Read one, get another three

Hello blog lovers.

So, I bet you all thought, "That's is, she finally has realised that she is just not built for this running malarkey". Yeah, as if you would even dream of thinking about that!  I have been a bit lax though, only about writing up my blogs, not about running!

So ......

Run 1

Tuesday Group 0 and we had 2 new members.  It was just as well because after last week, it seems all of the previous group 0 members really enjoyed running group 1 they all have moved up this week!  So in the group now we had Tracey and Katrina. DottieKat (her own nickname by the way)  hadn't ran before and Tracey was from our beginners group.

I decided to do the shorter of the two winter groups. Of course it meant going up Birchwood road.  But as it is the beginning of the run there is usually tons of energy for people.  Also the first quater of the run we are still warming up properly, even though I get the our heros doing warm up drills!

It was quite a mile night, there was a bit of rain, maybe that was helping to keep things feeling comfortably 'not cold' but the ladies were struggling a little bit.  I changed the run from 'run at you own pace until scheduled stop or you stop' to an 'interval running'  Very short segments between lampposts.  

First it was run between 1 lamppost to the other, and then walk to the next.  Once we were comfortable with that, and on the down hill section(!) then I changed it to run between 2 lampposts and then walk for 1.  We got around the course with huge smiles at the end! Always a good sign that it was step to far for anybody!  But I think DottieKat and Tracy will be  back for next weeks group 0 run.

Run 2

Group 1 run was led by SingstarJo.  The group was still huge as we are absorbing all of the beginners, and they are testing out the pace and distance.  Next week they may be a big difference as that will be a 'move up' week.

I was sweeping as usual, and I followed the crowd of runners along Crossways to Pettswood Road. We were going over the walking bridge to run along Southborough lane, and then through the back streets to Shepperton.  

The group broke into two groups, with a couple of people playing catch up with the faster people but just running slightly fast than the back runners.  To keep all together SingstarJo was going to take the faster runners around the triangle green while Illustrious Leader lead the back of the group to the end of the triangle to wait for them.  It all works out really well and we can keep altogether as one gorup.

All absorbed again we ran on up Chesham Ave, the turned right into Shepperton.  We ran to the end of Shepperton and had a catchup rest.  This was also a point where if anyone was struggling then we could take them on the shorter route, or they could continue on with the rest to do they whole route.

They all chose to continue!  Mavelous, fantastic they felt they could all carry on!  So from there we ran along to the Off licencse (which is no longer an off license any more).  

We ran along to St Johns road and then tudor way.  Two of the ladies that was thinking of going the shorter route was way ahead!  They were really doing very well.  Our beginners course had really given them confidence that they could do this running thing! 

We got back to the rec did our stretches and then all went down the pub for our club VLM draw.  Our club has been allocated 4 places in 2015 London Marathon.  The criteria  for entering our draw is that you have to be a PWR member for months and moths before  (obviously), not won the draw last year, and most importantly, you have to have your rejection letter from the marathon in the first place. Oh, haven't I mentioned it yet,....MY NAME WAS DRAWN OUT OF THE BOX!!

Me and the other 3 winners
with the Ladies Captain on my left

My ball

Run 3

Thursday morning saw my group much bigger that DiscoRich's!  Some of is crew had that awful thing that is happening to us.....work!  Don't you just hate it when that happens.  In my group there was Denise, PinkladyJo and Vivian.  I wasn't sure how they were going to react about going through the woods!  But hey ho!  It's fun!

I tried to 'think' about what the water would do in the woods.  Thinking is not my strong point.  I think that water will just fall down to the lowest parts of places!  It makes sense to me, water likes to run (a bit like me) and it likes to run down hill (deffo like me!) so the top of the woods should be faily dry!  Or am I just being to nieve?!

I ran along the street until we got to Little Thrift, and then the paths that took were all tarmac,  until we get to Goss Hill of course!  So not only did we avoid the lowest (in my mind) the wettest part of the woods but we also ran up the side of the woods, and for some strange reason I always think this will be dryer!

It wasn't as sticky and damp and 'puddly' as I thought, once we got onto Goss Hill.  Deneise and PinkLadyJo ran the whole of the hill in one go!  Me and Viv did it in spits and spurts!  I did make sure that I ran that flipping last bit!  I glare everytime at that last bit of the hill!

