Footlocker WEST

The race is going to go out hard, a lot of people are going to die. The issue is enough aren't going to die that if you don't go with them the race will already be done. The 5k Footlocker course runs slower than Woodward. It's the exact same as the Mt. SAC course except it starts on the Grass and where you normally would end you make a sharp left and do about 300 meters on the track to finish. Course has been pretty muddy the last few days, I can give a better update again tomorrow as its actually raining right now and I will see how it is in the morning.

what was your time at state last week?

It goes out insanely fast and you hold on for dear life. Courses are nothink like each other. Have you not run Mt. Sac before? Hope your a good hill runner. Crazy steep ups and the downs you need a parachute for. Just let gravity carry you and pray.

Should be fun with rain.

Wow that would be awesome if you could give another update! Thanks for the help. I feel confident on hills, and in response to another poster, I don't want to give my exact time but I was right around 15:30.

Because you are asking this question I assume you have no chance of actually qualifying for nationals, correct? If you are not trying to qualify go out conservative and eat up the pretenders.

My senior year I believed that I had an outside shot of making footlocker so I swung for the fences. I had nothing to lose. I was in the lead pack for awhile before dropping HARD. I finished right outside the top 50 and have never felt as bad as I did after an xc race than I did that day. The top back just ate me alive.

A buddy of mine who was normally 30-45 seconds slower than I most of the season ran a very smart race and finished somewhere in the top 25 if I remember right. He knew he had no shot of making nationals. I remember him saying how at the mile he was wayyyyy back.

Just remember those are some big boys in that field. If you go out with them you better be buckled up.

I guess I'm a little like you then. I feel like a have a shot (a LONG shot, because last year it looks like someone running a mid 15:20s at Woodward made it, so maybe like a 1% chance or less, but hey, a chance nonetheless).

I would love to go after it and like you thought, I have nothing really to lose (except I wouldn't want to suck and then have the colleges I'm looking into see that).

Would you recommend maybe taking it out hard and trying to be around the top 20 at the mile and try to move up throughout the race? I would obviously rather do that and finish top 20 then die and finish top 50.

How big was the lead pack you were in, and what did you roughly go through the mile/2 mile in?

It's best to run an even paced effort through the race, and have a long drive to the finish.

You snuck your post in before me. If you ran 15:30 at CIF then you might as well give it a shot. You are good enough that maybe that day will be your day.

If I were you (if I could run the race over myself) I would sit off the front pack, hope to be 15-20 with a mile to go and run like a mother f'er while hope people die.

I would be trying to run for 10th place, or whatever it is today that qualifies you. Don't run to win.

Harder said than done. My year they ran together till it was just the qualifiers then more or less just coasted. My guess is if you go out you will implode, but maybe, just maybe if you keep yourself in a good position and have the greatest last mile of your life you will pick someone off. When you are reeling people in crazy things can happen at the end of a race.

Don't even bother, John Whelan, you're gonna die anyways bro.

hahaha I'm definitely not "John Whelan" but nice try. I have a faster time than him.

It could be any of these kids!!

