Club Run - With lead Legs!

Hello blog lovers.

My legs!

Oh my goodness!! Somebody please give me back my proper legs!  I can't move with these lead filled ones! I couldn't move this morning, I think I must have ran pretty well last night, with JennyLongLegs, because this morning I felt like I did way back in 2008!  That first year of running I did nothing my ache!  Sometimes it was just a mild ache other times, when I tried harder, I ached pretty much for the whole day!  This morning I felt like the latter!  Aching like I had already done my half marathon! Getting up of a chair, or from my knees, of bending over!  It was all such an effort and achy!  I wasn't quite sure how I was going to do at club run this evening, I think the easier of our routes will be what I shall be doing!

I met up with the girls at J.J.s house and we all walked to the rec together, me, J.J. and LittleJ.  There were quite a few people this evening.  Our club is getting bigger!  It's probably just as well that not all  our members turn up on a Tuesday, we could take over the whole park! Anyway, there we were.  DiscoRich was doing the honours of announcements today and called me up straight away to present my route to everyone.  In quick succession the leaders of groups 2, 3, 4......all the way to 11 gave there routes out and then we went to our posts!  A perfect system!

After a count up, there were 10 of us by the way, I thought there was no point in hanging about we should just get going.  As soon as we started running so did another group!  We almost mingled in with them!  So with my leg filled legs I tried to look at leader-ish as I could possible could!  But the noises coming out of me gave away how I was really feeling, "ohhh, geeezzzz" or something like that, but my goodness, my legs didn't want to run!  I just sucked it up and tried to look as 'professional' as I could.  We turned right out of the park and then took the next right, which was up hill! In my role of expert leader I said "For all those that want to run at their own pace up here then do so, either top there or come back to us once you reach the top"  You see, I was giving all those that want a good work out, a little bit of a challenge a chance to put some effort in!  The fact that I was at the back helping to sweep didn't matter!  They didn't know, they think that I am giving them a free time to be in front of the the leader!.......Actually they did know...because I didn't stop moaning!

But that is pretty much how todays run was going to be.  Me sending on the faster runners ahead while I languished at the back taking it a bit easier on myself!  Another perk of being a leader, apart from choosing the routes, it's a case of 'Do as I say, not as I do!'  But we still had a good run.  All the way along Crest View and onto Crescent Drive I kept the front runners doing their own pace while I either kept up with them (sometimes) or mostly at the middle and back!

We ran around to Shepperton Road and then the front runners had the whole of Shepperton to run at their own pace to the main road.  I was going to take them right along Towncourt Lane and then left over the bridge to Beaumont.  I really didn't want to do the Great Thrift loop, did that yesterday!  And besides, it's all been done up along there, health and safety, I have to keep my group safe!  Yes, I know I could get them to run on the other side of the road, but, yea, but, no but, yea but.....but it's darker that side of the street.  That's all I am saying about that!  (I bet you read that bit in a  Vicky Pollard and then Forest Gump voice, if not I bet you gone back and read it again in those voices!)

It was a brilliant run!  I enjoyed it, and I surprised myself that I could at least still run!  But now I just got to keep it going. at least one long run a week, even after the half marathon.  I must keep it going.  Then when I do another half I will be able to breeze through it!......ok, at least get through it looking as if I enjoyed it!

Geeky stats for you all

Training For A Marathon!

Hello Blog lovers.

I bet that got your attention, didn't it!  Well, it's not me that is training for a marathon, it's my mate Jenny!  She is doing the Brighton Marathon in a couple of weeks.  She needed to do at least 15 miles today!  Last week, if she had asked me, I could have done 10 miles in the broad daylight, but not anymore.  I don't have '10 mile' running time during the day now, not during the week anyway!  But I said I will try and plan something that would incorporate a longer run for her, meeting up with me and then she could finish off by running back home.

So I planned it last night, I got on to plotaroute, planned a route from hers, which then came down to the rec to where I would be, and then I planned what I though was about 8 miles or so which would get us back to the rec and then she could run on back home.  Sounded pretty good really!  But what I should have thought about was that it was dark, and there are woods and dark spots where she lives (which I didn't know, but do now) and really, a lone woman running at night in the dark is not the best of things to do!

Anyway, in the end she decided to drive to the rec and we will just do the bit in the middle.  I am hoping this would be about 8 miles!  I tried to make it at least ten really, but I just ran out of roads to choose from while I was plotting my route, and I just didn't want to go back and do it all over again!  Besides, it was quite complicated route anyway!  I was hoping I didn't forget any of it!

