Defeating Gremlins: Another tourist run today... - Couch to 5K

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Defeating Gremlins

Razouski profile image
33 Replies

Another tourist run today, but I discovered that Gremlins can either swim, or had stowed-away on the Isle of Wight ferry. It wasn't long before they had tracked me down. Initially they kept their presence hidden as I walked from my Dad's front door. I had decided to do a different route today and set off looking forward to running along the disused railway line that we had often gone for bike rides along as children; looking forward to negotiating puddles, I thought it would make a nice contrast to my coastal run the other day.

The road took me down past my old high school, and it wasn't long before the Gremlins made their first appearance in the guise of a gaggle of teenage girls who saw me approach and immediately seemed to fill the pavement, "You don't want to run this way," said my Gremlin. "You've timed it wrong. Go home, have some breakfast, and run later." And I realised all the way along The Fairway (the road) there were similar groups of students filling the pavement at varying intervals. The road was busy too, making getting round them hazardous.

Undeterred I waited for a gap in the school run traffic and ran round them. As I got nearer to the school the opposite pavement became less populated, so I crossed over, told the Gremlin where he could go, and smugly broke into a run. However I hadn't escaped the Gremlins that easily, and after a few minutes another appeared, gnawing at my Achilles' tendon. A voice in my head said, " Maybe you strained it, you shouldn't have run so far last time. Better to go home and take an extra rest day." It was very persuasive and I hesitated before realising this could just be another Gremlin. I would complete the first 10 minutes as this is often the hardest - if the niggle persisted home I'd go, if not it would mean I'd outrun the little devil.

Well he couldn't keep up and I got to the waymarker for the Red Squirrel Route which is the name now given to the old railway line. It must be 40 years since I last came this way, and as well as a name change, some bright spark in the council had also decided to change it from a muddy puddly lane into a smoothly tarmacked cycle track. My disappointment was soon accompanied by another voice, "How boring... it's too straight... it's not the same as you remember. Why didn't we run by the sea again? Let's make this a short run. " My pace slowed down, but as I spotted the tree I'd scaled aged 7 being frightened by a herd of marauding cows, I realised it was not so different from how I'd remembered it and was determined to run on.

So the Gremlins tried a different tack. If distracting me wouldn't work, perhaps poking me in the buttock with a broom handle would. NO! Perhaps squeezing either side of my kneecap with mole grips would. NO! And at 7.5 km perhaps turning my legs to lead would stop me. My Gremlins were assisted by the shuffle function on my playlist which decided to play One Way or Another by Blondie. It seemed to be saying

"🎶 One way or another, I'm gonna find you, I'm gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya,

One way or another, I'm gonna stop you, I'm gonna stop ya, stop ya, stop ya, stop ya .🎶"

And my pace slowed down even further. I was almost dragging my legs behind me. Should I walk?

But the next track up had me was a godsend, Bohemian Like You, by the Dandy Warhols had me running alongside GingerBohemian with a renewed spring in my step. Next up was The Spencer Davies Group with Keep on Running, and I was on my way. The Gremlins were left far behind and I started to enjoy the beautiful countryside, even stopping to take a photo of the cows who had come to the fence to cheer me on (no marauding this time). I was also rewarded by a red squirrel crossing the path in front of me (so much lovelier than the big grey squirrels in my local park) and even managed to find a parallel footpath with some mud and puddles before I headed back towards the school (lots of strange memories evoked) and my way home. Mapmyrun told me I'd run 14.5km and I was pleased with this - the furthest I've ever run. I can't believe that this time last year I was just about to restart C25K and found running for just a minute tough.

Gremlins 0, Razouski 1 🤓

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Razouski profile image
Razouski
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33 Replies
Mummycav profile image
MummycavAdministratorGraduate

Brilliantly inspiring post Razouski...as ever...those pesky gremlins were on a proper mission with you this morning but you are a woman of steel today & they are not getting you, oh no!!! You are a machine Razouski...a lean, mean running machine...fan-blooming-tastic run...full of memories ...how lovely xx

Razouski profile image
Razouski in reply toMummycav

Thanks Mummycav , it was good, especially as my dad is planning to move away from the island so I don't know how many more runs I shall get there.

Maddee_6333 profile image
Maddee_6333Graduate

Excellent work showing those gremlins who’s the boss.

icklegui profile image
ickleguiGraduate

Argh those Island gremlins! There's definitely some there as they told me all my childhood that I wasn't sporty. But it sounds like you outran them beautifully. So happy to read of your successful loooong run!

Razouski profile image
Razouski in reply toicklegui

I didn't realise that you are from the Island too, icklegui . I was at Sandown High School and I never did cross country as my legs were so spindly and I got cramp too badly, so I had a note from my mum. Ironically part of this run was our old cross country route. I would never have believed back then that I could enjoy running so much.

icklegui profile image
ickleguiGraduate in reply toRazouski

Parents still live there - I haven't been back in an age but will be taking the running shoes on the boat next time I do! We used to do "cross country" round Carisbrooke Castle.

I loathed sport - tiny, weedy, and nerdy at school and don't get me started on the social pressures of being a teenage girl. I'd probably still avoid them, personally 😬 ... Seriously well done on avoiding all the gremlins in their various disguises!

Razouski profile image
Razouski in reply toicklegui

So that must make you a Caulkhead like me. 🤓

icklegui profile image
ickleguiGraduate in reply toRazouski

Naaah I'm an overner! And now just a tourist when I go back, like so many.

