A Snowy Double - O and XC.

I've been eating an inordinate amount of Broccoli of late. I don't know why, it's just there and cheap and someone's got to do it.

Mmm, Broccoli (courtesy the Internet)

Anyway, after the snow (just an inch here) roads were cleared (ish) overnight and today's activities were go! Today I'd venture into a forest with a map in anger for the first time since a rather hungover day in October. There was snow on the ground and an (almost) bluebird sky above - not that I saw it much under the canopy. I was running at my club CLOK's event at Hutton Mulgrave & Skelder, just west of Whitby.

The Brown Course was 7.3km/180m straight line. I ran 8.4km/186m (?!).

Map and Course

Map with my route

I took just under 60 minutes, winning the course by about 10mins. My main aim was to not make any big mistakes and practise running on bearings wherever possible. I managed the former, only 2 losses of about 1min I reckon along with some smaller hesitations. I did manage to drift of line a few times, I'm still not great at looking at my compass whilst running in terrain. However, I was pleased with my run as I was expecting to be a lot rustier than I actually was. More O over the next few months should see me right!

After the O I hooned it back to Stockton so Yasha could catch his bus. This left me with enough time to head out to the old Racecourse above Richmond for the latest NYSD XC Fixture. After the morning's exertions I was pretty tired but kept plugging away over the 9.5km/130m fast course (there was nowhere to hide, all very honest). Nothing spectacular but a good tempo run and I was 3rd counter for Billy Marsh House.

Epic Heel-strike. Courtesy Dave Aspin.

Needless to say I was pretty tired after all this effort, but I'm going to stay up as long as I can to watch the Superb Owl tonight. I feel well and am looking forward to some good training over the rest of February (work dependant).