Christmas 2021! It Can Only Get Better

 Hello blog readers.

I can't believe how long it's been since my last blog!  I am imagining (I won't say I will be making!) my new years resolution!  Put it this way, if I'm blogging then I've run!  So, here's to loads more blogs for you all!.....hopefully!

So a lot happened between the last blog and now, of course I was leading group one on the Tuesdays, also my daughter came over from America to see me just in time for my birthday!  We had a fabulous afternoon tea at a very special place called Sketch.  It's the most quirkiest place that I have ever been too, let alone the most expensive place I have every been too! But I thoroughly enjoyed my champagne afternoon tea!

From that weekend, 26th November on, I caught a cold!  It has gone on for ages, I missed a few club runs, #SecretLondonRuns Christmas Lights run, one that I was so looking forward to going to for quite a while!  Pat had asked if I was going, I had said yes, so she put her name down.  We were going to be traveling together!  Both of us dressed up looking ridiculous!  Two of us could get away with it!  But it was a big fat no for me!  Pat had to travel by herself, on the train. I had hoped she would meet some of the others on the train station!  But she said she travelled alone!  Dressed like a Christmas tree, complete with Lights!  Oh I wished I was a fly on the wall at Pettswood Station! Bloody cold,  I had time of work too, I was floored!  It was that bad, I was testing every day with the lft's just in case it turned out to be the dread 'rona!  Fortunately it wasn't,  a PCR test assured me of that!  But since I have been back running I have been really struggling.  Coughing and spluttering my way around our 5k courses.  I kept reassuring everyone that I was 'COVID' free! I am just left with this awful cough!  It is getting better though.

So the high lights of all the runs that I have done since 10th November has to be....well it's the last two runs.  The Woo Woo run and this mornings 'earlier than usual' Club run. Let me tell you about the Woo Woo run.

It's become a bit of a tradition now, the last Tuesday before the Christmas Big day is a Woo Woo run.  I usually get a few defectors from other groups too, and this year was no different.  RefMichael joined me, Nigel joined me (well he had actually had a sore foot but wanted to test it out!)  Not only that his wife Auriol who was booked into another group also came and joined in with us!  Our usual group was with us, J.J., CarolWithAnE, Dee, SweeperRob and his Mrs Karen!  Our Mat was there too!  We also had a newbie join us for their first ever run!  What a run to join in, Collen from our latest Autumn beginners group joined our happy band of PWR's.  Pat from the Spring beginners group joined in our woo woo run, as well as Marius, it was their first Woo woo run too, fortunately for me.....Pat chose to be designated driver, woo woo! Double woo woo time for me!

We met up at the usual place, usual time but we just looked a little different, a bit more colourful!  Quite a few of us remembered to bring along some hydration too........well, a little something warming in a hip flask!  I brought along my mate Jack Daniels!  We then headed for the streets to do our woo woo run.  Woo Woo here has two meanings, when you think about it.  Firstly it started off on our very first run with the added luxury of hip flasks, the more we got into the run the more 'warming' we felt, the more appreciative of the Christmas Lights we became and we gave a 'Wooo' when we ran past and so the Woo Woo run was born.

St Georges Road in Petts Wood never disappoints and we actually did that road twice, we ran one way on the way out and then opposite direction when we ran back.  They really do go all the way with their lights.  It was even featured on this morning when they did the weather forecast from the street! Here is some pictures from that run.

Sugarbum fairy, captured
by Kev Howarth photography

The gang!

A selfie with the gang

Todays run was completely different.  There were only two of us for a start, Tara, KevTwoBalls Mrs, was my running partner.  She was on fire at parkrun last Saturday, smashing 25 seconds of her PB.  And yet, she was running with me this morning!  I am glad she did, otherwise I would have been by myself.....or encouraged to join group 2!   I decided to do Tillingbourne Green, at least Tara can have a good workout as I am going to be a little slow....ok a lot slow!  Probably not going to be sounding to healthy either.  Running always make me cough anyway, but with the added, well established cough already in place.  It was then that Tara said she was looking forward to a slower paced run anyway, as she went eyeballs out on Saturday.  

We also had a slightly added pressure of the newly introduced group 0, the injured walkers group, saying to us "We are going to try and keep you in our sights, follow you on your route!"  I had already told Viral that I was going to be doing a 3 mile route.  Everybody started off together, and I mean everybody! Out of the gate, groups around 13 groups of runners exited. Some had just a few runners, others had at least 8-10 in there.  I should have taken a photo. Another thing not to put on my non existing new years resolution list, take more photos!  

The first road of course is flat, is Crossways, but we turn right and that's the hill!  Half way up this hill I turned to see how far the walking group was behind us and I saw them!  It was an incentive to try and put some more space between us! I think en-route I turned around a couple of more times and only saw them once more!  I was so pleased!  It's the little things isn't it!

Once we got around the green, Tara running up that steepest part of the hill, we ran up the short hill to the main road.  A little walking break and then running along to the roundabout!  We crossed over and ran down Petts Wood Road towards the park where we start from. There was still with no sign of Group 0!   I was feeling pretty knackered by this time, I was coughing a bit, my chest felt a little tight!  But I wanted to finish this run, I wanted also to make sure it was 3 miles! That meant running up to the memorial hall!  More hills! The last one!  Once we were at the top we turned right and made our way to the nice little down hill of Kingsway and then a left turn towards the park!  

A lovely run, even if we were not the greatest of adverts for running, both of us were coughing!  But a most enjoyable run. 

So from the highlights of these last two months to the lows of these last couple of weeks. That is, both my daughters with Covid, one son in law with covid, two grandchildren with covid, two nieces with covid and one brother with covid!  The rotten cherry on top is that my car broke down on Christmas day just as I was delivering the kids  presents to them!  COVID you can go do one!

