first XC race since high school and wow hills are tough (Read 431 times)

I visited New York this weekend, and a part of the weekend plan was to run the NYRR 5k cross country race up at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. We ran it, and it was very fun, but boy was my uphill mile time slow. The turnout was larger than my friend expected (we estimated it to be at least a couple hundred people) with lots of teams and such. Results aren't posted yet, so I don't know how I placed, but the gps track is at motionbased. Mile 1: 7:04 Mile 2: 8:16 Mile 3: 6:44 Last 0.11: 0:34 Total: 22:41 I held back a bit on the first mile, but now that I've run the course once I'm thinking that the hills in mile 2 are gonna slow me down either way, so I might as well run faster at the beginning and then let the downhills of the third mile refuel the tank for the finish. The finish was awesome! I came down out of the hills, entered the big playing field area again, knew I had about two thirds of a mile to go, and really picked up the pace. I was running under 6:30 for that bit I think and my kick was truly ridiculous. Passed a lot of people in the last part of the race. Anyways, I look forward to another visit to the same course so I can give it another, and hopefully faster, shot.

One of these days I'm going to enter a cross country race...still have never run one. That just seems like it would be a blast. Nice 3rd mile!

Ditto. There's nothing like a little variety to spice things up, I've only done one trail race and I did enjoy it quite a bit. I haven't seen much of the original poster of late, but Eddy's Fells race thread made me want to go run and jump in the mud just like yours did and I think you'll get a smile from it. Nice job on your race, love hearing "faster, faster!" Eddy’s First Ever Fells Race