Weekly Waffle – 2nd February 2020

My last weekly waffle was way back in December.  

A lot has happened but I’ve been busy.   

“Life gets in the way.”

I spend a lot of time saying that to others and then gradually it happened to me.  It got in the way.

So it’s time to get back on top of things and there’s no time like the present.

The first month of the decade came to an end and a group had tackled RED January.  An initiative developed by the mental health charity, MIND with a view to encouraging exercise as a pathway to improve mental health.  R.E.D. It’s an acronym.  The intention is Run Every Day but we took a spin on it and reinvented it as Realistic Exercise Daily.  Something slightly different from the norm if you can’t run.  It worked.  Many followed a new routine for the first month of the year and as a group battled through to the very final day together feeling better both mentally and physically for having done it.  Hats off.  Round of applause.

Training is seeing increased numbers.  Great to see on dark nights and wet Sunday mornings.

Our heroes have done their first few weeks and continue to maintain numbers despite the variable weather.  Brave souls!

The weekend arrives and everyone gets up early for parkrunday.  Some a little earlier than others when a pilgramage to the home of parkrun saw a few Phoenix head to the big smoke to celebrate a quarter century celebration.  A 50 milestone celebration drew many up the Llynfi Valley to Welfare Park for their weekly fix.  Our other home drew many for a breezy run on the seafront with some having set off early for a run down.  The usual amazing spread of runners home and away. 

Sunday comes round and while our heroes continue their journey others tackled a wide variety of events.  The “Field of Dreams” in Margam drew a decent team to take part in a local league event.  The mud slowed them but they battled through it with usual Phoenix spirit to set excellent times and do us proud.

A group headed down to the Gower to tackle an event that proved tougher than anticipated with a particularly challenging climb that tested all to their limits.  All finished having completed the challenge and picked up a spectacular medal for their efforts.

A small group headed north to tackle a 10 mile route.  A climb after mile one challenged the legs, and the lungs.  After descending it followed an out and back rounding a lake at the end and returning to finish where it started.  

A new month has arrived and the palindromic date 02022020 rounds off an amazing week where events start to appear in volume on the calendar and we enjoy sharing in the endeavours of our fellow Phoenix.

Training programmes for spring marathons are underway.  Miles are starting to build.  

Less than two weeks to go until we celebrate the 2019 year of achievements at the presentation night!!  Looking forward to a great night.

A really positive start to the year!

Keep it up guys!

#lovethisclub
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