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2019 Matt Yeo Memorial Aggies Cross Country Open race recap – Martinez, CA

2019 Matt Yeo Memorial Aggies Cross Country Open race recap – Martinez, CA

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The Matt Yeo Memorial Aggies cross-country race up in Martinez was one of the only XC races I ran last year. Going into it last weekend, I felt excited that I knew what I was getting myself into (for once this season!), but I also knew that the course’s very, very, veeeeeeeery flat profile could easily lend the race to a level of discomfort that I haven’t really had this season.

In other words: flat running (in theory) means fast racing. And we all know that fast racing — while absolutely exhilarating — can be *quite* uncomfortable, particularly if you haven’t done much of it lately. 

In the absence of CIM training this season, I’ve been running pretty much all of my training runs at really comfortable GA or recovery paces. The only exceptions are the almost-weekly XC races, wherein I try to dial it up as much as I can on the (typically hilly) courses. Each week, I’ve been running on hilly trails more in the past few months than I have in a very long time, so while my endurance is definitely refined, I’m in the dark about any speed in my legs. Racing at Martinez, thanks to the aforementioned super flat nature of the course, would shine a light for me on what’s going on with the stems and hopefully give me a good idea of my fitness right now … in theory, anyway.

Everything about this year’s XC race was virtually the same as it was last year — same type of weather, same racing order, same fielding-two-full-teams aspect — and just like last year, I came into the race with a week’s worth of stroller running under my belt since my preschooler was on fall break. (Read: my already pretty slow-going running has been even slower the past week, thanks to pushing 90+ pounds of kid and stroller!). As the gun went off, my nerves were nowhere to be seen, and the only thought looping on repeat was something along the lines of just show up and work hard. 

somewhere early on (look how flat!) (PC: WRC)

The 4.2 mile, 2 loop-course was just how I remembered it, but the most significant difference from my ‘18 to ‘19 race was in how I felt in the thick of it. By the end of my first loop last year, it was abundantly clear that I had gone out waaaaaaaaay too fast and was going to “run-of-shame” it in to the finish line with hopefully some semblance of my ego in tact. This year, I made a conscious effort to get off the line more comfortably than in ‘18, and I knew that patience would be my best friend. Never once did I look at my watch while I was racing — even when it beeped at each mile marker, I ignored it — and I try my damnest to stay in it and to keep picking off women ahead of me. Lisa and Anica were far ahead, but Janet and Heather were within close range. All of us sporting Wolfpack neon made the visuals fantastically easy. 

a small group of us all working together after miles 1 and 3. (BTW, that official is really nice and was super enthusiastic. We chatted for a while during the men’s open and masters races). (PC: Jeff)

As is always the case, it seemed like the wind had picked up significantly during the race from how it was during the warm-up miles. For a good portion of the first part of the race, I was working with other runners in a pack, each of us taking turns leading and tucking in. One of the very last things Coach Lisa told us on the starting line was to go for a negative split on this course. While I never looked at my watch throughout the race, I stayed as mentally dialed-in as possible, negotiating and renegotiating my pace and effort and wondering if I had enough left to pick it up over the second half. I didn’t remember my piss-poor pacing at last year’s race until I just re-read my recap moments ago, so I can’t help but wonder if something deep in my psyche told me to not race again like an idiot.  

I am almost always racing with the woman behind me (kinda fun little bit about XC). She’s very sweet. (PC: Jeff)

Somewhere in the final 1.5, I began to slowly close the gap between Janet, Heather, and me, and I picked off another 3 or 4 women that were between us. It made for a really fun finish, with Janet, Heather, and me finishing in succession (and with only 19 seconds between us). I’m forever working on that strong finishing kick, and this time I got down to a 5:15 pace and over the last two minutes of the race, I threw down as much as I could. It was work, to be sure, but it was so, so fun.

that pretty pain face strikes again (PC: Alex)

Even with the super flat and super fast course that is Martinez, runners still have the fun challenges to navigate, like a grass starting and finishing area, a couple bridges, a couple sand spots, a scribbly course, and variable terrain throughout. I mean, it is XC, after all. Regardless, if you are looking to get your feet wet in XC but aren’t super comfortable with hills yet, this course is an excellent foray into this fun world. (Mark your calendars for next year!) 

I learned much later that I paced myself in a way that was night and day better than last year’s race, and even though ‘19 was a little less than one minute slower than ‘18, I’m calling ‘19 a huge win. This is one of those times in running and racing where we can pick our outlook; I could be sad or embarrassed or whatever that I ran a little more slowly than I did in ‘18, or I could be elated that I ran as evenly and as well-for-me as I did in the absence of any real fast running or speedwork for several months. I will happily select the latter, and it’s the latter that’s getting me hyped about marathon training in ‘20. I was (and remain) so, so happy with how I ran at Martinez, and it makes me smile when I think about how I felt during the race. It was one of *those* types of mornings, gang.    

keep showing up! (PC: WRC)

We (incredibly) only have one more meet this weekend before the PA regional championship in mid-November, so as usual, local friends, here’s my blanket invitation for everyone to come play XC this week at Excelsior’s meet in Daly City. Hope to see your smiling faces there.  

