Sunday 101914

I tried to research what this XC race in Phoenix Park was about and if I’d be better off NOT doing it.  It seemed that I could be way over my head, particularly as it supposedly would draw elites, sub elites, real contenders and folks who had an axe to grind.  And of course,  I was not fresh.

There were no results from last year to lean on, and the website seemed to be generally inviting – encouraging road racers to try their hand at something different.  Ultimately I figured if I watched a friggin XC race in Ireland from the side line that I could jump in, I’d be pretty pissed at myself. 

I jogged over to Phoenix Park, bringing a backpack of a small amount of gear as there was a pretty good wind blowing.  I got there a bit early and was able to catch some of the kid races that were going on earlier in the afternoon.  From what I can gather, kids here don’t run with their school, but instead affiliate with a club that they then train and race with.

The wind was whipping pretty good but the skies were still sunny, but not really clear.
I did an easy jog around the course – a “2k” loop (which meant it was 2.1).  No big climbs, but rollers throughout, some mud – and a lot of soft soft grass.

I learned from an older racer that the registration was over in the local harrier club house, about a mile a way.  I jogged over to that.  Okay, it was part training rooms, some couches, meeting rooms, and museum.  They had a singlet that Eamon Coghlan had worn for them for crying out loud.  And a bunch of pix from World XC was in Ireland that had shots of O’Sullivan, Drossin (now Castor), and Radcliffe. 
I made my way back over the race course and saw the 5k race go off.  I had thought this was the women’s race but it actually was a 5k for master’s men over 60, a 4k for women juniors women, and a 5k for open women and whoever else wanted it to be.  Interestingly, it worked. 
The skies had been turning increasingly gray over the afternoon and just before the men’s 8k (which was also a 6k for junior men, and the qualification race for UK and Irish Masters XC teams for 40 to 60) it started to rain. 

I took a position at the complete back of the field for the start.  I figured that a.)  I was going to suck at it anyway and b.) I didn’t need to get in the way of anyone wanting to fight for some spot on their national team. 

Here is a picture from the start from the Athletics Ireland FB account.  I am the short guy in the back not fighting anyone that you cannot see …

And we were off.  I had my excuses lined up to not go out too fast:  I was running in Hokas, I was tired from a big week of training, I had raced yesterday.  So I went out a bit too fast … but probably only so I did not get left 200 yards behind the rest of the field.  I looked around and I was nearly dead ass last after 400 yards.  Wake up!

After about a kilometer, a few guys began to come back, but generally I was with the group of guys I was going to go back and forth with.  Interestingly on the flatter sections, they’d get away from me a bit.  On the “hills” or the softer sections, I’d roll them back.  This would go back and forth for as much as 40 yards.  I thought a couple of times some of those guys were gone, but then, they’d come back. 

The rain got picked up in laps 2 and 3, and I had to grin at this.  I mean, what else should I expect at an Irish XC race.  I actually heard the announcer say, “well now this is good XC weather.  It should get you all in the spirit.”  Here is another Athletics Ireland shot.  Recognize the lady?  That is Fionnuala Britton.

As I started at the complete back of the field, I can say I only got passed by one dude – and that was in the last 250.  Otherwise, I was moving up all day.  Mind you, it was not quick in the slightest.  GPS had me at 6:20 pace and change for the 5.3 miles.   I probably finished in 600th place or something.  Safe to say I would not have made the Irish XC team for 45 year olds on this go around.  Wondered if Sweeney would.  I will need to look at results when posted to see about that.

So fun, good workout, and glad I did it.  Certainly felt the load of the week, but I know that even if it were half of what it was, I’d not have been looking at 40 seconds faster a mile.  Oh – I was happy to not be lapped (or even close to it) by guys finishing their fourth loop as I was finishing my third (believe me, I thought about it and it could happen).

What else?  Oh, everyone around me in the race was either named Martin, Patrick or Eamon.  Go figure.  But nearly everyone called us lads as we went by anyway.  There is a write up on the race as of this evening.

I jogged back to the hotel to finish the day with 14 and change miles.

95 on the week – clearly the largest mileage week on the year.  But it would be inappropriate not to mention that I had about 20 last week.  And that is how it is going to go.  I need to take the training where I can get it – and when I can’t – like when vacationing with my family, I won’t look to force it.    So I am happy with this week, as I took advantage of getting in some long stuff, a good two day pair for me (40 plus, so growing that to continue the concept of the double, running on tired legs), getting in some harder efforts and enjoying leveraging the gift of being able to scope places out with my own two feet.

Some pix I took yesterday afternoon

Definitely feeling today the odd contrast of enjoying a job that gets me to travel to wonderful locations like this and wanting to be back home.  I appreciate that I am here.  It would be a helluva lot more fun if I was with my family.

Big bond issue at home regarding school infrastructure improvements in BVSD.  I’d be fore it but with 20 million as a part of it for “education innovation” it seems like an over reach on the ask, particularly as it is the largest in CO history.

CU’s performance at PreNats seems to solidify their lock on the NCAA big prize.  I have to look but Syracuse up ending Stanford … I thought Stanford was supposed to be number 2?  It looks like they didn’t run their A squad … And Theroux almost catching Cheserek has to be exciting.  This is a kid that only had 1:55, 4:16 speed coming to him from HS.  Wetmore is amazing.

Cranny was 7th at Wisco.  And so was her team.  She might do great as an individual at Stanford, but when her next team mate is 53rd in a race, they ain’t going to make any team podiums.

Locally (as in back in CO) – I got this note … so yes Elizabeth, you can do your own 100 miler if you are nuts enough to do so.  This is an impressive route.

Start at Starbucks Coffee at Broadway & Baseline in Boulder at 8:00 AM.  Head up on foot to Chautauqua, and continue up Gregory Canyon to cross Flagstaff Road at Realization Point (about mile 3).  Head down Chapman Road to cross Boulder Canyon (mile 6).  Go up Boulder Canyon to the link trail into Betasso, and go all the way through Betasso and Benjamin, out the link trail to Fourmile Canyon (mile 12).  Head up Fourmile into Salina, and take the Church Road up to cross Sunshine Canyon, and continue through the town of Sunshine and to Sunshine Saddle (mile 16).  Cruise down the trail into Lefthand Canyon, across that, up onto Gold Ridge, down through Spring Gulch, and up into Ward (mile 30).  Pause briefly in Ward to resupply food.

Head north out of Ward and take CR100 and CR103 out to cross Peak-to-Peak into the South St. Vrain trail (mile 33).  Take that to catch the North Sourdough, and go south on Sourdough to the South Sourdough Trailhead (mile 43).  Head up Rainbow Lakes Road to FR505 to the Caribou Townsite (mile 49).  Head down Caribou Road into Nederland (mile 54).  Maybe get a bite here if anything's open, but that's unlikely.

From Ned, go out towards the high school to take the Sugar Magnolia trail into the West Magnolia trails.  Head through them into Rollinsville (mile 60).  Go south on Peak-to-Peak to CR12 to CR13 to Peak-to-Peak again to Gap Road into Golden Gate Canyon State Park (mile 66).  Go all the way through the park on trails to Red Barn (mile 76).  Head down Drew Hill Road to Belcher Road into White Ranch (mile 82).  Go through the trails of White Ranch, and out 56th Avenue to cross 93 (mile 88).

Head east on 58th Avenue and south into Table Mountain.  Go all the way over Table Mountain, and down into central Golden (mile 94).  Go to the Jefferson County Government Center (mile 97), and get on the light rail into Denver, to catch the B bus back to our starting point.

Good lord.