It wasn't too bad along the path next to the school, but after that then the mud fest kicked in.  Our pace of course slowed down as we tried to find the path that look as if it only at centimeter of water on top!  The path with the solid group underneath the sticky bit of mud on top!    It was impossible!  So I just splashed my way through the middle.  It felt a lot more safer actually than trying to skim the sides of the biggest muddiest bits of path.

As I was leading I was just splashing through thinking that the others may follow! But they didn't.  I don't think they have embraced the whole mud and water things as much as I have!  Give them time! I am sure I can fix that evetually!

There is a particually cheeky little hill that always gets me, especially after I have tried my best to get up Goss hill.  I looked at it and decided to attack it! Just get up it and then look back and wait for the others.  Deneise was close behind me, and we were both very pleased that we had done that particular hill in one go!  Big smiles from the both of us!

Once we got on to the path that heads straight down to Dog Poo Ally, I said to Deniese and PinkladyJo to just head down there, out of the ally and then back to the path!  I will run along with Vivian and we will meet up there.

Again the path down there had some huge wet very sticky puddles and muddy pools. I just ploughed my way through, Viv was taking over from the other Jo that used to come on a Thursday morning, by trying to keep her trainers almost spotless, as she picked her way through, finding the dries most solid parts of the path.

A great run thought, and they all said they enjoyed it!  So maybe the same again next week, or I may just do the cinder path!

Run 4

Track training.  Well now that I have that marathon place (*huge smile*) track sessions have now become a crucial part of my training!  Even though I was using track to train for my half!  I picked up Jane on the way to track and as we were going into the carpark we climpsed some of the wild life around the park as a rat ran along the road in front of us!  Yuck!

It was going to be a tough session (and so it should), running at 5k pace and 10k pace for 2, mins then 4 mins for the 5k and then 8 mins and 8 mins for the 10k, and then 4 mins and 2 mins for the 5k.  All with about 90 seconds rest between.  Some of them it felt like I only had 30 seconds!

I know I ran off way to fast for the first 2 min as PhysioMike called out 29! Meaning that if I continued at that pace I would run 5k in 29 minutes!  Yeah, deffo way to fast for a 5k!    I was just listening out for that whistle, and trying to remember to switch my Garmin on to pause each time!  Sometimes I remembered and sometimes I forgot!  In fact I had fogotten to switch it on when I ran the first 2 mins at 5k pace.

I was being lapped left right and center by the other PWR's, but the most scary part was when I ran past some of the sprinters who were using the track, they were just lining up to do a sprint.  I could hear their coach say "Get ready....Go"  I could hear them running so fast towards me,  I tried to think about how many there were, and I was wondering which way would be better for me to go, either left or right of the track.  As I was on the inside of the track I really didn't think that I would be able to get on to the outside track before they caught me up! A couple of other PWR's had passed them while they were lining up too, and the sprinters were catching up to them.  There was only one thing, I will have to step aside, off the track onto the rest area!  

They came thundering past me running so fast.  "I told them to go around you" their coach said to me "It was scary listening to them coming up, I just wanted to get out of the way" I said back smiling!

It was a great session today.  I ran on all the running parts today, I didn't give up, not sure what my splits are, or if I managed to go faster on the 5k paced bits!  But I am pleased with my effort.  And I know it must be helping!

  

When You Can Hover Then It Is Time To Run!

Hello blog lovers!

Excuse the title above, it's just a little joke for our Tracy!  Wendi shot of early yesterday morning, and did her own solo run, so me and Bims took Tracy on the Parkrun route, showing her what to expect on Saturday, (which by the way is her birthday)  This will be a little present to herself!

This blog is all about yesterdays run, I am sure you would have realised that, Mondays Madness!  All I can say is that I was glad it wasn't raining...anymore!  The weather was a bit chilly but I knew we would warm up as soon as we started our running.  Bims was waiting for us in the carpark.  She was clock watching! So we were a little bit late, but we turned up as promised!