Once we met up we started our run!  Already it seems a long way.  We will be crossing places that we are going to be running along later.  I didn't tell Jenny the route, I sent her it via Facebook, but she said she didn't look at it!  I think that if it was me I wouldn't want to either actually.  Jenny just needs the miles, so anything we do this evening, she is not worried about, she just didn't want to run by herself.  She has been running on one of those dreadmills things!  You can't experience marathon conditions on one of those!  They are ok if you just want to get fitter running 5k maybe even a 10k if the weather outside is sh.......ocking! It's always nicer when you are running with a buddy too!  And for me running with faster runners pushes me a bit too!  She wasn't as naggy as NaggyNeighbour though!  In fact she wasn't naggy at all!  In fact I found myself apologising for running too slow, for walking, for anything really!  Hmmm, maybe that's her method, make me feel guilty so that I will run fast!  But actually she didn't have a plan, her only plan was to get out from the dreadmill and run with a buddy!  The Brighton Marathon is not far now! Nor is my half marathon, the Paddock Wood Half!  I think I will be pleased when it's all done!  And again, I feel pleased that I didn't actually get a place in the London Marathon this year!  A wise decision to not throw my hat in the club's ballot too! What if I had actually won a place!  I would be so under trained!  I would be panicking by now and totally stressed out by it!  The half marathon is just about doable for me!

Blimey, that really is what I was thinking on just that first mile!  I think it was because was trying to keep up with Jenny with the long legs!  JennyLongLegs!  Well, now she has a nickname! The thing is I know we were still running slower than what she normally does anyway, but I think it's what she needs to do, training for a marathon, a long slow run (albeit it's shorter than what she wanted to do). We ran up to the main road and then turned left to run up to Crofton school and beyond!  We were going to run around group 2's Tuesday night route.  In fact this route incorporates at least 4 routes which I have 'strung' together!  When we got to Kelvin Parade we even did the longer route around!  I think I have only ever done this once before!  I usually shy off and go around on the shorter route on pretence of sweeping! Shhh don't tell anyone!

So the next route that I used was the Shepperton route, a favourite of mine for group 1. We were going to run until we get to Diameter Road.  This is the only deviation from plan that I had on plotaroute.  Because JennyLongLegs drove down from hers I needed to add a little bit more distance. As it happened it was probably just as well as my calculations would have put us to far from the 8 miles that I thought we would be doing.  Going this way is going to be blimmin hard!  Because no only is it my manor, but we will be running right pass my house! I mean, I could pop in for a pee, a cuppa, have a nap!  I could so easily do that, my house was right there!  But of course I didn't have my keys and the Old boy was out on his bike, BigSon will be glued the playstation as he relaxes before he goes to work this evening, so there was no way of getting in!  So, it's carrying on running!

We ran through the estate, well, me desperately trying to keep up with JennyLongLegs while she just meandered, meandered I'm telling ya through the estate!  We had to keep our cool going passed the local young 'hoodlams' What does 'Wargwam' mean!  I think I just said "Jog on!" in response!  So we rejoined the usual group 1 route and ran around Crestview Drive and through the carpark and over the troll bridge!  I did not tell her to 'Run like scooby doo' today!  I actually said "I don't think I will be running quietly over here"  My legs were like lead pipes filled with lead pipes!  I was beginning to flag to be truthful but we still had at least anot 4 miles to do!  When we got over the bridge I suddely realised that I needed to loo.  Let me tell you, when I think about going to the loo I need to find once ASAP.  I looked over to the One In The Wood and it was closed!  Darn it.  But then I head music and tap dancing to my left and I realised that I could quickly pop into there to use the loo! Oh perfect!  I almost didn't make it as I desperately grabbled with the tie strings on my running pants!  After starting up the Garmin (yes I paused it!) I ran along to the memorial and then looked along Petts Wood Road! "Oh yes!" I thought to myself "I remember what was coming soon"

The next part was still the same route that we would have done had we gone down Shepperton road, it was Hazlemere and Great Thrift and then we ran up Towncourt! I know! Up Towncourt, because I didn't want to run by my car, I ran passed my house, that was torture, but to run pass my car as well! Nah!  Not going to happen.  But then what was coming up next was even worse!  Yup Petts Wood Road.  We were going to run down (brilliant) but then straight back up to the round about!  Another one of group 1's routes!  Oh my goodness.  JennyLongLegs seemed to have got into the 'Zone'  She was just running and running, She was not stopping.  I think she knows that the run will be over soon and so don't need to save any energy! She was going for it!  I looked on as she started to pull away again.  I ran after her, caught her up and then flaked out again!

