A Golden Morning!

Hello blog lovers.

This morning I met up with my running pals for our usual Thursday Morning run.  I had an idea that I would be in a group of 1 this morning, the other two groups were well attended.  Then I saw my friend Nigel, Auriol's husband, and I just fell apart!  This lovely family had lost their son on Tuesday, but their great faith in God they know that he will be in glory!  Today's run will be a very emotional run for all of us.

All three groups were heading for the woods, yes that includes me.  But I really wanted to be in the solitude of the woods today, run, reflect...cry!  Would you believe I was the first to start running towards the gate, but soon the faster group overtook me.  I turned left and ran towards the entrance to the woods.  Before I got there the middle group passed me.  I suppose I could try.........no, not today, trying to run with a faster group today was not what I wanted.  They turned right once we were through Dog Poo ally and I turned left.  Although it's the middle of November, and it looked cold this morning I had already warmed up and also regretting that I put on a long sleeve top!

I really felt quite peaceful running through the woods, it feels like it's been a while since I've been here.  In the heart of a busy town like ours to have these lovely green woody areas so close to us is just so good.  When I enter through Dog Poo I can feel like I leave everything behind, just for a while.  I am left with only the thoughts in my head.  No need for an iPod in here.  The birds singing is all the music you need. Just breathing in the air is just so invigorating!  The smell of the damp leaves underfoot, it really is all the therapy that you need, you can do a lot of thinking, praying and crying in here!  I was suddenly shocked out of my thoughts by a racing greyhound.  He was chasing the train as it sped past me, the train that I didn't even notice because I was deep in thought and mesmerised the the beauty of my surroundings.  I came across the own of the dog a little further on, just by the bridge.  She had another greyhound with her who didn't feel like running!  The running dog came back to his human and doggie companion as I chatted for a minute or so with her.

I continued my run all the way down to the little river and then up again, up, up, up to Botany Bay Lane.  I was going to do just a little bit of road work before getting back into the woods.  The mood always changes when you leave the woods, it's like having the switch back on to 'normality' again.  From stepping over litter breathing in school kids cigarette smoke and getting out of the way of cars! All tensions seem to come on you again.

It wasn't going to be a long road section, I am diving back into the woods as soon as I get to the top of the road.  I am not even going down the housing estate with the lovely big house. I am going straight to Scadbury Park and then run along there.  The traffic stopped me in my tracks as I waited to cross the road.  You don't have to stop in the woods.  All these people driving along in their cars too busy to stop for just a few seconds to let a lone person cross the road, taking all of 20 seconds off their time.  Too busy to even think about letting me cross the road.  I wonder if they even saw me standing there.  First at the side of the road and then in the middle.  I wonder if they did see me then wished they could be running too.

There were a couple more runners running in the opposite direction when I got to this bit Scadbury Park, well, they were walking actually, and chatting as they took a walking break.  I continued on through and then I heard a voice behind me "Excuse me" he said, and I stepped aside and a runner ran past me!  I was taking a walking break at the time!  I always try to run when I see other runners!  It's my 'thing' that I have to do! So I started running again, not that he could see that I was running, but it felt good in my mind!  Just then the sun broke through the trees making the woods glow like it had shone on to a golden mosaic path.  I just stopped and looked in wonder, I felt totally a peace in that instant.  I had to capture this moment on my camera.

Gold mosaic floor!

I continued running on and then I saw the guy who had passed me by.  He was obviously doing an out an back.  But I think at least that time I was running.....I think!  I came to the road, Leesons hill, my run will soon be over.  I crossed over and then crossed over the other road to get back into Petts Wood.  My run really is over now.  My emotions came crashing over me as I thought of my friends, and then I realised what date we are at, at least tomorrows date, the 18th.  That was when I lost my mum, nine years ago.  Her leaving, my mum dying on the 18th is the day that my life took on a different path.  If she was still here with us I know I would be this chunky cuddly nanny, (mind you if I don't keep an eye on my weight that can still happen!)  But I would deffo be a very unfit chunky cuddly nanny!  I miss my mum so much.  I sobbed as all these thoughts came over me, I spoke to Him upstairs too.  I needed this run.

By the time I got to the rail lines I was more or less composed, I ran down beside the train line towards Dog Poo ally.  My run finished at the rec.  I was the first one back, followed by the middle group and then the faster group!

