The adventure began Thursday August 16th after our mile repeats. It was then where I got the offer to write a blog about our trip to Mammoth Lakes CA for UC Riverside’s High altitude training camp. The men of the UC Riverside cross country team decided to culminate their summer commitment with 5 weeks of intense, high altitude training.
All packed up and excited, we hopped on our cars and began the five-hour journey to the High Sierra haven we would call home for a little over a month. The first two hours went smoothly as we joked around and shared some stories to beat the monotony of the high desert. We had a slight car problem on the way up, finding ourselves stalled near the Manzanar World War II Memorial. Fortunately Asst. Coach Nate Browne and a couple of the girls weren’t too far away and came to our aid.
Once in Mammoth we encountered the beautiful sight that makes this place so famous. I took a deep breath and smiled, for this was the beginning of something beautiful. The rest of the guys were waiting for us at the condo, worried and relieved.
The reason that we came here was to raise our fitness to a whole other level. We can reap not only the physiological benefits, but the mental and spiritual ones as well. Our friendships will get closer as our number of red blood cells increases in order to supply our thirsty muscles with well deserved oxygen. After a brief trip to the store, we ate some pasta, talked, and called in a night. After eight hours of sleep, we began our morning run to a place we like to refer to as ‘temper hill.’ The specifics are to be kept within members of this team. Eleven miles later we regrouped in the condo to eat some breakfast and take some naps. We got our first real taste of what this trip is going to be all about. Running in the morning, eating breakfast, napping and running some more. There will be no distractions, no jobs, no school to worry about- just good old hard work and love for the sport.
Sunday we embarked in an 18 mile long run up to Lake Valentine. Half of this run is literally up; with beautiful sceneries and pure air. There is nothing that compares to a long run. Among the conversations taking place on the way down the mountain are hopes and expectations from each of the members of the team. The last thing we want to do is get ahead of ourselves and trip on our own shoelaces, but it is pretty apparent that all of us put in the effort and hard work during the summer and that we’re ready to come together as a team and make this season a memorable one. We will approach training eager and races confidently. This trip to Mammoth Lakes will build that eagerness and confidence. We might not get wiser or better looking up here, but we will certainly get fitter.
Runs like the ones we did Saturday August 25th are easy and fun to write about. There are beautiful sceneries, and we run at a pace that makes it easier to admire these. This Saturday, however, we ended up running a little longer than we wanted to- way longer. We ended up running about 18-20 miles, which is normal for Saturdays, but the difficulty of the run left us out in the back-country for more than three hours. It all started just like every morning; wake up, get dressed and get ready to go. This time we loaded up into cars and drove up to Upper Lakes (Lake Mary, Lake Mamie, and Horseshoe Lake.) From there, a number of different runs are possible. All of them are challenging and beautiful. This day we chose the Crystal Lake Trail- a trail that would lead us up to another trail towards Deer Lake. After about 30 minutes of running around the lakes, we started the uphill battle up Crystal Lake trail for another 30 minutes. At the peak of this trail we rested a bit and drank some water and took some pictures. This trail is one we already conquered the previous year, but the omnipotence and beauty of it makes it worth going back to. We move on for another 30-40 minutes across meadows, forests and plains at about 11,000 feet of altitude. At our next water stop we decided to stop for a little bit longer. There is this ridge that we’ve wanted to look down from since last year. At 12,000 feet and a little closer to heaven, the view magnified the efforts or our run. We stood as giants, dwarfing the infamous Mammoth Mountain and the surrounding town. Behind us, further grandeur, characteristic of our extravagant, round earth.
After more pictures, and after some of us discovered a slight fear of heights, we picked ourselves up once again and moved towards Deer Lake; once there, we noticed that the lake was a bit dry compared to last year. This is where we stopped and turned back last year. A new day and a new year, this time we were to keep on going and do some real cross country. Since there was no clear cut trail for another three miles, we were to rely on instructions from Coach Ray and our instincts as we trail blazed up rocky hills and down rough terrain. We were all relieved once we reached Pika Lake and the Pacific Crest Trail. This let us know that we were closer to the end. All we had to do was to run down to Duck Pass Trail to coldwater campground and home free back to the cars at Horseshoe Lake. That effort proved easier said than done, for we were all exhausted and out of water. Finally we got through it and drove back down to town parched, a bit grumpy, but satisfied.
