After doing Parkrun the day before, I decided then to take part in the second South Yorkshire Cross Country at Graves Park in Sheffield. It was local, and I had got such good company from little Emily only a few months old, and the only baby I know to have run 50 miles, Laura – the very inspiring mummy and Natalie the tea lady supporting the dreaded PF. (Platar Fascitis).
Little did anyone know that I had just swum 5km that morning at Concord Sports Centre – now there’s my excuse for being slow, slow slow. Yes really. No not really. Actually not. But because I am mad? Probably. But also as a deliberate attempt to slow myself down and not over do the running. This strategy semi worked. I wasn’t here to get a good time, to beat other runners or to compare how bad my injuries were. I was here to just run and have a bit of fun supported by my very shiney but three month old inov8 rocklite 300 fell shoes – never yet touched – dam that stress fracture. I may not have bigger spikes that you my friends but my rocklites are brigher than your shoes (or should I say were until I had run 4 miles in mud gloreous mud!)
Your shoes are only as good as the laces they’re attached to. – Greg Sampson
So we had a fantastic turn out for the club as all the girls pounded across the start line and away we went. I felt old and new at the same time despite a few guys telling me I was now ‘old’ (in the club). I kept very steady at the back behind the cheerist runner in the club ‘Amanda’ for around half a mile, just plodding away enjoying with a nice grin on my face. It was lovely to just take it steady and not have any pressure to think that I had to try. The effects of the swim weren’t showing but that was probably because I was a good x2 minutes per mile slower than my race pace over a cross country course. This was good. I was happy. A happy runner makes a good runner.
I run, not for a PB, PR, course records, medals, recognition. I run for me – Runlikea girl bc
Along came the mud and as some of the girls around me starting breathing deeply and getting stuck in the mud I ploughed through and up the hill, feeling good and loving the grib of the rocklites. Oh yes you have spikes they may make you have 0.1987% more grip but I am passing you, hello my friends, and up the hill I went. I love hills and didn’t feel too breathless on the first ones as I made my way around and waved at fellow supporters around the course, laughing and grinning all the time. I was really enjoying this, no pressure. No pressure.
Round again and I shouted out to coach ‘Dave’ that I was just enjoying myself, and I certaintly wasn’t lying. The second lap I picked up pace a little and ran with a couple of other club members before over taking them and going my own way. I caught up with a couple of other girls and we ran together for a little while. I found I had enough power to get myself up the hill on lap 3 without being too much out of breath and then paced it up at the top to dance merrily to the finish.
‘And what’s your time?’ I don’t know, I don’t care, I was just here to enjoy myself. The garmin can go out of the window. I do not know. I ran I had fun. Thats the run.
Results
Time: Not sure
Position: Not sure
