Bromley parkrun

 Hello blog readers.

Another run down and another blog blogged!  Well once I've written, which if you are reading it means that I have!  Blimey, I don't know what goes in my brain sometimes!

So, parkrun.  I did it, I did it alone too.  I had texted the Normans Angels Whatsapp group to see who would be running,  it seemed we were all running, but in different places and times!  Naggy was in Hastings, so she was doing the Hastings parkrun and SnappyHannah had a ton of work to do so wanted to get a run in earlier that 9 am.  So it was just me, on me own at Bromley.  Well, when I say on my own, there were 792 runners and walkers, over 70 of them were Petts Wood Runners, over 50 volunteers were mentioned in the email, park users, doggies, kids, birds. So not quite on my own!

I didn't think too much about todays run, I wasn't dreading it, wasn't particularly looking forward to it either.  I think that is quite a big step forward in my opinion!  Even the 'Run Lords' were looking out for me today, as I was driving into the park, I believe it was Jason running towards the road to hold out a sign that the carpark was full! "Oh no, I'm not going to find a place to park now" I thought.  I didn't think I would find a place outside of the park and then get back in time for the start of the run.  I probably would have gone home.  But just as if headed towards the main carpark I noticed just one space on the side of the road!  A space that a few years ago I would have thought it was way to small to try and squeeze into.  but I did it (It was quite a big space really, but all spaces look tiny to me if I have to park in them). 

So there I was, among the throng of people waiting to hear "parkrun!"  I am still keeping to the 60 60 even though for the first 3 minutes I ran, just because.....well I don't know really, I just did!  After that I more or less stuck to the 60 60.  There were a couple of times I walked on the running bit!  I had my music playing in my ears, I went for 60's today.  Some of it was a good beat to run to, some it it was perfect to walk to.

The first lap went by quite quickly. No, not in time, but metaphorically, As I have said in several of my blogs, I have a lot of empathy with sloths!  In fact the whole run seemed to fly by quickly.  Does this mean I am secretly enjoying running again?  I don't want to say it out loud in case it disappears again! but yeah, parkrun did not feel a complete ordeal.  In fact the only hard bit was escaping my duvet!  It wasn't a chore today! Hmmm that's good right.  I didn't crack any pb's obviously but I more or less stayed consistent.  Here's to the next parkrun!

A couple of pictures today.  One is of me running, taken by John Diamante and one is of three lovely PWR ladies, all of which ran to parkrun and then going on home or to run some more miles in prep for a huge run that is happening in April! In London! 

 

Tourisim parkrun

 Hello blog readers.

I nearly let this blog slide on by!  It's already Monday evening and I haven't bragged.....I mean blogged about my run on Saturday!  In fact, I nearly let Saturdays parkrun slide on by!  I hadn't text the Normans angels Whatsapp group to see if we were off touring some parkrun somewhere, it was already Friday.  But I had to  text Naggy  to remind her know about Bims  secret 60th birthday gathering that was happening later  on Saturday evening.  I had just carried on the text convo and asked about parkun.  She said that as no-one text on our usual chat group she was just going to let parkrun slide on by!  But between the two of us we got our act together, sort of, and planned to go to Danson Park, Bexley parkrun.  Of course we both forgot to let SnappyHannah know where were were going!  Two foggy brained, menopausal women, trying to remember where our running shoes are, or the fact that we are indeed runners in the first place is good going for us at the moment.

Anyway, Saturday morning came, the alarm went off! I wasn't best pleased, I was almost kicking my for texting Naggy on the Friday.  If I had let it be until after parkrun I could still lie in my bed, with my lovely arm duvet keeping me prisoner!  It was a bit foggy out....I think, or was that my brain,  it didn't feel cold though.  I was thinking it was going to be an ok run, maybe not speedy.... mwahhhhaaaaa!! As if I was ever speedy!  I think in some previous life I was a sloth!  I love sloths, I identify with sloths, I think they are they most cutest creatures ever!  

I met Naggy outside and we made our way to her car.  We arrived with plenty of time before the start.  I even remembered to take some pictures of us, look at this! 

Can you see!  I have remembered how to upload a picture too!  Anyway,  this is the two of us, two foggyheaded ladies, in a foggy park in Bexley.  It was rather busy as well, if I remember correctly, busier that it had been on previous visits.  There were pacers there, maybe that had brought in a few extra runners.  

