Doing a Double!

Hello blog lovers

I finally did track again after about 2 or 3 weeks of not doing it!  And I really enjoyed it!  But first it was all about the morning!  What a morning it was too.  The sun was out, the sky was blue, birds tweeting, it was just perfect. I was so looking forward to going in the woods with my pals.

I met up with all the other Thursday morning peeps, the fast peeps, the middlers and then us lot!  In my group this morning it was J.J, K, PinkladyJo and Tracy. DavidB also started off with us too.  He is coming back from injury and just wanted to go at a nice sedate, shorter distance run.  Well that is deffo us in my group. We did say to him that we are slow runners, and maybe he could consider joining the middle group, but he still wanted to come along with us.

We all set off together, but the faster ones soon stretched out their lead even before we left the rec, and we plodded onwards to the woods.  We went through Dog Poo Ally and then I let everyone know where we were going.

Up and up, is where we were going.  Taking the middle path through the woods and running right up to the top.  Me J.J and DavidB were up the front with K. Tracy and PinkladyJo at the back just picking away at the yards and yards going up and up to the top. As we were waiting for the three ladies to catch us up we saw the faster group come from the right, they had broken away from the faster faster group and were now the middle group.  DavidB decided that we would continue his run with them instead.  I think he should have listened to us in the first place when we said we would be a nice sedate running pace! Actually, he did the right thing, always when you are coming back from injury or from a long gap, you should always start off a a lower, slower paced group than you used to when you were running.  It's like trying on new clothes, always go for the bigger sizes first, and then if they are too big you can go for the smaller sizes and feel really good!

So after DavidB went off with them we carried on our run which took us up yet another hill.  Even though we were at the top of the woods,I took them up yet another hill, through the road with the lovely houses!  They really are such beautiful homes, but their road is all up hill!  Hills are our friends, right!

That was the last of the hills though and we just had the nice flat bit of Scadbury park to do cross back over the road to our woods and down to Dog Poo ally. It was lovely.  A very warm run and I really enjoyed it!

Geeky Stats

Thursday Track.

The temperature was still so very warm!  It's almost like summer! The temperature gauge in my car said 17 degrees, that's pretty warm to what we have been used to!  PhysioMikeTheMod was away this weekend, something about Paul Weller, so CoachHels was taking the reins this evening, with PMTM's instructions!  

The track was very busy when I got there, there seemed to be loads of youngsters on the track.  Maybe the lighter evenings they are allowed to come out for longer.  But my goodness were they speedy!  We started our warm up lap, which was a ten minutes warm up run at marathon pace!  I am not sure how slow I would have to run to get to my marathon pace, but I decided to just run a nice steady 10 minutes, see if I could keep it up.  

When CoachHels blew her whistle.......which by the way, was actually a dog whistle!  When she blew that I couldn't help wonder if all the dogs that were possibly nearby suddenly had the urge to sit, or heel, or lay down!  We started our 10 mins as soon as she blew the whistle, for just those few short seconds I am running with everyone else, then the field starts to stretch out, from the speedsters all the way down to little old me!  But I am sure that the teenagers that were also using the track with their coaches could run loops around our speedsters.  They seemed to just pelt down the straights like lightening bolts!  It's insane how fast they seem to run!  You just know they are going to have to have at least a 50 meter 'run off' to be able to slow down!

The warm completed we had a short break before we started the session which was 5 laps (4 for me) with a 90 second break x 3. After the first lap CoachHels called out what we would do a marathon in if we stayed at the pace we were doing, mine was 5 hours! If only!  The second lap she called out again, and I was still on for a 5 hour marathon!  Not bad, but after that I wasn't sure.  It gets confusing when there are people overtaking you, and it's difficult to keep an eye on everyone's time.

I think I actually only did 3 laps, but it was enough, the second rep I did three as well, a lot slower than the first rep.  By the third rep I was even slower and could only manage to get in 2 laps, but I made sure that from the warm up to the end of the session I had at least covered 3 miles!

It was a good session, just what I needed, and now to just take it easy before the big day on Sunday!

Geeky stats

These will appear here sometime tomorrow!  my Internet is absolutely awful at the mo!

Club Run

Hello blog lovers.

Ok, so I am a little late in posting and there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for that, which is.......I have only just written it!

So yesterday it was club run, everyone loves a club run, especially those coming back from months of injury or illness!  And yesterday we had a few!  I decided to do the easy route, the flatish one, just to ease everyone back in.  There were ten of us in group 1, the usual, J.J. and LittleJ, Michael and Carole and five others, which included Sara and Tracy!  I said to Tracy who is coming back to Tuesday night running that if she really struggles then she can always bail out at her house, because that's where our route was going.  I had a sneaky suspicion that our two sweepers wouldn't let that happen.  We are all just to good at motivating and encouraging our group 1's to keep on going!

