COC Cross Country Race #1; Race Report #9

     With just 48 hours of recovery, Robin and I made the drive down to Santa Clarita for the first of seven weekly Thursday night 3-mile cross country races at College of the Canyons, also known as COC. This year it's the 44th annual happening of the summer cross country series, and everyone from high schools to us masters runners look forward to this event. We drove down, paid our money, got our bibs and timing chips, and warmed up for the first race. I could tell right away warming up that my legs were still feeling the effects of Tuesday's 5k so I knew this would not be a night for a fast time. Unlike the Bakersfield races, COC only matters on the finals night as far as awards go so just getting used to the hills again was my plan for the evening. Keith and Ethan also showed up, as this has become our annual weekly get together to talk about old times, and catch up on family. The race is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM after the kid's race which began at 6:45. I'm not sure why, maybe it was the 4th of July holiday, but there was a very small crowd there for the first race.

Keith and Robin before the start of the start of the COC Summer Series Race #1

     We all line up on the COC baseball field listened to the instructions and took off at the sound of the gun. A lot of the people were complaining about the heat but after running in Bakersfield the temperature didn't seem too bad. It was 93 at the start. It was fun running along and chatting with some of my friends during the race. I hit the first mile in 7:26, and continued up the first big hill to the freeway downhill but had no leg strength. I guess I'm not as young as I once was. Soon enough the fun was over and killer hill loomed up in front of me.

The view up killer hill at the COC Summer Series

     I trudged up the hill, made the right turn and continued on up the hill. A quick down hill, and back uphill we went some more. It wasn't long before I hit the second-mile mark in 8:15, and it was downhill or flat to the finish. I cruised along at a 6:56 final mile. My official finishing time was 22:35.2. Not bad considering the hills and the fact that I had run hard just two days earlier. I saw Keith finish in a 29:33, and I jogged back to run in with Robin as a cool down. Robin crossed the line in 37:31. 

     With the race over there was only one thing left to do. As it has become a tradition for us we headed to Vincenzo's Pizza on Lyons for some post run nourishment.

Vincenzo's Pizza was the scene of our post race nourishment.

     We split a family meal deal and a pitcher of beer four ways. While we ate we relived the race and caught up on various family and friend issues from the past year. Next week it would be race #2, and back to Vincenzo's Pizza.