Here is the info (copied from the Dyestat FAQ) for watching the Nike Team Nationals in real time via webcast.
Q: What is the address of the live webcast?
A: http://ntn.dyestat.com
Q: When is the live webcast?
A: Saturday, December 1 at 10:15am PST.
Q: What software will be needed to view the webcast?
A: Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player (installed by default on most Microsoft Windows based computers). To download the latest version of Media Player go here: www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/
Q: I have a Macintosh, will I be able to watch the webcast?
A: Yes, but you'll need some additional software called Flip4Mac. To download a free copy click here: http://www.flip4mac.com/wmv_download.htm
In addition, Firefox is the recommended Macintosh web browser. To download Firefox for Macintosh click here: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/?from=getfirefox
Q: How fast of an Internet connection is required to watch?
A: Broadband (DSL, Cable, FIOS, etc).
Q: Are their any videos from the Regional Championships?
A: Yes, click here to see those: http://www.dyestat.com/?pg=nikentn-regional-videos
November 30, 2007
Voice of Reason
Flotrack (www.flocasts.com) has a series of terrific video interviews with Olympic medalist, exercise physiologist, and legendary distance running coach Jack Daniels.
From the Flotrack web site:
Daniels has coached 31 individual national champions, 131 All-Americans and has won 8 NCAA team titles. He earned two Olympic medals, Silver and Bronze, in the modern pentathlon. As coach, Daniels was been honored numerous times: he was named National cross country coach of the century, National coach of the year three different times and the World's best coach by Runners' World. In addition to coaching, Daniels has written five books, including Daniels' Running Formula.
In the following video, he discusses at length the question of how much training is best for young runners. Daniels argues that while there is no physiological reason why a runner will physically "burn out" with higher mileage, the real danger is that they will lose interest in the training.
Jack Daniels Interview: Questions I Get Asked
According to Daniels, the most important role of the coach is to make training rewarding, and to create an environment where each athlete can begin to realize their abilities.
From the Flotrack web site:
Daniels has coached 31 individual national champions, 131 All-Americans and has won 8 NCAA team titles. He earned two Olympic medals, Silver and Bronze, in the modern pentathlon. As coach, Daniels was been honored numerous times: he was named National cross country coach of the century, National coach of the year three different times and the World's best coach by Runners' World. In addition to coaching, Daniels has written five books, including Daniels' Running Formula.
In the following video, he discusses at length the question of how much training is best for young runners. Daniels argues that while there is no physiological reason why a runner will physically "burn out" with higher mileage, the real danger is that they will lose interest in the training.
Jack Daniels Interview: Questions I Get Asked
According to Daniels, the most important role of the coach is to make training rewarding, and to create an environment where each athlete can begin to realize their abilities.
November 28, 2007
Gradus ad Parnassum
There's something to be said for living in a place where you can't help training, at least if you want to eat breakfast.
Here we were at Maho Bay Camp on the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was four in the afternoon, and I was sitting in the open air pavillion that sits up on the hill and overlooks the bay. It was that hour when vessels of every size and shape make their way home after a day of adventures on the water. I was thinking to myself, either this place is a dream, or that other place -- where bitter winds strip leaves from the trees and water freezes in the lakes -- that place is a dream. They can't both co-exist in the same moral universe.
You see, I never expected in my lifetime to visit the Virgin Islands. Nothing really prepared me for it. My family always believed in staying put during the winter. My dad liked to lay in the supplies and try to outlast the season. On the day I was born, a blizzard dropped two feet of snow on Amherst. With that background, I've always considered it an act of folly, if not a failure of character, to try to escape the cold by jetting off to some exotic location. So what was I doing here, in November, swimming in the aquamarine waters, relaxing in sandals and a t-shirt as cool breezes fanned my brow?
Well, I could blame it on Ann -- it was her 50th birthday that became the pretext for this unprecedented trip. Or I could point to the fact that our week away from New England coincided with having our kitchen torn apart as the first step in a wholesale renovation that will have us eating from the microwave for four weeks.
In an any case, here we were.
The camp where we're staying was actually a small city of about 150 tent structures and a few buildings built on the side of a steep hill that rises up out of the sea. Each tent structure was made with a solid wood platform that supported screened walls and a canvas roof that provided shelter from the occasional rain. (The rain, when it fell on the taut canvas in the middle of the night, sounded like fireworks crackling above our heads.)
The tents are connected by a series of boardwalks and stairs with whimsical names like Lizard Lane, Peahen Parkway, Crab Ramble Road, and Lost Donkey Highway. If there were slides, it would be like a life size version of Chutes and Ladders.
In this tent city, if we needed to go anywhere, we had to ascend or descend a great many flights of stairs. Ann and I were in Tent E28, which was near the top of the hillside. Between the beach to our tent, there were 365 stairs. I know because I counted them three separate times. The uphill version of this journey took about eight minutes. Of course, we were always carrying something, adding to the fun.
It didn't take me long to conclude that I was getting a pretty good workout just walking up and down the stairs. Of course, I was also running for about 30 minutes every morning, and those runs weren't flat either. The final 500 meters of my morning run asecended this same hill from a different side and involved climbing a grade that I estimated at 12% (yes, steeper than the hill at Gardner). The first day of doing this, and then walking up and down stairs all day, I was beat. The second day, I was looking for excuses to stay in our tent -- or, having left it, to stay away.
But by the third day a miracle occurred: I started getting used to it. By the fourth day, I was going out of my way to explore the vast network of walkways, finding new ways to navigate the hillside. That's when I started counting steps and stairs. I started taking pride in our remote and inaccessible location and looked down - literally and figuratively - on those guests whose tents were near the beach. I started imagining a running camp built on such a hill, a running camp that would turn its guests into mountain goats.
On the day before we left, I timed the final part of my run, and found out it took me 2:46 to climb the last hill. Later that day, we were returning from an excursion and were getting a ride from a truck that served as a taxi for the camp. On a whim, I started my watch when the truck began the long agonizing climb up the same hill I had run in the morning. Three minutes and twelve seconds later, I stopped my watch as the the truck crested the climb with a final groan from its lowest gear. I showed the watch proudly to Ann sitting next to me. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head, as if to say that vacations are completely wasted on some people.
Looking down from just above our tent onto Maho Bay, St. John, U.S.V.I.
Here we were at Maho Bay Camp on the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was four in the afternoon, and I was sitting in the open air pavillion that sits up on the hill and overlooks the bay. It was that hour when vessels of every size and shape make their way home after a day of adventures on the water. I was thinking to myself, either this place is a dream, or that other place -- where bitter winds strip leaves from the trees and water freezes in the lakes -- that place is a dream. They can't both co-exist in the same moral universe.
You see, I never expected in my lifetime to visit the Virgin Islands. Nothing really prepared me for it. My family always believed in staying put during the winter. My dad liked to lay in the supplies and try to outlast the season. On the day I was born, a blizzard dropped two feet of snow on Amherst. With that background, I've always considered it an act of folly, if not a failure of character, to try to escape the cold by jetting off to some exotic location. So what was I doing here, in November, swimming in the aquamarine waters, relaxing in sandals and a t-shirt as cool breezes fanned my brow?
Well, I could blame it on Ann -- it was her 50th birthday that became the pretext for this unprecedented trip. Or I could point to the fact that our week away from New England coincided with having our kitchen torn apart as the first step in a wholesale renovation that will have us eating from the microwave for four weeks.
In an any case, here we were.
The camp where we're staying was actually a small city of about 150 tent structures and a few buildings built on the side of a steep hill that rises up out of the sea. Each tent structure was made with a solid wood platform that supported screened walls and a canvas roof that provided shelter from the occasional rain. (The rain, when it fell on the taut canvas in the middle of the night, sounded like fireworks crackling above our heads.)
The tents are connected by a series of boardwalks and stairs with whimsical names like Lizard Lane, Peahen Parkway, Crab Ramble Road, and Lost Donkey Highway. If there were slides, it would be like a life size version of Chutes and Ladders.
In this tent city, if we needed to go anywhere, we had to ascend or descend a great many flights of stairs. Ann and I were in Tent E28, which was near the top of the hillside. Between the beach to our tent, there were 365 stairs. I know because I counted them three separate times. The uphill version of this journey took about eight minutes. Of course, we were always carrying something, adding to the fun.
It didn't take me long to conclude that I was getting a pretty good workout just walking up and down the stairs. Of course, I was also running for about 30 minutes every morning, and those runs weren't flat either. The final 500 meters of my morning run asecended this same hill from a different side and involved climbing a grade that I estimated at 12% (yes, steeper than the hill at Gardner). The first day of doing this, and then walking up and down stairs all day, I was beat. The second day, I was looking for excuses to stay in our tent -- or, having left it, to stay away.
But by the third day a miracle occurred: I started getting used to it. By the fourth day, I was going out of my way to explore the vast network of walkways, finding new ways to navigate the hillside. That's when I started counting steps and stairs. I started taking pride in our remote and inaccessible location and looked down - literally and figuratively - on those guests whose tents were near the beach. I started imagining a running camp built on such a hill, a running camp that would turn its guests into mountain goats.
On the day before we left, I timed the final part of my run, and found out it took me 2:46 to climb the last hill. Later that day, we were returning from an excursion and were getting a ride from a truck that served as a taxi for the camp. On a whim, I started my watch when the truck began the long agonizing climb up the same hill I had run in the morning. Three minutes and twelve seconds later, I stopped my watch as the the truck crested the climb with a final groan from its lowest gear. I showed the watch proudly to Ann sitting next to me. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head, as if to say that vacations are completely wasted on some people.
Looking down from just above our tent onto Maho Bay, St. John, U.S.V.I.
Brookline Wins NTN NE Regional
On Saturday, the Brookline TC (don't get me started) won the Nike Team Nationals - Northeast Regional Qualifying meet by a single point (86-87) over the NE Region's top-ranked team, Danbury TC.
Robert Gibson won the race outright in 16:01, and Brookline's quiet man (AKA, the second-best runner in the state), David Wilson, finished 3rd overall in 16:16.
It is ironic to think that the likely EMass runner-of-the-year, Gibson, who has not lost a race this year, is not a Bay State League All-Star. The irony only grows when you consider that the likely EMass coach-of-the-year, Mike Glennon, is not the Bay State League coach of the year.
But these are inconsequential things. Of much greater importance is that the Brookline TC is headed to Portland, OR to run for the national title on December 1st. We wish them the best of luck!
Early in the 2007 season, Brookline ran in the Bowdoin Park Classic, run on the same course as the regional meet. Of the five Brookline runners who competed in both races, here's a comparison of their times from the two races:
Bowdoin Classic - 9/22/07.....NTN NE Regionals - 11/24/07
Gibson.....16:13.0............Gibson.....16:00.9
Wilson.....16:36.0............Wilson.....16:16.0
Burnstein..16:48.0............Burnstein..16:30.7
Grove......17:20.0............Grove......17:34.4
Hardiman...17:35.0............Hardiman...18:16.8
In the latter race, Brookline also had Elliot Lehane (16:42.2) and Chris Mercurio (17:44.5).
To watch a recap of the regional meets, click the following link:
NTN Regionals - Web recap
Robert Gibson won the race outright in 16:01, and Brookline's quiet man (AKA, the second-best runner in the state), David Wilson, finished 3rd overall in 16:16.
It is ironic to think that the likely EMass runner-of-the-year, Gibson, who has not lost a race this year, is not a Bay State League All-Star. The irony only grows when you consider that the likely EMass coach-of-the-year, Mike Glennon, is not the Bay State League coach of the year.
But these are inconsequential things. Of much greater importance is that the Brookline TC is headed to Portland, OR to run for the national title on December 1st. We wish them the best of luck!
Early in the 2007 season, Brookline ran in the Bowdoin Park Classic, run on the same course as the regional meet. Of the five Brookline runners who competed in both races, here's a comparison of their times from the two races:
Bowdoin Classic - 9/22/07.....NTN NE Regionals - 11/24/07
Gibson.....16:13.0............Gibson.....16:00.9
Wilson.....16:36.0............Wilson.....16:16.0
Burnstein..16:48.0............Burnstein..16:30.7
Grove......17:20.0............Grove......17:34.4
Hardiman...17:35.0............Hardiman...18:16.8
In the latter race, Brookline also had Elliot Lehane (16:42.2) and Chris Mercurio (17:44.5).
