Knockholt Train Run - 2020

Hello blog readers.

after I got home!

Here we are in 2020, the first of the years train runs!  And still not done this run during the summer months with my pals!  I will have to try real hard this year to get it organised!  I know some of my other friends would love to do this, maybe at a slightly later time, retire to the pub for celebratory drinks!  Anyway  that will the then, now is now!

I drove on up to Petts Wood Station to meet up with the other PWR's, maybe around 50 of us, all waiting to board the train to take us to Knockholt and beyond!  Well, on to Sevenoaks for those running 14 or more miles!  For us doing 6 miles we get off at Knockholt!  We all pile on the train I forgot to get a picture of us all on the train but LouLou took this one of just us lot,

Knockholt and Sevenoaks crew

The train doesn't take to long to get to our destination, the Knockholt crew got off which included me of course,  got off here around half of the group, the rest continued on to Sevenoaks.  We had about 6 groups represented here, with a group leader for 5 groups.  It does mean that some of the groups will have to merge!  I was down for leader of group 1, but there were only about 3 in group 1, so we merged with group 2 anyway, just as well because I am sure I would have gone way 'off piste' and ended up the wrong side of the wrong hill, either that or it would have been a really boring run right alongside the A21!  I knew most of the route, it's just a couple of twiddly bits that I would have gone wrong I think!

So we started our run, on quite a beautiful morning actually.  Some years we have done this is snow and ice!  Global warming maybe? Or just the natural order of things? Who knows, but it feels good not to be slip sliding about in ice!  I must remember to take mental notes of where to go, which paths I need!  I think I if do it once then I should remember.  With each road I mentally said right or left, I was right on all occasions.  I think I will be able to do this route again, with me leading....with someone else who has also done this one before as well! 

I was just glad that I could keep up with Group 2, or it could be that IllustriousLeader who was leading Group 2, was taking it nice and sedate!  Anyway, it's a lovely social run, it's what it's all about, run for fun, run with mates, run just because!  Matthew was going to be running along with me if there were more than just three of us.  He is absolutely a shining example of how and why we have so many groups in our run club.  Lost mojo, way back in the year saw Matthew ready to throw in towel, give up, go work on that 'ass grove' on the sofa again.  But by just dropping down a few groups, helping out at beginners and 'voila' mojo back, fun was back and realization of why we started, or kept up with, running!  We had a right laugh on todays run, it's how it should be.  Running for fun, running just for the sake of running!

I took a picture of us around half way home, this is us.

Not as much mud as I thought there was going to be, just as as well, because I decided to use my 'new old' shoes.  I am still rather attached to this pair, I wasn't quite sure whether to hand them down to be my 'muddy' run shoes.  so now at least I can have second thoughts about my brooks!  Oh did I not tel you, I went shopping yesterday and brought myself some new running stuff.  New shoes, Nikes, plus I bought a new running belt, a Flipbelt, Zipper!  Oh my goodness, what a game changer this is.  I didn't even know I was wearing it, and it had my phone, in its holder, in there, plus my train ticket and my key, which was attached to a key chain (elestatic actually) but my key was securely attached!  And when I ran, I seriously forgot I was wearing it!  I went to grab my phone from my usual place where I used to keep it when I ran, promptly panicked that it wasn't there and then remembered about my belt!  Love it!

Did I tell you about those hills on this route?  Well, they are there! One of them in the first half of the run is the best one.  When I say best one, for me there is no best hills, but this one does have the lovely little animals at the top of it!  Goats, funny little creatures, feisty little creatures.  Especially this little brown one.

butter wouldn't melt, look at that face!

He wasn't taking any nonsense from any one and just wanted to butt you, after he had a little sniff that was!  There was this other little goat to, and in the field opposite were some more with the pals the geese.

The next hill was too long after this one. Straight up a field!  Now this is the one that I thought would be a tad muddy, but it wasn't that bad!  And then there was Old Hill, the one through the woods.  That took us to the next bit of field we had to go in.  I took a picture of us here, or at list at the top of it!  Here, this is us

All in all though, it was a fabulous run, I really enjoyed it, just being with running buddies is fabulous.  Our run ended in Petts Wood, at Costas.  I haven't been in Costas as much as I used to, when I was working with Kirsty.  I thought about her as I went it, I wondered who would be our barista., would it be someone who I knew.  I was, and she remembered how I took my coffee!  That made me smile!  We also met Matthews dad too, he met us at Costas,  I don't think I have persuaded him to come running though, not with the moanings going on as we all tried to get up from our chairs and moan about our aches a pains!   Honest, running is good for you!  Really!!