18 Miguel Bautista JR 1 Poly (long Beach) 15:25.8 4:58 1747 SS

19 Jeff Thies SR 1 Edison 15:26.1 4:59 1566 SS

20 Phillip Rocha FR 1 Arcadia 15:26.8 4:59 1411 SS

21 Samuel Garcia SR 2 Arroyo 15:27.0 4:59 1418 SS

22 Daniel Bereket SR 1 Carlmont 15:28.0 4:59 36 CCS

23 Shay Martin SR 1 Carlsbad 15:29.0 4:59 944 SDS

24 Daniel De La Torre SR 4 La Salle 15:29.4 5:00 1644 SS

25 Gabe Collison JR 1 Crescenta Valley 15:29.5 5:00 1519 SS

26 Fred Huxham JR 3 Redwood 15:29.7 5:00 733 NCS

27 Trent Brendel SR 2 Granite Bay 15:29.8 5:00 1271 SJS

28 Tyler Hanson SR 3 Miramonte 15:31.7 5:00 699 NCS

29 Matt Schumann SO 1 De La Salle 15:31.8 5:00 619 NCS

30 Ryan Corvese SR 3 Sobrato 15:32.7 5:01 223 CCS

31 Omar Solis SR 1 Vista Murrieta 15:33.3 5:01 1906 SS

32 Austin Tamagno FR 3 Brea Olinda 15:33.3 5:01 1458 SS

33 John Lawson SR 4 Sir Francis Drake 15:33.8 5:01 756 NCS

34 Trevor Reinhart SO 5 Marin Academy 15:34.0 5:01 692 NCS

35 Sam Bautista SR 1 California 15:34.5 5:01 1471 SS

36 Kevin Matthews SR 1 Rancho Cucamonga 15:35.0 5:01 1759 SS

37 Jack Scranton SR 1 Davis Sr. 15:35.3 5:02 1218 SJS

38 John Whelan SR 5 Etna 15:35.5 5:02 834 NS

39 Naoki Omatsu SR 1 Trabuco Hills 15:36.1 5:02 1883 SS

40 Leo Corcoran SR 1 California 15:36.8 5:02 1472 SS

yup im on that list but im not going to tell you lol

you are for sure trevor reinhart or matt schumann.

i myself ran in the fifteen fifties last week so congrats to you on a very respectable time. as for the race, in my experiences at mt sac the most important part of the race is 1.5 to 2.5 miles. thats where the most people die and, if ur smart, you can gain the most ground. the start of footlocker west is absolute chaos so don't try and run with the leaders.

Try to run even pace and, like someone said, hammer the last mile. The guys who start up front are the ones who think they have a shot--real or not. There will be waaaaay too many who go out harder than they should. The ones who finish up front are usually the ones who die the least. Given that more guys will die (and die pretty hard), your best shot would seem to be picking as many people off as you can, especially considering your time at Woodward. Plus, passing people the whole race will benefit you psychologically. I'm a firm believer in negative splitting, and have run my best races (in 20+ years of running) doing just that. Regardless of what you decide to do, best of luck. I assume this is your last high school cross race; make it count. No one will ever remember if you were in the top 15 to 20 at the mile, but if you're there at the end, no one--especially you--will forget it.

I am for sure neither of those people. My name is on that list, and this is super fun and exciting playing the name game and all, but I don't want to come off as some kid looking for attention or anything and will not end up saying who I am. Maybe on the small small chance I do make it I'll let you guys guess some more until you get it. No matter how I do though I'll be sure to post again on this thread and at least say how it went.

Anyway, any more tips would be appreciated, as the last time I ran the course was sophomore year (obviously a disadvantage). I'll be running the course tomorrow though. And an update on the conditions of the course and what that could mean in terms of how the race may play out would be much appreciated still!

Be sure to get plenty of rest and sleep the night before racing.

Unfortunately due to the flat first mile you will need to get out hard and be ready to hit the hills a little out of your comfort zone (if you don't normally start races with low 4:40 miles). I liked hitting the hills a little hard and coasting a bit at the crest. As for the downhills just let yourself go while making sure you don't go too crazy and eat it. The airstrip, dirt strip before the track, and the last 300 really take care of themselves. Look out for kicks at the start of the track.

Good luck!

Top 20...maybe?

It's hard to say. Every race goes out differently. My year the top guys went out and separated themselves pretty early. I think in a pervious post I said that it was a big group at a mile - but that's a lie. I just like to tell myself that. The top eight gapped the field at the mile and that was that.

I went through right around 4:40. Lead pack was like 4:32-33 if I remember right. Couldn't tell you the two mile. It's been too long. Not sure if I ever knew actually.

Get out smart but aggressive. Run the hills, attack the flats.