All the Sunday Socialites at the meeting point Initial Thoughts
After yesterdays long cycle and the loverly scone with jam, butter, whipped cream all washed down with a 'Full Works' Hot Chocolate, you would think I would have no energy for more activity or room for more endulgance.
How wrong you are!!! :)
Today is the meeting of the Sunday Social; a group of hairbrained runners from every walk of life and every style of running you could imagine, be it hill runners, ultrarunners (thats distances over 26.2 miles or distances over stupidity), road runners, those who prefer cross country etc, some club runners, some just runners and some just plodders, you get the picture; who once every month at irregular intervals will meet up in Chatelherault Country Park, Hamilton.
Up, Up and Away
Another early rise for todays run caused a morning of rummaging through the drawer of my running attire half blind and never near enough awake; there will be plenty of mornings like this during the months of July and August, best get used to them, lol.
T-shirt, running tights; yes I said tights and there is no Robin Hood in sight; a few sweatshirts and that seems to be about right. After all I looked out the window and it seemed to be a cold morning there in the land of outside, mum always said wrap up warm on a cold looking day :)
Breakfast this morning was weetabix; shredded compressed cardboard as described by some folks I know;, but like yesterdays breakfast I like it and I enjoyed it. Besides I need to keep room for the after run treats.
well dressed, breakfast and its out the door and...straight into the car, got a nice wee drive in front of me and I have already left the hoose slightly later than I wanted to.
Why is it that when you're running late things always seem to be up against you, I found I was sitting behind every slow moving truck and yeh oldie 'o look martha its sunday morning' driver on the road that day.
Finally I get to Hamilton and turn into Chatelherault Country Park and the sun seems to be shining and the rain from earlier as I was leaving home had all but gone.
Parking the car I am juggling my t-shirts and sweatshirts wondering what I should and shouldn't wear, finally resting on a t-shirt and sweatshirt. Am I glad I did because even dressed like that it was roasting hot with my inside liquid pouring out through many leaky holes in ma skin.
Once everyone has cought up with the early 'craic' of the day since last we met, we all possed for the usual photo shot (see above) from there is down the path, round the bend and into the run.
Is it worth saying at this point that many of those who come run in their Buff????
The Sunday Social Run
The route of the run see's us cover a tiny yet beautiful part of the Country Park, going from one side of the river to the other and back again, covering 2 loops, refered to as very intelectually as 1 big loops; which incidently has the cousin of yesterdays Hill from Hell in it; and 1 small loop, which is about half the size of the large loop.
Strangely along the route there were little bags containing little round dollops of cake, actually they were mini doughnuts with a chocolate topping.
They were there hanging in the trees at regular irregular half mile intervals, placed there but one of the group in an attepmt to add some humour to the day as well as motivate our very own Sarah. Hillarity and humour it did bring, especially the thought of finding a little red or black back hanging from a tree with warm contents. It also did the trick in the motivational field as I am sure Sarah ran better this week than she did in her last Sunday Social visit.
Somewhere in amongst all this motivation and hilarity, someone thought it would be a good idea to throw in a Hill to Kill, it rises from the ground and goes up, up like you aint ever seen a hill go up before; to look at the top of the hill one almost gets a creek in ones neck. As we all tentativly cross the river, using the wooden bridge we slow slightly and the air is filled with moans and groans of the pending doom ahead. Taking a fly look at the river view on the way past myself and 2 other felow runners push ahead fearlessly wanting longing to conquere the 'Hill to Kill' the easy chatter slowly becomes broken sentences which make way for breathless word in turn making way for pure gasps of oxygen, which wold seem to be in short supply on the climb.
Reaching the top the 3 have become 2 our intrepid adventurer, now lost to one of the following groups. From there on in it is plain sailing and the rest of the large loop is completed.
Taking a short breathing rest back at the start point we re-group and venture on to complete a small loop; those who have had their fill of running are off to get changed and go sit in the cafe to have their fill of sweet, deliciuos cakes; spurring the rest of us on to run that wee bit faster in order to get back to the cafe before all the cakes and goodies have been eaten.
On the small loop the stairs; no matter how many times you go down them; sem to be different each time and will always catch someone of guard, after all they are neither of equal width nor equal drop catching oor wee Liz slightly off guard, she finds herself going down the hill slightly faster than she had hoped for having to jump to the side and the slope rather than use the stairs.
All's well that ends well and we arrive back where we started all safe and sound.
Cakes ahoy
Run be gone, we all trudge heavy legged into the Cafe for refreshemnts and more 'craic'. Having put on a change of clothing I join my place at the social table, feasting on 2 bacon sandwiches, my fouth mountainous climb in the past two day; a huge Double Choc Chip Muffin; in two days, 1st being the 'Hill from Hell', then the mountainess scone and jam etc from yesterday, todays 'Hill to Kill' and now the Muffin; all washed down with a large Hot Chocolate with the 'works'; A few bits of home made fudge/tablet top of my mini 'Beast of a Feast', the only intence problem I have had today is the hard contest to decide which one of the sampled Hot Chocolates is the best, more visits to sample each will most definatly be required in the future.
I strongly recommend (for those who are able to get there) a run round Chatelherault Country Park.
Finish to my Sunday
After returning home, it was into a nice warm shower, followed by a good re-fill of liquids, covering all mannor of types from plain water through to Lucozade and Gatorade. I was off to treat my legs to a beating and have them massaged to releive the tight/toughtness of my hamstring, calves and glutes. This leg massage was performed by the one and only Toni McIntosh from
Toni McIntosh Sport and Remedial Massage Therapy or on Facebook here
O what a painful, yet tension releiving end to a lovely day.
