Before trail and mountain running
there was cross country. I love cross country. Strength, speed, agility and
guts required over 5-8 (preferably muddy) kilometers. And the best part is that
I don't have to worry about getting lost, eating and drinking while running,
falling off a cliff or being eaten by bears.
The Vancouver Spirit Run, previously
held in Whistler, B.C., pays tribute to the many life achievements of Frank
Reynolds (August 11, 1939 – December 28, 2006), a local Vancouverite with a
passion for the sport. His vision was to "provide a world-class running
event in the beautiful backyard of British Columbia." I can confirm that
the Spirit Run embodies Frank's intentions.
Mid-September is very early in
the year for me to run cross country. Typically I don't start racing cross until
late October after having some quality speed workouts. But I am using a couple of
cross country races to prepare for the fast Lake Padden Trail Half Marathon,
the U.S. Championships on October 17th. The course around Jericho Beach
Park was a 3 x 2 kilometer loop. This is the same venue that has hosted
Canadian Cross Country Nationals the last 4 years. Jericho Beach likes extreme
weather…
2011: Extreme Mud
2014: Extreme Cold
2015: Extreme Wind
I don't think I will ever have a
PR (personal record) at Jericho Beach! Nevertheless, the racing is always good.
I sat in 4th place for the first lap and then worked up to third by
the start of the 2nd lap. I was hesitant to move away from the lead
pack as the wind was so powerful it was knocking my left leg into my right. But
I gradually pulled away and used the short steep hill and slow mulch path to
increase my lead. Fortunately, I held off for the win and was showered with plentiful
prizes by the races generous sponsors. Full results here.
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| Anchoring each other down. |
Coming off a large training chunk
I definitely lacked pep in my step; I never had another gear to kick into, just
a steady grind. It feels good to get the rust buster out of the way and with another
speed workout this week the next race should feel more comfortable (which means
more painful because if you're comfortable you can push it that much more!).
Alyson and Aly, my Bellingham
Distance Project (BDP) teammates, also headed north to compete. Cross country
is not the same without a team and I am very blessed to have these awesome
girls as friends, motivators and supports. We each had a solid performance
which is a stepping stone into a successful 2015 season!
Many thanks to the race
organizers, volunteers and sponsors, especially SierraSil for the generous
prize purse and to Santevia for the awesome mineralized alkaline water bottles.
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| It was a good day at the office! |
*All photos credit to Tad Davis
