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2019 Golden Gate Park XC Open race report – SF, CA

2019 Golden Gate Park XC Open race report – SF, CA

This past weekend brought the fourth cross-country race of the PA series, the Golden Gate Park Open, and of particular interest (and sentimentality) to me, my team, Wolfpack Running Club, hosted the event. This historic 4-mile, 2x2mile-looped course covered the same ground, in the same way, as it did when I last ran the course back in ‘17 at PA Champs, but this time around, things felt a little different.

our women’s and masters women’s teams (PC: WRC)

For the past two years that I’ve run the GGP Open, at this time of year, the course wasn’t the usual (and historic) Lindley Meadow iteration. Instead, back in ‘17, the organizers had to begin/end the course on the nearby polo fields to accommodate some permitting restrictions. That makes sense, since SF is a pretty big place and all, and people can reserve sections of GGP for whatever. (If memory serves, we couldn’t run the historic course in ‘17 because part of it was reserved for a birthday party.) 

our open men’s and masters men teams (PC: WRC)

Anyway, when it came time for the ‘18 iteration, the course repeated what it was the year prior, the non-historic, polo fields-style iteration. For someone like me — someone new to the PA XC scene — starting and ending the GGP Open on the polo fields, and not on Lindley Meadow, was no big deal simply because I didn’t know any better.

For local vets of the sport, however, the polo fields iteration of the GGP was a somewhat undesirable blip in the history of the event. Not having the historical perspective of a local racer who has been doing this stuff here for a long time, I’ve only known the GGP open as an event that began and ended at the polo fields; the PA championship race (“Champs”) in November was the only PA XC race that began and ended in the Meadow. 

the start of the women’s race (PC: WRC)
open men’s start (PC: WRC)

I’m belaboring the starting and ending nuances of the GGP Open course here because by virtue of my club hosting the event, I spent my non-racing moments of the morning assisting at same-day registration and interacting with a lot of runners. Multiple people expressed how happy they were that we weren’t “doing polo fields” that day. In fact, unprovoked by anything I said, one PA racer enthusiastically told me about how historic the Lindley Meadow course was and how happy he was that we were *finally* running that course for the GGP Open, insinuating that that was the “real” course. Suffice it to say that that runners (understandably) have strong opinions about these things. 

off the starting line and in the grass, trying not to slip, fall, or otherwise self-sabotage (PC: WRC)

Moving on, it’s here that I’ll note that I don’t have any startling revelations to share, nor can I speak to any of the behind-the-scenes intricacies that are entailed in organizing and hosting a cross-country race in a major city park in a large urban setting — I’ll gladly defer to Andy, our team’s race director, and Coach Lisa, his co-director, for that — but simply judging by the sheer number of Wolfpack members, friends, and family members who showed up to help out on the event morning, let me assure you… there’s a lot involved. A *lot*. 

one of the few stretches of pavement on the course (PC: WRC)

Many teammates came from all over the bay area (and beyond) to help out in some capacity (race day reg, course monitoring, finish line chute duties, you name it) and of course to also provide the sincere and heartfelt words of support and encouragement mid-race, to everyone racing, regardless of which team singlet was adorning their chest. We all know that those mid-race words matter, especially when you’re grinding and in the thick of it (and on this storied and hard AF course, no less!).    

right around the mile 1/3 markers, as you exit the singletrack and begin to plow through the gopher-pocked field (PC: WRC)

It’s with this amazing and soul-filling backdrop of knowing that it’s my team behind the scenes, putting on a lovely and well-executed show, that my actual race took place. A gaggle of women and I arrived hours early to help with event set-up, and with a little bit of time to spare, we ran one warm-up lap to scope out everything and re-acquaint ourselves with the terrain. No doubt this course is so storied in part because it’s so very prototypical cross-country: a grassy meadow start and finish, a minor stretch of asphalt, a gopher-pocked field, singletrack, a few bouts of sand, rocky and rooty patches, tiny-but-still-significant-when-you’re-trying-to-race-fast ascents and descents, and more. It’s one of those courses where you can’t help but think to yourself holy shit, we’ve only run (1 mile/2/3/4 miles)?! That’s it?! The relative work-to-distance ratio is sorta silly.

