East District Cross Country Championships
Galashiels 09.12.06
This was my first cross-country race and also the shortest distance I have ever raced. I thought it was going to be easy and was expecting a pleasant pacey run through forest tracks and across fields…but I was wrong. Myself, Mary, Sheena and Amanda were representing Portobello in the senior women’s race. Mary, an experienced cross-country runner didn’t seem as worried as the rest of us about what we were about to do. Amanda saw a hill in the distance and thought we had to run up it, but Mary assured us that we wouldn’t have to…little did she know that we would be running up half of it. As we walked towards the start, we could see the junior runners in the distance climbing up the side of a couple of fields half way up the hill, filling us with extra confidence.
Amanda leads the Irish dancing warm-up session
The start of the race resembled the Carnethy 5 hill race where you have to run through a muddy bog before a steep, endless climb. I was pleased to see that my trainers were still attached to my feet after nearly losing them in the bog, and on several other occasions throughout the race. The climb did seem to go on forever and I seemed to be using all my energy up on lifting my feet out of the mud on every step.
We passed the start for the second lap and it was great to have the support of the Porty men’s team cheering us on. I found the second lap easier, perhaps because I knew what to expect, and I had warmed up. I did manage to pass a few people which was an achievement in itself as it meant taking more steps than necessary in the mud to get round people. The only time in the whole race where I felt I was actually able to run at a decent pace was the very small loop round a field which they had tacked on to the end.
Sally's smile suggests its not all bad.Amanda, who was also a cross country virgin, was the first of us to cross the finish line, followed by myself, Mary and Sheena. Janet also ran and finished 8th, winning the female vet category. We came 13th in the team category, so room for a little improvement there….next time. Having moaned at Peter half way round that I would never do this again, I think I might. There is something strangely satisfying about getting covered in mud (but not cow poo) on a cold winter’s day, or perhaps the satisfying bit was the warm bath and large glass of red wine waiting for me at home.
Report Sally Scott
Here is Amanda's report
The road races have all but dried up for the year so what’s a girl to do on a cold Saturday afternoon in early December? Some very brave individuals, I hear, go to Princes Street to do battle with 100,000 other shoppers. The sane ones among us however go run round a muddy field for half an hour. I know what I prefer to do!
A small but hardy group of us set off for Galashiels late morning. The women’s team was made up of Mary Hunter, Sally Scott, Sheena Sutherland and myself. I believe Mary had been trying to get involved with the cross country on a couple of occasions but was unable to get a team together so it was definitely third time lucky.
The race took place behind Galashiels Academy in what can only be described as a muddy farmer’s field – sans cattle thankfully. There was much milling about by the start line where I was horrified to see that everyone else seemed to have specialist hill running shoes and go-faster stripes on their running kit.
I’d been warned that cross country is less about individual times and more about beating other people. With elbows at the ready and my new PRC vest I soon found myself waiting for the starting gun with 150 other women. Our race was 6.6km and snaked around a number of fields and hills. Given that I’d never done a cross country before I had nothing to compare it to. Is it really supposed to be so muddy and hilly?
The first lap was really competitive as energy levels were still high. I managed to overtake a number of runners on the up-hills only to be destroyed by them on the down-hills. (Any chance we can practise fast & muddy descents Bert!?). Thankfully the boys were there to cheer us on at the end of the first lap – very much appreciated and buoyed my spirits for the final lap. By this stage the pack had broken up quite a bit and I noticed that people seemed a little less competitive – we were all exhausted I think. I was well pleased to overtake a few on the hills again and this time managed to hold them off on the descent and the final push to the finish line.
Janet had a strong run coming first F35 - though she was running for CoE.Congratulations to Janet for coming in an impressive 8th. The PRC women’s team was placed 13th which was pretty good for a first attempt – certainly something for us to work on for next year.