Group 1 is all about 'just see how I can do' before moving on to group 2 and beyond.  It''s also about, I can do this running lark because look at me in a running club!  That's we were do at PWR.  I just so love our Tuesday running, and leading, and being part of a great team.  It's what keeps me running, especially on a Tuesday and Saturday....and and Thursday!  I know I still am a blog down.....I went out running last Thursday and still not blogged it!  I was late to meet up with everyone so I ended up running by myself!  Anyway, back to yesterdays running.

We were all running pretty well, that first (and only) little incline out of the way at the very beginning, and then it's flat ish all the way.  It's a great opportunity to be able to stretch your legs and push out a little harder, or to just keep plodding along in the group.  I always send out the faster runners to a a point in front, get them to run there and then turn around and come back to the back of the pack.  It works really well and we all can stay together.

It was a fabulous run, fun, chatty and some good running done.  Sara looked ecstatic to be back running!  So here's to some more quality running with our new and older members of PWR!

Geeky stats.

The Grace And Ali Show!

Hello blog lovers.

Ali and Grace!

This morning was the 4  week of the beginners.  It is the first week that we were running for longer than we were walking!  Some were apprehensive, some were looking forward to it.  It's a big milestone for some.  From this week onwards we will be doing more running than walking!

ZippySherry was leading today, which meant that I could mingle among the runners, chat with them, see how they are all doing and try to keep them motivated and determined!  Just blimmin love it!  So we had our two lap warm up walk around the rec, get that heart rate started up.  But then Sherry asked me to do the drills! She will be doing 'dog poo' clean up duty!  I mean how blimmin lovely is that.  She had seen what some irresponsible dog owners had left behind and decided to clear it up so that our beginners don't step in it when they get running!  I tell you, our ZippySherry goes above and beyond the duties of a run leader!  We are very proud of her!

After the drills and the clean up, ZippySherry took back the reigns and we started the running.  Te four minutes seem to fly by, well mainly because I had forgotten to start my Garmin until we were half way through the first lap!

 But that's fine, it's just as well I wasn't the one to keep an eye on the time!  But I did get to chat with the runners, find out how they are going!  It's so uplifting hearing them tell of how they are amazed that they can keep going.  It certainly uplifting for me to hear anyway.

First half lap

The last three reps I was chatting to a young lady who was walking when we were still on the running section.  Now I know how hard it is to keep going.  Running is not the easier thing to do to get fit that's for sure.  In fact the only thing that it has going for it is that its free! Oh and the huge endorphin release at the end of each session.....oh and the sense of achievement, and the friendships that can be made.....a fantastic club to join!  Ok, so running is blimmin marvellous, but it's bloody hard!  The fact is, and this is what 'they' don't tell you, it doesn't get easier! But, don't panic!  What you do find out is the fitter you get the further you can go or faster you can go.  You can increase your distance and pace. you start to think about running races.  Your body shape starts changing even if your weight doesn't.  You thinking starts to change, you start thinking things like "I can do this" or "I will do this"  Before long you're are not only thinking it but you are saying loud and proud "I AM DOING THIS!"

So there I was, chatting with Ali, as she was walking, and there she was saying things like "I can't do this"  I have been there, I still get there and say things like, believe me! But, if I can do it, then anyone can.  So we start of small.  When they all come to our beginners course, everyones ultimate goal is to run parkrun, preferably non stop, but most definitely with an hour! But what you got to realise in reaching that goal there is a series of mini goals to achieve first!  For instance, the first week was to run for a whole minute! And then to repeat it again and again and again! Right there, is five mini goals. I bet nobody even thought of that, and possible all just ignore the fact.

Ok, so after that, the following week, to help us reach our ultimate goal of 5k, we up the anti. Stretch it out to 2 minutes running.  Until like today which is 4 minutes running.  But it's hard, it's tough.  So the best thing to do is to switch to micro mini goals!  That's what I said to Ali.  I chatted to her all the way round for the next three laps. I told her to look for little goals around the rec to get to before she starts to walk again, and when she got there she could 'treat' herself to a walk.....or......choose another goal.  It's a technique that NaggyNeighbour taught me a few years back when we ran together.  Blue cars, lampposts, postboxes, anything to get to.  It's surprising how it works.  And it worked for her.  By now Grace was running next to us too, she was listening in and running, and smiling and enjoying the run.  Both of them started to look pretty confident as they looked out for places to get to before they even thought about walking.  Those next two laps flew by, I still thought we had to do another lap!  But I heard someone saying "This is the last lap!"  I was telling Ali that we still had one more to do!  I think she could have done it too, and Grace! They were both so very strong at the end!
I suddenly realised that their names, together, sounded so much like what an American T.V. show could be called.  I think we could possible even do a T.V. show, staring Ali and Grace! It made me chuckle that's for sure.

