Moraghan Training - Stevie G

so if you were doing a time trial, you'd have to drop one of your quality sessions that week?

Iron, how would that work with 1st claim rules? You'd have to switch your first claim status over to the Tri club, presumably TVT?

These runner types get a bit snippity over such issues...and it's a right ballsache to switch. You have to fill forms out, get them signed by both clubs, and pay a £10 "processing fee"(bribe) to get it through without a ban.

3 quality sessions a week, wow! Obviously works for you. I think i'd be laid up!

Thanks Johnas, good luck with your own race and to any others racing.

For some reason one of our main runners is guesting in the Humberside XC champs, probably family connected.

What Johnas said. Thurs would be a rest day and Friday an easy 3-4 mile run. I use to do 3 sessions a week but found one would be below par once my mileage went to 50+. Now I do Tues and Thurs, which works for me. A parkrun is useful as a training race experience, no one judges you by your parkrun performances so they are handy to have a blast at every couple of months.

Gutted to not have been running in my county XC but 15.5 miles in 7:20 pace today was a decent outing. Hope everybody has raced well today.

Re Ss. Gutted (a bit, not much) to be running in my own XC champs, but like about 10% of the field, as someone else.

Club chairman; an expert in these matters, had chosen the number wisely. A runner who's usually a bit faster than me, was me today. However, he won't object to the result I got for him.

Details: 47th place, which is my highest ever finish in the Middlesex. Distance on the Garmin 7.71 miles, average pace 6:17. Not bad on a course half mud.

Due to the conditions I was a couple of minutes down on last year, whereas a couple of club mates of mine were closer to five down.

Results already on PO10. Nice to see runners in my vicinity are in the area of 16/17 minute Parkruns.

Didn't really weaken. Spent most of the race wondering at what point one of my clubmates would catch me and go storming by. It didn't happen as I finished 1:48 ahead of him.

Conclusion, nice to know I can now run as fast on mud as I could during last years Maidenhead 10. A half marathon sometime soon could be handy.

Wokingham then Ric!

Good result that by the way!  Excellent pace in muddy conditions - I won't be getting anywhere near that tomorrow I suspect! 

staffs county XC championships for me today.  a quick look round saw a very strong field so any thoughts of qualification for inter counties were put on hold.

decided to go off hard and cling on and just enjoy, it was very muddy and boggy in places and very difficult to maintain a rhythm but i guess thats what xc is all about.  I realised i was in decent company after a couple of miles and got a shout out that i was in 15th. so upped the workrate started reeling in some decent runners and felt good.  got into 9th place but with a crowd forming on my shoulder.   decided to drop them so i could concentrate on the catching those in front of me which worked a  fast last mile dropped those on my shoulder but i couldnt quite catch up the guy in front.  so finished in 9th overall, the course is 10k exactly and i did it in 36.14 so an ave pace of 5.50.   My team won the snr mens team gold as well (i was 4th counter)

bearing in mind xc isnt my thing im very happy with that.  there are unusual rules to qualify for the inter counties for staffs county. 15 names qualify for selection, ( the first 6 over the line, the 6 scorers for the winning team plus 3 discretionary selections for any speedsters not racing) They then select 9 names of those available.  So there is a decent chance of selection but who knows.

matt - one of my clubmates ran the the ribble valley where you pb'd last week.  he was on for a 32.45 but said the extreme windy conditions put paid to that and came in around 33.30 ish.  he and others who were there were all down on their times by 30-40 secs.   So whilst your PB was great enough on its own legs, knowing the conditions affected these chaps (who are strong fell runners) i reckon you are on for something special come the spring.  Also im with you matt regards XC, its a different ball game but a great xc debut today.

great racing there johnas in tough conditions by the sound of it.

Good runs there Johnas & Dean.(Gold is always good)

XC isn't really my thing either, I seem to spend half the time slipping sideways which made me think I ought to have had 15mm's on today. Shame there isn't 30mm's, or XC shoes with a spike plate in the heel.

Wokingham, Bus! has someone been checking the entries?

 Have been amusing myself over some of the results today. There's names in the results that went around the course at the speed that Dean managed but haven't managed to break 18 mins at a Park Run. Looks right out of place in the PO10 results.

Good job in the county champs XC everyone! Indeed spookily similar stats from Ric & Johnas!. Good to hear Mattl had fun at his first XC! Dean that sounds like a really good result. Alot of people from my county dont go to the inter-counties even if they qualify. So you could be in with a shout at the inter-counties if your county is similar. That race is on a different level altogether! My chance is tomorrow. I can only pray and try my hardest. Might get edged out by the young'uns.

Stevie see -  Lads leap is a good race, couple of very tough climbs, I'd do it but got too many races in a short period of time. counties this weekend, brum league next weekend, midlands 26th etc.

Some excellent XC action there guys, with some blazingly quick times in the conditions! Glad to see you enjoyed losing your XC virginity Matt, and with another good time! 

Ric - I hadn't looked at the Wokingham entries, just a good guess, but have now - that's a pretty stiff time you've set yourself 

Good luck tomorrow Seb.

So, after an indication earlier in the week that I might have done a good 10k, my laptop died. I was warned by SG to get it up before it lost relevance but seeing as Ric posts about races he did in the 1980's I think its still current.

Serpentine 10k on 1st Jan, 33:50 for 7th, a 30 second pb. Splits were all over the place with a big slump in the middle, 3.31 was the worst, the last k was 3.06 though so a good strong finish. On another day I am convinced there is a 33.30 in the legs. I've just got to amend all the other pbs to match now.

Berkshire XC champs today, 7th so I'm in for inter counties. Seb - thats some odd selection rules, a bit like UKA selection for Olympics (a series of factors) as opposed to our US style, first across the line is in regardless of reputation.

Oxford Mail XC fixture tommorrow, which doubles as the Oxfordshire champs. 3rd race in 6 days and starting to feel it...

Good racing all!

Great racing from everyone today, nice to see everybody is being competitive. Dean, I think you might be in with a shout, as for us northern boys the inter-counties clashes with the Trafford 10k which lots of people prefer to run. The selectors will also see you've run the Staffs league which will go in your favour. Really hope you get picked, I can live my life long dream through your eyes!

Was feeling very faint after my 15.5 miler today so had a sleep then had a curry. Job done! I'm in the lovely position of having done 60 miles this week with a 'spare' day. So I can do as little or as much as I want. I think a little 4 mile pootle might be in order till I shake this chesty cough.

Bus, I'd seen your predicted time before I entered (last day I think). And put it (1:18) down as a mild joke. (1:20 will do)

I did toy with chucking a 1:16 down but didn't want SG wasting his good money on tranquilizers.