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Thames Valley Cross Country 2011/12
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Great race!
I fell at about 1.5 miles - after the leafy downhill as it turned uphill. I saw a wet branch and avoided it but managed to tumble, and roll out of the way. It was a busy part of the course.
Stevie - I saw you after the uphill before the stables and you were heading out and down. Didn't realise how far the course had stretched out by then.
Bad luck BOTF. But you live to fight another day.
I think I've been pipped out of a scoring place for Finch but we'll see. Hopefully sub-100 placing today too.
Is always great chatting about the race AFTER. But is a right nightmare during!
Cat, think I was hallucinaing by that time, could just about stay on track!
Oh yeah, did anyone almost take a wrong turn on the bit just before the big grassy downhill at about 4miles? There was just a slight bit of doubt , but at the last min i spotted a steward and went the right way.
this is the problem with not being close enough to someone in front and a big gap opening!
Got a bit psyched out by the preamble and held back a little too much. That and being crap at running down hill robbed me of a few seconds today. Lost 4 places on the 2nd last downhill, promptly made them all back up on the up but losing time to the field on the downs.
Honestly, I have been more knackered at finch.....
One of our top men lost 3 places having gone the wrong way where you mentioned SG. Shame.....
He lost 3 places! How did he manage that. Was badly positioned marshall/lack of tape if I'm being super critical. Especially as after 2 hard hills the mind fluid was mashed.
I think we exchanged a glance before the race, but it was that stressy 3mins to the start period where you're more concerned with ensuring laces are tied, the body is well "de-fluided" and suchlike.
I really have to stop being one of those annoying start line jokers though...it's not the right frame of mind to smash a hilly xc in
The Salomon Speedcross 3 shoes have really come into their own this year, chuffed to bits.
37.18 this year (not idea of placing) reduced from 43.12 last year (89th). Really pleased.
Run and scored in each race so far.
Good to see fellow forumites, Glad you had a good first one SG for SJ.... Bloody redshirts
Hey all - thanks for the nice comments about the winner! That was my OH - he loved the course almost as much as I did. In terms of fell running - he's only ever done one and got beaten because he chose to use a gate and someone else vaulted a wall on the downhill. He learnt a lot that day! (He was the North of Scotland xc champ though if that makes anyone feel better)
Thank you also to the Finch Coaster chap who hoiked me back up when I tripped over a root under all those leaves - can't believe I managed to fall down going uphill but he had me back on my feet before I'd even really touched the floor - what a star!
howdy Sleep Bear, is quite ironic that when i leave Marlow for xc your fella turns up!
I'm still 2nd claim to marlow though, living 5miles away and all, so i'm sure i'll get taken out for a spin by him at some point soon!
Hey SG - LOL - sod's law eh! We're only here until the spring anyway - we've just been told we're moving again as soon as a house comes up. Off to Lincolnshire - might struggle to find many hills there so I'm told so we'll be making the best of being down here.
Yeah - come out to play - we try to get there most Thursday nights but I'm sure if you wanted a run at a weekend he'd be happy for some company. Doing hills by yourself can be a bit dull! And on Sundays he runs twice so hopefully one or the other'd suit you.
Ah blimey, that's a quick move, the downside of RAF living I guess. Presumed you'd be here for 2-3years at least.
I'm sure i can find some place in the week to join him for a run, will just have to make sure it's his easy pace and my hard pace
i must admit i did enjoy the expressions of runners on sunday when i told them who Marlow had running for them! I was in the gang of 10behind Ben at the start, and the banter was that this was the proper race, ie for 2nd place!
not sure about anyone else, but i came out a mere 6seconds faster. To be fair, i was on my own from 2.5miles, lost the whole bottom of one shoe in the really muddy bit, and to be fair felt like i was doing terribly all race, only to finish and be delighted after a few injury hit weeks!
Also, yesterday's course is so twisty, after a mile he was probably long out of sight.
The saturday league xc is a much higher standard I believe,and would give Ben a better workout. i came 11th yesterday, but would possibly be in the 40-50th mixer on a saturday, as there are about 40 clubs, and they've had the 10k national champ race before.
having said that, i doubt there's more than about 50 people in the country capable of running 50mins for 10miles, so im sure he wouldn't be too far down the field!!
Eeeek - Sounds a pretty good run then all considered!
He's only running because I wanted to. His first claim puts him in the Midlands league - not sure that double league racing would do him much good! Besides, does the 'serious' league have as many scrumptious cakes? The Midlands one certainly doesn't. He'll do anything for cake
Can't wait for results to come out, a 6 minute PB for the course should hopefully lead to a good improvement from 89th last year.
I'll mention it to him - I've only ever done 4 x 5ks so I've already bookmarked Black Park for myself (the parkruns had only arrived in Inverness just before we left last summer). The muddier the better in our world! What's the course record as it stands?
Only 1 real hill, but you do it twice
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I don't like the monotonous bit round the rugby fields. Reminds me too much of school XC.
Hey nice one!
I see some of the folks have "penalty" under their number instead of a placing (not me luckily - phew!). What does that mean - I've never seen that before on a results sheet.... And in fact - all their numbers are the same - not even people to make a team?
A penalty score applies when a club cannot fill a full team (i.e. 3 ladies including 1 vet, 6 men including 1 vet)
For every member they are short of a full team, the last scoring place for any club, +1 is applied
So 173 was the last male score, so the penalty is 174 for each man for anyone not fielding a full mens team, and 76 was the ladies penalty score
It can be quite crippling to a team, but it is an encouragement to field a full team
Morning!
Ahhhhh - yes that makes sense - ouch though!
Maybe we should get extra points if the whole team is made up of vets - our Ladies' one is at the moment! Ok I'll just have an extra piece of cake instead!
Sleepy, just be grateful Matt counted for your men, if you know what I mean
I think it's definitely a sign the standard has gone up a fair bit though, when Marlow have a 1st, 16th, and 20something and still only come 7th! In my days of representing Marlow we generally came 7th or 8th most weeks, and that certainly didn't involved 3 finishers in the top 30!
We were inched down into 2nd for the men, our last guy came 31st, this is what happens when you don't bring all your faster types. However, Datchet had a few out too, so it's going to be pretty nip and tuck!
just for a bit of info on the Reading course, last year I did the Handy Cross and Reading courses 1 second different in time.
But Reading is 1/2mile further in distance
Black Park course record is 15:31.
I think the male teams are going to be pretty close for the rest of the season, and it could get more interesting if Reading get their A team out as well as they definitely seem a bit below their previous levels this year. It might depend how many people teams lose to marathon training as the season progresses. The ladies will be another story however - we simply don't have the depth that Sandhurst, Reading & BFR have, so if our top few don't run then we'll finish well down.
Thanks for the info SG and BOTF.
Ben's 5k PB is 15:17 but he really doesn't run that many of them. Like you say tho it's down to the day and the course. He read the thread last night and said he quite fancied giving it a go. Not sure when we'll fit it in but we'll make sure we try to do so before we go.
What's this hill like at Reading anyone? Long, short, steep, draggy?
Someone did say that the field is much smaller by the end of the season - chance to sneak a few extra points for me then LOL