9 miles in 64 minutes (7:06 pace). I progressed it from 8s down to probably some sub 6s near the end. ------------------------------------- I ran out in Valley Forge alone along a predominately grass path that skirts the edges of the park. The path is used by the Villanova XC teams and it shows; huge swaths of flattened, brown grass form chutes that zig and zag you across meadows and up and down small hills and dales. I love this type of XC running; it feels fast, determined--purposeful. Your feet scramble and your arms--always forming open, obtuse angles--flail to keep balance as you dart through the chute. You run where hundreds of others have run. You do your part to sustain the trail as you march in step with that parade of past collegiate elephants who never seem to be around when you are, but you can still sense their faster feet prodded on and on by the spirits of the great 'Nova coaches: Jumbo Elliot and Marcus O'Sullivan. I pushed through the chutes and swept a continuous volery of robins and a occasional squirrel from my midst. The robins would bob and hop--waiting for the very last second to look for a chance worm--and then levitate to the nearest branch out of my way; the squirrels would just dart--in an adrenaline-filled rush--off the trail, kicking up composting leaves while waving goodbye with their bushy tails. -------------------------------------- Here's some good Napa pics. GUman with me and David Monk on the hunt to reel him in. (GUman faded to 9th with a 2:44 in what I consider to be a classic case of blowing your wad in a marathon and red-lining at mile 4) Alex, the winner. It was never a race. I shared a bus ride with him to the start. About mile 5 or so, we passed him up the hill. I always feel for the wheelchair folks in general and specifically so on the uphills. He passed us again back the down the hill and laughed, "Ha ha! I got you fuckers!" We passed him again on the next uphill and said nothing--no laughs or backslaps; silence--David and I were in the zone. --------------------------- Penn Relays update. It's been made known to me that Nick Gramsky's putting a 1600m time in as well. I don't know what that is, but I do know that it will be very fast (probably 4:30s). As an alternative, I can try to make the 1200 leg which requires a 3:24. This is 68s back-to-back-to-back. So the B squad is looking like where I'll land at the moment. My time trial is Friday at noon. Location: Upper Merion track or rather, 'the cemetery.' -------------------- This is my speed workout tomorrow. I'm a corked bottle of testosterone; I've got to jab the corkscrew of oxygen debt into the soft, fibrous tissues of 100-miles-a-week legs and rip out 5:09s back-to-back. I have to hurl myself down the road in explosive, determined effort. I have to win.