Geeky stats.

Club Run - Introducing New 'Friends'

Hello blog lovers.

So the beginners course had their last session last Saturday, and the next time they all together as a 'beginners group' will be next Saturday at parkrun!  But a few of the beginners are just too eager to get out there and run.  A couple of them usually do their homework on Monday, but they didn't do it yesterday so decided that they would come along and meet up with us instead!  Of course we don't mind,  we love it!  One of them has been coming along for a few weeks on a Tuesday anyway!

So with that in mind I started to think that maybe the route I had planned to do would be a bit 'off-putting' and that maybe I should do the more genteel route!  I thought it would be good to do this week, get us all ready to be able to encourage all those that will be coming along next week! I thought maybe we could just give it our all this week so that next week we will enjoy even more to be able to encourage our newbies.  I thought about it, I voiced my idea to my lovely sweepers, J.J. and LittleJ, and with their help I decided......No..... I should stick to what I had planned!  Good leadership skills, stick to the plan.....more or less!


There were 13 of us this evening, a nice round bakers dozen to enjoy all the challenges that this route has!  I have every faith in each of them that they will rise to the challenge and to even come to enjoy challenges!  Of course when I say 'challenges' I do mean Hills!  I told them all about the mantra......you know the one 'Hills are our friends!' It's what I say to myself every time I go up one!  Living around here there are quite a few 'friends'  to meet up with!  So like a good leader I introduce some of these 'friends'  I introduced to the beginners today!  Tillingbourne Green!  Now if I had to describe this particular friend it would be,

  "Meet  'Tilly', she is a little cheeky little thing that will lift you up, making you think, wow, that was easy! Then she will lead you astray as she takes you down, as you enjoying the freedom and abandonment that Tilly can offer.  Just as you really start to enjoy yourselves she shows her true self!  It will turn into a love/hate relationship as you try to get the better of her, getting up to that place where you first met her."

Blimey, I don't 'arf come out with some weird shit sometimes!  But you see, this evening I really enjoyed my run around Tillingbourne Green.  Because some of the beginners group was here I found that I had to make sure that I ran the whole way up, even though I told everyone to run at their own pace back to where we first started to run around the green!  Some of them did run faster than me too!  But I still made sure that I ran the whole way!

After that it was the 'training hill'.  Now that particular hill is a cheeky little hill!  A great  one to do some group 1 reps on!  I just thought to my self (again something that LittleJ mentioned) that in for a penny, in for a pound, lets do just 2 reps of this hill as well!  Of course, those who coming back from injury can just run at a slower pace and only do it once.  Because this training hill just cries out for a challenge!  So we did it, twice, a quick-ish sprint up hill, rest at the top, walk down and then do it again!  It felt good....when we had done it twice!  Now for the nice stead jog back to the rec.

Running along the road to the roundabout, had forgotten to listen to my own training advice of head up, as I ran with my head down, looking entirely at the pavement and nearly running into someones garden as I followed their driveway!  I think I got away with it, I don't think anyone noticed!  Or if they did, maybe the next hill would help them to forget!

The next hill was when we ran all the way down Petts Wood Road, which was lovely of course, but then we ran up towards the memorial hall! Everyone did it brilliantly!  This is where Steve left us, he gets a train to come along here and as the station was just a few meters away he decided that he would continue his run to the station instead.  The rest of us continued towards the rec.  We took the first turning on the right, Towncourt Lane and ran down there!  Yes it is a down hill, and you really appreciate it after making 'friends' with those up hills!

We got back to the rec all feeling pretty good with ourselves, and I know it was dark, but I know the beginners that joined us had smiles on their faces! Yes, smiles, I am sure they were smiling!

Geekys stats.

Two - Again!

Hello blog lovers.

Two blogs in one again.  I am getting a bit lazy about writing up!  Seems running mojo and writing mojo needs a boost.

So the first one, well it was on Thursday morning.  I had asked in the facebook chat if there was to be any group 1 runners, when there was no response I just did a run around near me, then I could get home have a quick shower before going to see Kirsty!

The morning was quite nice (if I remember) and I felt good about when I was out.  I felt good when I got back too,  it's the getting out I am having trouble with!  I am sure this phase will pass soon!  I feel as long as I just keep on running it will pass.  I am just so grateful that I do lead a group on Tuesdays.

