USATF NE XC championships

 I'd been focused on the USATF NE XC championships since getting injured back in July.  After missing nearly a month I knew it'd be at least three months before I'd be back to the shape I was in prior to getting hurt.  Looking at the schedule, XC fit in really well.  Based on my road 5k and my times at other XC races I was hoping to run as fast as 31:30 and if all went well, maybe even break 31.

It was very warm (mid-70s), muggy and windy on race morning.  It wasn't going to be a super-fast XC type day but I guess it could have been worse (at least we weren't doing a marathon).  I did an easy 3 miles in the morning since the race wasn't until 10am (and with the time change it'd feel like 11).  Dan Verrington and I carpooled and we got there by 830am.  There was enough time to catch up with teammates and other club regulars.  A few of us headed out at 910 for a 3 mile warm-up.  It was sticky and I felt kind of lousy (good sign?).  After a quick change into race gear and spikes (yes spikes!) I headed out for another mile with some strides.  Lou Ristano was working his usual spot at the base of Bear Cage Hill, Lou and I go back 35 years, and he is still out there helping out.

Nearly 100 lined up and shot out in a mad dash.  I was pretty far back, somehow I just can't seem to get out quickly enough.  I steadily picked people off (only one guy would pass me in the entire race).  By the mile (6:00) I'd moved up a little and only trailed Dan by a few seconds.  The first mile is always very fast, it is pretty much dead-flat unlike the rest of the course.  At 1.5 we climbed Bear Cage Hill for the first time and on the downward side I passed Dan and started looking ahead to a pack of 5 or 6 guys.  I got onto one guy in the field as we passed the finish line, it was good to find someone to tuck behind heading into the wind.  As we did the gentle climb to the Wilderness section I closed on the group and picked off a couple of the guys.  On the return to the field Doug McLucas (BAA) went by and I latched onto him.  Wed go back and forth for the rest of the race.

Not much changed after 3 miles, I'd passed everyone that I'd end up catching.  I could see GSH runners Francis Burdett (sometimes CMS for mountain racing) and Alejendro Heuck (who I've seen at all of the XC races) up ahead and did my best to close on them. I got within a stride or two of them on top of Bear Cage and then BAM they took off and kicked it in.  I had no additional gear and lost ground every step.

I ended up crossing in 31:29, so not as fast as I wanted but it seemed everyone else also ran slow.  Checking out how close I was to teammates and others who have been doing XC this year confirmed what I'd hoped...I had a pretty good race.

CMS smoked the teams in the 50+, I didn't score for the team but as 6th man I was there to "displace" other scoring runners from opposing teams.  I'll take that!