Club Run!

 Hello blog readers!

It's school half term, woo hoo!  It's means I can do what I love doing and that's leading!  They only bit I don't like is running! Wait. No, I don't mean it, not really!  I hate running, it's hard work! I'm over weight, I'm old, I'm slow! 

Hang about!

For the past 17 years, I have been doing something I hate?  Nobody does something voluntarily if they don't like it, surely? Don't make sense to me.  I must....love it ....really!  It's true.  I complain like mad about it, I make excuses for my 'poor performance' and in my humble opinion, there is NO poor performance! But I look at what it's brought me, tons of new friends, a great club to belong to, fitness!  Medals!!  Gawd knows what I would be like now if I didn't do the running!

So no, I don't hate running, I love it really, but blimmin eck it's getting harder as I get older!  But after 17 years of running, 15 years of that with the club, there is no way I am giving up!  When I am leading it just seems to make the run that little bit more enjoyable. Moans and groans over, and excuses, back to the club run.

I was in two minds on which route I would take,  It had been raining for hours during the day.  Should I do the woods?  It was quite breezy as well, could I lead them safely through the woods without a branch coming down!  I think risk assessment is getting in my way of fun these days, its been instilled in my brain from school!  But still, it could be a tad slippy.  I know we had a few coming back from injury, also a new member joining us for the first time, as well as J.J.  She don't do mud, or rain, so the roads it was.  

I chose the easy route, with just a couple of little bumps in there.  Of course the first one is more or less straight away, as we run down Crossways towards Petts Wood.  It's that lovely little hill of Kingswood, just a small hump really...she says trying to convince herself!  There were eight of us that left the rec, but by the time we got up the hill another runner joined us.  Another runner who usually runs in group 5!  I was thinking 'She's gonna find us a challenge to keep 'up' with!"  And with that I mean, we are a slower running group, we are also still doing the 60 60 Jeffing!  It's quite challenging to run with a slower paced runner if you naturally run at a faster pace!  But it was lovely having Jane with us, it's good to run with others from our club!  As I said to Jane, it's not as if we can go and fun in the faster groups just to mingle and get to know the other runners!

That hill always getting me, it seems to stretch out as you're running up it! Like in the movies, where the corridor seems to run away from you.  With the Jeffing though I got up it, along with the other 8 other runners.  That hill done, the rest of the way to the middle of Shepperton is on the flat! Perfect.  I was leading from the back when we got over the other side of the rail bridge, just like a leader in the wolf pack.

Well you get the drift. Not that I am the alpha! And that's my excuse for being at the back, at that time. The fact that I was still getting my breath back from getting up the blimmin hill has nothing to do with it!

We turned right once we got through the carpark and ran around this little road until we were back on to Southborough road.  That's when I took the lead back in front. Well, kind of everyone said "Go on Old Girl, get back in the front!"  

We headed across Southborough Road and down Crescent Drive all the way around to Shepperton.  Now for the nice down hill bit again.  I like this bit....until it goes back up again.  We kept to the format that, 60 60 and we were all together too, it wasn't stretched out as it has been on some of our group 1 runs. Of course, that means that there is no waiting, no stopping for catch-ups, we just kept plodding along!

The last hill, that's the last bit of Shepperton! It don't look like much of a hill, not when you're in a car, but running up it, that's a different story!  Once we were up the top of the hill, it's all flat again.  Beautiful!  We turned right to run up the little round about and then crossed over the road to turn left, over the bridge and then a quick left turn into Beaumont.  You just know when you on this stretch of the road it's all heading back to the rec.  Run done. Time to smile and say "Yes, I done it!"  It didn't take us too long on this road, especially as it is a slight downhill in our favour.  Back to the rec for some cool down stretches, where our numbers grew by another three, as group 2 had just finished their run and joined in with our stretches.

Another run done! And look...another blog blogged! Two in one day!  I forgot to take a picture of all of us together after the run, but remembered just as I got to my car so captured a picture of me and J.J. just to show that we worked hard.

