Having run 2 10k races in the last 3 weeks, UpTheStanley and I agreed that running the Vitality 10000 in London on 24th September would be a race too far while we are meant to be increasing our distance towards 10 miles. The Great South Run is getting closer and I’ve only run up to 11k recently. . I knew that if we did the race we would both want to run it fast and try to match or beat our previous times. There is also the rather extortionate cost of 2 nights accommodation we’ve booked on a free cancellation basis!
So we cancelled the hotel and I contacted the Vitality team to say we wouldn’t be able to take part. I was really surprised when they said that we could run the 10k virtually and on sending the evidence they would send us our T-shirts and medals. Whoopie. It won’t be the same as running through the streets of London, with people cheering us on, but we hope to do that again next May, when it is is normally held. The plan was to run 10k and stop the watch for the evidence. I then wanted to run a further 2k,
So looking at the weather forecast we have SW winds gusting to 55 mph this week as well as rainstorms, so we decided to run this morning before the heavy rain came in. We also decided to get away from the seafront where it would be windiest and headed in the car for Lakeside, home of JonathanP ’s parkrun. The trail path round the lake is sheltered from the wind but it would be pretty repetitive to run back and forth for 10k, so I also ran to the north foreshore and around the wake park. Whenever I came across UTS we high fived. At one point I was running into the wind and I wasn’t moving forward at all. My legs were going like billio but landing in the same spot. I pushed through and headed to the next turn. I saw an egret and then our swan family with seven cygnets decided to move from the bumpy Skate Park across my running route to the water. I stopped to let them pass. Then once more round the bottom of the wake park and then headed back to Lakeside to run along the lake again. Coach Bennett had been chatting away to me throughout the run on his 99 minutes 59 seconds guided run.
Along the lakeside, fishermen sat and whiled away the day. A heron was startled as I ran by and flew across to the other side. A light drizzle started and I put my running jacket on. I spotted a rabbit, a rat, a coot and a parakeet flew past in a flash of green. I haven’t seen one there before. Workers strolled along the path during their lunch break, and a few runners passed too. At the end of 10k I stopped my watch, nibbled an energy bar and sipped some water. Foolishly I also stopped my guided run instead of carrying on to complete the 99 mins and 59 secs. So I started a 2k guided run instead, knowing that the next 2k would be the hardest. UTS approached from the other direction and I called out ‘2k to go’. I ran along the trail again and through an underpass I’ve never run before. It had been painted by local schoolchildren and looked bright and cheerful. Turning round and back along the trail I admired the view of the lake. The workers in the office blocks along the other side of the lake are very lucky to be in such a beautiful location. Well 2k was done and dusted, so 12k run in total. I walked towards Starbucks and found UTS sitting there, having run 17.37 k in 100 minutes compared to my 12k in the same time. So glad that I ran it all at a gentle pace as I’ve still got 4.1k to go
Evidence submitted and I now await my new blue T-shirt and shiny bling.
Good luck to Frizzbomb67 , Folkylass and Hedgehogs123 who are also doing the virtual run
London vitality 10K
London Vitality 10000