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August 29, 2004
Easy run/ XC race
The last couple days here in northern california have been very hot. Yesterday afternoon it hit 101 inland (where I live) and even along the coast it was pretty warm.
On Friday I ran with the students....I ran the first half up front with the top runners and then came back a different route only to find about 7 student athletes trying to hide in the woods , skip running, avoid the heat... Seeing me...they knew they were busted.... I looked at them and said... And you are so obvious too...if you are going to try to skip a run, take a short cut, etc... you need to be a lot more creative and effective than that...! I ended up running a total of 4 and then I jumped into traffic to go visit my sister in the east bay (turns out there was TONS of traffic!)
On Saturday I got up very early....5:45 am to head down to Santa Cruz for the first xc race of the season. There are about 10 races in the PAUSATF series, your best 6 races are scored and the races are scattered all over the bay area. The past few years I've placed high enough at the end of the season to end up in the top 5 overall (Open Runners) and earn comp entries for all xc races the following year.
This year I'm comped...but I don't feel as pumped up as I have in the past. Maybe it's because I just finished the first week of school and I'm tired from coaching, teaching, lesson plans, socializing, and multi-tasking constantly.... I 'm not sure. My goal at the start of the season is to try to score high enough overall that I can end up in the top 5 at the end of the season...but this year I'm not even sure if I'll be able to run 6 races...we'll see.... I still went down to Santa Cruz...with the hopes that since it would be the first race of the season not many people would show up and the atmosphere would be low key. Well---it ended up being somewhere in between. There weren't tons of people, but the competition proved to be very good... lots of folks seemed to be in very good shape, if they only get more fit I'm afraid to see how fast they'll run in November!!!!-- and the atmosphere was definitely relaxed before and after the race.
The course is beautiful. The first 2 miles are uphill on fireroads. Miles 1.3 to 2.2 are exposed ...so it was pretty hot ....but the majority of the course meanders along a beautiful trail covered with huge redwood canopies...! One really couldn't complain... The final 2 miles are almost entirely downhill. The last mile is still downhill but with a few good rollers....so if you felt could you could really pick off people on the rollers...
I started off easy...(for me). I tend to go out fast in any race...I just get excited...and think oh today is going to be my day I'll be able to keep up this insane pace the entire distance. Well yesterday I just went out conservatively. (my first mile was only 6:58--it was uphill---but it still felt strong and relaxed!!)..around 1.5 miles I started picking people off...by the time I got to 2 miles I had moved up to 6th place with two runners in hot pursuit of me. Between miles 2 and 3 I felt really good running with the woman who was in 7th. She pushed me a lot and I felt like...this is great...hopefully we can work together and pick off a couple more runners between here and the finish. Well--- that's not exactly how it turned out...
around 3.2 miles or so..i just felt really flat all of a sudden...I dropped into 8th place and played the hold on game. I just thought...hopefully no one else will pass me...I'm somewhat comfortable but really can't make a move ... I just felt tired. On the last turn of the race with 75 meters to go...I got passed...i tried to
go with the woman...but I had nothing left in my legs... I 'm pretty sure I ended up 9th..and ran 25.51. The only mile I checked my time was mile 1. I think I'll start taking splits for my races b/c I'm really curious what my last mile in this race was...I felt like I kind of hit the wall....but I'm not sure.
Since it's the start of the xc season...the result/race isn't too bad. I just didn't have that magical feeling where you feel like you are flying. It felt much more like some of the tempo runs I've been running...which is probably a good thing...since I really went into the race thinking ok...this is to see where you are at...the first 2 miles should be a tempo effort and the 2nd 2 miles should be more of a race.... I think as the season continues...if I can keep everything in balance...sleep, work, workouts, etc... I should have at least one magical race...where I feel like I'm flying and surging and coasting....the entire way.... We'll see...
Today I feel pretty good. I'm tired overall...but not sore or hurt. Later on this evening I'll run between 13 and 14 with my brother in law.
More later!
Posted by liz at August 29, 2004 03:17 PM
Comments
Hi Liz, I am here with Kevin and Pauline. They now have a link to your site. Thanks for the cross country update. More soon, Mary
Posted by: mary at August 29, 2004 07:25 PM