch and then we all walked towards the car park chatting as we do.  Some of us were talking about what we would be doing with the rest of the weekend, Alison was going to play rugby!  Rugby!  Apparently there were some of the players not there and they asked her to be part of the team!  She said she has never played it before, only watched her son play from the sidelines!  How crazy is that! Anyway, the morning was just perfect,  I ran, I got my results and had a fab day out with my hubby and grandson at Bluebell Railway!  My geeky stats for yesterday.

Train Run

And now to a lovely blog entry!  I don't know if you remember, a while back I did a Special Blog, all about how I came to be running and I was trying to get to write about another runner, well, she is such a fast running, pinning her down is blimmin hard, but I am still hoping that will happen!  So, here is another one who has an inspirational story!  It's amazing!

The second of the yearly train runs was today from Swanley, GetYourLegsUpTracy picked me up and we drove to St MaryCray Station.  There we met at least 30 other runners, it was going to be a brilliant run.  The sun was shining, the weather was just perfect, so much better than we have had in previous years!  When we were driving to the station we had passed a couple of the runners, DavidB and SingStarJo.  They looked like there were totally focused and having a great time running, so we didn't stop to offer them a lift!  

When we got there we met up with Alison and LouLou, CarolWithAnE and RefMichael, DiscoRich and IllustriousLeader, Ruth, Sherry, Petula and well, tons of them.  We were soon all with tickets and down on the platform waiting for the train.  Of course I got the obligatory team photo!  It's only one stop to Swanley, still time to get a couple of photos done though.

There were quite a few that got off at Swanley with a few more staying on the train to travel to Wrotham, they will be running around 17 miles back!  I'm not ready for that distance.....if ever!  Some of the ones that got off with us '6 Milers' were still going to be doing extra miles after getting back to St Marys Cray!

I took a picture of us all, but I did it on that pano thing and I can't get it to load on here!  but there are some other pictures that will be here a bit further on!

We started our running, of course I offered my services as sweep, as usual, I prefer being at the back, but I know soon I will have to get out of my comfort zone and get a move on!  At the back though it's always changing, even the faster runners come back to chat so it's a nice sociable place to be.  This is GYLUT's first Swanley run, I promised her llamas!  They had better be there, it was also Alisons first train run ever! 

I was chatting to Alison, I like to find out how they got into running and how they heard about us here in Petts Wood.  Oh my goodness!  What a story she has!  Alison has been with PWR for that long but she wanted to run with a club.  She said she used to run before, but you know how things get in the way.  Anyway, just about 3 years ago Alison had surgery.  

She had a cyst develop in her back, it grew larger and pushed the disc into her spinal cords, making her paralysed.  Alison said that it happened slowly over a couple of months, feeling stopping in her legs and toes.  The soon all her lower body, she said she couldn't even feel if she was going to the loo! It's a rare condition called Cauda Equina, Alisons symptoms happened over time.  When it was diagnosed the surgeon wanted to operated with 24 hours!  She said things moved quickly, too quickly because she couldn't have it done in one of the NHS hospitals due to the surgeon needing sleep between one patients surgery and hers. Oh no, it sounds so horrendous right? But Alison was transfered to a Harley Street hospital where the surgeon worked, so she was right there near the doctor.  The surgery happened as soon as the doctor was well rested, because it was going to take some time!

Alison continued, "When I came around from the anaesthetic the doctor asked me if I could move my leg" she was smiling now as she recalled the moment "He kept asking me to move my toes and I told him it was going to hurt me" and now the smile was even bigger "Then he said to me 'Just move your bloody toes Alison' and then I did, he just laughed and jumped up in the air as he looked at my toes wiggling"   Oh my goodness, can you imagine that, how that must have felt for Alison too!  She went on to tell me that within 24 hours they were getting her out of bed to start re-hab!  "I was on my feet, learning how to walk all over again, just small steps at first" she said as she demonstrated her first steps to recovery!  Let me tell you readers, I was tearing up!  What an amazing lady!  

Not only has she battled back from the Cauda Equina and learned to walk all over again, but she's here running for 6 miles back to the station for fun!  Not only that but she did parkrun yesterday and played rugby, a game she has never played before, which also included her getting a tri!  So, Alison from her on will now be known as AlisonTried! in rugby terms it mean she scored, or as the Americans call it in their football game, she scored a touchdown! I do believe her team won that tournament game as well!  Fecking amazing!  