Once at the top I checked my Garmin and that's when I realised that trying to get 8 miles from the roads we got left is not going to happen.  Running down the lovely steep road of Wood Ride was on the plan but again, a slight deviation.  We were going to a little bit further along to Birchwood and then down Crossways, to my car, to her car.....to our cars and home!

Well, that was that!  JennyLonglegs (now that I have named her I am not sure if I have used this name for her or someone else before! but what the heck!) JennyLonglegs went her way  and I went mine!  My dinner was ready, the Old Boy had texted me.  He knew how long I was going to be because he had been tracking my every movement!  He knew when I had stopped for a pee! Although he thought we were in the pub!  So now, I will go home and shovel my dinner down my neck, I was starving!

JennyLongLegs had forgettn to turn her Garmin back on after the loo stop!  That is so enfuriating!  I am just glad that I had remembered.  I am quite pleased with the average running pace actually, quite pleased indeed! I don't think I could have squeezed any more miles in, not within the time, it was already 9 when we finished, so really perfect timing.  It's good to finish at the usual time our club run's finish! Here is our Geeky stats!

Sunday Solo

Hello blog lovers.

I haven't been on a solo run for a while and to be truthful when I woke up I was looking forward to it.  I had every intentions of doing my planned 10 miles.  I took myself off to church and then when it was all finished I looked outside and it was raining!  I hate raining!  Well, I dislike raining. I dislike starting off for a run in the rain!  That's what I dislike more!  So now the procrastinating started!  There is always something to do!

First the washing, that of course, is important.....there is some of my running gear in there, and my pink jacket that I will need for too. Which means that I will have to wait until my jacket had dried.  Then there was other stuff to do. General tidying up! It was hard getting the motivation.  The Old Boy came back from work, so of course I had more procrastinating to do. I mention to the Old Boy that I was going to go for a run and he suggested I go soon! But I still had stuff to do, the rain was still coming down and the Old Boy had started to cook dinner! Why didn't I just go straight out of the door, in the rain, when I got home from church!? I think in the end even my hubby (the Old Boy) was saying "just don't go then!"  I couldn't have that I needed to do something, even if was only 5 miles!  I knew exactly where that would take me! I think the Old boy just said do 3 miles!  He had started tracking me using the app on the Iphones!  Then he could judge dinner!

I eventually got my head together and go out of the door!  I started running towards Farringdon Avenue.  The first thing I noticed was that it had stopped raining!  Well that was a bonus!  I had my ipod plugged into my ears and was just enjoying being out.  I was running pretty well, I felt as if I was running faster than usually do.  I didn't check on my Garmin until I turned on to Oxhawth!  Can you imagine what I said when I saw that I hadn't turned it on!?  Anyway, I guessed that I had only done about half a mile so not too much damage. I switched it on and then tried to get back into the groove again.

I was glad that I was still running pretty fast, and I felt good.  I know he said 3 miles, but I really need to push it a little further, considering that I should have done 10 today.  I will run to the park, if I keep this pace going it should be faster than normal!  That's what I was thinking anyway!  So my route will take me through Norman Park, 1 lap and then back the same way!  That will be about 5 miles!  The Old Boy will be busy tracking me, and can adjust the cooking as needed!  He's clever like that!

I checked my Garmin after a while and I was running faster!  I was feeling pretty smug actually, and I didn't want to stop running either.  But of course I did, crossing roads always gets you out of your sync. It was from this point that I lost it, I lost my rhythm and stupid little walks kept happening!  I knew I would blow up after starting out too fast!  Anyway, I will just keep on going now, trying to do some faster running with the walking bits in between!  At least I can try and do some quality running while I do run!

I was a bit annoyed with myself, I should know that I need to build up slowly first, get some distance done at a steady pace, my usual pace!  The park was good, there were not too many runners about this time of the day, maybe they all had races in the morning or maybe they were braver than me and went out into the rain earlier!

I eventually got home, a bit annoyed with myself but pleased at least I went out for a run.  My Garmin says 4.78 miles but with the extra .53 of a mile that makes it just over 5 miles 5.31 to be precise! Not bad for a procrastinating, not feeling it, rainy day!  Must do better!

Geeky stats.

