Combe 2 Virtual Motavation Report by Colin Hancox
ERR Virtual Motavation – Combe 2 Thursday 30th July 2020
I seem to have dodged the responsibility of a race report over the years, however it has finally caught up with me but at least I get a nice bottle of wine to drink!
As we all waited at the wonderful Combe sports field last year, for the temperature to drop and the race to be allowed to start. Who would have believed that the following year instead of facing a delayed start or a possible postponement of a week, we would be experiencing the cancelation of the entire Motavation series and almost all races and events during 2020!
Thankfully our wonderful club has worked very hard to keep us out of ‘mischief’ and offer us a varied selection of activities to help occupy some of our time during a very strange year.
With the weather for the last Thursday in July looking very hot, many club members wisely opted for the early morning option to run the virtual race, not me (mad dogs and all that).
Stan also thinking it was a good idea (sound mind just like me!) meant we agreed to meet up in Combe to run the race on our own using the actual course with a 6:30pm start.
Unsurprisingly it was hot….although not as hot as the year before. However it was just such a glorious evening that I could not help just looking around at all the great views and all seemed rather well with the world. Until I was rudely awoken from my ‘day dreams’ by Stan reminding me we had a race to run!
For those of you who have not run this Combe round before, it is a two lap road course starting near to the Cock Inn and finishing at the recreation / sports ground in the village. There are some sort of flattish sections, an exhilarating downhill section taking you through shaded woods and down to the Station, but then you have to face the dreaded uphill section that everyone talks about. According to my Strava feed, 323 ft of elevation gain and 4.25 miles distance over the complete course.
I know last year, I went too fast on the first downhill section and by the second lap I was walking up the hill! So I was going to be more cautious this evening especially knowing I was not as fit as I would have been had running continued as normal this year.
All was very fine as we ran through the village and the shade through the woods was very welcome, but you just know the hill is waiting for you!
Stan says “don’t worry the worst bit is over when you get to the farm” however it still seems to go on and on and up! Well I manged to keep going even on the second lap and must have been enjoying it really, for instead of turning sharp left at the end to take you into the sports field and to the finish, I was heading off for a third lap until Stan thankfully saved me and called me back!
I must admit we did enjoy this run and I hope all of you enjoyed your run wherever you ran that day.
Colin Hancox
