Saturday 10th October, '09
Cross country
Everybody has things they hate and I am no different, in fact I probably hate things more than most with girlfriend recently even calling me the 'grumpy young man', and over the last few years I have hated cross country! I think the reason is from first experience as a youngster, I always remember the cold, rain, mud, lack of showers and even things like it being the ugly cousin of running with the lack of taste cross country runners seems to have on the whole. I remember one top running telling me "If you're a good runner you do track, if you can't do track you do road, if you rubbish at those two then you do cross country....and if your really rubbish and can't do any of the above try fell running!".
My first ever race was a cross country and as it happens it's the same course I will be doing this weekend at Bridgend, my dad wouldn't buy me spikes in case I didn't like running. It had been raining so predictably I struggled badly having to hold on to tress on a small climb as I slipped everywhere...it didn't help he put me straight into the U13's rather than the 'novice' event saying "its better to get a beating and no where you are". I came in propping up the rear of the field, it wasn't long after that I got thrown into the inter counties race (probably shouldn't have been) and came dead last out of just over 300 runners again as an U13.
Always being lightweight as well probably didn't help as bigger, stronger runners would run away with ease over sticky patches or big climbs. I was told you had to do cross country though and until 17 I didn't really have a choice but wasn't running seriously anyway. When I didn't start training properly I decided against the mud although still training through the winter, it also saved on buying spikes!
This weekend I will be taking the line at Bridgend Gwent League even though second claim clubs don't count, which seems a pointless rule as it discourages guys like myself who may want to be part of a team for the league even though I run for a London club. You would think the declining league would want to encourage more athletes to take part rather than make second club claim possible and then say you cant count for anything, I did tell the chairman this last winter and he said he would discuss it at a meeting....if you believe that though you will believe anything, and I bet he never mentioned it or even thought about it 2 seconds after I said it even though he is a Neath club member the same club I am trying to compete for!!
Will I win? Probably not but I am looking forward to it for the first time in ages, I hear some good runners will be there so if nothing else it will be a great session and at least I will know where I am and whether to bother going to some of the more important cross races.
Simx
Comments On "Saturday 10th October, '09"
You seem to think I care if I run the Gwent leagues....you have me mixed up with someone else.
simx Posted on October 13th, 2009Simx
Seemingly even more arrogant than previous posters have suggested.
historyinthemaking Posted on October 12th, 2009I agree with your girlfriend!
No "Guest" runners from within the catchment area will be allowed to compete in the Gwent Cross Country League, except on a 'once only' basis at the discretion of the League Management Committee, on payment of the requisite fee.
Hadnt noticed your lack of posts.
simx Posted on October 12th, 2009See you at the next gwent league...il be in the Neath Vest.
Simx
Second claim club
Simon, it baffles me why you don't understand the rule about first and second claim. It baffles me even more why you choose to ignore it, which hardly sends out the best message to others in the sport. It is for this very reason that I have deliberately not posted on this website since the Castles Relay.
historyinthemaking Posted on October 12th, 2009I just wonder what your reaction would have been had, say, Newham and Essex Beagles fielded a few second claim Kenyans and run 4 hours 3 minutes in the 12 stage. You club would have gone bananas, and rightly so! Rules are in place for a reason, and are there to protect the integrity of the sport.
Perhaps a better example still, which you might have even stronger feelings about, suppose Torres and Gerrard decided to play for Man Utd next week. You might say we're not exactly comparing like with like, but I think you understand the principle.