I forgot to take a pictur

Beginners Week 2

 Hello blog readers!

Well I was distracted, I started this on the 18th May!  Um, no other words really, so I shall just continue where I left off, if I can remember that far back!  Saturday 17th saw another great turnout for our 2025 beginners course!  It's absolutely great to see so many! It was the second week, we had a couple of people that joined in as well as the ones that started the week before!  Love it!

I ended up leading again, for various reasons, I'm sure that means that were all  clock watching to make sure I didn't go over the time during the running sections.  As if I would do that! On purpose. Really, me?

So what did we do?  Well, we walked around the green for two laps, that's the easy bit.  We did some joyful skipping and some salutations to the sun, as well as some good old fashioned butt kicks!  Can't bean a good butt kick.  

Then our 2 minutes of running started followed by 4 minutes of walking.  I mean if you saw some of them, you would think I asked them to do the impossible.  I believe in them, I know they can do it. Or maybe it was me they were worried about, you know, with the whole forgetting to look at my watch on a couple of times.

My thoughts while running.  Hmm, So, "I hope if don't rain"  Nobody likes to run in the rain, well except if you happen to do a marathon on a very warm day!  "Did I do enough warm up drills?" Never enough warm up drills. "I hope I didn't over do the warm up drills" What I don't want is to exhaust them for the running starts. "Is this the second or third time we have run"  Then straight after that "Nah, nobody will notice if we do any extra run"  That's me doing wishful thinking!  I always check though, because you know that they are counting every running step and every second of the walking sections. 

The crowd we have at the moment all look so capable, I just know we are going to have a great graduation at Normans park in a few weeks. 

So that's how far I got before I was distracted in my writing of the blog.  Hmm I am sure there was loads more to write, but my menopausal brain can not dig it out from where ever it is I stored it.

Here's some pictures from the second week.  At least this shows we did the cool down stretches!  Always a good bit that, as you know you have done it!

This is us running!

It's Back, PWR Beginners Course 2025

 Hello blog lovers

It's back, our beginners course!  How I love doing these, encouraging others to get on this wonderful journey of running, or, to get back the love of running.  I'm saying love, I think you must have some feelings for this crazy pastime that we do!  I know for me, every time I do parkrun I invariably say 'I hate running!'  In fact I can remember the last time I said it and somebody heard me and just chuckled. But any case, I love the feeling  of accomplishment, I love the fact that I finished it. I love the fact that I can still do it! Even if it is slower these days. I am hoping a new group of future athletes feel the same, if not more than I do for this running malarkey. 

Yesterday, (Saturday) saw the start of our 2025 PWR Beginners course.  I wasn't sure if there would be many to come along, I think we have most of Petts Wood in our club ranks, so I was really happy to see at least 30 turn up at 9 am on a beautiful sunny morning.  Our usual team were there, DiscoRich, ZippySherry, Hannah and RefMichael, who was a little late and looking very tanned from his hols! There was also another PWR who brought her mum along!  How fantastic is that!  Including in the new beginners was the daughter of one of our PWR who sadly passed away, she thought this is a very good way to remember him. And what a lovely way to do so.  I myself got into running when I did the Race for Life in London, back in 2008, in memory of my mum.  I haven't stopped since! My blog for that is right at the beginning, one of the longest blogs I had written!  I do try to keep it to under a short pamphlet size these days!

So back to Saturday.  After introductions we began the course.  We started with two laps of a brisk walk (a bit shorter laps this time, as the rec seems to be rather busy with various things happening).  Then we went straight into the warm up routine of skipping and leaping about like we were 10 year olds again.  I mean, who doesn't smile when they are skipping, eh?  We did some carioca's (is that how you spell it?)I still call them karaoke, as I can spell that!, and I love karaoke. Oh to be back in Tenerife! we did some but kicks and back to slightly hight skipping.  I think that is the hardest bit!  Actually the hardest bit is getting to the rec at 9 am!  It's a fact, just ask anyone!

