Love Is All Around Us.

Hello blog lovers.

It's a love run!  Valentines evening, what were you doing today!  Well, there were seven of us finding the love for running!  And what a run it was.  I like to keep things a little different, throwing in a new route every so often, doing hill reps or, like this evening, doing one of our routes in the opposite direction.  The route I chose to flip around is our easier route, mainly because the long undulations are going down!  Flipping this route over and the long undulations are going up!

That is where the love is!  We have to learn to love the hills, all though with me it's a fine balance, and to be totally honest its more on the hate side!  I know hills are good for us, the build up stamina and muscles, as long as you don't go silly, flat arsed up the hills, then they will do you tons of good! We ARE going to feel the love on this run I know it!

We were the last out of the rec this evening, and we turned left.  We are going up Crossways, the turning left again to follow the long road around.  It's undulating, it has the longer hill going up when we go this way, this will clear out a few cobwebs that's for sure.  There was also a newbie with us today, she has done running before, but she is getting back to it.  Well, if she gets up here and still smiling then I would think she will be back!

It was a steady plod, no one gave up, we all ran the whole way, the whole mile!  Brilliant!  I still didn't find the love of hills, but I did notice that I got up there and I wasn't puffing out my backside so much!  Well that's good, I love that fact.  I love the fact they we all got up to here in one go, so there's another bit love!  And I love that fact that Michael and Carole are running together!  Now that really is love going on there!  Carole came in group 1 to run with Michael although last week she ran with group 2, well she said she loved the hill, even giving a fist punch in the air "I loved it" she said.  Not bad for feeling the love for the first mile!

We ran on past the pub, we didn't go over the troll bridge this time, not yet anyway.  We ran all the way to Tudor way and then turned right to the round about!  This is flat, this is nice, everyone can feel the love for this bit of the route.  Once we got to the end of Tudor way we ran left and headed for Shepperton.  It was then that I said to Michael that we actually should have gone up St Johns Road, and run through Little Thrift, but that it will be fine because we can do a little extra once we got back to the rec.  I actually planned on doing this. Because I had an idea.  And I hope it turns out just right.  But we shall see, when I look at the geeky stats.

The ladies, who were J.J., LittleJ, Pei, Natasha, Carole and of course our only gentleman, Michael, noticed that this route, ran this way round, is slightly harder.  It's just the way the hills go,  ooops, the undulations go.  But I think also it depends on your own condition on the day.  If you haven't eaten right, or slightly under the weather, or even, like Carole and Michael, done a long run just a couple of days ago, you will notice that your body sometimes just doesn't want to run!  As for me today, well I have had Saturday off, and Sunday and Monday off!  My body had all knitted up again and was ready for soe more running.  I think J.J. said that I was running quite fast today!

I kept an eye on everyone, slowed down to make sure everyone stayed together, not that we were wide spread, we were running quite tightly together really.  We kept on seeing on of the other groups out running too, they must be looking for the love too, we were talking a brief stop.  You know, a proper brief stop, to talk about the right way to run up hills, and use arms, and keep a steady pace going........well that's what we said out loud when the other group passed us lot as we stood still on the corner, we even cheered them as they ran passed! We soon started running again though, all the way to Lakeswood road, where there on the corner was the other group, stood still, obviously having a briefing as well!  But then they cheered us!  Now, there is some more love!

We were nearly back now, just about half a mile or so to go.  We ran around Crestview to the car park by the walking bridge.  A quick brief to everyone about the keeping quiet, running softly over the bridge and then we were no stop running again.  We just had Kingsway to do, which is down hills, now everyone one does love a down hill, and then straight back to the rec.  With just the last little bit to run around the green, just to make up the distance (as I told the others) and then our run was over!

Everyone, and I mean everyone, loves the finish!  Evenyone loves the fact they did it, and it's over and the sweat, the aching muscles tommorrow will only go to remind us of a very lovely run!

So Geeky stats, and a little picture of the extra bit on the rec!  Not quite perfect, but then, we love imperfections, it makes us all unique!

