Lazy, Lazy, Mare!

Hello Bloggees.

After the OB told me this morning that he was having a rest day today, I thought what a great time to get out and go for a jog. Even though my legs were complaining, both the front and the backs of my thighs, any masseurs out I could do with free massage right now!

I was in two minds whether to go really, (lazy mare)I mean the benefits of rest days are just as important as working hard on jogging and running! I was feeling quite tired as well, a bit fatigued, didn't sleep well last night, excuse #110. But I compromised with myself and decided that I would do just a very short run.

Jog pants on, Garmin and HRM on, key in pocket and off I go! I started off quite well really. And at quite a quick pace, boy, do I miss my illustrious leader, she knows how to do a warm up lap. So just slow myself down a tad, I don't want to burn out, after all I am only doing a very short route today, (lazy mare!)

When I got on to the main road the wind nearly took my breath away. I must have been just protected by the trees and houses on the route so far, and trying to run into this headwind, oh wow! That was tough.

I was quite pleased to turn into the park just after the mile, and the wind eased a bit, and then as I arrived onto my estate it became a tail wind, and helped to push me along. My limbs were complaining now, even my shoulder was complaining! How can that complain? I was quite pleased to get in relax on my sofa! I had noticed that I had a missed call from my sister, those of you who have never followed my blog before, she is affectionately know has Nagging Sister! Both of us were out of breath and she told me she had just come back from her first run for quite some time. I know I shouldn't write this, but I will,. She ran for just over 6k, 6K? It took her 55 mins, and I have no doubt that she is going to feel it tomorrow! Grrrrr, and there was me with my measly 1.75 miles!

Still, short jog better than no jog, and slow jog better.......well, you get the picture. Still, a rest day tomorrow me thinks.

Geeky stats for you, well, very pathetic geeky stats.

First Run Of The Year!

Hello blog lovers.

I am totally surprised to be writing this blog today, because as you know, I only write a blog if I have something to write about. And today is no exception. So what I am talking about? It's the weather! What an awful day!

The wind started in the night, and no people, it wasn't me on the sprout and lentil diet!, before you all start snickering. The wind was just awful, blowing about all the plastic bottles, and empty cans from my bins! (remails of a very good Christmas) Then in the morning the rain came with it. I didn't expect to be going out at all today.

But the wind died down, even the rain stopped, so no excuses but to get my 5 pound heavier ass out of the door and go for a run with my fellow PWR's. I got all the way to Pettswood when I remember that I hadn't picked up my Garmin, I still had time so a swung around to go and get it. Now that the OB has a Garmin, I don't want to be out done on the geeky stats.

I park the car, walk up to the pavilion *&^*%$£$!! I left my Garmin on the seat of my car! So a warm up run to pick it up and all set to do the 3.45 miles of our run. The last time I ran was back on the 16th December, I am a tad out of shape and so I shall be staying with group 1 for a couple of weeks before moving up, excuse #101 I believe in Old Girls book of excuses for possible bad run sessions.

We started off nice and easy, just as our illustrious leader always does. And I for one was very glad of that. And it seemed a few of the others were glad of that too. The Christmas has taken is toll on many a waistline, along with the dreaded 'Flu lurgy.

My chest complained a bit, I was expecting that, I have had a cold for a few weeks now. I tried very hard to concentrate on the running rather than the cold air filling my lungs, wanting to freeze them into frozen mucus ice poles! Ewwww, that's disgusting! I was glad of the rest stops today. I tried very hard to keep up with the lead pack, and I managed it for about a third of the way. But my chest was getting tight, coughing and running just dont mix, but I kind of suppressed the urge to cough and kept on running. Mind you when I stopped I made up for it, I should have had a hazard sign around my neck, 'bio waste, keep clear!'

So from the previous paragraph you can guess that I was at the back of the class, as usual......But not totally the last one! I was quite pleased that I was still well enough to stay a couple of steps clear of three others! I even had a tiny bit left to put in a tiny bit of sprint to the end,.....and then cough up those lung ice poles I was talking about earlier!

Still, its all good for you! Jogging, running, cycling, swimming, getting the heart rate above the normal resting state for 30 minutes a day, its all good for you! That is in no doubt! Here is to a whole new year of getting fitter, lighter and healthier, for all of us!

Oh yes, this is day 1 of tee-total month!

Geeky stats.

She Can Run Solo!

Hello Blog lovers.

I took advantage of the free afternoon today, even though I had stuff to do, i.e. wrap up presents! It was too much of a good opportunity not to take. Its not often these days that I can get out and run in the daylight by myself, so everything can go 'on the back burner' while I run.