But today....today was pretty blimmin special!  The sun was shining we had over 30 beginners still with us, all showing true grit and determination. There were about 11 PWR's to help inspire all of them to keep on running!  A brilliant session today!  I feel truly blessed to be able to give back some of what I have received through PWR and running!

This is us at the end, having a good old stretch out

Stretches for all!

Geeky stats for you, see how far we ran!



I can do it!
I Will do it!
I am doing it!

Not As Flat As The Pancake Was!

Hello blog lovers!

So this afternoons activities dictated exactly what sort of run I should be doing!  Me and young Kirsty had a lovely afternoon at Creams!  I have never been into a place like it before, the smell alone will put two pounds on your hips!  As soon as you look at all the deliciousness there is on offer then you put on at least another three pounds!  You getting the picture here!  It's such a deliciously, calorie laden place!

I just had to plan on doing a good route to work it off!  It does mean that my fellow group 1'ers will have to do it too!  I hope at least one of them as also eaten cake too and were looking forward to it!  At least it's a route that we have done before.  When I first planned it out on plotaroute it looked pretty good.  It wasn't until we actually did the route that I realised the undulations that was hiding in there!  I should remember to look at the profile of routes when I plan them.. But this route was just perfect for today!

When we ran out of the rec there were still a couple of groups still having the group chats.  It seemed that everyone was heading in the same direction too!  Up Birchwood Road!  We started running up there, I didn't want to stop, we needed to get to the top and then take a little breather, but I was on a mission, I knew that J.J. and Janet are perfectly able to sweep at the back, I just set my sights on the top!  While we were running up we were over taken by DavidMarmite, leading his group!  I counted five of them that passed me, "That's a small group" I said, but then there were a couple more that passed by, and then some more, and before we got to the top there were still more!  Matt'the'Mat said that we had a couple of stragglers at the back.  Now I'm not quite sure what group he was in, but DavidMarmite was leading group 6, but I also saw Wendy who was debuting as a leader for group 2 because IllustriousLeader and DiscoRich were there supporting her!  But J.J. and Janet were flattered to that Matt'the'Mat thought they were in one of the faster groups!  We did take that hill pretty hard!  I think we all just wanted to do it!

We turned left while the other two groups turned right. We crossed over but then I noticed that group 2 was coming our way, so we stood back to let them pass and clapped and cheered them as they did so. Just as we were about to get back to running again I saw yet another group coming up, so again, I stood my group back while we cheered and high fived that group!  Im not sure what group that was, maybe group 5?  It was a busy bit of Petts Wood that's for sure.

And so for the hilly bit, going down is always the pleasure, and then the climb back up again.  We used the steepest shortest bit of road, on this part of the route, to do some hill training.  Three times run up the hill, (just twice running down it, I don't want to spoil us) without resting this time.  It is only a short bit of road but with the bit of challenge of non stop it should make for a good workout!  Everybody did it, with maybe just a little grumbling for the sweepers! Michael did it four times, it must be a guy thing!  Then we continued our way back to Orpington road.

From there I said to them that we will be running all along to the round about and then 'Down!' to Crossways!  I mentioned that we will be running up to the memorial hall, but I may have just quietly said that bit!  I must say tho, although all the running bits we were running faster than group 1 should be doing, but with the stops and walks it will all make up to a perfectly paced group 1 run.....honest!  I think the unanimous cry of todays run is......."Don't eat pancakes on a Tuesday any more Old Girl" Well, I can't promise that, but I can promise that every run we do is filled with fun!  It felt like a great run today, and everyone seem to have kept up and enjoyed it.......well nearly everyone!  J.J. said that poor LittleJ had to put up with her moaning all the way!

Geeky stats, perfectly paced, well, a bit slower than usual, but still a great run!

Thursday Morning After The Night Before!

Hello blog lovers.

So, my blog for last Saturday done, and this is for last Thursday!  Then I should be caught up with my blogging!

