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The XC thread

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larkim Apr 2019 4:41pm, 1 Apr 2019 7,205 posts	Quote Pin larkim Yep, I do agree Will that there needs to be a balance of avoiding both "dangerous" courses (and courses that you and run at 7min miling +/- could be very different when run at 4m30 miling!) and a descent into "tough mudder" type courses, balanced against something which makes XC "different" to an undulating road route, at least some of the time anyway. Woodbank is ace; always throws up a good race. I used to enjoy meeting my dad's best friend from his school days there too as he was the chair of Stockport Harriers, but sadly he passed away recently, but it's always a very friendly venue with a cracker of a route.
Wriggling Snake Apr 2019 5:39pm, 3 Apr 2019 22,018 posts	Quote Pin Wriggling Snake Stockport Harriers have changed their 10k road race to a summer off-road 5 miler around there, and our club champs handicap race is around woodbank too, I got rinsed running up th elast big hill by the fast chaps, I was over handicapped, robbed in fact. I forgot to say my favourite thing about the Champs was the uphill technique shown, as the commentators kept saying it was like they accelerated uphill, they weren't they pumped their arms, lifted up their knees and increased their cadence, it was excellent. I told all my groups to go home and watch it last night.
rhb Sep 2019 11:05pm, 11 Sep 2019 1,331 posts	Quote Pin rhb Nearly time... 2 x new courses for MACCL, can't wait!
larkim Sep 2019 7:03am, 12 Sep 2019 8,635 posts	Quote Pin larkim Shame no Boggart or Stockport though, but looking forward to the two new ones. I'd drop Kenworthy Woods and Wythenshawe but both are easily accessible etc so I can see why the organisers keep those in.
rhb Sep 2019 7:14pm, 12 Sep 2019 1,332 posts	Quote Pin rhb Kenworthy Woods and Wythenshawe - these are my doorstep fixtures so I'm very happy for MACCL to keep them meaning I don't need to travel far. Boggart & Woodbank are both tougher courses so I hope the new 2 are equally challenging!
larkim Sep 2019 11:52am, 13 Sep 2019 8,645 posts	Quote Pin larkim It seems both Boggart and Stockport were dropped due to access concerns at both venues (see maccl.co.uk for the AGM minutes from where I'm getting this). That's a real challenge, Kenworthy is clearly great from a parking perspective etc, but it's a bit boring. Ditto Wythenshawe, though parking there isn't quite as good. I'd like to see SHerdley Park back, Tatton should be lumpy and can be very damp, don't know what Arrowe Park is like. It must be a real struggle to find a good venue with enough parking as typically the sort of country park area doesn't have sufficient parking for a few hundred XCers.
Autumnleaves Sep 2019 12:17pm, 13 Sep 2019 14,034 posts	Quote Pin Autumnleaves We use Arrowe Park for NWSCCL. I would say it's middling - depending on length it's 2 or 3 laps probably. Undulating rather than hilly but can be really muddy. Parking is not bad.
Will_Uyuni Oct 2019 12:52pm, 14 Oct 2019 1,661 posts	Quote Pin Will_Uyuni How’s everyone’s XC going. I trudged round Markeaton Park in Derby this weekend. It’s normally boiling hot, bone dry and with 3 laps of a municipal golf course a relatively easy run. A bit more challenging this year though with a good bit of mud. Much more of this rain and Mansfield is going to be hard going for the relays in a few weeks time
larkim Oct 2019 12:54pm, 14 Oct 2019 9,056 posts	Quote Pin larkim I attended but didn't run at Wythenshawe this weekend, though one of my sons did. It was certainly damp underfoot, and ironically it had been staged as the first race of the season because waterlogging is a big issue there. I'm hoping to make the start of the next one in November, but it definitely looks like this season will have some universally damp conditions underfoot!
Wriggling Snake Oct 2019 12:58pm, 14 Oct 2019 24,314 posts	Quote Pin Wriggling Snake MACCL, couldn't go, but one of my newer people came 6th in the mens race, very good effort that for a 19 year old. Funnily enough, 2 new venues, Arrowe Park and Tatton.....Woodbank is no wno more, never really got the answer why.