Virtual London Vitality 10000 in Bristol. 🏃‍♀️☀️

[cheekychipmunks]

Hey runners! 👋

Those of you who saw Dexy5 ’s post a couple of days ago will know that a bunch of us were to be running in London today - but clearly that can’t happen so we’re doing our own virtual runs instead. 🏃‍♀️🏃🏃‍♀️🏃

I set off running shortly after 7am and was surprised that it wasn’t particularly cool, but I’m not complaining! Bristol looked beautiful in the bright sunshine and there was no wind. Result. 👊 I’d had my worst run EVER on Saturday and I didn’t fancy battling the winds again. 💨 😖

Since lockdown I’ve only run on “my” local Common, and today it showed how good the trails and hills have been for my running - the elements notwithstanding! The moment I started along the Harbourside I felt great. There were quite a few early birds about, either running, cycling or walking, but social distancing wasn’t an issue. 🏃‍♀️

I admired the majestic S.S. Great Britain, the masts of all the boats moored up, the mirror-like water and the bright blue sky. This is why we run. 😍

My route was a variation on my Virtual Bath HM back in March, so different from today - 💦💦💦💦💦💦💦. I even took the same wrong turn and ended up on a little quay with no way to get across the river! 🤦‍♀️

I glanced at my Garmin at 9k and was pleasantly pleased with my time. I haven’t PB’d at 10k for over a year, so today was my chance. It’s also my late Dad’s birthday. He’d have been 94, but he passed away in 2013. Never a day goes by when he’s not in my thoughts, so this one was for him, and I pushed on. Yes, a PB it was - 1:16:20! 🎉 Not fast by most standards, but it is for me, and I walked back to the car grinning like an ape! 🎉😀❤️

The one downside as far as my VRBs go is that Windoze had been our 1 hour pacer, and I’d promised that drinks would be on me for ever if I achieved that! Unlucky Windoze (who’d requested gin) and TailChaser (who’d requested beer!) 🤣

I’m looking forward to reading the other reports as they come in, virtual races or anything. 🏃‍♀️🏃🏃‍♀️🏃🏃‍♀️

Happy running you fantastic lot. ❤️❤️

[Jell6 Graduate10]

Excellent cheeky!.

I was running with you for a while, but I cut out at 5.5km🤣

You are right about the weather, it was glorious out there this morning.

And a PB for your dad too.

Take care and stay safe 😘

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Jell6]

Ahhh thank you for running along for a while too Jell! What a treat having such a fantastic day. 😍🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

[David_G]

Great run cheekychipmunks it’s a lovely day for running🌞🤔 It would have been great if the ‘real’ version had been today and we could have assembled en masse in London!🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ Not to worry, there’ll be another chance sometime😊🤞🍀

I’m sure your dad would be proud of your efforts, today and every day🙂💪👍

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to David_G]

You’re so right David - imagine running with the crowds of fellow runners and spectators in London. Hopefully next year! 🤞🤞

Yes I hope I made Dad proud. ❤️

[Sandraj39 Graduate10]

Well done cheeky, especially on that pb - how proud would your Dad be!

I did the Great Run Bristol 10k a few years back with my sister - fab city to run in! Rest up well and look forward to receiving your medal!🙂🏅👍

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Sandraj39]

My first race was the Bristol 10k last year Sandra! It’s a great race isn’t it? I used to drive through the city in years gone by, prior to me becoming a runner, and see the yellow AA signs announcing the road closures for the event. No waaaaay could I ever take part in that malarkey I used to think! 😅😅

It was an extra bonus getting a PB for my Dad too! ❤️

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

I knew you’d be first off the blocks!

Whoop Whoop! it’s amazing what you can do with all those Pom Poms waving, and you are almost catching me up now cheeky. I’m sure your Dad would have been very proud of your running prowess.

Isn’t it just the perfect day for a virtual race? Although it might have been a tad warm in London. Hang that virtual Bling around your neck and be very happy .and celebrate 🎉🥂🍾

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

Aww thanks Dexy. 😀 I was dead chuffed with my PB! I knew I’d be quicker than running up on the Common, but I was over 2 minutes quicker than last year’s best 10k time. And the fact it was Dad’s birthday made it so special. ❤️

I hope we can all do the real thing next year. 🏃‍♀️🤞🏃

[Buddy34 Graduate10]

Great running cheekychipmunks your virtual vitality 10k and a pb . A proud day for you with your dad as always in your thoughts. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🥳🥳🥳

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Buddy34]

Thanks Buddy, I was sooo proud of my run today, and the fact it was Dad’s birthday made it all the more special. ❤️

[UpTheStanley Graduate10]

Well done Cheeky, beat me to it - and I thought I got up early!!