Failed parkrun!

Hello blog readers

It's parkrun day and I didn't make it in time!  I left at the usual time, if not just slightly earlier, but the problem was, nearly 900 people had left even earlier than me and were on their way too!  I drove straight into the road that that takes us to through the gates to the car park and promptly turned around and came out again!  There were cars lining up to try and park, there was no way I was going to get parked.  So on to the streets I must go!

I managed to do a quick turn around before I got into the car park, a cheeky little u-turn at the top of the road but there were people still trying to come into the park.  When I got to the main road again I could tell the next driver that there were no parking spaces, before then it was too late and they would need to do what I had done.  On the nearest streets I looked for parking, Nothing! Time was running out, I was getting annoyed!  I said to myself "If there's no parking by nine then I'm going home"  Well, guess what!?  No parking.  I had texted the girls that I won't be parkrunning today, I am going to solo run!  Something I've not done in a while!  So that's the way it had to be!

You remember I said that I had 'spotify' issues, it wouldn't play with only 4g.....well it was still the same!  I sat in my car on my street feeling blimmin angry!  Angry at myself for being late, I should have realised that it's January and everybody will be wanted to get 'back' to running, just like the gyms will be full this time of the year!  And angry because Spotify was still having issues!  I was going to have to run music-less! It was going to be a tough run!  I had already convinced myself to do a shorter route "Well you are going to be running tomorrow for about 10k" the lazy couch potato was saying on my left shoulder" "Just do the old route" the mocking fit, slimmer Moosh figure, was saying on my right shoulder!  I know......both my 'inner voices' either keep routed to my chair or mock me when I go running!  But I listen more to mocking voice more often! 

So yes, I did run.....I did run/walk solo for the first time in ages!  It wasn't pretty, I really beat myself up on the run, but then that voice saying, it's fine you go tomorrow to get through!  And it will be tough tomorrow!  My legs are killing me now!  I think that is from the double set of exercises I did on Friday!  Talk about aching!  If feels like that very first time I started running, when I wasn't sure what I was doing, no warm up lap/mile or any sort of stretching afterwards, that's the sort of ache I am feeling now!  I am sure doing just a couple of miles is fine for today! 

So that was it, less than two miles on one of my old routes that I used to do when I use to do lots of my solo running!  But it's something, I ran.  I ran angry, I walked angry, but by the time I finished my very shortened route, I felt better.  I was so tempted to go straight into my house after I come back from Normans park, so at least I did something, plus what I did do got rid of my anger!  Job done I say!

So geeky stats!? Hmm, yeah, I will share it, why not,  all runs are good, not matter how slow or distance!  So here they are!

Work Out - Jabra's Back!

Hello blog readers.

The usual lumpy picture!

I was planning on running, but when I looked out this morning, the time I decided to go, it was raining!  Hmmm, I should have gone, I know, but instead I decided to take a look at my work out regimes on Jabra again.  I did it last year, on the pretence that I would continue it through out the year!  Well, trying each time is so much better than just talking about it and not even starting!

This time though, I had a good look at my Jabra, looking at the settings, looking at the other buttons that was there. I saw that I could change the work outs, add an exercise, take one out.  Well, I don't have a kettle ball or pull up bar or......well anything that is gym related.  So I tailored one of the workouts minus the kettle ball and the pull up and added some butt kickers and back extenstions instead. also up the reps too. Ok so I only added one extra rep!   I will add extra reps each time!  Oh, the burpees, I cut that down to 5.....and then just danced my way through them! So blimmin hard!

I did get a sweat on though, as you can see from my picture at the top!  Calories burned, well, not too many, but as I look at it, usually on a Friday I don't do any extra exercise anyway.  I can do this, it's day three of this RED January thing, not that I have signed up for the tee-shirt or anything, but I am going to stick with it.  I did it last year, I can do it this year!  It's parkrun tomorrow, so that should be good, seems like only a few days ago since the last one! Oh, yeah, it was!  So Bring it on!  Some geeky stats for you, from Jabra and Garmin!

After my workout!

Oh, also, an hour or so after this, I went for a walk with my daughter, grandsons and the dogs!  Another extra bit of exercise! Like a boss!

Geeky stats

Bike or Exercise? - Where do I write this?!

Hello blog readers.

What a sight! 

