I had failed several times of late to complete a training session. I have also felt tired and/or ill during a couple of easy runs. My recent efforts at the Stevenage 5k and St Neot’s HM, whilst producing respectable results, were achieved despite this background and so had taken a lot out of me.
So unsurprisingly, I had a bad feeling about this race. In fact, a race was the last thing I really felt like doing. I went to bed with a sense of foreboding and woke up Sunday morning seriously contemplating giving it a miss. Nonetheless, in the interests of Team NHRR, I found myself at the start line in the rain, feeling cold and unenthusiastic. This was not unlike my mood at the start of the wet and windy Stevenage 5k, but this time things did not improve once the race actually started.
After the lap of the field, it was clear that my legs were not fully co-operating – they felt strangely light and lacking in power. I decided to reduce the effort just to get around. I did try to up the effort several times during the race, but in a manner depressingly reminiscent of Bearbrook 10k in August, my body was just not interested in changing gear. My average HR for the race in fact equated to my normal half-marathon effort. It’s worrying that that is all I could muster for a XC race of less than 5 miles.
A crestfallen Statto ponders where it all went wrong with the help of his new coach >>>>
My finishing position was 33rd, a depressing fall from 17th in the first race. Fortunately, the team overall performed well, with another Overall 3rd place (men 3rd, Women 4th). That leaves us 3rd overall after 2 of the 6 races.
Overall positions after 2 races
| Combined Team | Points | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Wooton Road Runners | 26 | 279 |
| Ampthill & Flitwick Flyers | 24 | 344 |
| North Herts Road Runners | 22 | 386 |
| Dunstable Road Runners | 19 | 673 |
| Stopsley Striders | 19 | 737 |
| Bedford Harriers | 16 | 795 |
| Biggleswade AC | 13 | 1024 |
| Wellingborough AC | 13 | 1053 |
| Leighton Fun Runners | 10 | 1452 |
| Northampton Road Runners | 6 | 1843 |
| Olney Runners | 6 | 1956 |
| Northampton Triathlon | 6 | 2172 |
| Team East Haddon | 2 | 3030 |
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