A Hairy Weekend! - Part 1

Hello blog lovers.

How's your prostate?.......I know, its not the sort of question one normally asks is it. How are you, how do you, alright mate? is the usual greeting of the day. Which usually results in the response of "I am fine thank you, and you?" Which sometimes isn't true, you may have a sore knee, leg, back, head or indeed there could be things not seen, you're feeling down or worse, things could be happening to your body that you don't know about or even probably don't even think about.  Todays Park run at Bromley, Normans Park, was a Movember run.  It's to raise awareness of prostrate problems and mens health in general. Now isn't a much better way of getting you blokes to think of your selves, no award question and answering session.  Anything that you feel is not quite right then get it checked! And it's also the first Movember park run I have done! And of course I kept to the spirit of the event, along with Della and Nagging Sister and almost all participants of Park run today!

The three musketeers?!

So you can image the start line for todays park, the whole line up is one big hairy lipped, curly permed wig wearing runners you could ever see!  From the chaps, some of whom even grew their moustaches, to the ladies and children sporting various shaped stick on versions.  I even saw a dog with the stick on variety, I tried to get a picture of him/her but he ran off in the other direction!

The line up.

Even spectators got involved.

We were soon off on our hairy park run.  I must say, I wasn't looking forward to peeling off my moustache after, nor, in fact, thinking about the state it was going to be in at the end! Ewww, no, best not to think about that.

I was running along with nagging sister, for just about the first.....10 feet, before she took off!  Each week she has been getting faster and faster! I seem to be  heading in the opposite direction!  I know this run will also go on the wrong side of my fastest time!  It was my birthday week, so with cakes, chocolates, lunches, drinkies, champagne and theatres and burgers, I feel just walking around todays run and finishing is a miracle! There, a new excuse for the Mighty Moosh excuse book!

This was again, a technology free run, my Garmin was dead, I had forgotten to charge it.  So there is not going to be any pacing for me, I wont know if I am going to fast at the beginning, or too slow.  I couldn't even see anyone that I knew who runs faster or slower than me to gauge my running.  But what with this being a timed run, it didn't matter.  The geeky stats will arrive at some point today, and I will know then if I am any good at judging the whole pacing thing without techno gizmos!

The ground was getting better, with not so much wet muddy stuff around, and although it was chilly, I knew that running along I was going to warm up. I did see someone that runs in group 1, but she was doing her thing so I said hello to her and passed on by.  At least now I know that there was at least 1 person behind me that is my pace timekeeper, even though she doesn't realise it! 

I wasn't pushing my self this park run "Do you ever?" I can hear you all crying out, as I really thought I didn't have it to give, I was feeling very heavy, very bloated with way too much celebrating for a birthday, so the idea was to just keep going for as long as I could, with the occasional push for speed if I felt like it.

Well the long and short of it is that I had  a great time out there, I even managed to keep on the 'tash, even though it was just starting to peel off at the ends.  It felt like a slow run, and I felt really as if I could have put a bit more effort in, but hey, I'm out here, running, with full tummy and post birthday week celebratory head, sporting a stick on 'tash, so chaps, you now have been made aware of this, go check out the bits that you can check out (as if none of you ever do that anyway!) or if there is something worrying you else where, go see the doc, they don't bite, or won't think you're being daft!

Me nearing the end, complete with soggy moustache!

Last picture courtesy of Brian Page, edition of So Lets Go Running magazine.

Call Of Nature!

Hello blog lovers.

Thursdays run just had to be through the woods! Pounding pavements is ok, when it's particularly dark and there is only one head torch between us, but during the day it's such a shame to not go and run through His fantastic gardens, the woods!.......What?......The call of nature title?......Did you all think this was about .... well, well it's not.  It's just that nothing beats running through woods fields and meadows!  The calling of the woods, the trees and even the mud, is just so strong, it really is criminal not to get out there and run through it.  And that's coming from an old townie like me!  I never used to actually like it but now, I just can't get enough!

