North District Cross Country - Thurso - Season 2006 - 2007

For those of you who remember the 11th November and what the conditions were like outside, I would appreciate if you could take the time to read about the activities that went on up at Pennyland farm on this very day involving 140 athletes running about in a muddy field.

The day started off fairly nippy as the all too familiar cold winds that thrive in this area were at their best. Yet despite this there was a dramatic increase in the number of competitors making their way up to Thurso for the second fixture in the North District Cross Country League were seen. I was very conscious of the fact that it was not only the record number of runners that turned out on the day but also the effort of the marshals, who in reality had a harder job than the runners as they were not able to run about to warm up, so a big thank you to them!

I would also like to thank the person who allowed this fixture to be held in Thurso as it allowed me to have an extra two hours sleep in the morning, however I do not know if my Mum will quite agree with me on that one as she was out on the course early in the morning putting out flags along with either some very willing or very gullible helpers. Finally I would like to thank the cows at Pennyland farm for creating a lovely mud bath for the runners to go through.

By this point many of you will be wondering why on earth anyone would put themselves through such hassle when they could be tucked up in bed. Personally I disagree; cross country is as the name depicts, it is not about running around a school field, it is a way to get some fresh air, exercise and view some of the most beautiful scenery that the North of Scotland has to offer. Plus my mum would have me out of bed doing chores by that time in the morning if I did not run!

Now to the results. In the Under 11 girls race we saw Erin Mackay defend her 1st place position and in the process proving that the result in Strathpeffer had been no fluke. Erin showed grit and determination whilst running which really makes standing in a cold muddy field worthwhile. I would also like to mention Hannah McLeod who had her first race for Caithness in the cross country. Hannah has always been a very gutsy runner whilst training so it was nice to see that she could carry that on into a real race situation.

The under 11 Boys race was also an exciting one as Ross Goolan, like Erin, defended his title taking first place. This brilliant run was followed by the equally high-quality run by Rorie Stewart who took 2nd place.

In the under 13 girls race there was a difference in the results from the previous fixture. Emma Dunnett found her footing in this race to win and was followed not long after by her twin sister Oonagh and fellow team mate Jade Currie respectively. This was a first-class run by all of the girls as it places them soundly in the top three places within the league for the individual placings as well as being first in the team placings.

Jake Anderson and David Gardner were the star performers in the under 13 Boys age group for Caithness, taking 4th and 5th place respectively. This effort was matched by Rob Murdoch who, bless his cotton socks, does not fare particularly well when running in the cold. Nevertheless he put in a noble performance and finished 7th.

Now it was time for my race, the under 15 girls and under 17 women, and right on queue the hail stones starting pelting into the back our necks. It was actually quite a symbolic feeling as the hail stones felt like being pricked by the poppy pins people wear around this time of the year. Thankfully the hail stones stopped after a couple of minutes or so but needless to say they started back up again just as we reached the most exposed part of the course, wasn't that lucky!

However my mind was in another place as all I could do was think about the cheesecake and cup of coffee waiting for me back at the changing facilities; this is possibly why I managed to run strong throughout the race despite having a cold. However towards the end of the race when I was sprinting the last few hundred metres I did wonder whether it was such a good idea to be working myself as hard with a cold as I felt rather sick.

On the other hand I am very glad I kept going and for my pain I finished in 2nd place which I was delighted with, despite not being able to feel my toes for a wee while afterwards. Rebecca Manson followed across the line not long after me placing 6th in her age group and I am sure she will get me back for over taking her on the final hill when we get to the next fixture.

The under 15 boys race was a very exciting one as it was started just as my age group were finishing. I really liked this as all the members of Caithness, whilst running past each other would give words of encouragement even if they were incomprehensible due to lack of breath. This to me shows the bond we all have and how we all mix together well despite age differences and other interests: on the day we are all one team.

Craig Spargo won this race for Caithness despite being a swimmer; well I suppose it was wet enough to swim around the course. He can no longer tell my mum that he doesn't do endurance; that just won't wash with her at all now.

The under 17 Mens race was donned with bad weather as well and despite this they all gave it 100%. Graeme Taylor had a superb run on the day with a 2nd placing, taking some sizeable scalps in the process. We also had a new addition to our team, Jamie Munro. Despite wearing rugby clothing to a running race Jamie completed the course and he wasn't even that far behind the guy in front of him!

Now the Senior Ladies, Sheila Goolan for Caithness exceeded expectations to take 2nd place in what was a very challenging course over 4 miles. In 11th position, the second Caithness women in, was Sophie Dunnett who thought she better quality test the course she had spend countless hours preparing for the day.

In the Senior Mens race Andrew Douglas took 3rd place for Caithness. Andrew is actually at University at the moment but still takes the time to run around a muddy field for his home club. The next runner in for Caithness was Austin Hughes who placed 26th. In spite of this Austin still managed to forget a change of clothes so had to sit around the changing rooms in a lovely girly blue fleece that belonged to a person that will remain nameless.

The results of the day were as follows:

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