Despite the weather forecast there was no sign of rain when I set off, on my warm up walk I set up the Spotify HU playlist and eventually with a bit of fiddling got to the right place on the RunGo app to start my virtual 10k. I could see some of you disappearing round the corner as by now it was 9:35, but the cheery commentary encouraged me on but I quickly realised that the music was making me run faster so s l o w down.
I was using my 10k route so it was through the field, cross the road,along the main road and duck into the housing estate incidentally I haven’t got lost in this one for ages 😂 Back on to the main road and then onto the start of the bridle path quite a few runners about and I’m wondering if any are VRB 🙂
That's 2K done ✅ the path goes now under the road and from here I’m surrounded by trees rather than houses. It's about now I realise my clothing choices are very wrong I am so hot 🥵, not much I can do so on I go but it's nice to take my walk breaks just to get a slight cool down. Onto the farm tracks and I can see some very black clouds and it gets me hoping for some rain to cool me down but no luck.
It's 4.5k as I rejoin the road up into the village which is on the top of a hill and the relief of a strong wind to cool me down at last. Along this stretch I have a giggle as the commentary tells me that to my right is a large loch, in the far distance I can see water but mine is the Air and Calder navigation 🤣
Down a side road around 6k to rejoin the bridle path and weirdly there's no one about, usually it's busy here as there is a small car park nearby. I decide to take a couple of longer walk breaks as I really don’t want to anger my knee 😂 I’d stopped the music when I got off the roads as I much prefer to hear the birds singing, so it's really nice to notice the Chiffchaffs are calling along with a woodpecker drumming and lots birds of others doing their thing. I have a choice to either finish my run on this path and have further to walk home or to turn off it uphill and finish on the roads. I decide on the latter, but walk up the steepest bit of the hill.
Only 1k left now 👍so off towards the main road, but if I turn towards home I won’t get the distance so I opt for a loop round a crescent, the commentary is telling me the crowds are cheering, I check the old people's bungalows but sadly no one is watching to see my very short sprint finish 🎉🎈🍾🎊
I’m so chuffed at getting back to the magical 10k 😁 and my time was only 24 seconds off my previous fastest time ….. So weird when I did all that walking
Thank you so much to all those involved in setting this up it was a brilliant way to run a virtual race experience.
Congratulations to all my other VRB out today and later this week and as to you brave lot doing the HM I really don’t know how you do it 😂
Oh and new socks had arrived when I got back obviously my prize 🏆
Wombling HU 10K
Utilita Bowl 10k late report!
HU Spring 10k
HU Virtual 10k
My HU Spring 10K
