On A Run And A Prayer!

 Hell blog readers.

Sometimes you do need to go out and just run.  At the moment that is one thing that I am really struggling with, getting out to run just for me!  You just know that a good run can clear your mind, just for a while.  But having a running club and all my running buddies and responsibilities in that club is such a great way of getting out there and doing it.  I lead so I run, simple!  At the moment we are in the middle of the beginners week, during this half term I have been able to do some running with Pat and Paul, my friends, who have being doing this years course.  Their homework is to do what they did the  Saturday just gone, the brisk walking, the drills and then the running of 6 minutes run, 2 minutes walking, times that 4 times!  It's a lot easier to lead the running in an enclosed space like Willet Rec, because there I can, slow down, go in the opposite direction and just take it a little bit easier than everyone else.  Running on a route with Pat and Paul, well, there is no hiding, no going in the opposite direction either.  

But I really do need it.  These past two weeks I have been watching a friend of mine slowly hit rock bottom.  Drinking and depression has taken her to the darkest place of her mind and I am absolutely helpless to stop her going there. Over the years I have watch her battle with her addiction.  I can't imagine having to live it or with someone who has an addiction and depression.  When all the things I have tried have failed to help my friend come to terms with it I just get angry.  Angry at her, angry at myself.  I felt I was doing more harm than good!  Mental health and addiction doesn't just affect the person going through it, it affects their partners and their children.  It also affects their friends.  I have come close to completely turning my back on my friend, just because she refused help that was given to her, time and time again!  But, I can't and won't do that, it's just not in me, too bloody soft! But fortunately I have had a group of friends that I can unload on too, to pray with and share with.  I pray that my friend gets the help, now that her partner has reached out as a last resort, maybe now is the time! 

Hopefully we will go running again, it's what helps me, even though I struggle to get out of the door, when I've done it I feel good again.  Lets see what each day brings, with lots of prayers for everyone I am sure this will come to a conclusion soon.

 Geeky stats, I have no idea why it's not coming up as it used to, my blog page has changed format (I quite like the old one) but since then it only gives the web address.  So copy and paste and I am sure you will see our run this evening.

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/5700484726' title='Bromley Running' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

Beginners to Homework

 Hello readers

Saturday was a good day!  It wasn't raining!  We had our beginners class, we have lost some of them, sometimes life just gets in the way! It's a huge commitment and one that you really have to try and build into you daily or weekly schedules.  For instance, Tuesday evenings are known as Run Club nights, Saturdays are or were parkrun days, or as they are for most runners notaparkrun day!  At them moment my Saturdays are Beginners days!  

I really so enjoy doing the beginners course.  It inspires me all the time, it helps me to just keep on putting one foot in front of the other.  Watching all the smiling faces.....ok its usually at the end of the running, but still its brilliant.  And it does me a whole world of good too!

So that brings us today.  I really needed to get out at run, but at the moment I am in the 'if no one needs me then I'll sit and watch tv.' kind of mood.  Thankfully Pat and Paul had asked me to come with them at do their homework with them.  I jumped at the chance!  Just to get out, breath in some fresh air and think about nothing but running was just what I needed.  My watch is already set up for the 6 minutes of running and 2 minutes walking, but before we did that, we walked briskly for a few minutes did some drills....blimey that bit puffed me out!  And then we started our running.  Oh my goodness, that felt good.  Just to run in Gods own beautiful creation, the cool afternoon air, the tress still green with leaves, no cars about, just fresh air!  Yup, I needed that!

We did the homework, Pat and Paul did really well indeed.  I did a couple of walking bits when I should have been running!  But it was really what I needed!  I felt so much better afterwards

So here is mine or I should say, our geeky stats.

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/5700484726' title='Bromley Running' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

Club Running

 Hello blog readers.

Well, it has been quite a while!  Every time I run I keep saying "I need to write about this"  But anyway, I have been running.  Some solo's and some not.  

The beginners course has started up again, albeit in a different format!  There are now 3 leaders leading at the same time!  Confusing? No not really, we all have a group of runners and we have split the park, each of us has a bit of the park where we take our group of beginners.  Mind you, last Saturday it was absolutely dreadful weather and we had to cancel!  That's a first in a long while! We have around 25 ish people that have joined in the course this time, so not too bad.  I shall let you know how it all goes.

There has been some solo running, some good, some ok is, but as I said to myself (yes, I still talk to myself) "No run is a bad run, it's just good to get out!"  

So thats kind of what I have been doing in the shortest, briefest discriptions that I could have ever done.....ever! 

Which brings us to yesterdays running.  It was a club run.  We have this system where we have extra leaders on most groups to accomodate as many runners as we can.  We have a booking system so that you can book on with your leader, there is a choice of two times, 19:00 or 19:15,  so that we have a staggered start and finish.  It works as well as we can, it means that we can have at least 12 members from each group going out running in two groups per group!  Makes perfect sense, eh?

We didn't need two leaders for my group 1 last night as there was only 3 of us!  Robbie and Angela were running with me and thankfully(?0 both of them said they were totally unfit.  Although Angela was probably the fittest of us all!  This Covid shit really has affected people, whether physically, actually getting it, or just with the whole lockdown, isolating, shielding and just down right feeling scared to go out!  Of course when people do get back out to it, it's when you notice that fitness levels have dropped a bit.  But they best way to deal with that is to just embrace it! So you can't run as fast, so you can't run at all, so you're breathing is all over the place, so (in my case) my rolls of fat look like the mitchelin man!  Let's just embrace it!  Get back to it when we can, do as much as we can and don't beat ourselves up if we can't do it or we are slower!  It don't matter. I am speaking to myself just as much as everyone else too!  The fact that we are still willing and able to do it is a huge blessing, especially the willing bit!  Oh my goodness, the willing bit is the most important bit, in my opinion!  If there is a willing there will be a way!  If you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then exercise at home!  If there is a will then there will be a way!

Oh blimey, don't I go on!  That was just a pre-amble to say that our run yesterday wasn't the fastest that we have every been but my word it feels good(???) Can you actually say that it feels good to have your lungs leave your body and walk home, your legs saying 'stuff you I'm just staying here, all stiff and not moving" then yes you can say it feels good!  Just because we did it!

So, short and brief blog!  Is this the new me!  Who knows!

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/5641377980' title='Club run (Leading)' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>