Sunday morning was a beautiful one, and after some soul cleansing at St. Joseph’s, I got ready for the week to come. We were to drift away from our usual schedule of Tuesday thresholds and Thursday mile repeats because we were to compete at the Nevada Twilight Invitational on Friday August 31st. That didn’t mean that we were backing off mileage of effort however. This early season meet was scheduled simply to break the monotony of training (and because the NCAA requires a certain number of meets.) We proceeded on Monday to run our 7.5 mile threshold. The course proved a bit challenging, especially at 7,000 feet, but we got through it in decent time and with minimal effort. Nobody seems to be nervous about the race since there has been limited conversation about it. We all just want to go out there and have fun. After a relaxing Tuesday recovery day, Wednesday saw another workout day where the 6x 1-mile repeats went by fast and effortlessly. There was, however, slight fatigue from some of us; something expected from the past few weeks at 100+ miles. A little more dialogue arose about the race, but still no fear nor nervousness; simply a desire to race.
Race day finally came. We were expected to go out for a morning run before leaving for Reno at 2:00 p.m. for our 7 p.m. race. After a four mile morning shake-out, we all ate breakfast, showered and relaxed. Oh yes, hydration is always important, but some of us over-did it as proved by the multiple bathroom stops we required along the 395 to Reno. The drive was new and relatively scenic as we passed Mono Lake and Carson City. When we arrived we had a little over 30 minutes before we needed to warm-up. Luckily, none of us were too cramped from the long drive. Along our 2-mile warm up we ran into some of our competitors. Runners from UCLA, Sacramento State, and Humboldt State warmed up along the course. There were lights along the course, but our race was to be lighted by the beautiful Reno sunset. Excited, yet ready, the men of UC Riverside toed the line along with the competition. Silence reigned as the starter brought the gun high into the cool air and gave the commands. The authoritative boom started the race on our 6,000 meter trek which consisted of five loops around the park. The course proved a bit challenging, especially for our tired legs.
There is no doubt in my mind that our second place finish behind nationally ranked UCLA was the result of our best effort that day. UCLA, with their highly-touted recruiting class looked strong. They always bring a strong squad and I can’t wait to race them again later on the year at the regional championships. The overall experience left everybody happy, for the future looked more than bright for our humble team. Greater racing prowess and team running will be on the agenda for the rest of our time in Mammoth Lakes, California.
Time rolls by in Mammoth Lakes and with it friendships grow and fitness increases. I’m not sure I’ve emphasized how lucky we are to be up here for so long. Not only is this place perfect for training because of the altitude and numerous trails, but being up here also allows us to get away from the distractions of every day life. School, jobs, and the heat of Riverside shall remain there until September 22nd.
Our morning routines continue and for the most part we’re all healthy. The workouts are getting easier every week as we get used to the altitude more and more. Some of our readers might wonder what we do with our spare time. It is completely true that we don’t spend the whole day running, but it is also true that our whole day revolves around running. Between running twice a day and doing a core strength routine three times a week, our energy levels limit any outside activities. We are not robots, however. Besides napping, we usually watch lots of TV (thank God for football season) and movies. Some of the guys enjoy walking around the surrounding area. There is a Vons supermarket, a movie theater and numerous restaurants that offer an extensive lunch repertoire. We have team meetings a few times a week as well. Some are coach-guided and some are athlete-guided. Sans coach, we discuss goals and our current training. We also explore the mental side or running reading articles on sports psychology that cover anything from pre-race anxiety to negative and positive feedback. Meetings with coach consist of recaps, announcements and lectures. This program not only aims at making us great athletes, but also extraordinary human beings. Through running we learn about commitment, hard work and the importance of team work. These meetings complement the mentioned by providing more skills that will be useful outside of running as well. Being the only co-ed team that travels together, we tend to run into the women’s team a lot. As a matter of fact, a friendly rivalry has risen. Besides the occasional joint dinner, we have developed a couple of contests that prove that ‘guys rule and girls drool’.
The first one occurred on September 9. I was playing catch with Coach Browne, and a couple of girls approached us with a challenge: a friendly game of touch football. Since it was Sunday and there was lots of football on TV, I had to discuss this with the guys. All of them jumped at the opportunity. We met at Shady Rest Park, the men dressed casually and the women, with vanity always top priority uniformed and with war-face paintings. Didn’t matter, their fate spelled defeat. Needless to say, the game ended with a shut out. The game was tons of fun. These women are not only amazing runners, but also fun and interesting people.
The next contest happened yesterday (September 13): a pizza eating contest at our condo. Without our number one eater, we were to face the women’s number one eater with whoever wanted to step up to the plate. This contest unfortunately ended in our defeat. There is no shame in losing to girls…I guess. The series will continue on Sunday with a friendly game of kickball.
We are close to a week away from returning to Riverside. It would be cynical to say that we don’t miss home. Family, friends and our beloved UCR awaits us. We are, however enjoying every second of this wonderful opportunity in this beautiful town of Mammoth Lakes.
