Marty's Run Around: Sunday March 7, 2010

Better for Today

A goods night sleep and with a suggestion from Robin, it was a easy 5K on the cross country course.

If you have never run at Northview, you need to . Although this morning with grass showing for the first time in a month, it was still crunchy and a little frozen at 8am. But this is what you body needs, every few days, a soft, smooth surface.

After a week of pounding out on the road, and a race on Saturday , this grass is good.

So a drive over to the course and down to the start, trail shoes on, hit the watch and a gentle run.

East into the bright sunshine, there are still small spots of snow on the course, but it doesn't matter, this is a pretty course .

As you head north along Hazel Dell Pkwy you roll up to the first kilometer which is named the Nascar turn.

In the meets held here it is a race for position at this marker, after this is a tight curve and things begin to separate out. You should now be falling into a groove with a little down hill , but you hope you didn't kill the first K and have to pay later.

To one of my favorite spots on the course is the pine tree loop. A inter loop on 800 meters, a bit challenging, and a spot where moves are made during races. At this spot you can see the majority of the course.

Off to the next K in which you need to be into the run. It is the mental part of the course, long and open, a trying grade up then back to the crowds at the meets. This K is at a dip in the course and if it has been raining it is soggy. The plans are for a land bridge this year, I think it will happen.

Heading off to the 4K , surges are made, you pass 2 mile marker and heading now in reverse of the start. As you get to the marker, it sits at the top of a short downhill, then flat for 400 meters . You cross the drive with 700 meter's to the finish, a small uphill that you do feel when you are racing, then west along trees , that long uphill grade and I have watched the high school meets won and lost right here. It is a great part of the course.

Then the turn to the finish, but it is a uphill the shortens your stride for 50 meters. It takes the steam out of you, but at the top you have a 120 meters downhill to the finish. In the big meets the crowds line both sides and it is truly a cool finish.

Enough of the description of the course, I think it is pretty accurate. During all of my running, this course is one of the things I am most proud of. I was allowed to design, layout and secure several big meets on the property with total support from a great staff and friends at the church. When the gun was fired for the first FlashRock Invite it was pretty emotional for me internally, 1500 kids, 3000 parents and fans, I was pretty happy to see my vision and dream come to a good outcome.

Over the past 3 years the church has embraced the course, and it is one of the best cross country courses in the Midwest and will continue to improve.

At any time it is being used by runners and walkers of all abilities. This is really God's course and he just allowed me to create it . I love running at Northview, and in the summer it is just a beautiful 88 acres to romp around.