I was delighted to join my fellow Metros on the start line for the inaugural Chapelton of Elsick 10k. This feeling faded somewhat during the race, but that’s the way of running.
Chapelton village in Aberdeenshire is a lovely wee place, established in the last few years and an ongoing project, situated just off the main A90. It was hot!! On arrival it appeared that we may be blessed with a little cloud coverage and there was a slight breeze. Unfortunately, or fortunately if you were spectating, this changed just ahead of the start, bringing a beautifully sunny day.
It was great to see a good turnout for this event as a huge amount of organisation had gone into it and Metro member Campbell was part of the organising committee. Everything ran seamlessly from registration right through to the finish with refreshments available for runners and a real family feel to the event with face painting and kids races too.
Warming up with Alan and Grant it was good to see lots of familiar faces, especially my former Jog Scotland Bridge of Don friends who Campbell had rounded up for the occasion – Kay, Ashleigh, Ruth and Wendy. A personal invitation goes a long way!
All too soon the Metro team photo had been taken – we’re not all there; trying to round everyone up is reminiscent of putting puppies in a basket! There was time for one let pit stop before making our way to the start line.
I was concerned that I was too far forward but Alan assured me people would pass if they needed to. I’m struggling now to recall the finer points of detail in the route. What I can remember is that there was a mixture of surfaces. Starting and finishing on road, there were some sections of rougher tracks and trails, and also some grass as we ran through the Chapelton of Elsick Estate. There were also some undulations and a particularly nasty hill at 5 miles. Campbell had warned us about this but it didn’t look too bad on Strava – I envisaged it to be short and steep. It turned out longer than I’d imagined. The only upside was hearing the piper and knowing they must be at the top!
I wanted to walk – I didn’t. It was tough. My legs felt like they’d gone to jelly on reaching the top of the hill, but I held onto the thought that this sets the tone for the marathon. If I walk now then I’ll be tempted to walk in future. On reflection, many others were obviously feeling the same way as I did pass a few folks walking. However, there were others thriving and doing well despite the hot conditions. Grant ran well and left me standing – definitely more to come there – while Alan ran like a Kenyan and finished strong, hot on my heels.
The finish was also on an uphill incline and I managed to give it a bit of a push towards the end. Not the race I’d hoped for but my legs are tired. Having consulted with one of the club coaches the next couple of weeks will focus on recovering and a serious taper. If anyone wants to join me in wishing for a cooler day please feel free.
Glad to finish, it was time to enjoy the sunshine and bask in the glory of my clubmates who won lots of prizes! Great performances from many, but a special mention must go to Sarah Milne for her first win! Good to see that hard work does pay off in the end.
A brilliantly organised race, even if we can’t control the weather. Great medals too! Well done Chapelton!
Clare, happiest outdoors! 