Got To Get Them Miles In!

Hello blog readers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Here are some pictures from the beginners group last week! 

Club Runs and Beginners!

 Hello blog readers!

PWR through and 
through

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

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

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

Beginners

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

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

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

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

Today

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

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

Little Run With Pat

 Hello bloggers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Hi blog readers.

Me trying out the
AfterShokz
#ItriedAS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RefMichael doing
cool downs

Putting them through their paces

Group 1

it was a bit muddy

Another group run

See, we've been consistant

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

She's Only Just blimmin Blogged Again!

 Hello readers.

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

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

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

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

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

So till next time folks, keep on running.

Club Running

Hello blog Readers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I struggled that last half mile back to the rec.

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

Blimey - Where Has That Time Gone

Hello readers!

Well, how does all that time get in the way of just writing a few words down about the brilliant job we have all been doing to keep fit!.....When I say we, I mean....that lot.....I have been doing my part, but I know I could so do better

There has been fitness via Whatsapp with Tracy, well not last week, and this week seems to be proving a bit difficult too!  But the beginners have been doing so well.  Have I spoken about the beginners yet! Yes, I'm sure I have.  

It was week three on Saturday, Hannah was in charge of leading them through their paces.  It's her first time leading the bigger group, last year, you remember, we had split into smaller groups of 12.  It felt so normal, I am loving every week of the beginners, chatting to everyone, seeing friends, encouraging people, hearing them say "I didn't think I could do that, but I did!" is most rewarding.  I feel such absolute pride in my running club.  

On Saturday it was the running for equal amounts of time for walking, so 3/3 run/walk.  This week is such a psychological week in the course, it kind of feels so daunting, more than running for more minutes than walking...or is that just me?  But these beginners did blimmin marvellous for last week!  

What else have I been doing!  Oh of course....running!  I've been busy running with group 0!  We are getting back to it, it's taking it's time, but when you think about it, we had a year off!  But as Wendimoo keeps on telling us, think positive, we are getting better, we will get better, and we were better today!

We finally got to 5k, the psychological 3 miles done within the hour that we have for our running.  Just doing that, for me, feels like a huge win!  Done it, 3 miles!  Now we need to build on that!  Push it a little faster, a tad harder.  We got this, we can do it!  WE ARE PWR!