This week got off to a great start with the first PECO cross-country of the season. We never did cross-country at school, so I never got chance to be put off it, although at the time I would probably have been nicking off round the corner for an Eccles cake. I was too much of a wimp to smoke at school (even though in those days it was still possible to buy cigarettes in ones from the corner shop), so I had to build my rebellions on pastry.
This fresh-faced innocence means I undertook my first X-C (I have the jargon, you know), last year, in Ilkley. People who ran it are now shaking their heads and saying, “Oh Lord, that puddle!”, but for me it was a revelation. A boring, smelly course that went round and round and round a field, but Joy of Joys, a humungous muddy puddle in the middle that you had to go through six times. I was converted.
And so, on Sunday, to Pontefract racecourse for a 5.7ish mile trot in the sharp winter sun. Not exactly a great course, with rather too much road, but some nice bits across fields, and guess what? I didn’t walk once. Nor did I wheeze, or whine, or collapse in the last half mile. I even had a (sort of) sprint finish where I passed several people, and only one person (thank you, Jill Stocks, of Kirkstall) passed me.
What I really enjoyed was the excellent spirit amongst Hyde Park Harries and the other clubs. The PECO league is definitely competitive, but friendly at the same time, and we had a great turn-out, with new members and old; speedy and not-so-speedy. Caught up with some old faces (ie Adrian and Bev) before repairing to Kay’s house to look at the PECO catalogue (how apt).
This week, I also clocked up a good session with runclub and a completely unscheduled three miler through the streets of London Leeds parkrun – first time EVER under 29 minutes. Go, me!
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