December 2012

[glaconman]

WYXC league round 4 : Thornes Park Wakefield

A much better encounter with XC this time around. Less of a slog and more of a well executed run. Well, it feels like that now at least. Whether it looked or felt like that at the time is another matter.

I had alot of niggles going into the race (hip, knee and foot) which made me wonder if I'd get around. But I guess all this is just part-and-parcel of running past 40. And somehow the body held together without too much creaking and groaning.

The weather was good (bright and breezy). The course was excellent and was pretty firm under foot most of the way around. The main waterlogged area was on a steep decent which can actually be an advantage because it enables you to dig your heels in and get a firmer footing than thin surface mud.

I think XC is possibly the best type of running for me. Fell races are appealling certainly. Largely because of the locations and the romantic idea of hauling yourself up and throwing yourself down hills. But the decents are something I never seem to do myself justice on. Work in progress.

Road running seems to suit me. I like the predictable rythm and not worrying about the risk of getting lost. And there are some great little races in out-of-the-way places. But the magnifying effect of the predictable footfall finds my weak points. And injury prevents me from running any longer than 6 months before the inevitable.

So we're left with XC. Off road and on a forgiving surface but nothing much technical going on. I guess trail races would also fit the bill.

The series is over and I completed 3 of the 4 races so make it into the final results. I'm not doing anything special,finishing in the middle of the pack. But if I look at my age-category positions (29th, 24th, 18th) there's definite progress being made through the series. And I'm not sure I can ask for any more than that at this stage.

The County (Yorkshire) XC championships are being held in early Jan near Ripon.So I'll probably make that my next goal. Now I've found my pain of choice I might as well enjoy it while I can.

[Sweder]

With you there G-Man. There's plenty of XC action in these woods. I never seem to have my radar pointed the right way, always doing a double-take when things like the Mince Pie Ten pop up (as it did this past weekend).

I like your description of road running. It echoes my own experience. That old adage about repeating something and getting the same outcome springs to mind. At this time of life running is about fun, not PBs. Time I took that on board.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Not much XC here in the heart of the city, although there is more trail running than you might think, mainly through the national parks and coastal trails. I've often considered them, but they're usually one-way tracks, requiring much organising in the way of transport, and in the end I take the easy way out and stick to the road races. The trail races are mighty tempting though.

Keep at it G-man, it's all good gear.

[glaconman]

There was a VM50 coming in 2nd at 65 mins this year in the MP10 Sweder. Think on.

I imagine Sydney is great for trail running as it seems to be surrounded by National Parks. I think you should sniff out a trail race and see how it compares MLCMM. You may never look back.

[glaconman]

December draws to a close and it's been a pretty good month.

I did the first leg of a fell relay in mid-December running as a pair. The other two outings I'd had in fell relays included unwanted drama and bad planning of one sort or another. This one passed off without incident and I had an enjoyable run.

I've found the ultimate off-road running shoe. A discovery that shouldn't be under-estimated given my ever fragile body.

I'm running almost completely off-road now. Niggles all down my lower limbs have more-or-less forced this upon me. But I'm loving it. Will I ever run another road race?

The bicycle rollers are fantastic.

I hope I can keep going because in 10 days time it's the Yorkshire Cross Country Championships. I got in the top 100 a couple of years ago but I doubt if I'll manage that this time around. This will be followed later in the year by the Northerns and Nationals. The Nationals are supposed to be quite an experience. Particularly if it's muddy. But it's doubtful if I'll make the start line for these. We'll see.

Anyway, I can't complain at the moment. I'm in some sort of groove. Happy New Year.

[Sweder]

Groovy baby
I checked out those boots but went with Mizunos. I have this ... thing with Mizunos. They just fit right. Any road, I'm with you on the hard-top fall-out. I need a lot more (too much) recovery time after road races these days.

Happy trails.