I’m-not-really-counting-this-as-a-run Run ❌ But will claim some bingo points, nonetheless. ✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️

[GailXrunning]

It was not scheduled to be a run at all, but I was reflecting yesterday afternoon on my (lack of) bingo progress and, at 5pm, thought I really needed to get on my skates and not let the side down.

Anyway, it was just 2k.. and I did not enjoy it - not one bit. Everything felt wrong. Don’t misunderstand me: I’m enjoying the bingo immensely (although it’s thrown up some interesting logistical challenges), but even the festive fun could not overcome the wall-to-wall ‘wrongness’ of that run. For a start, I forgot to warmup. Big mistake, even for a little casual trot like this one. Legs like lead; permanently out-of-breath; varifocals dazzled by headlights and making me worried about falling (like every problem you have with varifocals multipled a hundredfold); overdressed and thus overheated; carrying things in my hands; inability to take a decent photo (and an ability to take a burst of 211 images showing nothing). To boot, I’ve got aching hips!

Anyway, here’s my bingo round-up so far:

✔️ map-art (posted a couple of weeks ago, tried to make ⛄️ but made a [seated]🦌); ✔️ singing a carol out loud while running 🎶🎵 (Ding-dong Merrily on High, ‘sung’ earlier last week, while nearly collapsing on the Glorias); ✔️ post-run treat 🥧 ( mince pies); ✔️ 25km (and will likely make 25 miles soon); ✔️ fartleks to We Wish You a Merry Christmas (did these last night 😝); ✔️ counted Xmas trees 🎄🎄🎄(35 counted last night on 3 streets, which I traversed twice... but can see in retrospect that I probably should have taken in fresh streets - duh!); ✔️ festive-run photo shared 📸 (pictured, taken last week); ✔️ selfie with festive background ✨🎄🤳(last night, very bad one, but it does reveal part of my festive attire:); ✔️ festive attire (red ribbon on hat 🎀 + red sack pictured with:); ✔️ jingle bells (bunches of old keys 🗝🔑of various types... this made me feel a right ‘nana 🍌!); ✔️ run to festive music/podcast 🎶🎧 (BBC’s ‘alternative’ compilation gave me some tunes including the Ramones, Merry Christmas (I don’t wanna fight tonight), and James Brown, Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto).

Still to do: ☑️ Xmas run (scheduled); ☑️ run with something from carol/song (in plan); ☑️ picture of things found (in plan); ☑️ wishing other runners Merry Xmas (ditto); ☑️ getting out for walk/run 25 times (more of a challenge). Not doing so bad, after all! If I don’t make it, I’ll still have learned how to get a run-map onto a post + how to make a picture collage.

[Bambi2020 Graduate10]

You’ve been very busy Gail- Santa will be very proud of you! 🎅🏼😁👍🏻

[GailXrunning in reply to Bambi2020]

😁😇😂

[Peter44 Graduate10]

Blimey, what happened with the run, maybe my getting soaked in 1k, wasnt so bad, after all!!! 🤣 dont know if your glasses issues, i also have varifocals, but not when running, or my earphones falling out, and having to keep drying my ears, was worse!!! 🤣Hope you and M have a lovely christmas, even with all this madness going on! 🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄

[GailXrunning in reply to Peter44]

Ho-ho-ho! 😂🧑‍🎄 It was just not my time of day? And I can’t even see where I’m going without glasses these days! Oh for the 20:20 vision of old!

Tomorrow is the proper planned run. 🤞

[Peter44 Graduate10 in reply to GailXrunning]

I can see to run, without the glasses, cant really see much on phone, can turn of strava, nrc apps, and can make out the distance, as it's in big print!!! 🤣

[CBDB Graduate10]

Wow! Bingo!! Love the amount of ticks ✔️! Love ticking things off 😂 and I love those trees! And 2k still counts as a run in my book! Happy holiday season!