We were talking afterwards and she says she loves running, she loves this club, the people make it!  PWR is a fantastic club, we are not all athletes, although we do have some pretty amazing fast ladies and gentlemen! We are not all tall and skinny runners, we really are a mixed bunch.  I recall a friend telling me that when he told someone that he was an ultra runner, the person looked at him and said 'you don't look like a runner!"  Let me tell you, if you see a cross section of our club you will be surprised at how many don't look like runners!  But we all do run! We get up early on the weekends and we do parkruns, train runs, cow and bean runs, we run for fun, for charity, for medals and for our club!  We are runners, with some amazing runners among us with some amazing stories too!  I promise I will get another story here soon!  Or maybe sooner than you think,  you see this couple in the middle, well, they have got engaged!  Well, not on this run, but just recently! 

The engaged couple!

Well, it really was a great run, loved it and more than anything I loved hearing AlisonTried's story!  Todays title, inspired by Alison, Why Run? Because we can, because we are able to, so why the feck not!

Here's some more pictures, oh and if you can see between the twigs, you might just see the geese and some Alpacas (they were not llamas by the way, well how was I to know,

they look the same)

  

There are two there, but the brown one
was easier to see!

just a small undulation!

Can you see the geese!

Gnomes!?  Um, totally random!

Club Run - Group 2

Hello readers

After having the most laziest of weekends, no running what so ever, it felt good to get out and do some running.  Of course if I am not leading in group 1 then I am running in group 2, simples.  This evening it was IllustriousLeader leading it, seems like old times! 

Some of our regualr crew were not running this evening, Naggy and GetYourlegsUpTracy, but it is good to have J.J. back and K and Shalini!  We were all in different groups though, I think J.J. K. and Kathy were all running in group 1 with Auriol leading, Shalini, having had a nasty fall a month ago was going to be running in group 3.  That's the logistics done, so no for the run its self.

I couldn't quite hear I.L. standing at the back of the group as we all listened to the leaders, there are just so many PWR's that turn up for a meet on a Tuesday, it's great to see!  But of course, it does mean that if you are late you will be at the back trying to listen to the routes. At least I knew which group I would be running in and of course where we gather, so as soon as everyone started to disperse to find their leaders I headed over to the group 2 spot.  LouLou and CarolWithAnE, Ruth and some people from group 1 were all there, I think there were 17 runners in I.L. group this evening, Not bad at all,  Of course I said I would sweep, but there were already were two sweepers so I kind of did some assisting sweeping.   Not quite at the back but definitely not in the front!  Anyway, lets start from the beginning.

While we were all getting counted and waiting for the groups to filter out of the gate I.L. again went over the route, that is where I heard......Tillingbourne Green!  Do I like Tillingbourne or what!  I would always say What! It's a challenge, I really need to challenge my self more, but, maybe just enjoy this run this evening.  It seemed perfect running weather, positively spring like, well it was this morning, the sun was shining, it really didn't cool down to much by the time this evening came.  I only had on 2 layers, I knew that as soon as I started running then one layer will be off pretty soon after.

The route we took was straight up Birchwood, the first of the hills!  Of course we are still all just warming up so we didn't bomb it up there, just a nice steady run to the top. We had followed up another group, I saw RefMichael in there so I presume it was group 3!  I was still recovering from running up the hill to notice anyone else in that group!

Once at the top we all turned right, crossed over the road and headed for Tillingbourne Green.  It's been a while since we been there, this really is a great challenge, but I failed it!  Let me tell you from when we got there.  As you know, once at Tillingbourne we have just a gather and then we start to run around the Green.  It begins with that short slope going up with the very long slope going down.  Now considering we have to run all the way around this green then you will realise that we have to again run back up to the start point.  It does look quite scary for some people that have never done hills before, or for mojo hunters like myself!  I am enjoying by running again, feeling good, not really pushing out hard.....too often.  But I need to get back to it.  Still, club runs are my fun runs with my running buddies, even though I am moving up and down the groups!

I.L. said that we could all do this loop at our own pace, just go do it and enjoy it at our own pace.  Once we all started you could see the faster runners and the slower runners in the group.  In every group there are the faster ones that are not quite ready to take that step up to the next group!  I know some of these guys here tho are deffo group 3 runners.  CWAE was way up front with some other people hot on her hills.  She was on fire, I was at the back with one of the runners who had moved up.  I was saying that she should take it at her own pace, maybe have a little stop after running down the hill and then along to where it started to go back up again.  Just to take a breather, but once there she just went straight up it!  Alison was not stopping for anybody, I think she just wanted to get it all over and done with.   Me, well, I kind of took it easy, it was more of a faster paced walk than a run!  But I still kept up the back runners so I think I was ok.

