Sunday, 7th March – 49 days to go

We have the fifth and final PECO cross country race today. I’ve checked the course online and it doesn’t look too daunting, 4.76 miles of a two lap course.

It’s a lovely sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. Very chilly when you’re out of the sun, but there’s definitely a touch of Spring in the air. We park up near the viaduct and wander down to Esholt and through to the registration area. The Eccleshill ladies are on duty prior to Sophie & Julie doing their long run.

We saunter over to the start and meet up with a good turnout of VARR. We trot along part of the course and in the quarter of a mile we peruse, brambles and a large icy puddle are just two of the obstacles that will make the run interesting. We congregate in the sunshine and find ourselves close to the front as the claxon sounds the start of the race. Faster runners soon hurtle past and I settle into some sort of rhythm. There’s an interesting steeplechase hurdle that seems to appear out of nowhere and then we’re off the concrete and up into the woods. My plan of following Russ is already out of the window as he’s nowhere in sight and I have no idea whether he’s ahead of me or behind. I focus on Paul H and decide I’ll trail him for as long as I can. Overtake a couple of runners on the first circuit and settle in behind Paul and a Kirkstall Harrier. I hold position for almost all of the second lap as Paul goes past the Kirkstall guy and gradually pulls away. On the final uphill slope the Kirkstall guy turns aside and is very ill indeed. On the last downhill bit two runners risk life and limb to go past me and have their own race for supremacy. Nailed on the line by Andy Hudson again – doesn’t he get fed up of doing that? I finish thirty seventh, which is significantly higher than the previous two races. Quite a few of the faster older guys have raced in the vets league rather than this one, but even so I was very happy with the way things went.

This has been a proper cross country race with a bit of everything. Other runners come home with scrapes and scratches, but for once I managed to stay on my feet. I have very muddy legs, but no aches or pains that I didn’t start off with.

Have a drink (non-alcoholic) in the clubhouse and get some very positive provisional results with VARR first in both men’s and women’s teams. I’m cream-crackered for the rest of the day and don’t manage to do any of the gardening I’d promised to do.