Readers of this blog who have been with me for at least one year (The blog began December 9, 2013!) know that the span of time from about mid-September through mid-November is pretty quiet.
Meaning the number of posts per month go down from about 8-12 to maybe 2-4 for those 2 months.
Why?
I post about 100 times per year.
Most of those are during the height of the INdoor and OUTdoor Track & Field seasons.
I post ALL the records broken, and ALL the marks that make one of my Top 24 Performers lists.
I also post predictions of Records that could be broken, and other previews of the Championship meets (WC, USATF, NCAA, NBIN, NBN, etc.).
I do some "editorials" too.
Doing these takes a LOT more time than the 1 to 2 hours it takes me to type it up and do editing & revision.
I first have to gather all the marks, then put them in some sort of order.
(Not to mention the actual revision of my 600 page T&F Record Book--the key source for this blog!)
Anyway, enough of this boring detail of my daily routine!
Back to the subject at hand!
Look at the title of my Record Book again.
It's called a TRACK AND FIELD Record Book!
Simply stated, Cross Country is NOT Track or Field!
Yet its basic element is ALSO a key element of T&F.
That is---RUNNING!
But XC is centered around just one sector of the running world---distance.
Whether it's a Track team's 800-1500 people doing OVER-distance work, or 5000-10000 athletes in their element, XC is essentially for distance (middle or long) runners ONLY!
Sprinters, Hurdlers, Throwers, Jumpers, Walkers, and Multi's are non-essentials.
But there are other reasons I don't do much with Cross Country on this blog.
This blog is all about Records and Marks in T&F.
XC times aren't really comparable--EXCEPT when comparing times run by various athletes on the SAME course!!
Even though many of the distances are the same (8000 or 10000 for Men, 5000 or 6000 for Women), the various courses are NOT the same!
In Track, EVERY OUTdoor track is flat and 400 meters around.
EVERY (legal!) INdoor track is 200 meters around--though some are flat. (Most are banked!)
Thus, times are easily comparable!
Don't get me wrong!
XC is FUN!
Watching the races on livestream is exciting!
The team aspect is always there.
And you often see--as in T&F--new faces emerge, which often extends to the INdoor Track season--as when NCAA XC 2nd placer Sarah DiSanza ran that 15:20+ 5000 in December of last year!
But other than naming names---of the various winners of major races--and noting who's making forward strides (pun intended!! LOL), there's really little compatibility between XC results and the core focus of this blog.
My Record Book doesn't have lists of the Top 24 times over the various 6K routes, or 8K courses.
I would have to have separate lists for EACH of the MANY courses where key races are run.
Compare that to Track.
I do NOT have to compile separate lists for times run at Hayward Field, or the track at Arkansas or Penn or (for INdoors) The Armory and Boston University!
They're all the SAME (for INdoors or OUTdoors, that is!).
There's also the fact that some XC courses---even over the same distances--are tougher (or easier) than others.
There's also the weather.
Sure, weather affects OUTdoor T&F.
But NOT with MUD on the track or in the sand pit!
Not with sloppy puddles to splash through--Steeplechasers (sort of) excluded!
I understand that MANY people LOVE Cross Country--running it, watching it, and following it through its season!
But I haven't found a way to RECORD the season in any understandable way!
And since my blog is ENTIRELY about Records & Marks, I have to ask---What would I put in a post about XC?
Which TEAMS might win at NCAA's?
Nope!
Which INDIVIDUALS might win?
Nope again!
(XC is, if anything, about TEAM cohesion rather than Individual glory seeking!)
So, for the next month---maybe 5 or 6 weeks!---don't expect much reportage from me about XC.
Mostly, what you'll be seeing are NAMES of the leading runners---but withOUT times or knowing which team won, or even the name of the meet!!
All I'm wanting to do is present some names to watch--for when INdoors begins!
(The past 2 Decembers have seen a series of FAST 5000's--mostly from people whose star shone during XC!)
I'm expecting MORE fast 5K's in a couple of months!
I DO have a few XC results to post.
BUT I'm going to wait until Monday, when I'll have results from the Chicago Marathon and the USATF Women's Road 10000 to report!
In THAT post, I'll bring you up to date on who's who in XC thus far---through this coming weekend!
See you in a few days!
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