With less than two weeks to go to the Beachy Head marathon, I went to the first cross-country event of the 2018-19 season of the East  Sussex Sunday Cross Country League, held at the beautiful Snape Wood course near Wadhurst.

It’s a two-lap course with some challenging hills that I’ve run before. Murphy's Law dictates that, on a day when I aimed to trot round gently, I fell heavily on the first lap, just after the one mile mark. I carried on, with a sore jaw, chest and hip, for I landed on my left side. Everything should be better by the time of the marathon. I may have to take the next two weeks gently, though, but that was part of the plan.

Thanks to everyone who helped me up, and walked with me while I recovered.