She got out of the car and I took one look at her, "So, are they new running shoes?" I said as I looked at her inappropriate running shoes! "NO!" says Bims "No, no, they are my badminton shoes"  I looked at the grass that we were going to be running on, then looked at her lovely white, only every worn indoors, badders shoes "Well, they're going to be getting a bit wet" I said with a smile! Of course, we didn't let her run in those, so we piled into her car and all drove back to hers so that she could change!

So, once again, all ready to start our run.  This was all going to be for Tracy, there was going to be no nagging, no "come on, keep the pace up" there was going to be no looking at the watch to see how many minutes were left to run.  This is going to be run at her pace! For as long as she wanted, in preparation of her debut Parkrun.

We were going to be starting at Hook Farm end, but that is the only difference, of course it means we will end up at the other pavilion, but that is the only the two differences.  Well, maybe if she wants to stay on the path, no, no, we stick to the grass, just as it's going to be on Saturday!  The top of the park was a little damp, so maybe it's not going to be too bad.  We were already running along the long straight, so far so good. Just as we got to the park end, I did suggest that we stick to the path, but bims said "No, keep it just as it will be on Saturday"

So we splashed on to the grass!  It was going to be a lovely wet run!  The wettest part so far was the first corner (if we had started at the park end of course). Every year there seems to be a little lake appearing there.  We managed to find the driest part to go through and then we got back on to the tarmac, ready to turn right by the river.  Then puddles became totally unavoidable.  They don't actually look like puddles! With the grass growing them it just looks like a lush field! And just as we stepped on there it seemed that there was just no ground at all, as the water came almost to the top of our shoes. We all splashed our way along the side of the river, still all having a great time.  So what if we get wet and muddy, I had at least remembered to bring some clean dry shoes to drive home in and I told Tracy to bring a pair of extra shoes too!

We stuck to the Parkrun route, we had nearly completed our first 'B' shaped lap.  And now onto the second.  Tracy, so far had run all the way round, non stop!  Me and Bims were keeping her amused, and her mind off the jogging with our jovial chit chat, and singing, I think we had the theme to Rocky in our minds.

The second lap was a little tougher for Tracy but she was determined not to stop, she kept going.  When we got to the top again, by the play park, and started to approach the first corner again, we splashed our way through the mud and the puddles.  This is where we started to 'tease' Tracy a little bit. (it's the reason for the title!) She looked down at her legs and feet and had noticed that her legs were tons muddier than mine or Bims, "It's cos we run faster" teased Bims, "It's because I am the teacher and you are the pupil" I said to her "When you can hover over mud then it is time for you to leave" Don't you just love that programme, it's was back in the 70's I think, Kung Fu!  Loved it!

Anyway, it seemed to have helped Tracy along a little be bit as she tried to catch us, probably to thump us, or kick our butts with her muddy boot!  We passed the river again and was on the last couple of corners.  "How far have we done" Said Tracy.  I didn't want to let her know, I knew roughly where we are going to finish.  And I know that seeing that funnel at the finish is such a boost.  I told Bims that I was going to run along to the end so that Tracy has a visual of the end.

As I ran off, I couldn't resist taking a peek at my watch, I had made sure that I didn't look at it before, so that If Tracy asked I could honestly say "I don't know!)  But when I looked we still had about a quarter of a mile to go.  Piece of cake!  I shall scream and shout and encourage Tracy right from the finish Line!

A great run, a wet and muddy run.  But now Tracy has knows what she is in for!  Great fun, great camaraderie and tremendous encouragement all the way to the end!

Geeky stats,  I wasn't going to put them up as I didn't want Tracy to know how she did, but she asked me, and I automatically looked at my watch and told her!  Duh!!

Solo run!

Hello blog lovers.

Yesterday I went for a very gentle easy jog around.  I was planning on doing at least 5 miles, but it didn't happen like that. I started off, it was a greyish morning, and I really thought it was going to rain.  I set my Garmin and ran.  I was planning on going up the dreaded A21 and the along to Locksbottom and then down to Crofton before coming home.

I was still feeling pretty tight from Thursday track session, which is why I just wanted to do a nice gentle jog but still put in some extra miles.  I was also a little tired but I knew that once I was underway that would soon shake off.

As I was running along Southborough lane, and I started to think that maybe I should have just take a mile or so off as I really was still achy.  Maybe I should have taken the day off as a rest day and left it until the Saturday to do a run, but of course, I had the day free and I just have to do it, I had to run!