Having no car will make things awkward for getting to club runs at 7 pm on Tuesdays!  I may have to miss quite a few of them until I get myself a new car! I am absolutely gutted!  There are a few things that could work at them moment that will allow me to get to club on time, but we shall just have to wait and see how it all works out with the first week going to work using public transport......or my bike!  If I use my bike it can only mean that I will get fitter, silver linings!  Also walking back home after work in the mornings means more steps for me!  Think positive!

This is me in my cosy hoody, a

Christmas present. Perfect for warming

up after a run!

My new shoes, another present this Christmas!

Have a great new year every one!   Look for the positive in everything next year!  They are there...somewhere!

Getting There!

 Hello Blog Readers

How you all been.  I've been better! Thankfully not ill, just recovering from surgery.  I had a procedure done on my tear duct last month on the 26th October.  Blimey, it didn't 'arf  'urt!  I had the same procedure done years and years ago, on my other eye, I am pretty sure it didn't hurt as much as this time did.  Back then, after I came out of the hospital, I popped to the pub before going home!  Mind you, that was then and this is now, things were a little different. Back then I had an overnight stay in hospital.  This time round I was in and out on the same day, conveyor belt style!  Did that make the difference, who knows, could it be that I am older, and things take a lot longer to heal!  Probably!  Anyway, I missed several running sessions which I am not happy about!

I went along to the beginners on Saturday, but my face was still pretty sore, achy and bruised,  having my glasses on my nose is quite painful, so I just went along for support and took my camera (read that as phone).  It was the first time this group would be running up the hill.....well, sort of.....they tried to do it the week before but the weather was just too horrendous so it was abandoned!  We have quite a few of our runners left from when we started this autumns session, and we had quite a few PWR's to help run along with our runners too, to encourage them, especially up that cheeky little 'bump' they have to run up!  Here, this is some of our beginners in action.

So fast I almost
missed!

So, yesterday, was the first time I have tried running since the surgery.  Goodness knows how I was going to feel.  Mentally I was ready, oh I was so ready!  I just didn't want to wait another week without running.  Being in the lower running group, I feel that I might just lose fitness.  When the other groups have time out, they can still get to run club and maybe run in a slower group, but us in the lower group, we have to challenge ourselves when we have 'time out'.  I guess the best thing really is to just pull my finger out and start to try and move up the groups!  We'll see!

There were only six of us in group 1 yesterday, quite a pleasant evening too.  It wasn't freezing cold, or raining and Crofton school were having their fireworks do! Perfect running conditions for me really, well I think the fireworks are maybe a bit over the top for my return, but hey 😉  Nice low numbers, so we are not going to be stretch out too far from each other, not good when I guessed I would probably be leading from the back! Not to cold that I am not going to enjoy it, it really was just perfect conditions.  I had planned to do our 'easy' route but do it the opposite way round, just so that we could keep the fireworks in our view, maybe, just maybe get to the school while they are still going off!

SweeperRob said it was more challenging going the opposite way round, which everybody quickly said yes!  I hadn't really thought about,  I was beginning to waiver and say 'ok, lets go the usual way around' but they all chimed in and said I should stick with my plan, as they really only just having a little moan, I said at "least we will have the downhill and the end, which is always good" , so we stuck with the original plan.

The fireworks started almost as soon as we left the rec, I was thinking to myself then that maybe we would not make it to the school for the grand finale, but you never know, I could surprise myself, right?  That first hundred yards or so my legs started to feel like lead weights!  I could just 'feel' the messages they would be sending to my brain:- 

Legs :"Hey, um brain, what do you think you are doing, I thought we had stopped with all this nonsense?"

Brain: "No, don't be daft legs, I was just resting up old face ache up there, you know, trying to heal the bruises before she frightens any more kids"

Legs: "Well, I would rather not, if you don't mind, I was enjoying sitting crossed leg watching telly"

Brain: "Just get on with it, I'll speak to you later"

That was it, brain switched off signals to legs and legs just had to get going!  It didn't help that running was not doing my head any good, and I don't mean the mind, I mean my head, my glasses were hurting my nose and I kept trying to push my glasses further back but then that hurt the scar and the scab! But there was one thing that didn't hurt, that was my mind! Mind was having a blast, Mind was having a conversation all by herself

Mind: "Oh this is so good, oh look pretty sparkles"

Brain: 

Mind: "oh it's soo good to be back running with these guys again, oh wow, that was a big one"

Brain:

Mind "What route should I do next week, oohhh wow that one was sooo loud!"

My brain really wasn't taking any notice of tired legs, of hurting noses, my brain just let my mind take over and enjoy my run.  Yes I was slow, and yes I was leading from the back again, but I was feeling really good.  It's amazing how just a couple of weeks off from running and you are just gagging to get back to it!  I like routine, I don't like missing things, I like leading, it's a great discipline for me to be there!

So yes, there it is,  my ramblings for today, weird ramblings, but hey ho! Enjoy!

Petts Wood 10k 2021

 Hello blog readers.

No.2 look at that!

It has been a week and a bit now since I did the PWR 10k  I bet you have all been wondering if I am ever going to talk about it!  Well I am, as you can see!

I am sure I have mentioned before that the only other time I ran this race was 11 years ago, on the 10/10/10 at 10:10 am!  That was the official gun time!  It must have been a very lucky year for me, because that is where I found out about Petts Wood Runners!  An amazing club, I was so excited back then, to be doing my first ever 10 k race.  I loved it so much I decided that I wanted to be a part of this fantastic club.    

If you want to read about my first experience than you can click here and it should take you to it.

