"Wythenshawe Park"

As the saying goes "what a difference a day makes". This time yesterday I was racing in glorious sunshine in the final round of the Manchester Cross Country League on the fastest and flattest course around, whilst today it was a seven mile recovery run around Macclesfield with four inches of snow on the ground!

Yes winter has returned but it won't dampen my satisfaction of running my best xc race of the season and taking 1m 44 seconds out of my friend and big rival Jack to see my finish three places above him in the individual standings. After a steady start over a very different course to the week before in Blackburn I really pushed it and increased my pace on each lap of the race. At times the pain in my legs and lungs was intense but the thoughts of winning my personal race (with glimpses of my increasing lead at the end of each lap) kept me going to complete the 6.5 mile race in 43.42. The photo shows how relaxed I was! Probably not one to put into the coaching manual when looking for a good running style.

All in all a good week including both a positive track session and a great race that together will really set me up for the spring and its first road race, the Alsager 5 next weekend.

Weekly mileage 31. Annual mileage 115 (week 4)