There’s something so wonderful about a non-running friend crossing over the boundary to becoming a running friend. It makes me very proud and very happy.
But before we get to that… Friday at work we had our Wiggle Run/Ride Out, which happens pretty much every last Friday of the month. Most of the office goes out together for a run or a ride, whatever you prefer. There’s usually two different run lengths (5k or 10k this time) and different cycles (road, gravel, things like that).
I did the 10k with Kyle and it was a rather hilly affair going up Portsdown Hill. It was good fun though and a nice way to escape the office. Always nice to chat to other people from different areas of the business as well.
Then Kyle and I headed to Cheltenham to stay with my friends Shell and Rob (and their little girl Eloise). Shell made an incredible chicken pie with vegetables and salad. Delicious. Apparently a Hairy Bikers’ recipe.
The next morning we were up and ready to head to Cheltenham parkrun, which was handily just down the road. I decided to run there because it was only 2.4 miles away and I fancied a bit of a warm-up. I definitely needed warming up as I’d only brought a vest and it was COLD. I’d obviously packed when it was beaming sunshine outside.
The run there was quite hilly and I hadn’t given myself a huge amount of time. Kyle and Rob passed me in the car and later told me they didn’t think I’d make it on time.
Luckily though I arrived literally just before 9am and there was quite a long waffly start from the race director which meant I could meet Kyle and Rob and prepare myself for the start without too much panic.
Rob advised that we should head closer to the front because it gets quite bottle-necked. We were on the summer course I believe, which is a bit harder but only two laps, compared to the four flatter laps of the winter course.
I got into a good rhythm as we started and managed to overtake a bunch of people and get myself into a good spot. It was windy and there were several undulations to contend with, but I’d say nothing more tricky than my usual Netley parkrun. There was an annoying bit where you had to run across a field straight into the wind but I gurned it out.
Lap one was tough but I knew what I was in for now and planned my energy accordingly. The marshals were great and I tried to say thank you each time. Then the final sprint was up a grueling, albeit short, hill. I was chuffed to get 20:55.
Kyle was just behind and Rob not long after, just missing out on squeaking under 23 minutes but getting a PB nonetheless.
His fourth consecutive PB!
Then we headed back (I got a lift back this time), got showered and headed out for brunch at the Bottle of Sauce pub in town to meet up with our other friends, Kate and her husband J with their newborn Dexter and Charlotte who had come down to meet up as well.
Shell and Rob brought Eloise and sadly Eloise threw up quite spectacularly within minutes of arriving. All over Shell. She dealt with it like a pro though – as only parents can I guess. They headed home quickly to freshen up while we all ordered (but sadly Rob then had to stay home to look after Eloise).
I went for a fry-up (unsurprisingly) and mistakenly ordered extra beans in place of hashbrowns. I wasn’t aware it came with beans already, I would have ordered something else!
Although it was very tasty, the beans and egg situation was just not my thing. Obviously I ate it all because who would I be otherwise? But it wasn’t the best fry-up of my life.
After much catching up and chatting, Kyle and I headed back down South for a chilled evening before our planned long run the next day. Thankfully it was cooler than the weekend before. We had 13 miles planned and the route was to go from Kyle’s house to Fareham, which would be exactly that.
I really enjoyed the run, though it was rather lumpy. Kyle, having not done a long run for a fair few weeks, didn’t quite enjoy it as much – plus he much prefers shorter runs. But with the Southampton Half this weekend, he needed a solid longer run. I don’t think it helped his motivation to see the signs for Fareham counting down the miles.
Anyway we survived. I tagged on an extra mile on as I’m not quite content with “just” 13 😉 and we had some time to kill before his brother, Zack, came to pick us up. I greatly appreciated Kyle buying me a 7Up Free from Subway while I was finishing. I know it’s probably terrible for me but I adore that drink and straight after a run? DIVINE.
The rest of the day was spent enjoying a delicious roast dinner at Kyle’s and preparing for the next week at work 🙂
What’s your favourite drink after a long run?
What foods can’t you stand mixing together?
It’s not food, but I can’t stand it when people put the milk and teabag in the cup, then pour on water, so the milk is swirling around inside the teabag. No idea why it bothers me so much!
Nice work on the timing with getting to parkrun – that sort of thing always makes me so nervous so I usually arrive with more like 25 mins to spare if I run there! Not ideal because then you get all stiff and cold.