So, on to this years PWR 10K.  I woke up feeling excited and a little anxious.  Due to the pandemic and me not doing so much exercising last year my weight piled on.  I am having trouble shifting it!  Running is a lot harder work than it was way back then.  But I know the route, I know the hills, I know those woods, but best of all, I know the marshals!  They were the ones that got me through the race last Sunday, on the 10th of the 10th....how much of a coincidence is that.  If I had been racing the year before the date would have been the 11th of the 10th!  

No getting up too early, I wasn't needed at the rec to organise the toilet queue, hand out bananas or medals.  I was one of the runners.  I put my bag in the bag drop and then went to find Auriol who also had a place in the 10k. On the way, I bumped into our very own gorilla family, Woody and Woodina and child!  I'm not sure if we know what the baby gorilla is called?

Our tail walkers are always superstars, this year they were also...super heros!

Ali G also graced us with his presence,
"Big up to der PRW Massive, dey iz the wickedest"
"Its PWR Ali"
"What eva" 

I eventually found Auriol, or at least she found me.  We moved forward in to the front of the last pen and found Charlie.  All of us were pretty excited to be there.  The nerves started to get to me just a little as I thought about the my first time.  Will I totally embarrass my self by not finishing, getting nearer the 2 hour mark? As sure as heck I knew I wasn't going to get near my first time!  After all, I am 11 years older as well!  I think I have covered all the excuses and perfectly reasonable reasons regarding my time this year...unless you can think of anything I have left!

Even the Orpies love our run!

As you can imagine the smile on my face was from ear to ear.  I was trying to go over the route in my head, the bits where I knew I was going to struggle, how I was going to deal with that struggle, by the way, I had no strategies whatsoever in dealing with the hard bits apart from just getting my well rounded arse up there!  The time came, the first wave started off.  We are still in covid mode, so gun time and actual time for me will be somewhat of a spread!  Every few minutes I head the cheer as the three waves in front of me started off. Then it was our turn, the fun runners, the 'I am so blimmin happy I can run' runners. The runners who are just so amazed that they are doing a 10k runners!  No agenda but to get around, enjoy the scenery, enjoy the cheers from the crowds.  

I heard my name being called out quite a few times as I went over the mats as well as  'beep, beep, beep, beep" as each of the runners tag started their own personal time.  I couldn't think about my time, I just wanted to get out there and experience one of the best races I have done.  We did a loop of the park and then out on to Towncourt Lane, I wasn't quite sure if we would be going left or right so I was really pleased when we started  heading towards J.J.'s house.  She was out there on the road with her little cheerers cheering us on!  Charley, Auriol and Sara, who was also in the same pen as me, found their rhythm and moved ahead of me.  We all had chatted about our lack of training done for this race so all of us were just going to do our best. With the residents out cheering us on though the streets we felt like Olympians, who needs training eh?!

I followed the runners around the streets and along to Tent Peg Lane, my thoughts drifted back to 2010, thinking then how I was going to run for ever.  Well, I guess that bit is definitely on the way to fruition, I have no plans to give up my running days that's for sure! My mind drifted further back, to when I first started running, when I first started to think "I need to work on this keep fit malarkey". That first spark of motivation that got me running.  It was my sisters (Nagging Sister) idea, she had decided that we were going to do a run in memory of our mum who passed away in 2007.  No asking, just telling us how it was going to be.  We did the Race for Life in the City of London in 2008 and from there the rest is history!  In fact it's all written down here in this blog site!  Maybe I should write out a few excerpts from over the years into a book form! Yawn!  Not another running book!

Anyway, I digress, as usual.  Running through Jubilee park brought back a fabulous memory.  This is where my family were waiting, my young grandson, little Dude, just a toddler was smiling and cheering me.  I must have looked like a complete nutter as I smiled on past this particular section! The smile didn't last much longer though when I remembered what was coming up!  

It was a lovely down hill section, all the way down to Blackbrook lane so my smile lasted until there, I can't remember if this is where Loulou and Terry were, I am pretty sure it was, of course they brought a smile to my face to!  Also one of the Zero's to Hero's team caught up with me on this section, "Do you want company?" she asked as I just walked a bit, I  knew what was at the bottom of this hill, just underneath the three bridges, after the right turn at the end of this road! My nemesis! Goss Hill! "Nah, you're alright, thanks, see you at the finish"  I must say, our club sure know how to motivate you when it comes to hills.  There were all sorts of signs going up here to help you stay focused, if you were running, or make you smile if you just wanted to 'enjoy the view!'

The view from the hill!

I was pretty pleased to get to the top of that particular hill! Ran a bit, walked most!  The farmer always allows us to run at the edge of his field, he opens the gates on either side of the field so that we don't have to run along the 'roller coaster' up and down type of thin path, with the horrible barbed wire fence at the side. It felt so much nicer running along this bit knowing that I don't have to worry about the ups and downs of the path or the barbed wire.  Just before I got to the gate I noticed one of our three photographers that we have for the day. Did I smile, I do hope so, was I running, I better had been! 

In the field!

The path running down from the corner of the field is such a welcome relief, all the way down pass the lovely house, down to the river and the water station. Don't worry, they not been using the river to fill up the paper cups, honest! Half way round, just a parkrun to do! It felt good, even though to me it didn't feel like I had been running that long, maybe because I just knew all the faces on the course, but it was longer than I normally would have done a 5k!  Well, I was here to just enjoy everything that PWR have done on this course! I know I saw a picture of me at the water station, but I just can't find it!  Anyway, they were a crack team there by the river, with the midges!  I hope they had jungle formula spray on!

From the river it's up again, I actually ran that little hill, then the thoughts of the next bigger hill came into my head.  I'm chuckling now as I remember the first time I had to go up this bit "How many hills are there" or words to that effect!  Some more familiar faces along here, all cheering me on!  Robbie was along this bit, towards the middle of the hill!  Robbie, who always run with me in group 1, always being a very helpful sweeper!  It was still a bit woody in that section, but I came out with the field on my left and a sign on my right saying 'smile'.  Yup, just at the top of this hill they put a photograper! 'Jump?" he said!  I didn't know if I had it in my legs, but I think I managed to get both feet of the ground at the same time!

