Long Slow, Slow Run!

Hello blog lovers.

I remember when I wrote my first ever blog, and I said something along the lines of, taking up jogging at my age, is probably not the most sensible things to do and is probably even dangerous thing to do! Well I stand corrected! Deciding to run a marathon at the age of 50, is probably the most daftest things, to date, that I have decided to do!

Today my schedule said that I should be doing interval running for 85 mins, which in my world, reads jogging and thinking about running for fast periods, for 85 mins. I can only do that running bit at the end of my nice little 3 and half milers!

I have decided to extend my distance however, you will all be pleased to hear! I do need to test this old body of mine, see how it feels after 7 miles. Next week, add a little bit more, etc, you get the idea! I just hope my body will grasp on to the idea, and pretty quick!

My route this evening would be the 6 miler route, through the posh houses, but I will be doing it in reverse! Sometimes its good to change this a bit, and I will be doing a bit extra to increase the mileage!  Of course going this way around the hills are in the beginning of the run, longer slower climbs up through Pettswood. The Old Boy was trying to explain how sometimes doing things in reverse is harder because of the hills.  I must be having a 'Blonde' moment because I just presumed hills are hills, I have to run up and I have to run down, same thing if I run down then I have to run up! Surely?

I was really struggling to jog today, I even stopped and had some walking way before the 30 minutes I did on Monday, it was about 17 or 18 minutes into the run! I put it down to the fact that I wasn't feeling too good today. I woke up with a bit of a cough. Baby germs had got to me again! An occupational hazard that I have to deal with! I suppose I could greet all the children coming in to my home wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves! Yes, I could say that for the next few months we are going to be looking at all things doctors and nurses! I could get away with it, I'm sure!

That is how todays run went today. It was a jog some, walk some day! But my thoughts going through my head were "You could so easily have stayed in Old Girl, but look at you, you're out here just doing it" So I didn't beat myself up about todays jog along. After all I am planning on putting in an extra mile. At least the distance will be there. I will start to teach my body about distance!

The Old Boy was jogging along with me, not really understanding why I keep stopping! But I just smile at him, tell him I am tired, tell him that I am starting a cold, in fact all the excuses in my book, just so that he don't ask me again! I know todays run is going to be slow and there will be plenty of walking bits.

We eventually were running down the A21 towards Bromley. Not too far from the round about I just really, and I mean really need to go for a 'wee wee'. I was thinking at that precises moment, 'Why didn't anyone buy me tena ladies as a little giggle joke birthday pressie" I could so have needed them right then.  Mental note to self, Check out how many 'natural stopping' places there on on the VLM route, because at this rate I will need one every 5 miles or so!

Fortunately, going this way round the restaruant/pub is just a few yards up ahead! I managed to get there, without embarrassment, and used their facilities. I was just hoping the sight of me wasn't going to put people of their huge dinners! A big orange and black sweaty pink person, walking past the joints of meat they were all busy drooling over!

As we had crossed over the road the OB said "Lets go through Whitehall rec and break up the long road a bit" I felt this was a good idea. It's always good to change things around. So that's what we did. We popped out of the ally way opposite Turpington lane. Now I could have gone down there, and through our park which would be a tad shorter than jogging up to to Oxhawth. But again, my attitude was, well, I'm out, I said I was going to do extra mile so hey ho, go for it.

Jogged/walked all the way to top Oxhawth, "Now, jog all the way home, no more stopping for tea and cakes" the OB said. Well, I was planning on that anyway, because this is my bit of road that I never walk on! But I just didn't have the energy to tell him that! I just wanted to concentrate on each lamppost as we passed under it. Not even counting the lampposts, just, "There's another one gone, look for the next"

We got to our house, I stopped the Garmin and was very, very surprised that actually we had covered 7.77 miles! Yeah, go Old Girl, now that is what I am talking about!

I walked around the green for a bit, mumbling something at the OB, because he has said something about at that pace its going to take at least 7 hours to complete the marathon! I just mumbled away saying things like Rome wasn't built in a day! But I think he was secretly pleased with our run today!

Geeky stats, complete with loo stop, but I did stop it as soon as I ....was on the job.... so to speak!