Last year I enjoyed the cross-country more than any other event.  Leave the watch at home.. there is no pressure for splits, etc – it's a pure race where all you are trying to do is catch/stay ahead of a particular fellow and somehow the muck and misery of the conditions appeals more to me as I get older!  I was looking forward to the cross country this year but unfortunately the schedule as published throws an unexpected spanner in the works.

Like so many other this year I am planning on doing Dublin Marathon on the 27th of October and have been dragging myself out of bed at 7:00 every Saturday morning for the past 3 months with this in mind so it has to be the main goal.  Unfortunately the 26th was chosen as the date for the Connaught Cross-Country which definitely rules me out (and pretty much every runner in Athenry, GCH, Mayo AC, etc.).

What I'm not sure about is the Galway Cross country on the 19th (1 week before the Marathon)… This is scheduled for next Sunday the 19th in the Tuam Pallas grounds, complete with it's notorious hill.   I have little or no marathon experience to speak of – in fact the thought of racing the distance terrifies me.  I'm just starting my taper from tomorrow and I really am not too sure what to do about the cross-country.

I am pretty sure there are other runners around Galway thinking on the same thing..  The question is to the more experienced marathoners out there: should we run it?    There is a poll on the left if you want to vote, or leave a comment on this article.