Thursday Morning run

Hello blog lovers

So I am eventually writing this one out!  Now, let me remember! Hmm, we went running! Um, we ran for about three miles! Maybe!  I do know that J.J. was there, and K and PinkladyJo.  The woods would have been way to muddy to have any sort of decent run, so I chose to do the cinder path.  It's a great alternative to do when you feel the need to run through the woods but still need to feel tarmac under your feet!

It had been raining the previous day and I can remember I felt I needed to run. Picking my way through the mud and puddles of the woods just wasn't an option.  Although I do love the woods it just had to be the cinder path.  A straight out and back we did, I just didn't want to see a car or sniff up fumes from exhausts, it was just a shame that we have to run on the roads to get to the cinder path in the first place!

It was a tough little run though, with a couple of us finding it a bit of a struggle.  Sometimes it just is what it is!  It was still a great run, no run is ever a bad one!  Fresh air, 3 miles, a mates!  Who needs therapy when you have those on hand!

Here's the geeky stats for last Thursday

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/1605791886' title='Thursday Morning' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

Club Run - Moving on Up!

Hello blog lovers.

Yes, it's that time of the month, move-up week!  My group is the only group that that goes out a tad harder than the other groups on a move-up week.  Let me explain why!  To encourage those who want to 'move-up' to the next group the leaders all run at the slowest of their advertised pace.  Me, in group 1, well, we don't have anyone come up to us, unless it's from the beginners twice a year. So to help us all with a little boost to know that we can push ourselves if need be, I throw in some hill training.

But this week we had a couple of returnees.  Returnees who have been injured, Ange and Ian! Along with our regulars, J.J., LittleJ, and Michael.  I was thinking that maybe I should opt for the easy route, I know last week we had a hill route, but I didn't ask them to run up the short hill more than once!  We are made of hard stuff, us in PWR.  We can do this!  I chose to do the very first route that we did as the new group 1, but in the opposite direction.  So instead of running up Birchwood we ran up the undulations of Hazelmere, Great Thrift and the other road, which I always forget what it's called and have to check on my Garmin map!  I think running this way is going to be easier!  I hate doing those roads at the end of my run, it always seems such a long way.  but doing them first, knowing that you are heading away from them, psychologically, feels better!  How'd you figure that? Or it could just be me!  Of course, after doing those undulations then we do have to run all the way up to where our little hill training spot is!

It was all going really well, we set off running at group 2 pace!  Even going up the undulations of Great Thrift etc at a good pace!  Well, that's not what move-up week is all about......for groups 2 to 11!  But for us, well, it just goes to show what we can do!  But we wont keep up that pace, not with the returnees, that wouldn't be fair!  Besides, we still got some more undulations to do!

We had a little break once we got to the top of Petts Wood Road.  Looking down and then up again to where we needed to be don't look as daunting.  Is it because I know we don't have to do the undulationy road again?  Is it because I know that to get to Crossways we are going to be running down Birchwood instead? Maybe!  It was here that Michael gave our Carole a call.  She couldn't run with us today so Michael thought that he would give her a call and we can all wave to her when we get to their house, which is just near our hill training road.  But first we had to get up the other side of Petts Wood road!

It was only about 7 minutes or so, just like Michael and said to Carole till we were waving to her as we passed by!  It's funny, because I can remember looking up these road thinking it would *take forever* (read that bit in stroppy teenager voice) to get to our destination!  Yet here we were, 5-7 minutes from the memorial hall to the 'hill' road!   We ran up and down our hill training bit a couple of times, Michael, Ian and Ange did an extra rep (yes I know, its all the people who are taking it easy doing the extra rep) Me and the girls just couldn't get out legs to do another one!

We were soon on the homeward stretch. As we were running toward Orpinton road I suddenly realised just how close we are to finishing!  It all felt really good today, I was feeling a bit annoyed with myself that I didn't do the third rep of the hill!  I had to check my Garmin to see what distance we had already covered.  It just felt like we were lacking in distance, but by then we had covered 2.60 miles!  Which, by the time we got back to the rec would be a perfect 5k or 3.1 miles!

We ran along Orpington and then turned left on to Birchwood.  I sent them off at their own to run to Crossways! I ran at the back with J.J. and LittleJ.  We saw a few of our runners on run this evening, group 3 highfived us as then came down Petts Wood in the opposite direction and we saw another group as we were running from Tillingbourne to Orpington Road too! And I think we were overtaken by three of the faster runners along Birchwood as they were finishing their run too!

