With thanks to Annemarie Sheehan for this race report
I loved reading the exploits of last weeks Novices Cross Country and seeing the great Team results, so when I heard the club were short one person to field a team in this weeks Master XC I decided to give it a go. In these events its all about the club and the team.
Off we set to represent Dunboyne: a Cork woman, a Rossie and a Dub! Talk in the car was all of strategy: keeping to the racing line and above all, holding your place. We got there in time to cheer on the juveniles who did brilliantly. Then we were up.
Part of the strategy was to start in the top row and that’s what we did, Roisin leading the field for the first 50 meters or so, about halfway into the first lap the field settled and the job was to catch the person in front or hold your place. First up was Ciara, who battled well watching to see when she could pass and noticing her nearest competitor was weak on the hills. Ciara sagely waited until the last lap to take her opportunity to pass her on the final hill and continued fighting to put a long gap ahead of her, coming home with a 3rd place in her age category, fantastic running Ciara! Your second Meath medal in a week!
Next up was Roisin and with her race from last week still fresh in her mind she was determined to beat the same competitors in this week’s race and win she did! Roisin learned from the Novices last week and started strong, managing to keep it up throughout to finish 4th in her category.
Meanwhile, back in the pack another race is going on. On my heels from lap one was one girl who stuck on my heels. When she passed me on a corner in the second lap I thought, “no way Hose, you picked the wrong girl!”and I immediately passed her back. She stayed on my shoulder the whole of the rest of the way around and I thought I’d finally lost her coming into the final section. However, we turned into the finish straight where Roisin & Ciara who had so generously come back to cheer me on, I knew someone was coming behind me. And then when Roisin’s roar rose several octaves I knew the girl was back right on my tail: we battled the whole of the last 100 meters neck & neck, right to the finish line and I’m happy to say, I won!
Cross country is a world apart from the road races we all do so regularly: it’s proper racing against the people around you. While the courses are tough (running on grass, through mud etc) the buzz is fantastic and running as part of a team adds a whole different dimension. If you haven’t tried it, I’d heartily recommend it. Whether you’re a Senior or Fit for Life,Cross Country is for you.
A big thanks to everyone who was there supporting too, to our men’s team, our juvenile kids coaches and parents, and in particular to Paul & Clodagh: it’s such a boost to have club members out supporting. If you’ve half a notion to try out cross country I would heartily recommend. it. It’s a completely different experience to road racing. The field is very varied so you’ll always find a place, and a competitor to race against. It’s gritty, but great fun, and there’s really nothing that can compare with it. If your interest is piqued, message us here on Facebook, talk to Emilia or talk to one of us to find out more about it. No point going into cross country innocently, you need to find out what you need to do, but believe me, it’s worth it!
Thanks to Fr Murphy’s for putting on a perfectly organised race.