To watch a recap of the regional meets, click the following link:
NTN Regionals - Web recap
November 19, 2007
Blog On Vacation: Nov 20-27
A big thank you to everyone who has been reading and commenting on this blog. I am going on vacation and will most likely be without ready Internet access for the next week. So no blog entries for a while... Sorry!
Congratulations to all on a great XC season. Good luck to Brookline at the NTN Northeast regional, and to anyone running the Footlocker regional.
Congratulations to all on a great XC season. Good luck to Brookline at the NTN Northeast regional, and to anyone running the Footlocker regional.
NCAA Div I Results
Arkansas' Chris Barnicle finished 108th at the 2007 NCAA Div I Championships, running 31:11 for the 10K course. Chris was 24:38 at 8K, but dropped back in the final (hilly) 2K.
Wellesley grad Brielle Chabot finished 77th in the Women's 6K, running 21:24 to lead Boston College.
Two other Mass. runners of note competed in the women's race: Ari Lambie (Bromfield/Stanford) finished 9th in 20:18. Lindsay Donaldson (Lincoln-Sudbury/Yale) finished 38th in 21:02. (There might be others, but I didn't notice any in the results.)
Wellesley grad Brielle Chabot finished 77th in the Women's 6K, running 21:24 to lead Boston College.
Two other Mass. runners of note competed in the women's race: Ari Lambie (Bromfield/Stanford) finished 9th in 20:18. Lindsay Donaldson (Lincoln-Sudbury/Yale) finished 38th in 21:02. (There might be others, but I didn't notice any in the results.)
NCAA Div I Championships - Live Webcast
Indiana State hosts the 2007 NCAA Div I XC Championships. Start of the Men's race is at 12:00 Easter Time (11:00 Central). The Women's Race Begins at 1:00 Eastern (12:00 Central).
CSTV is providing a live webcast (requires free registration). To access the webcast, use the following link.
CSTV Webcast of 2007 Div I XC Championships
CSTV is providing a live webcast (requires free registration). To access the webcast, use the following link.
CSTV Webcast of 2007 Div I XC Championships
November 17, 2007
MA All-States: Brookline Closes the Deal
The day was November 5, 2005. The place was the Wrentham Development Center, a new venue for the MSTCA State Coaches meet. In the Boys Sophomore race, Brookline's Robert Gibson, Mike Burnstein, and Elliot Lehane swept the first three places in 16:55, 16:56, and 17:04. It was rumored that Gibson had not run all out.
The expectations began to build for Brookline. That year, all three sophomores figured in the Warriors second-place team finish at the All-State meet, with Gibson finishing 14th overall. In 2006, Brookline appeared ready to knock off defending champs, Brockton. They had found another junior, Chris Mercurio, and relied on two seniors, Matt Stewart and Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot. But the Boxers ran their best race of the year at Northfield Mountain, and Gibson was not himself after a head injury sustained in the week before the meet. Brookline ran well, but needed to run better, and ended up third with the same number of points as St. John's Shrewsbury.
And then came 2007. Gibson, Burnstein, and Lehane were still together. Mercurio was coming back from a serious hamstring injury. And Brookline's already deep team was joined by David Wilson, a Brookline native who had attended private school for his freshman and half of his sophomore year. Wilson trained as hard as anyone in the state, and started finsihing within seconds of Gibson in a series of races. At Amherst, Gibson, Burnstein, and Wilson all ran under 16:00 minutes. The expectations went through the roof.
Cross-country is a long season, and so many things can go wrong that it's worth mentioning that nothing is certain, no matter how you are ranked or how dominant you have seemed up to that point. So it is to Brookline's great credit that on Saturday they sealed the deal -- if anything, they exceeded expectations, and they did it despite a week of adversity.
On a cold and blustery day, Gibson, who was recovering from a cold, won in 14:25. Wilson ran brilliantly and held on for second in 14:30. Burnstein (suffering from a sore ankle) and Lehane finished 9th and 10th. Sophomore Brendan Grove finished 24th. Mercurio was 34th. Ryan Hardiman, also running injured, did not finish. Brookline had left no doubt about who was the best team this century, scoring an unheard of 25 points.
It was a tough day for other Bay State runners in the D1 Boys race. Seb Putzeys started strong and was in the top 20 at 1.5 Miles, but struggled with the severe hills in the second mile and finished 41st in 15:23. Needham's Sam Miller finished 44th, only two seconds behind Seb.
In the Girls D1 race, Lincoln-Sudbury and Newton South met again, a week after the Lions had stunned L-S by winning the EMass meet. But that defeat seemed to galvanize the L-S team. Freed from the need to be perfect, they were simply very, very good, placing three runners in the top twelve, and six runners in the top 29. When the scores were totaled up, the Warriors of Lincoln-Sudbury had joined the Warriors from Brookline as owners of a dominating win.
Newton South ran well to take second, making it a dual-county sweep of the top two team spots.
The Bay State League had a strong showing in the D1 race. Natick's Becca White was in fourth with 1000m but used a long drive to the finish to outkick Masconomet's Abby D'Augustino and Dennis-Yarmouth's Megan Barry to take 2nd in 17:07. White's teammate Anya Price was 37th in 18:29.
Needham's Emily Lipman placed 14th in 17:46, while Framingham's Camille Murphy placed 28th in 18:11.
Weymouth had two individual runners in the race: Kristin Mahoney placed 24th in 18:04 and Carolyn Connolly placed 52nd in 18:41.
Newton North's Carolyn Ranti had an off-day and finished 69th in 19:04.
In D2, Wellesley's Will Volkmann and Nick Carroll placed 9th and 12th to earn all-state individual honors. Wellesley finished fifth overall with 176 points, behind Hopedale, Bishop Feehan, Oliver Ames, and Winchester.
In the D2 girls race, the Wellesley girls were led by freshman Blake Dietrich, who placed 12th in 17:39. Dietrich was followed by Anna Lukes (27th), Jessica Kaliski (30th), Faith Richardson (33rd), and Ali Griswold (53rd), as the Wellesley girls placed fourth, just three points behind nemesis Bishop Feehan.
The biggest story in D2 was the take-no-prisoners victory by Bromfield's Emily Jones over Triton's Keely Maguire. On a day when times were slowed by the wind and cold, Jones ran 16:06 -- 48 seconds faster than Kristin Kasper ran to win the D1 race. Jones is in rarefied company here, as her time is only a few seconds slower than Ari Lambie's best time of 16:00, and close to the legendary 15:50 of three-time WORLD XC champion Lynn Jennings. Those three are all from hilly Bromfield. Hmmm. I wonder if there is a connection?
Anyway, Jones -- still only a junior -- was very impressive and looks like a good bet to return to the Footlocker National Championships.
The expectations began to build for Brookline. That year, all three sophomores figured in the Warriors second-place team finish at the All-State meet, with Gibson finishing 14th overall. In 2006, Brookline appeared ready to knock off defending champs, Brockton. They had found another junior, Chris Mercurio, and relied on two seniors, Matt Stewart and Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot. But the Boxers ran their best race of the year at Northfield Mountain, and Gibson was not himself after a head injury sustained in the week before the meet. Brookline ran well, but needed to run better, and ended up third with the same number of points as St. John's Shrewsbury.
And then came 2007. Gibson, Burnstein, and Lehane were still together. Mercurio was coming back from a serious hamstring injury. And Brookline's already deep team was joined by David Wilson, a Brookline native who had attended private school for his freshman and half of his sophomore year. Wilson trained as hard as anyone in the state, and started finsihing within seconds of Gibson in a series of races. At Amherst, Gibson, Burnstein, and Wilson all ran under 16:00 minutes. The expectations went through the roof.
Cross-country is a long season, and so many things can go wrong that it's worth mentioning that nothing is certain, no matter how you are ranked or how dominant you have seemed up to that point. So it is to Brookline's great credit that on Saturday they sealed the deal -- if anything, they exceeded expectations, and they did it despite a week of adversity.
On a cold and blustery day, Gibson, who was recovering from a cold, won in 14:25. Wilson ran brilliantly and held on for second in 14:30. Burnstein (suffering from a sore ankle) and Lehane finished 9th and 10th. Sophomore Brendan Grove finished 24th. Mercurio was 34th. Ryan Hardiman, also running injured, did not finish. Brookline had left no doubt about who was the best team this century, scoring an unheard of 25 points.
It was a tough day for other Bay State runners in the D1 Boys race. Seb Putzeys started strong and was in the top 20 at 1.5 Miles, but struggled with the severe hills in the second mile and finished 41st in 15:23. Needham's Sam Miller finished 44th, only two seconds behind Seb.
In the Girls D1 race, Lincoln-Sudbury and Newton South met again, a week after the Lions had stunned L-S by winning the EMass meet. But that defeat seemed to galvanize the L-S team. Freed from the need to be perfect, they were simply very, very good, placing three runners in the top twelve, and six runners in the top 29. When the scores were totaled up, the Warriors of Lincoln-Sudbury had joined the Warriors from Brookline as owners of a dominating win.
Newton South ran well to take second, making it a dual-county sweep of the top two team spots.
The Bay State League had a strong showing in the D1 race. Natick's Becca White was in fourth with 1000m but used a long drive to the finish to outkick Masconomet's Abby D'Augustino and Dennis-Yarmouth's Megan Barry to take 2nd in 17:07. White's teammate Anya Price was 37th in 18:29.
Needham's Emily Lipman placed 14th in 17:46, while Framingham's Camille Murphy placed 28th in 18:11.
Weymouth had two individual runners in the race: Kristin Mahoney placed 24th in 18:04 and Carolyn Connolly placed 52nd in 18:41.
Newton North's Carolyn Ranti had an off-day and finished 69th in 19:04.
In D2, Wellesley's Will Volkmann and Nick Carroll placed 9th and 12th to earn all-state individual honors. Wellesley finished fifth overall with 176 points, behind Hopedale, Bishop Feehan, Oliver Ames, and Winchester.
In the D2 girls race, the Wellesley girls were led by freshman Blake Dietrich, who placed 12th in 17:39. Dietrich was followed by Anna Lukes (27th), Jessica Kaliski (30th), Faith Richardson (33rd), and Ali Griswold (53rd), as the Wellesley girls placed fourth, just three points behind nemesis Bishop Feehan.
The biggest story in D2 was the take-no-prisoners victory by Bromfield's Emily Jones over Triton's Keely Maguire. On a day when times were slowed by the wind and cold, Jones ran 16:06 -- 48 seconds faster than Kristin Kasper ran to win the D1 race. Jones is in rarefied company here, as her time is only a few seconds slower than Ari Lambie's best time of 16:00, and close to the legendary 15:50 of three-time WORLD XC champion Lynn Jennings. Those three are all from hilly Bromfield. Hmmm. I wonder if there is a connection?
Anyway, Jones -- still only a junior -- was very impressive and looks like a good bet to return to the Footlocker National Championships.
NCAA Div III Nationals
Middlebury junior Alexandra Krieg finished 3rd overall at the Div III cross-country nationals hosted by St. Olaf's College in Northfield, Minnestoa. The Wellesley H.S. grad ran 21:23 on the 6K championship course. It was three years ago that Krieg won the Mass All-State Div II championship at Gardner, leading the Wellesley team that won the team title and that included Brielle Chabot (who will be running the DI Nationals for BC on Monday).
The Amherst women won the team title, and running fourth for them was former Newton South standout Caitlin McDermott-Murphy, who finished 54th in 22:32. Amherst senior and Danvers grad Heather Wilson led the Lady Jeffs with a 12th-place finish in 21:44.
Tufts senior and Oliver Ames grad Katy O'Brien finished 16th in 21:47.
Williams senior and Newton North grad Liz Gleason competed in her final collegiate cross-country race at DIII nationals, running 23:17. If you you think the chute at Franklin Park can be crowded, consider that Liz finished right in the middle of the thickest group of finishers, with 5 runners per second crossing the line and stumbling into the chutes.
Results page for DIII Nationals Men's 8K and Women's 6K
The Amherst women won the team title, and running fourth for them was former Newton South standout Caitlin McDermott-Murphy, who finished 54th in 22:32. Amherst senior and Danvers grad Heather Wilson led the Lady Jeffs with a 12th-place finish in 21:44.
Tufts senior and Oliver Ames grad Katy O'Brien finished 16th in 21:47.
