Cometh the Cross-Country...

It only seemed like yesterday I was throwing my mud laden spikes into a nearby bin at Lloyd park at the culmination of our club championships back in March. Symbolism perhaps of the cross country season finally having come to an end. Six months of ankle deep mud, hills, boggy terrain, hundreds of miles in total and freezing temperatures every weekend had taken their toll. Even our tent exploded and had enough after the Parliament Hill Nationals.

Am I selling this to you yet?

Although at that time I quite literally couldn't wait to get back on the tartan or indeed anything in fact that was solid and not covered in mud, the urge and love of cross country is making a reappearance in my psyche the closer it comes. And a pleasant one too.

Cross country represents the ultimate test against the elements. One minute you are trudging through the sludge (Parliament Hill perhaps?) and the next minute you are going up the steepest of steep inclines (Stammer park springs to mind). Then there's the camaraderie of your club colleagues, an often binding spirit that can often make you dig deeper than imagined previously -particularly at a League fixture or any relay event. Plus there's always the guarantee of excellent competition virtually wherever you race especially at the championships which is often a who's who of the talented runners in that particular region. The Nationals is a particular inspiration and this season's at Castle Donnington will be no exception.

On reflection it's hard to imagine why ever grew tired of cross country in the first place. Bring it on!

This season I've set myself a few aims which are small in the grand scheme of things but hopefully achievable.

A top 100 position in a Surrey League 2nd Div fixture (will be tricky) A top 500 position at the Southern Champs (will be even trickier) 

A top 1000 position at the Nationals (might get by default if the turnout is low) 

And in the immediate future beat my course bests at the regular relays we compete in - namely Wimbledon, Aldershot and Reigate.

It would also be nice to make the team at the Southern 12 stage at Milton Keynes working to the basis that we can field one. 

If I can somehow eek my mileage up to 35 a week rather than the pitiful 20ish it is hovering around at the moment, then I might just have a chance. Let's see...

Roll on the cross country season!