This little heart, outlined in pink, was the extra bit
I think I did pretty well as it dark!, Oh and
Michael was the only one to follow me!

Double Day!

Hello blog lovers!

Morning Run

This morning there was only 3 of us, me, K and Amy.  Tracy wasn't feeling to well and J.J., well she just wasn't up for it! If Tracy and called K to tell her that she wasn't going to be here then K would not have come!  So I am so glad that she didn't call her! Amy is still not ready to go with the faster group yet, still recovering from her fall.  It's best to go slowly, build up your stamina and confidence again.  It will come back quicker that you think, but as long as you don't think you can step back into the same pace as you used to run!

I decided that I missed the woods last week, so we just have to go through there today!  Yes, it has been raining, and yes it will be sticky in places!  But I have my old shoes on!  I mentioned that we will be running in the woods anyway, so hopefully the other two had their old shoes on too!  We ran through Dog Poo ally, and turned right, we are go up to Orpington Road first.  It's the easier way up, believe it or not.  It's a longer undulation just not as steep as the middle path.  We ran at K's pace, chatting away to her to keep her encouraged, all the way to the top!  We took a little breather walk, and then continued with our run.  That side of the woods wasn't to bad, quite firm just a few sticky bits to get passed.

It was a really pleasant run, blimmin chilly, but we warmed up nicely getting that first little undulation.  We were running pretty well and got to the top of the middle path in great time.  So I suggested that we continue on along the top of the woods to Botany Bay Lane.  Both of the ladies were up for it.  We ran along there, passing the place where I fell a few weeks ago, and then up the hill.  We walked it, it was quite a muddy hill! 

Once we were at Botany Bay Lane we started running down there, stopping only to let the postman in his van go by!  I had a look at my watch, we still had plenty of time left, we could so easily continue our run.  I mean we were out running, so we might as well take the longer route, and once we got to Botany bay, we might as well go the long longer route!  We were out after all, not out out, just out!  We are going out out, next month, for a curry, but not after we've been out for run!  No, we shall got out out in the evening, when we all looking gorgeous with the 50 other PWR'S.  Anyway!  We went the long longer route, which was Goss Hill!  K remembered that she had ran up this particular hill, so it was nice to run down it!  We couldn't run particularly fast as it was really sticky and muddy! The run along by the river was really nice though.

We got back to Botany bay and ran up to the rail lines.  From here until we go back to Dog Poo the paths were a bit sticky.  We were looking for the best paths!  There was a runner behind us, chatting away, I could hear her getting closer and closer.  She got to us just before the board walk.  I was waiting for the other runner but she was actually chatting away on her phone!  

We covered 5k, 3.2 miles this morning, it was a bit sticky in places, and there were some undulations to cope with.  But I think we all did really well!  Geeky stats.

Track Evening

I really had to tear myself out of my cosy chair this evening.  It really turned cold!  It had been raining, it was wet and damp!  But I had to go, I had a big lunch and I needed to run it off!  I needed to run fast!  So in my car I got, and this time as really shouted out loud as I was driving along "It's flipping Freezing!"  Oh my goodness! I had my cycling jacket on to keep me warm and snug and dry for running in, and I had my big coat on over that to wear while I get to and from track.  I was still so cold.  I couldn't find my running gloves and there is no way I am running with no gloves on so I will have to run with my leather gloves!  At least I will have warm hands.  

When I pulled up in the car park I sat there for a few minutes, figuring out if I should take my big coat off in the car or to walk into the track with it.  I opted for the first, get acclimatised to the weather straight away!  It was so cold!  I paid my money and walked to the top of the track where we all meet. I was a bit early! There was only a couple of other people there, PhysioMikeTheMod being one of them.  I read on Facebook what the session was, it sound interesting!