Anyway, we were ready to run, the quicker we start the quicker we finish!  There I go again, thinking I'm all that with the speed!  Hahaha!  After the chap had finished the briefing the throng of people moved as one to the start. "See you at the finish" Naggy said as the runners in front started to thin out as they started their run.  "See you at the finish" I called after her.

My Garmin was running, my music was running, all it needed was for me to run!  I decided to keep with the 60 60 still, just for a bit longer, just to keep my mind thinking that I got a good hold of this running malarky again.  Keep it fun(?), keep it easy(?) keep it as the thing that I enjoy most in the whole world(?)  I know, the new mantra is is a work in progress, not quite slipping off the tongue.  I am trying to think all the right things first, if not do all the right things.

My music was in my ears helping me  keep the pace going, but up ahead I spied someone that I really wanted to be my target race.  She was running at the same sort of speed as me, but she was further along.  I decided to ignore the 60 60 and my pace and try to pick it up a bit to try and catch her up.  I should have listened to myself  though "No, Old girl, stay your pace"  I managed to catch her up and tucked myself in behind, make my break when I could.  Oh my goodness tho!  My breath was just all over the place!  How can anyone forget how to breath.  But that's what I did!  My heartrate went up, I know cos my Garmin told me!  My speed slowed down as I tried to gain composure!  Meanwhile, my 'target race' pulled away again.

It was like that all the way around, I caught up with her, I even over took her at one or to points along the way but I couldn't keep the lead.  So I just plodded along again, just enjoying being out.  And I was enjoying it,  if it wasn't for the running it would have been perfect! 

Bexley is a two lap course, but it is a fairly flatish course, sort of!  There is just that little bump the marshals have nicknamed 'Woo Woo Hill'.  The first time going up the hill I walked it, the second time around (Yeah, I know the second time smug mode!) I ran it, well most of it, ok some of it, I ran some of it!  It was still more running up the hill that the first time around!  I was determined to run some of it...if not all of it... maybe next time! If I couldn't catch up to my target race then a little bit of hill training will have to suffice.  

Once back out of the woody bit and running along to Joe's corner I could see my target again.  "I could do this" I thought to myself, and I picked up the pace again, but then just as I did that I had a phone call.  I could ignore it and call back later, but just lately me and my siblings are all just all keeping in touch, just to stay connected and support each other for these next few weeks.  I didn't want to not answer any call.  Of course it did mean I slowed down to a walk as I chatted away for a little bit.  My target race was pulling further away.  I was rather glad my brother rang really, it made a great excuse, I mean reason not to push myself to the finish to see if I could beat her.

After passing Joe's corner it's just the home straight from there!  I just know that through the gates Naggy will be waiting, it was just a guessing game at which tree she would be waiting at. Mind you, I don't think she was by the trees this time, I think she was nearer the finish funnel!  But I am writing this up Monday evening, the parkrun was a couple of days ago, she could have been totally speedy and over took me for all I can remember!  Menopause!  Why can't I have Runopause instead?

Club Run

 Hi blog readers.

I don't want to say anything to loud, but look!  Another blog! Shhh, we don't want to frighten it away!  I had already 'prepped' my team at work, that if we had just a few kids then I will be leaving early, to get to club run.  Mind you, it's been quite a while since I got away during school term to run with the club, I almost thought, "I'm tired, maybe let one of the others go early instead"  I mean, my mind still thinks that this is the norm now, work = no run, school half terms = run.  Muscle memory, right, (is a brain a muscle... I should have paid attention in biology class).   

Anyway, I completed another run yesterday, with my club.  I wasn't leading, Tara was.  She had planned a route that she hadn't done before, it's always good to try new routes, keep things fresh.  There we 6 of us, Tara leading, J.J. who also hasn't been running for ages, Tina, Lesley and Mary.  Thank goodness Tara is quite happy to stick with the 60 60 routine that we have been doing!

We started off walking, well the carpark is quite dark, and there is this huge pothole just as we need to go through ally way, not as big as one in Godstone, but still an ankle snapping size hole!  Once out on to the roads Tara lead us up Birchwood! Up Birchwood! The first of a few hills!  My mantra, which I used to tell everyone to say while running up hills, just would not pop into my head.  "I hate hills!" is my new mantra.  Fortunately we are doing the 60 60, so we didn't have to run up the whole hill!

