Welcome to this year’s cross country program. We have had a somewhat different start to the season for the first time since moving from the Water Police station to McDermott Place several years ago.

The Friday and Wednesday events have allowed me to contest major orienteering events on the last two Saturdays and tomorrow. Last Saturday my whole family was enjoying cross country running at its best on a magnificent sheep property near Marulan with spectacular beehive shaped rock formations in the bush. Tomorrow it will be off to more sheep properties and State forests abutting the Shoalhaven River near Tarago while Carol and I do an 8 hour rogaine (long distance orienteering).

During the track season there were some excellent performances by many schools cross country runners. However, the performance by James Southgate last weekend in winning the Australian Little Athletics Exchange 800m and 1500m is very hard to top. James has always been a very keen cyclist and last track season was the very first time James has ever done any regular running training or raced seriously. James shows just how beneficial bike riding can be in developing a very high level of aerobic fitness. His sister Anne ran a record breaking 7:30 for last Wednesday’s 2kms at Lake Ginninderra in the under 13 girls. Anne also is a top cyclist for her age and has been bike riding for several years.

So if you want to well in the zone and ACT cross countries coming up in the next month, you can give your fitness a boost by mixing bike riding and running.

In the Australian Three Days Orienteering Championships over Easter, Matthew Harding won M10 while Heather Harding was 5^th in W14A, with a best place of 2^nd on the last day.

There is a 1km run at 12noonpm for children aged 5 to 11 years, a run of about 3kms at 12.15pm and a longer run at 1pm. These are 1 hour earlier than in previous years.

Orienteering is a great activity for all the family, especially people who like getting out and experiencing nature at its best in bushland, farmland, forests, and national parks. You walk, jog or run with a map.

There is schools orienteering each Saturday morning and you can start anytime between 11am and 1.30pm, while there are also events most Sundays from 10am to 12.30pm and Wednesday lunchtimes from 11.30am to 1pm. On several Sundays there is mountain bike orienteering.

Parents are encouraged to walk/jog with their children around the courses, or do their own courses. Ask John or Carol Harding for more information. We have a weekly training session for beginners and others, usually on Thursday afternoons, where you can learn and practise orienteering.

Some important information for you:

• Most of all, we want you to have a good time when you come out on a Saturday morning. Enjoy the scenery, watch the ducks and pelicans, feed the ducks, go for a warm-up jog, don’t push yourself too hard in your race, enjoy feeling yourself getting fitter
• If you are not doing other sports, try and do some training during the week: jogging, bike riding, walking are all great ways of improving your basic fitness. If you improve your time on a Saturday morning, you win a chocolate frog. However, you must be there on the following Saturday to receive it.
• If you are a teenager, there are training groups you can join
• If you want information on training, we have a hand-out available
• We also let you know about other running events that are on. It is fun to do a range of activities such as fun runs, orienteering and the monthly womens’ jogalong and minijog

It is important that you eat and drink something before you come out to run on Saturday morning. Good things to eat include:

• piece of toast/crumpet/pikelet/pancake with jam/honey
• muffin, biscuit, noodles, breakfast bar

Good things to drink include:

• water, cordial, cup of tea

Bad things to eat just before running (but good at other times):

• cereal with a lot of milk, yoghurt, chocolate

Bad things to drink just before running (but good at other times):

• milk, milo, hot chocolate

Dental studies recently have found that sports drinks can be very bad for your teeth, so should be avoided. When drinking a sports drink, use a straw so that the drink does not touch your teeth.

6. Results

The first 3 place getters each week have their names sent in to the Canberra Times. These are in the results section, usually a day or so after the competition.