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!"

Brand New Year!

 Hello blog readers.

Well, it's been a while!  It seems I have written that on the last few blogs!  Blimmin Covid, blimmin lockdown, blimmin chunky bits on my body, blimmin lost mojo! I am not going to write all that utter rubbish about a brand new year, brand new me!  Everyone knows that is rubbish, I am getting older, not newer! And I am going to be just as tough on myself...mentally that is, as I normally am..  I might try to not beat myself up to much....but like I said, I am still me!  Just need to find the discipline!

Anyway, I'm here.  I have been running (please refer to all other blogs, I used that exact same line, I'm sure!) I haven't just sat on my arse....well, not all the time!  Running with the PWR's is a great discipline for me, it means that I have to get out there!  I am the leader!  But other days it's been hard to get out.  Solo running is kinda well, buried deep into my boots! My headspace is just not full of running.  It's full of eating, sitting on my arse, watching crappy reels on Facebook or Insta!  My brain seems to only want to concentrate on 30 seconds of anything and then ready for the next!

Anyway, enough feeling sorry for myself.  It can't go on, and it' shouldn't go on!  We....I can't keep blaming everything on Covid and the lockdown. I can't blame some of it on work though.....during term time only of course!

So what's been happening.....hmmm. Well, I turned 60!  That was a huge mile stone!  I started running while I was just under 50 and I am still running!  So year, there you go Old Girl, a huge pat on the back!  I am still here!  It may not be planning marathons any more.....did I tell you I have done 2 marathons?...Oh ok....Just getting out and still doing something is just ok for me right now.

What a motley crew! 

We had our Woo Woo run last month!  That was great fun.  Group 2 came and joined us, RefMichael joined us too...he never misses it! And of course there has been plenty of club runs happening.  Our beginners course ended in September, we had a number of graduates that completed our course and some have joined us at PWR.

Yesterday I was at PWR again, leading.....from the back.....sometimes in the middle and believe it or not occasionally at the front! Woo hoo, get me! I was in my new gear too!  My PWR friends all clubbed together and presented me with a gift voucher for Up and Running, quite a sizable chunk too! No...not talking about me now....anyway I went shopping with the Old Boy, he was driving thankfully, and I bought, new shoes, 361, new running pants, new socks and a new running jacket (one that fits me..!) I had to put it all to good use,  so I did the easy route yesterday, just to get everyone warmed up, lulled into a false sense of security.... ooh maybe shouldn't have type that particular thought! But I really want to make a difference this year.  In my head at the moment I feel stronger.... I was going to enter races, but right now, I don't want to put that pressure on my very delicate resolve.  Just getting out little and often....that's the way to do it.  Lets just get back to running for running sake!

Hello!

 Hello blog readers

Well, that was a long break!

I have no excuses but laziness.  Not to say that I have not been running since my last post, just lazy in writing things up! Ok lazy in actual running too!

I have been totally absent from running during August, work commitments kept me away, either I was just too knackered after a very long day at work or lazitus when it came to park running!  Now I am back!  I have new bosses, completely free school holidays and totally looking forward to running.

That said, after having weeks off running getting back is just like starting over!  My first run, last Tuesday (I know I didn't write that one up either) was just a very short club (sort of) run.  I checked my list for who will be running in group 1, and I had no one booked in!  So, I decided to run from my house, save taking the car to club run and getting to run in group 2, which I knew I wouldn't be ready for.  I decided to just to a very small loop around my estate.  Just as I was about to get ready, I saw naggy coming back from her run.  I called out to her and she came over to see me.  She said she would come with me and she could use that as her 'cool down' run!  

It did feel pretty good to get out but boy, did I feel it.  I was just so pleased I decided to do just a small loop!  Naggy kept me motivated and we did the Jeffing run style.  Sometimes I ran through the walk part and carried on running, it felt good that I could 'break the rule' a bit.

What was next. Of course!  Our beginners course started last Saturday!  Now that does give my mojo a well needed boost.  Just encouraging others to get into this running lark is just such a feel-good thing to do!  We had about 20 or so beginners turn up, all ready to get fit for the winter and beyond.

Then yesterday, Tuesday, it was club run again.  I looked at my list and saw there were four other ladies booked on!  No excuse this time, a full club run as on!  I chose one of my easiest routes to do, it has a shorter version, which I thought would be the best route to do.  I haven't run 3 miles in just so many weeks I needed to know that we can cut short if necessary.