Once at the top we turned left.  It looked like we were doing one of my routes, but Tara did say that we were heading toward Leesons Hill, so maybe there will be another road that we will be turning down instead of the one I usually do. I was feeling pretty comfortable, the group were all still together, we were all running at the same pace.  That makes a change!  Usually group 1 is quite a diversity of runners.  But were have had some injuries and illnesses and work issues keeping us away from running!

We turned down Mapling Road, deffo still one of my routes, we turned left at the end of that, yup, deffo one that I have taken group 1 on.  But then instead of taking the next right we carried on straight.  Well, that's new.  This should be interesting.  Of course, now I am just following blindly, just 'enjoying' I want to say, the run.  The enjoyment was of course just being with my pals, my mantra, my new mantra, " I hate running" still escapes my lips.  

I can't really remember the 'lefts and rights' that we did, but I do remember the hills!  Tara did warn us there were a 'couple of little' lifts in the route, it's what we expect in Petts Wood.  There is always a 'little lift' somewhere on our routes, even on the flattest route.  What we didn't expect, not even Tara was to go slighty awry from where she had planned!  And guess what?  There was an unexpected hill involved! Oh well, there are supposed to be good, right!  We had ended up at St Mary Cray station! 

On our 60 second runs, some of them last just as we got to the foot of some of the ups, also some of them started as we were walking up the hills!  Boy, did I not like that!  I said out loud at one point "ok, run everyone, but I'm walking"  Tara said "Come on Old Girl, you got this!" Sigh, so I ran, but just not all of them.

We kept to the 60 60 mostly, all the way to the rec.  There were a few times I missed the start of a run, or, surprisingly the start of the walking bit, can you believe that!  I even suggested that once we were running back down Birchwood, we should ignore the 60 60 and and just see how we all do on the downhill. Me, I said that.  Maybe mojo is just peaking out from where ever it is hiding to remind me that I actually enjoy running!  It's good for you, it's free, it's mind easing exercise.  Plus with a club you get tons of friends and encouragement and banter and a whole lot of stuff!  What's not to like!

Beckenham Place parkrun

 Hi again blog readers.

It's me again!  I went running (obviously), at Beckenham Place Park parkrun.  A little bit of parkrun tourism, and the location was because there were a couple of milestone runners. That means cake!  You gotta love cake after a run!  

I was looking forward(ish) to this one as it was just a one lap route!  I don't think I have ever done a one l lap parkrun before. That means no one will be overlapping me, that will make a change.  There were only one other Normans Angel with me yesterday morning and that was NaggyNeighbour.  I had forgotten to mention that it may have been a bit muddy as I thought it would be on grass.  

We arrived there not knowing where the start was, fortunately it was quite near the carpark, perfect.  We arrived just a little late for the one of the group photos, but I managed to sneak in to a few others, just to show that I did indeed turn up. 

Naggy and I went over to the first timers briefing, that is where we found out that some of the route was not accessible and we were going to have to do a loop through the woody bit.  Darn it, that means I will be getting lapped! Oh well.

We went over to the start, everyone ready with the various watches and timers, their Stravas and other mapping tools, waiting for the off.  I found my place, at the back, let the fastest runners get to their place and then we were off.  Naggy set off at her pace, (She had already done a mile and some just before she met me by the car earlier) while me Auriol and Mary set off at our pace.  Both of these ladies were quite happy to stick to the 60 60 that we had been doing over the last two runs we did this week.

What we found on the route.  Mud, more mud and I believe there were also some slippery mud!  As you probably know from my last blog, I seemed to have turned back into a townie, the thought of getting wet and muddy was not what I signed up for!  I do remember a good few years ago I would have been the first to go right through the middle of the puddles, find the stickiest bit of mud to step into, laugh at the slipping that was going on. Not yesterday though. Yesterday I was squealing like a baby on RedBull, like the brakes on runaway train coming down the side of mountain!  I had no confidence in my footing, I slowed up completely and I was checking my Garmin after only 20 seconds on the run time to see if it was time to walk!  As you can imagine, I wasn't a happy bunny!  We had more walking time when the going was particularly slippy and going up hill we also walked.  Oh I didn't tell you that bit did I, there were hills!  Me and hills are not friends, me and hills fell out when my mojo walked out on me.  I couldn't even think about the mantra "Hills are are friends!"  It didn't enter my mind!  