on the other side of the field, before the other singletrack bit, before getting adjacent to the polo fields, smiling like a fool bc DAMN THIS IS HARD (PC: WRC)

In other words: this course is so, so fun, in the most (lovely yet) inane way possible. 

somewhere around mile 1.3 or so, adjacent to the polo fields, after the sand, before the woods… are you keeping track of all the various terrain?! (PC: WRC)

We fielded enough participants to have masters women/men’s and open women’s/men’s teams (hooray!), and everyone who raced also volunteered. Our course monitors were situated pretty frequently throughout the course, which meant runners always knew where we were going and that we all got those soul-affirming great job, you’re doing awesome, keep going supportive commentary throughout the entirety of the race, which matters. 

I’m 700+ words deep by now and have said nothing about my race, but the pictures above probably speak for themselves, to a degree. Right off the grassy field start line, both hamstrings felt extremely strained when we made the fast ascent from the grass to the path. It took a little bit of time (and some downhill) for the panicked feelings of ohshitohshitohshit to subside; my only explanation is that I wasn’t adequately warmed up. About a mile in, when we were in the first singletrack stretch before the gopher-pocked field, I rolled or began to roll my ankles no fewer than three times, before/after/during the sand portions, once hard enough that the women behind me audibly gasped and asked if I was ok. (I was, and thanks for looking out for me!) Throughout the race, I felt pretty strong but not very fast — again, that same place where I’ve been since May at MTB — and on my second lap, I surrendered two places and got back one. At the very end of the race, with about a quarter-mile to go, I tried to close the gap on the woman in front of me and flung myself into a dead sprint, grassy field finish line be damned. Ultimately, she beat me by two seconds, but my Garmin data details that the final 30 seconds of my race waded into sub-5 territory, with a low of 4:17, which is probably some sort of record for me in a race (let alone a XC race). That’s exciting. 

finishing strong, hence that weird grimace-smile thing (PC: WRC)

My time was ~1:40 slower than it was when I last ran this course in 2017, but it’s of little consequence to me simply because in ‘17, I was just a few weeks out from CIM and thus had a ton of concerted training under my belt. For the past few weeks, I’ve been sitting around 50 mpw but without any real workouts to speak of. I was happy that I could find a really high-for-me gear at the end of a tough race on Sunday, and I finished feeling like I had tried hard. So far this XC season, my goals at each race have simply been to have fun, work hard, and don’t give up/stay in it when it gets uncomfortable. Provided I do all of those, I walk away (tired but) gratified. That’s enough.

RD Andy de-briefing post-race (PC: WRC)

Following the women’s race were the masters men and open men’s races, and not too long after that came our team picnic. Hanging with my teammates — and meeting some of them for the first time — was such a lovely way to bookend the morning. The morning left me completely jazzed for the rest of the XC season and got me hyped about running the course again at Champs in November. (Here again is my usual open invite to one and all to come run any of the PA cross-country meets. Ask me any questions you have!). 

the obligatory silly shot (PC: WRC)

Congrats and THANK YOU to everyone who came out and raced and/or helped on Sunday; you helped make the day what it was.  xo

2018 Golden Gate Park XC Open (San Francisco, CA) – race report

2018 Golden Gate Park XC Open (San Francisco, CA) – race report

As was the case last fall, I’m training to race CIM in December, and Coach Lisa and I have decided to throw some cross country (XC) action into the training mix where/when it makes sense. It is fall, after all, so it’s high time for some PA XC action!

Last year, I ran the Santa Cruz race, this GGP open, and the championship race at GGP in November. So far, this time around, I’ve run Santa Cruz (feeling not 100% recovered at all from TSFM, nearly a month+ later) and the GGP open again and hope to do some more between now and December.

