NEWBIES ON THE BLOCK!

Yesterday saw the first round of the Southern Cross Country League which has 22 running clubs and we, Sherfield Park Runners, joined this year to compete in 7 multi-terrain, 5 mile events held between October and March on a mixture of woodland trails and parkland sometimes with a little but more often a lot of mud!  The league has gone from strength to strength and now has approximately 400 runners at each event, with friendly competition and making sure every participant enjoys it.  

Races are held on a Sunday morning starting at 11.00am. Men and women compete in the same race with the first 5 men and first 3 women from each club scoring points. All abilities take part and the non-scorers from each club have a big effect on the results by getting ahead of scorers from other clubs, so every runner counts.

 

A, err THE, really good feature of the Southern Cross Country League is that the host club provides refreshments (read this as mainly cakes) at minimal cost after each event while the results are prepared and presented. Most venues are very family friendly, so whilst you run, friends and family can be enjoying themselves elsewhere in the parks before they cheer you in at the finish and then share the cakes with you.

So, with a slick and neatly created Women's team and a Men's team that was, eventually, strong but in the days leading up looked like a pub team with Dave Dee, Dozey, Beaky, Mick and Titch in the frame we set off.  Boy, were we "green"!  Lots of lessons learnt for future round like having the club sailbanner with us as a focal point, taking some warm clothes to the finish area rather than a cold walk back to race HQ (aka The Village Hall) and the biggie...if 400 runners are facing towards you then you are (a) at the front not the back and (b) facing the wrong direction!  But, great to see so many running friends and make new friendships.

Loved the day even if the first mile was at club "magic mile" pace.  Our Training Sec is all for "starting fast and hanging on" but this was barmy, so a little bit of throttling back saw me stay as an "overtaker" rather than being overtaken.  Enjoyed that!

Overall, a great event, with a really nice mixed 5.1 mile course except for a bummer of a 0.2mile finish up a hill!  Another lesson...don't bust a gut to pass a female runner as she is, in effect, in a separate race!  We did alright though for our first go...coming 16th overall of 22 teams.  Can't wait for Round 2 in November.

It was a beautiful running day on Sunday with a bit of mud and some muddy puddles.  BUT, tonight's run was just slog!  Get the legs going again, but in the rain, the dark, the cold it was all just banking miles and moving on. 

Shame I am going to miss out on our club "Hills Training" session but I am away with work.  Still, that was Day 94 tonight of my latest run streak (last one was 179 days that was stopped by illness in June) so chuffed with that...big 100 on Sunday, with parkrun #47 the day before so edging to that big 5-0! :)

ttfn, mark