Auriol seemed to be doing well and was ahead of me and Mary, but she stayed in 'radio contact distance' when I called out "Ok walk now" or "Run now"  As we were running I did think to myself "This could be a lovely run in the summer months!"  Of course that means at some point me and the Angels will have to go again to BPP to try again, hopefully when the whole route is opened, it will be nice to do a one lap parkrun!

We were just on the last mile or maybe less, we had just passed the little lake and was going down the other side of it.  I was fed up of slipping all over the place, my core was fed of trying to keep me upright (I had forgetten I had a core)  and I listened to the tiny voice in my head saying "just walk it now, it's not going to be one of your best or prettiest parkruns".  Mary was just a head of me and I yelled out "Just keep going, I have kind of lost it now".  Did she listen to me? Nope, just like us all in PWR, she came back and encouraged me to keep on going, she helped me to ignore the voice in my head to just walk it, so I carried on running as best as I could.  

We saw the finish line.  It was hardly hidden, in fact it was 'flying high'!  It was at the top of the last hill! ON TOP OF THE LAST HILL!  How mean was that!  I dug as deep as I could, trying to ignore my Garmin telling me it was time to walk again, I just wanted to get to the top, to the finish, to the cakes!  

At the top, by the finish was the PWR's celebrating Premas 250th and Steves 300th parkrun.  There cakes being passed around, the cameras was angled at the finishing line I had to look as if I was running, blimmin eck, who's idea was it to finish at the top of a hill!  It was blimmin lucky I didn't 'make room' for cake when I eventually got there.  I couldn't, not in front of all those people!  

By the way, there was plenty of cake going around.  I managed to get a bit of this most delicious piece of millionaires shortbread!  I even remembered to take some pictures, (still can't remember how to get them on here yet, but I will do soon.  Then it was time to get in the car and come home!  Hmm, that was a bit of a dilemma too.  The finish was not in the same place as the start.  Naggy and I headed off, looked at each other and said "Which way?"  We had to go and find Auriol to find the way back!

Loved it tho......well the shortbread, the finish, the getting back home, the smug mode that I had done another run on my week off.  And look, another blog to boot!

Oh! Hi Remember Me?

 Hello blog readers!

Let me tell you all about it!  You will never guess.  There I was minding my own business, when all of a sudden a bright light was outside the window.  I went to investigate like any good neighbour would do, I was suddenly drawn up by this beam of intense blue light!  It took me into this great big, bright room where they asked about "What do I know about Stars" "Why do you were a green top with Stars written on it"  "Who is my leader" "Where can I find a good Burger King"  It was horrendous.

They then put in this room with glass all around it which turned out to be like tv screens which they changed to look like places on earth and I had to play along to each scenario that was shown on these tv screens! Honestly!  I had to work, come home, eat, sleep!   Honestly! JUST HORRENDOUS

Ok, its a bit far fetched, I know!  I just can't give you any real reason why I have not blogged since....well, whenever the last blog was!  So here I am, blogging again. Now lets see if I can remember how this thing works!  I can't remember how to put the Garmin route in, I can't remember how to add photos in, but I shall look into to it all, again.

I have been running since the last blog, honestly, my Garmin or Strava will show that! Just not as much.  Usually, if I get a run in on a Tuesday, during school term weeks then I am simply too knackered to blog that night and then the momentum is gone!  

I am going to try and change that though.  I have noticed that if I run I blog, if I blog I want to run more.  It was my way of keeping the Mojo going.  Hmm?  Maybe my blogging is my Mojo!  That's a thought!

Enough of that anyway.  This week, during the half term, I have been on two runs already! Yup, two!  Both of them with the fantastic club that I still belong to Petts Wood Runners.  I hadn't been running for a good few weeks before Tuesday, (today is Thursday) I just didn't know how I would manage.  My parkrunning has been still going, ok apart from the last few weeks, and I have been running with my pals, NaggyNeighbour and SnappyHannah.  We had been doing a bit of parkrun tourism, our local parkrun is just sooo busy! I digress again!  Blimey, I've even forgotten how to blog!

