...Trent Briney, Brett Gotcher, Jordan Horn of the Mc Millan Elite Group working out!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Meanwhile in Lake Mary
...Trent Briney, Brett Gotcher, Jordan Horn of the Mc Millan Elite Group working out!
COMRADES MARATHON 2010 ENTRY & QUALIFYING PROCEDURE
Entry for the 2010 and 85th anniversary of the Comrades Marathon will be cut off at 20 000 runners, and no extensions will be entered into. We urge all runners and potential runners that wish to run in 2010 to take careful note of the entry process and the cut off dates. We therefore request that you enter early to avoid disappointment. Entries will be done in 2 phases.
Phase 1:
1st September 2009 entries will open to all previous Comrades Runners. Phase 1 will be capped at 15,000 entrants and will close on 31 October 2009, or whichever comes first (eg. if we receive 15,000 entries by the 10th October 2009 then no further entries will be accepted).
Phase 2:
1st November 2009 entries will open to all Novices and will be capped at 5,000. Entries will close on 30 November 2009, or whichever comes first (eg. if we received 5,000 novice entries by 15th November 2009 then no further entries will be accepted).
Qualifying period for 2010 will be from 24 May 2009 to 26 April 2010. Runners who finish the 2009 Comrades Marathon can use their finishing time as a 2010 qualifier.
As in 2009, runners will be able to enter before they qualify. This means while all entries will have to meet the entry criteria above, runners will still be allowed to qualify in official qualifying races up until the month of April, with the 26th April as the final cut-off date. Upon qualification, runners simply need to give the time and details of the qualifying race through to the CMA office. Upon receiving the qualifying information the runner’s entry will be confirmed.
Race Day is Sunday 30 May 2010.
TANZANIA: 10 runners set for IAAF event
By Suleiman Jongo for The Citizen
The national athletics team leave confidently today for Berlin, German to compete in the IAAF World Championship, which starts from August 15 to 23.
The athletes were yesterday presented with the national flag by the Government, beaming confidence of returning back with medals.
"It's my hope that we are not only going to compete as mere participants but competitors", said team captain, Christopher Iswege in a brief ceremony to bid them a farewell held at the New Africa Hotel in Dar es Salaam.
Speaking before handing over the flag, Mohammed Kiganja, who is an acting secretary general of the National Sports Council (NSC) urged the athletes to have patriotism and should compete desperately aiming for medals.
"You are going to represent millions of Tanzanians, you should have a good image while there and compete for the country�s honours", said Kiganja.
The team�s participation in the global championship comes after the Tanzania International Container Terminal Services (TICTS) recently donating about Sh10.4m/- for their preparations and travel expenses to and from German.
Allan Turner, who is the Executive Director of the Executive Solutions, a firm which has entirely been helping Athletics Tanzania (AT) to earn sponsorship from the corporate firms, said that they feel honoured to see the container firm continued their financial support.
"We feel very much proud of your continued sponsorship, this will not only promote our local athletes, but also put Tanzanian flag high", he said.
Among the athletes, who depart today aboard Swiss Air include a 10,000m national champion, Christopher Iswege and Zakia Mrisho.
The list also includes Andrea Silvin, Getuli Bayo, Desderi Hombo, Faustine Baha, a budding long distance runner, Ezekiel Jafary, Marco Joseph and Dickson Marwa, the 2006 Sun Herald City winner.
AT assistant secretary general, Julius Msomi, thanked the sponsors, TICTS and the New Africa Hotel for sponsoring the team. He said that the team departs early with a view to acclimatize with the weather.
The team will be under tutelage of newly recruited Cuban coach, Jorge Luis Bravo, who has taken over duties few days before the team's departure, but expressed his optimism that they will excel.
The Championship will served as a trial for the next year�s Commonwealth Games to be held in Indian and the 2012 London Olympic Games.
A Brief Chat With Desiree Davila
Desiree Davila, 26, of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, who was fifth at the 2008 Chicago Marathon in a personal best 2:31:33, will represent the U.S. in the women's marathon on August 23 at the World Championships in Berlin. She was 13th in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials in April in 2:37:50 after moving into fourth in the late stages. She placed second in the 2008 USA Half-Marathon Championships in Houston in January in 1:12:10 and she was 11th in the 10,000 at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene in 33:18.56. Her 2009 race results include a fourth at the USA Half Marathon in 1:12:24, a 13th at the USA 15K in 52:02, and a personal best 32:25.78 for 10,000 meters on the track at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational in Berkeley, California. Davila competed twice in the World Road Running Championships, placing 43rd in 2006 in Hungary when it was a 20K and 34th in 2007 in Italy when it was a half-marathon (it is now the World Half Marathon Championship). She played soccer in addition to running in high school and attended Arizona State University, where she was a Pac-10 runner-up in the 10,000 in 2003 and third in the 5000 in 2005. She was tenth in the 5000 at the 2003 NCAA Championships.
We saw a brief blog by you today that indicated the weeks of three-digit mileage (ie, over 100) for you before the World Championships are over by this point, right?
Desiree Davila: Yeah. we had a big workout last weekend. We'll do one or two moderate ones. But from here, it should be smooth sailing.
Was the big workout the "simulator" one the Hansons group often does?
DD: That's the one. We did a straight 16-mile tempo. My friend has been training with me a little bit, so he was there for that and helped me out quite a bit. He's a neighbor and has been training with the guys for awhile.
Is it a pretty evenly paced workout?
DD: It's supposed to be all at (marathon) race pace. Personally, I kind of cheat and try to pick it up just a little bit and finish a little harder and hopefully, if all's going well, strong at the end.
Did the "simulator" run turn out pretty much as you wished?
DD: Yeah, it was actually, honestly, a little bit better than I expected. I had a couple of tough weeks right before that, so it was good to know that even going in a little bit tired, it went pretty well.
You had the fifth fastest women's marathon time in the country last year, and the people ahead of you are all over 30. It's time for there to be the another sub-2:30 breakthrough. I bet you think that, too.
DD: Yeah, absolutely. Actually, I think I've got a good shot. The rest of the team - obviously, minus Kara (Goucher), who's going to run well in front of us - could see a couple of sub-2:30s. I think that's kind of the goal for everyone (the other U.S. marathoners will be Zoila Gomez, Tera Moody, and Paige Higgins).
Was your last race the USA 15K in Jacksonville?
DD: I ran a 10k on the track a month after that. We were just trying to get under 32:30. I ended up running 32:25. That was kind of the focus for the last segment, to get a little bit quicker 10k time. That was at Brutus Hamilton.
You don't get to do too many 10,000s on the track. That must have been a huge personal best.
DD: I ran my PR at the Olympic Trials a year ago on the track (she was 11th). I'd say this was 40-something second PR.
Did you give thought to doing another 10,000 at the USATF Championships in June or would that have been unwise considering your marathon plans?
DD: I think we decided to skip that one and just focus strictly on the marathon. I would like to take the time to do an actual track season one of these years. But with there being the World Championships (marathon), it was easy to pass on that this year.
Did you, as you mentioned you might, go over to Berlin and take a look at the World Championships course?
DD: We did. It was about a month ago. It was pretty simple and pretty much what we expected. It's just flat and fast. I thought it was really beneficial to go over and get an idea of where the team hotel is, where the marathon course is, where they're going to take us for training out by the track, and just get the lay of the land and find out where we're going to be doing daily runs. It was really useful and I was glad we got the opportunity to go out there.
Are all of the places you mentioned with a pretty concentrated area in Berlin?
DD: It's actually pretty spread out, which was why it (her trip) was pretty beneficial. If you head out to the track to do a team workout, it turns out to be an all-day event, while you can find equally good places to run over by the hotel or by the marathon course, which is maybe a 15-minute train ride at most.
You've mentioned how after you've done a marathon, you've learned something each time. Chicago was a good 2:31 effort, but what did you learn from that, specifically in terms of areas that might be deficiencies?
DD: Going into that, the biggest thing was fueling issues, and I definitely have gotten that down, but I know it's something I need to work on and get a lot better at. That's coming along and it's still something that's being practiced quite a bit now. The other thing from Chicago was just learning how to close out a marathon and feeling really confident in doing that. I'm trying to do the same thing now that I did in training for Chicago, where I'm finishing off workouts instead of just hanging on and struggling at the end. The idea is to finish strong at the end of everything
READ ON...
When Can I Run My Next Marathon?
As Bill Rodgers famously said, “When you’ve forgotten the last one.”
On April 13, 2008, Ryan Hall finished 5th in the London Marathon with a time of 2:06:17 - the fastest marathon time ever recorded by an American-born runner. Just 14 weeks later Hall ran the Beijing Olympic Marathon, finishing a disappointing 10th. Now, top-10 in the Olympic Marathon is not bad, but Hall knew he could have done better.
After the Games, Hall confessed that his pre-Olympic training had gone poorly. He just couldn’t match the times he was accustomed to posting in key workouts, and the more he fell short the more he tried to force his training, and the more he forced it the worse he felt. In the immediate aftermath of Beijing, Hall wasn’t sure exactly why he had not been his usual self in the summer of 2008, but eventually he figured it out. “Looking back on it,” he said in a recent interview on runnersworld.com, “I think I never let my body totally recover from London so I never made the physical gains that I needed to.”
