Sunday Social - November 2013

I've mentioned the Chatelherault Sunday Social a few times (for example here, when I was too scared to run it but includes one of my favouritest photos ever, here, my first time running it, or here, where David hung cakes in trees to motivate me round the loop, etc...) - but with a wee bit of slightly more targeted publicity from Davie who is 'in charge' (ha) this month's Sunday Social was the biggest yet. We'd got a mention in the Scottish Running Guide magazine, and word was spreading. Plus, I think numbers were up because we're outside of the main racing time of the calendar, so more people had the Sunday free. Regardless, it was a big group turned up at Chatelherault Country Park, near Hamilton, on Sunday. I was late - thanks to a bad crash causing traffic problems on the motorway - so arrived feeling flustered and tense; never good, with me.

After a short chat with a couple of folk, Davie called out for the usual group photo, took a few goes to get one with everyone paying attention hahaha, and then with a few quick words of welcome to the newbies, we were off.



It's a sociable run, round a pretty 4.7-ish mile trail loop, with plenty of undulations and one or two HILLS. My best time running is is just over 65 minutes, but I'm determined I'll get under the hour soon. The point is, it's not about the time you run it in, it's about the sociable aspect; you run and chat or just enjoy the company of your friends or new people - but when you plod along at the very back and everyone else has disappeared up ahead, there's not a lot of 'social' in it for me, so my aim it to basically use it as a training run every time. That said, I never run it alone, someone always hangs back to run with me, which is nice, it's a really welcoming crowd. This week, Bob was attending his first Sunday Social, and said he would run with me, together with Moss. So off we set.

Within a couple of minutes, everyone else was out of sight, as always, and I was trying to settle into a run, but it wasn't happening for me. I was stressed from the drive, stressed from thinking about how to possibly ever knock a full minute per mile off my time, and anxious about conditions underfoot. I'm still very new to trail running, and I still haven't found trail shoes that fit my stupid feet, so the wet leaves and muddy conditions in places, with the very occasional icy patch, was a little disconcerting. I was walking very early, and with no real desire to push on. Bob, on the other hand, had other ideas. When I walked too long, he put a hand firmly on my back and started to jog and push me - or threaten to throw me in the river. I swore. A lot. Moss, in the meantime, was let off the leash and running around having a whale of time as only happy border collies can. She would stop and investigate something in the sidegrowth as we plodded past, then moments later would come SPRINTING past us, dashing up a hill, and pissing me off with her enthusiasm and ease. I swore. A lot.

Davie had stopped to take some pictures for the facebook group page, and snapped one of me looking for all the world like I was enjoying a run with friends. The smile didn't last, haha, but I like this picture because it pretends otherwise. ;)

The trail is mixed underfoot - some parts are wide and hard-packed, other bits are narrow, cambered, and torn up. Some bits have big tree roots you have to watch out for, others are muddy and full of puddles. I actually quite like the differences as you go round the loop, but this week I was swearing at everything. Bob laughed. I swore more. Bob laughed more. I swore at Bob. We argued about hills, especially about when they finished, and we chatted about random things to take my mind off the running. :) In the middle of the run, you go down a steep set of steps, cross the river, then climb a BIG hill - this week I was struggling to even walk up that hill, let alone run even the smallest bit of it. The second half of the run is more undulating than the first, with some dips back down to the water and so on - while I ran and walked, I promised myself I would come back on my own sometime and see what I can do without anyone alongside me. I also promised myself that over the coming 6 months, I'll get around in under an hour. I was well out this week... Nearing the end, I spotted Julie and Katy up ahead, waiting on us. They ran with us the last half mile or so, chatting and distracting me, and I only walked maybe two or three times in that last part, on the hillier bits at the end. I finished in around 75 minutes - slow for me, but that's 75 minutes of running in great winter weather conditions, in beautiful scenery, with awesome people. I guess I'll take it.

The 'second half' of the Sunday Social is the cafe afterwards. We basically take it over, buy plenty of hot drinks, soup, and cakes from the patient women who work there. Everyone tries to chat to everyone, and we end up pulling tables together and sharing lots of laughter, news, and banter. Occasionally there'll be a wee 'presentation' to be made to someone - if you've met Running Gannet, you might recognise his pink 'mud hurdler' buff? :) This time, Davie presented the cafe manager with a thank you card, and gave a couple of tshirts to John and Helen (I think to mark their cowbell-accompanied support at races they're not running, I think) - and Helen presented some Wonder Woman socks to Julie (you might remember her Clyde Stride race kit in my blog report?) for her marathon in Newcastle week after next. I look around these people, sharing training tips, celebrating, laughing, mocking, hugging, sneaking a wee bit of homemade cake around with the cafe manager seeing (lol), and so on, and I can't help but feel a lot of warmth for this crazy bunch of nutcases.

I've just gotta crack the actual running bit, and Sunday Socials will be the high point of my month. I can't argue it's a pretty good way to spend a Sunday morning. (Except the hills.)



Note: If you're within driving distance of Hamilton in Scotland, and fancy joining us some time, look up Sunday Social on Facebook, get signed up, and you'll find out when the next one is. It's roughly every month, but ad-hoc rather than any set frequency. It's a 4.7 mile undulating trail run, with the option of adding a further 3 miles on at the end. Or indeed just running the main loop twice... if you're mad. All abilities welcome (they let me in, they'll let anyone...! lol) Come join us. x

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Photos courtesy of Davie Mooney. Click on them, as always, to see a wee bit bigger.