I’ve been training and racing consistently for a few years now, so I’d like to share a pearl of runnning wisdom with you. Are you listening? All ears? Here we go: don’t forget your shoes.
You’re welcome.
Saturday was the latest race in the Surrey League cross country fixture, one which my club, Wimbledon Windmilers, was hosting. I got there in the nick of time having dashed out the door, throwing a few small children at my kindly-babysitting dad. I went to put on my beloved Inov-8 X-Talons, which have kept me on my feet through the mud and slime of Surrey’s various venues. I’d left them at home.
Never have I appreciated those shoes more than when squelching, slipping and falling my way around the five mile course in a pair of road shoes with all the grip of a Victorian consumptive heroine nearing the end. Falls: four. Bruises: plentiful. Times I not only wanted to abandon race but quite possibly abandon ever running again: countless.
So there you go. Do not do this. I am an idiot. Proper shoes are not only essential for a decent time in cross country, but also help to prevent injuries caused by slipping, twisting, wrenching falls. I’m probably lucky I didn’t pick up a more major injury (fingers crossed). So I hope your weekend running was better than mine ...
