Cross Country Training Thread

Djoucer wrote: »

So if you're an AAI member you can enter all xc races?

What's the difference between novice/inter/senior?

Cheers

These are classifications aside from the distances -

Novice 6km men / 4km women
Intermediate 8km men / 5km women
Senior 10km men / 6km women

Effectively if you are top three individual or on a winning team you are then ineligible going forward. If you medal at senior then you are excluded from Novice and Intermediate but can continue competing at Senior level)

(gets a bit more convoluted)
Medalling at county level excludes you only from county Novice (can still compete at provincial and National)
Medalling at provincial level excludes you from County and provincial (Dublin is considered a province so negates this)
Medalling at Nationals excludes you from all three going forward.

You are no longer eligible unless you get regarded which has to be approved by county board (usually only given to team medalists or lads who have not run Novice in over 10 years)

There are also county and provinces team spots up for grabs as at all Ireland level there are medals for the following

Individual
Club
County
Province (5 provinces as Dublin is classified as a province also)

Djoucer

Thanks for that. Makes sense.

Cheers! Plan to run a couple

El Caballo

The year isn't complete until you've run through a random farmers field covered in mud... so I'll be having one or two cracks again this year post-marathon and National Senior looks as good a time as any to return to racing. Going to play it by ear for the minute though as I haven't really thought about which races I'm going to do.

Djoucer wrote: »

So if you're an AAI member you can enter all xc races?

also, entry for the novice/inter/senior/masters races is through your club.

In Dublin at least, they're moving to unlimited teams. Rather than having to pick 8 on a team, and if you have more than 8 they go on a B team, you just name them all on your team and the first four across the line are the scorers.

Glencarraig

Testosterscone wrote: »

I'm just gonna leave this here

October 1st - Dublin Novice Cross Country - Phoenix Park
October 14th - Teachers BHAA - Castleknock
October 22nd - AAI Autumn Open (previously Gerry Farnan)
November 5th - Dublin Senior Cross Country - Santry
November 12th - Leinster Cross Country - TBC
November 18th - Irish Life BHAA - Santry
December 3rd - Dublin Intermediate - Tymon Park
December 17th - All Ireland Novice Cross Country - TBC
January 7th - Dublin Masters - St. Annes??

Any other Muckers this year?

AAi Autumn Open one week before the DCM, probably missing out on a lot of would be entrants.

Glencarraig wrote: »

AAi Autumn Open one week before the DCM, probably missing out on a lot of would be entrants.

Sadly usually very little overlap to be honest which is a pity given the huge overlap in benefits of Cross Country for Marathon runners.

corcaigh07

Sorry for the noob post but what is the Autumn Open? What distances are involved and will it be chip timed?

Not a lot of info about the 2017 event other than it costs 15 quid to enter!

corcaigh07 wrote: »

Sorry for the noob post but what is the Autumn Open? What distances are involved and will it be chip timed?

Not a lot of info about the 2017 event other than it costs 15 quid to enter!

I presume it will be the same as last year?

corcaigh07 wrote: »

Sorry for the noob post but what is the Autumn Open? What distances are involved and will it be chip timed?

Not a lot of info about the 2017 event other than it costs 15 quid to enter!

- Held in Abbotsown
- Used to be Gerry Farnan Race
- Mens 8000m, womens 6000m
- Acts as Masters Trial for Home Nations Cross Country
- Working towards getting European Circuit Accreditation for 2018
- Cash incentive for 1st 5 male and female (and top 3 in Junior Race)

Elite field

Athletics Ireland will cover the following costs for International athletes who have achieved the guideline standards
listed below.
 €100 contribution to flights (athletes /federations book their own flights)
 1 night (Saturday) accommodation in twin room (sharing). Where flights are unavailable, accommodation
will be provided for Sunday night.
 Saturday – Lunch and Dinner
 Sunday – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
 Airport collection and return
 Transport to course and return
 The flight contribution is for senior men and women only

GUIDELINES MINIMUM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
Senior Men: 3000 metres 8.00; 5000 metres /5 K 14.10; 10,000metres /10K 29.30
or equivalent performance.
Senior Women: 3000 metres 9.30; 5000 metres/5K 16.30; 10,000 metres /10K 34.30
or equivalent performance.
Under 20 Men: 3000 metres 8.30; 5000 metres/5K 14.50 or equivalent performance
Under 20 Women: 3000metres 9.50; 5000 metres/5K 17.00 or equivalent performance

jamule

Stamullen/star of the sea on this sunday. A proper cow field , pissing rain most of the week for an added bonus.

Wubble Wubble

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

October 1st | Dublin Novice Cross Country | Phoenix Park
October 1st | Wicklow Novice Cross Country | Roundwood
October 8th | Wicklow Intermediate Cross Country | Avondale, Rathdrum
October 14th | Teachers BHAA | Castleknock
October 22nd | AAI Autumn Open (previously Gerry Farnan)
October 28th | Leinster Novice & Masters Cross Country | Venue TBC
November 5th | Dublin Senior Cross Country | Santry
November 12th | Leinster Intermediate Cross Country | TBC
November 18th | Irish Life BHAA | Santry
December 3rd | Dublin Intermediate | Tymon Park
December 17th | All Ireland Novice Cross Country | TBC
January 7th |Dublin Masters | St. Annes??
January TBC | Leinster Senior Cross Country | Venue TBC

January 14th Leinster Masters & Inter?

I enjoyed the Dublin & Leinster Masters this year. Hopefully I'll get to take on more after DCM, probably starting with the BHAA Irish Life race in Santry.