There was only the three of us running in the 'Elites' group, and I had forgotten my Garmin, but sometimes (as Mr. S. says sometimes) it's good to just run.  I know the route is about 3 and half to 4 miles, but there is no idea how long we will take to complete it, and there is no idea of pace either.  Free running at its best!

My route was to go through 'Dog Poo Ally' and then turn right to head for towards the road and then turning left just before we get to the road.  Then its running along parallel to the road but still in all the green stuff!  I am determined to try and stick to the route that I did a good few weeks ago when I went on a path finding run but for the last couple of times we have run this way I managed 'popped' out of the woods way to early and we have had to run along the road with the traffic fumes contaminating our air! And guess what?! I still popped out to early! But I feel I am getting ever closer to the right path! Who knows I may actually get it right next time.

But then Illustrious Leader told me about a path that keeps going along to where I want to be and there is no crossing over the busy road.  I think I shall have to try and investigate this and see where about it is.  The path that we did take was still a good path, nice and wide, not too sticky with mud and at least it was going in the right direction!

After we crossed the road we had to run along with the traffic until we could go into the woods on the right for a short while.  We ran past the place where I was hoping to come out its almost opposite the way into the woods on where I wanted us to run.  I think this is Scadbury Park, but I was never good at geography (or orienteering come to that!) and could be completely wrong.  But it's still a nice place to run. 

We were soon heading towards our neck of the woods, pun well  and truly intended, Hawkwood and Pettswood.  We crossed back over the road and down towards Botany Bay, but then did a left turn to run past the back of the school fields and down towards the little pond.  It was a little bit sticky here just in front of the board walk, but we all managed to get past it without falling.

I took them back on to the bridle path as this is wider, which means I.L. and PinkladyJo can zoom up in front of me! I had a feeling I would be the slowest going up here.  Then its a left turn down past the fields, just to keep it interesting.  Whenever I go down this path, with it's slight direction changes it always feels as if I have taken a wrong turn (again) but we are always on the right track!  Just the last stretch of muddy paths to go and our run for today is over!

I think next time I forget my Garmin I shall take my phone with me and capture some pictures of us.  I really enjoyed this run, this free from techno run, free from pavements (well almost), run.  And we beat DiscoRich and his group back too, (not that we were racing them) mind you, they had done 5 and half miles!

Coffee and Walnuts!

Hello blog lovers.

Who ever put those two things together was just genius!  It's like, Pie 'n' mash, cheese and onion rhubarb and custard! But todays odd title refers to my cake baking efforts for my running buddies.  Today is my birthday, and for after our club runs then I was dishing out the cakes I made earlier in the day.  (It's a test really to see if they will be good enough for next years cake bake for our 10k)

Anyway, running before cakes!  Nagging sister and her attachments were not here today, it was just Ade and Tracy and Lorraine!  But todays session was going to be some hill reps!  I mentioned it to the girls last week, but neglected to tell Ade, just in case he found 'a must go to meeting' appointment some where. 

To start with we just jogged around block, nice and easy, just to get us warmed up.  The last couple of metres or so we did some side striding, some butt kicks and some knee highs.  I want them to have very warmed up legs, because we are going to go straight into the hill reps.  Ade and Lorraine were no.1 me and Tracy were no.2.  No.1 runs, quite fast, as far as the silver taxi that is about half way up the hill in Woodrise. Then they come back and No. 2 does the same.  Then No.1 runs to the top of the hill, where another car is conveniently parked, and then jog back to let their partner do it. That is one rep.  I want them to do at least 5 of those! Not a lot to ask of them, is it? 

They all did really well indeed.  It's good to have some hill training, (it's been drummed into me!) so if I know that then I have to impart that on to these guys!  It needs to be done.  I have also said to them that they should come along and try a run with Group 1.  If they know what it's like, how far we run as a group and the speed then they will either keep up or go back to training in order to reach that speed.  I know they can do it.  The distance will be a little longer, but the hill training that we have done, and the not stop two milers will hopefully sustain them through.  After all in group 1 we do have a couple of regrouping stops.

No geeky stats for group 1 today, as it was just running up and down the hill. And I did less than Ade, I did the same as the other ladies, just 4 reps, after all I am running again after.

