I was really pleased with today's run. It was the Ally Pally round of the Met League. I've been feeling in good shape and think I've lost a couple of pounds too which would have helped on the hill today. It was a funny course. One killer hill. One treacherous descent. And then a big fairly flat boggy loop. Three and a bit times. It was proper MUDDY cross country too. Within the first few hundred metres I was covered with mud from toe to mid thigh plus a good few splishes on my abdomen, chest and face (the latter, for some reason, more than other people were).
I set out at a fairly sensible pace and must have been in about 50th after the first few hundred metres, but then found a good rhythm (not put off much by the mud as it was pretty good footing through the surface slurry). And I slowly picked up places from there. The hill was bearable if taken cautiously but was still enough to make the steep descent a bit much for me to really fly down as I now can on a slightly more controlled down hill stretch.
As well as a more controlled approach to pacing, a good run of training and a course that suited me, the eulogy about Mike Barratt on the start line gave me goose bumps and put me in the racing mood (though it probably did the same to everyone).
All in all, I was pleased. 28th is the same position I came in the Stevenage race a month ago, but I was higher up the club pecking order and just felt better too. I'll see if I can keep up the cross-country improvement in the next race in January. We seem still to be leading the team competition... just. So there should be another good turnout.
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