Any advice for first ever cross country race ?

Lex Luther

hi i'm a pretty experienced road runner ( 6 marathons etc) but am running cross country for the first time ever on sunday in the dublin novices. i'm a bit nervous believe it or not.Just wondering if anybody has any tips, do's and donts etc. I'm a middle/back of of the packer ( 18 min or so for road 5k) so its just general advice as opposed to how to win.
For example what size spikes to wear is on my mind at the moment - plus presume theres no chance of getting lapped....is there ?!?
many thanks
LL

shels4ever

Lex Luther wrote: »

hi i'm a pretty experienced road runner ( 6 marathons etc) but am running cross country for the first time ever on sunday in the dublin novices. i'm a bit nervous believe it or not.Just wondering if anybody has any tips, do's and donts etc. I'm a middle/back of of the packer ( 18 min or so for road 5k) so its just general advice as opposed to how to win.
For example what size spikes to wear is on my mind at the moment - plus presume theres no chance of getting lapped....is there ?!?
many thanks
LL

Best of luck on sunday, I'll be going with the 12 mm spikes myself but plan to take a trip into the park tommorrow to check out conditions, lots of ran forcast for the next 24 horus so it should be a nice course.

I wouldnt worry about been lapped unless its 4 X 1500m laps i don't think that will happn for you, for me it might be a rick but that will just help. i'm not sure of the course but hoping for a 2 lap route.

I'd xpect the start to be fast, so my own plan is to relax as quick as possible and get into my running and then start to pick people off during the race(i hope).

Starting to worry about it now myself so i'll stop posting

tunney

Lex Luther wrote: »

hi i'm a pretty experienced road runner ( 6 marathons etc) but am running cross country for the first time ever on sunday in the dublin novices. i'm a bit nervous believe it or not.Just wondering if anybody has any tips, do's and donts etc. I'm a middle/back of of the packer ( 18 min or so for road 5k) so its just general advice as opposed to how to win.
For example what size spikes to wear is on my mind at the moment - plus presume theres no chance of getting lapped....is there ?!?
many thanks
LL

They go off fast, do the middle fast and finish fast. They fcuking hurt, but are great fun. Don't stress you get penned up at the start, start from the back of you clubs line, go hard.

As for spikes - I wear a size 10. Dunno about you though (length varies depending on conditions, may vary them too, 9-14mm depending on course and conditions would be what Id use)

Peckham

Lex Luther wrote: »

running cross country for the first time ever on sunday in the dublin novices. i'm a bit nervous believe it or not.Just wondering if anybody has any tips, do's and donts etc.

A good piece of advice is keep an eye out for the Boards AC team in their blue singlets, stay behind them for the race and try not to finish in front of any of them!

robinph

^ Was about to give the exact same bit of advice as Peckham.

Lex Luther

its great to get this sort of free impartial advice and I'll certainly give it all the consideration it merits - good luck on sunday ( and if i see see a blue singlet I'll say hello )

LL

ecoli

After today s rain i would say 12mm might be a good option that what i am going for. In terms of the race if memory recalls it a 1500m loop so it looking like a four lap but dont worry you always get people going out like a train my advice would be sit in and get used to lap the first time round and then after that start working your way up as alot of people will start to feel the series of hills in the second half of the lap. other than that just go out and enjoy it and just be carful of the exposed tree roots on the down hill they can be a bit of a nightmare

shels4ever

ecoli wrote: »

After today s rain i would say 12mm might be a good option that what i am going for. In terms of the race if memory recalls it a 1500m loop so it looking like a four lap but dont worry you always get people going out like a train my advice would be sit in and get used to lap the first time round and then after that start working your way up as alot of people will start to feel the series of hills in the second half of the lap. other than that just go out and enjoy it and just be carful of the exposed tree roots on the down hill they can be a bit of a nightmare

Nice 4 laps, so my 3 lap time will have to be faster then the winning time now :eek:

myflipflops

Seamus Power once offered this piece of advice to good cross country racing:


"I go off as hard as I can at the start, try and pick up the pace through the middle laps and then work harder at the end".

He's a man who knows a couple of things about running over the country!

colblimp

I've got a piece of advice - don't wear white kit!

Lex Luther

Well that was seriously good fun , though very hard and I feel pretty beat up today. Finished ( which was good in itself!) in 22.05 mostly due to taking the advice given here of not haring off too fast at the start.
Thanks to all and well done to Boards team.

LL