The route I opted for was just a short one around near me, it had to be short, as I left it a bit late, especially if I wanted to shower afterwards!  I also wanted to do a route that I haven't actually done in a while, just so all of that psyche shit wouldn't come up and haunt me. I just want to run, not worry about distance, or even how fast, just to enjoy it.  And that was what it was like on Thursday morning.  It wasn't until I got back from my run that I saw a post in the chat box that one of the beginners had shown up for a Thursday morning run!!  Boy did I feel hugely rotten!  I knew I should have just turned up, just in case!  From now on that is what I shall do!

Geeky stats.



And so for my run today.  Again, that warm comfy feeling had a vice like grip on me as I sat with the dog on my lap, a cup of tea by my side.  Outside it was rather damp looking, grey, wet and just not comfy or cosy!  I procrastinated for quite some time......even getting two loads of washing on! But in the end I thought the only way to get my ass out of the door was to wind the dog up "walkies, walkies" I said to him!  His little face looked so pleased!  He loves going out for a walk, how could I possible let that face down!  So I went up stairs to get changed, with the dog wagging his tail and getting quite excited!  Already I was feeling good!

I chose the route carefully so that little Dexter could run free from the lead!  He loves it when he is off the lead.  So with two little greens to run around I thought that should do it!  We came out of the house, little Dexi on his lead and he just ran!  I was running after him trying not to let him pull too much on his lead,  his lead is attached to his collar, it's not a harness so I don't like him to pull on it!  I was having to run a bit faster to keep up with him!  It kind of made me smile!  I should really take him on all my runs, keep him on a lead and just let him set the pace!  Maybe I could get a PB on a parkrun!

Of course there is a down side to running with a canine!  The sniffing, the weeing, the pooping, (I had bags with me) and of course there is always friends to sniff butt with!  Short fast paced sections, with plenty of stopping to whistle for pooch!  But when there was another dog around, well that was it!  No catching him!  Every dog he meets is a potential playmate!  He just loves every four footed dog!  Well, there is a couple of exceptions! One huge Great Dane! For some reason little Dexter seems to feel that he needs to 'get in first' with the first punch where this dog is concerned, yet the Great Dane just looks at him like he's a naughty little scamp!  She wouldn't hurt a fly!

We did come across one dog that Dexter was particularly enjoying playing with and it took ages to get him to come to me and back on his lead!  It was a lovely young German Shepperd.  Finally as we get out of the gate I let him back of his lead so that we could do a couple of loops of the other green, at least that was my plan!  Dexter knew exactly where we were going, he is having a whale of a time nipping in to all the places I normally pull him away from because we are walking to school!  But now he is as happy as a 'pig in the proverbial'!  We ran all along the path, with him investigating every smell that its around.  Once through the gate  we stayed to the left hand side, close to the golf course.  Little Dexi was just running around have so much fun!  He really loves being off the lead!  I am glad it has stopped raining, I have already had to bath the dog this morning, a fox left a 'note' in my garden, Dexter decided to keep a 'copy' of the note on his fur!!

We ran all the way to the Parkfield entrance where little Dexi found yet another pooch to make friends with, but this time the owner of the dog was also someone I knew!  We started chatting......I know, I was trying to get away, but just as her dog was with Dexter, she wanted to chat to me!  I did turn off my Garmin for a while, I don't think I have it on auto pause, but it still shows up as a long stop! Oh well.  Because of that chat I did only have time for just the one lap around the second green before I had to get back!  Just as well, the postman had delivered another package!

It was a nice run, I always feel so good after I have run, whether it's for one mile, or more!  I just need to get my head sorted, find out what is stopping me from getting out on time, to enjoy longer runs!

Geeky stats!

Club Run - Nice and Easy!

Hello blog lovers.

The weather is getting colder! Brrr.....but still PWR's turn out to run!  PWR' are made of great stuff!  It's what keeps me running in the winter....in fact PWR's keep me running when my mojo is off hibernating!  

