Which is a neat reversal of Saturday's disappointing start to the season at Lincoln, for which Sandie1961 is duly forgiven. The first little chap was trying to tell me that after spending Thursday to Sunday in the vicinity of the IP with tummy problems (if it wasn't one thing, it was the other 
), today was too soon for a race-pace 14k attempt. But the first k went smoothly enough, after a return to the car having forgotten my cap, so yah boo sucks to you, G1.
G2 was the chap who was sitting on the wall when I ran into it after 11k of my first attempt at a race-pace 13k last month. He was there again today, but I hurdled the wall without breaking stride, and gave him the rigid digit in passing. To give him credit though, he then tried to persuade me the wall wasn't at 11k, but at 2k to go, but the only obstacle at that point was a horse-laid land mine , which was easily avoided.
Enough of gremlins, already. The result was 14k at an average pace of 5'45"/k, smack in the middle of my original target range and leaving tantalisingly open the possibility of a sub-90 Great South in October. First and last ks were 5'39"s, and the slowest was a 5'56" for k3. And although it didn't feel like it, 'cos it did seem to be getting harder, I didn't slow down at all over the last 5k.
The run was back on the Billy Trail on Hayling Island, one of our favourites. I'm sure the scenery was lovely, though I did manage to notice the tide was out which detracts a bit. In searching for karma, I did try gazing at the fields of uncut wheat either side of the trail at the southern end, but was spooked by visions of Theresa May racing through them pursued by a farmer who looked a lot like Boris Johnson 
. I did see a couple of dragonflies, but not the clouds of butterflies apparently spotted by Dexy5 , who was doing her own thing at the same time in the same place. The trail is around 4.5k one way, so in the course of my necessary back and forths I came across her 3 times, overtaking once having given her a start with my cap issue, and crossing with high fives twice later on. I see she's already posted, so won't try to analyse her performance for you ……. 'twas a good one though 
.
Next week should be a long and slow 20k - can't believe I'm even thinking of doing that - and I might try 14k again the week after that, to see if I can squeeze a minute off the time somewhere ……..
Onwards and upwards!!
Getting rid of my Gremlins
😃yeah my Second 10 Mile 🏃♀️