Williams senior and Newton North grad Liz Gleason competed in her final collegiate cross-country race at DIII nationals, running 23:17. If you you think the chute at Franklin Park can be crowded, consider that Liz finished right in the middle of the thickest group of finishers, with 5 runners per second crossing the line and stumbling into the chutes.
Results page for DIII Nationals Men's 8K and Women's 6K
November 16, 2007
The Most Vulnerable of Athletes
Police in Lewiston, Maine continue to investigate an alleged assault by an unidentified spectator on a Lewiston High cross-country runner, senior Mohamed Noor, at the 73rd running of the New England high school cross country championships Saturday in Cumberland.
If you have not been following the story, or the discussion of it on the message boards, it started sketchy and has become increasingly ugly. Noor was struck in the face by dirt or sand thrown by a man during the race. At the time he was struck, in the second mile of the race, he was in fifth place. He finished in 124th. After the race, he was vomiting and complaining of a burning sensation in his eyes. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
According to one press account, Noor and a teammate were approached by the same manbefore the race, and he tried to give them biblical pamphlets (Noor is Muslim).
Immediately after the race, there was a lot of confusion about what had happened, IF it had happened, and why. Another story from Wednesday indicates that Noor's story has been corroborated by another runner who had been running close to Noor who was struck in the back of the head by a clump of dirt.
Cross-country runners and marathoners are among the most vulnerable of athletes. They tarvel a long route that is almost impossible to secure. Who can forget how a deranged spectator attacked the race leader, Vanderlei de Lima, in the 2004 Olympic Marathon?
In yet another story on the incident at the New Englands, Griswold (CT) Coach Gerry Chester recalls how his entire team was attacked and beaten up in a dual meet 15 years ago. It is a sick thing that the cowardly choose to attack the innocent at their most vulnerable moments.
Second runner claims sand thrown during regional track event
SI.com: Second runner claims sand thrown
Baldini triumph eclipsed by De Lima attack
If you have not been following the story, or the discussion of it on the message boards, it started sketchy and has become increasingly ugly. Noor was struck in the face by dirt or sand thrown by a man during the race. At the time he was struck, in the second mile of the race, he was in fifth place. He finished in 124th. After the race, he was vomiting and complaining of a burning sensation in his eyes. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
According to one press account, Noor and a teammate were approached by the same manbefore the race, and he tried to give them biblical pamphlets (Noor is Muslim).
Immediately after the race, there was a lot of confusion about what had happened, IF it had happened, and why. Another story from Wednesday indicates that Noor's story has been corroborated by another runner who had been running close to Noor who was struck in the back of the head by a clump of dirt.
Cross-country runners and marathoners are among the most vulnerable of athletes. They tarvel a long route that is almost impossible to secure. Who can forget how a deranged spectator attacked the race leader, Vanderlei de Lima, in the 2004 Olympic Marathon?
In yet another story on the incident at the New Englands, Griswold (CT) Coach Gerry Chester recalls how his entire team was attacked and beaten up in a dual meet 15 years ago. It is a sick thing that the cowardly choose to attack the innocent at their most vulnerable moments.
Second runner claims sand thrown during regional track event
SI.com: Second runner claims sand thrown
Baldini triumph eclipsed by De Lima attack
November 15, 2007
Local Coverage of EMass Meets, All-State
It's always good to read what the local papers are saying about their hometown cross-country teams. Here's a smattering of coverage from around the area:
The Daily News Tribune (Newton, Waltham) has a long article, mostly focusing on the Newton South girls upsetting Lincoln-Sudbury to win the D1 Championship, but with additional coverage of all the Newton teams.
Lions girls shock L-S to claim EMass Div. 1 championship
The article has a great quote from Newton South girls coach Steve McChesney:
`My pride in this team and my joy for them is beyond anything that I could say to them. They are the best of what I have worked for my entire life as athletes and as young people. It is privilege to work with a team like this and they are very special to me."
The Wellesley Townsman has a great article about both Wellesley teams qualifying for the state meet.
Cross country teams third at EMass meet
Nick Carroll, who finished 8th in Div III, sums up Wellesley's season to this point as follows:
"We drastically underestimated our season even from the beginning... But as the season progressed ,everyone kept getting better and surprising themselves. Our top five improved significantly with the addition of some new runners as well as the return of veterans, so by the time the state meet rolled around, we were ready to do big things even if other people didn’t know about us."
The Weymouth News has a brief article about the boys and girls performance at EMass. The article notes that Kristin Mahoney qualified for the state meet, but doesn't mention that Carolyn Connolly did as well.
Solid showing for Weymouth runners at Division 1 state meet
I am sad to report that the Brookline Tab continues its sub-standard coverage of the what might be the best Boys XC team the town (and maybe the state) has ever seen. Nice pictures of Robert Gibson and David Wilson, though.
Boys run to EMass x-country championship
Why doesn't the Brookline Tab use a student-athlete from the XC team to write their articles? Anyone from Brookline want to write about the state meet for this blog?
The Daily News Tribune (Newton, Waltham) has a long article, mostly focusing on the Newton South girls upsetting Lincoln-Sudbury to win the D1 Championship, but with additional coverage of all the Newton teams.
Lions girls shock L-S to claim EMass Div. 1 championship
The article has a great quote from Newton South girls coach Steve McChesney:
`My pride in this team and my joy for them is beyond anything that I could say to them. They are the best of what I have worked for my entire life as athletes and as young people. It is privilege to work with a team like this and they are very special to me."
The Wellesley Townsman has a great article about both Wellesley teams qualifying for the state meet.
Cross country teams third at EMass meet
Nick Carroll, who finished 8th in Div III, sums up Wellesley's season to this point as follows:
"We drastically underestimated our season even from the beginning... But as the season progressed ,everyone kept getting better and surprising themselves. Our top five improved significantly with the addition of some new runners as well as the return of veterans, so by the time the state meet rolled around, we were ready to do big things even if other people didn’t know about us."
The Weymouth News has a brief article about the boys and girls performance at EMass. The article notes that Kristin Mahoney qualified for the state meet, but doesn't mention that Carolyn Connolly did as well.
Solid showing for Weymouth runners at Division 1 state meet
I am sad to report that the Brookline Tab continues its sub-standard coverage of the what might be the best Boys XC team the town (and maybe the state) has ever seen. Nice pictures of Robert Gibson and David Wilson, though.
Boys run to EMass x-country championship
Why doesn't the Brookline Tab use a student-athlete from the XC team to write their articles? Anyone from Brookline want to write about the state meet for this blog?
November 14, 2007
Two Champions Describe the Gardner Course
When Mike Miller asked me to comment on the Gardner XC course, my first reaction was to decline politely since I don't feel that I have a good understanding of the course. I jogged it once, and watched the 2004 All-State meet, but that's the extent of my experience.
But I asked a few runners who competed at that 2004 meet, including two who won state championships there. This is what they had to say.
Chris Barnicle ran 14:09 at Gardner and looked supremely comfortable doing it. This is what he says about the course:
"...I would say the most important thing would be -- as in any race -- to run relaxed. There are some uphills that are very tough and that would be foolish to run too hard, and some downhills so steep that they seem vertical. One thing that I'm sure is important is to have enough energy for the last straight. It's slightly uphill, and if you still have some energy in the bank you can catch a lot of people."
Of course, Chris had the advantage of being the best runner in the race, and was able to run relaxed while still staying in the front. Still, he was quite patient, and only pulled away from Paul Morris in the final mile. Morris faded, and was caught by Josh Boone, who knew the course well, and ran the last 1K very fast.
Unlike Chris, Jess Barton went into the 2004 race as an underdog. It was only her first year of cross-country, and she had finished 2nd in the snow at the EMass meet to Meghan Curran. But at Gardner, she attacked the front of the race, seeming to gain strength as the race went on. In the last half mile Jess outran Amherst's Spring Greeney for the win.
Here's what Jess has to say:
"I remember at Gardner that the hills were not really bad, except for the one steep hill in the last mile or so, but the rest of them weren't very steep and the grass was in really good condition, so they were not too hard.
I think I just went out hard, stayed focused and ran hard the entire way and made sure that I ran fast and strong on the downhills."
So there you have it: two different approaches to running well at Gardner and winning the state championship. I find it fascinating that Jess didn't remember the hills as steep, which I think says a lot about her mental focus on that day. If I had to reconcile the two approaches, I would say that it is very important not to run the "ravine" hill too hard either down or up, but to stay in your own zone, alert and focused on the task at hand. I also agree with Chris that you have to have mental and physical energy in reserve for the last 1000 meters.
As a coach, I would always tell people to have fun and run it like any other race, confident and untroubled by the course, the competition, or the weather. It's really a privilege to compete in the All-State meet. You should enjoy it.
But I asked a few runners who competed at that 2004 meet, including two who won state championships there. This is what they had to say.
Chris Barnicle ran 14:09 at Gardner and looked supremely comfortable doing it. This is what he says about the course:
"...I would say the most important thing would be -- as in any race -- to run relaxed. There are some uphills that are very tough and that would be foolish to run too hard, and some downhills so steep that they seem vertical. One thing that I'm sure is important is to have enough energy for the last straight. It's slightly uphill, and if you still have some energy in the bank you can catch a lot of people."
Of course, Chris had the advantage of being the best runner in the race, and was able to run relaxed while still staying in the front. Still, he was quite patient, and only pulled away from Paul Morris in the final mile. Morris faded, and was caught by Josh Boone, who knew the course well, and ran the last 1K very fast.
Unlike Chris, Jess Barton went into the 2004 race as an underdog. It was only her first year of cross-country, and she had finished 2nd in the snow at the EMass meet to Meghan Curran. But at Gardner, she attacked the front of the race, seeming to gain strength as the race went on. In the last half mile Jess outran Amherst's Spring Greeney for the win.
Here's what Jess has to say:
"I remember at Gardner that the hills were not really bad, except for the one steep hill in the last mile or so, but the rest of them weren't very steep and the grass was in really good condition, so they were not too hard.
I think I just went out hard, stayed focused and ran hard the entire way and made sure that I ran fast and strong on the downhills."
So there you have it: two different approaches to running well at Gardner and winning the state championship. I find it fascinating that Jess didn't remember the hills as steep, which I think says a lot about her mental focus on that day. If I had to reconcile the two approaches, I would say that it is very important not to run the "ravine" hill too hard either down or up, but to stay in your own zone, alert and focused on the task at hand. I also agree with Chris that you have to have mental and physical energy in reserve for the last 1000 meters.
As a coach, I would always tell people to have fun and run it like any other race, confident and untroubled by the course, the competition, or the weather. It's really a privilege to compete in the All-State meet. You should enjoy it.
November 13, 2007
The Remarkable Run of Clayton Lloyd
The last time the MA All-State XC meet was held in Gardner was Nov. 20, 2004. The course at the Gardner Municipal Golf Course was in good shape, which was surprising because it had been blanketed with snow a week earlier, forcing postponement of the Central Mass Divisional Championships until Monday.
The snow had not delayed the EMass meet on Nov 13. Even though four inches fell on Franklin Park overnight and another two inches feel during the meet, the races went on. Newton North eked out a narrow win over Brockton on the strength of a 1-3 finish from Chris Barnicle and David Polgar. Brockton's pack looked awfully good, though, as they placed four runners in front of Newton North's third, Clayton Lloyd.
Lloyd had gotten off to a slow start in cross-country that year. A ruptured spleen from a fall suffered in June had kept him from running for two full months, and he didn't start any kind of training until the first week of August. In the first few meets of September, he finished seventh for the Tigers. As the season went on, he became a reliable member of Newton's top five, and he was the fifth runner for Newton at the league meet (9th overall). Never considered a top runner, Lloyd had a habit of running well when it counted most. His race at EMass was clutch, as he passed Brockton's fifth runner in the final 200 meters to take 17th and help secure Newton's 63-67 win over the Boxers.
But nothing he had done that season prepared us for his race at the State meet.
In the early going, he ran conservatively. At one point, biding his time behind a large pack, he was forced to hurdle the runner in front of him, who went down after tripping on a post that was marking a turn on the course. In the hilly middle section of the course he started moving up.
With 1K to go, he had moved into the top twenty-five, and still looked great. With Dan Chebot and Doug Brecher ahead of the Brockton pack, it looked like Newton had the meet won, but the Boxers had run conservatively, too, and now they were surging. Kevin Gill, Keon Valcourt, Geovanni Timberlake, and David Lopes were all passing people, and with Jose DePina running in fifth, the race for the state championship was on.