Me spying the camera, "For feck sake smile Old Girl"

Jump!! How about I just shove my head in my 
shirt to look like I jumped!

It's flat now, just as we turn right to run to the beginning of the middle path, running down to the resident 'Band in the Woods' our very own Tim and this year he was accompanied by Sally.  What other race has a band in the woods? Also here were some more of my friends, RefMichael, CaroleWithAnE, Pheranice!  They were having a party in the woods!  There was bunting and balloons, there was a crowd dancing along to some fantastic tunes! Oh I wish I knew how to upload a video here!  Tim and Sally we singing Twist and shout as I came running down!  Brilliant atmosphere here!

I was going to stay and have a dance, or even grab the mic and sing along, but I knew I just had to get up the last hill.....almost, it was the last hill in the woods shall we say!  But this was cuts across to the right, it don't go all the way to the top, then it's just a run along to the rail lines where the exit to the woods is.  I had finished the run in the woods, the best bit.  Well, actually the best bit was all of it!  But you know what I mean, the run in the woods, the fresh air, the smell of the trees and the peace.....no, no peace, not on that day anyway!  Not filled with all our cheering PWR's! No, that day it was no peaceful, it was a party on the hoof!

Running along and down Birchwood, running towards the rec, towards the finish lines, I can't tell you how happy I was feeling, blimming tired, but so happy!  I was thinking about the 'One in the Wood' having their lovely kegs of beer there!  Laura' Larder was also there, I was looking forward to trying something from there! The finish line was there, the medal was there, PWR cheer team was there, some of the marshal from the course were there! That last bit of running up Towncourt was hard.  I remembered back to the first time, my son in law was running next to me, urging me to keep going!  It was just amazing, this time Adam was next to me, at first walking with me but then running with me as I turned into the rec, I could almost feel the warmth and the love of all the PWR's that was in the rec still!  Wendimoo was there, she ran some of the way towards the finish with me, I heard my name on the left and the right, I was smiling!  What a brilliant race!  Ok, so I didn't get anywhere near my time when I first did it, but what I did have this time around was a whole running club behind me!

This is me and Naggy, when we first ran the PWR 10k in 2010

As you can see, it was a smashing
sunny day then too!

Photos 1, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 are from KevTwoBalls, KevHowarth.smugmugs, our resident sporting photograher!

And this one is from Kev too!

PWR know how to party after a race!
Me and Kev!

Running Buddies!

 Hello blog readers!

I told you I would be back!  I've even surprised myself that I am getting on with it!  

Sunday, a beautiful evening, (just after that little down pour we had) and running buddies!  What more could you want?!  I am running with several running buddies, this evening.  NaggyNeighbour, Benji and Buddy!  So, Benji and Buddy are little fur babies belonging to Naggy.  Poor Naggy has been suffering with the PF thingy, which is quite horrible, so she has been coming along to beginners, just working on it slowly.  Today we did the homework part of it but with Benji and Buddy.  Two birds, one stone and all that!  Time management sorted!

Buddy and Benji are completely different doggos!  Benji is the bigger dog!  He's huge, when he comes running at ya for a cuddle you better brace yourself!  And Buddy is an adorable, short leggy little Dachshund!  You can guess which dog I was going to run with! 

We set off from Naggys home, both of us starting our Garmins at the same time, we crossed over and that's when Buddy decided to do his ablutions!  Fortunately Naggy gave us bags to, um, clean up after them.  I am so glad I had the little doggie!

Naggy of course didn't know that we had to stop and she carried on running with Benji, the Budster of course wanted to see his mummy, he's little legs were running at ten to the dozen!  Oh my goodness, he was pulling me along, he was not wanting to run at my pace!  He kept looking for his mummy, stopping looking back but she was just ahead of us, just out of sight, especially for ole little legs!  Every so often, or so it seemed, he seemed to be able to smell them and ran a little faster!  It was little running on a roller coaster....if you get what I mean!  We caught up with Naggy and Benji, mainly because they waited just a little further along the path, during the 2 minutes of walking.  Buddy didn't want to walk, no he wanted to run to mummy! So my walking bit wasn't quite for 2 minutes!

We walked along towards 'Turnaround lamppost' for the rest of the walking section and then started running again.  Little Legs Buddy was determined to keep up with mummy and was pulling on his lead, thankfully he has a harness otherwise I might have had to carry the little fella so as not to strangle him! I had noticed that Benji was just running beside Naggy, not in front of her.  Even though he is the bigger dog, and would probably love to run faster I was beginning to think that maybe running with him would be better for me.  Funnily enough, that was what Naggy was thinking too!  When ever we used to go running with just the three of us, before Buddy joined Naggy's pack, Naggy and Benji used to always be ahead of me but Benji used to actually stop and wait for me to catch up!

When we got onto the A21, the next 4 minutes of running, I took Benji and Naggy took Buddy!   I must say, it was better, but even Benji wanted to catch up to Naggy.  Even though Naggy has this PF thing going on, she is still a lot faster than me!  Feck knows what is going to slow her down, maybe she can have a sloth as a fur baby and try running with that!

By the time we had done our homework the doggos had had enough of running and little legs was slowing down, looking behind to see if me and Benji was still with them.  It was an enjoyable run, my first run with a dog.  Did they make me run faster, well, I think they probably did, just a bit, I was flippin' knackered afterwards!  

Here's a picture of our running today!

Me, Benji's butt, Littlelegs Buddy and Naggy!

'Till' We Meet Again

Hello Blog readers.