Group 1

There was no Illustrious Leader today, SingstarJo was leading, and after todays hill reps, I quickly put my hand up to volunteer as sweeper today.  I knew I would be at the back today. Even though I welched out on the last rep!  Well, I had to watch and see that all the others were having a good time!

After all the group leaders said where they were going, we all started off. SingstarJo tried very tactfully not to mention 'Cardiac Hill' she kind of glossed over that bit, especially as we had a number of newbies join us today.  Best not frighten them with things like 'hills' and 'Cardiacs' we do want them to come back after all!

We were running down Tudor Way, and turning left towards Crofton.  I started to get cramp in my toe, again! I think its the cold weather! I am deffo not a cold weather person, my body doesn't like cold weather and my pshche doesn't like cold weather! Spring and Autumn are just perfect times for running, not too hot, not to cold, with maybe just a smidge of rain!

The main body of group 1 stayed together pretty well, with just one lady struggling just a tad.  I was quite happy to stay back and keep her motivated.  She is one of DiscoRich's graduates and completed her first 5k last week! 

Going up Lynwood I told her to visualise the hills as upside down hills/bumps! These ones are quite little ones anyway, and they are short, all over and done with before you realise it.  The lampposts came into play again.  Good old lamppost, they never fail. Standing there just waiting for you to 'use' them to help you on your way to fitness greatness! As well as to light our way as well!

We turned right heading along Mayfield and towards that Hill.  Me and Julia were a bit behind the others now, but I knew where they were heading! And so did Julia!  But there is quite a few people that have struggles with this hill, so I told her to take her time and just go at her own pace. I won't be leaving her to find her own way back!  'We never leave an in the field' or even a runner on route!

We got to the top of Cardiac hill and regrouped with all the others.  Here Julia (I do hope that I have remembered her name right!) had a decision to make.  There is three ways to go, the short way, the slightly shorter way, or keep with the main group!  She was feeling quite tired so opted for the short way. I was holding on to my.....top half when I go there!  I have decided that the sports bra I am wearing will be known as Brylcream.......  Put it this way, my 'ShockAbsorber' sports bra does exactly what it says! It really does keep ...ahem...everything under control, but my Brylcream bra....well I'm guessing you older readers can image why I've called it this!.....blimey sore or what!

But as always, I do like a bit of a challenge, I try to impart the love of challenges on to others, so I suggested to her that as we were running up Crossways then we use the lampposts to do a bit of interval running!  A bit of speed running and then slower jogging, all the way to the rec.  But as we went the shorter way, they we will go right to the end and see if we can beat the others to the end of the road or even back to the rec again!

She agreed and we both had a good time.  At least I hope she did, she did say that she will be back next week!

So geeky stats for you.

Who's Crazy? - Not Us!

Hello blog lovers.

What a glorious day it was today - NOT. As I was walking the kids to school, in the rain, and the wind and the chill of the morning, I was wondering if any of the Thursday groups would turn up today! I was a bit optimistic when I got myself ready for todays run, I deliberately didn't put on a waterproof, hoping instead that it would stop raining just as the kids go in, (as is usual.) But the rain came down even harder! So I decided to drive home and get my waterproof coat at get to the rec, to see if there are any more crazy people who go running in this!

I parked up my car and walked into the rec to see......one other person, hood up, looking towards the green.  A lone runner, shivering, she made a very lonely.........crazy sight indeed.  And I just added to the crazy sight! Were we the only two runners waiting in the greyness, in the rain and the wind, to go running!  But we didn't have to wait long as DiscoRich and Illustrious Leader turned up and then Tracy and Ade!  PWR's, we are made or stern stuff, or we are just a few trainers short of a team!

This was going to be the whole quota of runners today.  Now I know there would have been more, but for some reason, known only to those who thought of the idea in the first place, some of the teachers were having some sort of day off......I mean an 'InSet Day' something that never seemed to happen when I was at school, but of course that meant that some of the other ladies couldn't make it for the Thursday run.

