XC season is back

Last Saturday I started my winter of cross-country races. As I've been more concerned with 1) my course and 2) getting my GR10 story written, I'd not even entered in advance but left it till Saturday to enter the Red Rose league. Forgetting that the traditional 2.30 start had been brought forward, I arrived at Clayton at around 2.10 and leisurely made my way from where I'd parked thinking I was leaving it a little fine but not enough to rush. When I arrived everyone seemed just about ready and Paul M told they were due off in five minutes. I found the registration desk but the entries officer told me that I already had a number (with Pete R) and just to run without number and sort it out after. A very quick strip of my outer garments and change into spikes was all I had time to do before I joined the multitude awaiting the gun. Last year at Boggart Hole, I came a cropper after two laps running in spikes without a warm up so I ensured that I started slowly and kept near the back for the first lap at least. I did so but found I was running alongside Paul who always paces his races well to move through in the second half. Paul took a tumble, with what appeared to be a good roll then back up again, seeming little troubled (but later I heard he'd knocked a tooth out). After a lap or so I caught up with Barry Chester, who I've battled against in recent seasons and with Mark Swindells. For some reason I had plenty of energy and gradually moved through a group until there was a big gap between me and the next group of runners. On the third lap (I worked out that it was the final lap as none of the fast blokes came through to lap me), I decided to make an effort to catch this group and with half a mile to go had caught the back of them. There was one Horwich vest leading the group. Normally, I would have guessed at Peter R, but as I got to him realised it was Carl Balshaw. We raced each other over the final 300 metres but he had enough in reserve to fend me off by a couple of seconds.
I've three days off so this afternoon I shall do the Great Hill route
Heaton Park this Saturday (is this a race that TF runs or helps with?) - but I shall take it easy again.
Hope everyone at Snowdonia has a rewarding run.