The other runners all drifted in, ran a warm up lap and then it was time to listen to PMTM.  The first part of this evenings activities was a 12 min tempo run.  I managed to run 4 laps in those 12 mins, finished just at the beginning!  I was pleased with that.  Then the next bit was good.  In fact I felt pretty good.  I felt like one of the faster people.  We were all running for the exact same time, we will all be taking a 90 second break at the same time, it will virtually be like I am running with them!  Which I was, of course, when we started, and when the over took me!  So the session was two 5 minute runs with a break run at a little faster than the tempo run!  I had to see what I had in the tank.  Then after that it was 4 x 3 minutes running.  I know that I can run around the track within 3 minutes, so I will be finishing each lap at the stop/start!  My challenge to myself was to see how far past the stop/start line I could get each time.

I think I did it, on that last lap I did!  I slowed down a bit because I didn't want to walk back to much! I should have kept going really! But I felt good that I ran for the whole of the time that I was supposed to! Yup, it was a good session, almost tailored made for me!

Geeky stats.

 

 

Club Run - Move Up Week

Hello blog lovers.

This week at club night its Move Up week.  And considering we are at the beginning of the rung at PWR's we don't have anyone to accommodate!  So each month I try to challenge our group instead.  This month it's Tillingbourne Green.  It sound so sweet, doesn't it?  "Tea on Tillingbourne Green any body?" "Game of croquet anyone?" But really it's not that sweet!

There was a couple of regulars that are not here this evening, J.J. and Tracy, both of them are not very well, and also Carole.  Now Carole is here but I kicked her out, it's move up week and Illustrious Leader had asked her to try it out!  She was 'umming' and 'arring' about whether to go to group 2 or not! So I helped her out, "Move up to Group 2 Carole"  Her running is just amazing.  Her parkrun times are impressive, and she finally broke the mental block with the distance by running 7k at the weekend!  So it's time to move.  Of course she is always welcome back into group 1 for social chats, taking it easy runs, and just generally socialising!  That's the beauty of moving up to different groups, when you want to change the scene take it easy then you can just drop down a group or two.  But us lot in group 1 work hard every week, there is no dropping down a group for us!

All the group leaders started giving their details of their run, after our Health and Safety officer, TimTheHeadBand, gave out a gentle reminder about wearing Hi-Viz attire!  Most of us a PWR adhere to that, in fact I am sure there is a competition about who has the brightest jacket or who has the better lights!  *looks at arm bands and light up laces*  I need more lights, my light up laces are dying!  Anyway, as it's move-up week all the leaders are going to be running at their slowest pace advertised, but I also noticed they were going on easier routes, "....it's flat, mainly!" "....I couldn't get it any flatter" were some of the comments.  Then it was my turn!

"Well, as we are the bottom of the rung, we are going to have a challenge, with hills! It's Tillingbourne"  My group just looked at me!  I am sure they will love it once we get started! And I know they will love it once we have finished!  So once we were all ready, all the groups started to move out, slowly the rec emptied.  We started out leaving just a couple more groups to finish their own group chats and we headed up Birchwood.

The first of the undulations this evening.  We ran up there at our fastest advertised pace, which is 12:30 - 13:30 m/mi by the way.  So there is no taking it easy for us!  We had a bit of a walking break and then continued on wards to Tillingbourne.  As we ran towards it, it started to loom up before us.  Even in the dark you can see it! "There she is" I said to group!  It has to be female, because it's so changeable!  You have the nice little short steep up when you first start it, which makes you think that you have done really well!  Then the nice long, long downhill section.  Making you feels really good, happy, nothing to worry about.  Then Boom Baby!  That change, so quickly, an uphill struggle, making you work hard, like wading through treacle!  Then you are back at the beginning all smiles, all forgiven.....until next time!

We all ran together for the first half of the green, and then once we finished the downhill section and the little flat bit we took a breather before the next half!  To give them all a bit of a work out, I said they could do this bit at their own pace.  They all went for it!  Me and LittleJ  swept!  They all ran the who way, I was impressed with every ones efforts!  They did really well.  Once me and LittleJ got to them, which wasn't that long after (I was the last to get there!) then we had the little bit of 'hill training' hill to do! I could just get us to run up it once, and a nice faster pace.....but this is a challenge day!  It's our move-up day, so we did it twice!  I think that is just plenty.

