Scottish 4km Cross Country Championships, 30th January 2011

This was the next of my big winter race targets. Repeating the trick I performed before the West District Cross Country, I trained at Bellahouston Park the week before. That though was an open Glasgow session. There was no full race kit worn that time. Instead it was good session in the company of Kilbarchan's Robert Quinn, Shettleston under 20 Lee Wilson and clubmate Bobby Bristow, all of us working well together.

The goal here was to improve on my 11th place finish in 2010. In my first attempt here in 2002, I was 65th out of 83 finishers. A dry but bitterly cold day greeted me at Glasgow's Bellahouston Park where I collected my number from club coach Jim Orr.

There were some "Glasgow Development" invitational races for younger athletes before the seniors. It is a credit to Cambuslang's athletes and coaches that we had a healthy number competing through the age groups. Our route had changed, now comprising a circuit in the park then a loop round the pitch and putt golf course. Until being told this, I didn't even know Bellahouston had pitch and putt.

Doing some strides before the start, I got a good luck shout from young Cambuslang athlete David Robertson. I returned his thumbs up. The announcer read out some "ones to watch." Jim's son Stewart turned round and stared at me when my name came up. I shook my head in disbelief.

You might think 4km, fairly flat, little mud, easy. You would be mistaken. The early pace was furious. I sprinted to establish my position. I was 2nd after about 200m. 5 or 6 athletes ambushed me on the first corner. It didn't bother me. The course was one lap of 1.9km and another of 2.1km. I was battling with some familiar foes, Craig Ruddy (West District winner), Andrew Douglas and Paul Sorrie (West District runner up). Also present were Irish international Daniel Mulhare and Scottish Cross Country Champion Alastair Hay. I was at my absoloute limit attempting to keep a top 10 position. One lapse and you were down several places. By the pitch and putt, a loop of which completed the first lap, I was groaning out loud in pain. Another lap to go.

I felt the group were getting away from me. My Dad encouraged me to close the gap. Mulhare and Hay pulled away gradually. I couldn't cope with their pace. The rest were catchable. I got into a ding dong battle with Edinburgh under 20 Andrew Crichton who was 3rd in the East District Cross Country. My legs were hurting, my lungs were burning, I was out my comfort zone and beyond. I had Paul Sorrie pursuing me and Andrew Crichton next to me. What to do? Do one of your Charlie Spedding intervals from your long runs (see my previous training topics). These range from 1 minute to 5 minutes. I dug deep and injected a surge of pace. Crichton tried to match it. He couldn't and dropped back. Presumably Sorrie did too. I gained on those ahead. Unlike training this surge lasted barely 30 seconds. Crichton fought back. Rather than a jog recovery, I had no option but to recover at approximaely 4:55-5 minutes per mile pace.

We entered the pitch and putt. We strode it out over the tees, onto the fairways and through the greens. On leaving, we had a sharp right turn into the finishing straight. I was still top 10. I got passed by Crichton and Dermot Cummins of Edinburgh based Corstorphine AC. I was 9th. Normally that would be it. Not today. I was ready to run through brick walls. Cummins overtook a tired Andrew Douglas. I lifted my knees, gritted my teeth and threw myself past Andrew Crichton, nearly catching Douglas in the process, to finish a physically destroyed 8th in a time of 12:15. I mustered one hand shake with Alastair Hay before lying face down on the grass exhausted. This was the hardest I had pushed myself in many a month. The top 10 in a field of 107 finishers were:-

1. Daniel Mulhare, 11:43

2. Alistair Hay, 11:49

3. Mark Mitchell, 12:03

4. John Newson, 12:08

5. Craig Ruddy, 12:12
6. Dermot Cummins, 12:13
7. Andrew Douglas, 12:14
8. Stuart Gibson, 12:15
9. Andrew Crichton, 12:16
10. Mark Haskett, 12:20

Paul Sorrie was just outside this, 11th in 12:21. I had the energy to offer a hand shake to him. I got great support from my club mates, John MacNamara (20th, 12:37), Stewart Orr (22nd, 12:43), Robert Gilroy (28th, 12:56), David Munro (46th, 13:19), Bobby Bristow (47th, 13:23) and a returning from injury Andrew Coulter (51st, 13:30). The first 4 of us counted for the team competition. Sadly, we were edged out the medals, 4th behind Central, Inverclyde and Shettleston. No shame, everyone gave it everything in a fiercely competitive race.

The senior women's race followed us. One of my training partners, Kirsty Grant, had entered this. The Facebook followers among you will have gathered that Kirsty has been cruelly struck down with meningitis. Naturally she wasn't in attendance. In my worst points during the race, I had a thought in the back of my head- I may be suffering but it's temporary and nothing like what she must be going through. I believe that thought motivated me to push myself to the limits of endurance I did, so much that I ended up only 12 seconds from a bronze medal. I've also noticed that all 7 of the runners ahead of me were people I've never beaten before. Looking at things like that, I got the very best performance possible out of myself. A very satisfying feeling. For the record, Elspeth Curran of Kilbarchan won the women's race holding off stiff competition from Edinburgh's Sarah Inglis and Kilbarchan club mate Natalie Sharp.

Having regained my humanity with a roll and roast beef and flask of tea, I actually jogged home as a warm down, the 9 miles or so taking me just over an hour. Next stop, Armagh International 5k Road Race. I fly out on Wednesday 9th February for the race the following night.