National Cross- Race Report

Pre-Race

I think to any British endurance runner, the National Cross is a big deal. This was always the race I went to as a youngster and felt dwarfed by the whole occassion. For a start the fields are huge! I remember looking down the startline a couple of times and not seeing the end. It was always the one race I felt no matter how hard I ran, I could never get to the front, and I thought the guys that did make it to the front were something special. Last year it was a great feeling just being in the lead group let alone end up crossing the line first! Also it might just be me, but I find the National has a different atmosphere to any other race. You turn up and you immediately know you're in a big event. It's one of those days where the heightened sense of occassion can make or break you.

But it's even more of a big deal when you're a Belgrave runner going to Leeds for the National Cross. It's no secret there is a bit of a rivalry between the clubs. So much so that I don't intend to show any sign I'm a Belgrave athlete when travelling on Leeds public transport as I reckon I could get stabbed. Coincidently, it just so happens Wilko dosen't live too far away from the course, so the race is on his turf. Not only that, local riff-raff leader Joe Townsend will no doubt be rounding up his goons and causing some chaos.

The biggest title I've had to defend prior to this was the U17 Middlesex County Cross Country title back in 2007. I managed to pull it off but I think this one is a bit tougher to do. Wilko is the first big obstacle in the way (literally aswell!). On home ground and a recent 3k PB is hard to bet against. But then you have that little nerd who needs a haircut from Aldershot to add. Jonny Gay, I mean Hay, has been producing some decent results in the past month or so and claims on Facebook chat (a few weeks ago) he's coming into good form again. Then you have Southern and BUCS B race winner Dan Clorley. He's on a winning streak and there is no reason why it shouldn't continue. But like I said above, the National makes people raise their game and no doubt there will be loads more runners emerging throughout the race.

I was at the talk by Charlie Spedding and Lindsay Dunn a few weeks ago and one thing Charlie said was "when you ask a runner if they're in good shape, how many of them say that they actually are?". This related to positive thinking and majority of people actually think negatively and say they're not in good shape. If someone asks me, I'll tell them straight. It was the case a few weeks ago before BUCS and still is the case now, I think I'm in great shape. I'm running 4:30 miles and feeling comfortable doing it. Alright, the National is 10k but I think the accleration run I did last week shows my strength is good. Speed for a sprint finish? Ask Wilko. I'm not saying I'm invincible but I think I'm in a good place fitness-wise at the moment and Steve is sending me to the startline well prepared. But what you do before the race means nothing unless you can hold it together during the race. This is half the battle and one which is not easy to win. Anything can happen race day, good or bad, you just have to make it your day.    

For a lot of young runners, this race marks the last time we will be running in the junior men category. Although this is slightly upsetting, I've been preparing myself for the move up and I'm glad it's almost here. Good luck to the thousands of runners making  the journey and lets hope the rumours of snow don't hinder anyone.

Good luck!!!   

Race Report

That's it!! I'm officially finished! There'll be no more races as a junior. I tell you what though, I thoroughly enjoyed my exit.

The course was very tough. I read somewhere the course was undulating, this was a massive understatement! It was pretty much up and down the whole way, with a flat loop by the start/finish area. I knew it would be a testing course especially with the famous Hill 60 having to be tackled 3 times during 10k worth of running. People have asked me what tactics Steve threw at me before the race. He sent me a message the night before and word for word, it went something like this:

"Tactics tomorrow, go off fastish, top 20, work way to the front and don't run too hard too early as the course looks hard. When and if you hit the front, make it hurt."

Then a few hours before the race I got:

"Good luck mate. Be strong and show them who is boss."

These messages are not the usual ones I get from him. Normally he tells me to be a bit cautious, especially before BUCS. But reading these messages I knew there was no holding back. After going off hard he was letting me go all out, pushing it to the limit. I followed his instructions to the letter. I set off hard and was around the top 20 mark, with the leader immediately in site. I settled into my running fairly quickly. I kept the stride small and the legs turning over fairly slowly, but it wasn't as easy as it sounds. Starting off and going round the bend my legs already had lactic in them! During the warm up they didn't feel as fresh as what they did before BUCS and the Euros. Throughout that first lap my legs were burning and I was concerned. I was thinking this race is 10k and it's very tough, there's no way things are going to get easier, especially as I'm running fairly slow. During that first lap all sorts off decisions were going through my head. Should I sit in and try and hang on? Is it wise leaving it to the sprint if I'm in contention at the end? Should I delay making a move? Will I even make it to the finish??

On the straight where we finish a lap and start a second everyone seemed to drift to the right and I stayed in the middle by myself. I thought I was running on fairly good ground and it felt dry and fast. So while everyone was hugging the tape on the side I decided to be sneaky and pick up the pace. I accelerated to what I was hoping would be quite taxing for everyone, including me. But I wasn't scared of doing this as I had Steve's message going through my head "Make it hurt, make it hurt, make it hurt...". My legs still weren't feeling good when I did this but I thought I might be able to steal some sort of margin and see what happens to the group. I went into the next turn leading and I could only hear a few people behind me. I thought things must have broken up so I decided to carry on at that pace. After a minute or so I must of had a gap because I could hear people saying "Close it Wilko, this is the move, close it". After the very steep downhill bit I could hear Wilko getting close and it didn't take him long to get onto my shoulder. When he was there I half considered slowing down as I still wasn't comfortable and there was a long way to go. "Make it hurt, no holding back, make it hurt..." wouldn't stop echoing in my head, so I decided just to crack on and see what happens.

After a few minutes my legs miraculously started feeling better and I didn't seem to be tiring even though the pace was upped. I could feel my stride had opened and the legs were turning over at a nice rate and I was ok with it. After a few minutes of having Wilko for company I could hear his breathing getting quietier and I realised if I carried on hurting myself, I may have to run the rest of the race by myself. All I did after this point was plain and simple, I just ran. There were no tactics, no surges, no sitting in, no chasing or breaking, I just ran how I wanted the way I wanted. I kept running hard and soaked up all the atmosphere. I was trying to the lift the knees high as I went up hills, let them go going downhill and then move them as fast as they would take me over the flat. Of course "the fear" of being caught was going through my mind and I was tired, but the more tired I got the harder I tried to run. Whether or not this worked I don't know, but I was able to enjoy the last part of my junior career trying to show people what I'm capable of.       

Winning on Saturday meant a lot to me, maybe even moreso than the Europeans. For a year I've had the trophy sat in my room and for a year I've wanted nothing more than to have it again. It's the one title I have that I had a chance of defending, and the one title not many people have managed to defend. I was polishing it Saturday night and I'd be lying if I said the thought of not having it back made me a bit sad. Don't read into that the wrong way! I didn't cry or anything, I just didn't want anyone else to have it! The trophy has winners on it all the way from 1965, and if I'm reading it right I'm the sixth person to win it twice. There are some classy names on this trophy and to think I'm among them twice...well it brings a big smile to my face.

Lastly I would like to thank the Sam Haughian Memorial fund which is run by his old coach Conrad Milton and his father for giving me money towards training expenses for the second year in a row, it's greatly appreciated.