It is quite chilly today, but it is 8 days till Christmas! so its not really surprising. But I decided not to put on my fluorescent jacket as another layer, I am hoping that the daylight will confuse my brain and tell me its not that cold once I start running. (And it really doesn't take a lot to confuse my brain!)

I was hiding in my doorway waiting for my Garmin to find the satellites so that I can start running, the wind is very chilly indeed! As soon as I heard the bleep I was off.

Of course I started off too quickly and had to slow myself down a bit, but I soon got into my stride. And I was so right about not wearing my jacket! I warmed up and even got sweaty and puffy faced! So I know I was going quite well.

I wasn't expecting great things, because I was just going along at my own pace, I am not very strict on myself when I am solo running! But I am really enjoying it out here. I still do those darn walking things!!!! Why, I don't know, I should tell myself off when I am walking.

Still, it was a good run, and I really enjoyed it. I'm glad that I can still have the motivation to get out there by myself and go running, for a while I was thinking maybe I had lost that!

I stopped my watch and went inside to do my stretches.

Here's the geeky stats!

Oh What A Struggle!

Hello blog readers.

My goodness, what a battle it was today, to get my backside off my nice comfy chair, in my nice warm house while playing scrabble on my lap top! Oh my goodness, memories of days gone by! I though maybe that I would take the easier option of going for a short bike ride with the OB but he was planning on doing a 20 miler!.....Have you seen the weather out there, the cold and the wind! Especially the wind! The thought of heading up to Biggin hill was not good.

I did say to the Old Boy that I might just not doing anything and just stay snuggled on my chair. Well that was it, the OB started goading me then, "Thats ok, you keep you fat ass on the chair, letting it grow fatter, getting back to how you used to be" Grrr, I could feel the little fat cells in my body starting to get excited at that thought! I could feel them start pumping up, making them selfts bigger and stronger!

NO WAY IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN! I cannot let things slide back to the old days. This is the testing time of the year! I know when I first started running, back then in 2008, I started in the winter months, in March! But the thoughts of mum, and the spring and the summer, it just seemed so much easier to keep going. But now, with the shortest day of the year still to happen......well, you know! But the thoughts of mum always keep me going.

And today, thoughts of my dear friend filled my head. Him, struggling with Parkinsons, stroke, and now toxic poisoning running through his system! He still fights on! what more do I need to get my fat ass out there, in the cold, for just at few short minutes running!

So couch potato, eat my dust, (even though I know 'tatoes thrive in dirt) but you get my drift.

My geeky stats, well, it shows that my energy levels are way down in my stockinged feet! But I did it. A slow jog is better than no jog, right! And besides, the average moving pace is 11.38 mi/m perfect pace for group 1. Still tons faster that my first ever turn around lamppost experience!

I'm A Very Useful Jogger!

Hello blog readers.

In the style of Thomas The Tank Engine I am a very useful jogger! Our group 1 has swelled in ranks due to the phenomenal success of the beginners group which started in September. We have had loads more new members, and also some are still just popping along in ones or twos!

Our illustrious Leader had asked me to be sweeper today. I felt very proud and flattered to be asked to do such an important role, after all, we don't want to lose anybody. And you all know me by now, being at the back is my happy spot!

So for the first half of our run, I'm in my element, in the comfort zone as the Old Boy says to me, in fact, he is not the only one that says that about me! But the second has is a different story. I had to push myself that bit harder. I was a little concerned with one on the newbies, and I held back a little to help to encourage her and to see if she was ok.

When we got to Willet Way we were told that we could run as fast....or slow as we like. I chose to do the 'run fast/run slow' lamp post to lamp post. Right up to the recreation ground! A enjoyed my run today. As it seems I always do the days! I am looking forward to my next run.

So geeky stats, oh and I forgot to switch off my garmin, again, so the last 5 or six minutes is of me doing my stretches!

Tuesday club run by moosh001 at Garmin Connect - Details

Club Run - A Break In The Weather

Hello Bloggees.

Can you believe its been a whole week since I last put on my running shoes!? I am slacking! But at least I am not completely lazy and and vegging out, the bike does get an airing during the week.

But today, I really struggled..........to get the motivation to go out! It was cold, and dark, and wet and windy! I really didn't have anything to get me out of my chair. I even put a pathetic appeal out the club's FaceBook page! But, then, the Old Boy had said he was going to go out on his bike, he called me a wimp for even thinking of not going out! That was it! I decided I will go, after all, what will happen if I get wet!! Melt!

I got all my gear on, the Old boy still laying on the sofa. I expect he will go when he is ready. I got to the club early, so I sat in my nice warm car, and I could feel that old couch potato wanting to keep me in the nice warm car. But I had come this far. The rain had stopped sometime ago, and even the wind seems to have gone, so there was no excuses left, well apart from the cold and the dark!

