Early Morning Run?! Don't be Daft!

Hello bloggees!

Yesterday the OB threaten me with an early morning run for this morning. I kind of, sort of agreed to it. All through our usual Friday night out he kept making comments about our early morning, 6 miler! After my first pint, or was it during my first pint, I stopped listening, and tried to change the subject.

Of course this morning, we both turned over and slept in again, way passed the early morning run stakes! Which means, after we eventually got up, the OB headed straight for the shed to work on his bike.

But, as you probably know by now, we did go out for a run (which is why there is a blog today). And it wasn't a 6 miler either. It was our usual 3 and half miles with a promise of dinner out, after we got back.

I tried to push myself quite hard, even up the hills. The OB had his own agenda for the first mile. He was way in front of me, urging me to keep up with him. He must have been on 8 min/mi!!! There was no way I was going to keep up with him. even if we were only running for 1 mile!

So I plodded along, thoughts of what we may be having for dinner this evening, trying not to think about how hard running is. Yes, I enjoy running, and yes I will keep on going. There is no way I will stop, EVER! Well, maybe if I get too old! But, my word! It is hard. I really have to tell myself off, keep myself going. Which is why I write my blog, it just helps me to stay focused. I can look back and see how far I have come. I keep thinking that maybe one day, I will just fly around a 3 mile course, and think nothing of it! I really do listen to the Old Boy too, and to Naggy Neighbour, and all my group leaders. All their encouragement runs around my head as I run along, as well as all the other stuff that I think about, i.e. dinner tonight. By the way, we ended up having Italian, very nice it was!

After todays run, I almost craved being a 'tatoe' again! But I know, that is never going to happen. I am feeling much to good to ever want to go back to those days!

Geek stats.

Headlamp run!

Hello Blog lovers.

As promised from the earlier blog, I did indeed run again with the OB! He didn't think I would go, but I assured him this mornings run was just a very short run. We had already decided yesterday that we were going to be running with headlamps on, so there was no rush to get out before dark.

I had dinner already prepared and ready to go into to the oven, salad chopped and chilling in the fridge, ready to dive into when we get back. I was looking forward to the night time running malarkey, see what all the fuss is about.

Our route is the usual one, from Tent Peg Lane. The Old Boy did say that he is not feeling 100% and that I don't have to do any sub 10 min miles. It was just as well, because I was feeling a little tired anyway. I think my cold is still hanging around! I forget what number excuse that is, I expect Mr. S can tell me on the club run next Tuesday!

Also I noticed that my heart rate jumped up to 203 but in the first 2 minutes of the run. I can't think what made it go up that high, there was a cyclist that crept up behind us and said "Excuse me" I stepped aside so he could carry on up the path.

It was an experience! Right now, here is a new excuse. I'm not sure if its because it was dark, or because of said cold, or the fact that I went out running this morning, but this evenings run was a little slower that we have done in the past!

But still, it was a good run! I enjoyed it immensely, Old Goss hill got the better of me though!!!

Geek stats for you

First Nighttime Run by moosh001 at Garmin Connect - Details

A Feel Good Run!

Hello blog lovers,

Today I had no kids to look after, I was feeling pretty good, and just sitting around twiddling my thumbs. "What can I do" my little brain was saying to me. Well, there is the house work, and a bit of shopping, mmmm. yes I can still do that, but still, "Go for a run, a bike ride, just get out for a bit" a still quite voice was telling me. Now there's a thought. Even if I go out later with the OB I can still do a short blast some where. Maybe TAL or push it a little further and go through the local park.

That was it. Mind made up, I went straight up stairs and got changed into my running gear, ear phones plugged in and garmin with HRM strapped on. I had decided that I was going to do just over a mile and half, with my earphones in, and just enjoy being out running for no other reason that because I can!

It was good, I wasn't thinking of breaking records, or anything, but I was thinking "I am going to blast as much of the second part as I can" Get my body used to running a bit faster on the second miles of my runs.

Even down the last road, I did some interval running, running fast between lampposts and the recovering between the next lampposts. I was feeling good. I could feel the funny twinging thing in my knee, but it isn't as bad as it has been. I felt good!

Even after I got back, I know, weather permitting (as I am looking out of my window at the horrible rain!) I will be able to go out again later and do another 3 miles or so.

Geeky stats

Solo Run by moosh001 at Garmin Connect - Details

Club run - HAPPY 5TH ANNIVERSARY PWR'S

Hello Blog lovers.

