Post Christmas 3K Run - Tough 😈

[Jools2020]

There was not much to persuade me to run this morning. It was cold. I had only just got back from a few days with my son and his family over Christmas. Having arrived back to an empty house, I didn’t really feel like doing anything at all! But I got up and made tea. 😈 ‘Go back to bed’ said the gremlin. ‘You can take your tea with you and catch up on the doom and gloom news!’

I got in the shower. 😈’You don’t have to run, you’re tired. Just take it easy.’

I put on my running clothes. 😈 ‘It’s not too late to change your mind! It’s cold out there!’

Even as I walked out of the door, I wasn’t sure if I was going to run! But, as always, once I did, the gremlin melted away.

I walked down to the road to snap a picture of the flooded road. I knew it was deep and the webpage is warning that the digital display only has room for 2 digits so can’t register anything more than 99 cm. There is more than a metre of floodwater on the road. Could be heading for a record! A couple of abandoned cars are also in there, one allegedly belonging to illegal hare coursers. A car driver stops me and asks if it’s too deep to drive through. I laugh. He turns the car round and roars off in a huff. He’s driven past digital displays and a road closed sign. 😂 Be kind, says my conscience.

I start running and it feels good. I haven’t run for a week, so decide just to do a short run. 3K will be enough today and I’ll get back to running 3 times a week. I take it steadily and go for negative splits. I’m listening to Abbey Road - it’s my favourite Beatles album and I haven’t heard it for a while. It’s a dull morning and chilly, I’m pleased I wore my jacket and cosy running gloves - Christmas present from my daughter-in-law 🥰. There is no traffic, which is wonderful! Courtesy of the flooded road. I meet a couple walking their two little Border Terriers and greet them. She is a runner and runs faster than me, but I can hold my head up because *I* am a half marathon runner, so I smile knowingly 😊.

3K feels like a short run, now - but I stick to my plan. I’ll do a slow 5K on Thursday and a longer run on Saturday. Maybe next week I’ll do some intervals to get my pace back up again. I stop at 3K and walk home for coffee! Happy with that run to set me up for the day. As I open my gate, my phone pings with a message from my neighbour. She wants to know if I need any shopping. It reminds me about things to be grateful for! I don’t need anything, but we agree to have a catch up over the fence later. 😊

Splits:

7:43, 7:32, 7:13

[Killerblue Graduate10]

Well done for not listening to the ‘gremlins’ 👍. I have found the same thing, that if I just make myself get up, get dressed in my jogging gear, get out that door and put my music on it doesn’t take too long before in an feeling better and pleased that I am out 👍🏃‍♀️. Often it really is all in the mind 🤗 (not always as I couldn’t just go out tomorrow morning and run a HM 😳) 😂

I love your description of the other runner being able to run faster than you but you smiling smugly knowing that you can do a HM 😂😂

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Killerblue]

Haha, yes that made me feel good!

You’re right. It’s a difficult time of year for runners and I’ve got out of my routine. Lately, I leave the house without a clear idea of how far I’m going to run and I’ve needed that freedom, but now I need to give myself some structure again 😊

[Killerblue Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Isn’t there a HM badge to have beside your name? 🤔

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Killerblue]

Yes. I have it, but it only works when I post in the Marathon forum. Which I do for runs more than 10K. 😊

[Hidden in reply to Killerblue]

Hey, well done you. I think of all we do with our running, the single most important thing is to keep going and be as regular as we can. You went out and have plans for more to come so you can build up again. That is just terrific 🙂

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks GTFC. One of the things that keeps me going is this forum. I know that I’ll be getting messages from people if I’m absent for too long! 😊

[nowster Graduate10]

Well done! We had a dusting of snow overnight. It's only collected on roofs and gardens.

The last flood in the town was when the canal burst its banks and flowed into the river. That was over 90 years ago.

The only time I've powered through water was at about 3am just outside Tudweiliog in NW Wales. The road turned a bend and I found myself facing several feet of standing water. It would have been dangerous to brake, so the only option was to plough on. Third gear, high revs, hope for the best.

The car lost its number plate and the headlights would fog up regularly afterwards. Not an experience I'd like to repeat!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

Floodwater is scary! This is slightly different as the road is a causeway and part of the Hundred Foot Washes, which are designed to hold the floodwater. Doesn’t seem to stop some people, though!

[Dutch-Fraggle Graduate10]

Well done on fighting the don't run gremlin!!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Dutch-Fraggle]

Thank you - it was tough for a while there 😊

[Peter44 Graduate10]

Well done on getting out there, blimey, you've had some rain there! Makes me laugh, 3k, 5k, HM 🥵 but nice to do just what feels good. Hope you had a nice time with your son, and family 🎄

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

Thanks! Had a lovely time with the family. The flooding here is part of the drainage of the fens. All part of the plan 😊

[damienair Administrator]

Well done on getting out there for your run and enjoy your catch up later with your neighbour.

