The nights are drawing in, the weather is getting colder and the winter kit gets pulled out of the back of the wardrobe….it can only mean one thing, it’s cross country season. This is where you find the spikes you promised yourself you would clean last March and decide it would be easier to just buy a new pair for the season, you deserve it.
Much like Marmite, you will either love or hate cross country and all that comes with it. Some runners seemingly glide over the top of the mud and others feel it like a serious case of quick sand, all agree though that it’s tough. Lung bursting, leg screaming, team building racing that will make you that little bit tougher when summer rolls around!
We do love a cross country at Saucony, from the grass roots event’s across the US, the UK National Cross Country to the longest cross country event in Europe held in Sweden, Lidingoloppet at 30km.
Here are some things to remember this season:
- Spikes. Keep varied lengths of spikes as you never know when the weather will change, and you are going to need to change those 4mm spikes to the 15mm bad boys!
- Extra kit. It gets cold out there and after running through through mud, water and everything in between no one want’s you carrying all that into their car.
- Check out the course. With more race tape than grass sometimes, you need to know where you are going for all the different loops/circuits.
- Get there early. These cross country events cater for all ages so this may mean you can’t find space to park or even find the race manager to register.
- Race pins. For some reason every runner knows they will need to pin a number to their vest but every time there will be that one guy/girl who seems surprised.
- Be prepared. This is cross country!
Saucony Team
