Cross Country

This Wednesday I had the cross country race in Richmond Park. After only three lunchtime runs of four miles each in preparation and a very sore calf I was ill prepared for the cross country run in Richmond Park.

Monday I was looking for my spikes ready for Wednesdays cross country run. I know where I last saw them (OK it was some time ago, maybe three years), in the bottom of a box of shoes under the stairs; were they there when I looked? – No.

I tipped he house upside down looking for them but the shoe fairy appears to have stolen them.

This necessitated an urgent trip to the running shop Monday lunchtime to buy a new pair. Fortunately they had a couple of pairs in Runners Needs off Bishopsgate, the first was in fluorescent green (New Balance) and the others (Saucony, my regular make) in gold. Why do they only make them in loud colours when they are goig to get covered in mud?

I purchased at great expense the Saucony shoes in gold.

Wednesday came, it weas a lovely bright sunny day and I met my HBOS team at the Bank of England Sports Ground in Priory Lane Roehampton. We all went to the start just inside Roehampton Gate and watched the women’s race. Our ladies team won the ladies team trophy.

I put on my gold spikes (brand new and not worn in) and took off my warm clothing. I think I was the only runner on the start wearing long sleeves. The race started and we were off for 5.75 miles of hills, mud, and sweat. I was lying about the middle of the field and spent most of the race 10 metres behind one of my team mates. I managed to overtake him at one point but he came back. I struggled up the hills but kept going making up most of any ground lost on the flat.

With a mile to go I could see the finish and it was flat or downhill all the way. I put in great effort and caught my team mate, overtook him and two others on the run in. This final sprint was despite the feeling I had had for some time that I had a stone in my sock at the back of my foot. Once I finished I quickly took off the spikes to discover a very big blister on the back of my foot. That is going to be painful for a few days for sure.

I didn’t score for the team (only the first four team members home score) but my target was 45 to 50 minutes and I achieved 41:45. I think I was about half way down the field of 160 runners. This would put me on for a 44 minute 10K which is what I achieved about three years ago on more training. I was very pleased with that result. Our men’s team was third in the men’s event but our vets won the Vets event.

HBOS has gone out on a high. Lloyds was about the only financial institution that did not have a team in today’s event.