US X-C Championship at Chambers Bay

 

After years of whining about my struggles with cross country races (versus road/track races)  see here and here - I gain some redemption this month at the national championship in Chambers Bay near Seattle. 

Club Northwest is hosting the big national championship and the Club's focus on the race, along with the timing of the event right before Christmas (enabling family visit) compels me to sign up.  Remarkably, I am eligible for the championship event even though I missed all the local and regional qualifying (and Club even pays my entry fee)  

I am seeded at the very back of the field and so I am not burdened by any expectations or pressure to perform well and score for the team.  Nonetheless I am absolutely dreading the thought of winter cross country running.  The weather service issues severe weather alerts the morning of the event. When we arrive wind and rain are screaming in off the Puget Sound at the gorgeous Chambers Creek Regional Park.

 

 

So just getting out of the car and preparing for the event evokes strong memory of my experience at many triathlons - the most stressful part of event is the pre-race logistics with its decisions and shock of cold water.  Once the gun goes off it gets simpler - just run. 

I have one plan.   Start slowly.   I am seeded at the very back which helps.  You can actually see my foot (black shoe and compression sock) at very back of pack in the photo below:

Right after we start the sun bursts out and I am struck by the sublime beauty of the setting and the sheer spectacle and aura of being in the national championship here -- surrounded by this group of very old men splashing through puddles like school children 

You can see my splits from Strava below - I do my best to draft behind other team's runners on the windy sections and then pass as many competitors as possible - working my way up from very back of field to top third.  

 

 

I help my team with my much lower finishing place than 4th teammate (top three of five runners score in master's cross country).  

 

While I am totally satisfied with my effort on the day, I am not accustomed to having so many other elderly runners ahead of me.  How would I do against this same field on a flat, fast, paved course?  I tried not to talk about this and obsess about this.  All I can say is the field would likely be much more compressed.  Maybe I would place higher, but this day is about cross country running. 

Toda 10k 2024 - Joy of running above "threshold"

 I probably should save energy for the following week's dreaded cross country race in the Seattle area. 

 
And I don't feel in PB shape.  And I am lazy.  And prefer not to be uncomfortable. 

So I decide to try and run this year's Toda 10k at my recent "threshhold workout" pace (3:55 to 4:00 per kilometer). 

I have struggled with pacing before, but Toda goes perfectly.  

The first 3 kilometers I am right on - just above 4 minutes.  Then at 4k I tuck in behind another old guy and stay at around 3:56 until my final surge. 

To test that I am actually at tempo pace, I do "talk test" at around 8k.   Idea being that if you are in zone 3 above threshold you can still talk, but in shorter, less complete sentences.  I comment on the lovely weather and the wind being less strong than last year's event,  I even switch into simple Japanese (which I don't even hardly use any time, let alone in middle of race).  The guy just grunted in reply.   

Remarkably my finishing time of 39:19 is faster than last year's painful, all-out effort.   I even move up to 5th on the all-time Toda 10k age-group list, and take 2nd in age group.  

As I lamented in my recent post about 5k time trials,  I have been fall off a CLIFF when I try to sustain pace much below 3:50.   It is interesting to see just how comfortable it was to sustain 3:55+ pace for 10k. 

Lake Whatcom Triathlon - July 2024

I compete in one triathlon again this year.  This is fifth year - (see 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023) - of my ongoing effort to sign up for one annual summer triathlon to incentivize myself to do some swimming, and feel that I am able to identify as a "triathlete"   

This year my bike training is essentially zero given my recent Spartan Race, my May 5k race, the Thailand trip road runs and general lack of desire to sign up for Zwift indoor cycling or fix my triathlon bike.   So I am totally delighted to finish in 2:57, bettering my time from 2 years ago by 3 minutes.   

My swim felt smooth and strong.   I was actually not in last place at the first buoy like last time.   My bike effort was acceptable -- I try not to worry about what other people think of my humble bike equipment.  This year, the racks seemed to be filled with state of the art, $10,000+ bikes and my 20-year old bike that only emerges from the garage once a year looks particularly noncompetitive.   

I fade quite a bit toward end of the 40k course and clock 1:31:19.   

I have a surprising amount of energy when we start running and manage 47:21, on the hilly course good for 13th run leg overall.     

Maybe the highlight was my transitions.  In recent years I haven't thought much at all about transitions given my slower overall times.  This year a teammate comments on how difficult it is to make up time on the run compared to striving for faster times in T1 and T2.   So I practice each step the day before and am 2 minutes faster than last time and fastest in age group - even with lace-up running shoes and trekking cycle shoes.    

Swim - 34:01 - 107th

Bike - 1:31:19 - 94th 

Run -  47:31 - 13th 

I even manage 3rd in age group ->