Current University of Wisconsin star Josh Spiker (left, trailing new Mt. SAC course recordholder Ryan Hall - 14:28) ran a blistering 14:42 at the 1999 Mt. SAC Invitational while competing for Ventura HS, doing so while wearing trainers in that race! Here are his thoughts (coupled with some fine teaching from Ventura Coach Bill Tokar, no doubt) on how to attack the Mt. SAC course.

1) What is the general philosophy about how to race Mt. SAC that you and your coach have developed over the years?

Basically the key to running Mt.Sac fast is to push the downhills hard and stay steady on the uphills. Try to stay relaxed the first mile and then maintain on all of the hills and push everything else. There is more downhill than uphill so there is no point in killing yourself on the uphills.

2) How do you break the course up in your mind before you race?

I break it up into 7 sections. The first section is the first mile, the 2nd is the switchbacks, the 3rd is the section from switchbacks to the beginning of poop-out, the 4th being poop-out, the 5th being the section from the top of poop-out to the beginning of reservoir, the 6th is reservoir hill and the last is the top of reservoir to the finish. It works for me to break it up
in those sections.

3) Have you ever changed your approach to racing there, and how did it work out?

The only strategy I sometimes change is the first mile. Either I will try to stay up with the leader or will try to push the first mile hard to break up the pack. Personally I like pushing the first mile hard and normally I run better that way.

4) Describe a couple of your races there, how they developed (you did all the work, sat back, etc.)

As a junior at the Mt.Sac invite I went out and tried to stay with the lead pack. I did for the first mile and a half I think but then lost it and hung on for 5th place. At CIF prelims that year I went out with the lead group and then broke away on switchbacks and stayed relaxed for a 20 second win. At CIF finals I went out harder the first mile but was still very relaxed. At the top of switch backs I was gained on but on the downhill I opened up a 5-second lead and kept it the rest of the way. At Footlocker eleventh grade I sprinted the first 100 meters and stayed relatively relaxed ( I was actually breathing a lot harder than normal) the first mile. I think I was in around 15-20th place there. At the top of switchbacks I had caught a couple people but at the bottom I was in 4th or 5th and had caught 7 people on the downhill. The rest of the race I kept my legs moving and wound up finishing 3rd in the race. At the Mt.Sac invite senior year (14:42 race) I pushed the first mile but
didn't have any idea I was running a 4:32. I thought I would hit around 4:40 or so. There were still a few runners right on me. On switchbacks they stayed somewhat close. On that downhill I tried to let my legs go and they felt great. I was all alone after that. I just tried to keep a quick turnover over the next mile and a half. After reservoir I tried to push the downhill and then I finished hard but not all out.