Tomorrow is the peak race for this training cycle, the Atlanta Track Club Grand Prix Cross Country (XC) 5k.

Last year I ran this race in 25:32 and in 2022 I ran it in 23:40. My current VDOT would indicate a 23:14 5k, but XC is not equivalent to a road race.

This is the only XC race I’ve ever run, and I’ve found them difficult to strategize. The current course at Legacy Park is particularly difficult with all it’s twists and turns and ups and downs. To add to the difficulty planning and executing, it might rain tomorrow.

The course is two laps, so a negative split is a reasonable goal. Jack Daniels’ advice in Daniels’ Running Formula (3rd ed.) is geared towards high school and college XC teams, but he recommends going out conservatively and then passing as many people as possible in the middle mile.

Previously, my tendency has been to go out hard enough to not get boxed in once the course narrows, but I think I’ll try to follow Jack’s advice and take the start at a moderate pace and focus on that middle mile.

With the course and weather, I don’t have any option other than to run it by feel. So feel relaxed for the first mile, pass on the second mile, let the third mile take care of itself.