Welsh XC Championships

Race: Welsh Regional and Masters Cross Country Championships, Brecon (9.5k)
Time/Position: 34.53 (49th from 133 [7th V45])
Having been selected to run for Wales for the first time since 2012 in November, and then being unable to make it, this was a welcome opportunity to at least represent my region. I've run for North Wales three times at the 10k road championships but, although I've been picked for cross country before, this was my first actual XC appearance in the regional champs. The course was a new one, round the fields surrounding the Penlan centre outside Brecon. The day was dank and drizzly, but the going was relatively kind underfoot. Better still, the course (three long and tortuous laps) suited me fairly well, with long flat sections to hammer out some kind of rhythm. A few twists and turns and a couple of short, sharp hills kept it interesting. Having struggled a bit to maintain the pace at Bangor last month, I ran conservatively but didn't feel too bad for a change (albeit still slow!). I picked up a few places on the second and third laps and finished in a reasonable position for my age, scoring in second place for the North Wales V45-55 team (although we just missed out on the team medal, by a very small margin).