Cross Country
Well done to everyone who ran at a warm and sunny Bridgend in the Gwent Cross Country League – a really good club turnout with some great running.
Novice Cross Country Runners If you haven’t run a cross country race for a while – or never – it would be great to see you at Brecon on Saturday 12th November. The races are for a wide range of abilities and you may well help the club to collect some points. Even if you’re not into competitive races you’ll find it’s a good event socially.
I did my first cross country season only last year and really enjoyed the experience. I was very grateful for the advice from my Westbury clubmates – so I’ve reproduced some of it below. Hope it helps.
Preparation Tips 1. Do a bit of training ! – 10k of muddy cross country can be testing ! 2. To enjoy the race it helps to have spikes or off road shoes with good grip. 3. Do a bit of practice in spikes beforehand – a few laps in a local park will do. For normal courses 12mm or 15 mm spikes are good. New spikes are pretty sharp so take care – and try to avoid treading on dogs or small children ! 4. Bring waterproofs, warm clothes and spare kit & footwear to wear after the race. A box / bag to put your muddy kit in is useful. 5. Refreshments are available to buy but a flask with a warm drink and some food is a good idea.
Brecon is a longish trip so lift sharing is a good option. Just ask at training.
I’m away for the next two weeks but if you decide to run in Brecon I’m sure the group leaders and experienced runners will help you out.
Gwent League & Gloucestershire Cross Country Leagues – for details of the fixtures see my previous post.
Championship Races
If you like racing in championships it’s a good time to plan your training and entries for the following events. There are age group and team categories. It would be great to get some medals for the club.
The Avon Championships – part of the Tri Counties (Somerset, Avon and Wiltshire) Cross Country Championships – Sunday 11th December at Bath University.
The South West Cross Country Championships Sunday 8th January 2017 – Exeter Racecourse.
The South of England Cross Country Championships Saturday 28th January – London.
English National Cross Country Championships 11th March 2017 – Birmingham.
If you plan to run in championship events please let me know and I will try to coordinate entries and travel.
Aztec West 5k – well done to everyone who raced on Tuesday night at Aztec. Some fast times !
Mike Mewse
