I recently experienced my first cross country league race. So, for those of you who are thinking of giving it a go or indeed can’t remember what it was like that first time … here are my impressions.
Walking up from the car park I saw a line of mud splattered ladies labouring up and round the course. The “quick 9.5k round Macc” that Graham had promised was already looking … well different from what I’d imagined. I’d pictured cross country as running along hilly woodland nature trails, yes Macclesfield forest maybe. But here it looked like the objective was more to rotivate the spare land around the leisure centre.
I’d been warned that the start might be a bit of a mad rush of mud, studs and elbows so I lined up towards the back of the field. The mud was ankle deep and already oozing over my unsuitable trainers. There was a slightly odd warning from the starter about not running into lamp posts.
Bang and we’re off. There was a loud low roar from the runners in front that I took to be a cross country tradition and was about to join in … until I realised I made the same noise involuntarily when the freezing mud from the front runners rained down on my face.
I grafted up the first hill sinking deeper into the mud, through or rather over the gate, shin deep and out of control down the hill and waaaaah just missed the lamp post … Charging back up another muddy slope, more roars and groans – it’s like a cross between Braveheart and a muddy Glastonbury festival.
And so it continued out round the rugby field and back and with just a few metres of firm running surface I was feeling knackered after one lap. But nobody else was giving up and I managed to settle into a plodding, sliding, slurping sort of rhythm. It was almost impossible to overtake without dumping yourself into yet deeper mud so I concentrated on not losing my shoes as they got bigger and bigger with layers of caked Macclesfield mud.
It was a great feeling as I finally peeled off up a relatively dry path to the finish with encouraging shouts from my faster Wilmslow team mates to receive my “raffle ticket” and congratulatory jelly babies from Tom.
Two showers later I’ve got the mud off and can honestly say that I enjoyed it and will be back for more. Next up Bogart Hole Clough – uh ho sounds like another dry ‘un. Cross country studs are top of my Xmas list.
Rob Downs