USATF National Cross Country Championships

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What better way to test drive the new digital camera than today's USATF National Cross Country Championships, held right here in San Diego for the first time since 1971. It provided a rare opportunity to see so many current and former Olympians from all over the country, and from some seriously spectacular vantage points.

Of course, I learned a few lessons the wrong way, such as when you mistake the "sports action" symbol for the portrait shots, you end up with some funky photos. Oh, and if you want to use the telefoto feature, it's probably a good idea to read the manual before you just start hitting buttons -- and still don't discover how to bring images closer. But even with my elementary skillz, I think I got some decent shots.



Above is just a minute before the start of the women's master's race.



That's Sally, our track club's stretch coach and a former 3:15 marathoner. We worked an aid station for the Rockin' 'n' Runnin' program prior to the championships, then headed over to the races together.



Jody Hawkins, 41, of Frisco, Texas beat out former Ironman Hawaii champion Heather Fuhr, 40, of Encinitis, Calif., for the title in 29:04 for the 8k.



The men's master's race was really close to the very end, with Sean Wade of Houston, Texas beating Michigan's Tracy Lokken by 4 seconds, at 25:15.

Unfortunately, I couldn't stay for the juniors and especially the highlight of the day: the Open races that featured some major heavyweights in the field. Shalene Flannigan, 26, of Pittsboro, N.C., won the women's side in 25:26.

I especially enjoyed listening to Darren de Reuck describe life with famous wife Colleen and their 7-1/2-month baby. Colleen de Reuck was someone I read about all the time early in my running. At age 42, she became pregnant and stopped running until about 5 weeks after she gave birth. [That's in contrast to Paula Radcliffe, who ran through her recent pregnancy and bounced back in rapid fashion to win the London marathon last year.] Today, Colleen managed to finish 13th, well above the only other 40-something in a field full of 20- and 30-year-olds.

Dathan Ritzenhein, 25, of Eugene, Oregon, won the Open Men's 12k in 35:03. He beat Jorge Torres, 27, of Boulder, Colo. by about a half minute. Ryan Hall, one of the star attractions, finished 5th in 35:50.

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