As it was such a miserable day, the rain was coming down and it was blooming cold, I decided to stick to the roads and tarmac today.  Selfish reasons for me really for this decision (a 'perk of being a leader, I finding!), one was that my knee felt a little 'weird' this morning, like I had jarred it, and also with the rain coming down, its just a bit more difficult to concentrate on where your feet are landing, with the whole wiping of eyes, and steamy glasses as well.  So to the cinder is where we were heading for, in the rain! 

Sometimes though, I have had some good runs in the rain, but the rains have usually started after I have started running! I have never been one for walking out of my house in the rain and starting to run, not unless its been a club run or a race I have entered! Very occasionally that has happened. But running today, was feeling really good.  I warmed up pretty quickly, and so did Tracy, Ade and Illustrious Leader. 

The wind had bought down a few bigger twigs from the trees along the cinder path, but apart from that the run was event free! So we didn't have the sunshine, we were all still there running, ok so the woods would have been a really sticky soupy mess, but we hit the tarmac, and yes, we were soaked through, but we were all still smiling and enjoying the fact that we were out running. Well, Ade wasn't having his best run of all, but I am sure once he got home, he was thinking to himself  "Well look at me, out on a day like this just for fun, running"  Now that is something to smile about!

Geeky stats, and you will notice that as we came out of the cinder path there is a bit of a wait, as Tracy and me waited for Ade and I.L. to do the little loopy bit, (although Ade did come back a little quicker than expected!)

Club Runs - A Chilly One!

Hello blog lovers.

What a chilly night!  Winter is certainly beginning to claim its time in our year!  Scrapping frost of the cars, wooly hats and gloves! Brrrrr!  But runners still get out there and do it!  My thinking is, it's only for an hour, but in my case its for 2, so lets get on with it!

The Graduates are still keen, which is all that it takes to be a runner.  If you can get yourself out of your nice comfy sofa, away from the drivel on the t.v. and cram your self into your running tights, bright reflective tops and jackets, and shove on a warm luminous hat (well mine is luminous, I look like a big zit running down the road!) then you really are a runner!  Nagging Sister, Tracy and Ade and Lorraine were at the rec this evening, well, N.S. went and collected Lorraine as she was running a tad late, and I didn't want her to miss out on todays run.

I was a bit negligent as I had forgotten to charge up my Garmin! I was going to do a slightly different route today but decided I would stick to the route that we had done before as I knew the exactly milage of that.  And as Tracy was coming back from injury the route was going to be the same as last time and that is run in the opposite direction! Are you with me so far? Good!

But for Ade and N.S. to make it a bit more challenging for them, then they will be doing the 'sprint backs' to me at my whistle! Well, you have got to keep it fun!  All I can say is that every one did so well indeed! I was impressed with everyone, they all kept going, Lorraine had a tight calf and had to stretch out a couple of times, but that was it.  No walking stops at all! Now to work on the speed!

Group 1 Run

SingstarJo was leading group 1 today, and it's a bit of a special one today as DiscoRich's Saturdays Beginners have graduated and they are joining us for the Group runs. I think some beginners are even joining group 2!  SingstarJo has chosen her route that will allow a short cut towards the end of the run, but if they really are feeling totally comfortable and still have tons of enery, then the is the slightly longer route with a small tiny hill, might be more appealing to them. It's the same route that I had taken the graduates on only an hour earlier!  Illustrious Leader will be sweeping this evening and when we get to the point of decision time, i.e. longer route or shorter route, then I would take all those that want to do the shorter route and take them back to the rec to begin stretches.

S.J. took us up Birchwood.  Now this should get our blood pumping and will soon warm us all up!  But just after starting on this route we had a faller!  She came down quite hard and grazed her knee!  She felt like she wanted to carry on, but sometimes you have to say to runners, "No, pain is not good, relax, get better for another time" Runners can be stubborn! But it is that determination that you need to get you out into the cold night air, or to keep you going to the end of a marathon, or to keep going after you have done 80 - 90 miles! Anyway we persuaded her to not to run any more, I.L. will walk with her back to her car, and then she will come and join up with us on another part of the route!

