National Cross Country Relays

This was my 9th shot at the National Cross Country Relays in Cumbernauld Park, and 2nd time running for Cambuslang Harriers.

Last year we won M50 team silver, after being overhauled by Shettleston's Andy Little on the final leg.  This year we fielded the exact same team - myself, Paul Thompson and Colin Feechan - with the minor tweak that Paul and I swapped legs, with me going off first.

 Earlier in the week I had been feeling fit and strong and relished the idea of Leg 1, but come the day I wasn't feeling at all well.  Obviously I didn't want to let the team down, so tried to blot out of my mind how dreadful I was feeling.

I had hoped to run around 14:40~ish on Leg 1, but instead it was damage limitation, and just trying not to throw up with a horrible pain in my stomach and overwhelming sense of nausea.

Trying not to throw up on Leg 1

I went out steady for the first 2km,with the original plan of then chasing runners down, but instead was myself hanging on for grim death, and just trying to ensure I didn't drop any places to keep the team in the running.  I did manage to finish 1st M50 in 15:05, which was enough to give the team a chance.  Paul was not firing on all cylinders by his high standards but managed 15:33 to keep us in the lead, and then Colin put in the star performance of the day with 14:57 to bring the team home 33 seconds clear of 2nd-placed Strathearn Harriers.

Podium finish

Quite how I managed to run the 3rd fastest M50 time on the day feeling so ill, I'm not quite sure.

When I got home I went straight to bed in all my clothes, aching and sweating, and spent the night throwing up repeatedly.