I began 2024, recovering from a bit of cold and injury, with the Sussex Champs and Schools Champs races to start 2024 off.
After a heavy cold post Christmas and a groin strain just before, from sliding, I had pretty minimal training into the Sussex XC Champs, but racing would give a good chance to see where my fitness was at and how it felt running quicker.
Sussex XC Champs – Bexhill
After continuous rain and poor weather leading into the race weekend, the course was well churned up come my race. I felt fine in the runs prior to the weekend and in the warm up, so got ready to race. Sussex XC Champs is the qualifier for the UK Inter Counties XC, later in March, with a top 4 automatic selection. Despite having a high chance of qualifying through the extra 4 places, which are based on other results, it’s still good to get a further up position in the start pens/gates out of the 8 runners that go through, for a better start at the UK XC.
Anyway, with a solid start and the usual cold and persistent drizzle of this time of year, I felt comfortable over the first 1km loop, before 2x 2km wood loops to follow. I stayed to the front for the way round, slipping in the woods on the 2nd lap, but managed to regain the lost ground quickly. The group broke to about 4 of us over the last 2 laps. As it came to the last lap, I wasn’t sure of my chances in a potentially 4 way-sprint based on the build up, so attacked on the small, steep hill, with about 3/4 a km to go, before down and along the long soggy flat. I broke the group apart and had at maximum a 20m lead maybe but was caught with maybe less than 150m to go. I still finished 2nd – not disappointed as I made a move which put me in a higher position than what potentially a four-way sprint could’ve come down to. I raced it well and gave everything I had in me so am looking forward to the UK Inter Counties in Nottingham, later this March.
Sussex Schools XC Champs
Back at Brighton for a third year, I was racing in my final year in the Year 10/11 category over 6km, to try and qualify for the English Schools XC Championships in Pontefract, in March also. I had a good start and after a lap it became a two person group. On the final steep hill of the last lap I made an attack to get away and made it stick. Running along the length of the field for the final time, feeling a lot longer than earlier, I finished 1st with a 45 second lead. Finishing 1st means being at the front in the start pens so helps than being further back for a good start, so I’m looking forward to Eng. Schools as well.
In other running terms this month, I ran the Hastings Parkrun looking to set a PB over 5k. With the wind being a factor most days on the out and back promenade lap, you’re normally running with a headwind one way and a tailwind the other. The weather was pretty calm to begin with but a headwind picked up a bit on the way back. Nonetheless, I still managed a good run, reaching the 2.5km in 7.49, running with another runner. On the way back I tried to go a bit harder and finished with a decent last 2.5km for a 15.47 5km.
That’s it for racing this month but the national level and championship cross countries begin for me at the end of February, before a few more in March, bringing a few weeks of training and build into the 2024 triathlon season.
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