Many years ago, when asked how long one should wait after running a marathon before running another one, the great Bill Rodgers said, “Until you’ve forgotten it.” Ryan Hall probably defied this wisdom! Seriously, though, it’s not that Hall felt he ran London too close to Beijing. Rather, he determined that he simply did not rest long enough after London. Even though he would have had less time to train specifically for Beijing if he had rested longer after London, his training and the Olympic Marathon itself probably would have gone better, as his body would have been better able to handle the training he planned to do.
I’m not aware of much scientific research on the physiological changes that occur in the body during a rest period that follows a major training ramp-up and peak race. Undoubtedly it involves a deeper level of muscle and joint tissue healing and a more complete resetting of the endocrine and immune systems than occurs during a garden-variety rest week within a training cycle. An Austrian study found that blood levels of antioxidant enzymes remained significantly reduced, while biomarkers of muscle damage and inflammation remained significantly elevated, in triathletes nearly three weeks after they had crossed an Ironman finish line. I would imagine that such abnormalities could be found in runners for at least a couple of weeks after they complete a high-workload training cycle culminating in a peak race.
Whatever happens, it is quite certain that the body requires a prolonged rest between training cycles to perform at least as well in the next peak race as it did in the previous one. It is a phenomenon that every runner experiences. A runner can no more expect to train progressively year-round than a cornfield can expect to produce corn spring, summer, fall and winter.
So, are there any rules concerning how long a runner should rest between training cycles? Not really. But it is possible to formulate such a rule, and I will do just that a bit later in this post. In the place of rules, there are only customs based on the collective experience of generations of runners across the world. Most professional and high-level competitive runners rest two to four weeks after completing a training cycle.
Generally, the greater your training load is within a training cycle, the longer you should rest afterward. Also, the longer your peak race is, the longer you should rest. A runner who peaks at 45 miles per week for a 10K might need only 10 days of rest to “reset” his body and be ready for the next ramp-up. A runner who peaks at 120 miles per week for a marathon is more likely to need at least three weeks of rest.
Rest is relative, and does not refer strictly to complete cessation of running. A transition period between training cycles should begin with at least a day or two of running avoidance. When and how you resume running depends on how much recovery your body needs coming off the last peak and how soon you’d like to peak again. If you really pushed your body hard in the last training cycle, you should not rush your return to running and should start very gently when you do resume running. On the other hand, you don’t want to wait too long, lest you sacrifice too much running fitness and give up all of those hard-earned tissue adaptations to repetitive impact that keep you from getting injured.
TrainingPeaks WKO+ software presents a simple means to strike the right balance between rest and fitness preservation in the transition period between training cycles. In my experience with this program, it is necessary to let go of approximately 20 percent of peak fitness to recover sufficiently to begin another ramp-up. Fitness is represented by the chronic training stress (CTL) variable. Thus, it is necessary to allow your race-day CTL to drop by roughly 20 percent in the post-race period before you begin building it once more in preparation for the next peak.
There’s no need to let you CTL drop more than 20 percent, and doing so will only increase the training burden you must take on to peak again. So 20 percent is pretty much a magic number. Your fitness should drop no less and no more (approximately) between training cycles.
What I like about this magic number is that it allows a lot of flexibility in terms of how long your transition period is and how you train within it. If you want to make a “quick turnaround” between training cycles, you can take more complete rest and resuming running very lightly so that your CTL drops 20 percent quickly. If you wish to take more time between training cycles, you can allow your CTL to drop either quickly or slowly and then train enough to preserve 80 percent of your peak fitness until it’s time to ramp up again.
THX
Blog Roll: Dathan Ritzenhein
Settling InI am sitting here in beautiful Switzerland in my altitude tent thinking, “Why am I not tired?” Usually at 11 at night I would have been asleep for over an hour (I know I’m lame). I seem to be on the every-other-night sleep plan. The first night I was so tired from the travel that I slept great for 11 hours; the next night I slept only four hours and was awake from 11-5 AM. But last night I slept great. Hopefully I will get tired soon and can pass out. Everything else I have adjusted to by now.
I am feeling great running and looking forward to my first workout tomorrow. Actually, I am doing two workouts, one long and easy in the AM and one short and fast in the PM. I will have to remind myself that I am at 6000 ft, otherwise I might get depressed at how much slower the times will be than back in Portland. The place we are staying is very nice. I stayed for a few nights with Jerry’s guys but I have to say this new hotel is much nicer. The people have been so nice and the food is great. Also it is nice to have a room that is not a typical European hotel room, which is ridiculously small. Alberto has already reminded me not to get fat while I am here, though, because included every night is a five-course dinner. I think I could get use to this but something tells me Kalin won’t keep that going when we go home.
It is amazing to see how many elite people train in town, and the funny thing is that they come from all over the world. I saw Dos Santos working out today at the track. I wonder if he is running the 10k in Berlin? The staff at the hotel seems to be used to athletes staying here because they seem to know all our needs. Hopefully the tent doesn’t scare away the cleaning lady. Alright, it is late enough and I am rambling. Until next time…
THX
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Gatorade Sports Science Institute's Dr. Craig Horswill Answers Questions about Marathon Hydration and Nutrition
Q. My running partner’s hydration plan works well for her. Can I just copy her plan?
A. Having an individualized hydration plan is a great idea for every endurance athlete. But since everyone sweats at a different rate, it’s important to follow your own plan. You can easily do this by estimating your personal fluid loss. To start, weigh yourself before and after training and competition with the goal to weigh the same before and after exercise. The weight loss represents fluids lost from the blood and muscle. If you lost weight, drink more next time. If you gained weight, cut back on your fluids. Keep in mind sweat rates can vary depending on environmental conditions, so be sure to calculate it in various situations. Remember to replace what you lose – which includes critical electrolytes, like sodium, but don’t replace more than what you lose. Visit GSSIweb.org for more information.
Q. I think I might be dehydrated, but I’m not sure. What is the best way to tell?
A. Other than weighing in and out after training, there is no “best” way to tell if you are dehydrated. One easy way to predict if you’re properly hydrated is to check the color of your urine. If your urine is pale like the color of lemonade, that’s a sign of good hydration. Crystal-clear urine often indicates over-hydration and the need to cut back on fluids. Dark urine (like the color of apple juice) may signal dehydration and the need to drink more.
Q. When should I drink water and when should I drink a sports drink? Can I drink both or is it one or the other?
A. When training for an endurance event like a marathon, your beverage choice matters. Water is an option for short distances. Look for a sports drink/beverage with electrolytes and carbohydrate to help replace the electrolytes you lose in sweat, promote rapid absorption, and supply energy especially during long distance events..
Also, find out what will be offered on course and consider training with it. By the time you get to your competition, you’ll know what works best for you and what to avoid.
Q. I worry about dehydration so I carry fluids with me and drink the entire time I run. Is that okay?
A. Staying hydrated during your run is important, however, whatever your beverage preference is, it’s essential not to over-drink. Over-hydrating can lead to a dangerous condition called hyponatremia. The risk of hyponatremia can be reduced by making certain your fluid intake does not exceed your sweat loss and by ingesting sodium-containing beverages or foods to help replace the sodium lost in sweat, particularly during long runs.
Q. In addition to fluids, what else do I need to make sure I’m not running on empty?
A. Good question. You definitely don’t want to run out of fuel. It’s important to start with a full tank. Fuel your body 2 to 3 hours before training and competitions. Consume high-energy foods like breads, cereals, pasta, rice, and fruits. During activity, endurance athletes should consume between 30 and 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour to help fuel muscles and sustain your optimal performance. This can come in the form of a sports drink, gels, bars or concentrates, all of which have various amounts of carbohydrate. Gatorade Endurance Formula (EF) is served on the course of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Drinking one half liter per hour of EF will provide 30 g of carbohydrate.
Remember that everyone is different, so what works for one person might not work for the next. I recommend testing out your own hydration and nutrition plan during training so you can have optimal results on race day.
THX TO XTRI.com
Kastor out for Beach to Beacon
Stressing safety concerns and admitting heartache for limiting the size of the field, race founder Joan Benoit Samuelson has an envious problem with no obvious solution.Too many runners want to be at the starting line Saturday morning for the Beach to Beacon 10K.
Even though organizers increased the field for the 12th annual race to 6,000 runners, the field filled up within minutes after online registration began earlier this year.
"We want to accommodate as many people as we can as safely as we can," Samuelson said on Wednesday. "Obviously, some people are going to be disappointed because we need to keep the race smaller than some people would like us to.
"The runners' safety is our primary concern. We expect some attrition, and we watch those percentages very carefully. We thought we could increase the numbers a bit, again expecting some attrition."
With the course through the tight roads of Cape Elizabeth — the race starting near Crescent Beach and ending in the shadow of Portland Head Light at Fort Williams Park — and the need not to overwhelm public safety officials, 6,000 runners is as large a field as officials feel the race can support.
The restrictions haven't prevented the Beach to Beacon from becoming a destination race for runners from Maine and beyond. The list of entrants includes runners from 43 states and 16 countries.
"This race increases in size and popularity for a variety of reasons," Samuelson said. "There are people from around the country who make it a goal to run in a race in every state. This race is very appealing to those people. I think people come watch the event and they're inspired by what they see passing in front of them, and then say, 'Maybe I can do that.' And I guess the push for improved health among our population in light of diabetes and obesity issues, people are realizing that they need to do something that improves their own health and wellness. Running is a very accessible and affordable sport."
