Richard Knowlton: Harder than it should have been

I raced Stewart Mountain 10 mile XC this past weekend. This has been my third time racing this run and despite running it on a stress fractured foot my first year, I think this may have been the hardest one yet.

The run itself is certainly not an easy one (a good reason why I like it so much). It is a one loop course of winding rocky/rooty/hilly trails around Thetis lake and out beyond to a small but steep mountain (Stewart Mtn), up the mountain, steeple chase down the practically untrailed backside and then back allong the same trails only to have to finish the last km with three steep hills that are almost enough to slow runners to a walk. This year had the added difficulty of having frozen/slippery surfaces to navigate. That is not why I found it so difficult however.

The night before the race I had been out celebrating the victory of our ultimate team winning the intermural league. I didn't get too carried away, but I certainly wasn't exactly being conservative either, and I paid for it out on the race course. And to make matters worse (although I know it made for a better race) Bruce Martel, the guy I just beat in GS, was there and looking for some revenge. We had a good race up until the mountain but after we crested the top I didn't see him until after I crossed the line.

I had been wanting to improve on last years time by a couple minutes, but instead I was slower by 1 min. I suffered a lot that race, and I will remember to keep pre-race celebrations to a minimum for future races. At least it gives me something a little easier to shoot for next year!

Here are some pics from both SM and GS:
top of Stewart Mountain