Throughout high school and college I always looked forward to cross country season, but when it came time to race, I dreaded lacing up and toeing the line. I was the typical runner who got pre-race nerves, had trouble keeping water down, and just really hated pushing my body to it's limits. Marathons have helped me with a lot of those feelings, but at this point in my life cross-country is just different. I can't say I don't get nervous, but racing post-collegiately is a downright BLAST!
This past weekend I had the opportunity to race as part of Team RED LIZARD at the USATF National Cross Country Championships in Bend, OR (adult cross country-it's a thing!). The conditions were less than ideal. Just a week before the race, USATF was scrambling to get volunteers to help clear a course covered in close to 18 INCHES of snow! Fortunately they were finally able to get snow blowers out on the course (photo courtesy of FootZoneBend).
This was a pretty important race in that the top 7 runners were chosen to represent the US in the Cross Country World Championships in Uganda. Can you imagine running such an important race in icy, snowy, muddy, windy and freezing conditions? Not to mention, women typically run 5K-6K for cross-country and we were racing 10K. In preparing for the race I'm pretty sure every runner had packed their entire winter running wardrobe - I was very much expecting to have frozen feet and ankles by the end of the race. This was the first race in which I have ever worn half-inch spikes (and I was glad I did!).
In addition to the inclement weather and predictable early February conditions, the course at the River's Edge Golf Course was one never to be forgotten. From muddy pits and hills galore, to icy tuns and banked footing, this course goes down in the books as the toughest course I have ever tackled. You were lucky if you finished without falling at least once (I was not so lucky). Not to mention the elevation! From training at sea level in Portland to racing at 3500 feet in Bend, instant oxygen debt settled in just after the first hill. Nothing like wheezing in the first 400 meters of a 10,000m race to make you question your fitness.
All in all, Team Red Lizard had some huge successes at the race, with multiple top three finishes in the masters divisions (including a first place finish!) and top three team placings in most of the divisions (Women's 40+, 50+, 60+, Open, and Men's Master's). So proud of my Lizards!! As for me, I placed 34th and ran tough--and to top it all off, our Team Red Lizard mixed team placed 5th overall in the Brewer's Relay that followed the races. Gotta love adult cross country! Thanks Joe Dudman for the great photos!
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