The first week of February always takes me back to my school days and cross country running.
Although football was my first love, running longer distances was something I always knew I could do. I was quite fast over the short stuff too, but distance running was something I felt I could do all day long.
However, my first baptism of fire when it came to real cross-country running was in 1971 when running against older boys in the Norwich District area junior champs when I shocked myself and others by coming second.
This was then followed up after being selected to run for the district team in what was a real eye opener a few days later in the Norfolk County Schools X/C Champs at Wells-next-the-Sea in what really was old fashioned cross country running with lots of ditches and dikes to cross. The last mile felt like I was running in a vacuum, and it was just a case of somehow dragging myself to the finish with water squelching out of my plimsoles and saturated wet football socks rolled down around my ankles. I finished in 21st place.
The following year (1972) was somewhat different though with proper running footwear (of the day) and socks.
The area champs which were held annually at the Thorpe Grammar school just outside of Norwich on the first Wednesday afternoon in the month of February just happened to be on a day when if I am honest, I was hoping it might be cancelled due to what had been a heavy snow fall that week.
I went home for lunch and my mum said have two poached eggs on toast just in case it does go ahead, as the food won’t sit too heavy in your stomach. Went ahead it did, and I led from start to finish feeling really strong as I powered my way up Pound Lane which is one of Norfolk’s few hills during the last mile.
However, the Norfolk school’s cross-country champs were then held just three days later at the Paston Grammar school in North Walsham. My aim was to make the county team which of course meant finishing in the top eight.
I can remember it so well with the starter calling us all to the line before shouting out “this is the start of the Norfolk Schools Junior Boys Cross Country Race on February the 5,1972” and then bang the gun went.
Very quickly a bunch of five of us had established a lead and one where we were well ahead of the chasing runners. Then with about a mile to go the pace picked up as the four others opened up a bit of gap on me.
For a brief moment I said to myself ‘let them go’ as I knew I was going to make the Norfolk team.
However, I then very quickly realised that I still had plenty of running left in me and hurriedly caught them back up just prior to coming off a field on to the road and pavement where it was obvious we were heading back to the school for the finish.
A lad by the name of John Critoph from East Norfolk picked the pace up and I just went with him. By this point it was down to just me and him.
Various things were going through my mind at this stage, - surely, I can’t win this? – what if I break away and get lost? – do we run in together?
The next thing I knew we turned into the school where you could see the finish line literally no more than 100 metres ahead. John started sprinting and once again I just went with him. For some reason I could have gone a little harder but for whatever reason I dare not and then we were across the finish line whereby I heard the officials and time keepers shout out ‘the one in the white vest was just ahead.’ I was the county champion!
I really was walking on cloud nine afterwards.
In my mind it was the best thing I had ever achieved in what was my 14 years of life. I certainly was not very academic, and sport was just something I ate, slept, and drank so to become a county champion just felt so special.
I also saw an old friend, John Kingsmill, who was always a little quicker than me when both going to Heather Avenue first school and then Firside Junior School. John, who was now a pupil at the CNS School while I was at Hellesdon Secondary Modern, said “shall we go for a cool down?”
Throughout our little recovery jog John was telling me all about his run in the race. I think he finished about ninth which he was naturally pleased with. He then asked me how I got on. When I told him I was first, he was shocked and then said, “you were never the fastest at junior school, but I always knew you were going to be good at the longer distances.”
He meant it too and John is still a very good friend to this day. He also carried on running for many years after leaving school whilst also producing some very good times in road races.
The next two years as an intermediate (1973 and 1974), I finished runner up in the Norfolk Schools cross country champs on both occasions albeit after going the wrong way and then having to get back on course and force my way back through the field at Dereham in 73. However, I did finish as the first Norfolk finisher in the English Schools X/C.
Back then, cross country running was something that most young people feared and even saw as a punishment. How times have now changed!
