Blast From The Past- West District Cross Country 2004

I haven't written much on the blog recently for a number of reasons. Firstly, I've got nothing interesting to write (what's new I hear you say). I haven't toed the start line in a race since the Inter District Cross Country in Edinburgh on 5th January. Secondly, to say it's been a busy time work wise would be an understatement. I might have a bit more to say after the National on 23rd February. Happily, unlike this time last year, I'm not injured.

 

I've delved back into my 2004 training diary. A fair bit happened in the early part of that year. I was in the third year of the law degree at Glasgow University. Running wise, compared to now, I was performing like a donkey. This could be explained however because I was preparing for a 6 month student exchange in Sweden. For 20 years old, I was rather naive and the exchange constituted a huge step into the unknown. On 10th January 2004, I headed to Irvine for the West District Cross Country. The course was the one next to the beach at the Magnum Centre. I wrote the following in my training diary:-

 

"a hurricane style wind meant fast times over the hilly 3 lap route would be at a premium, Focussing on my own race and on keeping a running action throughout, I crossed the line after a hard fought 44:10."

 

I finished 102nd from 194 finishers and 7th Calderglen Harrier so missed out on the counting 6 who finished 8th in the team competition but only 5 points away from 6th place. The club I would join 5 years later, Cambuslang, won team gold lead by Jamie Reid in runner up spot, just 3 seconds adrift of Kilbarchan's Bobby Quinn.

 

The following day, I left home for Scandinavia. In hindsight, running this race was a selfish decision which I now regret. There was nothing to be gained from it and it turned out that way. I didn't race again for over 3 months when I popped up at a trail race in southern Sweden. That's a much lighter tale than this one.

West District Cross Country 2004 results