I just got to Turpington to lane, and was looking at it thinking "Maybe just run down there to the A21, instead of from the top here"  I almost talked myself out of doing what I set out to do and then I had a phone call.  It was my mother in law, she needed me to do something for her, it seems that I probably wasn't destined on Friday to do much more than a gentle 3 mile jog after all!

I turned down Turp and then Greenway, my old 'usual' 5k route.  As I was cutting short my run I tried to do my best to do some quality running, but still not beat myself up if I don't, I shall leave that for the track!

It was a good run, I was pleased that i went out for a jog but I was equally pleased that I didn't do more that the 5k, it just wasn't meant to be.  Rest days are just as good as run days.  I think I will try and do something else on my rest days though, get back on my bike!  Do some nice rides around before school pick up time!

Geeky stats

Is This An Alien Invasion?

The Landing!
They're here!

Hello blog lovers.

What a day!  A beautiful morning then a foggy evening!  Well, lets get the morning run sorted first.  We It was a chilly morning, well it is November I guess it's allowed to be!  DiscoRich was there with his group, along with two of the graduates!  And I also had a graduate with me.  There was only 3 of us this morning, me, Hilary and Viv.  Viv is one of our new graduates, and her daughter was running in DiscoRich's group.

I really missed running through the woods last week, and I was hoping that the rain from last week hadn't made it 'unpassable' in the woods.  I remember earlier in the year, the puddles were huge and very deep.  lakes appeared in sparrow woods, we were really looking for the 'big boat' being built but the 'crazy' man!  There was only one way to find out and that was to go through the woods.

But I was being sensible, we went straight up the middle path of the woods.  It was a bit sticky, but for some reason the National Trust have decided to stick to the 'natural look' of the woods and not slap tarmac paths in there, still, it's a good job I don't mind a bit of mud! I just hope the other two don't mind.

Hilary is suffering with a sore knee, but just like all us runners, refuses to give in to pain! We just do things a little more slowly for a little less distance! Simples. It's like we are from another planet, we don't do pain, not like these earthlings!  We got to the top of the woods and had a bit of a walk.  I think stopping completely is not good now, not with the weather getting a bit colder.  So we just walk for a little bit and then started running again.

We got all the way up to the Tigers Head and then Hilary's knee started to play up a bit, We were about half way into our run.  So we just slowed the pace down a bit and then I decided to do some loop backs with Viv, just so that we kept up our heart rates while Hilary had some more recovery time between her jog/walk.  It worked out brilliantly.  We also decided to run down Birchwood on the pavement instead of finishing off in the woods as viv could get a bit of a faster run all the way back to the rec.  But as with all our members, whether they are new or been there in the beginning, instead off making her way back to the rec and finishing by herself, she looped back to me and Hilary and we all finished the last bit together!

Perfect run in glorious sunshine.  I took a picture of the two ladies in Scadbury, and also one of the sunlight reaching into the woods.  So gorgeous

Viv and Hilary

Hazy morning

Geeky stats.

Track Session

Track session was tough! It has to be because it's designed to be!  I am beginning to really come to enjoy these sessions! It's training in a contained environment.  We are not out in the woods, or on the streets, so there is no waiting for catch ups, (well I did make them wait for me but I will explain in a mo).  So even little ol' me in group 1 can run along beside the group 2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8's, although I am not sure how many groups are represented in these track sessions.  

I picked up Jane on the way and we got out of my nice warm car and 'Brrrrrrrrr' "Totally craziness" or words to that effect!  It was very chilly, and the mist was started to settle around the track.  We met up with all the others and then to keep warm we did a couple of very slow laps of the track.  Then we did our warm up drills before starting our session today.

Run to the light Jane!

Somebody had mentioned that the sessions posted would be quite quick, meaning that we will be finished early.  So PhysioMike decided to add a 4 lap tempo run before we did the advertised session!  Remind me to glare at Kev next time I see him!  Still, as I said before, track is all about hard work!  we started on our 4 lap tempo run, running to a 5k pace, so for me that's slow and for the rest of the world is speedy!  

