Good Result

So the culmination of 3 months of hard work in Sydney, plus 3 years of hard work back in Perth has resulted in my best senior result at a National XC - 7th across the line, and 6th Australian. 

Funnily enough, the race itself panned out excactly like I thought it would. No one wanting to take the pace in the first lap, then quickening over the middle 6k and coming down to who could hold on the longest. Through the first 3000m, a pack of what felt like 20 runners all stayed together, and ensured that a lot of jostling, pushing and shoving took place. Even at the 6km mark, after Dent, Adams and Hunt had made a break, I was still running with guys like Chinny, Nipperess, Harry Summers, Alan Craigie, Steve Kelly, Kane Willie, Pete Nowill, Brad Croker and a host of others. 

This pack seemed to split up over the next 3k, with Nipper and a few others dropping off, and Steve Kelley and Kiwi Dale Warrander skipping ahead. I gritted my teeth through the last 4k, one stage in 4th place looking at an optimistic third, and at one place 7th and looking at a possible 10th. However I pulled through for the 7th place, and after a few bad results in my previous senior races, I was finally happy at the finish line.

From here, I'm off to Perth on Thursday for the City to Surf, where I'm out to become the first Perth guy since Boydie in 2001 to win the event. Hopefully this weekend, plus a few more strong results might see me gain my first rep singlet at the Chiba Ekiden relays.