Look at me, writing again!  Anyone would think I've been running! Oh, wait, I have!  I didn't have a late pickup of kids at work on Tuesday so I was able to get to club run.  Mind you, I still had to go and pick up Pat, her hubby was on petrol hunt  so she had no car.  So blimmin annoying this petrol malarky, isn't it?  People panic buying fuel, why don't they go and panic buy peas (I'm not overly keen on peas!)  I might start a rumour that the Pea growing assosiation has said due to lack of pickers peas are rotting on their stalks.    But I guess that will just mean everyone will buy up everything that pickers and packers do!

Anyway, I'm rambling, unlike Tuesday...we were running!  I think we did quite well.  'Till' we meet again is what I entitled this blog, it was also a clue I gave the group last week of what we would have been doing.  I need to get some hills in!  So, Tillingbourne Green is where we would find a hill...after going up a couple of hills to get there!  The groans from the group were not too bad.  Seasoned runners now, they know what to expect.  We did have one newbie, when I say newbie, she is more a returnee.  She came running with PWR a good number of years ago now, she decided it was about time she got back to it!  Even she did really well. The nights are really drawing in now, but with a a few of us wearing lights we make sure we can be seen running up the hill!  Watching all the other groups pour out of the rec, in their neon vests, chest lights, head lights, it really is awesome.  Our club is growing faster than any other club, I am sure of it!  Bring on a mob match, can't wait to do another mob match!

Coming out of the rec we turn left, run to the end of the road and then turn right! There before us creeping up and up was our first hill.  Nothing like starting as you mean to go on, eh?  This is not even the worst one, no, that one is Tillingbourne. There is no other way of getting there to run around the green. No 'flattening' out the hill by taking a different route, it's up, up, up all the way.  Why in the infinite wisdom of the original ten or so people who started PWR in the first place, did they decide that being at the bottom of all the hills in Petts Wood is the best place for the meet up?!  Denise, who hasn't been running for quite some time, did really well. Karen was just flying up there!  Maybe that's what I should be doing, just get up there and get it done as quick as possible!  Hmm, I think a while on that little concept.

Once at the top of the hill, we turn right, run to the next road and then cross over both Kings Way and the main road.  We are now heading for the dreaded Tillingbourne Green!  It's a nice run there, sort of, it has a down hill bit, so that's good, right?  Once we are faced with the green, we take a minute to recuperate, grab a breath and then just get on with it, because, just before we go down the green we still have a bit more uphill!  Oh, did I tell you I am doing the Petts Wood 10k this year?  I need some hills to train on.  I am sure group 1 don't mind a bit of hill work, they didn't say they didn't like it, but then again, they were not talking much anyway!    

We all did the hill at our own pace, you can't rush hills, you just have to go at your own pace.  Look to the top and know that it will be all over and done with soon.  That is how I am going to look at those hills next week.  Just look at the top, know that that is it and enjoy the down hill...until the next one!

It's now Sunday afternoon and still not yet published this blog, hmm.  Well if you are reading then I have!  Sometimes I should just take my hands of the keyboard while I am thinking, because the crap that I am thinking just comes out on the screen!   Yesterday we had the beginners week 4.  They were running for 4 minutes and walking for 2 minutes, they did that five times around the rec!  I know there are some of our group doing this session 'virtually' as they are away.  Knowing they are still keeping to the programme is such a nice feeling.  I just think then we have done our best!  Hannah was leading the session this time, she kept them all totally motivated.

I remembered to take some pictures, ok, so they are not quite aciton shots, it's just after we had done out cool down stretches, and DiscoRich was letting them all know about our 10k which is going to happen next week! Gulp! The 10th of the 10th in the year 2021!  I'm looking forward to it!  

I am facinated by number
I also like to see order, the 
number of steps on my watch after
the session amused me 

I am going running again today, I am just waiting for Naggy to show up!  So what this space for blog no.2 later.  I will try to remember photos as well 😏

By the way, I am sitting here writing this and looking at my phone for all the finishers of the London marathon today!  An amazing achievment, I know.....did I tell you I have done the London Marathon twice!  Anyway, huge congratulations to everyone.  Just a few names, LouLou, Petula, KevTwoBalls, Jason, Gillian. Plus Adam and Carl, who finished their virtual VLM and then went on to help out at the mile 4 water station with the other PWR's! Legends!  Well done all of you who took part in the VLM, one of the best Marathons in my opinion 😊 

Got To Get Them Miles In!

Hello blog readers.

I know there are still a few out there!  I spoke to one of you at the leaders meeting!  My ramblings are still reaching people!  I know my ramblings do me an awful lot of good, it helps me to focus on the good points of my running. For one, that fact that I am still doing it!  Can you believe it.  I started this blog way back in 2008, how many words and I written!  I am sure I must have repeated myself a few thousand times!  

When I look back to those early days it really does bring home to me the fact that I have changed my ways!  I no longer just come home and sit and veg all the time!  Oh, don't get me wrong, I still like coming home and vegging!  It's a necessary part of living!  I know some people hate that time of doing absolutely nothing for a whole day!  I love it!  Just to read, watch telly, potter about, call people!  It's perfect.  But now, since 2008 my vegging days are interspersed with my running!  Looking back at my blogs, with me asking the same questions that I now see the new beginners asking "Does it ever get any easier?"  Well, no, is the honest answer.  It's still bloody hard work, I still look a complete hot, sweaty, pink mess at the end of any run. But that fact that I can run further than a mile, which was my first ever attempt at running, without dying, is the reward!

My heart is stronger, I know it is, my lungs are stronger, especially since giving up the ciggies a year ago February, (although I did succumb to a couple a month or so ago)  back on track again though!  My weight issue is...well an issue at the moment.  I don't feel as if I am eating more than I used to this time two years ago, but feck me, weight has piled on!  It just has to be the 'wrong' foods I am eating.  I must get back to eating salads most days.

