Despite a week of indifferent weather, this winter's West District Cross Country did not suffer cancellation, commencing on its scheduled date in December. The Royal Academy in Irvine again provided the setting for the second biggest cross country in the Scottish domestic calendar. I'd been down to the course 2 weeks before for a training session. I was joined on this excursion by club mate Kirsty Grant. Anything she says about my music taste is true. Anything relating to my driving is entirely without foundation.
I tapered down as planned in the week of the race having fulfilled my target of 4 weeks of 50 plus miles back to back with 52, 55, 55 and 53. Anyone desparately wanting to read my training, feel free to get in touch. By race day, my week's mileage, beginning on Monday, totalled 19.
I arrived on time to see the senior women race (6.4km) which I used to warm up by jogging to different bits of the course and check out the route. Keeping the tape to your right seemed to be the thing to do. Cambuslang had 3 runners in the field of 102, making history as our first ever full senior women team in this event. One aim as captain achieved. First year under 20 Katie Bristow ran very strongly throughout, finishing in an excellent 16th place and 6th under 20 behind some very capable runners. I didn't know anything about our second runner other than her name, Vicky Semple. She looked familiar though then I finally recognised her as one of the bar staff in our sports club. She was engaged in pretty much a race long battle among 3 Calderglen Harriers, Frances Maxwell, Karen Sturgeon and Joanne McEvoy, eventually beating all 3 of them to sneak into the top 50 in 49th. Kirsty meanwhile must have seen her life come full circle. The race not only marked her (ahem) 21st birthday but also took place in her town of birth. Considering her serious health problems this year (see my post on the Bella Belter 10k in August for more), watching Kirsty competing and holding her own was very humbling. She finished a competitive 84th, nowhere near the back of the field and well in touch with the main pack of runners. The 3 women earned Cambuslang 12th out of 19 teams.
After shouting on our women, it was time to practice what I preached. Sensible head today so no face paint. 18 Cambuslang runners took to the start line for the senior men race (9.6km). The course took a sharp, narrow left after about 100m so I ran hard from the starter's whistle through a sea of arms and legs to get there unhindered. Unlike the weather outside as I write this, the initial pace was hot. A group of 8 or so broke away going at a considerable lick. I was sprinting to stay on their coattails before realising I couldn't run this hard for 6 miles and, by implication, neither could they. I contented myself with the pace I was doing and got into my stride. Sure enough, barely halfway through the first of 3 laps of 2 miles each, I could see stragglers drop off. I passed Luke Traynor (Giffnock) early on who faded into the 20s. I saw David Vernon (VP City of Glasgow) and Tewoldeberhan Mengisteab (Shettleston) coming back to me.
In the first lap, Jack Hamilton, one of our under 20s, overtook me on the flat after a downhill. I initially muttered a four letter word as he did before giving myself a mental shake, digging deep and catching up. Jack has improved a lot and was having a great race. I came beside him and did something uncharacteristic- spoke during a race. I glanced at him and gasped "let's pull them in." He replied something like "eeugh" which I took to be agreement. Thereafter, all through the first lap into the second, we battled neck and neck, taking turns at having the edge, me tending to fall back any time I stepped on anything passing for mud. Don't get me wrong, we were racing but also helping each other. During the second lap, we caught and passed David Vernon who immediately withdrew from the race, clearly suffering for the folly of the early pace.
I was feeling relatively strong as we came to the sharp right turn leading into the final lap. Andrew Douglas (Inverclyde) was running a blinder, well on his way to winning ahead of club mates Craig Ruddy and Mark Pollard. Taking the turn, Jack and I closed in on and overtook a totally spent Mengisteab and forged on in 5th and 6th respectively. This wasn't for too long though as another Shettleston man, Michael Gillespie, came by us. I couldn't believe he had been behind me for two thirds of the race. For a spell it was a group of 4, Jack, myself, Mengisteab and Gillespie. Mengisteab gradually dropped off and eventually withdrew while Gillespie created some daylight for himself. With 4th placed Lachlan Oates (Shettleston) further in the distance, Jack and I had a straight shootout for first Cambuslang finisher. I tried everything to shake him off- taking advantage of the firmer parts of the course, even surging up the hills. Anything I gained uphill, he reclaimed downhill.
Eventually, on the final hill, I moved ahead and, encouraged by Colin Feechan, "let myself go" on the descent. So did Jack with more success than me. On a flat stretch, he had the advantage. Coming into the home straight, I decided to show I can sprint as well and stole a yard with 100-150m to go. The course was totally ploughed up here though. I stepped on a thick piece of mud and my feet slid sideways as I pushed my upper body forward. Jack found a firmer course, grabbed his moment and pushed on to go through the finish funnel 6th in 31:12. I got there 7th, 2 seconds later. Michael Gillespie took 5th place 5 seconds ahead of me. Douglas, Ruddy, Pollard and Oates took the first 4 places.
Jack received just reward for his run with an under 20 silver medal and team silver. Myself, Iain McCorquodale (11th), Robert Gilroy (17th), Jamie Reid (18th) and Kerry Wilson (19th) were our other counters. Kerry was also second veteran and part of our medal winning veteran team. We had numerous course and personal improvements throughout our senior male ranks, e.g. Gordon Robertson, Scott Hunter. Plenty to build on.
The day was a success for Cambuslang as a whole with our under 13 boys and under 17 men winning team bronzes and our under 13 girls and under 15 boys and girls just missing medals in 4th. Overall, I'm satisfied with my own efforts. Lots of athletes have upped their games. I need to find a way of matching them. As Jack has shown, sometimes the big threat comes from your own club.
Above: silver medal winning team, left to right- Iain McCorquodale, Jamie Reid, Kerry Wilson, myself, Jack Hamilton.
As a footnote, Gavin Harvie (Kirkintilloch Olympians) bet me a bacon roll he would beat me, a bet he lost spectacularly. Make it a square sausage and we'll call it quits.
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