Hardwick X-Stream 2017- X-streamly good fun

by Jo Sharples

I’d been aware of this event for the last couple of years, but thought it fell more into the laps of the “tough mudder” types, which I wouldn’t have categorised myself as. I also distinctly remember a photo of a very muddy Katie Haylock from last year’s event, and thought it all sounded a bit hardcore.

So what swayed me to enter? Two things really, the first being my frustration of only being able to compete in 3 cross countries this year, (2 Chiltern Leagues and the Southerns), due to work. And the second was Gareth and Adam’s persistent raving about the event. With the Southerns completed I could not bring myself to put my spikes away for the year, so I entered. read more

Chiltern Cross Country League – Race 5 – Campbell Park

by Tom Kimber

The call for a large final turnout worked a treat. A total of 61 LBAC runners headed to the wintry conditions of Campbell Park in Milton Keynes for the final event in the Chiltern League cross country season. Prior to the event, we were in 6^th place overall, but with the knowledge that a strong team performance would provide possibility of an even higher finish.

From a personal perspective I was looking forward to the Campbell Park event, as I happen to work a stones throw from the park and spend many a lunch hour enjoying its scenery. However I’m not convinced that any course knowledge particularly helped. I don’t know what others thought, but in my view it was one of those lumpy courses where you were running either uphill or downhill, with very little flat in between, which meant it was hard to run in a relaxed manner. Add in one or two very boggy spots, a tight ‘gate turn’, and a near vertical downhill section, and it is clear to see why this is viewed as a challenging course. read more

Southerns Cross Country Championship

28th January 2017

by Chris Large

After coming back from Lanzarote I was full of the joys of running and ready to get myself some races in the diary. Cross Countries seemed an obvious solution and encouraged by Andy Inchley I booked myself into the ‘Southerns’ down at Parliament Hill in London. It turned out to be in the words of Pepperami “A bit of an animal”.

The kind Amy Farnfield drove me and Jo Sharples to north-west London. It would have helped if I’d known the distance beforehand, funny thing was that I just assumed that it would be a normal cross-country distance i.e. the 9km or 10km. It was only whilst going down in the car that Amy and Jo told me that the men’s race is 14km. I knew at that point it would be a tough day. read more

The return to league cross-country running in a freezing new year, felt for many like a slightly awkward introduction at a new place of work – you know you have to do it, but actually you’re not that keen once you arrive and you’d rather be at home. This particular fixture also saw a few league debuts and one long lost returnee.

In reality, those that were first on site did genuinely get to break to the ice in the water “splash”. It’s a good job that most of the seniors didn’t get to see this situation as many of the field may have turned on their heel and gone home! read more

Chiltern Cross Country League – December – Stopsley, Luton

December’s Chiltern Cross Country League fixture came around surprisingly fast since the last one with only 3 weeks since the soggy conditions at Tear Drops in MK.

This month, our usual exceptional turnout of runners was hampered a little by the Lanzarote trip clashing and so we were without a number of the team, but that didn’t by any means stop the performances coming.

In bright, sunny conditions if a little chilly, up on top of Stopsley Common in Luton the crew set up the LBAC gazebo in time for junior after junior and senior after senior to prepare for the third and middle race of the season. read more