I am on my way to getting bike ready for the spring and summer!  My bike has been way to long neglected and it is too beautiful bike to be sitting in my shed!  So to help me on my way of getting bike fit, I went over to Naggy's house!  I got dressed up in my cycling gear, grabbed a towel, (I remembered what it was like on the other machie!) and made my way over to Naggys house. What?..... eh.....Well. Yes, I actually got my cycling gear on.  Even though I am not going out onto the actual road, sitting on her bike is going to hurt!  I will need my padding!  so as I had my cycling shorts on I might as well put on my cycling top! Anyway, back to it,  Naggy has this cool new machine, better than the other one, which I used about twice before I lost interest!  This one actually connects to the internet and gives you the feel of a 'ride'.  First of you can see the route, also the tension on the gear thingy tightens so it hurts when you go up an incline! Plus, the real cool thing is that the front of the bike lifts up, so you also get the sense of going up!  I am hoping all of that will help get my saddle ass back, plus remember how to change gear, how to clip in and out, how to be confident on the roads again and well everything cycling related!  But that will all happenI know that, just not straight away. And deffo not while it's dark and cold outside!  This cool new machine is the training that both Naggy and I need t help with the mojo, help her in her quest of craziness. Naggy has put herself in to this crazy race, something about a half iron man!  I know,  just crazy!  Not sure which is worse really, running around the Isle of Wight or this ironman thing! Me, I am just thinking half marathon, with a few nice pleasure rides of an evening and weekend as a way of keeping sane, cross training and social!

Anyway, Naggy chose a nice easy ride for me, riding around Windsor Park.   I know, cool eh.  She had it all set up on her Ipad, you can actually watch where you are riding, there are even people you have to steer around.....well, no I didn't have to actually steer the bike, but on the screen the guy who filmed it all was steering around the people!  I did get a sweat on!  It felt hard on the legs!  I was glad I was only doing about 9 miles, I just hope I at least get it done within the hour!  I forgot to start my Garmin, I had it set up for indoor cycling, I am not sure if that means satelites will follow me around a track or if indeed it will just record my heartrate, but I shall check it out when I up load my geeky stats. 

I thought I would write my blog here, in my running blog, I shall keep my cycling blog only for road riding blogs, I a sure I said that about the other indoor cycling attempt!  Yeah, I think that's the way it should be, I am deffo not going to writing another blog,  I shall get totally confused!

So enjoy, this is my geeky stats, both from my Garmin and from Naggys new app thing!, Oh and a picture of Naggy having her turn on the bike,  I didn't leave her house until she was well under way!

Naggy doing her thing!

My stats

New Years parkrun!

Hello blog readers

Me, Auriol, SnappyH, CarolWithAnE
Naggy with Benji and LouLou

Well, I did it, I got out on New Years Day, I know I said 'maybe' for the New Years Eve run but the duvet had me held prisoner until 11 at least!  I knew there were going to be a good few of my buddies running today, they are just as crazy as me!  Also for the first time in absolute ages, Team Angels were all together!  Hopefully this is our year.......nope, more positive..... this is our year!  I know....I sound like everyone else does, but I know that some people who have said that, yet were still in bed this morning while we were all out running! Not me though, I got up, went out....over to Naggy's house, collected her and Benji and then on to Normans Park!

But that's the thing, I was out running and I fecking loved it!  Don't get me wrong, it was still pretty hard, it always is!  I remember when I first started out running, that's only because I have blogged everything since I started way back in 2008, I used to think that as you got fitter this running malarkey would get easier....faster...., she says laughing out loud!  But the only thing that is has got, is continually. (is that the right word)  I have continued to run, every week, unless I've been on holiday, and then on the odd occasion I have taken my running shoes!

This is a new decade, and I have just realised I have been running for more than a decade, something that pre 2008 I never even thought about, let alone be possible!  Yet here I am, still at it, still running!  I think I will always continue to run, because I have my running family, PWR, Group 1, The Angels! Also there is no better community than the running community!  Oh look at me getting all smooshy, I guess what you all want is to know how I did!

Well, I was there!  And so were 728 other people, possibly some with hangovers!  I can remember the first time I attempted a new years day run, I ended up puking in Petts Wood High street! I don't think I have attempted another one, but I will have to go back and check my records!  But after having a drink free NYE I was feeling pretty good, ready for this, and feeling extremely smug for being there!  That is until I heard that there were a few PWR's there doing a 'doubler', they had already done one parkrun and were now doing this one!  Well, Bromley parkrun were running at 10:00 am this morning!  Most civilised, so a great opportunity to do a doubler!  I of course didn't, as I told Adam when he had asked if I were doing my second!

