the hungry runner

Mt. SAC. “Where the World’s Best Athletes Compete!” One of the most famed cross country courses in America, Mt. SAC is located in Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California. Athletes from across America travel all the way to Walnut just to be able to run this course & last Saturday was the last time I ran it as a high school cross country athlete. It was quite an honor to be able to run the annual Mt. SAC invitational every year, knowing that famous runners like Ryan Hall, Kara Goucher and most recently Jordan Hasay have all ran the course during their high school careers. Mt. SAC was a monumental running experience that I am thankful to have.

So this Saturday I ran at the Mt. SAC Cross Country Footlocker Nationals. The famed course consists of three distinct hills. 

1. Switchbacks: Personally I feel this is the toughest, which in a sense is good because you get it over with first. Basically, its a pretty steep hill that goes in a zig zag formation. 
2. Poop out: As you can tell by the name, it’s not just a little bump in the road. It’s basically vertical the whole way through.
3. Reservoir: So this is the last hill, and the longest out of all of them. the thing I’m not too fond of is that this hill consists of two mini hills so when you get over the first hump you think it’s over, but you still have a ways to go…

The hills are what make Mt. SAC so famous and so exhilirating. While most would dread running over 3 miles of heavy incline, the majority of runners that come out to Walnut are more than pumped to storm up those hills. Just remember, you have to be mentally tough, power up those hills and keep thinking about the downhill where you’ll be able to catch other runners. While the hills may be the most daunting part, it’s only really a small portion of the race, while the majority is downhill. So take advantage and run those downhills fast with long strides and no breaks! 

&& be prepared for the next morning, it’ll take you about an hour to get out of bed! My legs are going to be sore for an eternity!

This is the mecca for all cross country runners, a place where the best of the best can shine and anyone can reach the fulfillment of having run the most famed course in America. Whether you’re first place or last, running and finishing Mt. SAC is a huge accomplishment.

The atmosphere of any Mt. SAC invitational is always fun. Cross country runners have always been perceived as quite eccentric, so since this race didn’t require wearing a uniform, it was quite a sight to see all the costumes on the starting line. 

& of course after every race, the meal is the ever most important! The team and I ate at a breakfast diner called Millie’s that wasn’t too far from the college. I ordered myself a big plate of waffles accompanied by some crispy bacon and hash browns.

Cross country truly shaped my whole entire high school experience, it helped me with trivial times, taught me how to work hard to achieve my goals, and introduced me to some amazing people. Mt. SAC was a truly amazing way to end my senior year of cross country!