A great run, great people, as always!  Petts Wood Runners always seem to attract the most friendliest people ever! I am looking forward to introducing all our new beginners into our club when they have completed the course in a couple of months! Anyway, here's our geeky stats.

Lazy Sunny Sunday Afternoon!

Hello blog lovers!

Ok, so the title of todays blog is a bit misleading, in fact is a down and out lie!  I wouldn't call 9 miles lazy, would you?  But that's what I did today.  Nine miles with NaggyNeighbour.  I will be trying my hardest to do as well as I could.  Naggy will be trying her hardest to run slow! She was running with me today as her short slow one!  Yesterday Naggy ran just over 19 miles, training for her fabulous epic run around the Isle of Wight.....I know, right!  But there you go.  But she said she would come with me today to keep me company!

When I woke up this morning the rain was coming down!  Not very inspiring to go out in that!  I was glad that I had church to go too, maybe by the time it had finished then it would have stopped raining too!  I had arranged to meet up with Naggy around 1 ish, so that gave her plenty of time to make sure her Houdini dog don't escape again!

You can imagine my relief when I came out of church and the sun was almost shining, and it felt remarkable warm for the time of year.  I came back and got my self ready for my run.  I didn't quite know the distance of the route that I had planned, I guestimated that it was between 9 and 10 miles.  I was thinking that would be plenty for today.  So when I told Naggy about it she was slightly doubtful that we would make it 9, maybe 8!  But I didn't mind that, it's still a step up from the 7 miles I have got up to so far.

We set off towards the ally, the one that takes us to Turnaround Lamppost, but we were taking the path that goes through the gate half way up there, passed the park.  I must tell this, she was running at  a pace, a nice warm up pace....for her, but for me it was the pace that I wanted to get to AFTER I warmed up! I kept up mostly with her, and we got to the other side of the park and started to run along towards the A21, that dreaded road that I loathe.  Thankfully, though, we turned right towards Bromley.  The second of our park spaces that we are running through, Normans Park.  It will be twice around there before running to the next one!  While we were running around I saw one of our PWR's running around, this is PWR's local after all!  It seems strange talking about local in park terms and not public houses! How times have changed!

That was a tough one, we had the wind in our face as we ran down the long straight! I did walk on that first lap I walked.  But then NaggyNeighbour does what she does best, when we were running down the short straights (it's the bit that takes us to the funnel on parkrun days) Naggy said "Ok, so we want to do about 9 miles, you are going to have to run from this bench" as she pointed to the bench about 50 feet away,  "all the way round non stop" She said, so that's just over a mile!  After I have already done about 3, "It will take us to half way point" she said, still encouraging me.  "Ok, I can do this" I think I said the last bit in my head! But at least I said it, I heard it, I knew I said it, I will run around this lap non stop!  So as we walked up to the bench I took a deep energising breath and started to run.  All I had to do was to run 1 mile and then I can have a walk, forget about what I have done so far, from this moment it's all about this mile!  That was what was going on in my mind!

I passed by a couple of runners, I did try to smile, and I passed by our PWR club member, and I think I gave him a smile too....I think!  I just looked at every piece of park furniture to run too, every building to run to and just tried to get around the park bit by bit without stopping!  I did it, I flippin did it!  I know it's not a big deal to most people but for me, feeling like I was and running that mile I felt good.  So now our sights were set on our third park, Whitehall Rec.  It's a smaller park and the exit is the opposite side to our entrance!  But I still wanted to run around here twice, which means that actually we run around 2 and half times!  That was tough too!  In fact running is tough, "No one said running is easy" said Naggy to me today!  I did actually say to the beginners yesterday, that the first minute was easy!  I must remember not to use that word!  Sometimes we all need to go out running with a faster running buddy just to remind ourselves of how hard running is!  Whether its for a minute or for a mile at a time!  It's hard, and what I need to remember is that it don't get easier you can just run further before you 'think' you can run anymore!  Naggy had another challenge for me, from the top right corner, by the bin we will run all the way around, back to the bin and then all the way around to the top left corner to where the gate was!  To be it seemed so not doable, but Naggy knew it was.  So we walked to the bin and then started the run!  I managed to run that loop of the park, I started down to the corner where we came in, the bottom left, and I was so annoyed, I talk a brief walk here!  So annoyed with myself.  I told myself off and started running again after just a few seconds, and then again, I took another one before I actually got to the gate!  Oh well!  Keep on running!

