The XC thread

91 watchers

Autumnleaves Nov 2014 3:47pm, 8 Nov 2014 4,983 posts	0 Autumnleaves Mave - my tips from my first few races would be - fewer layers than you expect and not tights, don't set off too fast, don't look at your watch (it's depressing!), flask of warm water to wash your legs with afterwards, gloves if it's really cold!
rhb Nov 2014 4:11pm, 8 Nov 2014 667 posts	0 rhb St Helens was perfect day for it. Lovely course too, nothing too technical and some long straight descents. Great fun.
Mave Nov 2014 4:34pm, 8 Nov 2014 1,822 posts	0 Mave Thanks AL!
Funky Chicken Nov 2014 5:41pm, 8 Nov 2014 301 posts	0 Funky Chicken Rained on and off at Stevenage. A rolling 2 1/2 lap course for the men with a section through woods. Opted for trail shoes and had no problems apart from almost falling off a little wooden bridge in the woods which I didn't see when we were packed in more tightly on lap 1. Came 311 out of around 400, though someone said afterwards there had been problems at the finish funnels with the wrong queue being let through first at one point, so I'll have to wait and see what the provisional results say!
ndellar Nov 2014 6:58pm, 8 Nov 2014 3,028 posts	0 ndellar Bit muddy at Leamington(!!!), gutted my camera packed up so so comedy faceplant in the ditch photos. Enjoyed it, felt like I had a decent run but I haven't looked at the data yet... SPR I agree, no need really. The course was shortened, no Airplane field on lap #2. Assume it is the track runners and Uni students who didn't like the extra distance. Heard in toilet queue "you ran for a WHOLE 20 minutes BEFORE a race??" er... warm up? Maybe I'm just old.
SPR Nov 2014 7:48pm, 8 Nov 2014 19,711 posts	0 SPR Good running all that ran today. I was a fair weather supporter today so didn't turn up at Leamington, lol. Ndeller - ow long did it end up being this time? I guess they have a point if it is over 7km and they are told it is 6km, but in general XC is either a little short or long and we all know it is an approximate distance since it isn't accurately measured. I don't usually run for 20 mins before XC, but then I'm a track runner ;-). Although my former track was 15-20 mins away and I used to run there for my races.
ndellar Nov 2014 8:07pm, 8 Nov 2014 3,029 posts	0 ndellar Today 3.85 miles, last year 4.53!
ndellar Nov 2014 8:08pm, 8 Nov 2014 3,030 posts	0 ndellar That's a long 6K!
stilldreaming Nov 2014 8:18pm, 8 Nov 2014 52 posts	0 stilldreaming ndellar - didn't realise course had been changed until club mate shouted "less than half mile to go!", though doubt it made much difference to my very ploddish time Still, weather was great for running and watching the men's races afterwards (particulary by the water crossing) was certainly entertaining!! Your 'warm up' comment made me smile though. While getting changed I heard a lady say that at 40 she was getting too old for XC - thought to myself, "I could give you 15 years!"
sLickster Nov 2014 8:38pm, 8 Nov 2014 1,641 posts	0 sLickster I see from the photos that GB 800m specialist Jess Judd was there (leading it out?): facebook.com