How far into the pain cave is too far?
6:32pm, Wednesday 13th November 2024
The final race of my cross-country season, the Cork County Novice B Cross Country Championships, took place in Carrigadrohid, West Muskerry on Sunday last.
And what a lovely course to watch races on. There are excellent vantage points from all positions on the field. Runners snake up and down the different hills, looping back and forth. Set against a light blue sky and trees clad in all types of autumnal colours, it was a perfect setting.
Across my XC season I haven’t seen any rain or wind. Again, on Sunday it was unseasonably warm. Just before the start, the sun came out and we talked about sunscreen!
The course begins in the top right-hand corner of the field. A long straight taking runners across the width of the field before a sharp 90 degree left turn and quickly another left that guides runners into the middle of the field. A lovely long downhill is followed by a right turn and a gruelling uphill to the highest point of the course. Back down you head twisting around the course until you meet another tough uphill and quick downhill. A steep uphill that was covered in leaves brings runners to the bottom of the course. A left turn and a slightly downhill straight before another challenging climb back to the start.
Yes, in short, it’s all hills! 4 x 1500m laps for the men’s race.
The good weather brought with it a large field of 67 runners from a host of clubs. We went out at a relatively conservative pace. A group of 6 or so to the front. Grouped together as we were meant that there were elbows and legs flying everywhere. I could see my club mate David Maher itching to go and wondered whether I should attempt to go with him. David was a class above the rest of the field, and this was evident even in the early stages, but he held on with us for the first lap. Stuck in two minds as to what I should do, when David did go after the first downhill of the second lap, I half responded, not sticking with David but bridging a bit of a gap to the group. I went through the second lap about 15 seconds behind David and about 10 seconds ahead of the group.
I’ve suffered in races before. We all do, don’t we? I can’t think of any 5k race I’ve ran where at some stage around 3/4k I haven’t considering dropping out. A 10 miler at threshold can be tough, I think it’s more controlled though, just making sure you don’t stray over the red line. Marathons are sufferfests but more prolonged, it’s like a throbbing dull pain as your body is broken down over the 26 miles. And dealing with ridiculous elevation in IMRA races gets the heart rate to scary levels. But this was extreme pain.
I guess I would have backed right off had I been in 5th or 6th place, but occupying 2nd with 4 runners chasing me down I couldn’t ease back. I knew if they caught me, I’d fall apart. So, I ploughed on. Climbing back up to the centre of the field on the last lap, I thought I was going to collapse. That’s not me overexaggerating, every inch of my body was screaming at me to stop. Thankfully I got to the top of the hill and managed to breath. A few short downhills, breath again. In some sort of haze, I dragged my way to the bottom of the course and turned to see the group behind still on my tail. I kept it together until I got to the finishing straight and then I sprinted as fast as my aching body would allow. Collapsing in a heap at the finishing line. I would still be happily curled up there now had the stewards not insisted I stand up to receive my silver medal.
How far into the pain cave is too far? Like at what point does the suffering experienced while carrying out your hobby become too much? Of course, as the days have passed my feelings about Sunday’s race have softened. But that was undoubtedly the limit for the pain I’m willing to endure. I’m not a masochist.
And so, reflecting on the objective of these blogs, to present the experiences of cross country running to convince non-runners that it is a suitable leisure activity. I’m not sure I’m even fully convinced! It’s been a short season, circumstances meant I just had the three races in the end. So maybe the say umple size is too small to really put forward any type of substantial argument. Setting aside Sunday’s stint in the pain cave, it’s been hugely enjoyable though. And I guess for a hobby that’s good enough.