Cross country time

I have sort of started phase 2 of my training, although really it is finishing phase 1, and waiting to kick the next block into gear. The first block of training was to get fit enough that I could do a block of good training, and cope with it. Also to do the cross country season – get practice at racing. Both for getting tactical practice and just some race hardness! Here we go on how the cross country season went – five races in all.
I sort of left the start of my run training 3-4 weeks too late, and was a little less run fit for the first cross country race of the season, than I was hoping for. I had no one to blame for that but me!

I lined up for the first race which was 3 laps to get 7.5km. The plan was to be a little conservative at the start and build through the laps and set a benchmark for where I was at. So the gun goes off, and we are underway. 200m later the lungs are on fire, the leaders are almost out of sight already, and I am already wondering what has gone so badly wrong! Am I just running on the spot? There was a good group of masters me ahead, me, and then a good group behind. I was running solo between the groups. It was just plan hard the entire way. I think relatively I did move up through the field a little as the race went on, but I think it was more that the others took off very fast. At the end I was 3^rd in my age group, 1:36 behind the winner, and 8^th masters men, a long 3minutes behind the fastest masters winner.

Two weeks later and it is a little over 8km (suppose to be 8.2), and a flatter and faster circuit this time. Again the front group take off and I am well left behind, and not really running with anyone. Felt I went as fast as I could on the day, but not quite the same “oh my god what is happening to me” feeling that I had in the first race (which I was happy about). I did feel I ran the slightly down hill and tail wind parts of the course well. Second in age group and 7^th Masters, but a couple were missing from the last race., 53 seconds down on the age group winner and 2:19 down on overall masters winner. A good improvement over the last race.

Another 2 weeks later and it is 10km on a muddy course that is going to chop up badly (5 laps). This is going to be hard! A few short steep climbs and quite variable under foot on this race (bog and hard packed tracks). I manage to hang on a little better at the start this time, but on the short up hills I lost around 20m each time, and struggle a bit on the boggy stuff. Slowly drift off the front group to watch them run into the distance (again). I do feel stronger, and pick up a few others that blow up through the middle of the race. But it is just 40 minutes in the hurt box. Each lap gets slower as you sink further into the bog. Another 2^nd in age group, and 7^th masters overall. 51 seconds off the age winner, just under 3minutes off the overall masters winner. Probably an OK result, it was not a good course for me.

Next up is short, flat and fast, 4km (2 laps). I was feeling a little tender on the stomach for a couple of days before this, so was not sure if that was going to be a factor. The gun goes off, and I stick with the front group for around 800m and feel OK. Then at a sharp turn around I get dropped (not so good a line and no acceleration out of the corner). Can’t do anything to bridge back up, and drift back. I try to use parts of the course to my advantage, and focus on running good lines. Push the tail wind and flat even sections, and a little less effort on the rough stuff. The second lap is more on keeping the pressure on so I don’t get caught – it is a struggle today. Another 2^nd in age group and 9^th master overall. 30 seconds down on age group winner and a long 1:25 to the overall masters winner. OK for the way I felt in hind sight, but don’t think I actually did the best I could on the day which I was a bit frustrated with. Sort of battle against myself and made the effort hard, rather than trying to go fast and be relaxed. Must do better in that regard next time.

There was a bit of a break and then there was the final race, back to the bog circuit, but only 8km this time, and they took a few of the nasty short climbs out. But it was still wet underfoot. The training between races had not been spectacular, but had been quite consistent, so was keen to see if that had an effect. Underway again, and this time I am sitting with the leaders quite comfortably, in front of the guy who has beaten me soundly all season. Feel reasonably relaxed and in control – this is good! Then around 1km in, I am not sure if I popped a bit, or the pace went up, but I got dropped! It was on the part of the course that I would have thought I was good at, after getting comfortably through the undulations and boggy part of the circuit. It was quite windy, so I eased up and let the 2 behind me through, and sat on their shoulders. They both happened to be in my age group. The front group eased away and started to split up, so I guess the pace was on (3:20 pace cross country might have been a bit hot for the first km...). So the plan is to stay with these two guys as long as possible! One of the two lets a bit of a gap go, so I quickly went around him and on to the others shoulder, making sure I was always getting good wind protection. The middle two laps were quite comfortable (still hard) and I felt quite a bit stronger in the wind, but was not going to take the lead into the wind! I did not feel much faster with the wind, so didn’t see any point in going past there either, as that was probably not going to put him under pressure either. It was now clear it was going to come down to a last lap show down. I spent the 3^rd lap trying to work out the best way to beat this guy. There was a short steep up-hill into the wind with around 600m to go, and I thought that might be the place to attack, get a gap and try to hold off a finishing sprint. Option 2 was to just keep the pressure on until 200m to go and try my hand at a sprint finish, given I had sat on his shoulder and drafted the entire run, I would possibly be slightly fresher. Shortly after the start of the last lap (2km to go) he put in a surge – which I actually felt good with. No problem. A little while later the next surge comes, ouch – that was solid, but no problem, still comfortably on his shoulder. Then around 200m before the point where I was planning to go, a 3^rd surge comes, much harder than the last 2 and he gaps me. I am 20-30m behind with 600m to go. Decision time – how deep can you go?? I dig deep and really go for it, and manage to catch up, but at significant cost (lactic acid running out of my eyes..). In the last 150m and the wind-up to the finish begins. I have nothing! Second it is again, but a great battle and tactical race. Happy with that! 5 seconds down this time, and 1:50 down on the overall masters winner. But as it was a bit more tactical than straight best effort all the way, perhaps a little more in the tank for a faster time was there.

I think I have improved around 1 minute to 1:30 for the ~8km cross countries through the season. Got in some great racing, and got faster. Mission accomplished!

Next up I will review the first block of training and the plan for the next...