Razouski profile image
Razouski in reply toicklegui

I guess I'm just a tourist, I moved away to go to Polytechnic when I was 19, so have been on the mainland nearly twice as long as I lived on the island. It will be strange when my dad eventually moves to the mainland as I'll have fewer excuses to return.

icklegui profile image
ickleguiGraduate in reply toRazouski

Ohhh I didn't mean you should feel like a tourist ... I just don't really know anyone there any more, apart from the parents and it personally makes me feel a bit detached now. It does feel odd as I grew up and had a part-time/holiday job there... at one time I felt part of it, but not quite.

Every time someone posts a run from there though I feel like I never appreciated it enough! Tennyson downs or the seafront ... the red squirrels... sigh. Mind you ... where's flat there that's not the beach!! My parents will also leave (somewhen!) in the next year or so.

Razouski profile image
Razouski in reply toicklegui

I know what you mean. I never appreciated while I lived there, and can't imagine living there but some of it is so beautiful. By the way, The Squirrel Trail was flat...

aliboo70 profile image
aliboo70 in reply toicklegui

We had to do cross country round carisbrooke castle too! We used the hide on the shrubbery path!

Teenage girls seem to like to hog the whole path round here! 😕😆

Razouski profile image
Razouski in reply toaliboo70

Yes, I'm sure I didn't take up that much space with my friends when I was a teenager there.

HeadInTheClouds profile image
HeadInTheCloudsGraduate

Loving this post. Well done for drop kicking those gremlins into touch and turning a 'wobbly' run into a solid one 😊

Razouski profile image
Razouski in reply toHeadInTheClouds

Glad you enjoyed the post HeadInTheClouds . It's always good when you can carry on in spite of the dreaded Gs. It seems hard while you're doing it, but after the sense of satisfaction is even greater.

Millsie-J profile image
Millsie-JGraduate

Excellent run and great post !

Razouski profile image
Razouski in reply toMillsie-J

Thanks Millsie-J , I realise it was a bit of a long post (I was writing it while passing the time on the ferry going back to the mainland).

Blimey it's actually Gremlins 0 Razouski 14.....

And so many memories too, a memorable momentous run....

Razouski profile image
Razouski in reply to

Yes, it was good to traipse down memory lane, Hidden . I'd also highly recommend the Blondie track One Way or Another, and Keep On Running (Spencer Davies Group) to the Retro Runners. And Feel like a Bohemian though much more modern was also a good track to run to. I say modern, it was actually released in 2000 which doesn't seem long ago to me, but my 21 year old guffawed when I said it was modern! 😂

in reply toRazouski

Retro runners update later.... when I've run, I'm delaying it today until mid afternoon, so I can run on a flat surface without pesky hills.... your songs always make the cut! We seem to have very similar tastes!

GingerBohemian profile image
GingerBohemianGraduate in reply toRazouski

Gimme Some Lovin - Spencer Davis Group is the song I play in my mind to get my pace when I first start off from the drumbeat in the intro.

Lilybell profile image
Lilybell

I was well impressed with your post and your 14.5km run and seeking further inspiration I took a peek at your original posts from your wk1. Wow - what a challenge you took on back then and what a great attitude you have. I'll think about you and how you adopted such a positive attitude while I attempt to control my wk4 minor grumbles to self as I jog along. Such a cool series of posts. Thanks so much for sharing....

Razouski profile image
Razouski in reply toLilybell

I've just looked back at my first few posts Lilybell , I had no idea back then that I would go on to enjoying running so much. It's taken me right back to the feelings I had trying to get myself back together after the first mastectomy, and then the further surgery on the other breast, and I can honestly say that the running has really contributed to my mental healing as well as getting me fit and hopefully healthy.

GingerBohemian profile image
GingerBohemianGraduate

14.5km?! No wonder I was exhausted!

What a fantastic run. And evoking a lot of memories. And although th eroute may not have improved over the years the person running along them certainly has. 14.5km!!!

Razouski profile image
Razouski in reply toGingerBohemian

Actually the route is probably much better for cyclists 🚴🏾 , and at least there were no hills. 🤓

GingerBohemian profile image
GingerBohemianGraduate in reply toRazouski

Dont talk to me about hills today!

aliboo70 profile image
aliboo70

Aah yes i know that path well! The gremlins have struck me there before! Well done on defeating the little blighters! what a lot of distance you have covered too,just brilliant!😊😆🏃🏃🏃✔

SuzyKK profile image
SuzyKKGraduate

Totally impressed, both by your gremlin maneuvers, and your distance! Well done.

Razouski profile image
Razouski in reply toSuzyKK

Thanks SuzyKK , I was more impressed that I managed it without any pre-run faffing! ;-)

SuzyKK profile image
SuzyKKGraduate in reply toRazouski

Actually Razouski , I may have to take that faffing crown off you... on Friday I was up & in my kit... & then "felt the need" to polish brass door knocker, number, letter box... for the next 3-4hrs...! Hmmmm... faffing taken to an extreme level. On a positive note, the old door bling looks fantastic!

Razouski profile image
Razouski in reply toSuzyKK

Oh my, I feel I have been deposed.

😂😂😂

I think this may be yours now👑 .

SuzyKK profile image
SuzyKKGraduate in reply toRazouski

Sad but true :-)

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate

There will be many tears around the Gremlin campsite tonight :)

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