We were doing the run in Widdershins, that should help with the whole psychological stumbling block too!  The crowd moved, I started Jabra.....no music though, blimmin Spotify let me down, just kept on buffering! Grrr, either that or it was my phone net work, EE! But jabra nagged me, "Speed up to reach your target pace" she said in her blimmin matter of fact voice! Well I knew that, I was still trying to get through the crowd!  Seven hundred people is a lot of people to try and run through.......ok so I know I would never have run through that many people, way to fast some of them!  But there was some that I managed to overtake!

The first lap was ok, mainly because SnappyH, after her headband 'poinged' off her head just ran beside me.  After we almost completed the first lap she realised that actually, we could both listen to her music. she had it playing through the phone speakers. Now we could both run to the beat.  I like running to music, it just helps to take your mind off.

The second lap, well, it kind of went really quickly in my mind, anyway, so much so I had to ask if we were on the last lap!  This Widdershins stuff really threw me!  I just couldn't figured it out, how many times I had to run pass the park!  It was SnappyH that told me we were on the homeward stretch now, just got to head for the funnel!  About 3 quarters of the park to do and it's all done!  Not bad! SnappyH kept me going, she is normally way in front of me, Naggy and Benji were probably finished we parted company before we got to the first corner!  But the end is near, just the last corners to do and it was all done!

Going through the woody bit we were discussing a sprint finish!  "I don't think I have a sprint finish in me" I said to SnappyH "No, me either" she said!  She lies!  Because when we were almost to the funnels she grabbed my hand we we ran in together.  I think she spotted KevTwoBalls just by the funnel entrance poised with his phone ready to capture our finish!  I guess we really needed to look good!  But he did capture this, both of us airborne!  You have to look carefully at mine, but both feet are deffo off the ground!

A fab run, also it's one of the fastest parkruns I've done in a while! So I'm pleased with that! All together a lovely morning, with some amazing friends! 

Geeky stats, oh and by the way, I didn't start my Garmin straight away, two busy starting Jabra and trying to find music!



Finish photo Kev Howard Photography, other photo I think is from

Festive Fun!

Hello blog readers.

December has been very quiet on the old running front!  But I have done some at least.  The weather has really battered about my old mojo, so much so that it's all gone into hibernation!  It's going to take some kick ass screaming to get back out there!

But I have done some running since the Secret London Run back in the beginning of December, ok so not a lot of it!  But it's all  festive fun!  The first one after the SLR was the Woo Woo Run.  Oh my, I do love this run.  Our group 1 in PWR invented this run a few years back.  I choose a route that goes through this lovely road where the neighbours are outdoing each other in the festive lights department!  It is truly magical down there! Of course that road received loads of 'Woo Woo'. Oh one other thing, just to make the run a little more fun, we bring along a hip flask of something tasty!  I had some brandy in mine!

It really was a brilliant fun run, most of us wore something festive too, from Christmas running tops and leggings to complete fancy dress!  Or maybe that was just me!  I had on my Christmas leggings and two Tutus!  It's the only time of the year that I get to wear a tutu and get away with it!  Maybe next year I will get myself a tiara and dress up as a special 'fairy from the tree'  I love a tiara!

Here's some pictures from our run that night!

Ok, so the pink jacket is me!
I was putting my key in my back
pocket! Honest

Lovely lights

Cheers!

My next run was on Christmas eve.  Well it was Tuesday club run!  But this time we met at 09:00 that morning.  I had volunteered to lead that run, if I hadn't my mojo would have just stayed in bed, hiding under the duvet.  As I have already said, the weather has been truly awful, the woods would have been a complete mud fest.  I know I wasn't ready for that!  I know in the past I have embraced the whole mud thing but right now, I just knew I wouldn't have enjoyed it.  I needed to, I need to keep on enjoying running.  So my route was the Cinder path.  It's still off road but also it's in the woods, along the tarmacked path.  But to make it special, to make it super Christmassy, I brought along the Old boys Bose speaker, I carried it on my back in a bag and we had full on Christmas songs playing as we ran our 3 miles at group 1 pace run.  We still had a bit of mud, we still had to run through some water too, not too much though, just a couple of puddles left.  But that was great fun.  Trying to sing and run was fun too.

Here's some pictures from that run.

follow the
music!

Runners

Merry Christmas

On the Cinder Path!

The last one for this blog I did yesterday.  It was parkrun, in Normans Park.  Boy, if there was a time I needed motivation to get out of bed it was yesterday!  I woke up and looked at my WhatsApp groups to see who would be running. Silence! Absolute silence from everyone!  Now, I could quite easily have just snuggled back under my duvet, but no.  I started the ball rolling with a message. "Who's running today?"  I wrote.  If only just one person from any of my WA groups says they are running then I will get up.  LouLou was the first to say that she was!  So that was it, that was all I needed, I said it, I asked the question, someone said yes, so I had to go....right?!

