THE MUSINGS OF INTERN TIM
volume 3
Each summer at Big River Running Company we hire an intern or two to help us out with anything and everything at the store. This year our West County Intern, Tim Butterfield, just happens to be a writer and so we figured he could test our his skills by writing a few articles for the website. Here is his third piece...an article on Saint Louis Track Club's Cross Country Kickoff. For this article we decided to give you a glimpse of Tim as he checks out the race in the first picture below.
The Saint Louis Track Club XC Kickoff
Running legend Lynn Jennings once said, “The freedom of cross country is so primitive. It's woman versus nature.” Adding that the sport can involve man versus nature as well, I'll agree with Jennings. Running cross country isn't quite like the statistical repetition of running on the track, although both sports certainly have their quirks, setbacks, and advantages.
In cross country, no two courses are the same. Weather can drastically affect the condition of the course, but the race will be run no matter what. You can't check your pace very effectively by looking at your quarter-mile splits, because one part of the race may involve more hills than another part.
The Saint Louis Track Club held its annual Cross Country Kick-Off on Saturday, August 1 st . The 5K races were held at Forest Park's central ball fields, and the weather on race morning was perfect. Nearly two years after running my first cross country race at that very location, I was excited to be a spectator at two exciting races. Big River Running Company had set up its timing equipment long before the races began, and, by 8 AM, everyone was ready to roll.
I could practically breathe in the excitement that cross country races project as the starting command for the women's race was given. Just minutes after 8, a crowd of nearly 100 women charged away from the starting line, anxious to have fun and run hard in their pre-season tune-up.
The course consisted of 3 loops around the central fields, with each loop equaling approximately one mile, so I stuck around at the starting line to watch the women come around for each mile. Less than 6 minutes later, the first women appeared. Lisa Lewis and Julie Lossos were the first to pass the mile marker, with times of around 5:45. They'd set a fast pace, and both runners continued into their second mile as the rest of the field passed by me throughout the next few minutes. Runners of all ages – high school, collegiate, and beyond – glided through the mile marker at impressive speeds.
Even before each runner had completed her first mile, Julie passed by again. She'd run her second mile in roughly six minutes flat, and had overtaken Lisa for the lead. Still looking strong, Julie clicked her watch to record the split, and continued into her final lap.
By this point, the field had spread out significantly. Runners could be spotted at every point of the mile-long loop. Even from a distance, I could identify Julie, sporting her bright pink Big River Running singlet, as she cruised
along the field's perimeter. Meanwhile, runners were still passing by me, finishing their first and second miles with admirable determination.
After running another 6-minute mile split, Julie passed the third mile marker and sprinted towards the end. I dashed to the finishing line as well, cutting the field's corner in order to beat her to the line. Julie crossed the line in 18:25. Lisa, who had fallen back from Julie but continued running with strong form, finished nearly 20 seconds later, claiming second place.
Women of all ages arrived at the finish line over the next half hour. And although the Big River Running Company team officially won the race, every woman who crossed the finish line was rewarded with the feeling of accomplishment from completing a cross country race.
Less than an hour after the women's race began, the men were ready to commence. With a field of over 150 runners, the race was clearly going to be a thriller. Whole teams had shown up to race, and local runners of high esteem were also present, most notably Zac Freudenburg, winner of this year's Go! St. Louis Marathon and the All-Star Charity 5K, to name a few of his recent successes.
I remained at the starting line again so that I could see the runners come through the first and second mile markers. After 4 minutes and 48 seconds, Zac had returned to where I was standing. He was really flying, as I'd expected him to be, but it was pretty darn inspiring to see 20-year-old Phillip King running right beside Zac.
Many runners finished their first miles in around 5 minutes. Some, noticeably taxed, had clearly gone out too hard with the lead pack during the first mile. Most runners, however, were not visibly laboring, and were showing off the impressive fitness they had built up during the hot summer months.
Zac and Phillip were still together one mile later, hitting a very even 4:50 split. Again, a large pack of runners followed, finishing their second miles throughout the next few minutes. Five minutes later, Zac, who had pulled ahead of Phillip, was turning into the final straightaway. With one tenth of a mile to go, he glanced at the clock and then kicked all the way home. Sprinting to the finish, Zac won the race in 15:02 – 16 seconds slower than Ben Rosario's course record, but very respectable non
etheless. Phillip held on to take second place in 15:18.
After giving a full effort throughout the 3.1-mile course, many runners looked exhausted as they crossed the line. Some even came close to collapsing at the end. Others got extremely physical with the runners to the left and right of them, elbowing for position as the end neared. But I wasn't focusing on those things. I was totally overwhelmed by the effort those guys had given out on the course. Watching them finish the race, grinding through the complaints from their bodies, was so inspiring. Witnessing the last few yards of a cross country race always gets me. Being able to watch the sportsmanship, passion, and determination at the finish line is a genuine gift that nothing, except actually crossing the line oneself, can top.
Twelve runners ran sub-16 minutes, 30 more broke 17, and more than 100 total racers finished below the challenging 20-minute mark. These runners are clearly ready to take on the challenges of in-season training and competition. I tip my cap to them and every finisher of last Saturday's races.
The Kick-Off offered runners and spectators their first tastes of the cross country season to come. Although the weather was perfect and the course rather flat, every runner undoubtedly felt the “primitive freedom” Jennings referred to.
--Tim Butterfield
photos courtesy of Ty Kanoya. View all Ty's pics HERE
view race videos HERE
Other Articles from Intern Tim:
All Star 5k
Big River Cross Country Camp
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Manchester, MO 63011
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5352 Devonshire Ave
Saint Louis, MO 63109
314.832.2400