People were buzzing past me, as I was coming up the last 100m to the finish line for the end of my third lap the rest of the group had finished the forth and was just waiting for me so that they could start the session! Now you see why I said that I made them wait!  But did I get a breather before we started the hard training plan for this evening? Yes......just enough time to get my jacket off!  As soon as I hung it over the rail PhysioMike blew his whistle to start the hard running.

The session today was five lots of 90 seconds hard n fast running, with an ever decreasing time of gentle recovery jog, starting at 90 seconds going down to 15!  With a 4 minute break, jogging, (which I didn't do, I grabbed my water and rested!) And then repeat! All sounds pretty easy on paper!  But trying to get it done!  

I really tried hard on first section, but I kept stopping and walking when I should have been running hard, but only on the last few seconds of the 'run hard' section.  I was really annoyed myself.  So when the second section started I gave myself a good 'telling' but the first two I stopped again, just seconds before the whistle.  So I started chatting to myself, "Get a move on, Old Girl, keep going, don't stop"  I even did the thigh slap thing, worthy of any pantomime principal boy!  And that last part of the training I kept to it, to the letter!  I was pleased with myself!

With just a very slow jog round to loosen up and then cool down stretches the track session was done! As I was approaching the group to finish of with the cool down stretches the sight in front of me reminded me of a brilliant Speilburg film.  I am starting to thing that us runners are from another planet, what do you think!

We come in peace! 

Geeky stats.

The Merge!

Hello blog lovers.

Yes, it's late, but I have my reasons!  First off, this blog is about yesterdays run!  I didn't run today, totally manic day and only just found five minutes to sit down now!  And second, well, read first excuse, there really was no time for running or cycling today! And thirdly, it had been a bit of a tough day, I was glad to have my great nephew to have for the morning, help me smile! And ive been thinking about my mum. My inspiration for my running!  The reason why I started running was because of her, and I miss her like f***!  My mum!

My mum, very rarely angry.
miss you mum xxx

So, down to it.  Yesterday we saw the beginners who 'graduated' from the Saturday morning session and also the group 0 members are going to be there.  Because of the beginners being there the route is going to be a nice and fairly easy going route, just under the 3.5 miles that we normally do, with maybe a couple more extra stops!  All perfect conditions for group 0 members, who I know can quite easily run along happily in group 1.

ZippySherry was taking the lead today, with Illustrious Leader taking the middle and me at the back!  We had about 35-40 runners in group 1! It was an incredible number!  After the announcements were done, we were all set off.  It really was a super group!  Three groups merging into one!  Fantastic!  What a brilliant club I run with!

So with me firmly planted at the back I ran along, smiling, looking at all the runners going down Crossways!  After about half a mile there was a noticeable divide in runners!  But not group 1, zeros and beginners, there was a mixture of all three groups splitting into two groups.  When we got to Petts Wood, on the other side of the walking bridge, we thought it would be better to stick with the two groups.  So ZippySherry took off twith some of he faster group 1 members, some newly fledged beginners and some group 0's and the other group ran along with Ilustrious leader and me, bringing up the back end!

The evening was a bit damp, and it was affecting one of our runners.  I know that she can do the distance, but sometimes different circumstances has an effect on you, and the damp weather, evening time is all playing its part in making our runner have a bit of a hard time!  But I remember her saying that Paula Radcliffe is an asthma sufferer, which I didn't no, so she will not be using that as an excuse to give up, but it does help her decide as to which group she will be best suited to.

And that is what this first run after graduation is all about, seeing how group 1 feels, maybe even some of them want to go just that bit faster and try group 2 or even three next week, or whether, during these darker colder nights, maybe getting out at 7 and home to recuperate earlier will be more suited to them.

Me and the last runner had decided that we would cut the run shorter than the others and make our way back to H.Q, (Willet rec!) where we will do our stretches as we wait for the others.

After that however, we had a club task to do, and that was to hand over the cheque to St. Christophers Hospice, Bromely, money raised from our Petts Wood runners 10k, £4,000.00!!! We were well chuffed handing over that, in the pub, One Inn the Wood, our favroutie wood to hang about in!  Here is a couple of pictures! Oh and geeky stats at the end.

1, 2, No 3 miles!

Hello blog lovers.

