The XC thread

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chrisity Jan 2014 12:30pm, 26 Jan 2014 13,836 posts	chrisity Not long to the Nationals now, I'm looking forward to helping out. Those of you who have run Counties or North Mids in Wollaton Park will find that it is a very different course I'm told, using the West side of the Hall as well.
Garfield Jan 2014 1:12pm, 26 Jan 2014 4,201 posts	Garfield ndellar, that's interesting to hear...last year I did one of the champs as my first XC race and came in last, though the preceding two ladies were less than a minute ahead of me! The mud really kills me off though.
ndellar Jan 2014 1:37pm, 26 Jan 2014 2,920 posts	ndellar Garfield it's brave doing a champs as a first XC, but the first XC is always going to be hard full stop - I think if you do XC consistently you get quicker / fitter / more used to it quite quickly. I bet if you did the same race again you'd place much higher. And someone's gotta be last. Our lady is a bit of a celebrity, people are genuinely amazed by her she gets the biggest cheers. I ran the Midlands at Nottingham a couple of years ago, liked it as a venue and a course. I recognize some bits on the map but it looks like we are running some different parts and in the opposite direction to when I did it. Favourite was Mansfield with the pine forest but but they don't seem to have those level races there any more.
SPR Jan 2014 1:57pm, 26 Jan 2014 19,008 posts	SPR Warwickshire XC Champs were my first XC.
chrisity Jan 2014 2:05pm, 26 Jan 2014 13,837 posts	chrisity Mansfield Harriers have had to move ndellar, disputes with the owners at Berry Hill, so we don't get to run there any more unfortunately. My favourite XC also over the years.
ancient Jan 2014 10:08am, 31 Jan 2014 3 posts	ancient What footwear do people recommend for the Nationals? Spikes with 12mm spikes? Ran Southern on 15mm spikes, but seem to have broken a few of those spikes - probably when I tripped over various tree roots. Hope National is not as tough as Southerns - last lap was very tough!!
Johnny Panic Jan 2014 10:31am, 31 Jan 2014 388 posts	Johnny Panic I'll be wearing 15mm spikes if that helps. Going to jog the course tomorrow morning to be sure (to be sure) but knowing the park already I can't think of any reason why that'll change. The start/finish is race is in quite a wet corner of the park without much in the way of roots, so I'm expecting mud to be the main problem. By 3pm it'll be a mess.
ancient Jan 2014 9:50pm, 31 Jan 2014 4 posts	ancient Many thanks Johnny Panic. Sounds like the mud will be a repeat of the Southerns!!
chrisity Jan 2014 10:53pm, 31 Jan 2014 13,841 posts	chrisity The course for the National XC in Wollaton Park is longeatonrunningclub.com The large lap is 4k, 2 laps for women, 3 for men. Not particularly hilly, longish drag up to the hall then a shorter but steeper climb near the Derby Road pedestrian entrance (bottom right on the map) i have done an approximation of the course on http://www.fetcheveryone.com/route-1682235 The elevation profile shows the two hilly bits, but there isn't too much incline. Much of it is on my regular Monday lunchtime run from work, so please don't get it muddy.
ndellar Feb 2014 7:57pm, 8 Feb 2014 2,925 posts	ndellar Had a good run at Pitville Park in Cheltenham today, not a particularly exciting course but nice enough - made interesting by some freakishly strong gusts of wind. It was my first time there, unfortunately they took out "the stream" that is usually part of the course. We just managed to avoid getting a soaking, the heavens opened as we were leaving the venue. Our men were at Walsall, sounded a depressing experience (and the XC was a bit waterlogged too). That's it for the Birmingham League, just the National now!