So this evening, I really, really needed a run! The weather had been horrendous all day long, I had been to a funeral and generally feeling just meh! And you know, sometimes you just need to get out to run, whether it's a nice slow steady one, a solo run, a race that you booked, or like today, club run. I am so glad I have my club to go to, mates to nag me to go running, AND mates to say, "Oi, go in group 3!" I was so glad that the weather did change, the sky cleared up, there stars up there! Yup, I really need a run!
Yup, that's right, I ran in group 3. I think I vaguely remember saying to Naggy last week after quite a fast group 2 run, that when RefMichael is leading only then would I try group 3. Well, he was leading today! Sometimes, in fact a lot of times, I should learn to keep my mouth shut! I was a bit apprehensive, I just didn't know how I would do, if I would slow the pace down, how I would feel if I had to keep them waiting for me at catch up points or indeed if they all get a bit miffed at waiting for me. It was all very worrying to me! It felt like the old days, the days when I first started with Petts Wood Runners. I was always apologising for being slow. IllustriousLeader always saying 'It's fine, you're doing well". Yup this is going to be tough, but sometimes you need to push yourself, just to see if you can! And generally, you can, you can do it, I can do it, I did do it! Oh, by the way, no one was upset with me for making them wait! Phew!
RefMichael had a route planned, thankfully it was one that I knew well. I knew all the little undulations, the ups and downs. I knew them because they are part of my group 1 and 2 routes! RefMichael was squishing 2 routes into one making it a group 1 distance!
We head out of the rec and turned left and at the end of the road turned left again. We were going along Hazelmere and Great Thrift, all the way to Petts Wood memorial. Running this way along Hazelmere is the hardest way to go, it's just as well its at the beginning of our run, mind you, I can't see how you would run up this way at the end of a run! I offered to be sweep, well, it was obvious I was going to be at the back anyway so I might as well make myself useful! It was just as well though. Let me tell you something, just between you and me, running is not glamorous, you don't look like a supermodel and, for me, I don't sound like one either! I should not eat bread on a Tuesday!, lets say no more about it!
We ran all the way non stop, (of course, it is group 3) but being at the back I could take some sneaking walking sections up the undulations! So this is where the first guilt feeling started. "Maybe I should have stayed with group 2, I am not ready for group 3, get comfortable with group 2, make it look easy first before moving up to the next group" were all the thoughts going through my head as I looked at all the runners a head of me. But I continued, I even though that if I saw group 1 or 2 on the way round I would join in with them, admit defeat! But I continued. At the top of the hill by the memorial hall we took a break, the first one. My eyes filled up, I stifled a sob, and sucked it up! It has been a hard couple of days! I am just glad that I can go running, run it out, feel good!
RefMichael asked how I was doing, I gave him a thumbs and I sure I gave him a smile too! We then ran over the bridge, to go on the not so posh side of Petts Wood. We ran all the way around Crest View to Southborough Lane and took another break. This is where RefMichael said that we had finally reached the highest point, meaning no more undulations. I think he forgot that I know where he's going. There is another undulations, and for me, that undulation is going to feel like a mountain! It's Shepperton road, the first half is great, but going up it to the main road is going to hurt.
We ran along Crescent Drive to the beginning of Shepperton, had a quick catch up stop before we headed down. RefMichael had a bit of a recruitment speech here to see if any of them would like to come along and help out at our beginners course at anytime for these next few weeks. When he asked for a show of hands about how many had come up through the ranks of the beginners there quiet a few going up! I felt quite proud actually, our beginners group does work a treat! But because we had a bit of a longer break there he then said that we would be stopping at the off-license, which is further along the road! What a task master he has become! RefMichael, from student to leader! Only joking, honest, but my goodness it felt a long way. What I did find though, was running up Shepperton didn't feel as hard as I thought it would do!
After that it really was the last few roads, we were on our way back. Now, either they were slowing down a bit or I was managing to keep up with them just a bit more as we ran along Beaumont. We crossed over the road on to St Johns and ran towards Tudor way. So nearly back, just got to run all the down Tu........ What..? No, RefMichael didn't take us down Tudor way, we turned left to go to the Fairway and then along Woodland Way again, till we got to Towncourt, a short run along then to Kingsways and then a left all the way to the finish at the rec!
Marvelous, I even had a bit of a sprint along Crossways, Littleton was with me at the back but I kind of left him behind! I really didn't think I had it in me to have that last bit of sprint left, it kind of surprised me as I ran along to the gate! Blimmin pity my Garmin ran out of juice! I thought I had ran out of battery along the fairway, but it actually ran out of juice at the bridge! Oh well! Hopefully one of the other runners has strava! I can see how we did on that one!
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