Beginners Guide to XC 2011-12

The  cross country (from now on referred to as XC)season is just about to land on us again. I, Frank Martin am your manager.  There are some photos of me on the site but as my looks and hair go they are getting fewer and fewer. (Bring back my Dublin Marathon 1998 image ) So you'll probably recognise me by my vibram five fingers (on my feet of course).

PLS is in the North West Sunday League . Six races across the winter starting at the end of October and finishing around March when I find myself  arguing with the marathon runners that XC does not mess up their spring training schedule. ( I won XC championship and did sub 3 hrs marathon one year so yaboo  sucks to the doubters)  I digress. There are two competitions first is the Sunday league itself. This is the longest running competition that the club has been in. Twenty years at least.  We do it as a club men and women (ladies) against clubs across the Northwest and have acquitted ourselves  very honourably over the years. The first 6 men and first 3 ladies  count for their teams but the rest of us help out by pushing the other teams placings down. So it really is a club effort.

Then there is our own competition trophies for  men open and vet ladies open and vet  plus runners up. See club rules and don’t pay any attention if a good looking Italian (they're all good looking of course) starts moaning about the open system.  PLS vets will be grateful to me forever more for making the open category truly open. (one day the club championship will succumb to logic) I digress yet again.

What’s XC like ?I hear you ask.  Well hold on I hope you're this impatient on race day.

    •    Its 30 to 45 minutes of glory  and mud.

    •    Its an opportunity to try on weird spiked shoes

    •    Its about racing against each other. Not the clock.

    •    Its about never cancelling because of weather (except for WRR two years ago, but that was because of getting to race not the actual race itself)

    •    Its tea, coffee, sarnies and biccies afterwards in some sort of community hall included in your 50p contribution)

    •    Its thinking up excuses when I come round the week before to see if you're coming.

    •    It's keeping that 10K near Manchester  that your doing secret, ( I don't care you turn, coat what next  you'll be spying for the Russians.)

    •    Its leaving your muddy wet spikes in the garage between seasons and then plucking up courage to put them on race day.

    •    Its an excellent supplement to your road training building increased strength and acceleration. It's that extra efforts session that will get you that PB later on in the year. 

    •    So what are you waiting for? 

 As usual the season kicks off with our race at Clarke Gardens the first day of winter so you always get an extra hour in bed Sunday 30th October 10-00am.

 Every year we get great support from the non runners marshalling and dishing out the teas coffees and sandwiches. (volunteers  make yourself known).

I need to point out that anyone running for PLS as a second claim runner  will not count. ( last year  Ian Lawton got across the finish line at Runcorn first in a PLS vest  and suddenly someone remembered that rule)

Unfortunately I've had Dave Clarkson (previous XC manager) boasting to me that he had more Ladies in his team than I've ever had.  Hopefully he was referring to the size of team and not  moral incontinence.  So ladies or women I don't care and I won't be doing tests please turn up I need you PLS needs you. You don't want see those Pink Panthers in their snazzy pink knee socks beating you!!!

Now I'm off to do some cartoons of people running.  My therapist says it does me good.

Frank Martin - October 2011

 Current XC Championship Standings 2011-12       •     Men Standing   •     Ladies Standings   •