Yesterday was club run night. And it was a special night tonight as well. Yes, I know you can see The title up there, but I am going to tell you here as well! Yesterday was the clubs 5th birthday! PWR's have been running (pun intended) for 5 years. It has grown and grown over those 5 years. The members are all really friendly, down to earth, 'normal' people. Meaning, that they are not all 'My body is a temple' kind of people or 'I could never drink or eat chocolate' kind of people. They are just a great bunch of people of all running abilities that get together on Tuesdays, (and loads of social events) to run together through the whole of the year. (except on social occasions, ..... obviously)

Anyway, yesterdays run we had another group leader. We did go very gentle on him! It was his first time leading a group! He was good really, kept checking on us to see if we are keeping up with him! He did run a 'tad' faster the first mile, but the Old Boy has seen to it that I can keep up with that sort of pace (for the first mile only!) fairly comfortably.

It's the inclines that I find, gets me puffing out of every orifice! And really Crofton Road is a fairly 'good' incline, because it just goes on and on! I was looking forward to the end of this road, the bit that the new group leader says goes flat!

After regrouping at the top it was the lovely flat bits, heading towards the little estate. I quite like this estate, because it's all 'turn here' then 'turn there' which means just a couple of extra 'regrouping' stops so that no-one gets left behind.

We headed of back up to the old threasers but we were going to turn right and go over the bridge. It confuses me, somewhat, when we just ran up hill, then the flat, and then some more uphill to get back to where we started. I can't remember running down hill in the first place! But I'm sure we must have done!

I was at the back of the group by this time, my usual position, but I was feeling good. Still got this twangy feeling in my knee though!

Anyway it was a great run, followed by cakes at the pavilion. Yummy, scrummy, homemade, shop bought, delisios, chocolate, carrot and marshmallow cakes. Not that I had a sample from all above mentioned confectioneries! But of course being that the PWR's are all 'normal' people, no celebration would be complete unless there was a few glasses of bubbly raised! Either in the lager, voddys and coke, or G and T's. And the OB came along and joined in for a couple of sherbets as well!

Which is why yesterdays blog is beging written tonight!

But just for your info, me and the Old Boy went out for a bike ride today,we only did about 12 miles ish, but with a couple of 'water' stops on route! But then we rode through the woods on the way home!

I came prepared this time. I had remembered to pack a head torch! It makes all the difference. And the Old boy wanted to go through the woods where we live, and pop out at the end of our road. This time we didn't get lost!!

Geeky stats for yesterdays run!

Club Run by moosh001 at Garmin Connect - Details

A Short Run Today!

Hello blog lovers.

After the excitement of yesterday I was really looking forward to stretching my legs out today. The ambiance of the event obviously wont be there, but I can still remember when I first did the Pettswood 10k last year, and I have these fresh memories of seeing the first of the runners coming up the path still in my mind.

Me and the Old Boy started off from the usual place at Tent Peg Lane. We were going to do the smaller route, just 3 and a half miles. Two reasons why, One, was because we asked our grandson, the Dude, to come and have dinner with us. He was just dying to try the fish that granddad caught, and two, the Old Boy says that he wasn't feeling too good, he seems to have caught my cold now.

But he was still up for running, which was more than I was last week. "As it's only a short one" he said even before we got out of the car "lets just push it a little harder this evening"

Well, you all know me by now, 'The Moaning Old Girl, Wannabe Olympic Runner', I was thinking, "Well, I have just got over a cold, and I did have a few sherbets yesterday, a celebratory drink with Hitchy, who did a marvelous 1 hour 1 min and 34 sec 10k, and also having a drink with some of the other marshals.

My goodness, I think the Old Boy is right, I could write volumes and volumes of excuses!

But still, I got into the zone for the first mile, and managed to do a sub 10 minute mile, AGAIN But that bloomin hill did beat me today. I tried my hardest to just forget about it being a hill, but fatigue (or yesterdays alcohol effects) was not helping me at all. But from the top I did try to keep going, there were quite a few walking sections, even if they were only for a few seconds here and there.

Then when we got through 'Dog poo' ally and started to run up Birchwood I felt this kind of twinge thing, slight 'elastic band twangy' thing happen in the back of my leg, in the bend, behind the knee. I wasn't go to push myself then, I just took it easy, slowed my pace down, and walked if I thought it was going to 'twang' again.

By the time I got back to the car the 'twanging' didn't bother me, and there doesen't seem to be any pain, even now as I rest up, which is good.

So geeky stats, (yes I remembered to charge it up!)

Run With Alan by moosh001 at Garmin Connect - Details

Pettswood 10K Race Day

Hello bloggees.

I fell asleep thinking of the race, how I got up in time I will never know. But thankfully the Old Boy had made a cuppa for me and I was getting in the zone after that.

There were butterflies in my tummy, I was getting nervous, will I be able to do all that is asked of me today?!

I was in place by 10 o'clock. final checks made, and then just waiting, waiting! 10:20 a call to the relevant people, "I am in place, all set to go." A quick call to the Old Boy "Hello, can you remember what number position I am?" And then just the waiting for the 10:30 start!

