Today was the third of the PECO cross country series. We all met up at Bramley Falls Woods and watched the juniors set off on their race. People were casting suspicious glances at a particularly steep ascent and whispering nervously that we had to run up this hill three times in our race. I decided to treat this as an unsubstantiated rumour and chose to believe those who said that the hill wasn’t even part of our course.
I seem to have a lot of difficulty working out cross country routes. There was an aerial map of this particular course along with a scanned-in map that had been clearly marked up. I couldn’t really marry the two up and neither seemed to bear any resemblance to the real life site. Even though I knew it was three laps with a fiddly bit at the start and another fiddly bit at the end, I still hadn’t really got it sussed before we set off. My lack of understanding regarding where we’re going isn’t really a problem when it comes to following the correct route, more that I don’t know where the finish is, how far away it is at any point in the race and therefore how much to save so I can attempt to see off any fast finishers. Let’s face it there are always going to be plenty of runners ahead of me for me to slavishly follow. On the rare occasions when I find myself isolated I either speed up and tag along with the runner in front or (more usually) hang back so the runner behind can get ahead of me.
I made quite a brisk start today without really meaning to and was going past the start area in six and a half minutes. I know it was six and a half minutes ‘cos I looked at my watch and got a bollocking from Sam for not concentrating. I couldn’t figure out how I could be passing the start area so quickly if there were three and a bit laps of a five mile race.
Tom came past me after about eight minutes which was a pretty clear indication that I’d set off too quickly. Mike flirted with overtaking me a couple of times, but I kept what I thought was a reasonable pace and gradually went past a few runners until I tucked in behind Mick from Eccleshill. I shamelessly dogged his footsteps for the next ten minutes round a “proper” cross country run that had a few muddy bits a couple of nasty inclines and a beastly bank. When we were on what I thought was the last lap I went past Mick and chased after a lady from Chapel Allerton who I thought might have been the leading lady (she wasn’t). She pulled up lame and I followed a couple of Abbey runners until what I thought was the finish area when I went past them. It wasn’t the finish area and the realization that I still had some as yet indeterminate distance to run was a bitter blow.
Both the Abbey boys came past me as I carried on as best I could in the certain knowledge that Mr Hogan was breathing down my neck, but didn’t get overtaken by anyone else. We repaired to the Abbey pub after packing Shane off for medical attention – he’d gone yonderly and looked like he’d been through the washing machine with an extra helping of Daz. He’s OK now though.
The pub was packed and Kirkstall/Abbey had laid on a marvellous spread. We had a couple of bevies and discussed our performances and there was an excellent spirit between runners of different clubs. Not surprisingly with two of our alpha males crocked our male team finished 7th with our female team coming home 3rd.
An excellent event with terrific support from non-running Hyde Park Harriers and their families, the Stott family and enthusiastic marshals.
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