The men’s race took place a little after the last woman came in. PRC was well represented with Peter Buchanan, Willie & Scott Jarvie, Gerry Scullion and Keith Mayfield. We stayed around to cheer them off but then retreated to the warmth of the changing rooms. I say a hearty well done to them as they had to do three long laps whilst we only did two.
All in all the run itself was really quite bizarre – comical at some points as I skittered around on muddy slopes, eye-wateringly sore on the up-hills and exhilarating as we contoured round the side of the hill. There is something strangely enjoyable about running full pelt through masses of mud as if your life depended on it. Cross country is definitely a full-on experience. I don’t think my shoes will ever be the same again though.
Report Amanda Henderson
Gerry is just left of the marshall in the centre, I'm about 7 ahead, Willie's 6 or 7 behind. (14th from right)
The course turns right and follows the wall up to the marshal at the gate.Peter gives his view...
An amazing day and an amazing course. I had been a bit critical of some of the cross country courses after running round the edges of school playing fields once too often and with carpets down over road crossings. In January you can see them running round Holyrood on the flattest of courses with what would be a much more exciting course right beside. A brief sprint round Haggis Knowe then back over the carpeted road and round a flat field. Has it come to that? To get any real off-road drama these days, you have to go hill running.
And then we arrived at Galashiels. The course map we had looked at didn't have contour lines so it was a nice surprise to see it had considerable vertical rise as well as going round fields. Muddy fields. In fact just after the start there was a muddy pond in a gateway with no real way of getting around it. The girls had warned of this and that there was no alternative but to splosh through. As we had three laps of this monster course it was possible to try out different lines each time. Up towards the top end of the course I found that staying close to the wall on the left proved a bit firmer - but it was all much of a muchness and the soft ground could not be avoided. Sometimes it seemed quicker to run in the trench left by tractor tyres because the mud was thinner and you could get more purchase on the stoney ground below.
Although the sun was shining it was bitterly cold and a sharp wind added to the misery. The girls did really well and seemed unsure whether to complain or cheer about the brutality of the surroundings. It was a shame they didn't come higher up the results table; they certainly deserved to for effort. I even managed to get a couple of smiles for the camera as they ran past so it can't have been that bad. Janet - who isn't a great fan of hilly courses - said it was the toughest cross-country course she had run on. So a harsh introduction to the world of cross country. I heard several of the guys afterwards saying how much they enjoyed the difficulties of the course and although I wouldn't say I'd like to train there every run, I did think it was PROPER cross country. Good to see Willie back on form after the antibiotics had been slowing him down for a while. In fact our Masters' Team of Willie, Gerry and myself managed a thoroughly respectable 9th out of 16. This despite the fact that masters' includes m35s, which doesn't seem very sporting.
Keith not quite fast enough to make it fully into the frame.
Thanks to Mary for hanging around long enough to catch the men coming past on lap1, for cheering us on and taking photos. Really quite difficult conditions for photos as it was brightly lit dark. Undeterred by this, (or the traditional frontal shot) Mary did her best. John of myRace (magazine and website - hope you've all subscribed for another year) also admitted it was challenging conditions though he probably didn't think to take photos of runners' backs. Also with Mary having the camera we were unable to record Scott's shoe which waited until the end of the race then split right round the front - I think in protest.
Very well done to all the marshals - the course changed throughout the day as the different age groups went past. The marshals not only had to change the barrier tapes around but had to keep alert in the freezing cold and stand around all afternoon. Some of them were distinctly blue by our third lap. Its all very well running hard for 45 mins in the cold but after just 5 minutes of standing still you were numb. Alex Jackson, ever present, cheered me on at the end of the second lap. I had been trying to gee myself up by pretending the 2nd lap was the last one, then when I got to lap 3, I said to myself that I had enjoyed that so much I'd go round again. One bit I did enjoy was going past - and saying hello to - Ian Sills of Dunbar on the second time around; something that would never happen in a road race.
I must dash, I've just remembered where I left my shoes mouldering in a poly bag.
Report pb
Photos Mary and Peter
Results in full here
