Review of 2010 Warwickshire XC Champs, Newbold Comyn

by Mark Coyle

Considering the amount of the white stuff lying around the drive to Leamington for the annual Warwickshire XC Champs proved surprisingly easy enough, until that is, I arrived at Newbold Comyn Car Park. This was a different kettle of fish. The road and car park hadn’t been gritted leaving them covered by a thick layer of ice and as I joined the back of a disturbingly long queue I glanced anxiously at my watch. The queue hadn’t moved for several minutes when I spotted the Delaney family – looking very sheepish – as they edged slowly out of the car park their faces as red as their Audi estate which had been defeated by the conditions and was rapidly retreating to the safety of another car park. Hardly very Vorsprung durch Technik today then I chuckled to myself until I suddenly realised that if the conditions had defeated the very best efforts of high quality German engineering what chance my “made in China” New Balance trail shoes of keeping me upright and in full “traction” control around the ankle deep snow and compacted ice of Newbold Comyn?

Parking spot secured in my equally Germanic VW Golf I emerged from the air-conditioned warmth of my car to the sound of excited shouts and squeals from the children – and some of the Dads – as they raced down the long steep slope of Beacon Hill on brightly coloured sleds. I squinted up at the clear blue sky to the crowd perched on the beacon and smiled, at least the arrival of the snow meant we wouldn’t be scrambling up that this afternoon. Or plunging through the ice into the stream, God only knows how cold that would have been today.

The ladies race was in full swing as I emerged from the car park as Kathryn Stuart flashed past and I decided to stand and wait for the rest of the ladies team to run by and give them a rousing cheer and a clap while I could still feel my fingers. The two Jackies (Timms & Stuart) motored by battling manfully - or should that be womanfully - with the compacted snow and ice. Jackie Timms had a huge smile on her face so I adopted my best Paul Bergin impression and told her she wasn’t here to enjoy herself. Bergs would have been proud I’m sure.

The Sphinx dressing room had the fateful air of Scott of the Antarctic’s tent as I booted out a couple of Polar Bears and a gaggle of penguins and settled into a comfy spot beside the radiator which to my disappointment, but not my surprise, wasn’t on. We huddled together for warmth and discussed who had the bluest legs and various methods for amputating frost bitten toes, when a request for a brave volunteer was aired. A hardy soul was needed to venture out and make a decision on spikes versus trail shoes. In the true spirit of Sphinx bonhomie and camaraderie a heavy silence descended and all eyes fell to the floor the only sound to be heard was Barry Burrows softly sobbing as he scratched out his last will and testament on the wall with the sharp end of a rusted safety pin. Suddenly the legend that is Graham Patton stood and nobly declared “I’m going outside now…. And, I may be gone for sometime” In those temperatures we knew it was only a matter of time before one of our bladders collapsed under the pressure.

Just then the women burst in with faces and legs as red as a slapped rear-end. Bob “two hands” Torley offered to rub some warmth into their frozen limbs but this was politely declined and we watched in envious silence as – race complete – they donned several thick layers then cupped piping hot mugs of tea. A moment of real melodrama was played out as Jackie Timms staggered in - limbs numbed with the cold - and collapsed into Mitch’s arms. Touchingly he laid her gently to the floor and lovingly brushed the icicles from her eyebrows and the tip of her nose before cradling her in his arms and whispering softly into her ear,

“Jackie, what size spikes are you wearing?”

It was our turn next. like condemned men toying with their last meal while eyeing the executioner sharpening his axe we shuffled out silently in single file heads bowed to face the icy windswept tundra that was Newbold Comyn.

Actually it wasn’t that bad. The starters whistle saw the leaders blast off – Ashley among them alongside a bloke from Godiva with a team of Huskies and a sled, which was pushing the boundaries of cheating to the very edge I thought. Still the conditions underfoot weren’t as bad as it looked and to shouts of encouragement from various supporters dotted around the course we settled into what was actually quite a tame – if bitterly cold - run for a XC course.  Strangely the race transpired to be a race within a race as a knot of five or six Sphinx guys came together half way through the first lap and an “in-house” tussle broke out from here on in. Some may say it was team bonding. That old Sphinx camaraderie rearing its head once again. A team – nay, a band of brothers – moulded and forged together, as one, with unquenched spirit battling the elements together, it was emotional. I managed to get up to Bryan Pears shoulder and between gasps stammered…

“All for one and one for all ay Bry”

“Yer what bloke?”

“You know, we stand alone together, us Sphinx lads”

Without breaking stride he fixes me with the corner of his eye and murmured a reply I’ll never forget.

“Sod that Bloke, the hot water in the showers can only last for so long…..know what I mean?”

From there on in it was a no holds barred, vicious blood letting with no quarter asked or given. Sphinx man pitted against Sphinx man all acutely aware of the finite capacity of the hot water storage system in the changing room block. Race complete, we dashed for the warmth and sanctuary of the changing block – and, having kicked out the polar bears and penguins…again - we showered our frozen bodies before seeking the warmth of a welcoming brew pondering the effects of global warming and wondering which was worse a flat course in artic conditions or a hill and a muddy stream. Either way, it’s good fun.

Which leads us onto the Juniors. Bringing a group of them over the previous week to look at the rolling GREEN fields and get them used to the mankiller that is Beacon Hill now didn’t seem like such a brilliant idea after all! The hill was now not to be used because of the amount of flippin’ kids sledging on it (surely somebody should have told them they are not here to enjoy themselves!) and the only green thing in sight was the mould on some of the burgers!

Boy was it cold! Anyway Bob Carey had already discovered that Sphinx had the only full team entered in the U20Mens race – all we had to do was get them all there and for none of them to drop out during the race – no pressure then lads! But, as Bob bemoaned – what a statement about junior athletics in Warwickshire. But the Matt Melia, Tom Delaney and Alastair Lord got themselves round and deserve to be crowned Warwickshire Champions!

Not to be outdone the U17 Boys also had a tremendous result with the team picking up 3rd place with Jamie Cozens producing a sprint finish that Usain would have been proud of to come home in 6th followed by Amarpal Sahota and Scott Walsh – well done to you lot as well. In the other age groups our boys were up against really tough opposition in horrible conditions but showed up well in their Sphinx colours  - well done Craig, Andy, Curtis and Chris.

In the junior girls we managed to get a full team in the U15s who performed credibly to finish 6th overall – well done Jade, Paige, Anna and Kirsty. While in the U13s (who loved the conditions almost as much as the penguins!) Ellen and Hannah gave sterling performances as they always do!

All the youngsters who finished in the top 10 are now in line to be selected to run for Warwickshire in the Inter-Counties at Cofton Park – well done to them. But, really well done to every one of them for braving some horrible conditions and still gave excellent performances.