Back to this week.  I was leading group 1 this week, yup, I am still one of the leaders at PWR.  I knew we had some runners coming back from injuries and whatnot. No, I didn't sigh with relief.....well maybe I did, it means I HAD to go at a nice easy pace. Anyway, I decided to do the easy route plus interval running, 60 60!  It gives us a good run, if a bit slow, but also gives us all that little bits of recovery time during the run.  I think we all did a great job! Pat on the back for all three of us on that day!

Todays run was led by Anne (I am sure I had a nickname for her but for the life of me I can't remember it) Anyway Anne is DiscoRich's wife.  She took us on the cinder path route.  The three of us who where out on Tuesday, Mary and Auriol, and Selena who is also suffering a bit, followed the leader.  I still decided to do the 60 60 though, Mary and Auriol also decided that intervals were better for them at the moment too. We followed Anne and Selena along the roads doing our 60 60.  I was impressed with ourselves as we were not that far behind them.  I knew Anne and Selena where also doing walk/run as well just not as disciplined as the three of us at the back.  We got to the end of the cinder path and Anne started to make her way around the 'lollipop', its just a road that goes all the way around a little estate.  It goes down, which means you have to run up!  The three of us who were doing 60 60 said we would go in the opposite direction and then meet them as they came up the last bit, where Selena said that she would be walking that part. 

I am sure were we all met up at the half way mark!  We might have well have followed them all the way around.  We made our way back to the cinder path we  stuck (kind of) to the 60 60 till we got back to the rec to meet the faster group that also started from them!  We beat them back! Not that I am boasting about that....obviously they took a much longer route.....still.....smug mode switched on!

I must say, if felt good.......at the end.  Getting up early on my days off is blimmin tough.  Running is blimmin tough...... but the stretching at the end and going home feeling accomplished is all that is needed to make me look forward to the next run!

See you all again......soon.....I hope....yes....soon.....I promi.......well we'll see.  No promises, no pressure just accomplishments!

Now, where is that spell checker?

I Can't Wait For Spring!

 Hello blog readers.

nice and cosy in my 
warm fleece!

Are you fed up with the dark and frosty evening?  I sure am.  I am so ready for the warmer, lighter evenings.  I may even encourage my group 1 members to get to a Tuesday night run!

I went along to club run on Tuesday, ok, yes, I forgot to put my name down as leader and yes, I didn't mention it in our Whatsapp group that I would deffo be there!  Anyway, there was only 1 person who put their name down, and then when no one else was on my list, they swapped to group 2!  What was I to do!  I had two options, I could run along with group 2 as well, bring up the rear end, be a sweeper, or I could run by myself! Hmm decisions.  I thought I would test the waters as we ran out of the gate. If group 2 didn't pull away from me that much, then I would run with them, otherwise I would just do a loop, albeit a small loop, back to my car.  

We ran out of the gate, and turned right, as we were all running along I was busy chatting with Mary and Ruth, but I noticed that the group were pulling away already.  That made my mind up.  Next time, next time I will really, think about sticking with group 2!  Hopefully there won't be a next time, because all of group 1 will be turning up each week!

So I did a really short loop back to my car and went home!  It's so cold! I was by myself, it was dark and I didn't have any music with me!  So I really wasn't feeling particularly motivated to do any more than that!

So parkrun yesterday.  I went, I dragged my ass out of my nice warm bed and into the cold frosty morning to Norman Park!  I made sure I was early so that I could get a parking space, I didn't want any excuses that I could have used to not run! I even texted my group 1'ers to say I was there!  I had arranged to meet up with J.J. too, extra security for me to get out and run!  It wasn't raining Saturday morning so I really expected her to be there!  RefMike was there too, as well as loads of other PWR's too!  

We walked over to the start, we listened to the notices, we clapped the milestones and then we were off!  Me and Jayne were introduced to Shevonne or Shev, she was running along with us, chatting away.  She mentioned that she was carrying her white stick!  She said she can't see anything in the dark and limited vision in the day, but on parkrun days (she said she has done around 20 or so) she attaches herself to someone, running at her pace and just runs beside them!  As it happened she was slightly faster that me!  But Jayne and Shev waited for a few seconds for me to catch up at some points on the course. There was one point I was running by myself on the second lap, I was feeling blimmin tired, cold, fed up with being chuncky and slow. I said out loud "I feckin hate running".....just as HeadbandTim ran pass me! "No you don't Old Girl, you love it" he said as he ran by me!

