Lake Los Carneros X-Country

Although I can easily skip the Monday night time trials that pass by within spitting distance of my house, I felt compelled to run the cross-country running race a few blocks away at Lake Los Carneros. This is a fun low-key race on the trails we run regularly. Not sure why, but this year a bunch of SB's fastest people showed up.

Apparently you need a PhD in Topology (knot-theory emphasis) to fully grasp the intricacies of this 5-mile course. Even promoter Jim Kornell goofed a couple of times explaining it! Since this is my backyard, I figured everyone should simply stay behind me and I would keep them on course. That lasted about 2 seconds after the gun went off.

I slotted in behind Johnny O. for the first mile but then realized I would literally explode if I tried to maintain his pace.


Eventually, three of us--Ricky Ho, Mariann Thomas, and I--settled into a nice pace and ran most of the second half together. A minute after this picture was snapped, Mariann pulled in front. Ricky and I bumped, kicked, clawed, and elbowed each other in a fight for her wheel, but my criterium skills won out and I had a very pleasant mile 4.

As we entered the final inner loop, my ego took over and I passed her and surged a bit. Ricky laughed, thought to himself "is that all you got?", and dropped me like a rock in the final 1/4 mile.

Not sure how all the fast people did. Aaron Gillen won (see the picture where he is floating in air and his leg speed was too fast for focus) and a bunch of other people went fast too. But who cares about them...

...well, if you do care, visit here for the results.

Thanks to Gina for taking the race pictures.