Notes
Not sure what was different about this start, but it felt really easy. Thought about just jumping up to the lead pack, but decided to mess around with the 2nd pack. 1st mile was probably around 5:15 and I was just itching to go faster (which would be a bad idea with 4 more miles to go). At the first hill, my group just shattered. So I spent the next mile jumping from individual to individual - sometimes drafting for a bit. No 2nd mile split, but by that point, I was pretty much on my own after Andy Sabin (Loras grad) passed me.
The next 2 miles were pretty boring, I didn't pass anyone and no one passed me, though there was a decent group catching up to me. The turns and hills and spikes began taking their toll on my body as my back and glute stabilizers became sore, though it occured much later than during All-American. 4 mile split was 21:30, 30sec better than All-American.
Last mile I started to remember that I needed to race, and I soon took the windy conditions to my advantage, passing the kid who had been in front of me for 2 miles with a long surge 1/2 mile out. No one challenged me after that and my kick wasn't much to talk about. Finishing time is 26:50. Actually my 2nd fastest 8k XC ever. Though it was certainly the sort of course I like. This was about as good as I'd hoped for, so now I'm considering another xc race before the end of my fall season.
Lamb Kohawk