Abergele 5m

Race: Abergele 5m/North Wales 5m Championships
Time/Position: 28:51 (11th from 217 [2nd V40])
My cold got far worse over the course of the week, so I was on full medication for this race. As such, I was pleasantly surprised to record exactly the same time as last year. I didn't particularly enjoy the experience, however, struggling a little bit on the gradual climb up to St George's and just about maintaining some kind of pace on the steep final hill. The finish is good and fast, however, and the conditions were rather like last year: cold, crisp and sunny. Eric stormed past me in the last 200m and I couldn't respond: indeed, the entire field seemed smaller but stronger than last year, as I failed to retain the category title, and my cold got far worse after I finished and the medication wore off! That said, this was a welcome confidence boost in advance of the International XC Championships next week, especially after last week's disaster on the OMM and the sluggish BL opening before that.