Called Up for the Championnat de l'Essonne
I ran my first race of 2017 today, a cross-country event known as the Championnat de l’Essonne de Cross. It covered 5,886 m — about 6 km with 51 m of elevation gain, per Strava. I did not know I would be running it until four days ago. During training, my coach asked me to be a back-up for the running club’s female team of four. They already had a full team, but wanted me on standby in case someone got injured. I had turned down this race before, since racing is basically self-torture, whatever runners say about loving it. Even so, being asked as a back-up did not feel flattering either. Still, I did not want the club to risk losing its shot at the team title, so I said yes.
Championnat de l'Essonne: Cross Races vs. Ultra-Distance Races
Back in Hong Kong, I used to run 100 km ultra-distance races. Those normally meant spending at least one night out on the trails. Sleepless nights on the trails are, obviously, not exactly “fun.” A short race like the Cross is different. The torture lasts minutes, not a whole night, but the intensity shoots up fast. In an ultra-distance, pacing decides everything, both for the winners and for mid-packers like me. In Hong Kong that put me mid-pack; in France, it puts me closer to the back of the field. As such, trail runners usually start slow and hold a steady, sustainable pace.
Cross runners, on the other hand, sprint from the starting gun straight to the finish line. I ran my first cross-country race two months earlier, in November — a short 5.3 km event. My throat raged and my lungs nearly burst for the full 28 minutes it took me to finish. Today’s course did not make things easier. The terrain was extremely muddy, and my trail shoes were not up to the job. I had not bought spike shoes, since I had not expected to race cross-country again after November. Two bright spots, though. I didn’t fall flat on my face in the mud, and I finished 61st of 101 (32’20”, fastest 23’19”). Best of all, the female team pulled through and won the team event!
Before we left the race ground today, my coach left me with a parting sentence: get ready for the next race in two weeks’ time…