After we did that out running started.  Just one minute of running followed by 5 minutes of walking!  Easy peasy!  I'm so glad that I have been doing 60 60 when I've been going out with the club or to parkrun.  We did that 5 times in all.  I  spoke to some some of our runners on the way round, so far, they were all enjoying it.

After the run/walk was finished we all made a big circle to begin our cool down stretches.  It's a great way to see every ones face as well as show how all the stretches should be done.  Of course its a great way to explain the homework situation too!

What a brilliant day it was.  I am so looking forward to next weeks session, and not doing 3 miles parkrun has nothing to do with it!  I love running, I love running, I love running!  Actually I really do, I just love it so much better when I a have finished!

Some more photos for you, curtesy of ZippySherry

Running On A School Night!

 Hello blog readers

Look at me and my bad self!  Out running with my fabulous club on a school night!  I managed to get out a little earlier so that I could get back and make it to club run yesterday evening!  It felt so good! I mean the run was blimmin hard, but just being there on a Tuesday to moan about having to run 3 miles on a school night was blimmin good!

Auriol was leading.....no, actually, Sgt Major H was leading!  She earned a new nickname for herself yesterday,  I shall explain a little later.   The weather had turned again, it was a bit chillier than it was the day before, I was glad I had brought my jacket along.  I could see on the sign in sheet that we were heading to the woods, I am hoping the 'townie' in my that showed up last week will be silenced.  I know I love running through the woods, I need to get that back.  Last week I thought it would have been no so muddy in the woods but it had rained quite a bit before the Tuesday of last week.  Oh, I forgot to say, I went running last week too, in fact I was leading last week, but there was no time to write up about it as I was up early silly o'clock on Wednesday morning to fly off to Tenerife!  Oh it was wonderful! Well apart from two days of our 5 day stay, when the cleaning and hospitably staff withheld their services and went on strike! But that's another story.

Anyway, I digress as usual.  Sgt Major H was gathering her troop ready for the off.  There were 8 of us, which included Dee, who hasn't been for ages, Mary, Tina, Lesly, Tina and James!  Some of us are coming back from injury, some of us are coming back because mojo had been mislaid so we are all pleased that we were still sticking to the 60 60 pattern.  

 Sgt Major H assigned me to sweeper duties, something I was very happy to do.  If they go too fast no one will notice me at the back, struggling and puffing away like an old sheep on a frosty morning!  Of course Sweeper duties are very important, a must in any sort of group running! I just comes comes with that lovely benefit, that if you don't want to run on the running bit, who's to know! Mwhahaha (that's an evil laugh by the way)

Sgt Major H took the left path once we hit the woods, I was thinking "Oh no, she's going to take us up Goss Hill!!"  Now can you see the benefits of Sweeper duties!  I was quite pleasantly surprised to see that after going down the hill to the stream we went straight up again.  Hang on what am I saying?  We still had to go up!  Being at the back I took the liberty of walking a bit of it,....ok some of it.......right.....all of it!  I just can't seem to get my legs coordinated right to run up steep hills!

We were heading towards Botany Bay lane but then took a right hand turn.  This is where Sgt Major earned her new nickname "You can talk when you walk but when you're running, no talking when you're running"  On the odd occasion I could have sworn I heard her say "No talking, we're running". Going this way though, we still hadn't done with the hills! A steep little up hill and down followed by yet another up and down, which I think is the longer up.  If we were going in the opposite direction it wouldn't seem as bad!

It felt good to get to the top again.   A nice flat path until we get to the path that is parallel to Birchwood road, then it's all down hill from there. Bliss!  We were soon back at the rec and stretching out before Sgt Major could say "Attention!"  Then the smile was on my face!  A smug look about my eyes!  I did it, I ran and walked my way around the woods on a school night with my fabulous run club!

At the top is a picture of all eight of us in group 1 yesterday evening.  Don't you just love running! 

Bromley parkrun.....again!

 Hello blog readers.

