Inter Counties XC

The Inter Counties is always a great race to be apart of and as a youngster that was the highlight of my season. I used to love the bus journey down with the North East lads, staying over then having a race covered on TV when you're under 15 is fantastic! It's great to see the race still have Sky cover it as it can only be positive for the sport. 

Back to the race- 12k is a long way but I'm old enough and strong enough now to cope with it so I just get on with it. I wasn't too fussed about racing but I was just excited to race because I love putting my spikes and vest on. I warming up with no expectations at all, just that I was going to have a hard run out and see where I was at after doing some work over the last few months. 

I prepared for a very fast race, I thought Vernon may have took it out hard as he has done before. He certainly did at Liverpool for the Euro trials so I got away quickly, looked round and I was in the lead! Rossco was right next to me, I actually said, "did we false start?!" as we got such a good start. We didn't thankfully and things settled down. I was more than happy to sit at the front of the race and just run relaxed. 

John screamed some abuse at me and told me to sit back, so not long after I dropped back into the pack but with it being such a slow pace there was bumping and barging going on so I just went back to the front where I was happy. Without realising I was pushing on a little and stretching the pace, but not long after Tom came next to me and the pace really did increase. I think it was on the 3rd lap of 4 and we were really moving. I felt good though, I didn't feel in trouble and was confident of a good performance.

As we started the last lap I got up the hill and I sensed Vernon would make a move, I was watching and waiting but when he went off the top of the hill I just got caught napping a little which looking back was frustrating. As I tried to give chase with around a mile to go I just didn't have it in my to quicken and Mike and Tom drifted away from me. I kept pushing all the way on the final lap trying to chase them but I couldn't close the gap. I knew going up the last sleep hill I was well clear of 5th and it was unlikely i'd catch 3rd so I just had to come home strong.

The last long drag up to the finish was torture, i'd seen in the womens race how hard they were all working at the end and I felt exactly the same! I rounded the last bend and into the finishing straight which to my relief was downhill. I crossed the line in a solid 4th position.

I was delighted with my performance given that there were so many quality runners on the startline and to have such a strong run shows that my training is certainly going in the right direction. After the race it would then just be a case of waiting till Monday afternoon to see if the selectors had chosen me to represent GB at the World Cross!