Jayne and Shev were again running on the spot as I caught them up again. No amount of persuasion would make J.J. and Shev just carry on!  I did feel slightly bad for them, but hopefully, when we come to that last straight they will just take off and get their time in.  

I did finish, it wasn't pretty, but I did it!  And HeadBandTim is right of course, I don't hate running!  Love it may be a bit strong of a word though!  But I know I will continue to run for as long as this old girls body lets me!

First solo Run of 2023

 Hello blog readers.

Look at me!  Running solo and blogging about it!  But I'm not going to crow....too much.  Mojo and discipline is very weak at the moment!  The only thing that is really strong is my strength for leading group 1. So I am just going to write this very gently, try not to beat myself up and just be happy that I actually went out and ran.

I tried very hard to run on Saturday.....oops....parkrun day.  I was up in time, even though for some inexplicable reason my alarm was switched off (it must have been my couch potato head that switched it off).  I forced my self out of my nice warm bed and into my running gear.  I drove all the way to Normans park, knowing there were no group 1's going to be there.  As soon as I drove into the carpark a rather lovely chap was running along holding the 'Car Park Full' sign!  Darn it.  I will have to go and find a parking spot on the nearby streets.  I drove out of the car park and headed for the nearest street, the rain started to gently fall.  The first street there were no spaces, the second  street there were no spaces.  I was getting further and further away from the park.  I knew I wouldn't make it to the start in time.  

I decided to go home, park up outside my house and then just run.  By this time, my car was just so nice and toasty, the rain had really started to come down, washing away the last bit of resolve I had of running that morning.  Not to worry, I shall go later in the morning when it stops raining, I thought to my self!  Did that happen? Nope!  I had busied myself with, drinking tea, getting housework done in readiness for my son and daughter in law to come for Saturday roast!

I had promised Wendimoo that I was deffo going the next day (Sunday) come rain or shine, I will do it! So that's what I did.  All by myself.  Oh my goodness!  The conversations I was having with myself after I got home from church was just manic!  

"Come on Old Girl, you got this"

"It's raining though"

"But you promised, rain or shine remember?"

"Yes but it's cold and wet"

"Oh look, it's stopped, get your arse out there now!"

"Flippin eck, ok lets get this done"  "I will just get the..."

"No, that can wait! GET OUT THERE NOW!"

"Ok, Ok, I'm on this, I got this, 40 mins running, then get stuff done"

Does anyone else have manic conversations with themselves....no?....Just me?  Hmm, it worked anyway, because before I knew it, I was out there with my Garmin at the ready, waiting for the Satellites to connect to me.  I still have my watch set for 30/30 Jeffing.  Ok, I can do this. No pressure, just running, get the Christmas and New Year binging out, I knew I would feel better.

Even as I was running along to one of my usual routes, I was thinking about all the short cuts, mainly because the sky looked like it was about to drop the wet stuff again.  I managed to pass them until I got to Turpington Lane.  Turn down there then on to Greenway and then back home.  Somewhere between Green way and Southborough lane I had convinced myself that turning right at the Harvester will give me my 3 miles for the day.  Usually I went all the way up Southborough Lane and turned right at the first Oxhawth.  Not today.  I was patting myself of the back that I had actually got out and ran, I didn't turn down the short cuts before Turpington, I was a winner!  Yes!

When I got home and back inside my house I looked at my geeky stats.  Not quite 3 miles! Was I disappointed?  No.  I had done sometime.  I did something by myself. I went running. I felt good! Do I deserve a pat on the back? Yes I blimmin do!  

Here's to the next solo run!  Thursday, I think. It will have to be after work!  But.....I can do it!  It's only 40 minutes right?

Oh by the way, Garmin is now showing me that I am at the same fitness age as I actually am! Yup, pat on the back for that, but tons of room for improvement!

New shoes with birthday tags, a quote from
Paula Radcliffe,
"Never set limits, go after your dreams, don't be
afraid to push the boundaries.  And laugh a lot - it's
good for you!"