C Mantz Running

      I trained for this race really well. I went and saw a bunch of really good runners I'd met before there.   I ran the course a bit the day before, and it was a lot harder than I had inticipated.  I did a race pace run back home in Utah a week before at a 5:16 minute mile pace for four miles, so I went into this race thinking I could make the top ten or atleast get 5:06 or 5:05 minute miles.  I lined up at the start line with Jerrel Mock next to me. Mock was seated 36 and I was 34 Since we were top 10 all-state we got a spot 10 foot or so ahead of the people who weren't.  The gun went off and I since Jerrell and I aren't much of sprinters, we didn't get good spots at the first.  Jerrell got way worse than I did and I didn't see him til the end.  At first I didn't want to run into people, so I kinda let them pass.  Then later on, because my sprint at the start of a race lasts a lot longer than other peoples  I tried to gain some ground, but it's hard to do that with hundreds of people surrounding you.  I went to the outside of everyone in some weeds/farm plants, and sprinted to get ahead of them.  I probably passed 30 or 40 guys about then, but I still had a crappy spot.  At the first mile the timer read 4:58 when I crossed.  I didn't get a bad time, but I didn't get what I wanted, so on the big hill I tried harder.  I passed maybe antoher 20 guys going up it and 5 or 10 going down it.   There was another hill after that where I passed 3 people and encouraged a guy who was favorited and who usually ran a lot faster then me.  I kept running up and down the hills.  I could see Jake Heslington ahead of me.  I thought of catching up, but I didn't even try.  I then went up a hill and down a bit hill where I saw the Mt. Crest team cheering me on.  I was going way too slow at that moment and got passed by a few people.  I was running to the track, but the guy on the announcment talked and it made me jump and ruined my rythem because the giant speaker was right next to the course.  I passed a guy before I got to the track, where I started my sprint finish, and sprinted to the end.  I kept hearing people yell to the people around me, "Get up there, your close to that 24th spot."  I didn't have much an idea about it, but in the end I got passed in the last sprint, and I got 25th.  I later learned that the top 24 got medals.  Oh well, maybe next year I'll get a better start, but it was a fun race anyway.