Gateshead XC

I rolled up to the race on the last bus from the hotel and got to the course about 2 hours before the start of the senior men's race. I got a bit more nervous as soon as I arrived seeing the mud and a couple of climbs on the course! I walked around the course and waiting a few minutes for the 2k men's race to come around giving Parr and Thie a few shouts and then watched Mr Goolab set off on the Junior men's race before the heavens opened a bit so I headed for the Gateshead Stadium for a cup of coffee and a sit down in the warm, as I opened my number I realised I forgot pins (again!) but a very nice girl in sitting opposite who had just raced gave me hers...I always forget pins!!

So after a few songs from the great Bruce Springsteen and Rod Stewart it was time to warm up. I raced here on the track in August so I knew the surrounding area a bit so went for a 15minute run, the wind seemed to be easing a little but I was pretty nervous about the heavy mud patches and my skinny legs struggling against cross runners. I did some strides and drills in the car park and then put popped the spikes on close to the start line.

So I was on the start line and cold and a plan of just getting involved and to really work on the climbs and try and power through the mud like I see 'Wicksy' do on the cross. I went off and got cut up a little on the first few corners which again is a learning curve on the country; you really have to be at the front to see what's coming because I nearly went head over heels on curb where you have to cross the road. There was one very short down hill drop (about 5 meters) but I never got to grips with it and look forward to seeing how the front guys did it on telly next week, I was slowing right up not to jar my legs or anything (a bit like a girl!). On the second big lap I had a slight problem with my stomach and couldn't keep pushing and had to ease of the gas a bit for fear of.....well lets just say with all the cameras I didn't want to go to the toilet on telly! I was trying to not think about it but lost about 4 places and a bit of time but not a lot I could do but hope it went. Luckily going into the 3^rd big Lap it seemed to pass so I started to go back to full gas, I managed to make the places back and was going through the field nicely. On the 4^th I pushed quite hard on the first half hoping the last 800m would take care of it self, especially as the last 200/300m was nice firm grass.

I was hoping to get as close to 10^th as possible and was happy with 16^th but think I might have got a bit closer had my stomach not let me down on Lap 2 but that's racing I suppose and I'm sure lots of other guys had stomach problems, stitches, tight calf's and so on so I cant complain to much.

The good points were I took a few people on the climbs I was churning through the mud and I was more comfortable on the technical aspect of cross country, maybe due to grass sessions on tough little course I have designed. The bad points were I really need to attack the first kilometre to put myself in a better position, I need to really know the course better to get better lines and stop mincing downhill and take a risk and go for it.

Simx