Lesley Pymm reports: I was really sorry to see that I was the only runner from the club at the championships on Sunday. I know that there were others entered, so I hope you are not injured guys! For those who ran at the league race earlier in the year at Aldersley Staduim – it was a different course. We were supposed to do the little bank and the climb through the woods but at the last moment it was changed as the race referee deemed it to be too dangerous. There had been rain all night and apparently this section was particularly trecherous!
For the women and M65+ (6k) it was a 3 lap course and the younger men did the same lap but 4 times (8k). We went off together after a brief statement about Andy Holden from Tipton Harriers who had died recently. There was applause to support him and all that he had done for athletics during his life.
The course was described as ‘heavy’ and I suppose it was, but at least not what I call ‘claggy’ i.e. when the mud sticks to you and your legs get heavier as you go round. It was very wet and slippery and of course this got worse as we went round and round! There was one very large puddle and I don’t think anyone was very sure what was underneath it so it was taken gingerly the first time round; after that we just ran through and then tried to climb up the boggy field when we got out of it!
Other than that, it was an undulating course but nothing really to challenge us compared to other XC courses we have known and loved. I tried really hard at the beginning to keep up with Christine Rollason who was in my category – I knew that I would see nothing of Christine Kilkenny who is really fast. Eventually Christ R pulled away and she beat me by over a minute in the end. I took bronze when the medals were handed out – which was pretty much what I expected.
There were loads of team medals up for grabs – the only female team to complete was Cannock and Staffs who got the W55 team gold medal. If we had a team there we would have done well!!!!
I hope so, Jude – the problem is that you have to be a member of MMAC to run in the XC. However, the MM road relays are different, they are OPEN!!!!
Well done Leslie- great performance ! Maybe next year we can scrape a team together ?
CONGRATULATIONS LESLEY ON WINNING A BRONZE MEDAL AT THE MIDLAND MASTERS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014.