Afterwards we turned right and headed back on home, to the rec, to do some stretches........once we get to the memorial hall....just the very last undulation of the evening!  Again we were all still together, running really well.  On the upward undulation of Petts Wood Road I sent them up at their own pace, just for one last challenge of the evening.  I think everyone had a good work out.  We turned right and then right again to enjoy the 'sweeties' of the down hill road of Kingsway! And then a quick sprint back to the rec.

Fabulous run this evening, with six very lovely people!  Michael, LittleJ, Kelly, Pei and two other ladies whose names I have forgotten!  So our geeky stats!

Morning Monday!

Hello blog lovers.

We are already almost a quarter of the way through February, that Paddock Wood Half seems to be getting nearer and nearer at a speedier rate than my running!  So another 7 miler today, but I am not doing the A21, stuff that!  I will do it again, just not yet!  I got on to plotaroute last night and....would you guess.....I plotted out  a route, covering 7 miles. It took in Normans Park, Whitehall rec and then up Southborough Lane, all the way up Southborough Lane, and then back home!  It looked a lot more friendly than the A21!

As it happened I didn't have to do the morning school run so I had a great opportunity to get out there early!  I had the text this morning saying that I didn't need to go, while I was still snug in my bed!  Do you know how hard it was getting out of the there? Oh my goodness!  But then I had another text, my daughters littlest boy wasn't feeling too good, he has a bit of a cold!  So as she has to work I may have to get him from nursery if he is feeling too poorly!  That really prompted me out of the door.  I can do this 7 miles then be home if I was needed to help out.

I was out of the door as quick as I could....after I got dressed of course!  I had long run pants on black ones.  I have entered the Up and Running competition again today, the prize is some lovely running pants in snazzy colours! Fingers crossed!  Maybe I shouldn't put a link here really, less people who know, the less people will enter!.....  Anyway, there I was in my long black running pants, my short sleeved VLM finishers tee shirt and my running jacket! I stepped outside and I thought it was rather chilly!  I stepped back in again, maybe a long sleeve shirt is needed.  I looked at the sky, it was clear, I think I had chosen wisely with my attire, the short sleeves stay,  so I just went back out and closed my door!

So my 7 mile run begins!  Down my road and turn right, I am going through my local ark first. It looked really nice actually, the was still a bit of mist on the grass, I should have taken a photo of it!  In fact I will make sure that I take lots of photos from now, just to remind myself with pictures as well as words, about what the day brought for me!  There were a couple of people in the park but most people were heading for the schools with their kids.  I was soon out of the local park and running along to Southborough lane. I know running up there will be easier, mentally that is, because I knew that I shall be turning right instead of left!  The A21 can go and do one!

I really did feel better about my running, it was easier, but I still had the walks!  I tried again, to figure out why I was walking, why I can't just keep on running, is it my breathing, muscles, mind? You know all the usual things, the things I say every time to other runners, as well as to myself!  Do you know what? I just don't know!  I have no idea, id didn't have an answer! And even the talking to didn't help (yes, I give my self a talking to, just like I do with all the beginners, and those that are in group 1, or who I meet at parkruns)  so I just don't know how to push past it!

Normans Park looked really good.  The sun had broken through by the time I got there, my jacket had come off and I was running with it tied around my waist.  It was busy!  Mums with pushchairs and family pet dogs, and loads of other dog walkers too.  Plus one or two more runners!  I looked up at the long straight and I thought "Ok, lets get this done"  I started running along, passing the buggies, and the dogs, so many dogs! But seeing them put a smile on my face, I was smiling as I ran the long straight!  I saw a guy running in the opposite direction, he had a huge smile on his face which made me smile too!  I enjoyed running around the park.  I enjoyed it so much that I decided to change the plan that I had done yesterday evening and go around again.  The plan was to do just one lap (usually I don't like doing laps of Normans park) and then run on to the other park, and make up the seven miles through there, and along Southborough, to Petts Wood and then the little roads back to mine!  It will just mean that I won't have to run all the way to Petts Wood!  I liked that idea, I liked it a lot actually and a smile spread on my face again....briefly......and then I concentrated on looking like a runner again!

