Six of our finest Whippettes travelled to San Francisco, CA to compete in USATF Club Cross Country Nationals on Saturday, December 12, 2015. The race venue was Golden Gate Park located 3 miles west of downtown San Francisco and was terrific location to host the event – wide open start, spectator friendly and a tough-but-fair course.
Travel plans for the crew varied but everyone arrived at our spacious AirBnB by noon Friday. The house featured two floors with 4 bedrooms and a pullout sofa, expansive kitchen, three bathrooms, a ping pong table, and located a half-mile to the starting line—great place to call home for three days.
In national championship events where the competition is fast, competitors are unknown (unlike local races) and team score is paramount so race strategy is completely different. During our family dinner back at the AirBnB, we decided it best to start out in pairs through the first two kilometers – Jennie and Kate, Jessica and Brigette, Cassie and Helene. That ensures smart racing in the first part of the race where the pace can be very fast.
With finish times not as relevant, there is more value in hopping around to various strategic points on the course than the mile markers. The first spot: the grass field near the 2K mark to ensure they relaxed on the muddy grass uphill. Second spot: the rocky road stretch to remind them of good form and to not push too hard in preparation for the final uphill. Last spot: the 5K mark to tell them the hard part is over and use their speed to fly around the polo ground.
Jennie was our first Whippette finisher in 161st place in 22:51 – 6:08 pace. To put that in perspective, she went through 5K around 19:01 on a muddy course and still had a kilometer to go. Running that 6:08 pace for another 400m, she would have finished as the 4th overall female at November’s Race to Deliver on the roads of Central Park – not a muddy XC course. That’s how competitive the field is.
Following the race, we headed back to the house to relax before heading out for the evening festivities – post-race party hosted by Strava at The Factory then various locations throughout downtown meeting up with other NYC clubs and various national teams.
Overall, the trip was a great success – a chance for our ladies to compete at the national stage, bond together in a unique way and leave the normal NYC race routine. Finally, thanks to our sponsor – New York Custom PT – for helping make this great trip happen. Look forward to next year’s event in Tallahassee, FL!
Photos courtesy Zach Hetrick