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National cross country championships

While some Westies were plodding round the Campsies others were at the high paced National cross country championships! Well some of the runners were high paced, not necessarily those donning the big W! It was a great day for cross country, slightly sunny, a bit of a breeze, and the course was bouncy grass, not the mud bath that it sometimes can be.

Pauline and I lined up for the ladies, and on the starting gun we went off at as high a pace as we could. Wow was it speedy!! It certainly felt like there was a lot of effort involved in our girlie two lap course, but I'm not sure how much of this turned into actual speed. Never mind, the run was fun, although the wee hill they threw in half way round was a bit evil!

Then it was the turn of the men, and the Westies team lined up instilling fear into all around! Well they would have been scared if they had seen the small spears that Owen had attached to the soles of his shoes! The men flew off too and then had three laps of the course (so so glad that equality hasn't quite reached x-country yet!!). Chris struggled round defying the lergy to be first Westie, followed by Owen, then a very relaxed looking David and finally Steffen.

Well done the Westies who put the CCC into WCCC!

Posted by Cat Miller on Mon 23 Feb 2009 | 2 comments

Category cross country

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  1. David said...

    This was my first time at the Nationals and I really enjoyed the grand setting; they'd even laid on the Antonine Wall for us to run along. I might have looked relaxed, but I didn't feel I could go much faster, the gaps to Owen and Chris seeming the same throughout. And so much for being a hill runner - folk piled past me up the biggest hill in the woods, but I got them back on the descent. I reeled in a few in the last lap and jumped Jamie Thin in the finishing straight, who then took me on which was just as well as it helped hold off two other fast-finishing runners.

    Monday 23rd February 2009 1.32pm

  2. Chris said...

    Well done to all the Westies who ran. The WCCC contingent at the Nationals seems to get smaller and more select each year! This was my 6th Nationals in a row - Perth, Irvine, then Falkirk x 4. It doesn't get any easier. Especially when you are feeling done in with a cold before you start. I thought I might be able to bluff my way through with the old fast start and hanging on technique. But this only meant I was passed by about 40 runners in the 2nd laps, as the wheels came off before I'd finished the 1st lap. Bizarrely this was David and Steffen's first National Cross Country, but they both seemed to enjoy the event!

    Women's race:1. Freya Murray, 27:2458. Cat Miller, 34:43128. Pauline McAdam, 40:56142 runners

    Men's race:1. Alastair Hay, 37:14133. Chris Upson, 45:11148. Owen O'Neill, 45:51155. David Riach, 46:08259. Steffen Gorgas, 50:15413 runner

    Full results | Some photos linked here

    Tuesday 24th February 2009 7.56am

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