Frostbite XC, 10 Mar 2024

This was my Frostbite debut, having missed the 2023 dates due to injury and the first two in 2024 being cancelled due to water levels. The weather was a challenge, being cold, windy and very rainy still!

Being new to the Frostbite series, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but got some pre-race advice to do my laces up tight due to extensive amounts of sticky mud that had claimed a few trainers in the previous Juniors race. I set off relatively steady, knowing that I usually have a tendency to set off at a rather optimistic pace, and I was glad I did, considering the course included a few long and quite steep hills!

This was my first cross country style race since being in school, so it was a bit of a shock to be ankle deep in mud in a number of places, having only completed road runs since returning to sports last year. I really noticed the effect of running through mud and on an uneven surface, noting a drastic drop in my energy levels around the 5km mark.

I finished in position 80/255, with a time of 39:37, taking first lady for my club and 14th lady overall.

It was great to see so many clubs and other runners in attendance considering the rather miserable weather conditions, and all the marshals along the way were fab! I look forward to the 2024/25 season which I might manage to make a few more appearances at!

Mica Covell