I kind of had a feeling that today would not be a perfect run.  Whilst I wasn't hungover, surely there was no way I could manage all five miles at the sort of pace I wanted without there being side effects from yesterday.  However, I did have a fancy new top to wear to try and keep me warm.

So let's have a jump and then I don't fill up all your dash with photos and boring prose!

As mother likes her carpets and I like my feet I couldn't wear my spikes to the race, but since I don't wear socks with my spikes I went for flip flops.  Cue everybody talking about my new shoes and how I can't run in them.  However, despite it being chilly, it wasn't too bad for January and I was kind of happy that the colder temps of the last couple of days prevented us from running in the "bog" that is usually set up...

And so, I made my way to the start and lined up far nearer the front than I usually like to.  And then we were off!

After a little loop to narrow the field down from the wide start I settled into a chain and set to work

And before long we were heading off up the lane, with yours truly once more standing out somewhat

Now I had been told there was quite a hill in this one.  And that was an understatement.  It came just before the end of the first mile and from looking at the garmin, the hill climbed 30 metres (100 foot) in 0.2 miles.  

To make matters worse, when I got to the top of the hill I realised my right lace had come undone.  I wanted to stop and tie it up, but when we had been starting out I had a cheeky look up the field and realised I was the fourth male, meaning I was in a position to score for the club.  I could not let that be threatened by stopping for a lace, could I?

My decision was made for me because another member of the club came past me just after the top of the hill.  I couldn't let him take my scoring place so I decided to see how the running with the lace undone went.  Fortunately my spikes are so tight that I don't need socks and it behaved itself very well.  And so, on with the race.  After undulations we came to a drop-rise-drop just before the end of the first lap.  I was loving the uphills

But when it came to the downhills I still can't run as fast as other people and have to take it a bit easy for the cyborg leg.

And so we set off on the next lap.  By the time of the big hill I had tucked in again behind the guy from the club and as he got slower and slower on the hill I made my move and powered past him and on.  I took a couple more people as a buffer was content to see that from there on out every time I turned my head I couldn't see him.

The rest of the race was me biding my time and trying to save energy for the end.  The fourth mile had the pace drop to a far more comfortable 7:48 and then came the push for the last mile, hitting a 6:40.  On the first dropping section I kept pace and even overtook a couple.  I kept my place on the flat and then grabbed some more people on the hill.

Those people immediately went flying past me on the downhill afterwards and so when I came to the bottom part I was somewhat on my own (save for a little girl running alongside me, but I was too busy looking to see whether I could get to anybody to notice at the time - I would like to add she did NOT beat me).

As I turned into a mini straight before a corner into the home straight I had a fair gap, but the marshal shouted that I should see if I could get them from here. I had to give it a go as I had dreamed of maybe getting inside 90th place today and into the 80s and I would hate to end up finishing in 90th for not trying to get them. 

And so I turned into the home straight with a whole lot of work to do.  One of the injured guys from the club shouted there were two places to make up, and I was soon upon them, but I also had other plans as the legs were really turning over now:

I managed to overtake them half way down the straight and then looked to the dude in yellow and decided that he was my new target.  But I only had about 200 feet to try and make up that gap...

As I passed mother I looked in good form

But the finish was very close now.  Could I yet reach him?  He's still barely in shot...

But over what felt like hours, I drew him nearer

And having been a 100m and 200m sprinter at school finally paid dividends as my pace started to draw comments from the crowd as I flew past them and then, my new foe

Who would have thought?  I actually got him! I then ran into the back of the guy who finished just in front of us as my speed prevented me stopping!

I got my number - 91.  I was a little saddened that it was not higher, however this was a much stronger field than at Halstead where I was 96th and I was the fourth home for my club, so I am a scorer.  Scoring was my year long goal for the XC, so to do it at the first one in January is completely Crystalamazing!

What the photos don't show is after crossing the line (and bumping the guy in front) I took my tag, gave it to our race organiser collecting them and then bent over, collapsed to all fours, realised this looked bad and rolled onto my back.  I had nothing left, I couldn't even walk.

It felt great, especially after I recovered a little

My final pace (for the last 460 feet or so) was 4:07 per mile.  Despite drinking (sorry Laura) and having one lace undone!

One of the nicest things was having one of the club's ladies come running over after she and her friend finished and suddenly hug me and congratulate me for being a scorer! That's why I love being a member of a club.

And talking of the club there was one last nice moment of the day.  Two of the ladies related to some of the faster runners have started turning out and they were the last two on course, so they were 'escorted' the last bit by a number of the club behind and to the side of them with a few more applauding them.  That gets top marks in my book.