Hold it Blog,
This Secret jogger blogger lark has to be put on hold for a couple of days … sorry about that but …. Today was the first Birmingham and District league race of the season, and as usual for the first fixture all division ran together. The event was at Leamington’s Newbold Comyn on a course similar to the one used for the National Cross Country Championships twice in the 1920s. I mention that fact because the first Championships nearly ended before it began because after about 400 yeards (400 metres to you Blog) the whole field was filtered through a narrow gateway which caused such a bottle neck that fists were thrown and fighting among the competitors broke out. Utter chaos! Couldn’t happen again?? Officials learn from past mistakes. So it came as no surprise that the 700 runners were filtered on to a narrow path after 400 yards (400 metres to you Blog) which caused such a bottle neck that the last half of the field were queuing to get through the narrow section, the water jump, the narrow pathway; slowed to a walking pace or a complete stand still!!! A passage of 90 years means that the runners have learnt a lesson and all were quite gentlemanly about the proceedings!!!
But … ever felt like tearing your hair out Blog. Sorry. No offence meant. It is just an expression. Nothing to do with you being folliclely challenged. Allow me to rephrase ..
Ever felt like screaming? Felt steam coming out of your ears? And the cause of my frustration … all these club coaches with arms and legs and chests and hats covered with badges ‘cos they all know what they are doing … every time I trudge from the club, this week, last week, every week, all their athletes are running up hills, here, there, and everywhere. So what are all these coaches actually doing with all these athletes running up hills, here, there and everywhere? Dare I suggest that the athletes running up hills, here, there and everywhere might get a little benefit from running up hills, here, there and everywhere if they were to use their arms to help them run up hills, here, there and everywhere? I don’t have a badge but it is bleeding obvious what to do when you run up hills, here, there and everywhere. Arms. Use your arms. No need for an I.Q. of galactic proportions. Simple logic. Common sense? Newton said something about action and reaction and he didn’t have any badges either. Neither was he much of an athlete although he was a down to earth sort of chap and he was pretty handy with his bow and arrow when he shot Billy’s apple straight through the pips.
And don’t these coaches tell their athletes what to wear when they compete in cross country races. SPIKES. Not all-weather track spikes. Not flats. But spikes with long spikes in to help run on slippery grass land, run up hill, run through mud. Not a badge in sight .. no need for an I.Q. of galactic proportions. Simple logic. Common sense?
And once again when we had acres and acres and acres of grass land to run across, the officials still had that irresistible urge to send the athletes along a stretch of compacted trackway …three times .. but with a small verge, so it could have been worse!!!
But it was a beautiful day and the view from the hill top by the beacon was as stunning as ever. And I did get in a bit of fast slow when shouting on my club mates.
Colin
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