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Hundon 5k #2

vL2SOTM, Hundon Branch 1/1

First "real" run of the virtual L2SOTM during covid-19 lockdown. Running off a handicap of 7hrs 30min (I warmed up strimming the allotment then had to charge the fitbit, amongst other excuses for lateness) meant that it wasn't as hot as it might have been, though it was full sun and quite warm all the way round.

The route has 3 times the climbing of the real L2SOTM (73m ascent versus 23m for Longparish) which comes in three large lumps over a range of 20m (9m for the L2SOTM). The steepest and shortest climb is the first; the highest is the second and the joint-longest (with the second) is the third.

The village is quickly abandoned for the open countryside and the climb up to Mount Pleasant. There I gasped past a few houses and ignored the expansive views over open fields, including over to Clockhall Farm where route passes just 1km and another huge hill later. At the peak of Clockhall Lane, the highest point on the vL2SOTM, the road turns left around the hedgeline and presents a lovely view of Hundon, nestling on the valleyside below. You also get the brisk North wind right in your teeth, which rather mitigates the benefits of the hill having peaked.

One short plunge down to the edge of the village sacrifices to the running gods all the height I'd just gained (again) and the shallow drag up Valley Wash starts. It gets a bit naughty after the right turn to go up Church Street: there is a wonderfully depressing view of most of the rest of the climb past the last of today's open spaces, at 4km, to the houses on Mill Road. The point where the route turns right to go through the houses fails to be the highest part of the run (which is nice), but only by just over a metre (it could have tried harder: I'd have appreciated it by then).

The last half kilometre goes through some houses and back onto Church Street, which delivers up a tiny little rise that is just the final straw, really. Another 100m and back to the front door.

I was pleased to see that I actually had gone faster than my timing run, which I'd started with sore legs and struggled with. Not a lot faster, to be honest, but every little counts.

The picture here was taken another day, looking down some of the first climb, back towards Hundon. The run starts opposite the yellowish house smack in the middle of the picture. If you know where to look, you can see our conservatory.

Analysis

Last run (0/0 timing run): 31:53 (on sore legs)
Improvement: 1:26 = 4.5%
WAVA 52.22 % (fetcheveryone.com's calculator, using 5km distance), or:
WAVA 52.01 % (runbundle.com, using 5km road)
WAVA 53.37 % (fetcheveryone.com, using 5.11km road)
WAVA 53.2 % (runbundle.com, using 5.11km road)

Presumably fetcheveryone.com and runbundle.com have slightly different tables. Let's plump for 53.3 % which is between the two correct distance figures.

Split Summary
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1) 5.11km - 30:27(5:58/km) 386cal