Great run too. Presumably without Flossie as you went into town?

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to UpTheStanley]

Haha you know me UTS, a real early bird. I wanted to beat the inevitable runners and walkers around the Harbour and it’s lucky I did go early, as when I was walking back to the car it had become very busy indeed. Runners were having to slow to a walk (and that would have scuppered my PB - only a runner knows how important that is!) 🏃‍♀️🏃🏃‍♀️🏃

No Flossie at my side today. She was living her best life with the rest of the family. 🐕

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

What a great run, your dad would be so proud and a PB as well 😀

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thanks so much W&S. It was a fantastic run and the PB was definitely spurred on by Dad’s memory. ❤️

[Shake-and-run Graduate10]

Well done Cheekychipmunks xx

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Shake-and-run]

Thanks so much S&R. 😀😀

[Grannyhugs Graduate10]

Fantastic new Pb in memory of your dad. It sounds like a great route to run and that quay is obviously a must on all your runs in that area. Happy running 🤗

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Grannyhugs]

Thanks GH. Yes it’s a great route, but in the current circumstances it would have been way too busy to run later in the day. You’re right - I need to incorporate the wrong turn every time I do it from now on! 😅

Dad’s memory spurred me on today, no doubt about it. ❤️

[Oldgirlruns Graduate10]

That sounds like a beautiful run Cheeky! Well done on your time- I can dream of such a thing!! Your Dad would have been proud I’m sure. Like you, I think of mine every day and even after 4 years I still sometimes think ‘I must tell Dad that’ when something’s happened - I guess it never leaves us. Enjoy the rest of your day!

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Oldgirlruns]

Thanks so much OGR. Dad and I were great buddies and I see lots of him in me, my stubborn streak being one of them! You’re right, time heals the grief that they’re gone, but memories stay forever. ❤️

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

A very good run and congratulations on that PB of 1.16.20 which is excellent.

At the suggestion of Dexy5 I also ran "The Virtual Vitality London 10 000" Scottish style around the Scottish Loch near to where I live, it was my 6th 10K, I was hoping for a sub 75 minutes time which I am sure you will get soon, my time today was 73.21. 😊 🏃🏾

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

Well done Al, my PB is 72:57 so there’s not much in it. I’d be happy to run a 5k at the moment but I must be patient with my rehab.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

I know the reason you can't run or at least go all out was caused by a ski accident earlier in the year which was not your fault, someone crashed into you, I just hope you will be back to running fully again soon. At the moment you are on a training course a little like C25K but not so hard I think you said the other day.

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

Well done Al! I’m happy you were able to join us this morning, albeit virtually. 😀👍

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I made a special effort on bringing forward by 48 hours to run that 10K as Wednesday is the day I usually run a longer run, but I enjoyed running this morning in the spirit of running virtually with all my running buddies here on this forum. 😊 🏃🏾

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

Even better! Thank you. 😀😀

[TailChaser Graduate10]

It's such a good feeling when a rubbish run is followed by one like you've just had, it reaffirms everything you've been doing. What a day to do it too! Brilliant xx

(I'm off to the local shop now to get my beer...)

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to TailChaser]

Thanks TC, happy we could do something fun together, even though we’re all over the UK. ❤️

I feel guilty about you having to get your own beer though - sadly I think you’ll be buying it yourself for quite some while! 🤣

[TailChaser Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

So am I, it was so nice to feel connected again. Just got the beer!

One day you will get that sub 1 hour cheeky, and you won't even realise it's happened! 😁

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to TailChaser]

I wonder if I ever will TC? I’d need the stars to align just right for that to happen! 🌟 ⭐️ 💫

Enjoy your beer! 🍻

[TailChaser Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

You never know cheeky, did we all think we could do half marathons when we started c25k?!