As Barnicle jogged across the line with his first individual state XC championship, and David Polgar battled with Brian Gagnon for 10th place, Chebot and Brecher were hanging on for dear life. Of all the Tiger runners only Clayton Lloyd was still passing people.
When he crossed the line, Clay had placed 17th, the same spot he had in the EMass meet against a thinner field. He had beaten all of the Brockton runners except DePina, including future state track champions Kevin Gill and David Lopes. He had finished one second behind the 2005 XC champion-to-be Mark Amirault. It was the finest race of his H.S. career, and if he had run a mere five seconds slower, it would have been Brockton holding the state championship trophy.
Here are the top results from that meet:
1 Barnicle, Chris 12 Newton North HS 14:09 1
2 Boone, Josh SR Gardner 14:18 2
3 Morris, Paul 12 Lexington HS 14:21
4 Ritchie, Tim SR Doherty 14:32
5 Regnier, Jesse Ludlow High School 14:35 3
6 De Pina, Jose 11 Brockton HS 14:38 4
7 Welch, Jefferson 12 Haverhill HS 14:40
8 Tieuli, Matt JR Saint John's 14:42 5
9 Miranda, Mike 12 Methuen HS 14:43 6
10 Polgar, David 11 Newton North HS 14:44 7
11 Gagnon, Brian 12 Lowell HS 14:44 8
12 Andrews, Josh 11 Chelmsford HS 14:47 9
13 Sampson, Zach 11 Haverhill HS 14:51
14 Sanca, Ruben 12 O'Bryant 14:51
15 Amirault, Mark 10 Xaverian 14:53
16 Burmeister, Taylor 12 Concord-Carlisle HS 14:54 10
17 Lloyd, Clayton 12 Newton North HS 14:54 11
18 Gill, Kevin 10 Brockton HS 14:57 12
19 Fullerton, Patrick 10 Haverhill HS 14:57
20 Forbes, Chris 11 Methuen HS 14:58 13
21 Valcourt, Keon 12 Brockton HS 14:59 14
22 Carpenito, Joe 12 Concord-Carlisle HS 15:01 15
23 Phillippo, Matt 12 Concord-Carlisle HS 15:03 16
24 Kalinoski, Jon 12 Chelmsford HS 15:04 17
25 Timberlake, Geovani 10 Brockton HS 15:05 18
26 Lopes, David 12 Brockton HS 15:06 19
27 Sargent, Jon SR Oakmont 15:06
28 Burke, Ryan 12 Revere HS 15:08
29 Sullivan, Mike Westfield High S 15:09 20
30 Czupryna, Steve Chicopee Compreh 15:09
31 Chebot, Dan 12 Newton North HS 15:09 21
32 Brecher, Doug 11 Newton North HS 15:10 22
Clay went on to have a modest indoor and outdoor track season, graduated and went off to Brandeis for a year, where he ran XC for a season. He has been working with City Year in Philadelphia for the last year and a half. He stopped by Cold Spring Park this summer to say hi, and said he hadn't given up on running but it wasn't his priority right now.
He might not be tearing it up for colleges now, but that race in 2004 makes Clay a Newton North legend.
The snow had not delayed the EMass meet on Nov 13. Even though four inches fell on Franklin Park overnight and another two inches feel during the meet, the races went on. Newton North eked out a narrow win over Brockton on the strength of a 1-3 finish from Chris Barnicle and David Polgar. Brockton's pack looked awfully good, though, as they placed four runners in front of Newton North's third, Clayton Lloyd.
Lloyd had gotten off to a slow start in cross-country that year. A ruptured spleen from a fall suffered in June had kept him from running for two full months, and he didn't start any kind of training until the first week of August. In the first few meets of September, he finished seventh for the Tigers. As the season went on, he became a reliable member of Newton's top five, and he was the fifth runner for Newton at the league meet (9th overall). Never considered a top runner, Lloyd had a habit of running well when it counted most. His race at EMass was clutch, as he passed Brockton's fifth runner in the final 200 meters to take 17th and help secure Newton's 63-67 win over the Boxers.
But nothing he had done that season prepared us for his race at the State meet.
In the early going, he ran conservatively. At one point, biding his time behind a large pack, he was forced to hurdle the runner in front of him, who went down after tripping on a post that was marking a turn on the course. In the hilly middle section of the course he started moving up.
With 1K to go, he had moved into the top twenty-five, and still looked great. With Dan Chebot and Doug Brecher ahead of the Brockton pack, it looked like Newton had the meet won, but the Boxers had run conservatively, too, and now they were surging. Kevin Gill, Keon Valcourt, Geovanni Timberlake, and David Lopes were all passing people, and with Jose DePina running in fifth, the race for the state championship was on.
As Barnicle jogged across the line with his first individual state XC championship, and David Polgar battled with Brian Gagnon for 10th place, Chebot and Brecher were hanging on for dear life. Of all the Tiger runners only Clayton Lloyd was still passing people.
When he crossed the line, Clay had placed 17th, the same spot he had in the EMass meet against a thinner field. He had beaten all of the Brockton runners except DePina, including future state track champions Kevin Gill and David Lopes. He had finished one second behind the 2005 XC champion-to-be Mark Amirault. It was the finest race of his H.S. career, and if he had run a mere five seconds slower, it would have been Brockton holding the state championship trophy.
Here are the top results from that meet:
1 Barnicle, Chris 12 Newton North HS 14:09 1
2 Boone, Josh SR Gardner 14:18 2
3 Morris, Paul 12 Lexington HS 14:21
4 Ritchie, Tim SR Doherty 14:32
5 Regnier, Jesse Ludlow High School 14:35 3
6 De Pina, Jose 11 Brockton HS 14:38 4
7 Welch, Jefferson 12 Haverhill HS 14:40
8 Tieuli, Matt JR Saint John's 14:42 5
9 Miranda, Mike 12 Methuen HS 14:43 6
10 Polgar, David 11 Newton North HS 14:44 7
11 Gagnon, Brian 12 Lowell HS 14:44 8
12 Andrews, Josh 11 Chelmsford HS 14:47 9
13 Sampson, Zach 11 Haverhill HS 14:51
14 Sanca, Ruben 12 O'Bryant 14:51
15 Amirault, Mark 10 Xaverian 14:53
16 Burmeister, Taylor 12 Concord-Carlisle HS 14:54 10
17 Lloyd, Clayton 12 Newton North HS 14:54 11
18 Gill, Kevin 10 Brockton HS 14:57 12
19 Fullerton, Patrick 10 Haverhill HS 14:57
20 Forbes, Chris 11 Methuen HS 14:58 13
21 Valcourt, Keon 12 Brockton HS 14:59 14
22 Carpenito, Joe 12 Concord-Carlisle HS 15:01 15
23 Phillippo, Matt 12 Concord-Carlisle HS 15:03 16
24 Kalinoski, Jon 12 Chelmsford HS 15:04 17
25 Timberlake, Geovani 10 Brockton HS 15:05 18
26 Lopes, David 12 Brockton HS 15:06 19
27 Sargent, Jon SR Oakmont 15:06
28 Burke, Ryan 12 Revere HS 15:08
29 Sullivan, Mike Westfield High S 15:09 20
30 Czupryna, Steve Chicopee Compreh 15:09
31 Chebot, Dan 12 Newton North HS 15:09 21
32 Brecher, Doug 11 Newton North HS 15:10 22
Clay went on to have a modest indoor and outdoor track season, graduated and went off to Brandeis for a year, where he ran XC for a season. He has been working with City Year in Philadelphia for the last year and a half. He stopped by Cold Spring Park this summer to say hi, and said he hadn't given up on running but it wasn't his priority right now.
He might not be tearing it up for colleges now, but that race in 2004 makes Clay a Newton North legend.
November 12, 2007
EMass Div I Photos from Henry Finch
Henry Finch, father of one current and one former Newton South runner, has taken a great series of photos for the Div I EMass championship races and posted them on the Newton South Running Times blog site.
Henry strives to take photos that actually show how the race develops over time. In his series of pictures from the girls race, it is fascinating to contrast the runners from Newton South and Lincoln-Sudbury. He also has a great series of pictures showing the final sprint duel between L-S's Andrea Keklak and Newton North's Carolyn Ranti.
Thanks to Henry for taking these pictures and making them available. Congratulations to the Newton South girls on their victory, the Newton South boys on their third place, and of course to the L-S girls and boys who both finished in the runner-up spot on Saturday to move on to the All-State meet.
Newton South: 2007 Girls Div I Champions (photo: Henry Finch)
Henry strives to take photos that actually show how the race develops over time. In his series of pictures from the girls race, it is fascinating to contrast the runners from Newton South and Lincoln-Sudbury. He also has a great series of pictures showing the final sprint duel between L-S's Andrea Keklak and Newton North's Carolyn Ranti.
Thanks to Henry for taking these pictures and making them available. Congratulations to the Newton South girls on their victory, the Newton South boys on their third place, and of course to the L-S girls and boys who both finished in the runner-up spot on Saturday to move on to the All-State meet.
Newton South: 2007 Girls Div I Champions (photo: Henry Finch)
November 11, 2007
High School: Emass Championships
Div I Girls: Newton North So Near, So Far
After finishing sixth last year, the Newton North girls ran their hearts out in an attempt to improve by one spot and qualify for states this year. Instead, they finished one point behind Billerica (6th) and two points behind Lexington (5th) and could only wonder how you can get so close two years in a row.
The Tigers were led by junior Carolyn Ranti who finished fourth overall in the Div I race in 18:56, a few inches behind Lincoln-Sudbury freshman Andrea Keklak. Ranti was followed by Nora Barnicle (32nd, 20:16), Adina Hemley-Bronstein (43rd, 20:31), Franca Godenzi (47th, 20:34), Becca Park (56th in a PR 20:53), and Liz Altieri (103rd, 22:18).
With her fourth-place finish, Ranti qualifies for the All-State meet as an individual. In another near miss, Barnicle was one spot away from qualifying.
Carolyn Ranti in full stride a few feet from the finish (photo: Henry Finch)
Although no Bay State girls teams qualified in Div I, congratulations to the following individual qualifiers:
4. CAROLYN RANTI JR Newton North 18:56 I
9. CAMILLE MURPHY JR Framingham 19:22 I
16. KRISTEN MAHONEY SR Weymouth 19:37 I
29. CAROLYN CONNOLLY JR Weymouth 20:13 I
Div I girls individual results
Div I girls team results
Div I Boys: Brookline Untouchable; Newton North a Solid 8th
Brookline took four of the top six place, averaged 16:02 for its top five, had a solid sixth man, and was simply in a different league than all the other teams competing in the Div I Emass championships. Brookline's score of 36 points was nearly 130 points better than runner-up Lincoln-Sudbury. In a dual meet between Brookline and the combined might of every other Div I team, Brookline would have won 26-31. You get the idea.
But, as Coach Mike Glennon will be happy to tell you. They are not satisfied with winning EMass. They have bigger goals.
Robert Gibson won the race in 15:39 in his first race since Oct. 20th. David Wilson finished second in 15:51, with Mike Burnstein 5th (16:00) and Elliot Lehane 6th (16:04). Ryan Hardiman rounded out the Warriors' top five finishing 22nd in 16:34.
Newton North's Seb Putzeys ran a tremendous race in his final effort at Franklin Park, placing 8th in 16:14, good enough to qualify for the All-State meet as an individual. Dan Hamilton was next for the Tigers, running 17:13 for 46th. Right behind was junior Jarad Foreman, who ran a personal best 17:14 for 47th. Newton North's youth movement was next to contribute, as sophomore Devin Perry ran 17:31 and freshman Ezra Lichtman ran 17:32 to take 74th and 76th. Seniors Ben Chebot and Charlie Krasnow finished out their HS XC careers running 17:41 and 18:09, respectively.
8. SEB PUTZEYS SR Newton North 16:14 I
46. DAN HAMILTON JR Newton North 17:13
47. JARED FOREMAN JR Newton North 17:14
74. DEVIN PERRY SO Newton North 17:31
76. EZRA LICHTMAN FR Newton North 17:32
89. BEN CHEBOT SR Newton North 17:41
117. CHARLES KRASNOW SR Newton North 18:09
Div II: Needham Boys Sixth
The Needham boys team came oh-so-close to qualifying for states, placing sixth with 183 points, just 8 points behind Franklin for the final spot. The Rockets were led by senior Sam Miller, who finished 7th overall and qualified for the All-State meet as an individual, running 16:29.