This mojo that people talk about, it's a real thing, honest, believe me, I'm a runner!  It can stay with you for weeks, months or years!  But when it goes it is just so hard to get yourself out for a run....or a cycle.  The only thing that does keep you going out......or I should say keep me coming out.....is the fact that I have my friends running with me, I am leading a group, people will be waiting........probably or actually, would carry on without me, but in my mind people at PWR will be expecting me to lead!  I like it like that; it really is what keeps me going!  Every time I am planning a run with PWR I am happy, every time!  The solo running, which is where I am finding it hard! I am just so glad that I belong to Petts Wood Runners!

That said, I shall stop my waffling and get on to tell you about this evenings run!  Like I said the weather is a bit chilly now, but maybe we will get a move on and get ourselves nicely warmed up.  I have been on feet most of the day, housework, cooking and then I had a funeral to go to.  A lovely lady from our church!  So from about 12 this afternoon until about 6 this evening I was on my feet! So I planned on a nice easy route, with just the one hill which will be at the beginning of the run, up Kings Way. Running with me today was LittleJ, Auriol, IllustriousLeader, Christine, Carole and some other ladies whose names escape me, two of which have come for the first time from the beginners course!  Oh and a late starter, making our group up to 11 Geraldine, (I think that’s her name) she is also the beginners course but she has been with us a few times already!

We all ran up to the top, most of us were all together, when we stopped at the top I could see Auriol and LittleJ coming in last!  My sweepers!  But they had to go back and look for Auriols watch as the strap had broken and it had fallen on the floor!  Thankfully they had found it though!  We carried on over the bridge and through the car park.  We then ran down Crest View to come back out of Southborough lane.  This is where we lost Geraldine and Illustrious leader! A pain in the leg was not doing Geraldine any favours and she decided it was best to go back and as we never let anyone go back by themselves Illustrious Leader went with her, and she would meet us en route further in our run.

We continue our run along Crescent Drive, running a nice steady pace, which really when we were running, it was at the faster end of our advertised pace, if not faster!  I had to keep an eye on my Garmin so as not to go too fast!  I don't want to put the newbies off!  But really, they were doing so well, they will be moving up to group 2 at the next move up week!  We were soon running along Shepperton right to the end.  From that point on wards I was expecting to see  Illustrious leader, depending on how fast she was running!  

We turned right and ran to the Off license and then turned left to run over the bridge. Still no sign of IllustriousLeader, maybe we will see her on Beaumont road, she knows the route that we will be running along, so she will be running it in the reverse, we are bound to 'run' into each other. Sorry excuse the pun, it amused me anyway!   It was along Beaumont that we saw her, with her green light up shoes!  I so got to get me some of those!  All these new things that are out for the runners to keep us safe.  Light up laces, lights to add to your heels of your shoes or tags to hang from your laces!  Arm bands, head touches, it's brilliant!  If the whole of our running group had lights we would look like the Christmas tree lights! All pouring out of the rec spreading around Petts Wood!

We were nearly back to the rec, we just had to run along Beaumont and then St Johns and back along Tudor way!  I don't know about anyone else, but when I first start out running, when I am by myself, my first thoughts are, "Shit, I got three/four miles to cover" It feels like a long way.  My legs usually refuse to loosen up (probably because I haven't really warmed up properly) and all I can think of is the end of the run.  When I am with PWR's I don't really worry about how far we got to go as I am usually chatting, but when we get near to the end I think "Shit, it's nearly finished, that was quick"  Just shows you how company can really spur you on to keep up with your running.

The very last bit was along Crossways and as usual it's its letting the group run at their own pace, whether fast, slow or ambling along singing!  I watched as they all ran past me and then I looked up the road.  I just had to do! I had to see if I can run fast still.  I gave myself a little race, I got to get in front of the first ladies that I sent up the road, so I started running, "See you at the rec" I said to LittleJ and Auriol as I passed them.  I then passed the others, catching up to Illustrious leader. The other two ladies we in my sight, if I keep running at this pace I will catch them before the sign!  I was running on the road, eyes focused at the top of the road, I just pushed that little bit harder.  I managed to catch them up and over take them!  I was happy with that!   A little sprint to blow out the cobwebs!

Here’s our geeky stat.

B.O.G.O.F. Blog 1, Get 1 Free!

Hello blog lovers.

Two for one time again.  I didn't write about my running on Thursday morning.  So here it is.

Thursday Morning.