I saw the same guy again on the second lap, he was a lot faster than me so I saw him in different parts of the park as we passed each other!  We smiled and encouraged one another to keep going as we passed.  There was also a group that was meeting there in the car park.  I am not sure where they are from, I couldn't see any club colours, but there were a few runners gathering to run together in Hook Farm car park.  I passed them by as I ran towards the entrance to the park, and then changed my mind again, and decided to do another lap!  One more.  One more.  That will make up for three miles, 2 miles already done getting here, more or less, so the next two miles can be done using the rest of my planned route, and no going up blimmin' Southborough Lane!

So I did one more lap, I saw a group of 3 ladies at the Hayes car park end, one of them had the PWR finishers tee shirt on!  That always makes me smile, and feel proud that I am a PWR. I saw the smiley guy again, he must have warmed up because his woolly hat had come off! We waved this time and I said that this is my last lap!  I am sure if I had done one more lap we would have been on 'High Five' the next time we passed!   My final lap done, I could see that the big group of runners starting on their laps of the park, I wouldn't be following them, I was heading out of the park, going to the next one!

When I got to Whitehall rec I tried to figure out how much of the park I would have to run and then get back to mine so that it works out at 7 miles.  Normally I am useless at judging distances, and this time is no different.  I looked around the park, and then at the road where I had just come.  Originally I was going to come back this way, but I think that would make for slightly over 7 miles.  I really needed to be home within the hour and half, just in case I was needed.  I figured that I could do half the park, run out at the top and then find my way home from there!  I am sure there is a route somewhere along there.  There is the Dog Poo ally (a different one from the one in Petts Wood).  But this one is long and secluded.  It's the back of houses on the right and the left, so no cars, it's just for pedestrians.  I am not sure what it's like down there at this time of the day.  So I decided that I wouldn't go that way and opted to go on the roads.  I knew I couldn't get lost, it's not as if I far from home!

I followed the road as it turned left and then came out on to another road, a busy road, a road that I recognised!  "Oh, wow, so that was easy" I thought to myself!  The busy road lead to Southborough road!  So I ran along there, and down Holmcroft.  Going back through the first park!  I was nearly done.  But I was going to my house, I had to run and the pooch from his house!  I wouldn't take him on a 7 mile run!  I am not sure he could have done it!  In fact does anyone know how far you can take an 18 month old Jack Russell puppy dog running?   Maybe he could do it!  But I feel it would have been slower!

My geeky stats for you all, a tiny bit faster than Friday's 7 miler! Well, I don't want to get a PB that I can't possible beat.....not like my parkrun PB, I am still chasing that little gem!!

Seven to three! Miles that is

Hello blog lovers.

I ran out of day to write up my blog for yesterday, (Friday).  And really I should have done it, it was all about my 7 miler!  Todays run was the usual parkrun.

Anyway, so here it is,  Friday, 3rd February 2017.  I had to get out and run in the morning.  A nagging voice in my head said that I needed to go, especially as I didn't go to track Thursday evening!  It's like a penance!  This half marathon isn't going to run itself, I need to put some miles down!  Going out for burritos on Thursday evenings is not going to cut it!  So, nagging voice won, and I was out of the door to do the same route that I did last Sunday.  I felt good.....well I felt good about getting out on what normally is a day I don't do any exercise!  I was feeling a little smug really!  I had decided not to beat myself up too much about walk/run method.  Or even how many times I walk!  I just want to get around this route and come out smiling at the other end, with more running than walking! Preferably quicker than I did last Sunday too!