That hill done, a breather taken, Swanly Train run spoken about and we were ready to finish the rest of the run.  It was up another hill first!  But that was it, once that hill had been done it was virtually all flat.  We headed towards Willet Way, down that road there are four closes, for little roads where were were going to be running down and back up!  I usually say to the leaders who lead us down here that I would stay with the ones that didn't feel they wanted to do it, but this time I thought I would keep my mouth closed and my hands firmly by my side and just run them!  I am glad I did.  We did have one faller however, but he had a friend with him to run back to his car with, it was just as well because my hand is usually first up to opt out of the running and to walk back with an injured person!

At the end of Willet way there was Crossways, the end of our run!  I really enjoyed it today, the weather was just perfect, the company was perfect and the leader was perfect!  You gotta love PWR!

Here's my geeky stats.




 

Normans Angels - A New Team Member!

hello readers.

"Once upon a time there were three beautiful ladies who tried running by themselves. They were each assigned to look after people, a carer, teacher, NHS worker.  Running by themselves was tough but I took them all away from that and now they run for me. My name is Norman"

We must be really needed somewhere.  Somewhere, out there are people looking for help, looking to kick out the couch potatoes and bring in the mojo!  Norman, again had us out there on Saturday morning and on Sunday training like it could be the last training session ever!  

The Saturday session was tough, I really wasn't feeling the love for Norman that was sure, how could he expect us to be out there in the freezing cold, ice on the floor and expect us to run!  It wasn't going to be pretty!  I really didn't expect to see any of the civilians to be attending the training session either, who in their right mind goes running when there is ice all over the place. One of us was missing, SnappyH, apparantly Norman had a special assignment for her to do on Sunday, so he allowed her to be excused from this training session.

Naggy was going to be running though, as for me, I decided that I was going to be walking around the course instead.  Norman wanted me to go on to a special assignment straight after this training session, more about that later!  The training began and the crowd of civilians all moved together as one, but slowly, ever so slowly.  I head a shout from up the front of the crowd, it was from one the civilians that usually run on the Saturdays, his name is Andy, "Take care, run on the grass, it's less slippy" he was telling everyone.  Well that just made my mind up, I was going to be walking.  It just so happened that GetYourLegsUpTracy was going to be taking it ever so easy to, I was able to do a fast paced walk next to her as she jogged along, not going crazy today.  It was just as well I walked it really, because I just managed to 'save' a lady from getting 'crushed by the runners, I lead her to the saftey of the 'left side' of the path and also, at the top end of the park I found out the owner of a 'lost dog' who was busy just sniffing everything he could.....the dog was sniffing, not the dog owner I might add!

There were still so many people trying to run the whole course, I knew that would push on Naggy to keep the pace up, to push herself to as fast as she could in these conditions!   The training on Saturday was nothing to write home about, but getting out there and doing something I think is what Norman was after, I was quite pleased that I had gone out, but I was also so very pleased I didn't run, I didn't get all hot and sweaty!  Why, well I will tell you.  Norman had this special assignment for me, well, when I say me, there were quite a few other 'Angels' that were all doing this special assignment.  It was to 'suffer' for two hours in a freezer style building.  I looks like an ordinary green garden shed, sitting inconspicuously in the Normans Running Track grounds!  It was amazing to see how many Angels there are, some were new, some had been Angels for quite some time!  And there was me thing there were only the three of us!  But what we did in that 'Freezer' situation was to discuss how we were all helping to keep the mojo going of all the runners that turn up on a Tuesday evening at Willet Rec!  Brilliant!  It's good to see so many of us, all sharing the information!  I wonder if Norman was there?

Of course my stats for that parkrun will reflect the fact that I had walked the whole way!  Well, actually I had about 5 minutes of running, only in a couple of places, just to get warm!  

Sundays training session, I was only expecting the two of us to be there, as SnappyH was doing thisCarolWithAnE.  When did Norman recruit her, has sheen seen him?  But there she was all ready to do a Sunday Training with us. 

special assignment in London, among thousands of people!  Such a brave thing to do.  I wonder if Norman would be among them keeping an eye on how she is doing!  It wasn't just the two of us though, we have a new recruit to the team of Normans Angels, it was

She was already at the park, me and Naggy pulled up alongside her car and we all acknowledged each other with a nod.  We got out of the car and greeted each other with a hug.  That's right, Norman has chosen one of our other friends to be a new Angel.  "So is this a nice little leisurely chat run" she said with a huge smile on her face!  I wondered then if Norman had briefed her properly!  "Oh no" I said to her with a laugh, "there will be no talking, not until the end!"  Naggy just smiled as we all synchronised our watches,gadgets an gizmo's.  

