Surviving Hillingdon 

On Saturday 24^th January the South of England Cross Country Championships were held at Hillingdon House Farm in Uxbridge.  NEJ took a very strong team of highly tuned athletes to the event with 14 men and a full compliment of 4 ladies.  A vow of abstinence had been taken by all during the days preceding this prestigious meeting so the spirits were high during the journey across London. 

Joe and Keith had been over to check out the venue particularly the course and where the victory celebrations would begin post race.  They informed us all that the course was very flat and would not be at all muddy. The fabricating pair of old buggers.  An approximation of several hundred runners had already trampled the course into a mud bath long before the senior ladies race at 1.50 pm. Even as we approached the stadium it was obvious that we had been lead astray by our intrepid leaders as all the juniors had the claggy stuff half way up their backs. 

The ladies team of Janet Cobby, Jenny Neal, Julie Unitt and Suzanne Dansie donned numbers and chips and headed for the start.  Now not being at all rude to our ladies for fear of retribution they did look a tad older than the majority of the field but I hasten to add ever so quickly, equally as fit and in some cases (WELL ONE) had equally long legs.  

At 1.50pm on the dot the senior ladies were off. They had to complete 2 small laps 1 almost full lap and 1 complete lap amounting to 8000 metres (5miles).  The very fast young things with long legs ate up the terrain whilst the more conservative slightly slower ladies appeared to struggle in the ankle deep sticky goo that virtually covered the entire course. I was now becoming concerned with our 15000 metre event looming ever closer.  My fears were justified when 40 minutes had passed and Janet was still running.  She was our first lady in, in just under 42 with the other 3 finishing within 5 minutes of each other. The team finished in 34^th place which was a good effort considering the quality of the field.

The final race of the day was the senior men’s 15000 metres (9miles).  This little jaunt decides the champions for the entire South of England and to think of our little running club competing is quite something.  There is also another trophy called the Camden Cup which is basically the Kent championships.  Well NEJ have been victors twice in the last 3 years, the circumstances of our victories need not be elaborated on but win we did. Last year we were pipped by Canterbury Harriers but with our ever improving youth section we had a chance.  Once again numbered and chipped the 14 of us stood on the start and at 2.50pm we were off. The conditions under foot were horrendous and after half mile I was already feeling it.  Our course was 4 of the big laps including a bloody big hill where the mud seemed to be at its thickest. I had Sean Mc, Keith Unitt, John Leach and Steve Walker in and around me with Joe Regan just behind so it was just a case of digging in and getting round.  Before the end of the 2^nd lap the leaders were overtaking us followed by what seemed to be the rest of the entire field.  By now your legs are on fire, your confidence is shot and you hate Cleverly and Webster with such a vengeance that homicide rattles around your head and spurs you to the finish so the dirty deeds can be done.  We had a pretty vocal support team on the course uttering the now infamous words “looking good” and, ”only three laps to go!”.  I was muttering to myself by now, was I to become NEJ’s first serial killer.

The last lap didn’t seem so bad or I had I completely lost the will to live, anyway all 14 finished and we ran Canterbury very close only to find out that Kent AC had 12 runners home before our first crossed the line.  So a second year without the Camden cup, were our spirits dampened, Hell no we were off to the pub. 

After a quick one in Uxbridge it was another trudge back to South London and the Stage door in Waterloo.  We play cricket against this lot in the summer so a prearranged spread of food awaited our arrival and jolly decent fare it was too.  Several glasses of the red stuff and a plate of nosh and the events of the day didn’t seem nearly as bad.  Joe and Keith and the support team survived my homicidal thoughts and the live music which was initially interesting did improve as the night progressed.  

I won’t list the unmentioned members of the team as the results are available.  Normally, well over the past 4 years we have been 2^nd last, well this year we were 47^th out of 52 teams and as I mentioned earlier that’s from the whole of the south of England so well done us. 

As for next year, I’ve already spoken to a hit man. 

Dave