Welsh Athletics Cross Country Relay

So it's been a while since I've done any cross country, not since last season to be exact. If I’m honest, I have a love/Hate relationship with it. I feel I still have a lot to learn about cross country, from pacing to technique and I know it'll pay dividends once I get a grip of xc, however, this weekend’s foray into cross country was a team thing. A few of us Ladies thought we support our club by putting together a relay team for the welsh Athletics - it was a big day for XC in south Wales with both the relay and GLCL on the same day. In the end we had 2 lady teams representing.

I was 99A meaning I ran 1st….Lined up with the youngsters as well as the seniors and masters, I began to feel nervous, after all my team were counting on me. With the pop of the starting gun off I flew. I totally forgot how hard xc is, setting off way too fast, I was soon puffing and panting and wondering what the heck I was doing there. I didn’t do too bad over the first mile, however by the second I was waning. I couldn’t wait to get over that finish line to “pass the baton” on so to speak (XC don’t use batons but a waiting pen). Overall, we didn’t do too badly, that is to say we didn’t come last. The competition was tough to say the least but we had fun, we took from it what we could, lessons learnt for myself on pacing. As for my other team mates more positives. For one, regaining confidence on an injury come-back and that there’s plenty more left in the tank for another.

There will be more cross country over the coming winter months and I intend on making as many races as possible. If nothing else it’ll make me hardy to the elements….

#welshAthletics #CrossCountry #CrossCountryRelay