SAUGUS CROSS COUNTRY: Big Bear, behind the scenes -- follow-up to "Fawnskin"

Everybody returned to the cabin in Big Bear Lake following the first "Fawnskin" run, and aside from the fatigue that comes from running anywhere from 60 to 100 minutes at race pace, and the occasional bout of altitude sickness, the Saugus contingent was in good shape following its first morning run of the week.

Some athletes needed to soak in ice baths afterward, the product of their legs and knees pounding on the asphalt and uneven terrain for anywhere from 10 to 14 miles round trip.

Saugus senior Alec Nelson, his father Jeff -- a former standout at Burbank High at Glendale College -- and Centurions graduate Baxter Frick, a sophomore at UC Santa Barbara, extended the "Fawnskin" run further than any Saugus athlete had ever taken it before, covering 14 miles, including two miles uphill on the way back which leads to a locked gate just above Hanna Flats at the San Bernardino National Forest Campground.

Female alumni Shannon Murakami, a junior at UCLA, and Glendale College freshman Brianna Jauregui did an admirable job of keeping up with the rest of the boys' varsity roster, including Alex Ruther, Logan Smith, Kurt Lutz and Robert Pion.

Recent graduate Anne Randall, a freshman at Long Beach State, led the group featuring the girls' varsity runners, followed by Stephanie Bulder, Danielle Hernando, Karis Frankian, Danielle Hernando, Merissa Kado, Emily McCarty and Nicole Penick.

According to Saugus coach Rene Paragas, the varsity girls covered more ground in less time than they did last season, a good sign for the start of the week. Whether Saugus can duplicate those efforts as the days progress.

As for now, a lot of down time for the athletes, including reading -- there's a lot of pleasure readers in this group -- playing billiards and watching TV, relaxing before an afternoon workout scheduled to cover around five miles and begin around 5 p.m. Will report later with more updates.