After yesterdays long cycle and the loverly scone with jam, butter, whipped cream all washed down with a 'Full Works' Hot Chocolate, you would think I would have no energy for more activity or room for more endulgance.
How wrong you are!!! :)
Today is the meeting of the Sunday Social; a group of hairbrained runners from every walk of life and every style of running you could imagine, be it hill runners, ultrarunners (thats distances over 26.2 miles or distances over stupidity), road runners, those who prefer cross country etc, some club runners, some just runners and some just plodders, you get the picture; who once every month at irregular intervals will meet up in Chatelherault Country Park, Hamilton.
Up, Up and Away
Another early rise for todays run caused a morning of rummaging through the drawer of my running attire half blind and never near enough awake; there will be plenty of mornings like this during the months of July and August, best get used to them, lol.
T-shirt, running tights; yes I said tights and there is no Robin Hood in sight; a few sweatshirts and that seems to be about right. After all I looked out the window and it seemed to be a cold morning there in the land of outside, mum always said wrap up warm on a cold looking day :)
Breakfast this morning was weetabix; shredded compressed cardboard as described by some folks I know;, but like yesterdays breakfast I like it and I enjoyed it. Besides I need to keep room for the after run treats.
well dressed, breakfast and its out the door and...straight into the car, got a nice wee drive in front of me and I have already left the hoose slightly later than I wanted to.
Why is it that when you're running late things always seem to be up against you, I found I was sitting behind every slow moving truck and yeh oldie 'o look martha its sunday morning' driver on the road that day.
Finally I get to Hamilton and turn into Chatelherault Country Park and the sun seems to be shining and the rain from earlier as I was leaving home had all but gone.
Parking the car I am juggling my t-shirts and sweatshirts wondering what I should and shouldn't wear, finally resting on a t-shirt and sweatshirt. Am I glad I did because even dressed like that it was roasting hot with my inside liquid pouring out through many leaky holes in ma skin.
Once everyone has cought up with the early 'craic' of the day since last we met, we all possed for the usual photo shot (see above) from there is down the path, round the bend and into the run.
Is it worth saying at this point that many of those who come run in their Buff????
The Sunday Social Run
The route of the run see's us cover a tiny yet beautiful part of the Country Park, going from one side of the river to the other and back again, covering 2 loops, refered to as very intelectually as 1 big loops; which incidently has the cousin of yesterdays Hill from Hell in it; and 1 small loop, which is about half the size of the large loop.
Strangely along the route there were little bags containing little round dollops of cake, actually they were mini doughnuts with a chocolate topping.
They were there hanging in the trees at regular irregular half mile intervals, placed there but one of the group in an attepmt to add some humour to the day as well as motivate our very own Sarah. Hillarity and humour it did bring, especially the thought of finding a little red or black back hanging from a tree with warm contents. It also did the trick in the motivational field as I am sure Sarah ran better this week than she did in her last Sunday Social visit.
Somewhere in amongst all this motivation and hilarity, someone thought it would be a good idea to throw in a Hill to Kill, it rises from the ground and goes up, up like you aint ever seen a hill go up before; to look at the top of the hill one almost gets a creek in ones neck. As we all tentativly cross the river, using the wooden bridge we slow slightly and the air is filled with moans and groans of the pending doom ahead. Taking a fly look at the river view on the way past myself and 2 other felow runners push ahead fearlessly wanting longing to conquere the 'Hill to Kill' the easy chatter slowly becomes broken sentences which make way for breathless word in turn making way for pure gasps of oxygen, which wold seem to be in short supply on the climb.
Reaching the top the 3 have become 2 our intrepid adventurer, now lost to one of the following groups. From there on in it is plain sailing and the rest of the large loop is completed.
Taking a short breathing rest back at the start point we re-group and venture on to complete a small loop; those who have had their fill of running are off to get changed and go sit in the cafe to have their fill of sweet, deliciuos cakes; spurring the rest of us on to run that wee bit faster in order to get back to the cafe before all the cakes and goodies have been eaten.
On the small loop the stairs; no matter how many times you go down them; sem to be different each time and will always catch someone of guard, after all they are neither of equal width nor equal drop catching oor wee Liz slightly off guard, she finds herself going down the hill slightly faster than she had hoped for having to jump to the side and the slope rather than use the stairs.
All's well that ends well and we arrive back where we started all safe and sound.
Cakes ahoy
Run be gone, we all trudge heavy legged into the Cafe for refreshemnts and more 'craic'. Having put on a change of clothing I join my place at the social table, feasting on 2 bacon sandwiches, my fouth mountainous climb in the past two day; a huge Double Choc Chip Muffin; in two days, 1st being the 'Hill from Hell', then the mountainess scone and jam etc from yesterday, todays 'Hill to Kill' and now the Muffin; all washed down with a large Hot Chocolate with the 'works'; A few bits of home made fudge/tablet top of my mini 'Beast of a Feast', the only intence problem I have had today is the hard contest to decide which one of the sampled Hot Chocolates is the best, more visits to sample each will most definatly be required in the future.
I strongly recommend (for those who are able to get there) a run round Chatelherault Country Park.
Finish to my Sunday
After returning home, it was into a nice warm shower, followed by a good re-fill of liquids, covering all mannor of types from plain water through to Lucozade and Gatorade. I was off to treat my legs to a beating and have them massaged to releive the tight/toughtness of my hamstring, calves and glutes. This leg massage was performed by the one and only Toni McIntosh from
Toni McIntosh Sport and Remedial Massage Therapy or on Facebook here
O what a painful, yet tension releiving end to a lovely day.
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