There were quite a few people who have turned up. And even the newbies were all keen and ready to run. After the announcements we all found our group leaders and headed off. Our route was a figure of eight style, which took us pass the road where we meet up, not just once but twice. And the second time we actually run past the rec, past where I park my car! Yet we still had another mile to run!

I was quite impressed with myself, for the first big loop I ran non stop up at the front of the pack, and even was in the lead 'role' for a short period! Our illustrious leader even said "If you get too far ahead, Old Girl, we are going to have a stop up near the memorial hall" I knew that I wouldn't be the first to get there, but now there was this thought in my head! Could I actually get there first> I was looking up towards the hill that we had to climb, and I started to think "Well go for it Old girl, see if you can get their first" I tried, but the hill just got to me, and I slowed down.

But I was still quite proud of myself for keep up. I wasn't the last one any more, thanks to the newbies, who will soon be overtake me anyway! But getting this far non stop running, was pretty good going for me,

Now came the time where we had to head down the road where we all met up in the rec. It was pretty tough going to pass it on by. Mentally it was quite a struggle, and mentally, knowing where we are heading was pretty tough going too. I know the hill that we are going to run up, one because I just know this road, and two, (if I didn't' know it,) we had ran down it earlier!

going back up the road that we had run down I really did try to keep going, but I took a couple of walking stops, and was encouraged by the other guys to keep going, nearly there.

Going down the hill again felt fan - blooming - tastic! I love running down hill, knowing that the energy levels were dropping now. And it gives me such a much needed boost as well.

The last road up to the club, the road that I take to get to the club, the road that we have already ran up this evening, felt terrific! I was looking forward to getting home. I still had a little extra for a sprint finish. I love that sprint finish. I felt great running today! Yes that's right, I felt great while running today!

I am glad I went out today, I am glad that I found that tiny bit of motivation to get on out....The Old Boy didn't go out! He wasn't feeling to well!

Here is the geeky stats

Club Run by moosh001 at Garmin Connect - Details

Club Run! - Remembering My Mum, My Inspiration.

Hello Blog lovers.

Today we saw our group 1 swell in ranks as new members came along to check out what all this club running is all about. Some of these new comers have only been running for the last nine weeks! I felt under pressure to look good and run well. Most of them were tons younger than me (she says digging into the old excuse book again) so of course they were going to be a lot stronger, fitter and faster than me! I really felt that I had to push myself tons harder than usual. But I ran how I normally do, but with maybe just a tad bit more. I'm sure it doesn't look good when I tell people I have been coming for a year, I didn't want to look as if I had only just started running last night!!

It was a boozy weekend, we were celebrating my sister and her daughter swinging down ropes from Battersea Power station on Sunday, and also we were remembering my mum, my inspiration for all this running and cycling and keeping fit. Still find it very difficult to thing that it was 4 years ago that mum left us, taken by the wind. So, I had a lot of extra pushing that I needed to do, I haven't actually ran since last Sunday! but I have been going cycling. I just haven't blogged it! Yesterdays ride was a very leisurely 10 miler, but at a very social 2 and half hours! So punishment time, work up a little bit more of a sweat! Get my ass back on track.

Our leader today was Richard, our illustrious leader Ann's husband. (I have to start thinking of nick names again.) Anne was being sweeper today, and I was thinking that I would be keeping her company this evening. He was being very gentle on the group, even though the route today was a tad over what the new comers we expecting, but it is what we in group 1 have come to expect. And generally we are all totally thrilled with what we achieved, even the the next day or two we are sore. Mind you, these days I am not aching, but please don't tell group 1 leaders, they might suggest I move to group 2!

I was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't at the back keeping Ann company, I wasn't in the front either, but still, it was good not to be back stop today. I was well and truly wrapped up tonight. My house at the moment is like a ice box, blooming boiler on the blink, and I just presumed it was fairly chilly outside. But of course running along I soon warmed up! I had om more layers than an onion, and I slowly peeled off two layers by the time I got back!

It was a great run, but I seem to always say that now days, I am enjoying my running! I was speaking to one of the newbies as we ran and she said 'the only time that I like the running is when I stop' I can relate to that, I really can. It wasn't that long ago that I felt exactly the same. Even now, occasionally, when I am running, I sometimes wish there was some other easier way to get fit! But then most times I find that I really am enjoying the running! Not just the end, not just seeing the finish line, but the half way point, maybe just a few steps into the run. I find that totally amazing! Me, Old Mrs Couchy! Loving running!

Yes, today was a great run!

Geeky stats,

Club Run by moosh001 at Garmin Connect - Details

And I am going to add a video that I did back in 2010, to help raise money for Cancer Research.