We Will Remember Them: We thought Armistice... - Bridge to 10K

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We Will Remember Them

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10
β€’55 Replies

We thought Armistice Day was an appropriate date for our little Southsea bubble to set off on our Poppy Run. UpTheStanley and I had pledged to run 10k and Oldgirlruns was to run 5k in her second virtual run of the year. The venue of choice was the Billy Trail, a disused railway line on nearby Hayling Island. I have great fondness for this area as it is where I ran my long runs on my first journey to 10k 2 years ago.

We were wearing our Poppy Run T-shirts, which looked rather long on me. πŸ˜‚ I was to set off first with the plan to all meet at the end. It was a dull day with a breeze against us in the first 4.3k to where the station would have been. The track is for walkers, (with or without dogs) cyclists, horses and, of course, runners. I saw them all today, some of them several times as I changed direction at 4.3k, 5k and 5.7k. A young lady ran towards me like a gazelle wearing the same Poppy Shirt, she was doing 13.5 (km or miles?) and we wished each other luck as we passed. I saw a heron sitting in a pond surveying his surroundings. Then 2 horses 🐎 🐎 approached me, so I walked along a narrow path while I was alongside them in case the swoosh of a tornado (not) startled them. Just after 3k I heard UTS approaching and he whizzed by as a UTS does. I saw a squirrel 🐿 collecting acorns and lots of birds had gathered by the waters edge. There were birdwatchers with enormous zoom lenses on their cameras checking them out. There were loads of puddles along the Sandy/stoney or muddy route, but despite wearing trail shoes I still zig zag to avoid running through them. A little toddler was crying because he’d got mud on his trousers so his mum was encouraging him to have a splash in the next puddle to make it worthwhile.

UTS and I met several times as we did the to and fro which ensured we completed the 10k at our usual bench.

A cyclist encouraged me saying β€œyou’ve got the wind behind you now”. It funny how you can always feel the wind against you but it doesn’t seem to be there at all when it’s behind you. All was going well though and my buff was working overtime mopping my sweaty face. I chewed on a pitted date to help keep me going for the last few Kms and then I saw UTS walking towards me and we ran my last 500m in together.

According to Mr Strava I had PBs on both the south and north stretches and my time was 1:15.38. I am very happy with that as I ran it in 1:17 on two previous occasions. We met OGR at the car as we wanted to do the 2 minutes silence together at 11.00. Coincidentally Mr & Mrs @coddfish had decided to run 7k along this trail this morning too, so it was lovely to share this moment with them at a distance.

I am very proud of my poppy bubble and the most important thing of all was that we reminded people that today was a special day, and we have raised the grand sum of Β£330 for the Royal British Legion.

We presented OGR with her Poppy Medal, which I am sure you will see in another post.

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Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5
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55 Replies
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David_G profile image
David_G

Sounds like you all had an interesting time Dexy5 πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™‚οΈπŸ‘ Hopefully the Royal British Legion will have done well from all the Poppy Runs that are being doneπŸ™‚πŸ€ž It’s unlikely to make up for the shortfall this year but we’re doing our bit😊

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toDavid_G

Yes there were lots of things to keep me occupied during that 10k David. Well done to you too.

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toDavid_G

Β£657,309 raised on poppy runs to date, according to the website David

cheekychipmunks profile image
cheekychipmunksGraduate10

Absolutely wonderful guys! Good for you running for such a wonderful cause, and how lovely to observe the 2 minutes silence together too. πŸ₯°

Our choir sang β€œWe Will Remember Them” at a wonderful WW1 concert that we did to mark its end 100 years ago last year. Soooo poignant. ❀️

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply tocheekychipmunks

Thanks cheeky. That must have been really moving singing at the concert last year. I have to admit, I shed a tear every year when I watch the festival of remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.

AlMorr profile image
AlMorrAmbassadorGraduate10

Excellent run for you Dexy5, UTS and OGR, a really nice photo of all 3 of you and a big congratulations on raising Β£330 for The Royal British Legion.

I couldn't run a Poppy Run but as today is the 11th of the 11th I decided to run a 11K which I began just before 11 minutes past 8, during the run I was cheered by a man who shouted at me "you are doing very well" I replied back, thank you, that made my run even more enjoyable. 😊 πŸƒπŸΎ

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toAlMorr

Thanks Al, and well done on your 11k too.

BaddieThePirate profile image
BaddieThePirateGraduate10

Well done poppy people.