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

January 14th Leinster Masters & Inter?

I enjoyed the Dublin & Leinster Masters this year. Hopefully I'll get to take on more after DCM, probably starting with the BHAA Irish Life race in Santry.

I received this note re Leinster fixtures, I know the masters were in Jan for last season.

Day 2 Saturday 28th October 2017 - Leinster Cross Country Even Ages & Novice & Masters Championships

Day 3 Sunday 12th November 2017 - Leinster Cross Country Uneven Ages & Intermediate Championships

Glencarraig

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

October 1st | Dublin Novice Cross Country | Phoenix Park
October 1st | Wicklow Novice Cross Country | Roundwood
October 8th | Wicklow Intermediate Cross Country | Avondale, Rathdrum
October 14th | Teachers BHAA | Castleknock
October 22nd | AAI Autumn Open (previously Gerry Farnan)
October 28th | Leinster Novice & Masters Cross Country | Venue TBC
November 5th | Dublin Senior Cross Country | Santry
November 12th | Leinster Intermediate Cross Country | TBC
November 18th | Irish Life BHAA | Santry
December 3rd | Dublin Intermediate | Tymon Park
December 17th | All Ireland Novice Cross Country | TBC
January 7th |Dublin Masters | St. Annes??
January TBC | Leinster Senior Cross Country | Venue TBC

Isn't that just wonderful planning, Autumn Festival of cross country one week before the DCM and the Leinster Novice & Masters the day before DCM

Glencarraig wrote: »

Isn't that just wonderful planning, Autumn Festival of cross country one week before the DCM and the Leinster Novice & Masters the day before DCM

Sadly the overlap in cross country runners and your average marathoner in this country is a hell of alot smaller than you might think and not for calendar clashing reasons.

corcaigh07

I'm thinking of entering the Autumn open. Is it a good idea to do it even though I'm just an average enough runner that does Parkrun every week?

This Cross Country business sound intimidating to someone unattached to a club!

Wubble Wubble

corcaigh07 wrote: »

I'm thinking of entering the Autumn open. Is it a good idea to do it even though I'm just an average enough runner that does Parkrun every week?

This Cross Country business sound intimidating to someone unattached to a club!

One thing you could do is have a look at last year's results. Bear in mind that XC times tend to be a bit slower than on the road.

In any event, it's fun to try something a bit different, especially if the parkrun is all you're doing

Glencarraig wrote: »

Isn't that just wonderful planning, Autumn Festival of cross country one week before the DCM and the Leinster Novice & Masters the day before DCM

It's the same every year. You need to fit in county, province, and national XC, at novice, intermediate, and senior levels, with gaps between each one, and fitting in the European XC championship. Festival of XC is a selection race for the Home Nations XC, so needs to be before that. Start too soon and there'd be complaints about running XC in the sun, when athletes haven't had time to train after the close season. Go on too late and there are complaints that the season is too long, and it interferes with build-up to the track season. Races too close to end January/beginning of February and there are complaints about clashing with indoors.

corcaigh07 wrote: »

I'm thinking of entering the Autumn open. Is it a good idea to do it even though I'm just an average enough runner that does Parkrun every week?

This Cross Country business sound intimidating to someone unattached to a club!

The BHAA races would be a good introduction to cross country, wide range of standards there.

corcaigh07

RayCun wrote: »

The BHAA races would be a good introduction to cross country, wide range of standards there.

Good idea, checked the AAI Autumn times from last year, everyone bar 1 ran sub 33. By comparison, I ran the Terenure 5 mile in 43 mins ish.

corcaigh07 wrote: »

Good idea, checked the AAI Autumn times from last year, everyone bar 1 ran sub 33. By comparison, I ran the Terenure 5 mile in 43 mins ish.

It's a bit of a catch 22 these races are open and welcome to all but people are turned off because of the quality of thof field.

The more runners we can encourage to do it though the less people will be out of their depth and the more runners would follow suit.

Would definitely advise trying BHAA though XC goes a long way towards making you a better runner and will stand to you

midonogh

I was in a similar position last year. Being a novice cx runner the Dublin Novice sounded attractive. I'm a club member by virtue of coaching kids, rather than being a club runner. My kids were already running the junior races that morning so it was a bit of a day out.

I hit the first corner and though I really should not be here. Persevered, did not get lapped and trailed in 90th of 93. I figured that the guys behind me were having a bad day relative to their usually standards whereas I was having as good a day as any I have.

My daughter was running her first u10 race and similarly had had hard day. My ordeal was worth it when her downcast face lit up when I told her I came 3rd last. "Oh daddy I came 3rd last as well". She has an inflated view of my athletic prowess so that fact that we both finished the same hugely enhanced her assessment of her own performance. Still brings a tear to my eye.

Ran most of the BHAA XC races where I finished in respectable mid-table mediocrity. Thoroughly recommend them and particularly as a place to start. Really looking forward to the start of the BHAA XC season.

Down South

Open for entries

http://www.athleticsireland.ie/news/autumn-open-cross-country-festival-2017/

adrian522

Anyone going to Navan tomorrow?

adrian522 wrote: »

Anyone going to Navan tomorrow?

Had to give a miss, couldnt get the time off work so saving myself for Santry next week

adrian522 wrote: »

Anyone going to Navan tomorrow?

Yep, making up the numbers

adrian522

What's in Santry tomorrow?

The goal for tomorrow will be 2nd last or better! (Fairly ambitious target though)