After a solid weeks training I deigned to make an appearance at the nearby Alnwick Cross Country. I've been nursing my weight loss over the weeks with some modest success. Most of this is to do with eating prawn cocktail salads and cold smoked mackeral in place of the usual main meals of pie, pasta, chips and tatties. It's evident, however, that the war against snacking and beer is something more demanding. Snacking is well dug in on the high ground. It will probably require guerrilla tactics.
The cross country programme this season has been decimated by the wet weather. This disturbance in the XC Force has been due more to problems with car parking rather than the courses themselves. After all, there's nothing better than spending 45 minutes running through clagg and losing your shoes in the yielding bowels of the earth.
The forecast was windy but dry, and although there were one or two passing squalls, it was almost Springlike. Elsewhere, speedy joe was running (and winning) the Cambuslang 10k, but us lesser mortals had to make do with lacing up our 'hardly clean' spikes and warming up as best we could. I had to make a late dash to the chemist for some Compeed to protect my heels from my 'not-broken-in-yet' shoes. Other than that there were no dramas and the dark destroyer and chef linds finished top ten in the women's race with Mrs Mac some way behind. She made the point that she still beat 70. I spent much of the time during the women's race entertaining Master T as he toddled around. We had a right good go at trying to find a mole in the molehills that were dotted around the field and between the caravan of tents.
I like this event. The course had been tinkered with from earlier years and its definitely an improvement. They have retained the run through the woods which is right up my street with a sizeable descent immediately afterwards. If you know how to descend you can easily make up a couple of places over those more timid types or folk that haven't got their spikes on and are a little more wary. I was off in the slow pack and with a backdrop of Alnwick Castle we clattered off down the field and up toward the wood. I had to stop for a few seconds on the first lap to re-tie my lace on my right shoe. I was 54th at the end of the first lap and moved up to 51st on the second. However, as its a handicap, there was a boatload of folk from the medium and fast pack who came through in a rapid and unseemly manner on the 3rd lap (during which my other lace worked loose). However, there was little chance of my shoe coming off and I just put up with it whipping my ankle as I came through the woods for the last time. I finished 68th (350 in the field) at the end and gulping in the air I had a repeated dose of dry wretching which in my book is a sign that you've over done it. Excellent. Confirmation of a good, committed run if one was required. 3rd counter for the club. I felt much better than I had at the Scottish Masters. My spikes arrived back later in the day and had been cleaned by Linds to an inch of their life. Finding your daughters doing stuff like that is a slippery slope. Next she'll be bringing me my slippers and cocoa and a little later booking me on a flight to Switzerland.
Anyway, next up Cupar. Best clean your own shoes.
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