Westward Cross Country League – Westward Ho! – 13/01/2013


Only two more legs of the Westward league Cross Country left and the excitement is building!

The Musketeers ladies’ team is lying fourth after Westward Ho! while Bovey Tracey and Plymouth remain in the next two months.

The Westward Ho! course is the flattest and most exposed to any weather, being on the coast. But the weather was kind and windless and sunny and mild.

However, previous rain had ruled out a flooded section of the course, which meant runners had to do more laps of the remaining leg. The men had to run 5 laps for 5 miles and the women 3 miles.

The uneven grassy course included several flooded and muddy ditches which needed careful leaping or clambering.

What should have been the easiest of races turned out to be the most dramatic before it even started with Neil W and Baz D pulling out, Neil for illness and Baz because he could not open a car to get changed. And Sarah A hurt her ankle hurrying to the start, but ran despite the pain, following Caroline W and Kate. She had to be helped to the car after heroically completing the painful run and sat with her leg on the dashboard.

The diminished men’s team, without its fastest runner in Baz and fast performer Neil, managed a good team effort with Guy, Stan K-the-weatherman, Dave M and Steve M (another heroic injured casualty) finishing in that order. Dave is now in top five for his advanced age group. Many thanks from the men to the vociferous and abusive support from the resting ladies, it was appreciated.

Of course Stan could not be left off the dramatics, having briefly left a shoe in the mud and threatened to throw up on the driver in the car on the way to the race. The two children – Baz and Stan – had to be constantly distracted from squabbling in the back seat on the long trip home, but at least Stan wasn’t sick.

Despite the brave efforts of the men we are all relying on the star performers of the ladies team to make this travelling circus worthwhile, having also run in Newquay, Redruth and St Austell. At least Bovey Tracey on 9th February, and Plymouth – 17th March, are a lot nearer and the children will not have to sit together next time.

By Guy