Team Zap Nation. Ryan W, Amanda, Coach Matt, Me, Savanna, & Melanie. The CRC Winter Classic 8K and 4K is a great event held at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, NC on a Saturday afternoon in January. McApline Park has a rich history of hosting NC State High School Cross Country Championships, big cross county invitationals, and the high school Foot Locker South Regional cross country championship. It is also the NC-USATF Cross Country Championship. The 8K is a flat, two loop course on a crushed gravel and dirt path.
I decided to race this year's event as part of the Zap Nation team which also included Coach Matt and Amanda Lopiccolo, Ryan Woods, Melanie Brender, and Savanna Plombon. This was going to be my first race since the Richmond Marathon last November. I took eleven days off from running before easing the weekly mileage back up into the 50s miles per week and 60 the week before racing CRC Winter Classic.
I arrived at McAlpine Park around 12:30pm for the 2pm race start. I got my packet and met up with my team for an easy 3 miles warm-up before lining up for the start. The weather was great for a January afternoon. It was sunny, no wind, and 48 degrees. The race started and I went out fast; maybe a little too fast. The field was stacked on the gravel dirt path as we made our way around lap one of the two lap race.
I decided to race this year's event as part of the Zap Nation team which also included Coach Matt and Amanda Lopiccolo, Ryan Woods, Melanie Brender, and Savanna Plombon. This was going to be my first race since the Richmond Marathon last November. I took eleven days off from running before easing the weekly mileage back up into the 50s miles per week and 60 the week before racing CRC Winter Classic.
I arrived at McAlpine Park around 12:30pm for the 2pm race start. I got my packet and met up with my team for an easy 3 miles warm-up before lining up for the start. The weather was great for a January afternoon. It was sunny, no wind, and 48 degrees. The race started and I went out fast; maybe a little too fast. The field was stacked on the gravel dirt path as we made our way around lap one of the two lap race.
Coach Matt with me Chasing. Photo by Tim Meigs I opened mile 1 in 5:43. Coach Matt was just ahead of me and I focused on staying with him. Mile 2 cruised by in 5:46. It started to get rough after that. I could feel I was working hard and didn't have the speed in me to maintain the pace of the first two miles. I had to grind and dig now to hold on. Matt started to pull away from me but no one else was passing me yet. We passed by the start/finish area at 2.5 miles so just one lap to go.
I went through a rough patch and put a 6:10 up for mile 3. Mile 4 was more of the same with a 6:08 and Ryan Laytham caught and passed me. I didn't realize I had been ahead of him till then. He was running on the Bull City Track Club team which I am also apart of. I was able to pick it up the final 0.97 miles to finish 45th Overall out of 155 in 29:31. I also placed 44 out of 103 males and 14 out of 21 in my age group (35-39).
I went through a rough patch and put a 6:10 up for mile 3. Mile 4 was more of the same with a 6:08 and Ryan Laytham caught and passed me. I didn't realize I had been ahead of him till then. He was running on the Bull City Track Club team which I am also apart of. I was able to pick it up the final 0.97 miles to finish 45th Overall out of 155 in 29:31. I also placed 44 out of 103 males and 14 out of 21 in my age group (35-39).
Finishing. Photo by Tim Meigs Our Zap Nation team did really well and won the co-ed team division. Ryan Woods led the way finishing 6th in 25:32. Matt finished 40th, 1st Masters in 28:50. Savanna finished 53rd Overall, 5th female in 30:07. Next to finish was Amanda in 56th Overall, 6th female in 30:23. Melanie finished the day off for our team placing 65th Overall, 11th female in 32:41.
The race was a rust buster for me and I had speed early but lost it the second lap. That wasn't too surprising since most of my runs leading up to this were easy, progressions, and just three interval workouts. It was still a quality first race of the year. I really enjoyed the course and it was a lot of fun racing cross-country again. CRC did a great job organizing the race and I recommend doing it.
Race Gear
Socks: Smartwool Men's PhD Ultra Light Low Cut Socks
Shoes: Reebok Floatride Run Fast
Shorts: 2XU MCS Run Compression Shorts
Singlet: Zap Fitness
Road ID Wrist ID Slim
Watch: Garmin 920XT
Sunglasses: Rudy Project Tralyx
The race was a rust buster for me and I had speed early but lost it the second lap. That wasn't too surprising since most of my runs leading up to this were easy, progressions, and just three interval workouts. It was still a quality first race of the year. I really enjoyed the course and it was a lot of fun racing cross-country again. CRC did a great job organizing the race and I recommend doing it.
Race Gear
Socks: Smartwool Men's PhD Ultra Light Low Cut Socks
Shoes: Reebok Floatride Run Fast
Shorts: 2XU MCS Run Compression Shorts
Singlet: Zap Fitness
Road ID Wrist ID Slim
Watch: Garmin 920XT
Sunglasses: Rudy Project Tralyx
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