This morning we woke up to a bit of wet stuff coming down!  But did that dampen down the enthusiasm of the Monday Morning Girls!  Bims, ChattyWendi and Tracy, no it didn't.  Our aim today is to run for 14 minutes non stop, walk for three and then do it again! And they were all keen!

Now usually we can cover about 2 miles in that time, but I am sure you have all clocked the title up there, we actually covered 3 miles!  How is that, did we use bikes, or skateboards? Was the proverbial rocket inserted into some sort of cavity?  Well, the answer is a resounding NO, to all of those answers!

Listen.......or at least.....read on and you will see.  After receiving an enthusiastic text from ChattyWendi I knew I would have, at least, one member of the Triple M club (Monday Morning Madness, club) this morning.  But  I text Tracy and Facetimed Bims (not a pretty sight first thing in the morning I must say!) to make sure they were going to be there as well.  After the school drop off I went to pick up Tracy and drove to meet the other two at the park.  I was a little late due to traffic, but we soon got under way with our training.  A brisk 1 minute walk to get the heart rate just a little higher and then that all important first 14 minute run.

I was running along with ChattyWendi while Bims and Tracy ran side by side behind us.  I kept encouraging Bims and Tracy to pick up the pace, so that we can keep all together.  It was a tough first lap but Tracy did it, fairly easily. After the first lap we swapped positions, ChattyWendi and Bims ran together while I ran along with Tracy.  This second 14 minute jogging session was proving a challenge for her, she had obviously not been doing her homework!  But Bims and ChattyWendy were on a roll!

I must tell you this, ChattyWendi really has already 'graduated' from The Old Girls School of Jogging, as she had already done her 5k ParkRun, ran the whole way, non stop for the first time.  She did say her time was slower than if she had walked some, but that wasn't the point of her run on Saturday. It was all about doing it in one go! And she did it!  She's still coming along here on a Monday though, you gotta finish the course! And besides I am sure she just loves coming along just because we are all mates. I think this is going to be our running day together from now on!

Anyway, back to our run.  We were half way round the second  lap, just coming up to the car park. As we went past the gate Tracy said "I'm not going again" as she looked towards the cars in the car park.  I said "Well at least let's get this lap finished and we can think about."  She had thought we had done the two laps that we usually did!  And when I told her that we still have about 7 minutes left to run as well she wasn't looking too happy!

She didn't give in though, she gritted her teeth, glared at the path in front of her, or maybe that glare was for me! But sheer determination she kept going to the other car park, the place where I had parked the car!  We managed to get to the other end, and started our walking.  I just walked on a little bit  to see where the other two had gone to and I noticed that they were doing another lap!  So I suggested to Tracy that we started walking in the opposite direction to meet them, it will be better than just waiting around.

But as we were walking, and here's the big huge smiley bit, I suggested that maybe she could try a little bit of interval running.  With very small segments of running and walking, until we get up to the other two.  I was a bit surprised she said yes, but I think she has a determination now and wants to get back to that place where she was last year, when she ran the PettsWood 10k!

We did the interval running all the way to other end of the park to meet up with the other two, sprinting, sprinting I tell you, on the jogging segments, and then we did the interval running all the way back to the car!  No giving up.  Bims and ChattyWendy were waiting for us at the cars. That was the extra mile we did! Huge high fives and hugs all round!  We did our cool down stretches and then said our good byes to Bims and ChattyWendi, after making plans for Tracy to do her debut ParkRun in two weeks time!

Bring it on!

Geeky stats for you.

Petts Wood Runners Graduates Winter 2014

Hello blog lovers.

Well this is the day that all the PWR beginners pass out, well, maybe wrong choice of word there, because we certainly do not want anyone to pass out!  But we do want to see them all achieve what they thought was not possible just a couple of months ago!

I arrived at the park and already the beginners had met up with Hels and ZippySherry, I was just a tad late.  So I made my way to the start.  One of the beginners noticed my shirt, I was wearing my club colours today, and so walked along with me to find the others.

We got to the start, noticing the rather huge deep puddle that we will all be having to cross, and Hels and ZippySherry was busy getting the graduates through the warm ups.  After that we just walking along to the back of the pack in readiness to start the ParkRun. After the brief annoucements and acknowledgements to the volunteers we started the race.