[GailXrunning in reply to CBDB]

Haha! I could count the 2k bit... even the (hopeless-)fartleks-with-varifocals-in-the-dark. Perhaps I should reframe that as an achievement? 🤔 I’d prefer to forget all the meh bits, though. I just couldn’t gain any control over them. Luckily, I’ve not been in that mindset for ages.

The trees are brilliant aren’t they... I love their simplicity.

[Littleoyellow Graduate10]

Great going Gail- you beat the gremlins and RAN- fantastic progress on the festive bingo too- impressed 🎅😁👍

[GailXrunning in reply to Littleoyellow]

Thanks! Gremlins? Hadn’t realised that I’d battled gremlins... I don’t usually need to do gremlin wars. But, hey, I’ll have a bit of that! A new skill. Hehe!

[Hidden]

Very impressed, lovely pic collage, make great Xmas cards 🎄🤗

[GailXrunning in reply to Hidden]

Thank you... and thank you another new idea there!!

[Oldgirlruns Graduate10]

Wow - I’m super impressed with the amount of stuff you’ve ticked off your bingo card. Mine is pretty pathetic by comparison - but then I’ve never been any good at bingo! Love the very festive pic collage!

[GailXrunning in reply to Oldgirlruns]

Thanks! Well, mine was looking pretty poor until 5pm yesterday! That’s what a concerted effort can do. 😅 i fear I might have overloaded myself though. It was quite a challenge to do the fartleks while counting trees. 😂

[RacingintheStreet Graduate10]

Sounds like one of my ‘cross’ 😣😣runs .

My last run , the gremlins were on a ‘Christmas Relay Race’ I think 😂😂

Still all those bingo ✅ should get you on the right list 🎅🎅🎄

Sometimes you just get a run that reminds you that we are still new to this running malarkey 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️😂

Then your next one is all ‘sweetness & light’

we keep going though 👍🏃‍♀️

[GailXrunning in reply to RacingintheStreet]

I sure hope that next morning’s run is a good one. 🦌🦌🦌 Just a few bingo squares left!! I should have all but one in the bag by tomorrow.

[LottieMW Ambassador]

Gosh you have been busy...and had your own yuck run!

Enjoy your “proper” run!

[GailXrunning in reply to LottieMW]

It was very short in length and brief in duration. Thankfully.

[LottieMW Ambassador in reply to GailXrunning]

😂😂😂

[Runforurlife Graduate10]

Sounds like it wasn’t just me having a meh run today!! You did well to do your short run 👍🏻 A run is a run and in the face of multiple adversities, and many ticks on your bingo card, I call that a win ✅

[GailXrunning in reply to Runforurlife]

Agree. There are some pluses. And I definitely learned the value of my usual warmup routine. Not so sure I can claim such a brief encounter with adversity as facing it though!😂

[Hidden]

That's one jolly hectic run GailXrunning...

Strewth 🤯

[GailXrunning in reply to Hidden]

I didn’t quite do everything in one go! But, yes, this might have been ill-advised from a run perspective, even if it worked bingo-wise. I’ll know better next time. Always learning!!😁👍

[SaskAlliecat Graduate10]

You got out, you checked some boxes, it is all positive. A crappy run is still better than no run (usually). You are making some great headway on your bingo card!

[GailXrunning in reply to SaskAlliecat]

😂😁 Thank you for the reassurance - but it might have been one of those exceptions! Still, bingo progress accelerated even as my pace dwindled.

[Run46 Graduate10]

Is it wrong that my favourite bit of your post is that you felt a right nana running with a bunch of keys as bells...brilliant 😂, top marks for improvisation 👍👌

[GailXrunning in reply to Run46]

😂 I wish I could claim that, but I have to credit Dexy with that idea. I added the Allen keys. I felt so daft that I ending up hiding them in my red sack... but that only seemed to heighten the problem. Mind you, people seemed to accept anything at this time of year, so it was more a problem of my own making.

[Lifluf Graduate10]

Wow it might have been a rubbish run but you made up for it with bingo ticks. Happy Christmas! Next run will be better.

[GailXrunning in reply to Lifluf]

Thank you- I hope so! Have a great Xmas.