Ndereba and a hot men’s race at Bogota Half Marathon
Makau, 24, who ran 58:52 for his PB in February at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, possibly missed a World record at that race, if not for a stiff head wind. He has nine sub-one-hour half marathons on his resume and is a two-time runner-up at the World Half Marathon Championships. In addition to Ras Al Khaimah, the tactically aggressive runner has notched half-marathon wins at Reading, City Pier City, Berlin and Rotterdam. He has a marathon PB of 2:06:14, in his debut at Rotterdam this year.Macharia, 28, on the other hand, is a three-time winner at Bogota - he won for the first time in 2004 - and has a 1:00:48 PB. He was the Great Scottish Run Half Marathon Champion in 2007, and has runner-up finishes at the 2007 Delhi Half Marathon and the 2008 Dubai Half Marathon. He has a marathon PB of 2:07:16.
But if one race stands out in this head-to-head match it would be round one, Bogota in 2007. There, Macharia got the best of Makau…by a lot. Macharia’s winning time of 1:03: 40 was almost two minutes up on Makau (1:05:33) in fourth place. Of course, that was two years ago and Makau should be better ready for Bogota’s altitude, as well as Macharia’s race tactics. Last year Macharia went virtually from the gun.
Waiting in the wings to possibly steal the race are Kenya’s Wilson Chebet and Morocco’s Ridouane Harroufi.
Chebet was 40 seconds back of Makau at Ras Al Khaimah this year (for the fourth best time of the year) and has 2009 wins at the Pardubice and Rabat half marathons.
This year Harroufi was second at the Peachtree Road race and the winner at the Boilermaker 15K. Last year was Harroufi’s debut in Bogota and he struggled with the altitude, finishing 8th in 1:07:02. The second time around he should be a lot closer to his PB of 1:01:37.
READ ON...
Tola, Gharib, Makau join NYC half-marathon field
Some of the world’s best long-distance runners will compete at the NYC Half-Marathon on August 16.The New York Road Runners, which organizes the race, announced Thursday that the male runners will include defending champion Tadese Tola of Ethiopia, two-time IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships silver medalist Patrick Makau of Kenya, three-time 10,000-meter Olympian Abdi Abdirahman of the United States, ING New York City Marathon 2004 winner Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa, and 2008 Olympic marathon silver medalist and two-time World Championships marathon winner Jaouad Gharib of Morocco.
Top American marathoner and 2008 Olympian Ryan Hall, 26 announced last week that he will make his NYC Half-Marathon debut.
Headliners in the women’s field include champion and two-time Olympic medalist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor of the U.S., and half-marathon world record-holder Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands.
“This is a glittering lineup of the world’s best emerging stars like Tola, Makau, and Hall, side by side with ageless veterans like Ramaala, Abdi, and Gharib,” said NYRR CEO Mary Wittenberg.
A one-hour same-day highlights show of the race will air from 11:35 p.m. until 12:35 a.m. on WABC-TV, Channel 7, in New York City.
Blog Roll: Reid Coolsaet
The Canadian team for the Berlin World Championships was officially named today. AC even made a slide show with music, I figured it would be a crappy song but I was impressed with what they picked. http://www.athletics.ca/berlin2009/The Kenyan and Ethiopian teams were also named this week and it looks like (no surprise) they are going to have great marathon squads even with the absence of Haile G, Duncan Kibet, James Kwambai and Sammy Wanjiru.
I remember showing up to the Western International XC meet back in University and hearing another team making fun of us saying “you always know when Guelph shows up because of the yellow school bus”.
We joked (we weren’t cocky enough to actually say it) that the other teams should know when we showed up because they were going to be fighting it out for second place. Well even Boston Champ Deriba Merga rides the yellow school bus sometimes (proof taken with my cell phone). He’s probably one of the favorites to win the Berlin Marathon despite this being his third marathon this year.
READ ON...
Deriba and the boys...
The Ethiopian National Athletics Federation selected six men and six women to the marathon team for IAAF World Championships in Berlin based primarily on their time-performances during the last 10 months. Other criteria included their recent performances as well as their Olympic Games performances.World marathon record holder and the only man under 2:04, Haile Gebrselassie, is not included on this team for Berlin, the same city where he has twice broken the world record. Rather, Haile has started to prepare for the Berlin Marathon in September. There is no further information regarding what the Ethiopian Federation has discussed with Haile, but he is not on the list for the marathon team.
Leading the way for Ethiopia is the Beijing Olympic bronze medalist and second-place finisher in the 2009 FLORA London Marathon behind Kenyan Sammy Wanjiru, 22-year-old Tsegay Kebede. Kebede is one of the caretakers of Ethiopian gold demand at this World Athletics Championship marathon.
2009 Houston and Boston Marathon Champion Deribe Merga is another strong contender as his road race times in the past months have been near the best in the world. Merga is an unforgettable competitor. In Beijing he lost a marathon medal in the entrance to the Birds Nest track. Merga's performance in Berlin will be highly anticipated as his training has been very strong recently.
Other members of the Ethiopian team are below. They will help answer the critical question in Ethiopia of marathon medals.
Ethiopian Men's Marathon Pool - Berlin 2009
2:05:20 Tsegay Kebede ETH 2 London
2:07:52 Deriba Merga ETH 1 Houston
2:06:30 Yemane Tsegay ETH 4 Paris
2:07:54 Deressa Edae ETH 2 Dubai
2:08:30 Dejene Yirdawe ETH 2 Seoul
2:09:01 Negari Terfa ETH 2 Xiamen (alternate)
READ ON...
Bekele and Dibaba to lead Ethiopians
Ethiopia’s squad for mid and long distance runners for Berlin is out with the pair every Kenyan wants beaten, Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba leading the queue.
Kenenisa and Dibaba won Ethiopia’s four gold medals at last year’s Beijing Olympics with doubles over men and women’s 5,000 and 10,000m.
Kenya’s woes at Kenenisa’s hands have also been extended to the World Championships where the 27-year-old has denied his bitter rivals the 10,000m gold medal at three successive editions — Paris 2003, Helsinki 2005 and Osaka 2007.
Tirunesh has topped Kenyans at World Championships gold in Paris (5,000m), Helsinki (5,000m and 10,000m) and Osaka (10,000m).
Life After 2:08 - An Interview With Takayuki Nishida
THX to Japan Running NewsFinnish writer Tuomas Zacheus, author of the book Nousevan Auringon Maratoonarit [Marathoners of the Rising Sun], visited Tokyo with his wife Marit the weekend of July 18-19.
JRN organized and facilitated an interview for Zacheus with the recently retired Takayuki Nishida, a former Team S&B and Team JAL Ground Service runner coached by the legendary Toshihiko Seko.Nishida holds a PB of 2:08:45, the fastest time ever by a Japanese runner on the elite Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon course. On the strength of his Beppu-Oita performance Nishida ran the marathon in the 2001 Edmonton World Championships, finishing 9th overall, beating then-national record holder Atsushi Fujita, and, as the Japanese team's third runner, helping to win the team silver medal. In university Nishida was already a star, narrowly losing out to a young Marilson Dos Santos of Brazil for silver in the 1999 World University Games half marathon and setting a rare new stage record on the Hakone Ekiden's 9th leg. Zacheus talked to Nishida about his past, his views on the Japanese jitsugyodan corporate team system and the future.
How did you start running?
When I was in elementary school I was on the baseball team, but when I got to junior high school I wasn't good enough to be a starter. I thought I'd have a better chance on the track team.
Did you have any marathon idols when you were young?
No, I didn't really know anything about running. I only really got interested when I was 20. My favorite baseball player was Kiyohara. Actually, though, I wasn't a marathoner yet, just a track runner, but when I was in 9th grade I liked Yasuyuki Watanabe, the Waseda University star who became its head coach.Up until I was 18 I wanted to become a Buddhist monk because some of my relatives own a temple, so I decided to go to Komazawa University, a private Buddhist school. At the time I entered it wasn't a very powerful ekiden team yet. I wasn't a big name in high school either, no fast times or anything, but when I met Komazawa's head coach Hiroaki Oyagi I was impressed by what a powerful person he is. He inspired me to become something more.
What do you remember about winning the silver medal in the 1999 World University Games half marathon?
The World University Games were a lot of fun. I led the whole way, then in the last few hundred meters I started getting dizzy and a Brazilian went by me. He beat me by about 20 seconds.
Did you know that Brazilian, Dos Santos, has won New York twice and run 59 minutes for the half marathon?
What? Really? That's really good! I don't feel so bad about losing to him then! 59 minutes is amazing.
The Runner Nerd, part III: Nikeoholic
mzungo.org Americas HQ in NYC: from track fighter to daily sneaker. Nike is highly contagious. N1K1.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Meanwhile in Edmonton/Canada...
Jamie Weikum is our winner of last week's contest with this photo. Three USATF stickers are on their way to Canada - no less!
Tuesday is goodie day - win a Central Park running shirt!
This week we are looking for pictures of your running shoes. You sure have seen our new series "The Runner Nerd" (here or here). Take a photo of your shoe(s) and tell us the story behind it.
The winner receives a running tech shirt with a Central Park Map on it. Show your love for the world's greatest park!
Send your pics and stories to askmzungo@gmail.com until Friday 31 July. Good luck!
The winner receives a running tech shirt with a Central Park Map on it. Show your love for the world's greatest park!
Send your pics and stories to askmzungo@gmail.com until Friday 31 July. Good luck!
