Posted by KR on August 30, 2005 at 13:02:02:
In Reply to: Pacific Cross Country - How to run hills posted by CarolJ on August 30, 2005 at 12:54:06:
: The Pacific X-country series is coming up again. Last year I entered the series. I did OK but in a couple of races (Crystal Springs and The Presidio) I had trouble with the hills and bonked. Anybody got advice on how to run the hills?
I ran that series last year. Great races and really great competition - hundreds of competitors in every age group. Well-thought out hill running is one of the keys to success in cross country. You mentioned the hills in two of the hilliest races, Crystal Springs and The Presidio, but they are different kinds of hills and I think they should be run differently. The hills at Crystal Springs are long and gradual (except for the start) as they wind around the course. The course is exposed and it is often very hot there. As a result, you have to run those hills at a pace you can maintain for the full distance of the race. On the other hand, at the Presidio, the hills are very steep, but short, and always followed by an equally steep downhill. I run the hills at the Presidio using a borrow-from-the-future approach. That is, I power my way up, knowing I will be able to recover on the downhill. I guess the short answer to your question is that it depends on the course. Know the course, even if it means getting there early can jogging most, if not all, of the course, thinking and planning all the way.
Hope that helps.