No clock watching, no waiting for my Garmin to tell me to walk, I had to just get on and do what I can to keep the 'troops' happy and satisfied with their club run.  As it happened, everyone was happy to do the shorter route.  It was just as well as one of ladies had to cut it even shorter to get home to her son who needed her.

So, I nice short blog for a nice short couple of runs.  

Here is a picture of our beginners group doing one of my favourite stretches.

Picture taken by Hannah Harrison.

Harvel 5 HHHH

 Hello blog readers.

So, well....um....! I've been running!  Honest.  It's my blogging that has been pushed to the kerb at the moment. Well, when I say I've been running, I have had a couple of usual run days pushed aside too!  But I had reasons for that! Honest!

What I am writing about today is what I did yesterday!  It was the Harvel Hash House Harriers 5 miler!  Complete with 'Taylors Arms' half way around!

We had booked this race in 2019!  But that blimmin COVID 19 got to us and it was cancelled, our places were deffered....until it could happen!  Roll on a couple of years and here I was.....totally unready for 5 miles, again, just like I was totally unready for the PWR 10k last year! Just like I'm unready for the Paddock Hal marathons! (Well, that one I really did have to let slide last year! I would deffo have been a DNF)  

The H5 is a very popular race, selling out in minutes when it opens!  But it's not wonder really!  For mee there are so many pluses!  For instance, it's on a Saturday!  There are very few races that are on a Saturday.  I think race organisers forget about us sinners wanting to get together on a Sunday to spend time with Him upstairs!  Or maybe is the British Constablery that refuse permission about the whole road closures thing!  Another plus, its at a very reasonable hour of 2 o'clock start! Most civilised!  Plenty of scope for a lay, or if you're not lazy, you could always squeeze in a parkrun!  A huge plus, especially if you are a beer drinker, they have a 'bar' as the water/beer/wine stop half way round! The medal this year of course was all about the jubilee, we had a bottle opener in the shape of the queen! Fan-bloomin-tastic!   The run it self is really quite pleasant!  I think I felt relaxed and happy all the way around!  It could have been the little can of gin I had to see me round, but hey!  I felt great!

CaroleWithAnE and her hubby RefMichael and Naggy were all H5 virgins!  I think CaroleWithAnE had to be persuaded to add just a drop of wine to her water at the half way stop!  I remember my first time doing this race, I went for the water, but as I was slower that those that I came with, no one persuaded me to have a beer!  I've been edge-a-macated since then, although, I have learned not to my first pint until after the race!

We met some other PWR's there as well, LouLou and Terry, (Terrey wasn't running so he was our unofficial bag drop) Nigel, Mike, Barbara, Steve, Chris,  as well as other faces from ORR and other clubs too! Like I said, it's a popular race, the ques for the loo would vouch for that!  After I had done my second lot of queueing for the loo I noticed that my mates were all ready for a photo, so I did a quick dive to get in!

It was also the first time I used the Aftershoks in an official race, the RD said that we could use them, the inear ones are not allowed as we are on roads for some of the race!  I made sure though that I didn't have the turned up to max volume, 1, is that the 'buzz' on my ear and 2, I didn't want to miss any of the cheering.  If the cheerers are there giving you support then it's totally rude not to acknowledge that!  I really smiled when I was running through the woods and the kids were there holding out their hands for a high five, of course I obliged!  But then one of them started running after me, over took me and said "Look at me, I can run really really fast!"  I just laughed and said "Yes you can!"

That cheeky little hill is still there, of course it's still there! Why would that flatten that just for me?  The ambulance guy on his bike, who I saw at the corner of a particularly evil little sharp left turn, it's on a hill going down and really gravely and broken brick type of path, well he had passed me just a short while ago. I had wondered if he had actually attempted to cycle up it!  I know there are some people who would do it with no problem!  But he did have have some rather heavy looking paniers on both sides of his bike!  After I got to the top, (walking of course) I began running again. I saw the first aider and I asked him if he rode up.....What do you think his answer was?

Any way, the return back to the party on the green was back on the roads.  I tried to run as much as I can while I was on the roads, hoping that some of the people I did pass wouldn't catch up to me again!  I felt remarkably strong as I went for the finish! Could it have been the gin......maybe it was because I hadn't actually ran for well over a week and my legs were well rested.

Loved this race, I will deffo be ready, fingers poised, ready to gain my entry for next year!

ps, I went out this afternoon, just to stop my legs from seizing up. Right now, I am in smug mode!!!!

Some other photos curtesy of LouLou and CaroleWithAnE, and I think maybe one maybe mine!