MZUNGO LIKES... Boaz Cheboiywo
Background: Hailing from Tirap, Kenyra (a village near Eldoret), Boaz began running as a youth as a matter of course and obligation. Within a year of taking up serious running at 19, Cheboiywo had run in the high 3:40s for 1,500 meters and clocked an 8:42 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Before enrolling at Eastern Michigan University, where he garnered seven All-America honors, Cheboiywo trained for a time at the high-altitude camp led by three-time world steeplechase champion Moses Kiptanui. He is coached by Brad Hudson and currently seeking sponsorship. Boaz will gain his US citizenship rights in 2010College: At EMU, Cheboiywo was the 2001 NCAA Cross Country Champion and placed seventh in the same race in 2002. His first campaign was otherworldly: five races, five wins, five course records. After missing the 2002 indoor season with an achilles injury, he rebounded to become NCAA 10,000-meter champ (running 28:32.10 and lapping more than half of the field) and, in his first season on the boards, took second to Alistair Cragg in the 5,000 meters at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships.
He went on to run 27:46.47 at the Cardinal Invitational that spring, but in his 10,000-meter title defense at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Cheboiywo managed only a 10th-place finish in his second and final season of eligibility (he was a student at Kenya’s Talmbach Teacher’s College before coming to the United States).
Notable Achievements: He notched a 3:57.00 mile at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games in January 2004, and the next month won the 3,000 meters at the Tyson Foods Invitational in 7:38.60, a meet record that remains Cheboiywo’s fastest time for the distance. At this February’s Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Indiana, Cheboiywo — competing in his first race in six months following another Achilles injury — recorded the then-fastest 5,000-meter time in the world in 2005 with a 13:38. He followed this up with a personal-best 13:22.12 at the Mt. SAC Relays in April, and then, at the Prefontaine Classic in May, ran a sterling 8:11.62 for two miles, chasing compatriot and winner Eliud Kipchoge (8:07.68) and American record-setter Alan Webb (second in 8:11.48) to the line.
A week earlier Cheboiywo had set the stage for a fast deuce by running 3:35.20 for 1,500 meters at the Payton Jordan Invitational, placing second to this year’s 800- and 1,500-meter world champion, Rashid Ramzi. In July, he set another personal best in the 5,000 meters at the Bislett Games in Oslo with a 13:19.56 despite a flare-up of an old Achilles problem in the final two kilometers.
Blog Roll: Patrick Rizzo
Attitude is contagious. It spreads to your performance as well as to others around you, so you have to be careful with whom you surround yourself. My college coach used to tell us religiously, “whatever you surround yourself with, you will become.” It is ultimately true. If you look at groups who spend a lot of time together, they assimilate to one another and take on the group’s identity and personality as much as—if not more than—their individual traits.A large reason for my initial interest in joining the Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project stemmed from the success of one athlete—and it was not the most obvious. In early 2006, I was coaching a junior college track team in Illinois when I started flipping through some results. On those results was a familiar name, Josh Moen. In Josh’s and my eight or so races together in college, my record stood at a paltry 3-5 (with him winning every NCAA Championship in which he beat me). Still, when we graduated I had faster track times; one year later he was almost a minute ahead of me in a 10k. I dropped Josh an email to congratulate him and find out how to set up a visit at Hansons. Surely there had to be some magical workouts and a utopian training atmosphere in Rochester Hills, Michigan that I was previously unaware of.
About a month later I took a visit to the program. But once here, I sensed that there was nothing special about the workouts or training philosophy. There was/is nothing particularly unique about southeast Michigan for training (not to a Chicagoan at least). The magic I noticed was the attitude of the team and community. On my visit, I ran one workout with the group and a couple of easy runs. It was just enough to feel out the team chemistry and camaraderie. The easy runs included some members of the community and some former team members still living in the area. The mood was jovial and everyone was supportive of one another. Much like five years earlier when I made the decision to go to North Central College, I knew I wanted to join the Hansons-Brooks team.
The hook for me was the team training in a post-collegiate atmosphere. Everyone was looking at getting better, achieving more, making world teams, Olympic team. It was such a reinforcement to my personal tastes and philosophy that these guys believed in team training as much as me. The team just keeps the balance of good pressure and bad pressure in check. It is good to feel accountable but know that there are still guys who have your back if it just is not your day. It also helps bring me up on days I might feel a little less positive. Although I consider myself a generally positive person, I know that I am not perfect and sometimes negativity does seep in. That is also where the “surround yourself with what you want to become” part comes in. With the right group, it ensures that negativity is the exception and not the norm.
One of the only times you will see me shut my mouth is when there is a “contaminator” around. A contaminator is the kind of person who is infectiously negative and tries to bring others down with him rather than keeping it to himself or even letting other people’s happiness rub off on him. Contaminators are the “glass half empty” kind of people. I know when I am around a contaminator that I will inevitably become more negative. My loose personal observation is that this also then has a carry-over effect into my running.
Brooks Launch: Inside Scoop for Shoe Geeks
Summer racing season is in full swing … and so we welcome the Launch, a brand new neutral lightweight trainer that provides “just enough shoe” and cushioning. The Launch has one goal in mind: let you run fast and not lose any energy in the shoe.Lace these up for mile repeats or tempo runs, and know this shoe will help you hit your splits.
With a nice midfoot wrap, BioMoGo midsole, and carefully constructed forefoot – the Launch embodies the definitions of resiliency and effort-enabler. And the minimally constructed upper keeps you secure in the shoe, but avoids unnecessary weight or possible areas of irritation.
One early reviewer raves: “like running on a cloud…the miles feel effortless in the Launch.”
Added perk: Fans of the old Brooks Burn can finally clean out their closets!
US mountain running team final selection race
Sunday was the Cheyenne Cañon Mountain Race, a new event outside of Colorado Springs, created specifically to select the members of the USMRT (The first Selection Race was a month ago at Mt Cranmore in New Hampshire). The race thus had no history, relatively low general participation (36 women and 46 men), but very tight competition at the top end, especially among Women, as runners travelled into the state hoping to earn a spot on the Team.Nancy Hobbs is the Mountain Running Team Manager, and also the Race Director. She writes an excellent Press Release, which is quoted in part in italics below. The full PR will probably appear here.
Blog Roll: Justin Young
I have run 6 marathons. Two Chicago. One Olympic Trials. One Rotterdam. One Twin Cities. One Tokyo. Each has been unique, including preparation or the actual event itself.I ran Chicago in 2003. Felt as if I would simply put in some long runs, do a few longer workouts, go race a marathon. Disaster. Worst agony, tortuously slow and enduring discomfort I thought possible while still moving in a relative direction that only few would recognize as “forward”. I stumbled. I was thinking of my life in gray panting soliloquies. The final hill at Chicago, the bridge leading to the final turn, the only incline in the entire race, almost finished me completely, my legs wobbling violently. Somehow I made it; I finished.
The next Chicago, around mile 20, had me thinking of my family, my wife, my life in general – it had me wondering why I could only see in a haze, and it had me believing that this time, unlike the first Chicago, I would actually pass out right in the middle of the street, be carried away, wake up in a hospital bed. It took every shred of focus and energy to get to the finish line. I made it.
The Olympic Trials was yet another dreadful experience. I went through 17 miles in 2:13 pace, but quickly became disillusioned, losing fuel rapidly. The cold, the hills; I just got eaten up, again; I ran with Mike Morgan, Nick Arciniaga; they responded well, while I deteriorated, slowly.
Was the marathon for me?
I approached Rotterdam differently. Fuel was the problem. Not strength or ability. I was convinced. I trained just as hard, logging similar levels of miles, similar workouts: 26 mile long runs in sub 6 minute pace. 12, 14, 15 mile tempo’s in low 5 minutes average. I practiced consuming fuel in large quantities early in training; I carried a small 8 ounce bottle on every run, learning to take it in, digesting it. Power Gels were no longer entirely disgusting. They just were fuel. I would do anything to not experience loss of fuel again. I ate two dinners the night before. A full plate of rice, a bagel, some coffee, a banana 3 hours before. I consumed a power gel at the start. Two power gels at 5k, with a 10 ounce bottle of Endurox, another power gel at 10k, washing it down with another 10 ounce bottle of Endurox. I filled my stomach to the gills. By mile 20 I felt better, stronger, more focused that I was at mile 3. I solved the puzzle. 2:13:53.
Twin Cities was cold. I run like shit in the cold. That’s a fact that can’t be denied. I hope the next trials is not in cold weather – which I’ve always wondered why USATF puts a trials in an environment directly opposite to the environment you have at championships/olympics? Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense – unless you realize money talks…
Tokyo went well. No fuel problems. By well, however, I mean: I didn’t do anything wrong in preparation or tactics. The wind, and running into it for 26 miles, destroyed me. Went through halfway, easy, in 66:00. But the constant battle against the headwind slowly sapped my energies and strength. All in all, I was pleased with running 2:18 in those kinds of conditions; I was not pleased that I missed a chance to run 2:12 or 2:11 when I knew I was ready to do so.
Now I have Berlin approaching. It’s unlikely to be cold. It’s a flat course. Training has been going well. Very well. The last few weeks have been challenging: 20 mile run in the morning, followed by a 4 mile tempo in the evening. 12 mile tempo in 5:04 per mile, in some serious heat. 35×400 averaging 68’s, off 1 minute rest. Good quality. High volume. With the knowledge that I have earned, the fire I have walked through in the first 3 marathons, perhaps this could be a breakthrough – or perhaps it will be too windy or too tactical…Who really knows? It’s the marathon…
Blog Roll: Kate O´Neil
Running has given me many gifts. The opportunity to make friends and race in high school; the ability to compete at the collegiate level and enrich my experiences during my years as a student-athlete; the experience of going to Athens to represent the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games; and now a life-long relationship. Adam and I met when we were both injured and were visiting our agent in New Jersey. Four years later, we are now engaged. Fitting that he proposed to me on a run!Since last weekend, I have repeated the story of our engagement dozens of times. Almost every time, someone asks me if we actually finished running or if we ran straight back to the car to call our parents. Of course we finished running! We never a cut our runs short unless one of us develops an injury (and I did almost injure myself that day because I kept looking down at my hand to admire my new ring).