10:30 arrived, all's well so far, the butterflies are stirring something up now. The smile starts to spread across my face already! And its only just begun! "Calm down Oldd Girl, there is a least 20 or 25 minutes before you get into your zone" But even that doesn't help, I am smiling! I am feeling good, I am looking forward to this race so much.

Then its my time. "Yeah, come on, wow, well done, well done indeed, you're doing so well" All the runners are in 'their zone' looking at the marker boards, only 2 kilometres left to go! Then the next runner, in the zone, coming up the path, "Well done, your doing brilliantly" The smile never fading from my face, the enthusiasm seems to be getting higher and higher as each runner passes my station.

Soon I will see people I know that have entered the race. How incredible is this. I am marshaling on the my running club 10k race! I never realised how good it can been encouraging and supporting each and every runner past my 8Km marker board.

Each runner I shouted out to, each runner I clapped and applauded, it was just a fantastic experience to be able to give something back the the sport that has got me to where I am today! 2 stones lighter, tons and tons fitter and feeling pretty good!

Thanks Pettswood Runners for persevering with this Old 'Slow coach' Girl, and thanks for giving me and the Old Boy an opportunity to give something back and to encouraging all runners of all abilities to do as well as they can

I just wished I had remembered to take some photos of the runners as they came up to my marker, but cheering them on I felt was much more fun for them and definitely for me!

Here are some of the photos taken from a water station further in the woods.

Man Flu'! What Man Flu'!

Hello Blog Lovers.

Its been a while, I know. but having a cold really does knock you for six! I was tempted to go running a couple of times before today, but was glad I didn't, especially after Naggy Neighbour said that running with a cold is not good!

Today though, I felt like I could do a couple of miles and so did the Old Boy. But there were more important things for him to do first, and thats is his little project. Its not going to be that long before 'she' is up and running (yes, his motorbake has become a 'she'). But when it got to about five I thought that maybe he had changed his mind. I was starting to to think that maybe I didn't want to go anyway! But he came in, smelling like a grease monkey and still raring to go for a three and half mile jog! "Yeah" I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "You want to go or not" he said to me, and I said "Oh yeah, course I do, yeah, still up for it, just a couple of miles, right" "Yes" he said, without making eye contact!!

Anyway, there you go, my excuses all out in the open before I even talk about my run today. We started off at our usual place, Tent Peg Lane, I'm sorry I don't have any geeky stats again today, but a week off has done my battery in on the old Garmin!, I keep forgetting that it needs power to keep working, even when not actually connected to satellites! And I did run so bloomin well today, too!

The OB took a watch, just to check on our time from beginning to end, and when we got to the first mile mark he said "Thats 12 minutes" I was quite happy with that, after all, I have been ill, and ...... really, if I am honest, still not fully recovered, so yes, I was happy with a 12 min first mile. But then the OB said to me, "we are not stopping after we get up Goss hill, you can walk for a minutes, but there is no stopping" I was ok with that, it just means that I will be getting to the finish quicker!

But then he continued, (or did he tell me before hand?) "We are going down Botony Bay, and up the new path, we are doing some of the 10k route today" Blimey, I wasn't expecting that. Especially as he did say to me that we are going to go out for dinner somewhere!

Yet still I was looking forward to it. I was looking forward to the end! but I was looking forward to 're-creating' my 10k I did last year. Ok so its not the whole 10k, but the best bits through the words. I did really well on Goss Hill! I really did! I know I walked some of it, but it was literally just about 30 seconds to a minutes worth in the two walks that I did! But this bit of the route, the next uphill section of the woody part of our (Pettswood runners) 10k I walked more times and for a little longer. The OB was trying to get me to run a little faster but my only word that I could say was "No"

At one point on the route, the OB was behind me, I was 'jogging' along when I noticed at the corner of my eye that he was actually walking besides me! Tut, he was proving a point, but still, I didn't like it!

We soon got to the next down hill section, which I do love, but I was just running at my own pace, refusing to go any faster. I was going at my own pace, I was just enjoying being our running again after what seems like an eternity since my last time, I was not going to over do it this evening. So after we got to 'Dog Poo' ally and the OB said "Shall we turn left and finish the rest of the woody section of the 10k" I said "No, lets just go right, and over the bridges" In the end though, we went though 'Dog Poo' Ally and up to the last bridge. To be honest, I was looking forward to getting home, having a shower, putting some slap on, and then going for some dinner!

When we go back to to the car, the OB said that actually the first mile was done in just under 10 mins!! I didn't think it was, It deffo felt like it was a 12 min mile. So Maybe 'Mr Kit Man' is right, my body gets used to running a little faster every so often, but now I have to get it used to running faster a little longer each time!

We completed our 4.19 mils (distance measured on map my run) in about 50 mins 30 secs (ish) so really, that is a bloomin good run! Pat on the back for this Old Girl please!