Need help in Water cave - Overture

[partthethird]

I've been playing through Overture and really enjoying it, until I got to the water cave area, where the spiders burst out of the eggs and chase you whilst you smash through the boulders with the axe.

I cannot physically do this section of the game! My guy doesn't run fast enough to stay ahead of the spiders, and after smashing the first boulder I get chomped by the spiders and die.

What am I doing wrong?!?!