The first start of the new cross season - KAV Holland Cross 2021

Disclaimer: Automatically translated from Russian

The first start of the new cross season of the series RunX Haarlem Cross Circuit. Last year, this race did not take place. This year lucky. Although restrictions have been introduced, participation is only if there is a QR code. At first I wanted to score, but I had to pick up prizes over the past two years ago, Mokums Cross Circuit. So in a day I had to go pass the PCR test to get the QR code.

I will not write in great detail, since I have participated in this race twice already - in 2018 and 2019 years.

Preparation. As preparation, I did not find anything better than getting sick, and almost 3 weeks passed without training and a stadium. The gaps in quick work were felt very much - speed and some kind of past power at the time of the start completely weathered. In the morning, the scales showed 74.7 kg, which also did not add optimism.

Early rise, breakfast, equipment:

I’m leaving for a place. He arrived an hour and a half before the start to see how children, juniors and women would run. The weather is so-so - cool ( 11 degrees ) and then starting, then stopping rain. Women were not lucky this time - about 5 minutes before the shot, a downpouring went smoothly, which ended in just rain, and ended 5 minutes before our start.

I look around. I notice the main competitors in last year’s races. Although I understand that today it is not worth counting on any decent result. Moreover, at this race I traditionally perform rather badly.

It is announced that this year the track was slightly changed - instead of three circles, four must run. Either the forest is too dirty, or they simply could not clear the fallen trees in time. Well, four so four. I remember somehow complaining that with an odd number of circles it’s difficult to decompose. Please, here are four for you - give your hand - I don’t want to :-)

Shot, ran. In the front rows did not climb. Part of the people rushed straight from the start. So I went to the first turn in the first third of the crowd (in a white T-shirt in the center of the frame):

About sneakers. There was no particular choice. There are currently three pairs in rotation. NB 1500v5 was not very popular last year. Salomon Sense Mantra in the first year also showed themselves not very well. Shipovki decided not to wear, since there are two sections on the asphalt - meters 350 and 200. In general, I decided to wear Brooks Hyperion Tempo. It seems that adidas adios used to run crosses and kept quite normal. But with Brooks there was a complete failure - they did not hold it at all. Buddy Dennis ( with whom we later stood on the nightstand ), overtaking me ( even this fact already says a lot ), laughed - you say, glide like a cat on linoleum. And there were a lot of mud turns, so I lost a lot of time. Here’s about these turns:

Leaving the forest, he tried to shake as much dirt as possible from sneakers.

In general, next time - only spikes. It’s better to darn penny spikes a little about asphalt than to suffer so much.

In general, it was hard. Torn pace, slippage, imperfect physical form. The people overtook it just like that. Here in this frame a dude is running after me:

The next circle - it is already ahead:

But sooner or later it ends. I also finished.

The final time is 39:57 (8.4 km). Splits in circles (round about 2.2 km): 9:28 (4:17 / km) 10:00 (4:29 / km) 10:18 (4:35 / km) 10:10 (4:33 / km)

In category M35, the 9th of 24 people and the 30th of 104 among all men. Not that very terrible, normal. Link to protocol and strava.

After the finish line quickly washed away the dirt, changed clothes and went to wait for the award. The organizer of the Mokums Cross Circuit came up, exchanged a few words. In about 10 minutes they announced the award ceremony. Unfortunately, of all the winners, only Dennis and I were present. So we were just given cups, photographed and released in peace:

Here they are - my beauties: - )

He waited for the award ceremony for this start, then in the car and home - to wash the sneakers:

As I already wrote, put in a pencil on the calendar all the starts of both series of crosses, I will try to escape how much will come of those that will nevertheless take place. I hope that it will be possible to come in a better shape.