In the girls race, Natick junior Becca White finished second in 18:43 and senior Anya Price finished 7th in 19:24, as the Natick girls team finished tenth. Needham's Emily Lipman had a great race to take 5th in 19:15, and the Needham girls nabbed 12th. Congratulations to these three, who all qualified for the State meet as individuals:
2. REBECCA WHITE JR Natick 18:43 I
5. EMILY LIPMAN SR Needham 19:15 I
7. ANYA PRICE SR Natick 19:24 I
Div 3: Wellesley Teams Are Third
Wellesley's boys and girls both finished third, as the Raiders became the only Bay State school to qualify both its boys and girls teams for the state meet.
The girls came into the meet ranked high on the strength of their depth, and they did their job, placing runners 14-16-21-25-34 with a spread of :50 to take a close third behind Bishop Feehan and Oliver Ames.
The Wellesley boys had been telling anyone who would listen that they deserved consideration at the state level, and they made their case with an identical third-place finish behind the same two teams: Bishop Feehan and Oliver Ames. The Raiders were led by a fourth place finish from Nick Caroll (16:48) and an eight-place finish from Will Volkman (17:04), who was returning to racing after suffering an ankle sprain in the final weeks of the regular season.
The Walpole boys and girls teams also made a fine showing. The boys finished 10th, led by Eric Flaman (24th, 17:25), who was only one second and one spot away from qualifying for the state meet as an individual. The Walpole girls placed 8th, paced by Diana Wiseman (29th, 20:23).
Div IV: Dedham Girls 25th
The Dedham girls team placed 25th in D4, led by Melissa Hallisey (90th, 22:56). The Dedham boys were 36th, led by Dan Hernon (141st, 19:42).
After finishing sixth last year, the Newton North girls ran their hearts out in an attempt to improve by one spot and qualify for states this year. Instead, they finished one point behind Billerica (6th) and two points behind Lexington (5th) and could only wonder how you can get so close two years in a row.
The Tigers were led by junior Carolyn Ranti who finished fourth overall in the Div I race in 18:56, a few inches behind Lincoln-Sudbury freshman Andrea Keklak. Ranti was followed by Nora Barnicle (32nd, 20:16), Adina Hemley-Bronstein (43rd, 20:31), Franca Godenzi (47th, 20:34), Becca Park (56th in a PR 20:53), and Liz Altieri (103rd, 22:18).
With her fourth-place finish, Ranti qualifies for the All-State meet as an individual. In another near miss, Barnicle was one spot away from qualifying.
Carolyn Ranti in full stride a few feet from the finish (photo: Henry Finch)
Although no Bay State girls teams qualified in Div I, congratulations to the following individual qualifiers:
4. CAROLYN RANTI JR Newton North 18:56 I
9. CAMILLE MURPHY JR Framingham 19:22 I
16. KRISTEN MAHONEY SR Weymouth 19:37 I
29. CAROLYN CONNOLLY JR Weymouth 20:13 I
Div I girls individual results
Div I girls team results
Div I Boys: Brookline Untouchable; Newton North a Solid 8th
Brookline took four of the top six place, averaged 16:02 for its top five, had a solid sixth man, and was simply in a different league than all the other teams competing in the Div I Emass championships. Brookline's score of 36 points was nearly 130 points better than runner-up Lincoln-Sudbury. In a dual meet between Brookline and the combined might of every other Div I team, Brookline would have won 26-31. You get the idea.
But, as Coach Mike Glennon will be happy to tell you. They are not satisfied with winning EMass. They have bigger goals.
Robert Gibson won the race in 15:39 in his first race since Oct. 20th. David Wilson finished second in 15:51, with Mike Burnstein 5th (16:00) and Elliot Lehane 6th (16:04). Ryan Hardiman rounded out the Warriors' top five finishing 22nd in 16:34.
Newton North's Seb Putzeys ran a tremendous race in his final effort at Franklin Park, placing 8th in 16:14, good enough to qualify for the All-State meet as an individual. Dan Hamilton was next for the Tigers, running 17:13 for 46th. Right behind was junior Jarad Foreman, who ran a personal best 17:14 for 47th. Newton North's youth movement was next to contribute, as sophomore Devin Perry ran 17:31 and freshman Ezra Lichtman ran 17:32 to take 74th and 76th. Seniors Ben Chebot and Charlie Krasnow finished out their HS XC careers running 17:41 and 18:09, respectively.
8. SEB PUTZEYS SR Newton North 16:14 I
46. DAN HAMILTON JR Newton North 17:13
47. JARED FOREMAN JR Newton North 17:14
74. DEVIN PERRY SO Newton North 17:31
76. EZRA LICHTMAN FR Newton North 17:32
89. BEN CHEBOT SR Newton North 17:41
117. CHARLES KRASNOW SR Newton North 18:09
Div II: Needham Boys Sixth
The Needham boys team came oh-so-close to qualifying for states, placing sixth with 183 points, just 8 points behind Franklin for the final spot. The Rockets were led by senior Sam Miller, who finished 7th overall and qualified for the All-State meet as an individual, running 16:29.
In the girls race, Natick junior Becca White finished second in 18:43 and senior Anya Price finished 7th in 19:24, as the Natick girls team finished tenth. Needham's Emily Lipman had a great race to take 5th in 19:15, and the Needham girls nabbed 12th. Congratulations to these three, who all qualified for the State meet as individuals:
2. REBECCA WHITE JR Natick 18:43 I
5. EMILY LIPMAN SR Needham 19:15 I
7. ANYA PRICE SR Natick 19:24 I
Div 3: Wellesley Teams Are Third
Wellesley's boys and girls both finished third, as the Raiders became the only Bay State school to qualify both its boys and girls teams for the state meet.
The girls came into the meet ranked high on the strength of their depth, and they did their job, placing runners 14-16-21-25-34 with a spread of :50 to take a close third behind Bishop Feehan and Oliver Ames.
The Wellesley boys had been telling anyone who would listen that they deserved consideration at the state level, and they made their case with an identical third-place finish behind the same two teams: Bishop Feehan and Oliver Ames. The Raiders were led by a fourth place finish from Nick Caroll (16:48) and an eight-place finish from Will Volkman (17:04), who was returning to racing after suffering an ankle sprain in the final weeks of the regular season.
The Walpole boys and girls teams also made a fine showing. The boys finished 10th, led by Eric Flaman (24th, 17:25), who was only one second and one spot away from qualifying for the state meet as an individual. The Walpole girls placed 8th, paced by Diana Wiseman (29th, 20:23).
Div IV: Dedham Girls 25th
The Dedham girls team placed 25th in D4, led by Melissa Hallisey (90th, 22:56). The Dedham boys were 36th, led by Dan Hernon (141st, 19:42).
College: NNHS Alumni Results - 11/10/07
Barnicle Sixth at Div I South Central Regional
According to coach John McDonnell, Arkansas' goal at the Div I South Central Regional was just "to win and go on." Nevertheless, Arkansas junior Chris Barnicle ran what might have been the best XC race of his college career, finishing sixth overall and second for the Hogs in a 10K PR of 29:37.8. Arkansas took 5-6-7-9-12 on its home course to score 39 points, ahead of runner-up Texas (52 points) and obtain an automatic bid to the Div I national championships Nov 19.
Barnicle racing in the South Central Regional
Barton 93rd in Div I Southeast Regional
Wake Forest freshman Jess Barton ran 22:22 to place fifth for the Deamon Deacons and 96th overall in the Div I Southeast Regional.
Div III New England Regionals
Senior Liz Gleason finished 25th overall and fourth for Williams to help the Ephs secure second place and earn an automatic trip to Div III Nationals. Gleason ran an outstanding time of 22:32.2 for 6K in her final college XC race in Massachusetts.
Williams Earns Bid to Div III Nationals
Running one of her better races of the season, Wesleyan junior Anna Schindler placed fifth for Wesleyan and 107th overall in 23:54.5.
Middlebury junior and Wellesley alumna Alexandra Krieg placed third overall in a time of 21:31.3.
Complete Women's Results
In the men's 8K, Bates sophomore Doug Brecher ran a big PR 25:36.2 to finish 35th overall and 2nd for his team.
Brandeis senior and former Weymouth runner Tim Condon placed 44th overall in 25:45.7
Complete Men's Results
Div III Atlantic Regionals
Rochester junior Dan Chebot ran 27:03 to finish 104th in the Div III Atlantic Regional, held at Van Cortland Park in the Bronx. Chebot was 6th man for Rochester, which finished 7th overall.
According to coach John McDonnell, Arkansas' goal at the Div I South Central Regional was just "to win and go on." Nevertheless, Arkansas junior Chris Barnicle ran what might have been the best XC race of his college career, finishing sixth overall and second for the Hogs in a 10K PR of 29:37.8. Arkansas took 5-6-7-9-12 on its home course to score 39 points, ahead of runner-up Texas (52 points) and obtain an automatic bid to the Div I national championships Nov 19.
Barnicle racing in the South Central Regional
Barton 93rd in Div I Southeast Regional
Wake Forest freshman Jess Barton ran 22:22 to place fifth for the Deamon Deacons and 96th overall in the Div I Southeast Regional.
Div III New England Regionals
Senior Liz Gleason finished 25th overall and fourth for Williams to help the Ephs secure second place and earn an automatic trip to Div III Nationals. Gleason ran an outstanding time of 22:32.2 for 6K in her final college XC race in Massachusetts.
Williams Earns Bid to Div III Nationals
Running one of her better races of the season, Wesleyan junior Anna Schindler placed fifth for Wesleyan and 107th overall in 23:54.5.
Middlebury junior and Wellesley alumna Alexandra Krieg placed third overall in a time of 21:31.3.
Complete Women's Results
In the men's 8K, Bates sophomore Doug Brecher ran a big PR 25:36.2 to finish 35th overall and 2nd for his team.
Brandeis senior and former Weymouth runner Tim Condon placed 44th overall in 25:45.7
Complete Men's Results
Div III Atlantic Regionals
Rochester junior Dan Chebot ran 27:03 to finish 104th in the Div III Atlantic Regional, held at Van Cortland Park in the Bronx. Chebot was 6th man for Rochester, which finished 7th overall.
November 10, 2007
Biggest XC Day of the Fall
The MIAA has the EMass, Central Mass, and Western Mass Championships (and State qualifiers). NEPSTA holds the NE Championships in five divisions. Colleges have the NCAA Regionals. Good luck to all the current and former Bay State runners (and their coaches) on the biggest XC day of the Fall!
Schedule for EMass Championships at Franklin Park
9:30 a.m. Girls Division III
9:55 a.m. Girls Division IV
10:20 a.m. Boys Division III
10:45 a.m. Boys Division IV
11:10 a.m. Girls’ Division I
11:35 a.m. Girls’ Division II
12:00 p.m. Boys’ Division I
12:25 p.m. Boys’ Division II
Schedule for EMass Championships at Franklin Park
9:30 a.m. Girls Division III
9:55 a.m. Girls Division IV
10:20 a.m. Boys Division III
10:45 a.m. Boys Division IV
11:10 a.m. Girls’ Division I
11:35 a.m. Girls’ Division II
12:00 p.m. Boys’ Division I
12:25 p.m. Boys’ Division II
November 09, 2007
Why Do We Like Crappy Weather?
(Latest weather forecasts for Saturday morning in Boston predict temperatures in the mid-30's and a 30% chance of light rain.)
Question: Why do we like crappy weather?
Short answer: We don't; we only pretend we do.
Whenever people start talking about running in the rain (or sleet, or snow, or...) I like to think about my friend Eamonn, who grew up in Ireland and had years of experience racing in miserable weather. Eamonn said that in the U.S., any time he lined up to race in the rain, people standing near him who knew his heritage would say, "Eammon, this is your kind of weather...you must be happy!" Actually, he hated running in the rain. And it annoyed him that people always assumed that a lifelong exposure to unpleasant weather made it less unpleasant.
When people start waxing poetic about how great it is to be wet, muddy, and chilled to the bone, I wonder whether they're just whistling past the graveyard.
Hey, I admit I'm as bad as anyone else. I swear that I love running in a pelting cold rain, and I do love it -- when its over and I get to stop. I have an ulterior motive for my deceit, however. I don't like to hear other people complain about bad weather, so I pretend it's really good weather to shame them into piping down. The truth is, cold is cold and wet is wet. As those facts sink in like melting sleet into the bottom of your shoes, you realize that the opportunities for enjoyment are limited.
