The old fogies cross country races at Wentworth Castle; I didn’t even know what it was apart from there would be more grey hairs than any other colour hopping about the fields, as long as we weren’t to go backwards as there would be more receding hare lines than you could mention.It was apparently the Yorkshire Vets Cross Country Races. There we go, I just turned up and ran.
This was my first race for over 2 months so I wasn’t expecting a blinding performance by any means, I was just happy to be there on the start line along with my fellow team members all the Debs; Debs and Debbie.
The course was a nice easy 2 laps with one big hill, a few slopes and a few of those bits of ground that decline slowly, along with rough grass, mud, great big puddles of splash and splish, and lots of it. So that’s the way to spend a Saturday morning then.
And we were soon off, I hid at the back but soon found myself getting caught up with the slower runners so took a wider berth and overtook to get myself into a comfortable pace. you don’t have to go fast you just have to go I say.
i may not be there yet but I am closer than I was yesterday. – Author Unknown
I was supporting a dodgy arm from my car accident a few weeks ago, so carried with it a bandage to tell people not to knock me whilst passing. However no one actually passed me on the whole race. I may not have been the fastest there but to work my way through the field of runners was somewhat satisfying in itself.
The first lap was enjoyably muddy, Debs and Debbie had shot off like little hairs in car headlights, I was crawling in comparison but happy with my efforts to just be able to run. The hill loomed but actually it wasn’t that bad as I caught up with and over took some of the 6ft men. I do like a good hill or two. It shows where I am from.
Back round; knowing the course I was able to pace myself a bit better however come 2 miles I began to struggle knowing my fitness wasn’t at the level it had been previously, so I had words with myself to remember to be happy just to run and remembering no matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch.
Run as if a hand just reached out of the ground and grabbed your ankles – fuelrunning.com
Back up the hill I then gained a number of places again to over take at least another 5 girls and bring home a time of just over 23 minutes. Oh I do like a good meaty hill. Yes I was tired, yes I found it hard, yes it was slow however I was so pleased to hear that the two Deb’s ran round together and fought to the bitter end to bring in a time just over a minute faster than myself and for all three of us to walk away with Bronze. Not bad for my first come back.
Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race. – Author Unknown
Looking forward to getting that distance up, the strength, duration and a bit more speed in the future. This was a good race to get my confidence back up and realiase that running oh running I have missed you.
We watched the boys come in after their painful 4 laps (Boys I say? Boys? This was the VETS…)
and then….
…tradition now has it that cake is far more important than the race itself. It’s not the winning its the caking part, as Debbie supplied us with fresh (when I say fresh I mean fresh it was still warm) guey chocolate cake – oh my!
A fab morning out.
Results
Time: 23.06