We were running up a particularly steep hill when he proposed. I have hated this hill since the first time I ran up it four years ago. That hatred vanished in just one hour – I find that I have this sudden love for a hill that I did not enjoy running just a week ago. This lesson was best summarized in a quote by Adam’s high school coach Clay Lewis (he borrows this quote, not claiming it his own): “The difference between an ordeal and an adventure is attitude.”
THX to KATE
Tola: First Central Park now Falmouth?
Defending champions Tadese Tola of Ethiopia and Edith Masai of Kenya will join a strong field of world-class athletes in the 37th CIGNA Falmouth Road Race on Aug. 9. Tola will be challenged by two-time Falmouth runner-up and 2004 Olympic silver medalist, Meb Keflezighi, as well as several other elite runners from around the world as they race along Martha's Vineyard Sound from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights."Tola defeated a very strong men's field last year to become Falmouth's first Ethiopian winner, while 41-year-old Masai put on a memorable show to defeat a strong group of much younger women," said John Carroll, the race's co-director and elite athlete coordinator. "This year we have another excellent field featuring some very talented athletes who would like to win Falmouth."Tola has had several impressive victories over the past year, including the 2008 New York City Half-Marathon and the Healthy Kidney 10k in Central Park, N.Y., 
with a course record 27:48.Keflezighi, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., shadowed Tola for six miles before finishing in second place. It was the second straight year that Keflezighi was runner-up in Falmouth, and the best finish, along with his 2007 effort, by an American man since Ed Eyestone was second in 1990. On July 25, he won the U.S. 7-mile championship at the Bix road race in Davenport, Iowa.
with a course record 27:48.Keflezighi, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., shadowed Tola for six miles before finishing in second place. It was the second straight year that Keflezighi was runner-up in Falmouth, and the best finish, along with his 2007 effort, by an American man since Ed Eyestone was second in 1990. On July 25, he won the U.S. 7-mile championship at the Bix road race in Davenport, Iowa.Blog Roll: Nate Jenkins
Nate Jenkins: Training July 20 to 26–Back on the Horse!!Monday
AM speak at a running camp
PM 22+, in 2:24:48, starting easy but getting down to 6:00 and faster after the first half hour, which got tough with the temp pushing up in the high 80’s and some good humidity. Then 1:44 light jog to track, then finished with 1 mile on the track at about marathon pace, 5:17. Was going to do reps but I was completely finished. tot. 23+
Tuesday
AM 4 with Melissa, 33:53, around reservoir, tot. 4+
PM 4 at Keene State Cross Country Camp with campers, 32:46 tot. 4
XT stretching
Wednesday
AM 3+ warm up, 22:01, 10K progression run around reservoir trail (2500m a loop), 33:00, 8:38.6, 8:23.8(17:02), 8:15.4(25:17), 7:42.6(33:00) Huge improvement over last few progressions. Last time my last lap was 8:06, the first time my last lap was 8:36-basically the same as my starting loop this time. My total times on those runs were 34:55 and 33:45. 4 cooldown, 26:23, tot. 13+
Noon chiro and other treatment with Mika
PM 8+ at Battle Road trail, 1:02:43, first 50 mins with Melissa, would normally do short hills but not after getting body work done, tot. 8
XT stretching
Thursday
AM speak at camp
1PM 50:09 with Melissa at Walden Pond trails, lunge warm up before, tot. 6++
6PM Reservoir 4 solo, 29:43 tot. 4
XT Lunge warm up (Jay Johnson video), stretching
Friday
Noon 3 warm up over to Harvard track, a couple light strides, 24×1K with short rest (34 to 53 seconds avg.42 seconds) reps avg. 3:13.8, legs very tired after, but this was 15 miles of work at 2:16 marathon pace on a windy track (20 to 25mph). I’d rather this workout have been a month ago but I’ll take it. I tried to do this a month ago and ran 2 reps and was done so the improvement is huge! 3 cool down home- 23:58- tot. 21+
PM 50:00 easy with Melissa around reservoir. Again would have liked short hills here but my legs, which haven’t been getting much work because of my inability to go hard for the last few months, were so shot that there was no way; the easy jogging was about all I had in the tank, tot. 6++
XT stretching
Saturday
AM Reservoir 4 solo, 29:37, tot. 4
PM 39:50 at Battle Road with Melissa, tot. 5+
XT lunge warm up
Sunday
Noon 22+ at Mines Falls, 2:18:00, last 18 miles sub-6:00 pace. Was going to do reps on track after but my water bottle got snagged and with the 88 degree heat and a good bit of humidity I was pretty done after the 22. tot. 22+
XT lunge warm up, stretching
Summary 122 miles, 2 solid long runs, 2 solid workouts, one huge step in the right direction. Everything didn’t go right this week but man was it a reversal from how things have been going with my training. The iron I’m taking in huge amounts is kicking in and I was able to get quite a bit of good work done this week. What is above is what I consider good marathon training. I have in the past done bigger easy days but I’m not worried about it. I would like to see short hill reps but they didn’t happen this week, that is OK. I’ve been getting them in up to this point and I’ll get in next weeks I’m sure.
The question, of course, is time but I am a pure marathoner so my fitness very quickly equals marathon fitness. I have been keeping my miles at an OK level for the last month and before these hiccups I averaged well over 100 miles a week for the 18 months before. Huge goals may have gone out the window at this point but I think I can go and run a respectable marathon.
Now, they say it take about two weeks for iron to complete replenish everything, I started taking the large doses last Thursday so I have 5 more days and may have one more jump in fitness; that remains to be seen but even if I don’t I got in more than 20 miles of work this week at under the World Championship A stardard marathon pace so I’m at least back in the ball game. I hope your week has gone well as well.
nate
Will the Berlin team shine?
By Mutwiri Mutuota for THE STANDARDKenyans are still riding high on glory registered at 2007 World Championships in Osaka in addition to the best returns from the Olympics in Beijing last year.
Against this backdrop, the stress to live up to those heights weighs like a yoke around the necks of the runners and coaches ahead of August 15 to 23 World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
Repeated success is highly addictive and a whole nation expects to celebrate another bountiful medal harvest on August 24 when the team selected this afternoon returns from the German administrative capital.
"The pressure is to win the same number of gold as in Osaka and last year. It means we have to work harder starting tomorrow after the team is selected to ensure we will deliver on expectations," national coach, Julius Kirwa, told FeverPitch on Saturday.
With the array of talent prevalent at the moment especially in mid and long distance races where Kenya has stamped its dominance at the last two major track championships, Kirwa believes another medal laden basket will be achieved in Berlin.
Gold medals
"Although I have not had time with the team to be selected, I believe we have potential of winning up to six gold medals in Berlin, but a more accurate picture will emerge after we are through with training and assessed those selected," the national coach said.
Despite sizzling form enjoyed by double Olympics 5,000m and 10,000m champion, Kenenisa Bekele, who has carried his intimidating winning streak into this season, Kirwa considers his charges well equipped to carry top honours at those finals.
"One of my main targets in Berlin is to get the men’s 5,000m and 10,000m gold medals which I believe we can easily win. Bekele and Ethiopians are tough but we can do it," he opined.
The technical bench have enough on their hands between tomorrow and August 10th when the team departs in order to knock Bekele off his 10,000m perch.
Sample this, the 27 year-old Bekoji born world 5,000m and 10,000m record holder remains unbeaten in his last 14 starts in the shorter distance and 11 finals in the 25 lap-race!
Charles Kamathi (2001, 10,000m) and Benjamin Limo (2005, 5,000m) were the last Kenyans to win World Championships gold medals in those events with Bekele (2003, 2005, 2007 all 10,000m) and American Bernard Lagat (2007, 5,000m) carrying the day in the intervening and subsequent editions.
"I can see something good coming from those races this year," Kirwa prophesied when the frightening statistics were spelled out to him.
In 10,000m, world 10K record holder and Olympics bronze medallist, Micah Kogo, Olympics fourth finisher, Moses Masai and 2007 World Cross senior silver medallist, Bernard Kipyego were tasked with wresting the event’s world title from Bekele.
Eliud Kipchoge, the world champion from 2003 and Olympics silver medallist, Edwin Soi (Olympics bronze medallist), Leonard Komon (World Cross silver winner) and Mark Kiptoo (fourth fastest runner of the year) are some of key athletes lined up to contest places in the 5,000m squad.
Silver medallist
With the likes of Asbel Kiprop (Olympics champion in waiting), Augustine Choge (fastest runner in three years and Olympics finalist), Haron Keitany (Africa champion), William Biwott (world junior mile record holder) and Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (2007 World Indoor silver medallist) in the 1,500m Trials roster, Kenya stands a good chance of running away with all three medals in men’s 1,500m.
With a wealth of potent 1,500m runners through her history, it is shocking Kenya is yet to have one of its male athletes crowned a world champion in the classic mile event.