My running however, well that has been constant, apart from blimmin covid lockdown of course (which is where my weight seemed to have started piling on).

I am loving it.  I am loving leading group 1 at club nights on Tuesdays.  I enjoyed getting back to parkrun and now I am enjoying being one of the leaders again at the Autumn Beginners course.  Can you believe we just finished week 3 yesterday?  We have been so lucky with the weather, it helps with the discipline of getting people out of the house to come along and keep going.  Mind you, we could have been scuppered if people had to drive to us, the queue to get into the local petrol station was causing tailbacks and road blocks!  Blimmin ridiculous!

We were running for 3 mins and walking for 3 mins yesterday.  People were doing just fine!  I am sure they are well impressed with themselves!  

Today I went out by myself, it's Sunday, after having the rest of Saturday as my veg day, I needed to do things today!  The housework for a start!  After getting back from church and a bit of shopping, I got stuck into my housework. I was thinking I would just get on with that and then get out for a longish run!  Best laid plans and all that!  My housework took longer than I thought it would.  I was blimmin knackered!  In fact I almost talked myself out of running!  But I couldn't do that!  Not after letting the beginners know about that quote from Ben Mudge, self discipline, routine, regularity!  If I am not doing much on Sundays well then I will be running!  I have to, I have the 10k to look forward to, that's only in a couple of weeks!  I did talk myself into only do three miles though, but considering this week I didn't get out to club run, I talked myself into doing just the 3 miles. What  I really needed was to kick ass and get out and do more!

I put my music in my ears, hat on head and went out there!  I felt pretty smug with myself as I ran outside, "Look at me, doing housework for 4 hours and now getting out running! I am bad ass!"  Then I got to the end of my path, "Blimey, knackered already" I thought to my self!  I quickly dismissed that thought and just concentrated on my music, I had 70's rock anthems being blasted in my ear drums.  

Before you could say 'Bob's your uncle' I was already passing the tractor park.  If I was lucky, I could almost convince myself that I was on the way back, almost.  I mean, once I was through the park and on to the road at the other side of the park, then run to the top of that road, every step after that will be a step leading home. See what I mean about  almost convincing myself I was on the way home!

I am still doing the 'Jeff-ing'  I know Naggy said to me yesterday "Well that's going to have to stop"  She's right of course, but for now, I am still hanging on to my 'comfort blanket'. Those little regular walks helps just a little, I will cut it down by 30 seconds from next Sunday!...... There, I have written it now, I have to do it!

I keep forgetting to take pictures.  That is something I am going to have to work on too!  So until next time peoples, keep on running!

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/7559782266' title='Solo Run' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

Here are some pictures from the beginners group last week! 

Club Runs and Beginners!

 Hello blog readers!

PWR through and 
through

My bad!  I didn't write up my blog straight away!  But I am getting there.  I had club run last Tuesday.  After really struggling to get into my runpants in the first place I felt like I had already done a work out class!  I was having a 'power surge' when I was getting ready! I was just so hot and sweaty as I tried pulling up my run leggings, just think of trying to get a frog in a wet suit, two sizes too small for it, that was me trying to pull up my leggings!  Let along trying to do up my 'ShockAbsorber' run bra! I was knackered before I left for the rec. It was probably the last time we were going through the woods.  I know I said that last time, but last Tuesday really is the last time.  The nights are drawing in, even though we are starting an hour earlier than we used to, the light on the paths are just to dingy.  

It was a case of a run of two halves.  The first half was in the woods, the second was on the roads.  I took them all straight up the middle of the woods, the middle path as I call it and then out on to the 'posh' estate.  It's a tough little run!  It's all up hill in the woods and then still more hills when we get to the estate, but knowing that we are not going up any more does put a smile on your face.  

Some of the group was wanting to run down Birchwood but that would have been too short, I don't like to short change people, no, we were going to the round about and then running down to Crossways. where the park is.  Just over three miles, 5k, that's all!  A great run with a great bunch of people!  I forgot to take a picture again!  I can't wait for snappyHannah to get back to us!

Beginners

Yesterday was week one of our Autumn beginners course.  I look forward to helping lead these sessions every time!  Even though I still get nervous standing in front of everyone!  It's daunting, all those pairs of eyes looking at you, mind you some of them look just as nervous as me, so it's not so bad!  I think I counted over 30 people this time.  The Autumn course is generally the harder one, mainly because it gets colder as the weeks progress!  You really have to be made of stern stuff!  But with the help of all our PWR's that come along to encourage we have a very good number who get to graduation! 

I had every intention of getting up early, running along to the rec and then running back! Yeah, that didn't happen.  my duvet kept me prisoner and the granddoggies needed me to cuddle them for a little longer!  What can I say?  I dragged my self out of bed, luckily no power surges while getting into my lycra and jumped in the car to get to the rec on time!

We went through with the walking, the drills and the running, which was run 1 minute, walk 2, with our cool down stretches and everyone still had a smile on their face!  Brilliant,  that's how we need it to be every week, and it generally is!

I am looking forward to next week, RefMichael is leading so I can take pictures!  We love a photo shoot!

Today

Today I had to go and do some running!  I mean, so extra miles!  I stuck on the #AfterShokz, (Alice I need to arrange for you to get the back) just because they are still here, then just went out.  I knew I wanted to run around Normans Park, just once, but I 'negotiated' with myself as to how I was going to get there.  Either straight down Southborough lane, or through the park and out by the pub, or through the tractor park!  "Come on, you need the miles, go through the tractor park, then we negotiate the rest on the way back"  This is how my brain works when I run solo.  With no naggy to keep me company/nag me I chatted to myself!  I still convinced myself to do the 2/2 run/walk.  All the while I am looking at my watch to see how long left on the running and it's showing more than 40 seconds left, I need to keep at it!