The group was staying quite tight together, up the rest of the hill, and then down again.  We did start to pull apart after  a while.  With the built in stopping points that SingstarJo there wasn't too much of a gap, and to keep the faster runners from getting cold, S.J. even had a little extra bit for them to do while the back runners caught up and took a bit of a breather!

The next stopping point is the infamous off license (which is not a mini supermarket). Infamous only because we I still see it as such, (I must stop  living in the past!, when I was younger, skinnier, but a couch potato!) From there it was straight down to the Newsshopper carpark where we had another regroup and decision time!

About 8 or so decided that 3 miles for sufficient for todays run and went with me for the shorter route.  As we were running down Pettswood road I had noticed that J.J. and Janet we in front of me! Trail blazing, leading the way home! "What are you two do here?" I called out jokingly to them and they called back "We were hoping you didn't notice us" they both called back.

All in all a good couple of runs this evening, well apart from the one fall!  I shall let you all know how Wendi is getting on in my next club run!

Park Run - A runners Eye View

Hello blog lovers.

I decided that todays park run was going to be a totally relaxed affair.  DiscoRich had a rather large group of  graduates running their first 5k park run after their 8 week beginners course.  So I thought I would just jog around the course for some fresh air, exercise and if I see any of the new runners then give them some encouragement as well.  I was also going take some pictures as it is my local park run, and give a view from a runners eye of a 5k course, and in my case I am usually always looking at peoples backs! So, maybe I should call it a backside view of park run!

I met up with the PWR's and also my sister, who came alone today, no attachments with her (her daughters).  I told her that I was going to have a very pleasurable run this morning.  The announcements were made, and we were off.  The grass was still wet and muddy in places but the new path up the long straight was ready!  It's going to be great running along there, maybe even a few seconds faster for the PB chasers.

The sun was shining, it was a cool crisp morning, with a touch of frost on the untrodden parts of the grass.  Perfect for first time runners, perfect for hundredth park run runners, in fact, perfect conditions for everyone!   I do feel a lot more relaxed about this park run, I have my head right, running for running sake, and if you can keep fit and keep the fat cells at bay then that is just  a bonus. 

Here is a picture of the first of the  'river passes', see how many park runners are out for a good time.

First pass of the river

 Oh and maybe some of the Bromley Cyclists may be interested in the nice wooden bridge here. Some cycling spectators use this to watch their loved ones and friends on their park run!  Running into to the sunshine just makes you smile, well, your face muscles contort that way as you squint, so you might as well go the whole hog and smile as well.  Such a great sense of well being!


The wooden bridge over the River Ravensbourne

The ground was a bit soft but I am sure it is getting firmer as the winter tries to take its turn.  I couldn't see any of DiscoRich's beginners, I was thinking that he has done an excellent job of training them for their first 5k, and they are all going to be finishing it in less than 30 mins!

As I was just taking it easy today, I was looking around at people, seeing how they are doing, watching all the other park users enjoying this fantastic park of ours. There were youngsters doing football training, adults doing some very gruelling workouts with what looks like some armytype chap putting them through their paces.  All out here on a Saturday morning at 9 am. Now that is very much a smile inducing moment!

Reaching the pavilion I managed to snap a quick pic of some of the volunteers who help out to make this event a truly top notch bestest parkrun venue anywhere, (but I am biased)

The volunteers of Bromley
Park Run

SingstarJo was also volunteering today, but I must have missed her with my camera!  At the top of the park I took some more pictures of some more of the people who where in front of me! 


Just at the top of the Park

Next it was that lovely new path!  It was a bit sticky getting from the grass to the path but I managed it without slipping or falling, just take a look at what us lucky Bromley Park Runners have to run on, and this is the longest stretch of the lap.



The Long Straight

From one end of the park to the other! At the half way mark I took some more pictures of the faster runners as they were half way through their second lap. 

The front runners

On my second lap I did come across one of DiscoRichs graduates.  I started chatting to her and then jogged along with her for the rest of our run.  It was her very first parkrun, and she had never done any sort of running before! And here she was completed a 5k at 9 o'clock on a Saturday morning!