"Berlin should be the place where this should be set right and all signs indicate it shall be done," Kirwa stressed paying homage to the fact that Choge, Keitany and Kiprop hold the top three world-leading times of the season in 1,500m.
Another potential gold mine for Kenya in Berlin is the men’s 800m race where the timely recovery from injury of Olympics champion, Wilfred Bungei and Africa champion, David Rudisha, have boosted chances.
With reigning world champion and Olympics bronze medallist, Alfred Kirwa already assured of a title defence in Berlin, other potent runners vying for slots in the distance are 2006 world junior silver medallist, Jackson Kivuva, Olympics semi finalist, Boaz Lalang, eighth fastest runner of 2009, Reuben Bett and if he is selected to double, Africa bronze medallist, Kiprop.
Only Sudan’s World Indoor champion, Abubaker Kaki Khamis has run faster than Kiprop in 800m this season.
Once upon a time, Kenya was a force to reckon with in the men’s 4X400m relay. At the 1993 Worlds in Stuttgart, Germany, the quartet of Kennedy Ochieng, Simon Kemboi, Abednego Matilu and Samson Kitur delivered the silver medal. The late Kitur also won individual bronze at the 400m final at the same event.
Sprint coach
A return to those heady days saw Athletics Kenya (AK) strive to cobble up a 4X400m relay quartet to attempt to qualify for Berlin at last weekend’s Abuja CAA Meeting in Nigeria.According to national sprint coach, Stephen Mwaniki, their plans for US based sophomore (second year) student Anderson Mureta, Mark Mutai, Julius Kirwa and Thomas Musembi to run under 45.80 in their legs were scuppered when the team’s anchor was allegedly forced to run on one shoe.
Relay team
"Mureta ran 45.7, Mutai 45.1 and Kirwa 45.4 and we were on course to qualify until Musembi was spiked at the last change over by a Nigerian making him run 395m on one shoe and he could not make it," Mwaniki told FeverPitch on Saturday. The team recorded 3:03.90 that is six hundredth of a second less than the Berlin A-Standard of 3:03.30.
Fam on 42?
One of the most versatile American distance runners seems to be taking a hard look at running a marathon soon. At the Bix 7, Anthony Famiglietti told Run the Roads that he’s seriously considering it. When asked, Fam stated in a business-like manner, “I’ve taken a serious, serious look at it. I’ve put together some serious training programs if I want to do that.”
The multiple national champion then went on to tell Run the Roads, “I have this whole thing laid out if that’s what I want to do.” Elaborating a bit more, Fam said part of the reason he raced the Bix 7 (which is a seven mile race), was to test himself over a longer distance against a high quality competition, most notably race winner Meb Keflezighi.
While Fam is still pondering what his next major move may be, a jump to the marathon could create some major buzz around the always energetic distance runner. With American distance runners starting to see success in a variety of distances on the international stage, it seems as if Fam is testing out to see what he can be best at in the coming years. Who knows, maybe it is the Marathon.
Let the rush for Berlin begin
By Mutwiri Mutuota fot THE STANDARDThe showdown billed as one of the most competitive selection event for a Kenyan team to a major track championship is on Saturday at Nyayo National Stadium.
At the end of the day, Athletics Kenya (AK) will fill the remaining pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that is the country’s team for the 12th World Championships in Athletics set for Berlin mid next month.
From Kakamega to Rome, Nairobi to Oregon and Ngong Hills to London, thousands of runners have prepared and competed to get in shape for a tilt on wearing the famed red, green and black strip that has come to symbolise global dominance, especially in mid and long distance running.
Everything has been said and written on all key battles expected when the starting gun at noon signals the beginning of the mad rush for Kenyan tickets with some 230 athletes invited to drip sweat in a bid to qualify for Berlin.
Slight concerns about the form of the country’s female runners, ambitions of individual runners and selection criteria addressed at length, but tomorrow all that takes a backseat as a proud athletics nation awaits her latest ambassadors who will carry their flag aloft in the German capital.
After such commanding performances at the last 2007 World Championship in Osaka and last year’s Beijing Olympics, most of the runners that covered the country in a blanket of glory are still active hence the mouth watering prospect of titanic scrambles for the country’s slots at the Nyayo Stadium tartan track.
However, ahead of tomorrow’s Trials the nation should reflect on some of her servants who won honours in Osaka and Beijing that will not compete for Berlin places. The most prominent is Catherine ‘The Great’ Ndereba, reigning world champion and Olympics silver medallist who opted not to defend her women’s title in Berlin after slight injury at April’s London Marathon.
Consistently successful
Ndereba, who first won the world title in 2003 and silver at the next edition, is reputed to be the world’s most consistently successful woman marathon runner.
Olympic fifth finisher, Martha Komu, Helena Kiprop, Irene Lemika and Risper Kimaiyo will attempt to fit in Ndereba’s large marathon shoes in Berlin.
Eunice Jepkorir, the athlete who single-handedly placed the country on the global 3,000m women steeplechase map with bronze in Osaka and silver in Beijing is out for the season.
That leaves Olympics fourth finisher and hot favourite to lead the Kenyan charge in Berlin, Ruth Bosibori, the duty of taking on the might of Russians world and Olympics champions Ekaterina Volkova and Gulnara-Galkina. Osaka bronze winner and 11th in Olympics over 5,000m, Priscah Jepleting, is also out for the season.
After failing at the 10,000m Trials where he finished ninth, Osaka men’s 10,000m champion, Martin Mathathi is out of Berlin while Luke Kibet, the first Kenyan to win World Championships men’s marathon in 20 years, is almost certain of not defending his title in Berlin. AK has named him as a reserve in the men’s marathon squad.
Blog Roll: Jason Pyles
102 miles in 10 runs in 7 days:
M: 9miles/ 6miles with group (Both Recovery runs)
T: 14miles at Kanawha State Forest (Hilly+very solid effort run)
W: 9miles @Coonskin/ 6miles with SW(12x25-30sec on grass)
T: 13miles on Riverfront Blvd
F: 9miles/ 5miles
S: 12miles with 4mile Steady State(21:50/5:27avg)@from UC to K.C. marked Bike LoopSplits: 5:32, 5:29, 5:26, 5:20S: 19miles on CDR Course (Hilly+Steady from 4miles on)
Recap: This week marked back to back 100+mile weeks. The build up of base has been building for 6 weeks now and the last 3 weeks have went 95, 100, 102 miles. I will look to back off next week with miles in the mid 80's range before building again for 4weeks and then dropping for CDR 15mile race. The Tuesday run really got me going this week, I ran the very hilly first 6 miles at a very solid pace and effort. I'm finding that I'm running 6:30 pace for a lot of runs over hilly terrain and sometimes very HILLY terrain so I feel like my strength is getting to where I would like it to be. The steady state run on Saturday was one of my few tough runs this week. I just didn't have much bounce in my step from the get-go but I got it in and made up for some missed effort on Sunday LR.
Long Runs: With the way things have started to come together I figured on Sunday Long Run that if I felt solid I would run solid(moderate-steady). So after 4miles easy miles in about 30minutes I ran the last 15miles in 1:35 and that was with backing off the last 3-4miles. Was running lots of 6:00's from miles 8-16 including a few 5:50's. Solid Long Run that was pretty much easy and controlled with HILLS. If things feel solid I will look for more moderate-steady LR's every other Sunday or every weekend if they all feel like this one.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Athletics Namibia broke
ATHLETICS Namibia is broke and has no bank account, its new president Frank Fredericks admitted yesterday.Fredericks said the federation used to have an account with First National Bank of Namibia, but the former executive committee closed it in April this year. Fredericks said that he is currently running the body from his own pocket, while he also gets assistance from several other sources.
"We cannot tell the athletes that we don't have money. But to be honest, we don't have a basis as there are no files or documentation that can at least guide us. We somehow have to start from scratch. The former executives have not handed over any files yet and it is difficult for us to proceed and draw up new plans. But at the same time, I cannot sit back and wait for outstanding files and financial reports and so on, I have to look to the future and work towards the interest of the athletes," he said.
READ ON
Kiptoo smack talking Bekele
Ethiopian track icons Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie are a besieged lot if elite Kenyan runners’ plot comes through in Berlin next month.Elite runners including double World Military Games 5,000 metres and 10,000m champion Mark Kiptoo and Eliud Kipchoge, the Olympic and World silver medallist over 5,000m, go to the national trials at Nyayo National Stadium tomorrow bent on bringing down the Ethipian’s reign at the World Championship.
Kiplimo Kimutai, who finished second behind Gebrselassie at the Hengelo Grand Prix last month, has a beef with the Ethiopian. He said: “He (Gebrasesassie) defeated me in the final kick and I now want to make the team to revenge.” He wound up training on Wednesday at Kipchoge Stadium in Eldoret. “I believe this time we will break the dominance of our Ethiopian rival, Bekele. I know his reign is coming to an end soon,” Kiptoo said at Kipchoge Stadium. “I respect Bekele. He has done a great job and we admire him. But one day I will beat him.”
Kipchoge, who missed the World Cross Country Championship in Amman, Jordan, in March over a painful stomach cramp, has long been fronted as the man to bring down Bekele, but for the last four years he has failed to. While in 2003 he trounced Bekele at the Paris World Championship, Kipchoge failed to match his feat at the Athens Olympics, where he settled for a 5,000m bronze.