I was running late on Thursday morning so I sent a FB message to the group to let the know.  I knew Jenny would be late as well, she had already sent in a message.  But I still expected everyone to be gone by the time I got there, including group 1, I even saw one of the faster groups near the memorial hall as I was heading to the rec, "Is anyone still there?" I called out to them from my opened window. "Trish is still there waiting for you" Nicola called back. So I continued my way to the rec.  There was just one or two parking sports left in the rec, (one that I could get in easily) quickly parked up and met up with Trish.  "We still got to wait for Jenny, she's just parking her car up the road"  So.... I wasn't the last person!  Phew!

Because we started a bit later the route I thought would be best was taking the left path to the bridge. run along side the lines and then straight down to the river, up, up, up to the very top then turn right and heard towards the Tigers head, and then touch on Scadbury Park.. and then back home!  It sounds good, doesn't it.  Of course there is that hill!  We love a hill! Hills are are friends!  I Try and think of that mantra, hoping that it will take a hold of my heart, so that I truly believe it! Even the girls were complaining......slightly!  They were ahead of me going up the hill!  But I wasn't that far behind them.  In fact, I felt as though I wasn't that far behind them on the whole run!  They were actually pushing me to be a little faster than I would be if I was by myself!  It was good!  Just what I needed.  I need to know in my own mind that I can run a bit faster than I normally do.

We got back to the rec and I really felt as if I had ran faster but looking at the geeky stats, it wasn't!  But then I looked at the speed profile!  I touched on some pretty faster sections!  I feeling good about that, mainly because I felt good running it!

Geeky stats

Solo Monday Run

I had a very good weekend with my friend, you may remember her, I called her SmartyPants when she was running with me!  But she has moved oop North but came down for a visit.  We had a grand time, curry, wine, shopping and the theatre!  Not only that but we met one of the stars of the show that we saw, Shawshank Redemption!  We met Ben Onwukwe, him from London's Burning fame! Oh it was a great weekend, but I didn't do any running, didn't even think about it! So today I thought I should do something.  I had the dog, the dog who has only ever made my lazyitus even worse. the dog who looks at me with his puppy dog eyes and just wants to cuddle!   I put him in the garden today, while he did his business and when I looked at him he was shivering! SHIVERING!  The dog has a fur coat on and he is shivering!  How can I take him out for a 3.5 - 4 mile run!  Or am I still just using that excuse to stay cuddling the dog!

Ben Onwukwe, SmartyPants and me!

So the day passed, the dog was picked up but by this time of course I had the girls home.  I had to wait until they had been picked up by their parents.  I had made sure that I had dinner prepared, a nice salad with the chicken marinading in some nando's sauce.  At least I will eat healthily if nothing else.!

Then I had a text from one of the mums to say that she will be late!  I felt another excuse building up! I felt I may just hunker down in my lovely warm blanket and watch tv with my dinner on my lap!

I mentioned to the Old Boy that I was thinking of going out and he said "its going to be cold! Brrrr"  At 7 I finally finished work, but then I was nice a cosy in my blanket! "I don't think I am going to go for a run." I said to him when he came down the stairs. Then he started talking to me about electricity, loops, lights and switches!  My head was swimming!  I think in the end I said, maybe I will go for a run "Let me go see what it's like out there" he said and he popped his head of the door!  "I probably wont be so bad" he said.  I was already heading up the stairs to get changed!

I told him that I would stick to the road, the main road.  It will be a straight out and back, to the A21 and back.  It's all well lit with the street lights and it is the main road! I set off with out the satellites 'attached' to my Garmin, it was getting late and I just wanted to get out before I changed my mind.  It was just after 8.  I ran up to Farringdon Avenue and then left along Oxhawth.  I felt as if my running was going pretty good!  I couldn't see what pace I was doing as my watch was under my sleeves and I had those pulled over my hands to keep warm.!  I still wasn't sure if the satellites had found me!  

I had my music playing in my ears, I was enjoying that!  I noticed that whatever track was playing my running seemed to keep time to.  I kept having to skip songs because they were too slow for what I wanted!  Then this song came on!  I don't even know who downloaded it in the first place, but it was on Ipod,  #Crazy Bitch#  Ok the language has a lot to be desired by my pace didn't 'arf pick up!  I decided from them that I would skip the slow songs that come up and just run along to some good 'pacey' songs!

