Club champs 10k

Virtual Race: Club Champs 10k (Hope-Saltney)
Time: 35.37
With a 10k PB of 34.17 recorded nine years ago, I needed all the help I could get today (the scores are assessed against lifetime PBs). So I cheated slightly! I selected a course from the start of Sandy Lane on the edge of Hope - this has a certain amount of negative elevation down to HK and then across the border to Lower Kinnerton. I was going quite well in the new shoes, and managed to keep motivation and pace going through Bretton and down to Saltney, where my 10k route ended in Morrisons car park. Well down on my PB, but still my quickest 10k time for a few years.

HK hinterland hills

The circumstances are dictating an ever-more-creative approach to running from the front door. This was one such - a desperate attempt to get into the hills without driving. I've done a few circuits of Hope Mountain from home, but on this occasion I took paths from Caer Estyn down to the lovely stream valley which leads to Cefn y Bedd and Abermorddu. From here, I took the Brymbo road (normally too dangerous) up steep Minera hill to branch off to Ffrith. Then comes the delightful (long and gentle) climb through the woods to curve up to the steep finish up to the trig on Pen Llan y Gwr. From here, I took my favourite descent back to Llanfynydd, the wild garlic and bluebells at their best in the Cegidog stream valley. From Llanfynydd, I took the 'tunnel of pain' up to the top of Waun y Llyn and then the roads back to HK - 28k/700m.

Club champs 5m

Virtual Race: Club Championship 5m (Business Park Roundabout-Moor Lane)
Time/Position: 28.50 
An informal virtual club championship has been launched. The national relays provided a 5k time, with a 5 miler following. Times were assessed against PBs, which was challenging for me with almost all of them set around 8-9 years ago and my 50th birthday approaching. New shoes helped for this, though. Another beautiful day, so M dropped me off at Rough Hill. I jogged up to the A55/Business Park roundabout and battered the first mile to Balderton. This is one of the issues with virtual racing, there is a temptation to go off a little too fast without numerous groups to pace with. I overestimated the distance, so reached HK before I'd completed the distance! So I had to extend back down Moor Lane which was rather tiring. I finished around 20 seconds down on my official PB (although I did once break 28m on an informally measured course).

Virtual road relay championships

Virtual Race: National Road Relays (5k)
Time/Position: 17.42 (1180 from 5345)
It looks like virtual racing is the future of the sport for the time being. This was a first, as far as I'm aware - the national road relays championships held virtually with over 5000 runners competing. We entered a Buckley team and did reasonably well, although the competition is obviously extremely stiff. I selected Stringer's Lane from Burton to HK as my route, to avoid excessive negative elevation! The jog out to Burton provided a useful warm-up, and the effort went reasonably well - a similar time to Nos Galan on NYE. It is harder without other runners around you, of course, but there's still a form of motivation going on.