All the way round this lap I chatted to her, encouraging her.  She had her music with her and it is only now I am thinking that maybe she would have preferred to listen to her music then to listen to me! But she was very polite and didn't say anything and chatted away when I did.  Back to the starting point and just the last turn to do before we run for the tunnel.  There is a very large sticky puddle bit here, and I thought I would take a picture of it for all you mud lovers.

Muddy patch

It was good to say to her "look there is the orange tunnel, just a little further and its all done," I stood back and got ready with my camera to take some pictures of what runners head for when they finish their run.

A graduate of PWR's Beginners Course
running for the orange tunnel

A great run today, and so enjoy all the chat and catch up after each run! Park runners, they only people they compete with is themselves each week.  After the runs everyone is chatting and having a good time, with water, squash, tea and coffee, biscuits and cakes!

Here's me with my running buddies (I'm second left)

Love it.

Some finishers of the park run

Oh and just because I love geeky stats here is my Garmin stats.

Off on Thursday!

Hello blog lovers.

Thursday group run was a tad harder for me today!.  I not sure why! I chose the route, through the woods, up to the top of Botany Bay Lane, and then touching on Scadbury woods before doing some pavement pounding to get back to the rec.

After yesterdays bike ride, which I still have to write about actually, I wasn't feeling too confident about how I will be able to keep up let alone lead today.  But I really was looking forward to running! Having a bit of a fretful morning will make you want to just run and run, and when you have beautiful woods like we have here to run through, then your cares and worries are left as you enter them!

There were only the three of us today, and we really did look like the pink ladies! I wished I had nabbed a selfie of us all in our bright pink running attire! We totally looked like a gang!  I was leading them up the middle of the woods, it is still sticky and wet in places.  We all like running through the woods and have come to accept that we are going to get muddy!  I.L. has trail shoes on and she was explaining the benefits of these.  I am deffo going to add these to my Christmas list!  PinkladyJo and me had our ordinary road shoes on.  But no one slipped over in the mud, which was good.

I struggled just a bit getting up the first hill! I think I must be coming down with something, or some other reason that I just don't seem to have the energy today.  I refuse to get ill this time of the year! It's my birthday month, its SingstarJo's birthday month, and also Christmas parties to attend for the next couple of months! I refuse to get ill.  So I'm sure the best thing to do is to just keep on going!

We had a walking section up towards the Tigers Head, well me and PinkladyJo did, Illustrious Leader seems to be back with avengance as she jogs alongside us, chatting away! We soon got back into the jog mode and then some more of the lovely woods to go through!  I am glad I.L. was with us, because as I was chatting away I nearly missed the smaller path, that would have take us further into Scadbury Park, I believe, an area that I am not familiar with, and I must admit, got lost in on one particular Mob Match, much to Spiders amusement, as it's him that usually gets lost! 

This bit didn't last too long and we soon was back on to the road.  I decided to just keep it to our usual distance, about 3 and half to 4 miles, we were going to go down to the roundabout and then turn right to run down the hill. I am hoping the down hill will fill me with some enthusiasm and energy.  It didn't work.  I was still feeling tired and achy, but I had noticed that my mood was better! And that is sometimes all you need!

I.L. was just a little a head of me and PinkladyJo, "Go ahead, keep going, I shall see you at the rec" I said, as I tried to encourage the other two to go at their own pace, I felt as if I was keep them jogging along slowly.  I.L. called back "I shall go ahead but I shall loop back" she said.  Well, she did loop back! Just as I was finishing the bottom of the hill I.L. turned around and started heading back towards me and PinkladyJo.  "I am making myself do the hill again" she said as she got nearer to me! Now that is finding your mojo again and totally embracing it!

I made myself run just a little faster down crossways, as I always do. Not as fast a sprint as I usually do but definitely the fastest I had moved today!  Both the ladies enjoyed the route and the run, which I was really pleased about. I think the Pink Ladies was a very good description of us all today, especially me, as I am sure my face was glowing as pink as my top!

Geeky stats.