This here is a portion of the American Trail Running Association newsletter for January 2009. I was asked along with a few other mountain runners who ran well at the past Club National Cross Country race what the similarities were between mountain and cross country running. I also noticed a few of the board members such as Nancy, Ellen, and Lisa. I must say these ladies are pretty damn cool. I had a great time meeting each of them and I know I will see them again in the future as they are dedicated to what they do for sure! Anyway, here it is:
American Trail Running
Association
American Trail Running Association
(719) 573-4133
fax (719) 573-4408
trlrunner@aol.com
www.trailrunner.com
Athletes Share Experiences
“I have always enjoyed the purity of running in
natural terrain. It’s not the ‘measured distance that
counts’ it’s the spirit of competition and dealing
with ‘mother nature.’ I think as long as you do a
bit of specific training, one can excel in XC, Trail
and Mountain races because of a degree of
hardening in ‘attitude.’ My
recent win at USATF Club
XC Nationals (masters) was
typical of this hardening
effect. A lot of the athletes
felt that the weather was
terribly cold and
challenging. I went to sleep
looking forward to the
adverse conditions knowing it was going to
be cold, but paling in comparison to my winning
2008 Pikes Peak Ascent in a hail of snow/ice/wind
finishing at 14000 feet after 2hrs 18 min of
running,” Simon Gutierrez, 7-time U.S. Mountain
Running Team member.
“I just started mountain (running) so I
feel that my foundation came from years of XC.
Both are rugged and provide a big sense of
accomplish-ment. It’s not about time, but rather
guts. Cross Country has helped me excel in
mountain running because XC mimics mountain
running - both usually have hills up and down and
also different terrains,” Joseph Gray, 2008 USATF
Mountain Runner of the Year.
“Racing the World Mountain
Trophy Race in Bursa, Turkey, was one
of my top three most painful races of my
life. It was also one of my most enjoyable
memories of my racing career. After
completing that grueling uphill race it
gave me confidence that I could push my
body through pain and overcome both
mental and physical obstacles. Now when
I run other challenging races like XC
running I reflect back on my mountain running
experience and I can tell myself that if can run 50
min straight up a mountain and dodge boulders
and tree branches I certainly can get through a 20
min XC race on grass,” Nicole Hunt, 2006 USATF
Mountain Runner of the Year.
Trail Running: A Natural
Extension of Cross Country
Running. Enjoy both of
these disciplines in the
coming year!
Adam W. Chase
President
Ellen Miller
Vice President
Doug Laufer
Treasurer
Lisa Goldsmith
Secretary
Elliott Henry
Webmaster
Advisory Board
Eric Black Danelle Ballengee Tom Sobal
Dave Mackey Bart Yasso Andy Ames
Executive Director: Nancy Hobbs
2009 Board of Directors
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