Guts... No Glory

[co] Well cross country number one done.

Have to say I enjoyed it! Was different to what I thought... the terrain was not as crazy as I anticipated, but there was mud, cow pats and hills galore... so everyone was a winner on the day.

It was fun to have an adventure. Something completely different and a challenge (ida here being to practice running when tired and then legs with cross country running). So this morning up just after 5 to head down for a 6am brick session (that's a swim/bike/run) with the crew. A few of us were trying cross country for the first time and so there was nervous anticipation...

I have to say I was worried it would be really hard and I would be out of my league. But it was great - as most of these things are - and fears not founded.

So rocked up and it was hosing down!!! The threatened thunder storms arrived. Helen (also a cross country virgin) and I huddled under a small marque getting to know our fellow cross country runners in the hour before our 2 pm start (that's when us senior women going...). Lots of free advice was given, as we watched the under 16s get drenched and fight hypothermia! Looked great (at this time was thinking we can sneak out and leave. No one will notice! What many people don't know is that triathletes melt... unlike cross country runners).

[quick segway... have to say a lot of encouragement at this stage in the tent was from a fellow Auckland Athletics club member (who I joined to do this craziness)... who was lean and looked experienced. Yes a 'nana', but I knew she would burn my dust. Even after the obligatory 'you guys will do great'... I was not fooled; and so it proved. I followed her back for the first lap, her tantalisingly 2 metres in front. My cunning plan was to make a move on the 2nd lap...yeah right! She burned me (and deservedly so)into lap 2. Yes my fears were true in this sense. I was going to be left behind in the dust/mud of the nanas. Welcome to cross country! I look forward to more of the same in the weeks to come].

But it cleared (Auckland weather) and it was 10 to... time to get to the start.

Off we go... it s fun running on grass and different. But 'it' struck during the last 1/4 of the first 2.5 km lap (only 2... a sort hard fast 5 km blast). My stomach cramped.

Now I don't want nor look for excuses.

I have had this before on and off. Where particularly if I push myself running (and often if there is not a gradual increase in effort) I cramp up and need to fight the need to find a toilet and the like.

So theories abound on Google and in my head re diet, body adjusting to hard training again, period etc... but it all adds up to frustration. So I am putting it out there: Who else has been struck with this? Ideas?

(Think I am getting to be fan of HTFU approach... just need to find the HTFU pills to take with me on the course).

So with my fear being last - I think I might of been. Or not far off it... From a 13 minute first lap to a 30 minute finish... so its time to try different tactics, to get a good race out of myself.

But despite that it was 'fun'... but frustrating day!

Onwards and upwards (2 weeks till next mud fun)