Thursday, hmmm. So it was chilly? Or maybe not,  I think I had decided not to put on a jacket and just run in short sleeves.  I do remember that I was feeling blimmin rough!  It was te morning after the night before our PWR Curry night out!  We at PWR do love a social, we are a social bunch, friendly, we have great times together doing 'normal' things as well as the daft things like running!  Our club secretary arranged for the local Curry house, the Raj Doot, to be emptied of the usual 'walk-ins' the 'bookers' and the end of the night 'gis-a-curry' regulars.  We had a fabulous night, here, look at the pictures!  Just a fabulous night!

But I over indulged! Seriously over indulged!  How I made it to running was a miracle!  But it taught me something!  No drinking on a school night!  I have also decided to have a two drink limit!  I don't think I need much more than that to have a good time!  Yes, lager is just totally enjoyable, but going over board is not much fun!  I planned short route, but it needed to be a bit of a challenge because it was a short route!  The girls had come up with the idea that it was 'punishment run' because I over indulged.  I don't know, maybe it was!  It involved hills! Steep hills too! The ones that we usually run down, we ran up them instead!  I was hoping that it would all clear my head and start to make me feel good!  Well, Thursday morning run wasn't like that! Not last week, usually I feel tons better, even when I don't think I need to feel better!

Our route was through Dog Poo ally and then turning left to run along to the walking bridges.  The first thing I noticed was how much easier it was to run through the woods!  The huge wet soggy puddles were drying up nicely.  It was easier to keep running and to skip and dodge around the bigger puddles, they were still there, but they were more soft mud now rather than wet muddy puddles!

When we were running down towards the stream and I said to the girls, J.J., K, Tracy and PinkladyJo, that we would be turning left.  It was then that K realised where we were heading!  I kind of just smiled at them, "The Old Girls Punishment Run" they said!  I don't suppose the remembered about the other undulations after Goss Hill!  But the best thing about this route, because I was going the shorter way, we will be running down the middle path of the woods!  It's just totally all the way down, no flat bit!  Perfect!  I was hoping that after we had done that they would forget the rest of the route and forgive me!

It was a great run, and I know we came up with a new name for Goss hill, but I just can't remember what it was!  I shall have to try and get the girls to tell me, if they remember it!

So Geeky stats for that run is below as usual!

Beginners Week 3

Hello blog lovers!

I know I am a little late with my blogs, but I have a a lovely family style weekend.  But I still managed to get to lead the beginners on Saturday!  I just love do this for my club!  I know I have said it before but giving back just a little something to a club that has giving me so much is just such a great pleasure! I do it with a huge smile on my face and I hope with tons of enthusiasm.......just not to much, I don't want to look manic!

So Saturday was, as the Old boy would say, a soft day.  The heavy mist was hardly inspiring and that chill, where did that come from!  We had some lovely sunshine during the week and I really thought that we were coming out of the cold winter days, but it feels as if it's still  struggling to keep us all in our 'big coats'!  But that didn't stop our beginners coming out!  There were at least 30 or so ready to 'keep on running!'  I was leading  last Saturday, and was so looking forward to it too, although I had forgotten to pick up my whistle! Fortunately Sherry loaned me hers, otherwise I would have to rely on my own special style of whistle, and believe me, you wouldn't want to be too close with unprotected ear drums when I whistle!

After a quick chat with everyone and the brisk walk, twice around the rec, and the usual drills we were ready to begin our running session.  This week we were running for the same amount of time as we were walking.  It's like a mile stone because after this week the 'scales' start to tip the other way, more running that walking!

The first running rep went pretty well, too well!  I was chatting with one group who had hurt herself, and I was trying to give some advice and stuff, of course I didn't hear the delicate little 'ping' noise that my Garmin makes and we carried on running for at least another 30 or so seconds!  It doesn't sound a lot, but you close your eyes for that long and try and walk in a straight line down the high street and you soon realise that it's quite a long time doing that! Being the perfect leader though, I still kept to the time, on my Garmin, so we only walked for 2:28 minutes!  I think I got away with it!  It's just as well it was on the first one though, I don't think I would have got away with on the last rep!

After my blunder I kept a firm eye on my Garmin, and always reminded by Michael!  He can remember from this time last year when I did exactly the same!  I guess it's a great testimony really, that when you begin running that first minute seems to be so tough, but the longer you run the minutes seem to just fly by and you don't even notice it! (Can you tell that I am really trying to justify my neglectfulness of the time here!)  But it is true, but only by practise, and patience and building up slowly, and of course to keep it going!

We ended with some stretches and a quick chat!  A great session and it's so great to be watching another group of people on their way to achieving their goal!

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