When I got to Normans Park I felt quite pleased, even though I still had to run around it, I knew I was on the way back!  This is where I negotiated with myself again, do I go straight down Southborough lane, or Turpington lane, or maybe even got back along the A21 to run through the Tractor park!  That last one got about 2 seconds of thinking time.  No, I am going to run down Magpiehall lane, then through the park and home.  Should be about 4 and half miles.  Next time I will run an extra mile!  That should put me in good stead for the 10k!

Little Run With Pat

 Hello bloggers

Look at this!  What did I tell you yesterday?  Eh? Eh?  She's only gone and done it again!  Ran, blogged, boom!  Mind you, it was Pat that said, "Go home and blog now"  She was one of my readers of yesterdays blog!  So she knew what I had promised to do!  I remember years ago, when I started my blogs, that I was going to send them over to her to proof read!  I know how my English and spellings wind her up! I think she would have got bored with my blogs by now, he he!  Anyway, what's a Donnas blog with out the atrocious gramma, awful spellings and double double words in place!?

Todays little run we did the same thing as on Sunday, one slight change, Pat tried the AfterShokz on!  She loved them! Ooo Hang on, another little plug here for the Headphones  " #ItriedAS " said Pat!  Pat normally runs with a head band on, and it didn't interfere at all with he buff around the head!  There was another little change, we did more running than last Sunday.  We started our run a little earlier on the course and we finished a little bit further to our stretching point!  I reckon we must have ran over an extra quarter-half mile!  We still kept to our 2 minutes of running and 2 minutes of walking!

Our route took us around the tractor park near us, to the top of the path and then down the side.  Of course we ran to Turnaround Lamppost.  That makes me smile, it makes me remember when I first started running.  Walk/run to Turnaround Lamppost and back, I was thinking 'I was all that' if I made it with only 3 walking bits.  But as we are now professional athletes, we didn't exactly go back straight away. After turning around from Turnaround Lamppost we took the path on our left and followed it around to a new turnaround point, now know as Turnaround Fence!

Now Pat has this thing in her head, her little routine, (something that I spoke about yesterday)  she likes to do a little sprint...in the middle of a route, half way around!  I had to plan it so that we were still on the zig zaggy path, but we did it.  I ran behind Pat this time, see how fast her sprints are!  Not too bad!

After that retraced our steps through to the other end of the park and then back past the tractor park.  Just the home straight and we were done.  I told Pat that we would run up to the gate that is across the park, no matter what the Garmin says, walk or run.  Last time we walked this bit. We finished off strong, smiling and glad we came out!  

We did our stretches and then said our good byes.  I continued with the 2/2 walk/run till I got home!  Back to work tomorrow, hopefully I will be totally relaxed then I can enjoy getting back to normal!

Geeky stats.  Since the blog site updated it don't seem to post the pictures of my garmin, so I am afraid if you want to see it just click on the link!

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/7409417934' title='Bromley Running' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

......Um, Hi, I'm Still Here!

 Hi blog readers.

Me trying out the
AfterShokz
#ItriedAS

I know, I know!  It's been, like forever since you heard from me! What can I say!?  July just kind slipped on by and merged into August! As for August, well, here we are at the end of it!  Have I been running?  I bet that's what your next question will be!  Well yes, I have been running!  But it's the blogging that have have neglected.  I know I am going to miss those weeks where I hadn't written anything.  I will be thinking later on down the line, "Why wasn't I running, why didn't I blog".

I could quite easily blame the pandemic, everyone else does. But, I really do think it has had a profound effect on everyone.  Whether it was to stop their running and exercising, stop their visiting friends and family, for me it was to stop my blogging.  I will make a, quiet, promise to myself that I will try and blog everything again.

Did I mention in one of my blogs about a chap called Ben Mudge.  I am sure I did, I often think about that quote he wrote in one of his Q&A sessions that he does. Someone asked what kept his motivation going, his answer made me smile and nod, and made me feel better about my 'lost mojo', my 'lost' motivation, I will  quote it here

People: "Ben how are you motivated all the time/How do you motivate yourself?"

Ben:  "I am not. I am rarely 'motivated' to do what I need to do.  Motivation is the spark that starts you.  It is not the right fuel source you want to rely on for a long journey though'.

He went on to say that he was asked that question regularly, and that after the motivation, what keeps you going is discipline, routines, regularity.  It just made me realise that mojo is always there, motivation is always there, because what got me motivated to keep on running was my mum!  She is in my thoughts every single day, every single day.  Sometimes it can still bring the tears.  She is why I started running, and she is with me every time I go running.  But getting me out of the door is discipline and the routine of club runs, parkruns, beginners course and of course the odd racing....well in my case participating in racing events.

It's good to have parkrun back, although I was a bit apprehensive about going back and I missed the first one because of it. But Normans Angels had a few Normans runs together which was really good.

Last Sunday I had my first run with a new headphone set.  I was offered a chance to try The AfterShokz  Aeropex headphones #ItriedAS.  I like trialing things and these headphones felt good.  I think using them on some of the races is allowed, rather than my in ear phones.  I do miss music when I am running racing, it helps me keep to a rhythm but having cheering crowds is a huge pick me up when you are feeling tired.  I am sure this headset is a perfect compromise for all.  I had my glasses on and I felt that maybe I was pushing them back on my nose more often.  But I couldn't decide if it was because I was hot and sweaty so my glasses were not perched properly on my ears!  I will try them again, this time while wearing my hat too.  See if that makes a difference.  The sound quality though, I was totally impressed with and it was so easy to connect to my phone. 

Of course the only thing that has been totally continuous, since the last lock down, has been club runs.  There has been the booking system, but that will be ending soon, we hope.  It's good to see all groups together in one park now, although there is still two different times people can choose to run. Not quite back to normal, but we're getting there.

