Ayrshire Champs

60seconds before the start of the Ayrshire cross country championships in Girvan the rain began to go with the wind and the cold temperatures. Much to everyone else` s disbelief I decide to add a long sleeve tee-shirt, woolly hat and gloves to my attire- it's the done thing in running that no matter how bad the conditions are you wear a club vest and shorts and nothing else. So there I was breaking the built up tradition.

The race itself measured 9.7k with only about 600metres of flattish running- you don't get such brutal courses anywhere else in Britain. It was the first time I have raced cross country in 2years and fist race of any kind in two months.

The first kilometre felt good as I settled in just behind the leader as we opened a gap on everyone else with me feeling slightly smug in my woolly hat as the rain and wind bit in. My lack of race fitness however began to show as I slipped back from the leader and was soon caught for 2^nd and left straggling in no mans lands. Thankfully between the surging uphill and controlled falling downhill I clawed my way back up onto the shoulder of 2^nd place as everyone` s pace dropped of. For the final 3k I sat there hiding in 3^rd until I managed to muster one final sprint to snatch 2^nd.

David Millar	Irvine	m40	1	35.54	Gold, 1st m40, 1st Team
David McNamee	U/A	m	2	37.10	Silver
Kerry Liam Wilson	Girvan	m	3	37.18	Bronze, 2nd Team
Billy Richardson	Irvine	m	4	37.59	1st team
Cameron Wilson	Kilmarnock	m20	5	38.11	1st m20, 3rd team
Jamie Findlay	Irvine	m	6	38.26	1st Team
Alex Allardyce	Irvine	m	7	39.05	1st team
Steve Daye	North Ayrshire	m	8	39.15
Pat Cullinane	Irvine	m	9	39.49
Brian McEwan	Kilmarnock	m40	10	40.04	3rd team

The top 10

David McNamee, International Triathlete