Cross Country, Very Cross Runners

Apparently it's the cross country season now.  Apparently when it starts to get really cold, wet, and windy, that's when the running community agrees that it's time to get off the tarmac and to run through muddy fields and freezing streams instead.  Go figure.  Apparently the running community refers to 'Cross Country' as 'XC' when it's written down.  Go figure!

Kata kindly signed me up for the Borders Cross Country XC series which was very nice of her.  I can't run in any of The National races because I'm an independent free spirit and not shackled to a club and paying my dues to The Man (or to Scottish Athletics - whatever).  That lot that are allowed to run in The Nationals are afraid of go-it-alone mavericks like me.

Anyway, someone who was running as part of a club at The Nationals was Kata.  And she was running in Cumbernauld!  Amazing.  I couldn't figure out  from her description what route the race was taking.  It sounded from her description as if they were just going to run around Cumbernauld Fields.  And what do you know, that's exactly what they did!  Growing up in Cumbernauld I have very fond memories of Cumbernauld Fields, from playing rounders there in the summer, having snowball fights in the winter, and generally hanging around there as a grumpy teenager.  Well I rocked up there as a grumpy man in his mid-thirties and was frankly appalled at what they were doing to the grass!  It was a mud bath!

Let the mud bath commence....

That's it commenced now.  Oi!  Get off my lawn!!!

It was great to see all the clubs there with their flags and tents and it was a much bigger event than I thought it was going to be.  It was my first experience of XC, even as a spectator, and I was interested to see runners trying really hard, their little legs going twenty to the dozen, and not moving very far.  It looked like hard work.  It was only 4km but everyone was exhausted at the end so well done, good effort all round.  Next time it would be me taking part in my first XC.

Both feet off the ground and flying on the home stretch.  

HBT in Cumbernauld Fields.  When world's collide.  Mind-blowing.  

Next time it was me taking part in my first XC.  And Lauder got the privilege.  I really enjoyed the race even though I had no idea what to expect at the start.  What I had gathered from Cumbernauld was that it was gong to be really tough so I started slow even though the distance was only about 7km.  This was a mistake.  Turns out Cross Country is like Hill Racing, it pays off to make a fast start and beat the rush to the hills.  It's very frustrating getting stuck behind runners (or walkers) on hills so in future I am going to really go for it at the start and see what happens.  Results are in and I finished in 35mins 30secs which I was quite pleased with at the time, but in hindsight I could have done so much better if I'd started faster.  I sprinted the end and I wasn't even that tired.  Bad strategic race but it was my first ever XC so that's allowed I suppose.  

Look!  No club vest!

I gave Hannah from HBT a lift to Lauder and out on the course at about 4km or 5km in, I saw her  about 4 runners ahead of me in her sparkling white compression socks and I decided I could catch her.  I did!  Breifly.  I caught her going downhill just before a gate, we vaulted (sort of) the gate together then she left me for dust on the home stretch.  I didn't mind at all, I was well beaten, but I did mind getting pushed by a fellow runner.  This was a new experience for me.  Again, the last trail path before the field where we finished, a runner from Chirnside Chasers grabbed the side of my shirt and pushed past me.  How rude!  It wasn't a narrow path, I wasn't going slowly, I think he was using me for momentum!  Whatever.  

One of us is possibly still drunk from the night before, and this time it's not the one that looks it.  

Brilliant choice of shoes this time and my Solomon Fell Raisers did me proud again.  I passed people going downhill quite a lot just because I had the grip.  It makes such a difference.  

Well done to the girls of HBT who finished in a very good time, especially considering some of them were still drunk from Rache's hen do the night before!