10.44k
Start 11.00
Cross event was very enjoyable, despite me almost missing the start due to sheer stupidity/carelessness. I got there in time, though the parking places near the start were all occupied so I had to park a few streets away. Had a warm up run to the sport hall, used the loos then went back to the car to pin on my number and generally prepare myself and then go back to the start. When I got there, with 10 minutes to spare I realised I hadn't put my offroad shoes on! Dithered briefly then decided that the rather worn road shoes I'd pulled on for driving in wouldn't be great for what I knew to be a fairly muddy course, and that as I'd also forgotten to take my pre-race extra snort of go-faster asthma drugs, I really would be better nipping back to the car again. So did so. Got back to the start with 30 seconds before the gun went off.
Well I was certainly warmed up by this time after my last minute dashing about. Set off steadily near the back of the pack. Overtook a group of 3 women in the second kilometer at a particularly muddy bit where they were definitely floundering and my serious trail shoes got me past them with minimum effort. Later on got past an older man who'd been a good bit ahead of me for the first 4k or so. There was a perfect rainbow at one point and I told the volunteers who were congregated at a gate that I was heading for the gold at the end of it, which seemed to amuse them. (I always thank volunteers for being there, without them these events wouldn't happen.) The last kilometer was on paved streets and I could hear 2 of the women I'd overtaken near the start coming up behind me. This spurred me on to try to stay ahead of them, which I managed with a second to spare. (I suspect if the race had been 100m longer they would have caught me!)
Really enjoyed the run and the drive there took me past various villages I'd never been in before (last year I must have gone via the motorway) so it was a good wee expansion of my knowledge of the area.
Start 11.00
Cross event was very enjoyable, despite me almost missing the start due to sheer stupidity/carelessness. I got there in time, though the parking places near the start were all occupied so I had to park a few streets away. Had a warm up run to the sport hall, used the loos then went back to the car to pin on my number and generally prepare myself and then go back to the start. When I got there, with 10 minutes to spare I realised I hadn't put my offroad shoes on! Dithered briefly then decided that the rather worn road shoes I'd pulled on for driving in wouldn't be great for what I knew to be a fairly muddy course, and that as I'd also forgotten to take my pre-race extra snort of go-faster asthma drugs, I really would be better nipping back to the car again. So did so. Got back to the start with 30 seconds before the gun went off.
Well I was certainly warmed up by this time after my last minute dashing about. Set off steadily near the back of the pack. Overtook a group of 3 women in the second kilometer at a particularly muddy bit where they were definitely floundering and my serious trail shoes got me past them with minimum effort. Later on got past an older man who'd been a good bit ahead of me for the first 4k or so. There was a perfect rainbow at one point and I told the volunteers who were congregated at a gate that I was heading for the gold at the end of it, which seemed to amuse them. (I always thank volunteers for being there, without them these events wouldn't happen.) The last kilometer was on paved streets and I could hear 2 of the women I'd overtaken near the start coming up behind me. This spurred me on to try to stay ahead of them, which I managed with a second to spare. (I suspect if the race had been 100m longer they would have caught me!)
Really enjoyed the run and the drive there took me past various villages I'd never been in before (last year I must have gone via the motorway) so it was a good wee expansion of my knowledge of the area.
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