I got to the top by the A21 and then I crossed over and ran back down the other side of Southborough Lane, just so that I don't run over the same bit of pavement all the time!  Besides, on that side of the road it's just a little bit flatter!  Only a tiny little hill!  And I run close to the pub, showing off to the drinkers and smokers who may be there! Such a show off!  But I am working hard here, trying to get fit!  It ain't easy!  And what with this mojo hiding, the running solo mojo that is!  But I think the music helps!  I just got to build up the the distance in readiness for my races that I have booked!

I was feeling good, my legs started to tire a bit, I am pretty sure that is because I have not eaten the right things during the day, and I felt the running I was doing was faster than I normally run.  I know I had the walking sections, always I do the walking sections.  I think that is where I lack the confidence!  I watch NaggyNeighbour as she ran non stop for 13 miles!  I was totally impressed by that, I felt inspired! And yet here I was struggling to run a blimmin 3 mile short course non stop!

I won't beat myself up, I wont!  Just getting out of the door this evening, in the dark, running solo, was a huge effort!  And right now, I feel bloody good about it!  As I was running back up Farringdon Avenue I was actually smiling!  I did it! Solo run, in the dark and I feel it was some quality running, again faster than my normal group 1 runs, maybe not as fast as my track sessions, but it was a feel good run, with some good music........and loops and electricity an switches just a distant memory!

Geeky stats.  You can see where the satellites found me.  I am not sure if the first half mile is added on to the overall distance and it just knew that from the time I started the count down to where the satellites found me it was half a mile.......but there you go.  I will have to do this route again and make sure that I have satellites from the beginning!

Barbara WoodHouse? Not Me!

Hello blog lovers.

This afternoon I was in a bit of a rush.  I came back from toddlers and then got chatting to my neighbour, then I spied the postman coming over with a parcel!  I waited till he got to me before I went in to get changed.  Phone calls and other things then happened and I still hadn't got changed into my run gear!  I finally was ready and out of the door only to be greet by a wave and a call from another delivery man with another parcel for me.  So I waited till he bought it too me and then finally I was heading towards my car to pick up Tracy.

We drove to the park and then we walked over to our start line.  I started up my Garmin and we both started to run!  It was then that I realised, as we ran along, bouncing along the path, that I hadn't actually got fully changed when I was at home!  I hadn't forgotten to strap the 'girls' down!  I still had my everyday bra on!  There is no way 'the girls' are going to stay in place while I was running! I don't know how girls can run without a proper sports bra!  I know ran like it for the first few weeks when I started to run, that's when I knew that everything needed to be strapped down!  Seismic waves could have catastrophic otherwise!  When I looked down and saw the 'rippling and moving' underneath my shirt it reminded me of Barbara Woodhouse, you know, the lady that used to train dogs!  I recall her bosom used to always create waves under her blue knitted sweater!  Tracy, in fact remarked on the idea a bit later on in our run!

Barbara.  You can see that
is not a good fitting bra!

So there was me, trying different ways to try and control parts of my anatomy that refuses to be controlled.  Not only that but then my bra straps seemed to want to fall down too!  Then I remembered that I had left my phone on show in my car! So the run so far was rather strained!  I was trying to find ways to run comfortable without drawing attention to myself as well as to encourage Tracy and keep an eye on the time, without worry about my phone!  I tried the 'just don't worry about it' approach, well after seeing one of the PWR's after a particularly hard slog and the state of his tee-shirt, with the tell tale red stains, I quickly dismissed that one.

I then tried the 'Cockney grabbing the top of your braces' method.  It did work, I ran quite comfortably, by I was expecting Dick Van Dyke to come and jump in and start singing 'Step in time!' I looked a bit of a plonker! I settled for the arms held right arm and kind of hugging my bosom!  Not ideal but it worked.  Oh and after we ran for one lap, I ran to my car and retrieved my phone, which I stashed in the usual place, and it helped, every so slightly, to lock 'the girls' down!

Shhtep in time!

So, after all that rambling, let me tell about our run.  I had already said to Tracy in the car on the way to the park that I think we could quite easily do 10 mins run and 2 mins walk!  She didn't look to convinced but I knew she could do it!  After all, if we didn't have the half term break we would already be on 10 minutes running anyway!  So that's what we did.  The first 10 minutes went by no problem at all, well, apart from all that I mentioned above!  Tracy looked strong and was chatting as we ran.