No, what we really love is our own toughness. We love being bad-ass runners who would run through a snowstorm or hurricane if there was a race scheduled for that day. On the other hand, some of us (no names) are mortally afraid of catching a common cold, so how tough are we really?
Anyway, bad weather is a challenge like any other, and when we meet the challenge, we feel good about ourselves. Nothing wrong with that. But the next time you hear me or anyone else get all misty-eyed about how great it is to be slogging away in the mire, you have my permission to tell us to go to hell.
Oh wait... we're already there!
Question: Why do we like crappy weather?
Short answer: We don't; we only pretend we do.
Whenever people start talking about running in the rain (or sleet, or snow, or...) I like to think about my friend Eamonn, who grew up in Ireland and had years of experience racing in miserable weather. Eamonn said that in the U.S., any time he lined up to race in the rain, people standing near him who knew his heritage would say, "Eammon, this is your kind of weather...you must be happy!" Actually, he hated running in the rain. And it annoyed him that people always assumed that a lifelong exposure to unpleasant weather made it less unpleasant.
When people start waxing poetic about how great it is to be wet, muddy, and chilled to the bone, I wonder whether they're just whistling past the graveyard.
Hey, I admit I'm as bad as anyone else. I swear that I love running in a pelting cold rain, and I do love it -- when its over and I get to stop. I have an ulterior motive for my deceit, however. I don't like to hear other people complain about bad weather, so I pretend it's really good weather to shame them into piping down. The truth is, cold is cold and wet is wet. As those facts sink in like melting sleet into the bottom of your shoes, you realize that the opportunities for enjoyment are limited.
No, what we really love is our own toughness. We love being bad-ass runners who would run through a snowstorm or hurricane if there was a race scheduled for that day. On the other hand, some of us (no names) are mortally afraid of catching a common cold, so how tough are we really?
Anyway, bad weather is a challenge like any other, and when we meet the challenge, we feel good about ourselves. Nothing wrong with that. But the next time you hear me or anyone else get all misty-eyed about how great it is to be slogging away in the mire, you have my permission to tell us to go to hell.
Oh wait... we're already there!
November 08, 2007
Article About Ryan Shay in the NY Times
Once again, the NY Times sets itself apart for its thoughtful coverage of running with today's in-depth story about the life and death of Ryan Shay. Included are anecdotes from his early days as a track star in Central Lake, Michigan, insights into the training of an elite marathoner, and many details about the days leading up to his last race.
Small Town Mourns a Running Marvel
Lighted candles on Central Lake's track.
Photo: Gary L. Howe for The New York Times
Small Town Mourns a Running Marvel
Lighted candles on Central Lake's track.
Photo: Gary L. Howe for The New York Times
What Will it take to Make States (EMass Girls)
This is a GREAT year for girls XC in Massachusetts! I can't ever remember there being so many really good, really deep teams in all divisions, and so many individuals worthy of notice at the statewide level. I'll focus on EMass, but it's only part of the statewide picture of depth and talent.
Division 1
Nothing is ever certain, but there are four teams in Div II that look very good for qualifying for the state meet. Lincoln-Sudbury is the top-ranked team in MA, and has such great speed and depth that its almost inconceivable that they won't advance as the #1 or #2 team. If any team can beat them, it might be Newton South, led by the ever-improving Madeleine Reed and Kelsey Karys, both of whom have run in the mid 18's at F.P this year. Haverhill and Chelmsford are both strong out of the MVC (Haverhill won the MVC league meet in impressive fashion).
Ah, but that fifth spot is up for grabs and teams like Billerica, Lexington, Newton North, and Weymouth are hoping their teams, and especially their fourth and fifth runners, have big days on Saturday. What will it take? It's mostly about getting all five runners in before the deluge that begins around 20:20-20:30. the fifth place team can probably survive having one runner above 20:30, but perhaps not two.
Division II
Div II might be deeper than Div I and competition for the five golden tickets will be extremely tight. The class of the class appears to be Beverly, which rocketed onto everyone's radar screen with a one-point win over Haverhill at the McIntyre meet on Oct. 13. Right behind (I'm talking about rankings here) is Whitman-Hanson, followed by Concord-Carlisle, Franklin, Westford Academy, and Masconomet. It's not out of the question that another team could sneak in -- for example, Dennis Yarmouth (last year's state champs!), Natick (with their terrific 1-2), or Central Catholic.
Division III
Bay Stater are waiting to see whether Wellesley can handle Bishop Feehan on the big stage. Wellesley has a team that seems designed to do well at big meets, and if their pack runs the way it has been all year, they have an excellent chance. But Feehan is always tough. Then there's Hingham, Hopkinton, Oliver Ames, Winchester... And Bay State fans should also watch Walpole, which has a chance to qualify.
Division IV
The top team hear is Hamilton-Wenham, which is led by one of the top runners in D2, Emily Lanois. But the best runner in the state so far has been Triton's Keely Maguire (winner over last year's Footlocker finalist Emily Jones at Brown). Triton has a chance to qualify, as does Newburyport, Swampscott, and perhaps Medfield.
Division 1
Nothing is ever certain, but there are four teams in Div II that look very good for qualifying for the state meet. Lincoln-Sudbury is the top-ranked team in MA, and has such great speed and depth that its almost inconceivable that they won't advance as the #1 or #2 team. If any team can beat them, it might be Newton South, led by the ever-improving Madeleine Reed and Kelsey Karys, both of whom have run in the mid 18's at F.P this year. Haverhill and Chelmsford are both strong out of the MVC (Haverhill won the MVC league meet in impressive fashion).
Ah, but that fifth spot is up for grabs and teams like Billerica, Lexington, Newton North, and Weymouth are hoping their teams, and especially their fourth and fifth runners, have big days on Saturday. What will it take? It's mostly about getting all five runners in before the deluge that begins around 20:20-20:30. the fifth place team can probably survive having one runner above 20:30, but perhaps not two.
Division II
Div II might be deeper than Div I and competition for the five golden tickets will be extremely tight. The class of the class appears to be Beverly, which rocketed onto everyone's radar screen with a one-point win over Haverhill at the McIntyre meet on Oct. 13. Right behind (I'm talking about rankings here) is Whitman-Hanson, followed by Concord-Carlisle, Franklin, Westford Academy, and Masconomet. It's not out of the question that another team could sneak in -- for example, Dennis Yarmouth (last year's state champs!), Natick (with their terrific 1-2), or Central Catholic.
Division III
Bay Stater are waiting to see whether Wellesley can handle Bishop Feehan on the big stage. Wellesley has a team that seems designed to do well at big meets, and if their pack runs the way it has been all year, they have an excellent chance. But Feehan is always tough. Then there's Hingham, Hopkinton, Oliver Ames, Winchester... And Bay State fans should also watch Walpole, which has a chance to qualify.
Division IV
The top team hear is Hamilton-Wenham, which is led by one of the top runners in D2, Emily Lanois. But the best runner in the state so far has been Triton's Keely Maguire (winner over last year's Footlocker finalist Emily Jones at Brown). Triton has a chance to qualify, as does Newburyport, Swampscott, and perhaps Medfield.
November 07, 2007
What Will it Take to Make States (Emass Boys)?
It's a big weekend in Mass., with the EMass, WMass, and Central Mass divisional championship meets. At stake is a berth in the All-State Championships in Gardner, Nov 17th.
After experiencing idyllic weather for most of the season, it looks like it could be nasty on Saturday, with much colder temperatures and rain (or snow) in the forecast. We'll see. It does seem likely that Franklin Park will have a chance to revert to its muddy self by the weekend.
So what will it take to make states? Assuming the course is running normally fast, it is likely that a Division 1 boys team that wants to go to Gardner will have to average better than 17 minutes, and score under 200 points. Except for 2004, when four inches of snow slowed times considerably, the 17-minute average has been a pretty good predictor of the top five teams. As for the 200 points, last year was an exception as Chelmsford scored 183 and finished 6th, but that was the first time in several years that a team has scored under 200 and not qualified.
So, which schools are likely to make it?
In Div 1, Brookline has been proving that it has the runners to dominate a race like this (they averaged 16:14 at the McIntyre meet on Oct 13), and assuming everyone is healthy, it's hard to see them finishing anywhere other than first. Other teams with a good shot to qualify for States include two Dual County League rivals, Lincoln-Sudbury and Newton South, MVC champion Chelmsford, and surprising Big Three champ New Bedford. Other teams worthy of consideration include Xaverian and St. John's Prep.
In Div 2, Whitman-Hanson and Mansfield will duke it out, with other hopeful including Needham, Reading, and Franklin.
In Div 3, the defending champ is Wellesley, but they will have their hands full this year. Bishop Feehan, Hingham, and Oliver Ames are very strong. Holliston is a threat, as is Hopkinton. If Wellesley or Walpole can run really well, they have a chance to qualify, but it will take a complete team effort since Div 3 seems to be very deep.
In Div 4, Swampscott seeks to defend its 2006 title and will be challenged by the same two teams that finished 2nd and 3rd last year -- Hamilton-Wenham and Seekonk. H-W's Gabe Pacione is the class of the field for the individual title, and a favorite for the D2 State title.
After experiencing idyllic weather for most of the season, it looks like it could be nasty on Saturday, with much colder temperatures and rain (or snow) in the forecast. We'll see. It does seem likely that Franklin Park will have a chance to revert to its muddy self by the weekend.
So what will it take to make states? Assuming the course is running normally fast, it is likely that a Division 1 boys team that wants to go to Gardner will have to average better than 17 minutes, and score under 200 points. Except for 2004, when four inches of snow slowed times considerably, the 17-minute average has been a pretty good predictor of the top five teams. As for the 200 points, last year was an exception as Chelmsford scored 183 and finished 6th, but that was the first time in several years that a team has scored under 200 and not qualified.
So, which schools are likely to make it?
In Div 1, Brookline has been proving that it has the runners to dominate a race like this (they averaged 16:14 at the McIntyre meet on Oct 13), and assuming everyone is healthy, it's hard to see them finishing anywhere other than first. Other teams with a good shot to qualify for States include two Dual County League rivals, Lincoln-Sudbury and Newton South, MVC champion Chelmsford, and surprising Big Three champ New Bedford. Other teams worthy of consideration include Xaverian and St. John's Prep.
In Div 2, Whitman-Hanson and Mansfield will duke it out, with other hopeful including Needham, Reading, and Franklin.
In Div 3, the defending champ is Wellesley, but they will have their hands full this year. Bishop Feehan, Hingham, and Oliver Ames are very strong. Holliston is a threat, as is Hopkinton. If Wellesley or Walpole can run really well, they have a chance to qualify, but it will take a complete team effort since Div 3 seems to be very deep.
In Div 4, Swampscott seeks to defend its 2006 title and will be challenged by the same two teams that finished 2nd and 3rd last year -- Hamilton-Wenham and Seekonk. H-W's Gabe Pacione is the class of the field for the individual title, and a favorite for the D2 State title.
November 06, 2007
Brian Sell: A Long Way to the Top
"It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll." - AC/DC
Almost lost in the euphoria of Ryan Hall's other-worldly Olympic Trials marathon win on Saturday, and the shock and sadness of having Ryan Shay collapse and die on the marathon course, was the story of third-place qualifier Brian Sell.
Sell is the dude with the handlebar mustache, a self-described hick who was born in Altoona, PA, and attended a small Div I school in rural Pennsylvania. Unlike Hall and Ritzenheim, who were members of the running elite even in high school, Sell went off to college with a PR of 10:06 for 3200 meters. But he liked to run and he liked to work, and the marathon has been good to him. In 2004, he bulled his way into the national spotlight by leading the Olympic Trials marathon from Mile 7 to Mile 23, fading to 12th in the final three miles. He earned a lot of respect for himself, and for his club, the Michigan-based Hansons-Brooks Distance Project.
In 2006, Sell finished fourth in Boston, one spot behind Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi, with a then PR of 2:10:55. In the fall of last year, Sell ran 2:10:47 in Chicago, finishing sixth.
