An excerpt from this week's column: Racing cross country at the world level is actually a bit scary. Imagine teams from about 30 countries charging from the starting line to an area that will eventually narrow to about 10 feet across (this photo is on the world championship website www.puntaumbria2011.com and is from the European Championships). The first time I ever went to the World Championships I was terrified of being trampled. One of my teammates fell hard a few hundred meters into the race and could not get up. Runners were diving over her, dodging her, stepping on her with spikes. It’s a full contact sport and you better be quick on your feet and be ready to throw some elbows. Danger aside, it’s so fun. The organizers usually add mud, giant logs, and steep moguls to the courses just to make it interesting.
- More coming in Saturday's Monterey County Herald
No comments:
Post a Comment