The second one was a little tougher, but we kept going, what's 10 minutes, it's only about 20% longer that we were doing last weekend,  it's nothing! (is that right, I am useless at maths?)  I think it was on this 10 minutes run that Tracy said to me "I'm not a dog you know, I am coming"  after I said to her "Come on Tracy, you can do it"  It's at these times that I know she is working hard!  The daggers come out, flying towards my back!  But she will love this when it's all done!

The third 10 minutes started and the huffing and puffing started, with the 'groans'.  I so remember this, in fact I get like this when Naggy is running with me!  And I know that after I have done it then I feels so blimmin good!  I know Tracy is going to feel so proud of her self.  She was started to get right behind me, tactics that I have and still use myself!  She's thinking of going slower or walking!  Trying to get directly behind me so that I can't see her over my shoulder!  I know this tactic.  I use this tactic......and it doesn't work!

We had to run past the car park and run towards where we started our run.  Tracy's strides got shorter and shorter.  "We are not going around again?" she asked!  Well, there wasn't time to get to the top of the park, just a little further along and the 10 minutes will be finished, but I did encourage her to push a little bit more, after all, there was no need to save and energy now!  And she did, in fact she was getting faster than me because I was trying to keep 'the girls' in place!!

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Club Night - Move Up Week

Hello blog lovers.

It's a different day to yesterday, weather wise that is......apart from it being Tuesday and yesterday was Monday!,  What a silly statement that is! I still put on a short sleeve top under my windcheater running jacket though, even though it's the 1st of November it is still fairly mild out.

It is 'Move Up' week where everyone is encouraged to move on up and try out the next group!  The leaders usually will run at the slower end of their pace range with maybe even a couple of extra stops if needed.  Even I had a 'move on upper' Tracy came along for the 1st time this year in group 1.  She has been doing the beginners group on Saturdays, and thoroughly enjoying it.  As soon as it's all done I am going to have to get her to put in for some races!  Get some more gongs to go with her 2013 Petts Wood 10k Gong!

This evening's run I took them up Birchwood.  I was taking them on the first route that I made when we first bought group 0 to the new 8 o'clock slot.  It's a challenge but not to hard that people will hate it.  with just the one long hill and then a couple of smaller undulations it gives us all a nice work out.  We were all pretty tight together running up to the top, in fact all of us, me, J.J. LittleJ, Tracy and Christine were all finishing together at the top!

We walked just a little way, just to get our breathing back before running again.  The dark nights don't make it easy to run along the pavements, the tree routes have pushed up the tarmac making it a bit of a hazard.  I must remember to bring a light along with me.  Carole had bought one, but she was taking advantage of the slower pacing of group 2 today!  LittleJ has a light and these cool light up arm bands too so that everyone can see her!

We started running again and crossed over the road, using the crossing.  I was taking them to Tillingbourne Green.  J.J. was telling Tracy all about the loop around the Green, the short upward undulation followed by the longer downhill and then the longer steady climb back to the beginning.  Tracy was all set to do this!  But I hadn't planned to go that route, we were going up the hill on the right to Poverest Road.  We are doing the undulations of Woodland Way, Great Thrift and Hazelmere with the extra loopy bit of Little Thrift.

Going this way round is easier, I think I will do this route again with them but in the opposite direction!  It's good to mix it up, maybe when I know there are  a couple of group 1's that have entered races, it'll be a good training route.  We only did the short sharp hill once this evening but we did it at quite a speed!  Again we were all pretty tight together, Christine didn't belt it as she is still recovering from injury, but the rest of us did!

All the way back down to Petts wood, with hardly any walking sessions.  We were all doing pretty well indeed, running at a perfect pace for the slower end of Group 1 pace.  The next road or roads should I say, was the long road with four different names!  And I was planning to do Little Thrift too, just to make up the mileage!  We were running around these roads on the right hand side, this is the 'shorter' route but as we were running along here I was busy chatting and then I heard Christine say "Are we supposed to go down here?" and she pointed to Little Thrift "Oh yes, we are" I said, "I almost missed this running on this side of the road" and then we crossed over and run to the top of Little Thrift.  Just a couple more roads to pass and we were heading for the Rec.  Run all finished and we were all together!  Perfect run!

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