Hi! I'm Still Here!

 Hello blog readers.

Me, coming back from 
my solo run

How can it be that long since my last blog?!  Cor blimey!  It's not as if I haven't done anything cos I have! Honest.  There has been the beginners each Saturday, of course.  Also there has been club runs!  Have we had easter since my last one? Oh well, anyway, I'm here now, blogging away.

I have put in for a race, my first race in quite a while, well, since last October when I won a place in my running club's very own 10k!  I have actually paid this time to run 5 miles in Eltham.  It's a race I have done with quite a few of running buddies, and one that I have done with my mate Tracy too.  She enjoyed doing this one, so I will try and do it all with a smile on my face!

Our beginners are going really well, we have a few great runners at this stage, with only one more week to do and then we are going to do the parkrun Graduation.  Always a great time then!

I did a solo run, that was last Sunday.  I must admit, it was not pretty!  I procrastinated far too long.  I had an extremely poor diet the day before, I was totally lacking in energy!  But I did it!  There is never a bad run, just a slower, tougher run!

Yesterday was club run. With me leading, the sun staying in the sky so much longer, the woods is the only place to go!  Blimey, I remember when I was so happy to be out of the woods and running on the pavements again, being an old townie, too much nature for me the woods were, but now. Now I just love running through the woods.  The hills in there, well I still hate them with a passion, fecking hills!  I try and remember how far I used to get to before I gave up and started walking, when I was at my fittest of course.  Compared to now, now I just look at the hills and my legs feel like that have ran a marathon!  'It's all in the mind Donna' I say to myself! I still try and convince myself that hills are are friends! And still the hills try and kill me off!

There were 14 of us in group 1 yesterday, which included a group 3 runner who arrived late (fecking traffic lights at the roundabout still) and she tried to run into the woods to see if she could find them.  She was heading back out just as we were running in!  We don't leave anyone behind, so we told her to come and join in with us!  Might as well right?  Her name was Donna too, I remember she used to run in Group 1 way back when, before there was a group 1 and 1.5, when there only about 9 groups or so!  We have twelve now!  She enjoyed running with us though, at least she could keep Dee company away in the front!  But I did tell her not to follow her when we came to two paths!  

I had a nice route through the woods, it's about 3 miles around, I started my Garmin, or at least I tried to...the fecking thing ran out of charge!  'That's ok' I thought to myself, 'I shall just use Strava!'  I started that off.......so I thought!  The blasted thing didn't work! I was so annoyed!

But I did capture this lovely picture of us, just by 'Bug City' near the little river!

Not the most flattering of angles! 

Here are a couple more pictures of the beginners too!

So, that's it for now, until next time!

Keep on Keeping on!

Hello blog readers.

I know it's been a while since my last blog, and I know I promised to blog after each run.  But time just kind of runs away from me!  Weird that, you think as you get older time would be a thing you think you have tons of. "Oh I will do that later," or "tomorrow is another day"  Well this last month has been a tough month, not just for me, but my other friends too.

My long standing friend, my running buddy, my work buddy, my nagee, passed away.  It seemed like only just a short illness, bloody cancer!  It don't care who you are, rich or poor, fit and healthy or down on your luck, it can get you!  It knocks the bloody stuffing out of everyone that is connected to that person.  Tracy, 'Get Your Legs Up' Tracy, passed away, we had her funeral last Tuesday, would you believe on a running night!  Well, Tracy you can now 'Rest your legs' Tracy, I have no doubt we will meet again.

So for the past few weeks my running hasn't quite been up to par, but we did start our beginners course, the first of the year!  It was pissing down with rain but we still had a good number of 'Athletes in the making'.  I know I speak for the other leaders, ZippingSherry, RefMichael and Hannah (yet to be assigned a nick name) that we totally love leading this course, watching as they all surprise themselves and run their first 5k.  There are quite a few now who have gone on to join PWR, completed 10k's, half marathons and full marathons!  It swells your heart!  Next Saturday will be week 3, blimey that really has gone quick!

Group run last night was good, we tackled just a couple of hills, with a little bit of hill training in the middle of the run! Mean!? What me? Never!  It will do us all a bit of good.  Mind you, this morning I am feeling it!  

So just a quick blog, just to let you know where I am in my 'Trying to keep fit' stage.  And just a little tribute to my mate 'Get Your Legs Up Tracy' You will be missed, your smile at the back just kept going, unless of course you were throwing daggers at my back when I nagged too much 😊  

Dee, Tracy and me!