Yorkshire Cross Country

My second ever Cross Country with Sheffield RC, this time slightly bigger than 7 days previous in Graves Park Sheffield. This wasn’t the World Champs or anything but the Yorkshire Cross Country Championships, I knew there would be some fast runners out there, those that are heading for tops, I was there for the experience just to run and just to try not to come last. I am pleased to say that I didn’t come last either.

The start of a Cross Country event is like riding a horse in the middle of a buffalo stampede. It’s a thrill if you keep up, but one slip and you’re nothing but hoof prints – Ed Eyestone

Wondering how it all worked was my first mission and harder than the run itself, as I wasn’t sure on where to get the numbers from and where to find the running club guys, they found me however as I was supporting my pink running raincoat – yes I am a girl.

And on the start line, this was the league, everyone dressed up in running club vests, all colours of the rainbow and the rest though no sign of George, Zippy and Bungle in this one, it was no fancy dress. I wasn’t going to go out too fast as I knew these were pros, pros that had been running for pro-many years and with my 3 years or so under my belt I was unlikely to keep up. However I did manage to pace a “Steel City Strider” most of the way around. There wouldn’t be any of the “Is it me, or have I lapped you once already today??” sayings that’s for sure.

The course was a two lap undulating mushpit of grass, woods, water, mud and ice, mix it all up in a bowl and stick it in the freezer for less than 30 minutes – what do you get? One cold but happy runner.

The secret of cross country is to do everything we on the track and take it into the bush – Mike Koskei, former national coach of Kenya

Two hills in the course made those quads burn, along with some nice flats to get the breath back. Near the end there was a bit of a scramble for positions as one girl overtook me in the last second and I overtook another girl at the finish line, four of us finished almost together but with cross country its about position not time, so that position makes all the difference, downward dog? How far can you get down?

Results

Time: 29.03
Distance: 3.95miles
Overall Position:69th out of 91

Yorkshire and Humberside Cross Country Championships Results
Photos from Flaming Photography

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