The XC thread

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SuzyWoo Nov 2008 3:18pm, 3 Nov 2008 247 posts	SuzyWoo You can also get 15mm (inches would be HUGE!!) spikes as well - they are saved especially for Parliment Hill!!!
Nov 2008 3:19pm, 3 Nov 2008 10,092 posts	I always wear spikes for XC
Rach E Nov 2008 3:21pm, 3 Nov 2008 2,999 posts	Rach E Peacey, We'll be doing the BB&O champs. It's at Maidenhead this year, isn't it? I have no idea about the South of the Thames champs, but I'd always wear spikes for a race advertised as "cross country". It's worth contacting the organisers or asking some other club members if you're uncertain...
Gobi Nov 2008 3:22pm, 3 Nov 2008 23,121 posts	Gobi I never understand the fuss about Parliment hill, we have tougher courses in the Oxford mail league :~0 Jacozzi, racing through winter I have learned that if the ground is really hard you just don't need them and with the strangely mild weather this year I ran the first XC(Hampshire league) in racing flats
tom_craggs Nov 2008 3:28pm, 3 Nov 2008 94 posts	tom_craggs I am running fair bits of the parliament hill course ragularly as it's near where my club trains and I would say, although I have not run the national championships or London & SEAA course, that I would be suprised if it was really tough. Certainly not compared to some of the trail running I have done there are no inclines on Hampstead Heath that could compare. Given the weather recently I would guess the London and SEAA will be spikes conditions but the most recent Metropolitan League race at Woodford I would have been much better off in racing flats. Next Met League race this weekend at Wormwood Scrubs - looking forward to it trying to imporve on a poor run in the last race.
Nov 2008 3:30pm, 3 Nov 2008 123 posts	Lloyd Park is definitely a spikes course. It's unlikely to be bone-dry in mid-November... Surrey League on Wimbledon Common this Saturday. The first fixture at Richmond was bloody fast so here's hoping for a bit of mud!
Peacey Nov 2008 3:39pm, 3 Nov 2008 402 posts	Peacey Rach - Yes Maidenhead, should be good. Been roped into doing Parliment hill in Jan also. Sarah - I got my replacement spikes from startfitness.co.uk Dead cheap.
SarahL Nov 2008 3:48pm, 3 Nov 2008 6,072 posts	SarahL Thanks all V much looking forward to it. Gutted I will miss Parliament Hill this year as I booked a weekend away by mistake on the same date! Still, think there's another one in Jan isn't there? Ooooh i can't wait to get muddy!
Gobi Nov 2008 3:49pm, 3 Nov 2008 23,127 posts	Gobi I try to stay clean for as long as possible at XC but then I get fed up and run in a straight line through anything in my way :~0 I hate the Maidenhead course, I have run there twice and run badly there twice
Red Tomato Nov 2008 3:50pm, 3 Nov 2008 5,543 posts	Red Tomato I did my first cross country race yesterday and it was fab. only one member of our club was wearing spikes, I was wearing cross country shoes and didn't slip too much except in the muddy puddles which was about 6" mud, would spikes have stopped me slipping so much then or when the mud is as thick as that will nothing work? also along the edge of a ploughed field I thought they would have been useful, but I really have no idea of what to wear. I also really found the field stretched out and I was running on my own a lot of the time.