I had my iPod with me, I thought at least I could listen to some great tunes, to help just get me along, maybe to help set a pace, run to the beat, style of running.  I know there is some great running tunes that are perfect for my pace too!  I shall have to learn how to get them all in a file and put on my iPod, so I can just click on Running Tunes.  I think there is a way.  Getting to the top of Southborough Lane, near the Toby Carvery was fairly ok.  I felt good, but then I looked up at that A21! A big intake of breath and then I started up it!  I felt it was taunting me, laughing at me!  I remembered from when I was doing marathon training, running up there, it was tough then!  You would have thought by now with all the traffic going along it, it would get flatter!  If only things were that easy!  I had a couple of tunes that were good, they took me out of the 'shit, I'm on the A21 again' zone.  I got passed all the short cuts that could have taken me home.  This time they didn't just slip by unnoticed, I saw them, I looked down them longingly!  I didn't pass by them with out them pulling on my shoe laces, tempting me to go down them!

Once I passed McD's then I knew, at least I was 'safe' from going the short way home!  Safe!? What am I thinking about?   This is how the dreaded A21 gets me, dreading it. But it's a blimmin challenge, one I know I will beat one day!  And one that I will smile at as I am running up it!  But not Friday, nope!  I got me again.  I struggled again, I felt every single step of it hard!  The snot factory was in overtime as tried my hardest to get up there! Where does it all come from, really!  As if I hadn't had enough to think about, using my energy and legs to get to the top!  I also had to deal with trying to breath through gunk!  I blew up again!  I used the traffic islands as markers, run to it, then walk a bit, run to the next one.  Or the bus stops, or sign posts, or don't stop running until I get pass the women with the buggy or the runner coming in the other direction!  It all helped to get me to the top, Locks Bottom, it wasn't pretty, but I did it.  I think it was here that Kev 'Two Balls' saw me, I think he said that I didn't look as if I was enjoying it!  Well, I guess that was a slight understatement.

At least I had done it though, I had finished with the A21.....for that day at least.......and now each step is taking me homeward bound!  I found that I was doing some good running along here, I even enjoyed it too!  So much so that I was singing along to the tunes in my ears, and I do believe, doing some 'air guitar' too!  So yeah,  I do still love running......it's just hills that I hate!  I will have to work on that too.....as well as all the other stuff I need to work on......like pacing, my form, running continually, getting faster, going further!  I was running along Crofton road and I saw Michael Maxted as well!  If I noticed him then I must have been in a good place, I wasn't feeling sorry for myself!

I finished my run on a high, I knew I had to just run pass my house to make it 7 miles exact, and I felt good!  My geeky stats shows that I did this quicker than I did on Sunday!  So I am very pleased with that!  I may have had more walking bits, but it seemed to have worked!

My geeky stats.

Saturday parkrun

I woke up this morning feeling tired.  It was grey and overcast.  I really wasn't feeling it!  But I got ready and I went out of the door!  Not only was it grey and overcast, it was raining!  I went back inside my house to get a wet weather jacket!  Ok, lets do this!  I drove to Tracy to pick her up, she wasn't feeling it today either!  This could be a good run or it could be a slow run!

At the carpark I could see the other girls at the other end of the car park.  Tracy and I just sat for just a little while longer and then we followed after them!  J.J., LittleJ and K were by the pavilion by the time we got to them.  We all walked over to the the start together where we met up with PinkLadyJo and Carole and Michael.  Pei also joined us, she has been running with group 1 for a couple of weeks.  

I still wasn't feeling, and Tracy still wasn't feeling the love.  Well as soon as we get going I think I may just find the love on route!  I ran with J.J. and Janet and Pei, Tracy, K and PinkLadyJo were behind us.  for the first mile I kept pace with the girls, but then I just started to feel tired.  I slowed down a bit and the others carried on.  Then Pei had stopped running ahead of me and I caught up with her.  J.J. and LittleJ I think were on a mission!  They were doing really well!  Maybe they are chasing their PB's or maybe they just want to get finished and dry!