Thanks, it’s going down very nicely 😊🍻

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to TailChaser]

I suppose you’re right there TC. Those 1 minute runs on W1 were killers! 😅

[Beachcomber66 Graduate10]

Terrific, a PB in this heat; amazing run CC. It was my late father's 94 birthday yesterday. He would laughed at my attempts to unlock the chaos my mother was creating yesterday over her central heating "not working" ....it's too hot mum!

I do feel that I have missed something special (as in VRB meet up), but everyone running on the same day is a good second. Mrs BC has tried to take a photo of me; she managed to chop of the top of my head, but it isn't my best feature anyway 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Thanks for being such a supportive VRB alongside the remaining musketeers and others. I would still have been stuck on 10k were it not for your wizardry 🥇🍸⚡️⚡️

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to Beachcomber66]

She does have mystical features Beachcomber66.

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

Being overly enthusiastic being one of them Dexy5 ! 😅

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Oh yes we can get sooo excited. Not overly though.

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

You’re right, no such thing as overly excited!

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Beachcomber66]

Awww BC, it was fantastic that you could join us regardless of the fact it was virtually. Now you have an idea how much fun the real meet-ups are! It’ll happen again! 😀

So our Dads are one day apart! How wonderful! Mine was sharp as a tack even towards the end, and he had a wicked sense of humour! ❤️

Oh no need to thank me for being supportive either - it’s these forums. They’ve helped me, and I just want everyone to get the same benefit so I “share”! 😀

Happy running (carefully for now!) 🏃🏃

[Beachcomber66 Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

My dad too cheeky...he didn't suffer fools gladly...or at all!! 🙂

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Beachcomber66]

He sounds just like mine! ❤️

[Coddfish Graduate10]

Sounds like you had a fabulous run, we were thinking of you all as we shuttled up and down the closed bit of road this morning.

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Coddfish]

I did have a wonderful run, thanks Coddfish. The weather was superb, unlike the last few days with those vicious winds. 💨💨💨

Glad you got to run too. I bet it was beautiful down there. 😍

[JonathanP Graduate10]

Well done Cheeky - so much better than your last one and the PB for your dad is a bonus!👍

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to JonathanP]

Oh crikey Jonathan, you’re not wrong there. That last run of mine was (to coin my kids’ phrase) utter pants! 😅 The PB was lovely for Dad too. ❤️

I’m happy you got to join us! 🏃🏃

[JonathanP Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Me too

[Katnap Graduate10]

Excellent training! 10k seems so much easier once you get up to HM distances! I'm really happy to you CC and look forward to our next ARB meet! 😁😁😁

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Katnap]

Definitely good training Katnap. The Common is fairly benign in the dry weather, except for the fact it’s prone to high winds and no shade. But even then, the footing isn’t even, so running on pavements again felt like a relative doddle! 🏃‍♀️

Roll on our next meet-up. It can’t come soon enough. 😀🏃🏃‍♀️🏃🏃‍♀️🏃😀

[Fabulous450 Graduate10]

Congratulations Cheeky!! Big cheers for Dexy5, Windoze & TailChaser too!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🤗🤗🤗!!

A fabulous 10k and a wonderful memorable day!! You did it and it’s so beautiful to read all about it!! Big celebratory hugs to you all!! 🍾 🥂 ❤️

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Fabulous450]

Thanks so much Fab! We all had great runs today and doing it “together” made it really good fun! ❤️

[MartinKH Graduate10]

Congratulations on a great run cheeky, and how lovely to achieve a PB on your dads birthday. He’d be really proud I’m sure.

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to MartinKH]

Thank you Martin. It was a lovely run and the icing on the cake was the PB for Dad! 😍

[Irishprincess Graduate10]

Fabulous Munks! A PB! So well done to you on what sounds a really lovely run. And how poignant it came together on such a special day 🥰

All those lockdown runs have clearly paid nice big dividends 🏃‍♀️🙂 Whoop whoop!

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Irishprincess]

Thanks IP, yes a PB for this little snail! 🐌 I was chuffed to pieces. I knew I’d be quicker than my lockdown trail runs, but I didn’t expect to knock so much off - almost 3 minutes off my previous PB and more than that off the trails. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

My Dad was spurring me on, I know it! ❤️

[Irishprincess Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Brilliant stuff!

[BaddieThePirate Graduate10]

Well done on your PB 🏅👏

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to BaddieThePirate]

Thanks Baddie! 😘