Race Report

Cross Ouest-France, Le Mans, France - samedi 18e janvier 1997.

In the new year of 1997 I was off on my travels again, I spent 2.5 weeks in Le Mans, France doing some work for my PhD. I managed a race out there which was quite an interesting experience.

Bonsoir tout le monde

Tony here in le Mans after an interesting race this afternoon, le Cross Ouest-France. I got a lift to the race from a clubmate of Marc, one of the scientists I've been visiting here. Marc couldn't make it today as he had to go to Paris and Marc's clubmate Michel spoke no english but I know a little french so we got there OK. Michel took me to register, no entry fee! The XC meeting is spread over 2 days with over 50 races for runners of all ages, the meeting was international with quite a few national flags flying, no Union Jack but then they didn't know I was coming. Met up with some more of Michel's clubmates before the race, lots of bonjours and handshakes, Michel gave me a club t-shirt :-) On with the spikes and I did an easy mile to warm up.

Our race was 10km, there must have been over 1000 in my race as I had number 579 and there were ladies and vets as well as seniors in the race. Bang and off we went, slow start with such a big field, the course soon got very narrow. The race was one big lap and most of it was on trails through a forest. First mile was very slow but I eventually got a clear run and started to work my way through. There was a bit of road to run along which was uncomfortable in spikes but there was a grass/mud verge to run on. Got to 5km in 22.17 and I was feeling tired, the course was undulating and the uphills were starting to hurt. Kept pushing on and passing runners, at 8km out of the woods into the park where the race finished, the course was very twisty and muddy in from here but I kept pushing and now all the runners in road shoes were suffering. At 9km one of the clubmates I'd met earlier caught me but I speeded up and soon dropped him. Tough going in from here round all the bends but eventually into the finish straight and ran a bit harder to finish in 44.01.

Tired on finishing, not a bad run in the conditions and after such a slow start. A bit different from XC at home! Feet were a bit sore but no blisters and no blood stains in my socks which sometimes happens after I wear spikes on hard surfaces.

Hey Shelley well done, I told you that you can run fast if you put your mind to it. Hope you'll run slowly sometimes with me when I get home.

tony....

tony bell ageing chemistry student and marathoner department of chemistry university of cambridge amtb2@cam.ac.uk Tony@shells.demon.co.uk Cambridge University Hare and Hounds Web Page http://www.cam.ac.uk/CambUniv/Societies/cuhh/index.html

next day I posted

Bonjour again from Le Mans

Just seen the results of yesterdays XC race, Cross Ouest France. In my 10km XC race I was 241st (166th senior man) out of 1140 official time 43.55, comfortably my best ever % position in an XC although there were lots of runners in my race who you wouldn't see in XC back home. XC is much more of a family/fun run event in France than the "serious" event they have en Angleterre. I think the serious running is today as there will be a race with some kenyans, moroccans, algerians etc and I doubt they will be jogging round unlike most of the runners yesterday. It was a very strange event, 1 big lap for XC isn't that common and they had drinks stations at the race! There was a 20km XC race after my event and I suspect the drinks were mostly for this race. Not sure if I would have fancied 20km XC in spikes, I think I would have destroyed my feet. In the 2 days of the event there were 16000 runners in all the races!

I did 10km in the woods with my Le Mans colleague Marc and his friends this morning. My left leg was pretty sore from yesterday and it wasn't much fun in at the end. Still its better than slogging round the campus roads in the dark.