Training Log Archive: MikeSIn the 1 days ending Feb 23, 2008:
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Saturday Feb 23, 2008 #
Running race 38:00 [5] 11.0 km (3:27 / km)
shoes: Asics Hyper XC
National Cross Country Champs at Alton Towers - my first ever National XC so in a way I was quite excited. The course was supposed to be 12km, but certainly wasn't that far. Each lap started with a couple of loops of a flat top field, then a run along the side of an undulating slope, a gradual down into the bottom field, a short and very steep climb back up to the top field and then a long drag back to the finish. Three times.
I didn't start too fast, but the problem with that was that I felt I got boxed in on the narrow course, although that was probably the case for everyone. It was really hard to overtake for the first 2 or 3 km, and the field didn't start to thin out until the first steep climb. Maybe that was good as it stopped me going off too fast. I was hurting a lot by the end, but held on to finish 224 out of 1244.
That's exactly double my Northerns position of 112th. I had been told to triple my Northerns position to get an idea of my Nationals position, so I was well ahead of that and inside my target of top 300.
Quite a lot of other orienteers taking part, with Rob Little 58th and Rob Baker 69th the best of the bunch (if you exclude Steve Vernon who was third!).
A big thank you to all the people cheering us on - it made a big difference. And the best thing of all? No more cross country until at least October.
I didn't start too fast, but the problem with that was that I felt I got boxed in on the narrow course, although that was probably the case for everyone. It was really hard to overtake for the first 2 or 3 km, and the field didn't start to thin out until the first steep climb. Maybe that was good as it stopped me going off too fast. I was hurting a lot by the end, but held on to finish 224 out of 1244.
That's exactly double my Northerns position of 112th. I had been told to triple my Northerns position to get an idea of my Nationals position, so I was well ahead of that and inside my target of top 300.
Quite a lot of other orienteers taking part, with Rob Little 58th and Rob Baker 69th the best of the bunch (if you exclude Steve Vernon who was third!).
A big thank you to all the people cheering us on - it made a big difference. And the best thing of all? No more cross country until at least October.
Running warm up/down 30:00 [2] 5.0 km (6:00 / km)
shoes: Asics Hyper XC
For the XC race.