We took a walk as we came out of the park to the crossroad and then started running again once we crossed over.  We were heading towards Blackbrook lane, and our forth park space!  I was really beginning to tire by then, I was thinking of maybe just running down BlackBrook lane and back through my nearest local park, Parkfield rec.  But I put that though out of my head.  Jubilee park it is!  I followed dutifully after Naggy as she chatted the whole way "That's it, keep on going, you're doing really well" she said.  I didn't feel like I was doing well, but I knew it wasn't long now before we were nearly finished!

We got through the park quicker than the others, mainly because we were running straight though it, no running around a loop first.  We kept on going all through through to the road, I think I did actually take a sneaky walk before we got there.  I saw Naggy then turn left to go into Petts Wood itself, I had thought about going right and doing it a little shorter, but I had no energy to call after her so I followed.  I was really thirsty now, I think now is the time to start bring water with me, after about 7 miles I did start getting a bit thirsty.  The pub was just along the high street, I think I will pop into there to get a drink of water!  Thankfully they have it all ready for use, nicely chilled and with added fresh lemons!  It felt so good!

We continued on our run, homeward bound now all the way home.  I ran, I walked, I ran.  Then we were onto the road that I dare not stop, Farringdon Avenue!  No stopping now, this is my challenge to myself, this bit of the road is where I will not stop running until I get home!  We did, and it wasn't 8 miles it was just over nine miles!! I am very pleased with that.  We popped into my house for a nice cuppa!  Wonderful, blimmin needed that cuppa and the one 2 minutes after I finished that one too!

Geeky stats.

The Beginners Begin!

Hello blog lovers.

I have three blogs I need to write up for this weekend. and they are all going to be done, honest.  But for now I really want to get this one done, its all about Saturday!

Our spring Beginners

Saturday morning saw the start of the spring beginners course!  I do love these sessions. ZippySherry and I will be leading around 60 or so beginners from couch to a 5k parkrun in over 9 weeks. I was first to lead.  It's all so very exciting and also very nerve wrecking to see all those eyes on you, but I really do love it!

DiscoRich doing the introductions

 DiscoRich was there, he did the introductions and then handed straight over to me and Sherry!  We were not by ourselves though, there were at least 25 other PWR's that had come out to lend a hand, to encourage all the beginners, to run, answer questions and anything that they needed to know.

There were an enormous amount of new comers and also a few from previous courses, but all of them  were there with an enthusiasm to do well, and I guess there was a little apprehension in there too!  But there was no need, we are renowned for our friendliness at Petts Wood Runners.  So with all the introductions done it was time to start them on their road to the running community!

As usual we start of really gently, we don't want to scare them off!  So a nice brisk walk twice around the rec, get the heart rate pumping just a little bit harder than a normal walk would.  Then it's our drills, just to make sure their muscles are prepared for whats about to come.  I thought I would keep it a little bit easy for the first one, no really silly drills, I didn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable doing some of our silly walks,  but as the time progresses we will introduce some more drills into the mix.

Then it was time for the running.  I was so nervous about forgetting to check my garmin, I literally had my arm almost jammed into my face so I wouldn't miss how long we had been running for.  For the first week we only run for 1 minute and then walk for 5 minutes! We do that five times!  And there's the other thing, I get so excited about our beginners I sometimes forget how many times we have done the running bits! Was it 3 or was it 4?  But I know that someone will tell me!

Watching them all run around for that first minute is really very inspiring!  They are all trying their hardest to keep a good pace on them, or just to not stop running for that first minute and then when I blew the whistle they all looked a bit stunned! It went just so quickly.  The next five minutes were spent walking briskly around the rec, with the beginners all talking about that first minute, how they found it, how they thought the minute was up so quickly, how it took for ever to blow the whistle!  But they all did it, which is exactly what we wanted them to do,  another 4 times we repeated that, each time I think all of them managed to keep on running in the running bit!

I blew the whistle for the last time for our 5 minutes walking around the rec.  The banter changed then.  Yes look at you all, you have completed the first of 9 sessions to get to a 5k non stop park run!  Of course there is the stretches afterwards, to gently stretch out the muscles so as they don't ache and complain too much! And voila!  It's done! A fantastic first session, everyone really enjoyed it, including our own PWR's!

Stretches

I just gave out the homework instructions and some leaflets for them to take home and that was it for week one Spring 2017 beginners course!  I can't wait till next week!  Just a couple more photos for you all!

There me, trying to keep them all calm and relaxed!

Some of our PWR's lending a hand