Tracey was very pleased to see me, I knew that she will need tons of encouragement to get around this course.  Her goal was to just finish it, hopefully non stop jogging, even if it takes and hour and a half!  But I didn't think it would take her that long.

There was also another young lady, called Posy, who was doing her first ParkRun too.  She had dropped off her daughter at athletics and decided, rather than just sit and watch, or go to a cafe or anything else, she would use this time to get her self fit.  She decided that she would do the 5k!  She was hoping to run with some nice people!  Well, Bromley ParkRun is one of the friendliest runs about!  What with the huge number of PWR's that attends, and the cakes baked by the regulars, I don't know of any friendlier place!

As per usual all the speedies ran off in hot pursuit of smashing their PB's.  I stuck close to Tracey to keep her focused, along with Hilary as well.  I was running with out my Garmin today, I would love to say it was because I thought it would be ideal to run completely at liberty, without worrying about the time, without worrying about the pace or how far we had done before.  Without being pressurised by that infernal bleep as each mile is acknowledge.  But I can't, I actually just forgot to bring it!  But it was kismet, the watch was not needed today.  Today was all about how the graduates pace themselves, and how much and how far they can run by themselves.

It was good to see Tracy just get into her zone, and with Posy running along with us for encouragement for herself and also giving tons of encouragement to Tracy as well, it was just magical.  This is what I just love about the nationwide ParkRuns, the friendly welcome, the totally encouragement you get from all runners, no matter whether you're at the back or striding out in front!

As we were running all the first of the long straight the speedies were already on their second lap catching us up.  Did they say "Get out of the way"? No, what they said is "Well done Petts Wood, keep going Petts Wood, you're doing well"  The smile on Tracy's face was good to see.  We passed our first person just about 100 meters from the start point, it was a young lady that Hilary knew, so she decided to run along with her to get her all the way round.

We were on our second lap now, still non stop running, still with thoughts of "I can do this"  The ladies breathing was quite steady, no one sounded as they were struggling at all.  The training had gone really well.  I am not sure how much training Posy had done, but she was certainly keeping up with Tracy and me.  As we approached the '2nd lap' sign there were more and more people running down the straight towards the finish funnel.  "Would they notice if I went straight down there" Tracey joked, and I said "No, but you will know!"  And she laughed as we made our way across the grass beside the river on our second lap.

At the opposite end of park I started to get tired myself!  I guess my 3 pints of lager and a  rather tasty curry the night before was probably not the way to prepared for running non stop for 3 miles.  Not only that, I hadn't even had a cuppa (as suggested at the top, I got up late!)  I did start to feel a bit nauseous.  I was going to suggest to Tracey, after she said that she is beginning to flag a bit, that if she wanted to walk then she should do.  But I thought that was me being totally selfish, and so I kept quite, and the feeling of nausea passed.

The long straight to do and this really did seem to give the two ladies an extra little push as they knew that the end was not far off now.  They even picked up the pace!  We came up to another one of the beginners along this stretch, who was having some problems,  she was in a little bit of discomfort.  Peter was also along this bit of the route and went to see how she was doing, and maybe even walk her to the pavilion if necessary.

Running is all about fun and fitness, it is not about hurting and pain, and working so hard to achieve your running goals that it no longer has that fun feel any more.  If something is fun you will want to do it, all the time, you will never get bored of it.  If it becomes a chore then you are more likely to give it up!

That is how I have kept up with my running, being part of a running club has also helped keep me motivated and inspired!  That is what I am hoping all the new graduates will find as they come along on Tuesday evening to find out what it's like!

Anyway, back to the run.  With just the last bit of straight to go, and the funnel just out of sight the two ladies got a tad faster.  They could sense the finish was just a few short strides away.  When it came into sight, Posy decided to put on a bit of sprint to get there.  Tracey just kept her pace steady, running towards the funnel.  There were the leaders of the group there to cheer in Tracy as the timing marshal clicked the timing devise.

A great, great run.  And this is only the second time I have actually jogged the whole way round this route too!  And just like the first time, it took a graduate to keep me paced so that I didn't take off like the wind (as if!) but just to steadily plod around to get around the course non stop!