A year later in Helsinki, he was obstructed by Australian Craig Motram in the final dash and wound fourth in a race won by compatriot Benjamin Limo. At the 2007 World Championship in Osaka, Kipchoge had to be content with a silver medal, clocking 13:46.00 after he was elbowed by Kenyan-turned-American Bernard Lagat.
And while all thought Kipchoge would finally cement his claim on the 5,000m in Beijing, the 24-year-old was not strong enough to deny Bekele a double as the Ethiopian sprinted past him on the home stretch to leave the silver for the Kenyan.
Despite all that, Kipchoge has never given up – just like Moroccan icon Hicham El Guerrouj who, despite having been denied twice, won a double in Athens in 1,500m and 5,000m. Kiptoo, who captained Kenya in Amman, set an impressive 12:57.6 when he was second behind Bekele at the Golden Gala in Rome a fortnight ago. But Kipchoge, boasting a personal best time of 12:46.53 set in Rome in 2004, knows he has his task cut out, having set a fast 12:56.46 in Milan in June after timing 13:00.91 in Hengelo where he finished second to Ethiopia’s Ali Abdosh (12:59.56).
Props for this to DailyNation
Ryan Hall: "I don't think leading into the wind [at Boston] was real bright."
Ryan Hall's opening comment:
I'm just thrilled to be running the ING New York City Marathon this year. It's the marathon that really kind of caught my heart first and really turned me into a marathoner. I think back to 2006 when I first saw it live, and being there and experiencing it in person, it really just gripped me. And I'll never forget sitting on that lead vehicle and watching Dathan (Ritzenhein) and all those guys, Paul Tergat and all those guys running, and seeing myself out there and anticipating that. And I've been anticipating that for three years since then, so it's a honor for me to finally come back to New York and finally be running it.... and take a swing at winning. I guess the way I see it is when actors have their sights set on their future, their big goal is to make it onto Broadway. And for runners, I feel like it's the same deal. If I can make it to the New York City Marathon and do well there, then that's really something.... The reason why that excites me so much is because I do want to leave a legacy and a lasting impact through my running, and my wife (Sara) and I have begun to work in that area, of how we can change lives through running. I'm a living example of how that can happen. I would have never gotten to go to college and train where I'm training now and do what I'm doing now for a profession if it wasn't for the running, so I believe that running is a great way to change lives for the positive. My legacy that I want to leave is to help contribute to that, and I believe that my running the New York City Marathon gives me a great opportunity to do just that.
Boston has a long extended downhill in the beginning. The New York City Marathon, except for that up and down hill on the first bridge, is pretty flat for nine miles or more. Not a whole lot goes on tactically during that stretch in most years. Have you given some though to the fact that you'll be in a race in which patience, for a very extended period, is expected and almost required.
Ryan Hall: I've definitely thought a lot about the course, and the New York Road Runners were kind enough to send me out some race videos that I'm going to watching a lot when I'm home stretching and doing my all of my core (workouts) and all that stuff. I'm really going to be studying the course and the rhythm of it and the right way to run it. Honestly, the first time out is going to be a big learning experience for me, obviously. With that being said, I don't believe that that takes away, necessarily, from my opportunity to take a swing at winning the race.
But I know that after I cross the finish line, just like in Boston, I'll walk away knowing a lot better how to run the course. But I also hope to check out the course when I'm out there for the NYC Half-Marathon. I know that each course has its own rhythm, but I'm open to running it in a variety of ways and I'm trying to become a more versatile runner and I'm definitely learning from every marathon that I've done. Boston was a big learning experience for me. I feel like I'm getting stronger and stronger in my preparation. I'm getting more and more tools to work with and I should be able to run that course in a number of ways..... I've always loving racing in New York and I'm looking forward to the challenges that the course provides.
You're coming here to the NYC Half-Marathon on August 16. Prior to Boston, what was a comparable race for you? Did you go to Gasparilla (a 15k in Florida)? Was that the only race during that period that you did?
RH: Yeah, it was.
And that didn't have the level of competition you're going to get at the NYC Half, right?
RH: No, not at all. Gasparilla was kind of a community run that I was joining.
Going back to the Olympics, would you term that a disappointment for yourself?
RH: Uh, yeah. I definitely felt like I had a really good shot at getting a medal. It was just disappointing because I felt like I was trying so hard to make it happen, both in my preparation and in the race itself, and it just wasn't happening. That's kind of how running is sometimes. You do everything right and you get little nagging injuries that pop up or you learn important lessons about recovery that you haven't learned before. It was frustrating, but I feel like it was really good for me in the long run. Going into the tunnel, I was really frustrated when I was running into Olympic Stadium at the finish, kind of upset, trying to deal with what just happened. I felt like God just kind of told me "Ryan, this isn't everything you dreamed and hoped for, but everything that you need at this point in your career." And that really freed me up to just enjoy that last lap around the stadium and be able to step back from my Olympic experience and be like (it was) not everything I hoped for, but I believe that it's the very best thing that could have happened for me. I believe I've learned from that and moved on from that and I'm excited for the future...
It wasn't the most enjoyable marathon I've ever run, going out that hard in those conditions that I'm not particularly good in, and just how the race played out. It was just a huge mental battle, more than anything, to try and stay positive and keep myself in the race and tell myself I'm doing well.
Can you tell us what lessons you learned from Boston and how you'll apply those in your approach to New York?
RH: Going into Boston, I just really wanted to run an even effort over the entire length of the course, and I think, in hindsight, that I should have just relaxed a little more bit more over those first couple of miles. I don't think, necessarily, I needed to be out in the lead .... I don't think leading into the wind was real bright. I think I needed to be in front at some point of the race. I think I should have kind of relaxed with the pace and relaxed on the effort level in those opening miles. I think I might have just pushed it a little bit too hard. In the marathon, it's just hard to know where you're at. It wasn't faster than I've gone out before in the London Marathon, and so I thought that I should have been fine. But you don't know what lies ahead when you haven't run the course, so I was hurting pretty bad for the whole last ten miles, but it was really the crowd that helped carry me through that, which made me so excited to come back and run a major marathon in the States because the crowd gets so into it. And I've seen the crowds in New York in particular, and I think the crowds are going to be really excited about what's going to be happening, with all the U.S. guys that New York's going to bring out. There are going to be a bunch of us being competitive. It's going to be fun to not have it be like Boston, where I was the only American in that lead group. I believe there will be a pack of us up there, and that will really help things out a lot for me (the ING New York City Marathon will also be the USA Men's Marathon Championship for 2009).
So will your plan in New York be more to go with the flow?
RH: It was really a difficult decision for me, because I am very motivated by time. I love to run fast, and I believe I can run a lot faster than I have run. There are a lot of things to get excited about in terms of running fast for me, but I really wanted to do these races that I've just been wanting to do my whole career. This was my first opportunity to run a fall marathon in the U.S., outside of the Trials, obviously. And so for me, just looking at the differences between a Chicago and New York, I was just drawn with the field that's going to be put together in New York, the fact that it's a U.S. Championship, the uniqueness of the race, the history behind the race, and like I said, just the platform that it provides. I think of it as my Tour de France. If I can shine on November 1, I believe I can have a big impact .... I don't consider myself old yet, but I'm starting to get up there so I want to make the best use of my races that I have. I believe New York is that opportunity for me.
What can you imagine it being like in New York, if it gets down to the final half-mile and you have a chance to win?
I'm just thrilled to be running the ING New York City Marathon this year. It's the marathon that really kind of caught my heart first and really turned me into a marathoner. I think back to 2006 when I first saw it live, and being there and experiencing it in person, it really just gripped me. And I'll never forget sitting on that lead vehicle and watching Dathan (Ritzenhein) and all those guys, Paul Tergat and all those guys running, and seeing myself out there and anticipating that. And I've been anticipating that for three years since then, so it's a honor for me to finally come back to New York and finally be running it.... and take a swing at winning. I guess the way I see it is when actors have their sights set on their future, their big goal is to make it onto Broadway. And for runners, I feel like it's the same deal. If I can make it to the New York City Marathon and do well there, then that's really something.... The reason why that excites me so much is because I do want to leave a legacy and a lasting impact through my running, and my wife (Sara) and I have begun to work in that area, of how we can change lives through running. I'm a living example of how that can happen. I would have never gotten to go to college and train where I'm training now and do what I'm doing now for a profession if it wasn't for the running, so I believe that running is a great way to change lives for the positive. My legacy that I want to leave is to help contribute to that, and I believe that my running the New York City Marathon gives me a great opportunity to do just that.
Boston has a long extended downhill in the beginning. The New York City Marathon, except for that up and down hill on the first bridge, is pretty flat for nine miles or more. Not a whole lot goes on tactically during that stretch in most years. Have you given some though to the fact that you'll be in a race in which patience, for a very extended period, is expected and almost required.
Ryan Hall: I've definitely thought a lot about the course, and the New York Road Runners were kind enough to send me out some race videos that I'm going to watching a lot when I'm home stretching and doing my all of my core (workouts) and all that stuff. I'm really going to be studying the course and the rhythm of it and the right way to run it. Honestly, the first time out is going to be a big learning experience for me, obviously. With that being said, I don't believe that that takes away, necessarily, from my opportunity to take a swing at winning the race.
But I know that after I cross the finish line, just like in Boston, I'll walk away knowing a lot better how to run the course. But I also hope to check out the course when I'm out there for the NYC Half-Marathon. I know that each course has its own rhythm, but I'm open to running it in a variety of ways and I'm trying to become a more versatile runner and I'm definitely learning from every marathon that I've done. Boston was a big learning experience for me. I feel like I'm getting stronger and stronger in my preparation. I'm getting more and more tools to work with and I should be able to run that course in a number of ways..... I've always loving racing in New York and I'm looking forward to the challenges that the course provides.