In an interview on eliterunning.com after Boston, Sell said:
"After the race... I was thinking about how in high school my 3,200 meter PR was 10:06. I started thinking about how I just ran 26 miles faster than I could run two miles in high school. ... I just hope that people look at it and say, 'Hey if this yahoo can do it, then I can do it too.' ... It's just a matter of putting the miles in and working... Anyone who puts the miles and workouts in can do it, pretty much. In high school, a three mile run was a long run for me and I never would have thought that I could break 5:00 pace for 26 [miles]. I put a lot into it. I mean, I've run an average of 110 miles a week for the last five years. I put a lot into it and I've gotten a lot out it."
(In that same interview, Sell confirms his red-neck status with this description of squirrel-throwing during a training run: "We were all out running one morning and there was a dead squirrel out in the middle of the road and I just picked it up and chucked it at Morgan. You know, some of these guys are from the city. I'm from the sticks and grew up raising pigs so it doesn't really disgust me that much, but they were pretty freaked out about it. I did it more for the shock value, I guess. I came home and washed my hands before breakfast, though.")
On Saturday, undistracted by squirrels, Sell timed his move perfectly and in the final six miles ran down no less than former world-record holder Khalid Khannouchi, Keflezighi, and Dan Browne. On the challenging Central Park course, his time of 2:11:40 was perhaps the best marathon he has ever run.
And if he had failed to make the team? Sell has been quoted saying that he probably would have gone to dental school. Well, America might have lost a hard-working dentist, but it gained a true marathon grinder.
Oh, that quote at the top of the page from AC/DC? According to the bio on the Brooks-Hanson web site, that's Sell's favorite quote.
Almost lost in the euphoria of Ryan Hall's other-worldly Olympic Trials marathon win on Saturday, and the shock and sadness of having Ryan Shay collapse and die on the marathon course, was the story of third-place qualifier Brian Sell.
Sell is the dude with the handlebar mustache, a self-described hick who was born in Altoona, PA, and attended a small Div I school in rural Pennsylvania. Unlike Hall and Ritzenheim, who were members of the running elite even in high school, Sell went off to college with a PR of 10:06 for 3200 meters. But he liked to run and he liked to work, and the marathon has been good to him. In 2004, he bulled his way into the national spotlight by leading the Olympic Trials marathon from Mile 7 to Mile 23, fading to 12th in the final three miles. He earned a lot of respect for himself, and for his club, the Michigan-based Hansons-Brooks Distance Project.
In 2006, Sell finished fourth in Boston, one spot behind Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi, with a then PR of 2:10:55. In the fall of last year, Sell ran 2:10:47 in Chicago, finishing sixth.
In an interview on eliterunning.com after Boston, Sell said:
"After the race... I was thinking about how in high school my 3,200 meter PR was 10:06. I started thinking about how I just ran 26 miles faster than I could run two miles in high school. ... I just hope that people look at it and say, 'Hey if this yahoo can do it, then I can do it too.' ... It's just a matter of putting the miles in and working... Anyone who puts the miles and workouts in can do it, pretty much. In high school, a three mile run was a long run for me and I never would have thought that I could break 5:00 pace for 26 [miles]. I put a lot into it. I mean, I've run an average of 110 miles a week for the last five years. I put a lot into it and I've gotten a lot out it."
(In that same interview, Sell confirms his red-neck status with this description of squirrel-throwing during a training run: "We were all out running one morning and there was a dead squirrel out in the middle of the road and I just picked it up and chucked it at Morgan. You know, some of these guys are from the city. I'm from the sticks and grew up raising pigs so it doesn't really disgust me that much, but they were pretty freaked out about it. I did it more for the shock value, I guess. I came home and washed my hands before breakfast, though.")
On Saturday, undistracted by squirrels, Sell timed his move perfectly and in the final six miles ran down no less than former world-record holder Khalid Khannouchi, Keflezighi, and Dan Browne. On the challenging Central Park course, his time of 2:11:40 was perhaps the best marathon he has ever run.
And if he had failed to make the team? Sell has been quoted saying that he probably would have gone to dental school. Well, America might have lost a hard-working dentist, but it gained a true marathon grinder.
Oh, that quote at the top of the page from AC/DC? According to the bio on the Brooks-Hanson web site, that's Sell's favorite quote.
November 05, 2007
Back to Standard Time
I'm feeling groggy after a weekend of spectating, and even though we all gained an extra hour "falling back" to standard time, I feel like I'll need a lot more than that to process all the events of the last three days.
The MSTCA Coaches Meet was originally scheduled for Saturday but was pushed back a day to avoid the remnants of Hurricane Noel. Many teams ran JV teams or skipped the meet entirely to focus on preparations for the State qualifying meets on Nov 10. However, Carolyn Ranti represented Newton North, and ran a wonderful time of 18:43, finishing a close second in the Div I Jr/Sr race. Third in the race was Framingham's Camille Murphy in 19:52.
Another Bay Stater making a big statement was Brookline sophomore Brendan Grove, who won the Div I Boys Soph race in 16:53. In the girls Div I Soph race, Brookline's Mariana Liebman-Palaez finished third in 20:22. Weymouth's Christian Bianco was 10th in 21:06.
Thanks to all for the words of support for the "Fighting Chameleons" of Concord Academy. The CA boys won the EIL Championship meet on Friday afternoon at Franklin Park, relying on a terrific group of seniors and great depth. Although CA's top runner, David Wilder, finished "only" 7th, CA took four of the next nine places to secure the low score. The CA girls team also finished well, despite losing two of its top runners to injury in recent weeks. In fact, just prior to the team competing, CA's #1 runner was having surgery to address a long-standing knee issue. CA's final race is the NEPSTA Div III Championships on Saturday, Nov 10. Unfortunately, this means I won't be able to watch the EMass Championships at Franklin Park.
My co-coach at Concord, Karina Johnson headed down to NYC after the EIL meet, and ran the NYC Marathon on Sunday. Karina, who competes for the New Balance racing team, recorded a personal best 2:56:22, and finished as 42nd woman in the race. Congratulations, Karina!
NNHS alumnus Tom Burkly also ran New York to raise funds for Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation. Tom completed the race in 4:00:55, running slightly negative splits. Congratulations, Tom!
And speaking of Lance Armstrong, he seems to have learned a lot from his marathon debut last year, in which he suffered but managed to sneak in just under three hours. It appears he trained harder for yesterday's race, and after running conservatively for the first 10K, picked up the pace on his way to a 2:46:43 finish (6:21 pace).
The MSTCA Coaches Meet was originally scheduled for Saturday but was pushed back a day to avoid the remnants of Hurricane Noel. Many teams ran JV teams or skipped the meet entirely to focus on preparations for the State qualifying meets on Nov 10. However, Carolyn Ranti represented Newton North, and ran a wonderful time of 18:43, finishing a close second in the Div I Jr/Sr race. Third in the race was Framingham's Camille Murphy in 19:52.
Another Bay Stater making a big statement was Brookline sophomore Brendan Grove, who won the Div I Boys Soph race in 16:53. In the girls Div I Soph race, Brookline's Mariana Liebman-Palaez finished third in 20:22. Weymouth's Christian Bianco was 10th in 21:06.
Thanks to all for the words of support for the "Fighting Chameleons" of Concord Academy. The CA boys won the EIL Championship meet on Friday afternoon at Franklin Park, relying on a terrific group of seniors and great depth. Although CA's top runner, David Wilder, finished "only" 7th, CA took four of the next nine places to secure the low score. The CA girls team also finished well, despite losing two of its top runners to injury in recent weeks. In fact, just prior to the team competing, CA's #1 runner was having surgery to address a long-standing knee issue. CA's final race is the NEPSTA Div III Championships on Saturday, Nov 10. Unfortunately, this means I won't be able to watch the EMass Championships at Franklin Park.
My co-coach at Concord, Karina Johnson headed down to NYC after the EIL meet, and ran the NYC Marathon on Sunday. Karina, who competes for the New Balance racing team, recorded a personal best 2:56:22, and finished as 42nd woman in the race. Congratulations, Karina!
NNHS alumnus Tom Burkly also ran New York to raise funds for Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation. Tom completed the race in 4:00:55, running slightly negative splits. Congratulations, Tom!
And speaking of Lance Armstrong, he seems to have learned a lot from his marathon debut last year, in which he suffered but managed to sneak in just under three hours. It appears he trained harder for yesterday's race, and after running conservatively for the first 10K, picked up the pace on his way to a 2:46:43 finish (6:21 pace).
November 04, 2007
Praise for the Olympic Trials Webcast
Now that is how you cover a marathon.
If you didn't get up early to watch the live webcast of the Men's Olympic marathon trials yesterday, you missed something special.
Yes, the video was tiny, and it was interrupted from time to time, but that was about the only technical glitch. Making up for that was the on-the-road front and side views of the runners, the from-the-air pictures and the split screen coverage to show gaps between the leader(s) and the chasing pack, and the well-informed, intelligent commentary that never became trite or annoying. The announcers knew their stuff. Toni Reavis, one of the most experienced and knowledgeable commentators on road racing, provided the "play-by-play." He was ably assisted by three-time World XC champion Lynn Jennings, who was a revelation, consistently providing insightful comments from the athlete's perspective. Late in the race, noting Brian Sell's charge into third, ahead of better known, more accomplished runners, Jennings offered this: "It is the beauty of the marathon and the curse of the marathon -- it is the great equalizer." Al Trautwig was also on hand, but he was left in the dust, so to speak, by Reavis and Jennings. He did have his moments, though. When Sell passed Dan Browne late in the race to move into third and move into the final qualifying spot, Trautwig sighed, "Oh this is a cruel event."
The only odd note for me was having former Olympian Ed Eyestone providing commentary from a truck or a motorcycle or something. It should have been terrific, since Eyestone was the only one to have competed in a trials marathon, but he seemed not to know whether to comment on what he was seeing at that moment or what he thought about the race. His observations frequently stated things that were obvious to anyone viewing the picture.
And there were no commercials!
And there were no extended breaks from the action to fill us in on the up-close-and-personal lives of the favorites. Instead, Reavis smoothly provided the background information in a steady stream of information that meshed with his race commentary. By the end of the race, we knew who had been training with whom, what injuries or illnesses they had had to overcome, what their previous experience in the event had been, and so on.
Are you paying attention, you major networks? If you focus on the event itself and its intrinsic drama, use knowledgeable and expert commentators, provide the data we need to tell what's happening, the result is a terrific viewing experience.
If you didn't get up early to watch the live webcast of the Men's Olympic marathon trials yesterday, you missed something special.
Yes, the video was tiny, and it was interrupted from time to time, but that was about the only technical glitch. Making up for that was the on-the-road front and side views of the runners, the from-the-air pictures and the split screen coverage to show gaps between the leader(s) and the chasing pack, and the well-informed, intelligent commentary that never became trite or annoying. The announcers knew their stuff. Toni Reavis, one of the most experienced and knowledgeable commentators on road racing, provided the "play-by-play." He was ably assisted by three-time World XC champion Lynn Jennings, who was a revelation, consistently providing insightful comments from the athlete's perspective. Late in the race, noting Brian Sell's charge into third, ahead of better known, more accomplished runners, Jennings offered this: "It is the beauty of the marathon and the curse of the marathon -- it is the great equalizer." Al Trautwig was also on hand, but he was left in the dust, so to speak, by Reavis and Jennings. He did have his moments, though. When Sell passed Dan Browne late in the race to move into third and move into the final qualifying spot, Trautwig sighed, "Oh this is a cruel event."
The only odd note for me was having former Olympian Ed Eyestone providing commentary from a truck or a motorcycle or something. It should have been terrific, since Eyestone was the only one to have competed in a trials marathon, but he seemed not to know whether to comment on what he was seeing at that moment or what he thought about the race. His observations frequently stated things that were obvious to anyone viewing the picture.
And there were no commercials!
And there were no extended breaks from the action to fill us in on the up-close-and-personal lives of the favorites. Instead, Reavis smoothly provided the background information in a steady stream of information that meshed with his race commentary. By the end of the race, we knew who had been training with whom, what injuries or illnesses they had had to overcome, what their previous experience in the event had been, and so on.
Are you paying attention, you major networks? If you focus on the event itself and its intrinsic drama, use knowledgeable and expert commentators, provide the data we need to tell what's happening, the result is a terrific viewing experience.
November 03, 2007
Ryan Shay: May 4, 1979 - Nov. 3, 2007
Ryan Shay (left) and Ryan Hall at the start of the Men's Olympic Marathon Trials, Nov 3, 2007
Ryan Shay, one of the top distance runners in the U.S., collapsed while running in the Men's Olympic Trials in New York City Saturday. Although he received medical attention almost immediately, he was pronounced dead less than an hour later. He was 28 years old.
