First Evening Woody Run!

Hello blog lovers.

Well today was rather an emotional day.  I said a final farewell to a man I have known for over 40 years!  It was his sister, Yvonne, that is my best friend from way back.  We went to school together.  But on mothers day this year, Charlie lost his battle with cancer!  His send of was a very emotional time, with his kids around and his grandchildren and Yvonne, his sister, and other members of his family.

After I came back from the funeral I sat in my chair and just dozed.  I felt so tired.  I was amazed that I woke up in time to actually get ready to go out. But I knew I had to get out as my group 0 people will be waiting!  I hadn't arranged for anyone else to take it, I think psychologically I didn't arrange backup as I needed to get out and do a run.

I had sent out an e-mail to all group 0 members, to tell them that I was going to do the Birchwood Road route. But when I got to the rec, the sun was still visible, the temperature was just perfect and the woods were calling out to me!  I didn't know how the group would feel about running through the woods, and so I gave them the idea!

They all jumped at the chance!  I was so pleased.  Because of the nature of the type of running that we will be doing in the woods, the warm ups would actually be the jog along to 'Dog Poo Ally' because going up the paths will be slightly different.  We will be a little slower, one thing is that we will be watching out for the roots of the trees and then there is off course those huge muddy puddles which will be drying out nicely but will still be sticky!

We entered the woods and ran straight up the middle, Kelly, Jacob and his mum Kathryn, I believe that is her name (I just checked my email list!)  and Kimberly.  Although some of them had been in the woods walking with dogs, this would be the first time any of them had ran through the woods.  I hoped they were going to enjoy it.

When we got to the top of the woods we turned right and ran along towards the main road.  Jacob was in front, he was running pretty good! If he knew the way to go then I would imagine he could run this route in twenty minutes or a lot less.  Thankfully he waited at each junction, where paths went two or three ways, I was pleased with that, I didn't want to lose any of my Hero group, not on our first venture into the woods......well not at any time really!

Listening to the sounds of the woods, the birds and the animals as they scatter when we get close to them really helped to lift me.  The fresh air, the cleanness of the woods really is the best medicine for when you're in need of a pick me up.  I am sure I could 'smell' rain, you know the way it is sometimes when you can just smell it in the air.  But I think now it is just the 'cleanness' of the woods that I can smell.  No running along with the cars fumes and noises.  The cleanness, the rain smell,  is actually the fresh air!

When we got back to 'Dog Poo Ally' I noticed that we had done really well on the time.  I could have taken them on a little bit more road work, heading up one of the roads and then down Towncourt Road to go in through the other entrance of the rec.  But the woods were just perfect.  I asked the group if the could run for a little bit more through the woods,  I told them about the other side, running along the side of the railway line and then going up over the bridges and then back on the road.

Well, I think I have some converts to trail running as they all agreed to run the extra bit through the woods! The bottom end though would be a little bit more stickier than what we have just experienced but I feel sure that it is all drying up just nicely!  I was right!  We made good time to the bridges and then headed off back to the rec down the roads to run off any mud that we may have captured on our trainers.

A great run, a great first time through the woods run, a great first time trail run for the hero group!  My mood was lifted, but I was still very tired!  Group 1 will have to have another sweeper with Janet this evening, I was ready to go home.



This run is dedicated to Charlie Pugh!