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toBaddieThePirate

Thank you Baddie

Shake-and-run profile image
Shake-and-runGraduate10

Sounds like a beautiful run with lots to see. We had a short break on Hayling island once. A quaint little place, like stepping back in time.

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toShake-and-run

Yes , this is one of my favourite places to run Shake-and-run, and it changes with the seasons. It was high tide when we arrived but as the tide ebbed away some wading birds appeared and were searching for food in the shallows . There are 2 warner hotels south of where we ran so it’s quite popular (in normal times)

Beachcomber66 profile image
Beachcomber66Graduate10

Great stuff Dexy5 UTS and OGR. A wonderful thing to do. My 14k took place in a horrible wind, so there were very few people around, all well wrapped up, so I stood out a bit in shorts and a couple of tops!! 1:34:35 was a new Pb at this distance. I took an energy drink with me for once; seemed to give me a bit of a boost! No coffee today; there was a bit of a queue and I felt the cold as soon as I stopped running. Good day to run though; well done the Southern Branch.πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toBeachcomber66

Thank you Beachcomber66. Yes I feel the cold very quickly after a long run too, although I suspect it was a bit warmer down here at12c. I was glad to have extra layers and fresh shoes in OGR’s Car boot. We also took a flask of coffee for after the 2 Minutes silence.

Well done on your 14k, you are doing brilliantly since your return from the IC.

Beachcomber66 profile image
Beachcomber66Graduate10β€’ in reply toDexy5

Sticking to the 6min/k speed limit, but there is lots of scope for improvement on long runs, just to keep things interesting. πŸ™‚

grumpyoldgirl profile image
grumpyoldgirl

Well done, poppy people! 😍

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply togrumpyoldgirl

Thank you grumpy. The closest I can get is 🌺🌺🌺

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate10

A great run in a great cause :)

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toIrish-John

Thanks Irish-John

UpTheStanley profile image
UpTheStanleyGraduate10

Thanks for your kind words, folks. It was a run of three halves for me, 3k going nicely, 3k pretty dire (especially ks 5 & 6), and 4k respectable. Strangely the wind was against me at the start and with me at the end, though you wouldn’t think so from the times. The middle section was not helped by me deciding the midpoint of a 10k run came at 4.5k ...... πŸ™„

which meant two more u-turns as I tried to correct the error. Anyone would think I was in the cabinet πŸ˜€

Anyway the upshot was a 54’17” run, well off my PB but within my acceptability limits. More importantly, Operation Poppy successfully completed πŸ‘ and a good time had by all!

JonathanP profile image
JonathanPGraduate10β€’ in reply toUpTheStanley

A 'world-beating' time UTS 😜

Irishprincess profile image
IrishprincessGraduate10

Wonderful sounding run and photo of all of you πŸ₯° really well done everyone!

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toIrishprincess

Thank you Irishprincess, it was nice to do a different run too, as much as I love my prom runs. πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™‚οΈπŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸ¦†πŸ¦†πŸŒ³πŸŒ²πŸŒ³πŸŒ²πŸΏπŸŒ³πŸŒ²πŸ„πŸπŸ‚β˜οΈ

Sandie1961 profile image
Sandie1961Graduate10

Great report Dexy and congratulations to you, UTS and OGR for what sounds like a really interesting run and a nice sum raised for a very good cause πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toSandie1961

Thanks Sandie, it’s a great place to run.

SueAppleRun profile image
SueAppleRunGraduate1060minGraduate

What a great thing to do, it is a special day and you marked it well

I love your poppy tee shirts and your lovely smiles

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toSueAppleRun

Thanks. UTS and I did this 2 years ago so we wore the T-shirts at parkrun last year too. They are cotton so I wear a technical top underneath, but it is like a mini dress on me.

SueAppleRun profile image
SueAppleRunGraduate1060minGraduateβ€’ in reply toDexy5

Nice to be long enough, cover your ..... when you run

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toSueAppleRun

🀣🀣

Sybilw profile image
SybilwGraduate10

Great run for a great cause and the time was a bonus I suspect.

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toSybilw

Thanks Sybilw. It was a great run, and I was a little bit chuffed to see the Billy Trail PBs.