For the other two miles those two stayed well in front of us!  But Pei kept me going, and I kept her going!  We ran together for the rest of the run.  It still wasn't easy, I think I am just a little tired, what with doing eleven activities in 10 days!   Maybe tomorrow I will have a rest day....and then do it all again!

Pei and I finished our park run more or less together, I had a little bit of sprint left in my legs, just to finish in my usual style!

My geeky stats 

Thursday Morning!

Hello blog lovers

This morning was the only run I have done today!  I know Thursdays are usually a double day, but I had this awful affliction that came over me this evening!  Then only cure was......ribs!  It had to be done. I think I am cured, for now!  But I am pleased that I got out this morning for a run.  And I wasn't alone either.  When I got to the rec, Tracy and K were already there waiting with all the others, the faster runners!  J.J. came soon after, ready to go running through the woods!  She had seen Phil and Ian just outside the rec, their legs were covered in mud!  Guess where they had just come back from?  But before she told me that I had decided to do an out and back anyway, mainly because it had been raining and I though the woods would be a little too sticky in the areas that we always go, so it would have been a little difficult to do some decent running in there! Our route was the out and back, along the cinder path, just behind Crofton school!

It looked like the girls were a little disappointed, I think they are really come to love the woods too!  That's good, but it's also good to do some good running.  Along pavements and the cinder path we can do that, walking around the edges of big muddy puddles is a little harder to keep the pace going! We were running at a group 1 pace along Tudor Way, and it felt very comfortable.  The weather was just perfect.  I only had one layer on for this run!  I knew we would soon warm up.

We soon got to the nicer part of todays route, away from the roads, the path that runs behind all the houses at the edge of the woods. Even though it's tarmacked all the way to the end it still feels like we are running in the wood.  There is a stream on our left that we follow from the moment we get on the path behind the school, all the way to we reach the other end of the path.  There is a paddock and field and then the woods on our right!  You can almost believe that you in the country side, if it wasn't for the fact that you can just about hear the traffic still.  It's a popular little walk for dog walkers and ramblers.

It was a perfect run to the end of the path!  We took a little breather and then we ran back the exact same way!  Well, who wants to run along next to the traffic?  On the way back I could tell that Tracy was getting a little tired, the shuffle started.  I remember shuffling, and I know I still do it when I get tired.  But PhysioMiketheMods advice always comes to my mind now, about running correctly.  About your form, about lifting your legs up.  It does make a difference.  When I am tired I think about the form, and try and remember to move my hips in the right position so that my legs can move a lot better, more efficiently.  Then you actually find that you can run faster too!  I know! I tried it on the track......well, not today.....I had..that...thing.....you know....that need to be done......ribs! But it does work.  I shall try it again, and always until it's just natural to run like that! So I can understand the shuffle but we were on the way home, so every step is closer to finishing our run.

It was a good run today, I really enjoyed it....even though I was a bit tired.  I think we were all a little tired, we have all been doing some great running lately.  Having off days is fine, or I should say having slower days is fine!  There was no sprint finish today and we arrived back the rec just as Michelle and Sacha got back.  They made a break away group from the others, just the two of them, as they others were running a little faster than they wanted to!

So our geeky stats.

Double Blog

Hello blog lovers.

This is for Tuesday and Wednesday's running.  I was a bit busy yesterday, I didn't manage to write up my blog.  So another double blog today.

Tuesday

Now Tuesdays are usually club nights, but I had a party to go to in the evening, so I handed the reigns over to LittleJ who leader and J.J. who was sweeper.  My run happened in the afternoon.  It was the last one of January!  I failed the 'RED' January challenge, (Run Every Day) I tried my utmost though.  I exercised more days this month than I ever have before.  So I am pleased with that.  I guess I could always try 'RED' February! 

I had the pooch with me and he was keen to get out for a little run about.  I thought I might drive to Normans park and do two laps around the park, but then getting him back home, in my car, all muddy! Nah!  I decided to to run around the two little parks near me, that should work out about 2 miles.  And really, two miles is all I was feeling!

