"Cross Country and the World Wide Festival of Races 2011"

This year it was going to be a steady half marathon to celebrate the WWFOR but a clash with the requirements to run with for the club in the first cross country fixture of the season saw a change to a 10k race.

Over a "good to soft, firm in places" course the first round of the North Staffs League at the undulating but fast Knight's Grange course was always going to be a tough reminder of what XC is all about. Run over four laps the race definitely found that although I have started to get some speed back in the legs the stamina and endurance is still lacking and I came home well down the field in 50.51. There is definitely a need for some longer track and interval work. We return to this course for the County Champs in January and it is likely that the ground conditions will be far less forgiving of this lack of leg strength.


Highlight of the week was the chance to get a long calf massage after Tuesday's track session with the niggle starting to feel much better!


Weekly mileage 25. Annual mileage 986 (week 40). Races 21.