Notes
Another unexpectedly great XC race! And, pretty much went according to plan!
Got out fast for the first straightaway so I could get good position in the skinny section. After that I settled and let people go past me. Stayed on the gas to stay near the front, but made sure I was going comfortably fast. Hit the first mile at 5:18, perfect.
Now time to race the second mile like there is no third. I dropped a gear and surged forward. Kept momentum and stayed aggressive. Trying to pick people off. Got into the woods and oof, that hill was tough. Kept the effort high and pushed best I could. At the top I recovered and got fast again. Aggressive turn onto the aqueduct and caught CJ. Went right past for the next pack. Downhill after, and a fast one at that. Gave it my best neutral gear and chose the fastest line I could. Quite tight but I held onto my momentum.
Back onto the grass. This is where it started getting tough. Third mile was taking a long time to chime on the watch. I didn't worry about it and just assumed there was a mile-ish left. Just needed to push hard, keep up the momentum. Every time I started to fade, I gave another push. That kept getting harder and harder, but I kept at it. Definitely a slow fade throughout that 3rd mile. Eventually CJ passed me back and several others along the field, but I held them off for a long time. Still a strong-ish finish and I just missed sub-17.
Very happy with today. Again, I have no idea how I'm hanging onto this fitness. But ignoring that, this was a great improvement from the last race in terms of mental focus and toughness. I was more aggressive, and I toughed it out for a lot longer. I think I still left some out there in that regard; with more mental toughness I think I could have had 10 more seconds in the last mile. But man I had a killer 2nd mile. The time (5:50) doesn't reflect it but with the hills and technicality it makes sense. More referring to the gear change and persistent aggression I had throughout that whole mile. I didn't let up. Can't wait to have some quality training and get in shape. It's going to be fun.