Eventually I dragged us both out of the door, after all it was the last day of January.  I didn't run on the first day, and I have missed a few other days, the least I could do is end it with a run.  I ran to the path that leads to turnaround lamppost.  Little Dexter was pulling me along, he was really keen on his run.  As soon as we got to the path I let him off his leash!  He just loves sniffing around, see who's been around, who's new on the block!  At least now I could run at my pace, and not be pulled along by him.

It was fairly quiet with just one or two dog walkers about so Deci wasn't to distracted when we go the to the first park.  I ran all the way the edge, it was soaking!  We were splashing our way around the edge.  Little Deci was getting muddier and muddier!  I am glad I didn't go with the Norman Park plan!  It would have been wet and muddy there too!  There was only one other dog in the first field, and Little Deci just said his usual 'hello' and then he came running back to me!  I think he is learning!

I ran back to the gate and down the path.  I was taking him into the next park!  When I turned left on the the path I was greeted by little Jessie, a little black curly fluffy dog.  She is just the sweetest thing and Dexter just loves her.  So we had a little rest, well I did while Dexter ran with Jessie.  There was also some other dogs, puppy dogs, Huskies.  They were adorable, and of course Dexter had to play with them too.  I eventually got him to follow me and we continued around the edge of the second field.  It was slow going for me, I was feeling a little tired!  

I got to the other side of the field and the lady with Huskies was there, she was finishing her walk.  She stopped me and we chatted, of course I like to do a little bit of recruiting when it comes to my running.  She said she had done the Dublin marathon ages ago but hadn't done anything since!  So I mentioned about our beginners course which starts on Saturday 4th March.  We continued with our run and completed it.  Nothing spectacular, but at least it was a run! With some walking........and some chatting!  But still better than sitting in doors eating and drinking crap stuff!  All though Dexter would love to do that too!

So my Geeky stats for my non club Tuesday run.

Wicked Wednesday

Why wicked, well if you could see the look in Tracy's eyes, then you will understand.  Yes, it's whipping Tracy's pace into line again.  I decided that we would be running through Jubilee park this time.  Get away from the two laps that we do and try an out and back.  J.J. was with us as well, so we started our run from down the bottom of Hazelmere Road!  That will be a great warm up for us for when we get to the park.  

We ran up the road, it's only a short, not to steep incline, all the way to Little Thrift, we had a little break at the top and then ran nice and steady to the steps.  As we were still warming we continued to run along the path to the steps over the bridge.  I had decided to do two steps at a time, I asked the girls to do it too!  I think even more daggers were thrown at me from Tracy!  But she ran up the stairs which was good.  For health and safety reasons we walked down the other side and then continued to run to the park.

Now the speedy intervals.  I knew that having long speedy sections would be of no good to us here, it was going to be short ones, but as many as I can fit in till we get to Bickley Manor Hotel.  Tracy is not going to like it......at least, not while we are doing it!  Afterwards she will be pleased with herself and feel good that she has done it.  I know getting out of the comfort zone is the hardest thing to do!  Whether it's for half a mile, or a mile or even a marathon.  To keep pushing yourself to be faster, to go further, it's hard!  There is no way to sugar coat it!  I have noticed that I have been finding it extremely hard to get myself out of my comfort zone, especially on my solo runs.  I can do it on track, I can push myself that little bit harder on track, even though I still fail to do that last loop!  I know I am getting better, slowly!  It's like my weight!  I lose some then gain a little bit, then lose it again!  It's most frustrating!  But I haven't stopped trying!  That's what we all need!  So just having that desire in ourselves to keep on trying and we will keep on trying!  It's still blimmin hard though! 

Tracy did feel good after, there was even a smile when we got back on to the bridge.  But, we still had to do the the rest of the run back to our start!  We covered just under two and half miles, slightly more than we would have done if we were at Normans Park.  So now rest day, well, after tomorrow.  Tomorrow is double day!  Also, have you noticed, 1st day of February, double day tomorrow, That's three activities in 2 days......hmmmm!

Geeky stats