W8 R1 - Return of the snail.

[angemum]

It was never going to be easy.

After 2 tortuous runs in W7, I'd finished on a high, smashing R3 (by my standards anyway) by covering 3.4k in the time. I was on a high. Euphoric. Ecstatic -

Enter the gremlins. You know the drill. 'Just a fluke', they said. 'You'll never be able to match that. As for running 28 mins: not a chance' ...

So once the rest day was done I put off week 8 for a day; 2 days, 3 days. Any excuse would do. Not enough sleep, not enough time, too cold, too dark. Etc. Maybe I'd wait till they weren't watching, then sneak out & catch them unawares. Except they took it in shifts to lurk.

This couldn't go on forever, so in the end I tried another tactic. I'd brazen it out, make them think I didn't care. I could do this, I really could.

Enter the 28 min Snailathon.

They were very persistent this time, those gremlins, given I normally succeed in boring them away with my pace. I couldn't even get them off my tail as I kept darting off-piste in my attempts to avoid the dog-walkers & the threat of being overtaken ...

The little b****s just wouldn't give up. Each time I passed a bench, they told me to sit down (I didn't); as for when I passed the cemetary gates ... (it's OK - I resisted them too.) And when Tanglegate made its inevitable appearance (despite the Arctic temp, somehow I managed to get hot, necessitating the removal of a layer), they made it clear there was no point going any further -

Cue Mr S, telling me I had 5 mins to go! Hooray, hooray - my saviour! A massive scarpering of the grems and somehow I made it through. Not pretty and the time ... safe to say, it's not been saved. But it's all about slow & steady, right?

Which is more than can be said for the rate at which I'm downing this large glass of wine

Have a great w/e everyone. Cheers!

[ChrisAllen1 Graduate]

Well done and a brilliant post, you are the boss of those gremlins.

[angemum Graduate in reply to ChrisAllen1]

yay - and thank you!

[rolysmate Graduate]

Well done and you mastered it

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

It is about slow and steady.. and, as the original Grey Snail... I wholeheartedly approve!

Go you!!!

Cheers!

[ruralfrance Graduate]

I enjoyed your post, angemum . Well done for fighting off the gremlins. I'm also on week 8 and not finding it easy. There are good days and bad days, aren't there? Good luck for the next one and keep posting. We can do this!

[angemum Graduate in reply to ruralfrance]

we can! we can! (and we will! grrrrr ... :-))

[Uphill-downhill Graduate]

I did W8R2 in the Park yesterday as am down for the Parkrun on 16/12. I was also amazed by the speed at which some dog walkers walk, the challenge of seeing all of where I'm gonna run Aat once, the need to do laps and like you the ability of benches to say 'sit down now' .... I got round, am pleased with this, I remain over a km short of the 5k. Slow and steady, that's me, well done to you too it's a great programme x

[angemum Graduate in reply to Uphill-downhill]

It is indeed a great programme - in so many ways! I owe it a lot. Congrats to you on your run. Nearly there! x

[astrozombie Graduate]

That sounds about how I feel after completing run 8 week 1. I was very happy at the start of the run and everything felt good. I felt good then collapsed like an England middle order barely running above a fast walk but I know it wasn't a walk as I was still overtaking Christmas shoppers, just but they were laden down with bags. December has been a nightmare for me as took a new job 80 miles away, not a wise move, and then slipped on a long thick sliver of ice. The only piece in the car park and collapsed onto it with my left knee. Ouch! I have noticed if you are only able to manage 1 run in 2 weeks it makes everything a lot more difficult. My stamina slips away much more not running than not walking if that makes sense to anyone.