We all started to run together, of course Naggy with her special talent of speed and stamina started to pull away almost immediately.  I thought then that Norman has stepped up our training.  I knew from past running expeditions, Naggy and CarolWithAnE had ran together, staying at a steady pace, faster than what I can do.  Maybe that's where Norman had seen them and thought they would work well together.  Even so, Naggy pulled away from CaroleWithAnE as well.  Her training was to catch Naggy, Naggy was to catch me and mine.....mine was to stay uncaught!  Looking at the way Naggy was pulling away she was out to impress, so I just better be on top form too.

It was lucky that the snow and ice from the day before had all melted.  They day was a complete opposite from the day before.  The sky was such a beautiful blue, there was hardly any wind and it it felt positively spring like compared to the day before.  I thought of SnappyH on her special mission in London, surely Norman couldn't be in two places at once.  I wondered how he would be keeping an eye on all of us.  I looked around for hidden cameras, maybe he was watching from a nice warm cosy office.  Or maybe one of these civilians was Norman.  I couldn't recognise any of them from the previous weeks, maybe that is part of the training, to make sure that we can recognise and take note of all the people around us!  

All of this was going through my mind and I noticed that CarolWithAnE was up in front of me!  She has suddenly realised what Sunday Training is all about!  And now the chase was on......I think that is from a different show!  The first lap of Normans Park was done and there was no catching of CarolWithAnE, I don't think she was any near Naggy either!  This really is going to be a great test.  There seemed to be more families out too.  They seemed to be 'getting in the way' even more than usual.  There seemed to be more little people on bikes than ever, things really have stepped up.  But when I think of the assignment that is planned for us on the 2nd of March I can understand why Norman only wants the best of the best there!  

Lap 2 done, and my gizmo in my ear was telling me that I was in TE 4.  That's the first time I have been up there since I got my new Jabra gizmo, surely Naggy will have a hard time catching me this session.  I was feeling quite confident that I will be able to get 'home' before she does get to me.  I was also confident that I wouldn't be catching CarolWithAnE either!  Still, we got to look at the positives, I will get back without getting caught!

With my third lap well under way I took a sneaky peak behind me, up ahead and to the other side of the park to see if I could see the other angels, I couldn't, which means that I have to keep on pushing hard so as not to get caught!  It really was a perfect winters running day, the sun was shining, no rain, always a bonus, and just seeing blue sky makes you feel good.

The third lap all done, I ran around the last couple of hundred meters, keeping an eye behind me, I felt sure that Naggy would be closing in on me.  CarolWithAnE had finished and was walking it out towards me.  She already got home so she was 'safe'  and now I had to get home!  All the while I just kept thinking she was going to get me! A last minute ditch with little people on bikes and with a pooch, almost tripping me up and I was home! 

I did it.....again......I was pleased with that.  Next week, well next week we up the anti, I am on four miles!  Lets see how that goes!

Geeky stats.

Look at those stats! Did I
work hard or what!

Track Thursday - Just The Ticket!

Hello readers,

Its Thursday which means track, the weather is dry, not as cold as it has been. There is no parents evening, no OFSTED and no worky things keeping us from doing track! It's been a pretty emotional time and I was looking forward to getting out there and doing as much as I could.  Sometimes you just have to look at yourself and think that at least you can get out there and do these things!  A good run always helps to get your sense of balance back, get you ready for the next day!

So what did PhysioMikeTheMod have planned for us this evening.  It's all about the marathon Training at the moment, although I am only doing half a marathon!  I need to start putting in the effort now, its only about 8 weeks away or something like that!  No room for slacking now!  Track, Normans Angels Training, club runs and any other form of exercise I can cram in between now and then is all good.  The session was three lots of 1 mile laps, thats 4 times around the track with a 400 jog recovery!  Sounds a lot doesn't it, well fortunately that session was for the faster ones, me and the other 27 minute and more parkrunners were doing 3 x 1200's with a 90 sec recovery!  I was determined to do as much as I can before the end of the session finished.  There is no getting away with it, I am slower than most........no, no........than all the others on the track.  But I don't let it bother me, how can I.  When all I get from all the faster runners all just keep encouraging me to do my best!  I love it!  And it does make me want to just keep on keeping on!

There was the warm ups to do with Jane first, always a nice time to have a chat with everyone, look at Joanne running around in her duvet!  Then we walked or jogged over to our starting point, the opposite corner to where the faster runners will be starting.  Then it begins, of course I have all my gadgets with me, with just the one ear bud in of course, just to hear Jabra lady telling me all the geeky stats, so that I know whether to pick up the pace a bit or not.  I could check out on the timing thingys that PMTM puts out for us to calculate our 90 secs recovery, but I am not that good a mental arithmetic, I can just about calculate to 90 secs recovery.

