Globaldisc
New York Road Runner Cross Country Race/Van Courtland Park, Bronx, NY. 5K.
Entering this race was a last minute decision….like 2 hours before it started. In my morning
shower I basically said, "what the heck….let me again make my annual trek outside of the safe
confines of Manhattan's Central Park and road and into the world of how the other half lives, the XC
runner….and dirt.
I get to the course….and immediately notice at these XC events the vast majority of the familiar
faces I usually see at my club races are missing….and I see mostly new & different faces (XC
folks)…and think, "so these are the people who don't road race in Manhattan…but run hills and
trails outside the City….interesting".
As I walk to the start I had my initial thoughts of "what the f&%# am I doing here"? Why? It was
cold, early, I had no coffee, plenty of wine the night before, puffy "morning" eyes, and I'm in a
field and on dirt and grass". May seem silly to you…but the idea of running on dirt and
grass?….very strange to me. I determined this is not where I belong….but I'm here so F&%#
it….let's do the darn thing!
I started reflecting on this same race last year and how I thought it was….well crazy to be doing
this. Yes, XC is for loons. OK…I did 19:56 last year….as long as I'm under that I'll feel OK.
The start of this race is nutty….150' wide…900 male runners lined up…race is chipped but to
the start of a gun....an open field sprint for 200 yards to a marker where you make a left turn and
head for the trails. What I particularly dislike about this is the field is scattered with
depressions and just good old ankle twisting things…, and junk like that. Recall the scenes in
films like "Braveheart" where you basically have a field of brutes madly running on the
attack….basically it looks like that but most of these XC types are skinny pale white guys...rr's
Donovan would have fit right in LOL....excepts he's not really skinny. But I saw some of Donovan's
racing teammates there and I asked them, "Where's Donovan"...and they said, "Who knows"...and I
said, "Oh...he's probably in a cozy comfy gym on a treadmill"...Hahahaha...
So the race starts….I make it through the field with no problems…hit the marker for the left
turn and then I'm experiencing my next pet peeve about XC running. Gravel road where traction is not
guaranteed. I just don't dig "unfirm earth". You have to run about 200-300 more yards before you're
into the trails/hills. Now this is the part of a race where I particularly compare/contrast XC with
road racing. IMO these are "tight" trails where at most you can get 3 runners adjacent to each
other. This course was not long rolling hills/trails…no no no. This place is more like a
"RollerCoaster" trajectory type of course. Down hill for 20-30 yards…flat for maybe 15-20
yards…up hill for 20-30 years….down hill again….up and down, up and down…constantly climbing
and descending….with all the twist and turns you want. Railroad tiers create the terracing on the
trail…and you're in the the woods and Fall foliage is on the course everywhere….90% of the race
is in these heavily wooded trails. There was lots of elbowing from start to finish and at no point
was I ever "alone" in space. I always had someone immediately on my left or right…sometimes
both…within a foot ahead of me and someone right on my ass. Furthermore when you're in heavily
wooded trails…it just does not have that "open" spacious feeling you get in road
racing…everything is so much smaller and close, a tree, a race observing official…you can't
really glance and see sky. I guess in today's race I just fell into a pack of a dozen or so runners
that was interchanging in positioning…but just seemed to be like a consistently moving "car" of a
train or something.
Today was the first time I experienced that phenomenon where running in cluster ultimately can slow
you down. No one was breaking out as there seemed not to be sufficient room to break out. Not to
mention little motivation….this was an exploratory trip for me….and I just wanted it to end
about ½ a mile after it started. Besides, my attention/concern during the whole race once in the
trails was on secure footing. In road racing…I am not looking down at where I am striking….my
eyes are forward and up….and I kind of know flat pavement is where my foot will eventually land
with every stride. XC not so. XC is far more demanding on your senses/awareness. You have to pay
attention to where you are striking…you cannot afford to "assume" anything about the earth/surface
you are striking or you will scrub, trip on a rail road tier….land on leaves hiding an ankle
twisting rock….or simply not gain secure footing going down hill on gravel. In XC running, at
least on this course….it all seems to be coming so fast at you….a turn, a hill,…it's kind of
like a "pinball machine"….and on a roller coaster course like this….you're using your
feet/ankle/knees/hips all like a "shock absorbing system"….as you're trying to run your ass of on
uncertain terrain….you are constantly "negotiating" something. I never really got into my road
running smooth groove as I felt, "OK…what the f&%# is next?" And it's that lack of certainty that
prevents you from focusing on your mechanics in a race…and just wondering, "what do I have to
negotiate now?".
Now I know this is precisely the reason many love XC running / racing. It's a serious adjustment for
a road runner to XC. XC is so much more challenging than road racing..there are just too many things
to factor in your thinking as you're racing. I suppose you get used to it? Times? I knew it was a
mistake and get up and run this race and this proved to be the worse performance of the year….
With an AG% of 64.7%, 20:49 time, 6:42/mile, 23rd out of 116 in my AG. I ran this race a full minute
slower than I did last year. That's a kick in the pants for sure....it was not a total crash & burn
race.....but close....kind of shocked me… Oh well…there's always next week when I'll be back on
the safe, secure ROAD for a 4 miler...I shrugged it off and proceeded to the nearest Starbucks to
wake up. Later today I think I'll do 9 miles on the road...thank you. I've had my fill of running on
dirt, gravel, and grass for at least one year. Quite a concept. Hats off to you XC runners….you
can have it!