Damien

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to damienair]

Thanks - oh yes, love a good chinwag 😊

[orangeguy Graduate10]

Wow that looks errmmm . . . wet! 😬 . . . I thought my run yesterday morning was bad enough but that's in a different league of sogginess! 😁

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to orangeguy]

Yes, wet! But expected; the road crosses the washes, which holds the floodwater. 😊

[Runforurlife Graduate10]

Omg I know those gremlins 😈 ..don’t we all!!? Well done for getting out there and getting your run done. You have inspired me to get on with my run now and I’m pulling on my running gear, batting away the gremlins and just going for it!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Runforurlife]

Hooray! Go for it! 👏

[Runforurlife Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

I did! And managed a 10k 😀😀 Thanks for the inspo this morning, obvs what I needed!!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Runforurlife]

Well done! 👏👏👏

[Peter44 Graduate10 in reply to Runforurlife]

I feel bad now, still not gone out, waiting for my daughter! 🤣

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

Hopefully you’ll be going out soon! 🤞

[GailXrunning]

That’s one bleak and inundated road. And one super determined runner! 👍🦌🏃🏼‍♀️Well done. You probably know this already, but I was reading of one way to trick the gremlins is to ‘allow’ yourself a get-out clause at 5 minutes. (‘OK, I’ll just go out to try, but if I’m not enjoying the run after 5 minutes, I’ll come home.’) More than likely, you carry on.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to GailXrunning]

Thank you 😊 I use that get-out clause with everyday life, too! “I’ll just spend ‘up to’ 30 minutes doing this .” It’s a win/win situation!

[Killerblue Graduate10 in reply to GailXrunning]

Yes the get out clause works as I use that quite often I.e “I’m going to aim for 5k but if I only get 3k done then that is still OK 🤗

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Killerblue]

Setting yourself up for success is key! 😊

[Hidden]

I always love reading your posts, they are so calming and remind me that we are not alone in our journeys. I’m glad you managed to get out there

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you! 😊 most of the times I run, I’m giving myself a running commentary in my head, so all I have to do for my posts is just to write it down! 😂

[Birdlady64 Graduate10]

Hey Jools! Hope you had a good Christmas away with your family.That picture does nothing to entice you out of the door does it? It's cold here too, but no flooding to contend with - just lots of mud. And no snow or ice so far thankfully.

It's hard sometime isn't it when you have been away, or had guests - the house seems so empty. But well done on beating those pesky gremlins - a nice 3k to ease yourself back into things.

I've been trying to run every other day - and mostly managing it. It's a lot easier when you don't have to work.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

Lovely Christmas thank you! ‘I love you so much, Nanny’ makes your heart explode 🥰

Fortunately the flooding is right where it’s meant to be, but it does look bleak on a dull day.,

Well done for managing every other day! Now I’m back home and Christmas is over I can get back to my 3 times a week 🤞

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Aww! Yes brings a tear to your eye doesn't it.I reckon our 2 will have forgotten who we are by the time we see them again. The last time was over a year ago now. Though of course we've done the WhatsApp video calls and stuff, but it's not the same is it?

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

No, it’s not the same, but it has helped. Especially with my youngest grandchild. He’s only 2 and I’m sure he would have forgotten me if it hadn’t been for FaceTime!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

sounds like a good run and nice to catch up with neighbours

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Always! She watched the house while I was away. 😊

[Kish247 Graduate10]

That's an impressive flood, maybe you can throw the Gremlins in there next time

Hope you had a great Christmas with your 3 youngest grandchildren, today was my first run since the 24th and I had mega Cheese and Chocolate sweats

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Kish247]

That did occur to me 😂. Had a lovely time with the grandchildren, it was a real tonic! I think I might have even put on a few pounds, I hope so. I even ate chocolate! I did struggle a bit with that run today, but I set myself an achievable target. I’m a great believer in setting yourself up for success!

[BonniesRest]

Well done overriding the gremlins! Sounds like a therapeutic run.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to BonniesRest]

Very! The start of getting back to 3 runs a week. 😊

[9weeks2Run Graduate10]

Well done half marathon runner!!

Great that you got out there and did not listen to that gremlin.

Happy Running

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to 9weeks2Run]

Thanks, Rebecca! 😊

[MccHa Graduate10]

Well done Jools2020 👏👏👏 you went out and ran thats in itself is big achievement 👍👍👍 good on you.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to MccHa]

Thanks MccHa 😊

[Roxdog Graduate10]

I missed your post yesterday. I hope you are proud of yourself for running despite the gremlins! The flooding looks quite scary!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Roxdog]

I was glad to go out on that short run! There is a lot of water this year, but it’s all in the right place, looks spectacular in the sunshine and is a real beauty spot. I’m hoping to run tomorrow but it’s going to be really cold! I’ll give it a go......