2019 Willow Hills Cross Country Open Race Recap – Folsom, CA

2019 Willow Hills Cross Country Open Race Recap – Folsom, CA

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Holy moly, what a weekend for the running community! Between Eliud Kipchoge’s going sub-2, Brigid Kosgei shattering the women’s world marathon record in Chicago, and the thousands of inspiring stories coming out of Chicago from us normal, everyday folk, it was an exciting weekend for those of us captivated by the simplicity and challenge of putting one foot in front of the other, hundreds of thousands of times, as fast as we can.

Back in this neck of the woods, my team and I ran the eighth cross country race of the PA USATF circuit, the Willow Hills open up in Folsom: arguably not as exciting as going sub-2 in a marathon or breaking a world record, but you know. Different strokes. 

the ladies of the morn. Yay to having a full squad! (PC: Reid/WRC)

My only running experience in Folsom is at the starting line of CIM, so I didn’t have a clue about the Willow Hills 5k course we’d be running. Folsom is a good two hours-and-change from here, so I was thrilled when Coach Lisa offered to drive most of us north; there’s clearly no shame in my game since I took advantage of the opportunity to snooze periodically throughout the drive. When we arrived to the high school staging area for the race, we immediately noticed the campfire smell in the air — which, early in the morning, is somewhat odd — before we realized that a fire must have been nearby. 

Sure enough, the skies were hazy, and as we’d later learn, the fire was somewhat in the vicinity (off the same exit as the one we took, just in the opposite direction). Some runners from other teams showed up to run, and upon smelling/feeling the smoke, they turned around and left. (This all, of course, was happening on the heels of the power outage earlier in the week. Throughout northern and central California, PG&E, our investor-owned gas and electric provider, preemptively shut down a lot of people’s power, since the conditions and temperatures were ripe for a fire. Fortunately, few, if any, fires broke out during the high risk days). The noxious smells in Folsom didn’t hold a candle to what northern California endured last November during the Paradise fire — not in the slightest — but there was enough of a smell in the air to alert you that a fire was in the nearby distance. 

milling about before the gun (PC: Reid/WRC)
and we’re off! (PC: Reid/WRC)

Anyway. The race. The 5k, two-loop course was nestled between the high school and a recent housing development. It seemed like the course was something of an afterthought — along the lines of we have this plot of land between Point A and Point B, but we can’t do anything on it, so here, it’ll be a park and a cross country course. I later learned that the course is actually pretty storied and predates said housing development; who knew? Part of the course wrapped around a small lake, and other parts of the woodchipped course snaked its way near what appeared to a pretty extensive housing development and adjacent to the highway, through a playground (yes, we ran through a playground in a XC race!), and up and over several short and steep mogul-like hills. On Strava maps, XC races sorta look like a child’s scribbles, since you rarely go in a straight line for very long. The Willow Hills course was much the same. 

coming off the starting loop near the lake and about to cut through a playground (PC: Reid/WRC)
up and over some short and steep hills (PC: Reid/WRC)
maybe around the halfway point in the course… can’t remember. new terrain, anyway (PC: Reid/WRC)

Fortunately, Wolfpack fielded both women’s and men’s open teams, and with the small participant field, we fared pretty well. During my own race, I felt so much better than I had at the prior cross country race at China Camp that it was almost laughable, like the difference couldn’t be starker. For the most part, I felt pretty strong throughout the race and didn’t have any existential, I’m retiring from running forever moments like I did at China Camp. I had a lot of fun chasing my teammates and other runners, and when the day was over, I posted over 10 miles between the warm-up, 5k race, and long cool-down. I left feeling satisfied with the effort, knowing that I worked hard in the race and didn’t give up when it got challenging. 

the finishing stretch around the lake, right next to where we started on the field. I love that you can see half our team in this shot and Andy cheering for us. (PC: Reid/WRC)
forever working on that finishing kick (got down to 5:00/mi pace!) and the beautiful end-of-a-5k-xc-race grimace smile. (PC: Reid/WRC)

By now, we’re almost done with XC season — just two more races and then the PA champs — which is crazy because it seems like we just started. I’ve really appreciated the variety of all the different XC courses because it helps keep things fresh and exciting, not to mention all the different strength and endurance benefits such varied types of running and racing incurs. Not having run most of the courses before this year also helps, too. 🙂

Here’s my usual invite for all the local runners to come play cross country with us this weekend; it’s not too late to get in on the fun! (This weekend’s course in Martinez is really flat and fast, so if you’re feeling iffy on hills, consider yourself lucky!). Hope to see you there!