BC CROSS,(Aldergrove)
So after our in and out workout on Tuesday I was on my own two days later to get in a modified 400 meter workout that would give me an extra day of rest before my race Saturday. The rest of the group were running 16x400 meters on Friday and I was told that I should just run 12x 400 the day earlier.
I did the workout a mile from my house on a track at the high school out here in Walnut grove. It is a rubberized track but it has no upkeep and on one end roots have created speed bumps around the far end and leaves make the one straight stretch a bit slick, but the upside is not too many people use the track, probably for these reasons. So I warmed up from my place and did some drills when I got to the track and shortly after got to it. I ran the first 4x 400 meters in 68, the next 4 in 67 and the final 4 in 66, I jogged 90 seconds between for a rest. I finished off with 3 miles cool down.
Saturday I drove out to Aldergrove for the BC Cross Champs. When I got there I was surprised at the race route that I saw. It was a nice sunny day and warm and from what I saw of the course before the way I liked. I don’t think I have seen or run on a bettre cross country course ever in Canada, and I mean a real cross country course. It had two big hills that sandwiched a steep downhill, some nice gravel path that wrapped around and lead to a treed trail which had another smaller climb and a loop back around a field to the start/finish area, not to mention you can stand in one location on the course and almost see the entire race, yes it is a spectator friendly course that isn’t run just around a field.
As for the race I went to the front from the gun and ran that way from start to finish. After the first loop I knew this was the way to run this course. I wanted to pick my own lines and just run; so going to the front was the best way to do this. I felt strong during the race and ran the uphills hard but the downhills harder. After putting in 120 miles that week I was happy that I still had some jump in my legs and I could hold it together for the win.
The next day Dylan, Richard and Richard and Trevor came over for our 22 mile long run with 6 mile pick-up. I felt good at the start and ran strong over the 6 mile pick up but had to let Richard and Dylan go and find a pace a bit slower that I could handle after racing the day before and that pace was 5:19 pace. In the end I ran the 22.25 miles in 2:10, I relaxed the rest of the day and iced twice.