WRC at the 2018 GGP open, ladies edition (plus pups) (PC: WRC)

Sorta like the 2017 v 2018 SC race, the 2018 GGP open was a pretty similar experience and set-up compared to last year. The biggest difference — maybe the only difference — that I could recall was that in this year’s race, once you entered the woods off the polo fields, runners could participate in a “choose your own adventure” of sorts as they determined their paths: over a short and steep root-strewn single-track-ish hill or over one longer and more gradual. (I chose the steep option because I’m a fool who apparently likes to make things needlessly more challenging). That, and the fact that the grass was dry on the back end of the course (circa mile 2.1, 2.2 and change) struck me as the only differences from last year’s course to this year’s.

off the line and feeling jazzed to be racing (and in a new singlet, woot woot) (PC: I can’t remember)

Part of the reason I really enjoyed this course last year — and what I think makes it super fun to race on and also super challenging — is that runners encounter a ton of different terrain in a really short distance. This year’s race was just shy of a 6k, I guess, and in that abbreviated distance, we covered the flatlands of the polo fields, loose dirt and gravel, singletrack, woods, a little bit of pavement, grass, mud, and surely more that I can’t recall. It’s like a constant exercise in switching gears and determining when to push and when to hold back, all while chasing those around you and trying to not get passed. It’s so freaking fun!

presumably from the start (PC: Robin)

We fielded two great full teams this year for our men’s and women’s races, and it just made for a lovely morning. Another big difference for me between this year’s race and that of last year is that this time around, I never looked at my watch to see my pace. Before the race, I was going to look up my 2017 time to have it “for reference purposes” going in, and somewhere along the drive to SF, I decided I just didn’t care. Instead of going off the feedback I was getting from my watch, I wanted to approach this more … intuitively, I guess … and let my bodily feedback (and my experience on this course from last year) dictate my approach.

on my way to the woods (PC: Lisa)

I was just in it for a) the opportunity to help us field a full team and b) the opportunity to have a hard effort. Time was sorta irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

coming off one full lap of the polo fields and about to enter the woods for the first time (PC: Lisa)

 

The short version is that I think this different approach paid off. From start to finish of the race, I felt strong and in control, which is more or less in direct opposition to how I felt during this year’s Santa Cruz XC challenge just a few weeks before. There, I began feeling ok (not great) and then deteriorated … and then deteriorated some more … and then began questioning my life’s choices and wondering how in righteous hell I had raced a marathon four weeks prior.

when you’re really excited to see friends mid-race (PC: Robin)

I’m happy to say that at this’s year GGP open, I felt strong from the get-go, tried to trust in my pacing and in how I was responding to the terrain, and finished feeling appropriately gassed but without feeling like I was knocking on death’s door. I recalled from the ’17 race that I had come out of the gates too hard and just compleeeeeeeeeeeetely tanked like a fool.

over the field and through the woods… or something (PC: Isaac, I think)

This time around, absolutely my pace slowed from start to finish — as I think most everyone’s did — but I had enough left at the end to finish on the polo fields at a sub-mile pace (5:18!) for at least a few strides to try to chase down other women ahead of me. I didn’t know it until Lisa mentioned it to me later, but I notched a PR for the course on Sunday too, which was unexpected and very cool. Maybe there is something to running “blind,” so to speak.

somewhere on the polo fields, perhaps approaching the finish (PC: WRC)

 

looking a bit taxed trying to “sprint” it in but feeling strong (PC: WRC)

A huge bonus to the day’s festivities, too, was that Angela decided to run her first XC race in forever, so I was just tickled to see her on race morning and to share the experience with her. I think I may have introduced her to every person I knew (sorry!), and post-race, she, Janet, Ida, and I ran a long cool-down and yapped the entire time. It was awesome. And of course, it was lovely to see Robin that morning and to finally meet Sarah. The running world is so small sometimes, and I just love it. I should have taken pictures to document all of this, but alas. My bad.

the gang’s all here! our women’s team at the GGP open (PC: WRC)

The nice thing about all this PA XC action is that it’s open to anyone, regardless of your pace, age, team affiliation (or lack thereof), or whatever. It’s hard to describe, but it really is so much fun to try to run as hard and fast as you can over/through random shit, for lack of a better word. It’s definitely not road racing, and it’s not trail racing, but it’s a sweet marriage of the two.

This is all to say that local friends, if you are itching to get a little XC action this fall but don’t know where to start, let’s talk! I’d love to see you on a starting line soon and would be *more* than happy to chat with you.

I can’t help but think that testing yourself in this gritty XC way lends itself quite readily to developing grittiness from which you can draw in other racing environs. I’ll lyk. I’m excited to find out.