To start -
WHO FREAKING CALLED IT!!??
"If I had to pick a winner, I'd pick the All-American boy, Bobby Mack.
That's not even because he's a friend of mine. He's by far the
strongest XC runner in the race."
I am quoting my own blog post from last week. Bobby is the American Sergey Lebid. Cross Country specialist, and best in crappy conditions on tough courses.
Enough about others, more about ME!
I was bib number 666 and placed 13th. I guess it was cursed from the start.
Trish and I left Minneapolis with a -20 degree wind chill and expected something better 9 hours south in St. Louis. I guess it was better, but the sleet and 30mph wind that greeted us at the course was still not what I was hoping for. On raceday, the sun came out, but the air temp was still in the low 20's with a single digit wind chill when we were starting the race. The men's race was the sixth of the day, and coupled with the sun and melted snow from the night before, the ground became muddy and slippery, while still being cold as hell.
I got out well and dangled at the back of the lead pack for the first few k. For style points, I forgot that I had my awesome Merino Wool Buff around my neck when I shed clothes to race, so I was looking pretty awesome until I threw it off, carefully in a place that I could come back and get it later. I'm not hollywood enough to just buy another one. Perhaps this isn't the best thing to be worrying about in a championship race.
I've known since college that real cross country racing is not my strongest skill. I'm not coordinated on slippery mud while trying to run fast. I'm not that good on short, steep hills, and for some reason, I'm just kind of a puss in XC races. I was trying to prove to myself that I could do better, and I probably did. I was able to split faster through 8k that I ever finished a college 8k race. Still, the slipping in the mud thing did me in. I faded back from the lead pack, but held a solid gap pretty much alone. A few runners died off and I picked them off. Unfortunately I was run down by an Air Force guy (that has happened to me in XC a number of times) and a University of Colorado runner (that has also happened a lot) I floundered around trying to kick down some guys and get in the top 10, but I just kept knocking my knees together and flailing around. Today, I actually have bruises on the insides of both knees from hitting them together so much and with such force. What a pansy!
Meanwhile, (well, about a minute earlier) Bobby was manhandling the front of the field, pushing hard in the last k to get the win. It was really cool to be there to see a friend get a national championship and get the cred he deserves.
Now my XC season is over. I think I may have a 1-2 race indoor track season this month, then get back on the roads once they are more thoroughly thawed throughout the country. Right now I'll (probably) be racing the Iowa State last chance meet, the Gate River Run, and any early outdoor meets that will have me.
Also, a big thanks to Craft, who gives me clothing. The nordic ski inspired stuff may have saved my life while standing around in the freezing cold. I very nearly ran the race in the fleece-lined tights and wind shell jacket.
