Mucky Pups

The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a wake-up call. I’ve tried a few new things and it feels like I’ve been experiencing running in 2D for the last few years and all of a sudden have found depth and perspective. It blows ya mind man!...

First up, I decided that next year, I was going to give Cross-Country racing a go. It’s something that had escaped me so far in my life. At school I can only ever remember doing XC once, and that was just the road around school and the playing field. I also remember it was one of the few sporting exploits at school I didn’t give up on (very proudly giving my time of 18:23 finish, after the winner had done it in 9:00). But since then, it had been alien world to me.

After announcing my intention on FB (I should have known) I was quickly reminded that the last race of the season was coming that Sunday. Various Striders suggesting I ran made me think “why not”. So, a pair of XC spikes was purchased, and I lined up at the start on a grey morning on the outskirts of Warrington.

I can sum up the race as disastrous but fun. Four laps of Birchwood Country Park.  Muddy Birchwood Country Park. Within 250m of the start someone called out to me that my laces had come undone. So stopping to sort that out meant that I was well down the field, but I slowly started working my way forwards. Running on the grass, and in spikes, felt completely different to road running. Any kind of bounce one gets from your trainers and the tarmac goes, the ground absorbing all the energy. Hard Work! Then, there were the HILLS! Wow, I had to pause at the top of each one, unsure if my spikes would hold me upright. But of course, pausing loses you time so if future I’ll have to get some proper XC training in.

Then, about halfway round the third lap I felt a stabbing pain in my side. “Dear god, I’ve got a stitch”. It was no good, I had to stop. The pain was hideous – I haven’t gotten a stitch in years. I tried to remember what you did. Tried to slow my breathing down and carried on (slowly). It was almost a full lap before it went away. I was about 800m from the end at this point. There was a hill and then final dash from the finish.

Me, dashing.

I came down the hill with someone from Liverpool Running Club (my old club) hot on my heels. I decided to sprint for the line. There were lots of people crowded round the finish, old club mates, new club mates all shouting. As I got to the finish, he hadn’t past me.  I saw the race marshalls and headed in their direction.

Then there was a cry, I stopped to see what had happened. It seems I had been in such a sprint that I had sailed straight past the finish funnel. Thing is, I’d never done proper XC before so didn’t know I was supposed to go into a ‘funnel’. The LRC guy slipped in and got the place before me. I won’t lie; I was gutted and also quite embarrassed. With so many people I knew there I felt like a right donkey.

But we live and learn, onward and upward. I’ll be a lot better prepared next season and am looking forward to it.

Looking at the length of this, I’ve realised I’m going to have to split these posts!