I checked my group again, CarolWithAnE said that she and RefMichael was going, then SnappyH said that she was going!  A few of our 'gang' were going to be there!  Brilliant,  I need my buddies.  I am glad I have my buddies!  I am glad I have PWR!  It really is the only thing that keeps me running!  I am sure I would quit if I was by myself!

It's the winter route, so almost three times around the park.  I don't know if you know Normans park or not, but there is a small river that runs right through the middle of it and then goes off into the woods.  It's a most peculiar little bit of water because it just 'pops up' in the middle of the park, I am guessing it goes underground at either end, but not yesterday!  Yesterday it decided to cross over the path to get to the middle of the park!

We start our run at Hook farm end of the park, just a few meters along the path.  It's a popular parkrun and so it was quite busy.  I met up with all my buddies, SnappyH and CarolWithanE and RefMichael.  LouLou and Terry were there and so was Debbie.  Just what the run doctor ordered!  After all the preliminaries were done we started our run, of course I always go to the back of the pack, pace my run at my pace.  The crowd start to move, slowly at first and then a bit faster and then........almost to a stop!  We had hit the water and the mud!  Everybody thought it better to go through the water rather than the mud, although there were a few brave soles that embraced that particular joy of parkrun!  "Come on everyone, embrace parkrun and all there is to offer" I called out trying to encourage everyone to just splash through that stuff! If not to go through the mud!  No, I didn't go through the mud....still not ready to fully immerse myself in mudfest just yet!

But I did run it, I did enjoy it and I did not get a pb, obvs! But I really did enjoy it!  The next park run is News Year Eve!  Will I make it?  I said maybe!

Until next time people!

Christmas PWR Yule!

Hello readers.

Last night, straight from work I met up with my PWR pals to go for a nice, run in London!  I had my christmas leggings on, my two tutus, my PWR buff!  But I forgot my running top and my bells!!! I had real bell envy when I met all the other PWR's on the platform at Petts Wood.  Some had bells on their jumpers, some had them on their wrist and some had them on their ankles!  Totally envious!  But I was truly happy to be on the train, looking forward to meet the rest of the crew!  There were around 80 of us booked in, but unfortunately there were also some that had to cancel too, due to unforeseen circumstances.

This is us at Charing Cross train station!

We travelled to Charing Cross, our meeting point was at Covent Garden, we were to meet our guides and the rest of the PWR's.  Let me tell you, we made for an impressive sight!  Most of us had some sort of festive theme going on in our running gear, whether it be just a Christmas hat or leggings to full blown fancy dress...... a storm trouper to a Deer riding a reindeer!.......the mind boggles!

We marked ourselves in with the tour guides, our guides was name was Emma.  She never stopped smiling, she must be the most smiliest person ever!  It really did put us in a brilliant mood for a nice gently jog through London.  We were going to be hearing about some traditional Christmas traditions.  Some I can remember, some I can't, some I can only half remember!

There was an absolutely fascinating story about the Cantonia Crapper!  Seriously, you got to go googly the shit ......literally...on the web.  Mind you he wont be added to my manger nativity scene!  Also the yule log, kids making a log a pet and feeding it!  Really!  Two different types of logs which will make me smile when I tuck into my Yule log this Christmas!! Another story was told when we arrived at Shepherds Market (I think that is what it was called) about a certain politician and a 'Lady of the night' getting caught while business was being transacted!

We made an absolute sight when we ran through the streets of London, I just love it! I really do.  Mind you, some of the people on the streets didn't even bat an eyelid!  Maybe they just see too many weird sights!  We were a very colourful crowd though, singing at the top of our voices too!  We were all in such great spirits!

So many lights to see, all of them were just spectacular, from the 'Spirit of Christmas' lights to the 'Peacock feathers' but of course Carnaby street were just wonderful!  This year it was 'all creatures great and small under the sea'  Stunning, but even more 'betterer' was the fact that everything recycled, even the lights were environmentally friendly, energy saving bulbs!  There were lights that twinkled only when you put coins in (I think cash going to homeless) to understated straight lines, I believe those were on Savile Row. 

Spirit of Christmas

I so enjoyed my time running through London, not only seeing the great displays but being with my lovely running buddies from PWR.  We do have a brilliant time when we all go out!  Can't wait to do it all over again!

Here are some more pictures, curturesy of SnappyH, she loves a photograph!

Anables

Cartiers!