Phew that gremlin needed shaking off

6 days yikes, I think the legs had a little running lag from Red January, and looking back it was probably harder than I imagined, but that box is ticked 👍.

But the legs had definitely got 5k muscle memory, I knew they could go further but they just needed to be reminded 💪.

That warm house gremlin was being pesky this morning, the central heating had cozied the house and my family were all warm and snug, so why on earth would I even consider donning shorts and trainers and venturing out into the frosty countryside 🥶 darn fool 🙋.

So anyway I did........ But shorts really, should've gone tights ❄️!

The first klm was quite honestly horrific, chunnering at myself for not having ran for 6 days..... Fool, I eventually found a sort of cobbled together rhythm, and the footfall started to feel less clunky, remember that oldfloss terminology " kiss the earth" my kiss was absent, replaced by a clunk 🙄.

Anyway it got better thankfully, and even with said shoulder riding gremlin urging me to about turn, just run a 5k I soldiered on. I think at around 8k I'd left the gremlin at the bus stop 👍👍.

Let's run then 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️.

Tarmac gone and on to the towpath, a delight. That frost was just perfect, there was a slight crunch underfoot, and the slop of the mud gone, it wasn't slippy for the run down to Llangollen, and I was the only frostbitten fool out today 🤓, fishing really, in this weather, brave and hardy souls 🙄, I'll wait until warmer weather to tackle up I think.

Then it got harder, oh I wished I'd gone with tights. My knees are soooooooooooooooo cold, push on though, resisting any urge to go to quick and run out of steam.

I'm thinking there's an icicle on my 🥶 👃.

Oh the glamour of a frostbitten Ian lol.

At about 20k those fingers were beyond cold, much wriggling to try and restore feeling, that vision of a centrally heated homestead definitely dragged me along that final 2k..........

Time to defrost, phew.......

Keep safe, run happy and healthy you lot 👍

[Buddy34 Half Marathon]

Brilliant post Imc50. Great you managed to keep going even though you were cold. Hope you got nice and cosy again on your return. Well done 👏👏👏👏

[Hidden in reply to Buddy34]

Cheers Buddy34 the worst thing, cold fingers 😬

[CBDB]

Woah! Gosh, that sounds cold! 🥶I’m freezing just reading the post, but what a beauty of views! Well run! And hope you managed to warm up by now! (In this kind of weather wouldn’t you love a sauna?)

[Hidden in reply to CBDB]

Ohhhhhhh a sauna CBDB on the wish list 👍

[Tasha99 Marathon]

Massive well done! A fab run!

[Hidden in reply to Tasha99]

Ta Tasha99 👍 should've doubled back and come home via the towpath, too much tarmac 😬

[LottieMW]

Brilliant! Well done 👍

[Hidden in reply to LottieMW]

Ta LottieMW

[Jools2020 Half Marathon]

Great post, Imc! Well done for running in freezing conditions 👏👏👏 ❄️. I took another rest day today in the warm 😊 i actually felt cold just reading about your run and I’m by the 🔥

[Hidden in reply to Jools2020]

Thanks Jools2020 I'm ready for a summer run now 🙂

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Hidden]

Oh yeah. Warmth on the face 😃🌝. Staying out til late 😎

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

Just loosely wondering what the weather will be like on October 3rd 🤔

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Hidden]

October 🤔 Well, it’ll be warmer than it is at the moment 🙂👍.

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

Gives me time to taper 🤭

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Hidden]

Ooh the taper is lovely 😃👍. Can’t wait to taper. Sigh 🙄. Still, we’ll be back racing before we know it

We’d better be 💪. I’m not getting any younger 😁

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

Shsssssss don't say the old word misswobble we'll be pretend teenagers 🥳

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Hidden]

I’ve got catching up to do as I didn’t start running til I was 57 and there’s not a moment to lose 😁.

I’ve got a marathon booked for November so something to look forward to at least

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

You young whippersnapper, there's decades of 26.2's left in those legs yet 👍.

And then onto the ultras 💪

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Hidden]

Ive had an ultra plan on the go for ages but it keeps getting kyboshed. When I’d finally got chance to recce the entire route beforehand on an organised 12 hour ramble - organised by the council - Covid came along and it was cancelled. The year before that my son decided to get married in the US, the year before that it clashed with my favourite local race.

They ran it (socially distanced) last year but changed the route ! It’s one where you have to get yourself round so need to recce the route first and/or be able to navigate. It’s trail so more of a challenge. 34 miles of it Had I reccied the route previously it would have partly time wasted, them having changed it at the last minute, and would have been a bit of a fly in the ointment for navigating novices like me. Bah!

It’s still on my to-do list 🙄

I now try and run a marathon on or about my birthday each year as a present to myself 😁. It usually involves a trip to the seaside in late November 🥶. the tiny event does offer the chance to run two marathons on consecutive days. Lots of older women do the double and I’d like to have a go - having seen them tackling it at first hand. Women all older than me ! Some of them are members of the

“100 Marathon Club”. A double event is a good way of reaching their target quicker, and logistically easier.

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

I'll leave off the ultra until I've cracked the 26.2 👍

Book

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Hidden]

If I’ve done it you can 🙂. No worries 💪👍😃. Having done one I couldn’t wait to do another to ensure it wasn’t a fluke Then I thought I would do one a year at least 🏃‍♀️

[Peter44 10 Miles]

Blimey, well done, HM in this weather, and after your red jan running too! 👏👏👏

[Hidden in reply to Peter44]

I'm having tomorrow off Peter44 😆

[Peter44 10 Miles in reply to Hidden]

🥵🥵👍👍

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Shorts? Really? No wonder you were clunky ❄😱

[Hidden in reply to linda9389]

A definite error 🥶

[Grannyhugs 10 Miles]

What a phenomenal run in the cold, a long distance to go as your 1st after RED January, well done. Happy running 🤗

[Hidden]

Thank you Grannyhugs tis nice to have a rest day today 👍

[misswobble Marathon]

Well done! Very brave to go for a long run today. Brrrrrrrrr🥶

“Icy dicey” I call it 🙂

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

Hot water bottle weather I reckon misswobble 👍

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

I can feel the cold from here 🥶 Great run LMC 👍

[Hidden in reply to Irishprincess]

Thank you Irishprincess my fingertips were properly cold 🥶 ( gloves upgrade required asap)

[a_in_gsr Half Marathon]

Oh my... shorts!! Ha I did my long run last week in leggings and joggers over the top! Well done

[Hidden in reply to a_in_gsr]

Annoyingly I'd changed pre run thinking I'd be over layered 🤦

[nowster Metric Marathon in reply to Hidden]

As you'll have read in the B210K forum, it's a constant struggle to find the right balance of layers in this weather.

PS. Hi to the Marathon forum. This is my first interaction here, having only recently reached 10k.

[a_in_gsr Half Marathon in reply to Hidden]

I think I'm just a could person anyway - I haven't worn shorts since September! But at least you know for next time

[Hidden]

That first HM is memorable 👍 simply 2x 10k + a little Xtra 👍

[Decker Ultramarathon]

Really well done. In short no less! Live and learn, eh? 🥶👍🏼🙂

[Hidden in reply to Decker]

Oh most definitely 🤦Decker