So three laps started, me messing with my gadgets to get them started, it was just as well, because usually I try and fly off with the fast runners, burn out at the first 200m and then struggle with the rest of the session.  So by the time I had my Jabra lady telling me that I needed to adjust the left ear bud to detect heart beat the others had already pulled at least 50 to 100 meters in front of me, I can use meters instead of feet only because of the track markings,  makes me look current! Ok, maybe not!   But is does look as if I am more professional!  So there I was playing catch up, although I knew I wouldn't be catching anyone up at track.  But I had to try. 

The first lap done and I started the second, from there I had this blimmin annoying stitch.  It would not leave me for the next two laps!  I was hoping it would go after the 90 sec rest. The third lap I still had the stitch and I tried to stretch it out while running, always looks weird, running with your arm up, ballet style!  It didn't shift it!  By the time the 90 secs rest had come I had kind of got used to it being there.

When I started the second of the reps, (Jane came me the option of only doing 2) the stitch had all but gone.  So there was no doing only two laps, not yet, there and that's that, I have a half to get ready for!  On the second lap the stitch came back, 'Sod it, I am just going to have to run with it' I thought to myself.  I blamed the tasty chicken and bacon baguette I had for lunch.  I don't usually do a lot of bread but I really fancied it!  So that got the blame for my stitch.  I completed the second set of three laps, I think everybody else were on the second lap of the last rep!  So for my last rep I decided I would only do two laps, then if I had time to do the last 800m jog recovery I would do that too, but as it happened I only had time to do 600m! 

So, not too bad, I did more that I usually do when I attend track, usually I am all for taking the shorter session.....yes I know I did a shorter session this time, but I am working on that!  Got to try, try and try again! 

Geeky stats for you.

Club Run - Move Up Week In Group 2

Hello readers.

I am a couple of blogs behind, but for now I shall just write about my run today, only because it's still very fresh in my memory, well it would be really as it was only a couple of hours ago!

There were a few of us missing from club run tonight, I think everyone's mojo has left them, maybe it's mojo hibernation season or something, but I think we all should be kicking ass and getting out there to find it!  Naggy was somewhere, unless I pick my phone up and look at where she said she was I can't remember, and SnappyH was busy with worky things!  J.J., well, she needed at the moment.  Wendimoo, K, well, I think they are desperately looking for mojo too! 

This week I wasn't leading, I was running in group 2.  I was running a tad late too, I bet GetYourLegsUpTracy was thinking I had changed my mind about going.  Thankfully she was ready when I turned up and we drove to the rec.  I dropped GYLUT off at the gate while I went to park the car. By the time I had got to the park they had already started their leaders speeches to let everyone know where they were going.  I knew I was going to be running with group 2 but as I was at the back of all the club members I couldn't quite hear who was leading and where we were going. 

As soon as everyone started to move towards their leaders I moved over to where group 2 usually meet and found out that it was HannahH leading, not only that by IllustriousLeader was also running in group 2 as well!  Lovely!

I decided to be sweeper again, I am not quite ready to move into the middle of the pack just yet, when I do I will keep my hand down when it comes to volunteering for sweeper duties!  IllustriousLeader also was sweeper too!  As it was move up Tuesday we had a group 1 with us as well.  The only one so far, but I know there are a couple of others that are ready to move up to group 2.  I am sure the leaders will be encouraging them to move on up!  The route that HH had planned was a lovely route, perfect for a move up week, just a very slight slope in Beaumont road to get up, but it's such a long road you hardly notice it! 

We were all keeping together really well, with hardly any gap between us at the back the leader.  We had just the right amount of stops too.  I was really enjoying the running,  I even got a bit warm and had to remove a layer!  It is quite a nice evening really, perfect for winter running too!  Not like last week when we were running through rain and snow! 

On the last leg of the run, the road with a thousand names, well actually it only changes 3 times.  It starts out as Woodland Way, then it changes into Great Thrift with a change a bit further on to Hazlemere and then only last change into Birchwood Road, but we cut down Crossways before we actually run on to that bit of the road!  Thankfully we were running this in the 'nice direction'  from Woodland way,  we have the long hill to run down and the shorter hill to run, always a bonus!  I was running with our mover upper Alison giving her just a little bit of support as we ran this last bit of the route.  We finished the run with hardly a gap between us all, a brilliant run.  I think my mojo is getting back to me, just got to build up, I have a race to look forward to!

Here's my geeky stats for todays run.