Irish Cross country Champs incl Euro Trials

So two weeks on from the trial race, and I'm finally able to find time to write about how it went or perhaps, how it didn't go for me.

The build up to the race was mixed at best and I've gone into that in my latest blog. I've never been great at running cross country in the mud, but knew before hand that the course was going to be pretty muddy and was prepared for it.

I stayed in a hotel the night before the race and while I have stayed in far too many hotel to even remember, I somehow haven't developed the mentality to just switch off and be able to sleep.

The selection criteria before the race being only the first two across the line to qualify for the Euro Cross. With this in mind I went out in the leading group right from the start. I was feeling sluggish but with only the first two to go to the championships I had no option to stay in the lead group.

Within the 500m, Joe Sweeney when to the front and put in a big effort to break the race apart. I caught Joe after a hundred metres of so, and on the downhill section that followed it settled back again. By that point we were already down to four, Myself, Michael { my brother} and Andy Ledwith went with him with everyone else content to sit off the pace.

The race was 5*2000m laps, with the last 500m of each lap on a slight up hill. Once we got to this uphill section on the first lap, Joe put in another big effort and got away from me.  I kept working hard to try get back into the top group, but when I aggravated an old back injury, after about 5km I knew the game was up for me.

I kept fighting till the end, but the reality was that the previous two weeks had taken far too much out of me. In the end I finished 10^th, and was even lucky at that.  It's one of the biggest disappointment, if not the biggest disappointment of my athletics career not to be racing this weekend in Slovenia.

Two years ago when the Euros were in Dublin, I watched as Michael had a great run in the U-23 race as a first year Under 23, and Mary {my younger sister} ran in the Irish Junior team that day. It was great to watch, but you can't help but feel regretful about your own preparation, and the fact that you're not competition.

Last year in Portugal I got the race wrong and had an awful day, but before I even started I watched Michael team win the gold medal in the U-23 section, I couldn't really enjoy the race as I knew I was going to racing myself later in the day.

I'm in Slovenia again this year to watch as both Michael and Mary are again on Irish teams, and I know this year I'll get to enjoy the races, but like in Dublin I'll be sad to be a spectator and not an athlete on Sunday.

Thanks for reading