It's me again!  Only one run this week, I must try harder to get to a Tuesday club run.  I think the dark and the cold are really not inspiring me to push myself harder to get to club run on time.  Procrastinating!  I am the queen of procrastination! I procrastinate so much that it's almost bedtime when I get home from work, I then talk myself out of rushing to get changed and rushing in the car to the park to join group 1 at 7 pm.  I remember I did it once but I drove the whole way without putting my lights on my car!  Scary!

Anyway, here I am again procrastinating instead of writing up my bog!  How you put up with me I don't know!  So, I was again 'solo' running Bromley parkrun.  Naggy was saving her legs as today (Sunday) she did the Darenth 10k, apparently that has a hill that makes PWR 10k hill look like a bump!  No thank you, that has put me off applying for that one....in the future....!  SnappyHannah still had some things she needed to do so she ran earlier in the morning.

I arrived early at the park as I didn't want to miss out on parking, I know what I am like.  I would drive around the roads looking for parking then not find one and then go home! Would I run if I did that...? Right now I probably wouldn't.  I would just beat myself up and then moan at myself for being a lazy 'meadow lady'! So getting out early it has to be which is why I was sat in my car for a good fifteen minutes I would say.  

When it was time I walked along to the start of the run. I put myself in the middle of the crowd, I was thinking the penguin effect would help keep me warm!  It was blimmin cold!  I only had a short sleeved tee on and my running jacket! And yes Mrs K I had my knickers on too as well has my running pants!  I should have brought the gloves from my car though.  I just thought once I started running I should warm up, being early as I was, I was just chilling down!  There were some mile stone runners at Bromley yesterday too, my next one, 200, is still about 40 or so weeks away!  

When the count down started I was still in the middle of the pack I didn't want to move from the 'heat' in the middle.  Of course I would be getting passed as the mass of runners thinned out to a long column of runners.  I found it fascinating  when I passed the second building of the left side of the park, just how fast those at the front are!  I looked over to the right and I saw runners already going down the short straight, not just one or two either, there was a long line of runners!

I was still running 1 - 1 Jeffing all the way. but again I still ran the first three minutes.  I know it too,  I kept looking at my watch for the next walking section!  I was feeling pretty tired yesterday, I didn't think I would be breaking any records......don't laugh!  

I just needed to stay on pace and watch  kilometres go by.  By the time I thought about it I was on the second lap, "Just twice more to this spot" I thought to myself as I ran on down the long straight.  I couldn't spot any particular person that I wanted to 'catch' up to.  I am thinking, now, that it was probably phycological that I didn't choose an 'opponent' to race against.  Yesterday was all about trying to stay consistent. Consistent with parkrun run.  Trying not miss any Saturdays. Trying to stay consistent with my pace, trying to stay consistent with the Jeffing!  I must admit, I did miss a couple of running minutes, of course I beat my self up about that!

The last short straight down to the finish funnel I felt like it was a challenge.  I was knackered!  I didn't think that I pushed myself any harder than I usually did (again beating myself up because I didn't).  This chap caught me up on my walking section "Come on" he said "Don't let this 81 year old injured olympic race walker beat you" he said as he over took me!  "You usually do" I called after him as he started to make space between us.  My 1 min of running started again, "Go on Old girl, get back up to him, you can do it" I started to say to myself.  I pushed a little bit harder, doubts started to come in my mind as I saw the orange cones getting nearer.  Voices in my head saying "He's an Olympian, you ain't gonna catch him up" I stopped running. "Oh come on old girl, move it!" I think I said that bit out loud! Did I swear? Hmm I don't think so, but another telling off as I slowly started to catch him when I started running up again but I didn't quite make it as he crossed the line just before me!  He turned around in the funnel and said "Well done" as he shook my hand!  

It was well done.  I got out of bed, I got my running gear on and I got to the park!  That at the moment is all that is needed! One minute running, one minute walking. It's moving, it's getting the heart rate going, it's getting the cardio going and it's burning off the couple of pints I had on Friday night!

Me, in my car feeling accomplished

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?