Shay was a nine-time All-American at Notre Dame, and a four-time state H.S. cross-country champion in Michigan, and a five-time national champion in distances from 5000, to the marathon. In 2003, he won the U.S. Marathon Championship, but injuries interfered with his attempt to make the 2004 Olympic team.
He had been training well in the past five months, and was considered a strong threat to make the 2008 team.
Story in the New York Times
"To-day, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town."
- A. E. Housman
November 02, 2007
A Short Course on Tapering
Disclaimer: Tapering is an inexact science
I expect everyone already knows how to taper, but in the unlikely event that a few people don't have it down yet, perhaps the following observations might be helpful.
Tapering is reducing training volume and/or intensity for several days or more prior to an important late-season event. I add the qualifier "late-season" to make a distinction between taking an easy day before a meet (which might be a weekly occurrence throughout the competitive season) and true tapering to reach your best for one or two big meets at the very end of the competitive cycle.
The theory of tapering is pretty simple. Work hard enough to provide a training stimulus, then rest up to let the body recover and "super-compensate" by becoming stronger, fitter, more enduring. The main practical problem with tapering is judging the proper amount of rest. The main psychological problem of tapering is that athletes (and coaches!) are uncomfortable with rest -- it is antithetical to the work ethic that they have been following throughout the season. It feels weird to rest, and it can play games with an athlete's self-confidence.
Let's take the physical side first. What is a good amount of rest to take prior to the final meet of the year, say the EMass XC championships? Most physiologists would say that it would be beneficial to cut training volume in half gradually over the final 1-2 weeks. During this period of reduce volume, there might be some intense training, but only if there was plenty of time to fully recover and benefit from that intense work.
Recovery varies from athlete to athlete, so great care must be taken to make sure all athletes are allowed to recover for the big race.
(Chris Barnicle tells me that the Arkansas runners, who typically train 80-90 miles a week, take two very easy days (less than half their normal mileage) before most races, and even more rest before the biggest races. I have found that I need at least three easy days prior to a race to run my best, although being older, I might need more rest now than I used to.)
If the big race is on a Saturday, the very latest an athlete should be doing any really hard running should be Tuesday. At least, that's my feeling, based on playing it safe. Other coaches might consider a harder run on Wednesday if they know that their athletes can recover in that time. By Thursday, if any fast running is to be done, it should be very light in volume. Thursday is too late to be doing anything long and hard. By Thursday, athletes should be resting.
But now lets consider the psychological aspects of the problem. Highly competitive athletes and coaches do not like to rest. If they have been successful, it is almost certainly because they like to work. When they are working hard, they feel good about themselves, they have confidence, they feel invincible. These are good things. When forced to rest, they become irritable and unhappy, and perhaps lose a little of that confidence.
Therefore, tapering is also the art of doing just enough, and just the right sort of training, to maintain that feeling of confidence and readiness. This is where there is no substitute for knowing the athlete's mental state and personality. Perhaps there is a special workout that is always done at the end of the year, the one that has been associated with good races in previous seasons. Now is the time to roll it out! Perhaps the coach can set up a workout that lets the athlete feel highly fit without compromising that fitness through excessive work.
When I train for an important mile race at the end of a season, there is a workout that I always do to prove to myself that I am ready. It isn't long, but it's pretty intense. I run 3 x 800 at mile race pace or a little faster, with about 5-6 minutes rest in between each 800. I try to do this workout about a week before the big race. Three days before the race, I'll run an even lighter workout of, say 6x200s. During this period my other days are becoming easier, as I reduce the volume of my daily aerobic runs. Maybe other people can do more than this, but the routine is familiar and it has worked; it gives me a psychological boost while giving me time to be at my best for the race itself.
Before a 5K, I would run a track workout four days before the race, but cut the volume of the workout to 2/3 normal. In this way, I finish feeling like I have run fast, but also feeling like I could do much more. Again, it works for me. Your mileage may vary.
Anyway, this is what I think. I'd be interested to hear from other coaches based on their experience. As I said earlier, there is no substitute for observing what actually works and doesn't work with athletes.
I expect everyone already knows how to taper, but in the unlikely event that a few people don't have it down yet, perhaps the following observations might be helpful.
Tapering is reducing training volume and/or intensity for several days or more prior to an important late-season event. I add the qualifier "late-season" to make a distinction between taking an easy day before a meet (which might be a weekly occurrence throughout the competitive season) and true tapering to reach your best for one or two big meets at the very end of the competitive cycle.
The theory of tapering is pretty simple. Work hard enough to provide a training stimulus, then rest up to let the body recover and "super-compensate" by becoming stronger, fitter, more enduring. The main practical problem with tapering is judging the proper amount of rest. The main psychological problem of tapering is that athletes (and coaches!) are uncomfortable with rest -- it is antithetical to the work ethic that they have been following throughout the season. It feels weird to rest, and it can play games with an athlete's self-confidence.
Let's take the physical side first. What is a good amount of rest to take prior to the final meet of the year, say the EMass XC championships? Most physiologists would say that it would be beneficial to cut training volume in half gradually over the final 1-2 weeks. During this period of reduce volume, there might be some intense training, but only if there was plenty of time to fully recover and benefit from that intense work.
Recovery varies from athlete to athlete, so great care must be taken to make sure all athletes are allowed to recover for the big race.
(Chris Barnicle tells me that the Arkansas runners, who typically train 80-90 miles a week, take two very easy days (less than half their normal mileage) before most races, and even more rest before the biggest races. I have found that I need at least three easy days prior to a race to run my best, although being older, I might need more rest now than I used to.)
If the big race is on a Saturday, the very latest an athlete should be doing any really hard running should be Tuesday. At least, that's my feeling, based on playing it safe. Other coaches might consider a harder run on Wednesday if they know that their athletes can recover in that time. By Thursday, if any fast running is to be done, it should be very light in volume. Thursday is too late to be doing anything long and hard. By Thursday, athletes should be resting.
But now lets consider the psychological aspects of the problem. Highly competitive athletes and coaches do not like to rest. If they have been successful, it is almost certainly because they like to work. When they are working hard, they feel good about themselves, they have confidence, they feel invincible. These are good things. When forced to rest, they become irritable and unhappy, and perhaps lose a little of that confidence.
Therefore, tapering is also the art of doing just enough, and just the right sort of training, to maintain that feeling of confidence and readiness. This is where there is no substitute for knowing the athlete's mental state and personality. Perhaps there is a special workout that is always done at the end of the year, the one that has been associated with good races in previous seasons. Now is the time to roll it out! Perhaps the coach can set up a workout that lets the athlete feel highly fit without compromising that fitness through excessive work.
When I train for an important mile race at the end of a season, there is a workout that I always do to prove to myself that I am ready. It isn't long, but it's pretty intense. I run 3 x 800 at mile race pace or a little faster, with about 5-6 minutes rest in between each 800. I try to do this workout about a week before the big race. Three days before the race, I'll run an even lighter workout of, say 6x200s. During this period my other days are becoming easier, as I reduce the volume of my daily aerobic runs. Maybe other people can do more than this, but the routine is familiar and it has worked; it gives me a psychological boost while giving me time to be at my best for the race itself.
Before a 5K, I would run a track workout four days before the race, but cut the volume of the workout to 2/3 normal. In this way, I finish feeling like I have run fast, but also feeling like I could do much more. Again, it works for me. Your mileage may vary.
Anyway, this is what I think. I'd be interested to hear from other coaches based on their experience. As I said earlier, there is no substitute for observing what actually works and doesn't work with athletes.
November 01, 2007
Men's Marathon Trials on Nov 3
On Saturday, Nov. 3rd, the most impressive field of American marathoners in history will race 26.2 miles in NYC's Central Park for the chance to represent the U.S. at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Men's Olympic Marathon Trials begins at 7:30 a.m. There will be a live webcast available here:
NBC Live Webcast of Men's Marathon Trials
There will also be a wrap-up show broadcast on NBC (TV) at 2:00.
The race begins at 5th Ave and W. 50th street and after a mile and a half, enters Central park from the South. The runners then complete five+ loops of Central Park, finishing at Tavern on the Green (the traditional finish line for the NYC marathon). The course is probably best described as rolling. The runners will climb as much as 50 feet in a mile ten separate times as they loop through the Park, meaning the times might not be blazing fast.
Course map - Course elevation profile
The field includes luminaries and dark horses. Among the luminaries:
Alan Culpepper (35), PB 2:09:41 - The 2004 champion, 12th in the Athens Olympics, 2007 U.S. XC Champion, looking to make one more Olympic team.
Abdi Abdirahman (30), PB 2:08:56 - Two-time Olympian at 10,000m, ran 60:29 for the half marathon in August. Very fit, very ready.
Dan Browne (31), PB - Made the 2004 Olympic team in the marathon and 10K, has been training with Meb Keflezighi in Mammoth Lakes.
Ryan Hall (25), PB 2:08:24 - Hall might be the favorite, after sparking debuts at the half marathon (AR 59:43) and marathon (2:08:24) in 2007. Hall ran with the best in the world in the 2007 London Marathon, briefly taking the lead at the 35K mark.
Meb Keflezighi (32), PB 2:09:56 - The 2004 Olympic silver medalist. Third at Boston in 2006. Ran 27:41 for 10K this summer. In ten starts, has never won at the marathon distance.
Khalid Khannouchi (35), PB 2:05:38 - Former world record holder and the only man in history to run sub 2:06 three times. Kannouchi has had a series of injuries that have hampered his racing and training in the last year. Is he healthy and fit enough to recapture the form that led to four vistories at the Chicago marathon?
Dathan Ritzenheim (24), PB 2:14:01 - Ritz has run one marathon, but his track credentials are outstanding (including 9th in the 10,000m at the world championships). He is also a new dad. Is this his year, or will he be better in four years?
Brian Sell (28), PB 2:10:47 - Sell made the U.S. team for the Helsinki World Championships where he finished 9th. he finished 4th at Boston in 2006, and his strength is strength and consistency. The rolling trials course might be to his advantage.
NBC Live Webcast of Men's Marathon Trials
There will also be a wrap-up show broadcast on NBC (TV) at 2:00.
The race begins at 5th Ave and W. 50th street and after a mile and a half, enters Central park from the South. The runners then complete five+ loops of Central Park, finishing at Tavern on the Green (the traditional finish line for the NYC marathon). The course is probably best described as rolling. The runners will climb as much as 50 feet in a mile ten separate times as they loop through the Park, meaning the times might not be blazing fast.
Course map - Course elevation profile
The field includes luminaries and dark horses. Among the luminaries:
Alan Culpepper (35), PB 2:09:41 - The 2004 champion, 12th in the Athens Olympics, 2007 U.S. XC Champion, looking to make one more Olympic team.
Abdi Abdirahman (30), PB 2:08:56 - Two-time Olympian at 10,000m, ran 60:29 for the half marathon in August. Very fit, very ready.
Dan Browne (31), PB - Made the 2004 Olympic team in the marathon and 10K, has been training with Meb Keflezighi in Mammoth Lakes.
Ryan Hall (25), PB 2:08:24 - Hall might be the favorite, after sparking debuts at the half marathon (AR 59:43) and marathon (2:08:24) in 2007. Hall ran with the best in the world in the 2007 London Marathon, briefly taking the lead at the 35K mark.
Meb Keflezighi (32), PB 2:09:56 - The 2004 Olympic silver medalist. Third at Boston in 2006. Ran 27:41 for 10K this summer. In ten starts, has never won at the marathon distance.
Khalid Khannouchi (35), PB 2:05:38 - Former world record holder and the only man in history to run sub 2:06 three times. Kannouchi has had a series of injuries that have hampered his racing and training in the last year. Is he healthy and fit enough to recapture the form that led to four vistories at the Chicago marathon?
Dathan Ritzenheim (24), PB 2:14:01 - Ritz has run one marathon, but his track credentials are outstanding (including 9th in the 10,000m at the world championships). He is also a new dad. Is this his year, or will he be better in four years?
Brian Sell (28), PB 2:10:47 - Sell made the U.S. team for the Helsinki World Championships where he finished 9th. he finished 4th at Boston in 2006, and his strength is strength and consistency. The rolling trials course might be to his advantage.
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