Andrew…..
Entering this race was a last minute decision….like 2 hours before it started. In my morning
shower I basically said, "what the heck….let me again make my annual trek outside of the safe
confines of Manhattan's Central Park and road and into the world of how the other half lives, the XC
runner….and dirt.
I get to the course….and immediately notice at these XC events the vast majority of the familiar
faces I usually see at my club races are missing….and I see mostly new & different faces (XC
folks)…and think, "so these are the people who don't road race in Manhattan…but run hills and
trails outside the City….interesting".
As I walk to the start I had my initial thoughts of "what the f&%# am I doing here"? Why? It was
cold, early, I had no coffee, plenty of wine the night before, puffy "morning" eyes, and I'm in a
field and on dirt and grass". May seem silly to you…but the idea of running on dirt and
grass?….very strange to me. I determined this is not where I belong….but I'm here so F&%#
it….let's do the darn thing!
I started reflecting on this same race last year and how I thought it was….well crazy to be doing
this. Yes, XC is for loons. OK…I did 19:56 last year….as long as I'm under that I'll feel OK.
The start of this race is nutty….150' wide…900 male runners lined up…race is chipped but to
the start of a gun....an open field sprint for 200 yards to a marker where you make a left turn and
head for the trails. What I particularly dislike about this is the field is scattered with
depressions and just good old ankle twisting things…, and junk like that. Recall the scenes in
films like "Braveheart" where you basically have a field of brutes madly running on the
attack….basically it looks like that but most of these XC types are skinny pale white guys...rr's
Donovan would have fit right in LOL....excepts he's not really skinny. But I saw some of Donovan's
racing teammates there and I asked them, "Where's Donovan"...and they said, "Who knows"...and I
said, "Oh...he's probably in a cozy comfy gym on a treadmill"...Hahahaha...
So the race starts….I make it through the field with no problems…hit the marker for the left
turn and then I'm experiencing my next pet peeve about XC running. Gravel road where traction is not
guaranteed. I just don't dig "unfirm earth". You have to run about 200-300 more yards before you're
into the trails/hills. Now this is the part of a race where I particularly compare/contrast XC with
road racing. IMO these are "tight" trails where at most you can get 3 runners adjacent to each
other. This course was not long rolling hills/trails…no no no. This place is more like a
"RollerCoaster" trajectory type of course. Down hill for 20-30 yards…flat for maybe 15-20
yards…up hill for 20-30 years….down hill again….up and down, up and down…constantly climbing
and descending….with all the twist and turns you want. Railroad tiers create the terracing on the
trail…and you're in the the woods and Fall foliage is on the course everywhere….90% of the race
is in these heavily wooded trails. There was lots of elbowing from start to finish and at no point
was I ever "alone" in space. I always had someone immediately on my left or right…sometimes
both…within a foot ahead of me and someone right on my ass. Furthermore when you're in heavily
wooded trails…it just does not have that "open" spacious feeling you get in road
racing…everything is so much smaller and close, a tree, a race observing official…you can't
really glance and see sky. I guess in today's race I just fell into a pack of a dozen or so runners
that was interchanging in positioning…but just seemed to be like a consistently moving "car" of a
train or something.
Today was the first time I experienced that phenomenon where running in cluster ultimately can slow
you down. No one was breaking out as there seemed not to be sufficient room to break out. Not to
mention little motivation….this was an exploratory trip for me….and I just wanted it to end
about ½ a mile after it started. Besides, my attention/concern during the whole race once in the
trails was on secure footing. In road racing…I am not looking down at where I am striking….my
eyes are forward and up….and I kind of know flat pavement is where my foot will eventually land
with every stride. XC not so. XC is far more demanding on your senses/awareness. You have to pay
attention to where you are striking…you cannot afford to "assume" anything about the earth/surface
you are striking or you will scrub, trip on a rail road tier….land on leaves hiding an ankle
twisting rock….or simply not gain secure footing going down hill on gravel. In XC running, at
least on this course….it all seems to be coming so fast at you….a turn, a hill,…it's kind of
like a "pinball machine"….and on a roller coaster course like this….you're using your
feet/ankle/knees/hips all like a "shock absorbing system"….as you're trying to run your ass of on
uncertain terrain….you are constantly "negotiating" something. I never really got into my road
running smooth groove as I felt, "OK…what the f&%# is next?" And it's that lack of certainty that
prevents you from focusing on your mechanics in a race…and just wondering, "what do I have to
negotiate now?".
Now I know this is precisely the reason many love XC running / racing. It's a serious adjustment for
a road runner to XC. XC is so much more challenging than road racing..there are just too many things
to factor in your thinking as you're racing. I suppose you get used to it? Times? I knew it was a
mistake and get up and run this race and this proved to be the worse performance of the year….
With an AG% of 64.7%, 20:49 time, 6:42/mile, 23rd out of 116 in my AG. I ran this race a full minute
slower than I did last year. That's a kick in the pants for sure....it was not a total crash & burn
race.....but close....kind of shocked me… Oh well…there's always next week when I'll be back on
the safe, secure ROAD for a 4 miler...I shrugged it off and proceeded to the nearest Starbucks to
wake up. Later today I think I'll do 9 miles on the road...thank you. I've had my fill of running on
dirt, gravel, and grass for at least one year. Quite a concept. Hats off to you XC runners….you
can have it!
Andrew…..