Cantstopmenow profile image
CantstopmenowGraduate10

Well done to you all. ❀

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toCantstopmenow

Thanks again

JonathanP profile image
JonathanPGraduate10

Fantastic time Dexy and well done to you all for the money raised.πŸ‘

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toJonathanP

Thanks JonathanP, and it was lovely down there today.

lexi6 profile image
lexi6Graduate10

Lovely runs everyone and fab charity πŸ₯°

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply tolexi6

Thanks so much Lexi. How are you getting on down under?

lexi6 profile image
lexi6Graduate10β€’ in reply toDexy5

Doing ok thanks Dexy, am picking up my running again, which dropped right off due to our strong, wintry Wellington winds I can handle rain and the cold but not all 3 together! and I ran a Remembrance 5k yesterday. I’ve been doing daily yoga since March which is is fantastic and although I lost that 3kg, it went back on again (jaffa cakes, jelly babies, choc brownies, pinot gris ........ πŸ˜‚ Summer must arrive soon. 🀞

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply tolexi6

That’s great news Lexi, and summer days will be with you soon. Well done on your Remembrance Run too.

I’m with you with the up and down weight. But you will soon be back on salads, while I will be heading for winter comfort Food. I’ll just have to keep on running!

lexi6 profile image
lexi6Graduate10β€’ in reply toDexy5

Looking forward to salads again, could be very expensive this summer as we have a huge problem here with the border closure overseas pickers are not allowed in to the country this year so produce will be left to rot in the fields. ☹️ Will be $38.99 a kilo courgettes again.

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply tolexi6

My goodness. Do you have a garden Lexi? My brother in law grows courgettes and they are eating them all summer as well as giving them to all the neighbours.

lexi6 profile image
lexi6Graduate10β€’ in reply toDexy5

We have a decent sized garden, but we’re a bit stuck with the dogs and fence off just a small area for veges, as Harry keeps breaking through and plucking the cherry tomatoesπŸ˜‚ He loves his vege. Will definitely expand when they’ve gone. Nothing like home grown.

Coddfish profile image
CoddfishGraduate10

Well done to all 3 of you

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toCoddfish

Thanks on behalf of us all Coddfish and thanks for the support from a distance.

Katnap profile image
KatnapGraduate10

An excellent performance for an excellent cause! Well done Dexy5 😁😁😁

πŸŽ„πŸ± Xmas Katnap πŸ±πŸŽ„

Flaraflarkin profile image
FlaraflarkinGraduate10

Kind runny people πŸ’–πŸ¦‹β€οΈ

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toFlaraflarkin

Thanks Flara. I hope you are off the IC and running again now. πŸ¦‹

Killerblue profile image
KillerblueGraduate10

Sounds like a really good fun interesting run and well done for doing it πŸ‘

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toKillerblue

Thank you Killerblue

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10

Just catching up before work today- great picture and I love disused railway tracks - flat, straight and plenty of time to contemplate. Great work for the Poppy Appeal and great times

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toLittleoyellow

Thanks littleoyellow.

Bluebirdrunner profile image
BluebirdrunnerGraduate10

Well done lovely runners! πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™‚οΈπŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸŒΊπŸ‘Œxxx

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toBluebirdrunner

Thank you lovely Bluebird.

over61andstilltrying profile image
over61andstilltryingGraduate10

Well done to you all! So good for many reasons. I am losing the plot Dexy! How many 10ks have you managed since your skiing accident? You super star you! πŸŒŸπŸƒβ€β™€οΈ I won't be talking to my physio until Nov 23rd, so no running at least until then that will be 4Β½months since my fall. Oh! ....

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10β€’ in reply toover61andstilltrying

Hello over61, this is my 3rd now, the last 2 being virtual runs for cancelled races. I can definitely say I am back to normal fitness. I am not back to speed on 5k yet but that will come with parkrun I am sure. One day.....

4Β½ Months is a long time for you, but it sounds like you had a very bad injury. I hope your physio gives you the go ahead for a slow return to running as soon as possible. I hope your exercise programme is going well.

over61andstilltrying profile image
over61andstilltryingGraduate10β€’ in reply toDexy5

I thought that I may have noticed 3 amazing 10ks! Seems a very long way off to me! I am doing all my exercises, but I know my stamina will be down. I am really hoping that I can persuade my husband to start C25k with me. He hates the thought of running. He has breathing trouble but after reading how Irish John has 'cured' his double asthma by running, I shall live in hope that I can somehow encourage my husband to give it a go. What fun that would be! 😊 Happy running to you. πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸ˜Š

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