You're coming here to the NYC Half-Marathon on August 16. Prior to Boston, what was a comparable race for you? Did you go to Gasparilla (a 15k in Florida)? Was that the only race during that period that you did?
RH: Yeah, it was.
And that didn't have the level of competition you're going to get at the NYC Half, right?
RH: No, not at all. Gasparilla was kind of a community run that I was joining.
Going back to the Olympics, would you term that a disappointment for yourself?
RH: Uh, yeah. I definitely felt like I had a really good shot at getting a medal. It was just disappointing because I felt like I was trying so hard to make it happen, both in my preparation and in the race itself, and it just wasn't happening. That's kind of how running is sometimes. You do everything right and you get little nagging injuries that pop up or you learn important lessons about recovery that you haven't learned before. It was frustrating, but I feel like it was really good for me in the long run. Going into the tunnel, I was really frustrated when I was running into Olympic Stadium at the finish, kind of upset, trying to deal with what just happened. I felt like God just kind of told me "Ryan, this isn't everything you dreamed and hoped for, but everything that you need at this point in your career." And that really freed me up to just enjoy that last lap around the stadium and be able to step back from my Olympic experience and be like (it was) not everything I hoped for, but I believe that it's the very best thing that could have happened for me. I believe I've learned from that and moved on from that and I'm excited for the future...
It wasn't the most enjoyable marathon I've ever run, going out that hard in those conditions that I'm not particularly good in, and just how the race played out. It was just a huge mental battle, more than anything, to try and stay positive and keep myself in the race and tell myself I'm doing well.
Can you tell us what lessons you learned from Boston and how you'll apply those in your approach to New York?
RH: Going into Boston, I just really wanted to run an even effort over the entire length of the course, and I think, in hindsight, that I should have just relaxed a little more bit more over those first couple of miles. I don't think, necessarily, I needed to be out in the lead .... I don't think leading into the wind was real bright. I think I needed to be in front at some point of the race. I think I should have kind of relaxed with the pace and relaxed on the effort level in those opening miles. I think I might have just pushed it a little bit too hard. In the marathon, it's just hard to know where you're at. It wasn't faster than I've gone out before in the London Marathon, and so I thought that I should have been fine. But you don't know what lies ahead when you haven't run the course, so I was hurting pretty bad for the whole last ten miles, but it was really the crowd that helped carry me through that, which made me so excited to come back and run a major marathon in the States because the crowd gets so into it. And I've seen the crowds in New York in particular, and I think the crowds are going to be really excited about what's going to be happening, with all the U.S. guys that New York's going to bring out. There are going to be a bunch of us being competitive. It's going to be fun to not have it be like Boston, where I was the only American in that lead group. I believe there will be a pack of us up there, and that will really help things out a lot for me (the ING New York City Marathon will also be the USA Men's Marathon Championship for 2009).
So will your plan in New York be more to go with the flow?
RH: I don't know. I like to leave my strategy very open. A lot of it depends, obviously, on the fitness and how things go for the next three months. But I like to leave room for the whole experience to lead me however it wishes. Running's a very artistic thing. When you feel the time's right, you've got to go, and (if) you feel like you've got to go early, then I don't think you need to be waiting. Obviously, you need to be smart about it, but I just like to pay attention to my body and have it tell me when it's time to go. I don't know when that will be. I don't think anyone will know until we get out there on November 1.
Seemingly, there are opposite sides of your personality. You're a kid from Big Bear (California). You talked about the glory of running solo through the woods, and you're up at Mammoth Lakes now. At the same time, you seem to get turned on by Twitter and you've been talking about Broadway and emotions and the big stage. How do those two different sides come together in you?
Seemingly, there are opposite sides of your personality. You're a kid from Big Bear (California). You talked about the glory of running solo through the woods, and you're up at Mammoth Lakes now. At the same time, you seem to get turned on by Twitter and you've been talking about Broadway and emotions and the big stage. How do those two different sides come together in you?
RH: It's funny, because it's like a different side of me that just gets turned on. I am kind of a quiet reserved guy; you get me out there on the race course and the fire comes out of me sometimes that I can't really control. I love performing on the big stage. I love running in front of a lot of people, especially in front of people who are excited about what's going on with U.S. distance, who are excited, a knowledgeable crowd. Both Boston and New York provide that stage for me. If you catch a good wave when you're surfing in the ocean but you're all by yourself, and no one sees it, it's not as sweet, you know? If everyone sees it on the beach, you can come back and talk to them about it and there's that connection. And I love making that connection with the crowd - which was really what was special about the Olympic Trials (in New York), that connection that I felt with the crowd and the energy that I believe we were feeding off each other. It was a really special race for me, one that I'll never forget, and I'd love to have a repeat of that in New York this year.
Your first couple of big marathons, you went to a fast course in London and got some pretty good times. Suddenly here we are in 2009, and instead of chasing times, you're running on tougher courses (Boston and New York). Why are you changing from the fast times to the competitive races this year?
Your first couple of big marathons, you went to a fast course in London and got some pretty good times. Suddenly here we are in 2009, and instead of chasing times, you're running on tougher courses (Boston and New York). Why are you changing from the fast times to the competitive races this year?
RH: It was really a difficult decision for me, because I am very motivated by time. I love to run fast, and I believe I can run a lot faster than I have run. There are a lot of things to get excited about in terms of running fast for me, but I really wanted to do these races that I've just been wanting to do my whole career. This was my first opportunity to run a fall marathon in the U.S., outside of the Trials, obviously. And so for me, just looking at the differences between a Chicago and New York, I was just drawn with the field that's going to be put together in New York, the fact that it's a U.S. Championship, the uniqueness of the race, the history behind the race, and like I said, just the platform that it provides. I think of it as my Tour de France. If I can shine on November 1, I believe I can have a big impact .... I don't consider myself old yet, but I'm starting to get up there so I want to make the best use of my races that I have. I believe New York is that opportunity for me.
What can you imagine it being like in New York, if it gets down to the final half-mile and you have a chance to win?
RH: It gives me the chills just thinking about what it would be like. Watching the finish with Paul Tergat and Ramaala (a side-by-side duel decided in the very last strides) and how the crowd was so into that - imagine if it was a U.S. guy duking it out like that.... There have been a few times in my career when I'm out there running at the end of a race that I feel like get the chills because the crowd is so loud and so into it. I can feel the hairs on my arm standing up. You get that huge adrenalin rush that can really provide a huge physical benefit at the end of a race. I believe the crowd can provide that for me if it comes down to the wire.
How impressed have you been with Galen Rupp this year?
How impressed have you been with Galen Rupp this year?
RH: Galen's been running awesome, He's paid his dues. It's good to see. He's paid his dues and now he's really representing the U.S. well. He's just adding to what's been happening to the U.S. for quite some time, the last couple of years, where there are a lot of guys running well and a lot of guys stepping up to the plate. And that's what we've got to do. It's either step up or have to start holding a lot of "U.S. only" races because we're not going to be very competitive with these (foreign) guys. But guys like Galen and Dathan and Abdi and Meb and Bernard Lagat - the list goes on and on, I don't went to leave anyone out - we're competitive with the rest of the world and it's exciting to be a part of that.
Your career's been going pretty well and you're a pretty big star, at least on the American distance scene. And yet your wife's (Sara's) career probably hasn't hit the goals that she has set for herself in the last couple of years. Is that difficult for the two of you to deal with?
Your career's been going pretty well and you're a pretty big star, at least on the American distance scene. And yet your wife's (Sara's) career probably hasn't hit the goals that she has set for herself in the last couple of years. Is that difficult for the two of you to deal with?
RH: Obviously, anytime someone's struggling, it's not an easy process. The good thing is that Sara's had a couple of really good breakthrough races. Like this winter, she ran a couple of good races. She's had a couple of good races in New York, winning the Fifth Avenue Mile a couple of years ago. But yeah, it has been a bit of a challenge, and I think she's kind of showing me what it looks like to sacrifice for someone else 'cause I think the reason why I'm doing so well in my career is because I do have such a loving and supportive wife who's spending nine months out of the year at altitude and enduring these gnarly winters up in Mammoth so that I can do the training that I need to do to compete with the best guys in the world. She's really made a huge sacrifice on my part. That's why after the Olympic Marathon Trials, I grabbed her and we did a little victory jog together because it's really both of us out there. If she hadn't supported me like she had both in college and now, I wouldn't be at the place I'm at now. So it's really both of our success, and we go through the highs and lows together.
Thank you Runner'sWorld for this great interview.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wasatch Speedgoat 50k: a runner's report, pics and results
Saturday I toed the line for the Wasatch Speedgoat 50k, the brain child of superstar ultra-runner Karl Metzler. I have an attraction to technical, elevation laden races and with Karl’s claim of the “the toughest 50k in the land”, I expected a fun filled day in the pain cave. The race starts at the tram deck at Snowbird ski area, where I think 126 of us lined up, heard some brief instructions from Karl and then were sent off into the first of many ascents. Right from the start one runner took off at what seemed to be a totally unsustainable pace- it was less then five minutes later I caught and passed the runner, pulling into the lead. Sometimes after lots of training and racing it all falls into place, Saturday was shaping up to be that day for me...
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