I got up bright and early this morning, knowing that I needed to get week 8 under my belt, but a little apprehensive. On my previous run the gremlins had come running after me and undone first one shoe lace (so I had to stop and do that up), then about 5 minutes later they undid the other one (despite me tying double bows in them). My friend had had trouble with gremlins tripping her over on her run yesterday and ended up in A&E with a broken finger. So I wondered what the gremlins would have in stall for me this morning.
Looking out the window I saw they had already been at large preparing a vast expanse of permafrost all over the park. I ignored the voices in my head which told me to go back to the warmth of my bed, and started to get ready. Leggings ✓, vest ✓, jacket ✓, socks ✓, gloves ✓, headband✓, iPhone ✓. Then for the trainers. The gremlins would get away with any nonsense with my laces today, I thought as I tied them in double bows and then inserted the bows underneath the taught criss-cross of laces.
I completed my warm up exercises and was all ready to depart, just needed to pick up my front door key... And that's how the gremlins struck. I have a single key for running so that I can tuck it in the minuscule pocket of my leggings, but was it where I usually leave it? No... They'd taken it... And because I had no idea where in the house the gremlins might have hidden it and I had to spend the next 5 minutes attempting to untie the gremlin proof (and Razouski proof) trainer laces. And if that wasn't enough, I was then careering through the house, like a mad woman, looking in all the likely, and unlikely places, where the key might be hidden. No joy. Not wanting to be defeated, I grabbed my key ring, but the fob of car keys, and other assorted keys weren't going to fit in my dinky pocket. Uncoupling the front door key from the selection wasn't easy, and very soon I had broken a nail (at least it wasn't a finger). The gremlins were definitely winning.
Then the trainers went back on (complete with ridiculous lacing) and I was ready to go.
It was lovely run despite the cold, but I managed to avoid the thick ice, and got out of the park unscathed apart from the feeling that I might be getting frost bite on my nose. My body soon warmed up, but how on earth do you keep your arms warm without getting your torso overheated? I decided that the jacket would stay on.
The woodland was beautiful in the frost, almost magical, and I got into a steady rhythm. Soon I was running through the crispness of the park, and then the sun came out low in the sky behind me, making me laugh at my shadow which proved I have the longest legs ever! I don't know what had happened to the gremlins, but they hadn't followed me on the run, and I was really enjoying it.
It was good time too. Mapmyrun informed me I'd covered 5km after 28 minutes and 59seconds (which included my 5 minutes warm up walk) and I still had 5 more minutes running to complete. By the end of the podcast I'd covered 6.8km which I was pretty pleased with.
Looking forward to starting week 9. Graduation is in sight. 
W8R3 Not happy 😡
Day one - need to start earlier
W8R3
W8R3 - so much for a swishy ponytail ...