This evening was a club run and yes, I was leading.  That is the routine and the discipline that I need right now to get me out on a Tuesday.  All through August, working from 7 in the morning and getting home sometimes after six in the evening, I was totally shattered.  But I did it! I got off my (expanding) butt and got myself to club runs.  We had some new comers too, all those that been on the beginners course joined us.  Some of them went straight into the higher groups, but others came along to group 1.

It's been light enough to be going through the woods, although for the last three times now I chose the same route as it's through the park with not too much of the route going through woods.  Just nice open pathways.  My group today was reminiscent of days gone by, 12 of us.  I was wondering if Lucy was going to turn up today.  She joined my group a few weeks back, she's been a member of PWR for some time, but right now she is 'growing' another little PWR.  She kept her running up till the last 4 weeks.  So now she is just going to relax ......and enjoy the last of a nice tidy home she will have for years to come!.....I hope she don't see that!  Babies are wonderful little miracles......messy, but wonderful.

Here is some pictures of our group runs that we have been having through this blog drought season.  Fingers crossed I will be disciplined to write more blogs, after every run, like I used to

RefMichael doing
cool downs

Putting them through their paces

Group 1

it was a bit muddy

Another group run

See, we've been consistant

And todays group 1 run! 12 of us ( I am behind the camera)

She's Only Just blimmin Blogged Again!

 Hello readers.

Ok, it's been a while, but it's not been a while since the last run.  There has been club runs, there has been beginners runs and there has been.....? Well, ok that's about it.  No solo running, no just running with me mates, no racing.  But I think just getting out there and doing those two runs each week has kept me sane, and remembering that I am an athlete!

I have just spoken to Naggy, she has just shared with me that fact that Paddock wood is coming up!  It was deferred in 2020 from the April to the September, then it was deferred again to the April, 2021 and now it is in September 2021!  It's not that far away!  I have some serious thinking to do, some serious training to do and to stop blimmin procrastinating!  Usually me and Naggy kind of blag our way around this course, but right now, I know there is going to be no blagging it, now winging it!  I am going to have to train or be a DNS!  We guessed it was about 12 weeks away!  Time for training, me thinks!

The beginners have been going really well!  I am so amazed about how many have finished the course this time!  DiscoRich thinks it must be a PB for finishers!  We have just our 5k run around Norman park graduation to do on Saturday!  I am so looking forward to it!  It's a 'notparkrun' run!  Hopefully parkrun begins again the week after, where hopefully all our beginners will continue to go to and hopefully some will join our club!

Club runs have been going well!  I did my ankle in a few weeks back (again) Thank goodness for the pink gin anaesthetic!  Not that was the reason for my finding a hole to twist my ankle on I hasten to add!  My first run back after the ankle incident I was a bit apprehensive because I was going through the woods!  All those roots and uneven terrain to contend with.  But once I started it I felt a lot better about running through there!  Group 0 will be finishing around the end of July, I am hoping that all of us in group 0 will be up to speed and turning back into group 1.  It's where we need to be, we can do it.

So, I think I have caught up!  The next blog will be about the Spring 2021 Beginners Graduation!  I will take my phone with me to capture some photos, but I am hoping our resident photographer #KevHowarth will be there taking some shots of our Graduates.

So till next time folks, keep on running.

Club Running

Hello blog Readers

Yesterday was club day, I really wasn't feeling up to it!  I've had a really stressful couple of weeks, with one family member quite ill, my son's girlfriend having a  motorcycle accident while they were both on holiday.  Thankfully she is quite alright, her bike not so well!

I've not done any exercises with Tracy this week or last week, spending that time instead calling the hospital.  If J.J. hadn't said to me 'Oh you so need to come running today, just to get out of it for a while' then I felt sure I would just have made my excuses and not gone running!

There were only 4 of us in group 0 yesterday, Wendimoo had moved up to group 1.  I still wasn't really feeling it, but it felt good to be with my pals.  J.J. had said that she had found this pretty path while out walking "It's at the top of that hill with the cows and sheep"  We all knew what hill she meant, it's at the top of Goss hill.  I changed my mind about what route we were going to do so that we could run down along the 'pretty' path.  

So we went straight up the middle path, we were passed by one of the faster groups that were running through the woods. We turned left to run towards Botany Bay Lane.  I love the name of this little lane, it sounds so exotic. It begins at the top road, the name escapes me of what it is called, but I do know that the pub at the end of it is called the Tigers head, it leads to the lovely English Heritage home that is situated in Hawkwood, as well as Tongs farm. It really is just so pretty.  We were not going to go all the way down to there,  we took the right path and ran along to the top of Goss hill.  That is where the pretty path stars.  Usually we run down by the fields, enjoying the steep down hill to the river.  But the path that was on the left is where we turned, into Pond Wood,  I am probably still going to call it the pretty path. 

It's a more gentler downhill section, with the lovely pond to look at.  I took some pictures here, then when we continued further we could see the beautiful bluebells that were covering the woods, like a lush carpet. (see picture at the top)

After getting to the bottom of Goss hill, via the lovely pretty path, we had to run along the path with the river Kydbrook on our left.  At the end of this path is the path that goes up towards the rail way lines.  We saw the faster group coming along from the top, "I told you we would get you back" said someone from our group! It was the same group that passed us on the middle path.  But before them we also saw RefMichaels group!  Everyone loves to run in the woods when it's light out!  This definitely gets rid of all your stresses!

Mind you I was absolutely knackered!  I was tired. Happy, but tired!  The couple of weeks really has taken it's toll on me.  Still, just being out there looking at all the green stuff and the livestock sets your mind straight, if not your body!

I struggled that last half mile back to the rec.

  But nobody was complaining, nobody rushed, I felt we were all just enjoying being out, running some, walking some and just being together, like we used to.