Catching Up........Quite Literally!

I suppose that this time of the year is regarded as a quiet time in athletics, the only real competition at the present moment are the various cross country championships around the country which I assume are used by most athletes for winter training. Having said that, one would think that the odd covering of snow here and there, would not deter the most hardy of athletes from competing. Ahaaaa.......not so. Whilst the athletes are eager to strutt their stuff up muddy hills and through sodden fields, attracting mud to area's of their bodies that they never knew existed, there is a hidden menace that seeks to halt all of our fun. The perpertrator is......H & E or for the less well informed among you Health and Safety.
You see, I've spent the last few months training in all kinds of treacherous conditions, hoping to consolidate my position on the leader board of the Grand Prix Express North Wales Cross Country league. I've braved wind, rain, snow, sleet, mud, dangerous dogs and of course early mornings. Then, following the recent snows, which coincidentally had begun to recede, the Wrexham event has been cancelled. Is the course knee deep in snow? Are there the wrong type of leaves on the track? Or is it that the mole hills on the course are more than 8 inches high?  Nope, it's the car park you see.....too slippery!!!!!!!!!!!   WHAT??????????  Yep, the car park is too slippery. Has the world gone mad?

Whilst I am sure that I'd be right in saying on behalf of all of the athletes, that we would hate to see any accidents, can we really not be trusted, to leave our vehicles, and walk across an icy car park?  As children, didn't we slide along frosty pavements on a wintry morn'....didn't we walk 1 or two miles to school.....did we hop over the odd hedge and pinch the occasional apple? Of course we did. Sometimes, I wonder what on earth happened to common sense in this world....it seem's that we are a race of cossetted individuals, incapable of rational thought or problem solving, lest we forget that we were born with a modicum of intelligence.....Please Mr or Mrs Health and safety person.....lets credit a little sense to us!!!