Earlier this year, NNHS historian Josh Seeherman spent time in the Boston Public Library researching old Massachusetts scholastic track and field results. Among other finds, he discovered results dating back to the 1930's for two athletes who might still be the top two long jumpers in Newton history: Stanley Johnson and Milton Green.
Stanley Johnson was the 1932 Class A Champion in the long jump for Newton
High (No Newton North and Newton South in those days!), and was part of the 1931 team that won the Class A Championship. Johnson went on to attend MIT, in part supported by a scholarship grant from the Newton Centre Rotary Club.
At MIT, Johnson jumped 24-2, which is STILL the MIT long jump record. This summer, the MIT athletics web site published a story on Johnson, who is alive and well at 94, and on the quest by current MIT athlete Stephen Morgan to break the 72-year-old school record.
72 Years in the Making
Milton Green was a teammate of Stanley Johnson's at Newton High, and went on to Harvard where he jumped 24-11 in 1936. Josh thinks this is probably the Newton native all-comers record. Can anyone think of another athlete who jumped farther?
I should mention that Green was primarily a hurdler, in fact one of the best
Milton Green, who had the world record in the indoor hurdles and was one of
the best hurdlers in the world while at Harvard. He earned a berth in the 1936 Olympic Trials but declined it as a protest of the Nazi regime (Green was Jewish).
According to Josh, Green was born in Lowell, but ran for Newton High, where in 1931, he won the 120 Yard Low Hurdles in the Class A Championships in a meet record 14.4.
December 30, 2008
December 29, 2008
Junk Miles
On Saturday, Tyler doubled at the BU mini-meet, racing a little less than 3 miles total. He also warmed up about 3 miles for both races, and afterwords, cooled down with another 5 easy miles, for 11 more miles total and a 14-mile day.
On Sunday, I scolded him for all those "junk miles," but he challenged me right back by pointing out that I sometimes did laughably easy 3-mile runs in the morning when I was in the habit of doubling. What about those? Were they also junk miles? What exactly is a "junk mile" and how does it differ from a mile of greater value?
Well, having had a day to think about it, here's my answer: I don't know.
If we were talking about junk food, I'd say that what makes a food "junk" is the high proportion of "empty" calories -- fat or sugar without the other nutrients the body needs. A Big Mac has a lot of fat -- way too much fat for the amount of protein it delivers.
I guess the analogy to junk miles would be that a mile run too slowly provides too much impact stress without the intensity to produce useful training adaptation. Hence, the ubiquitous advice to do long runs at about 70-75% of max heart rate. Hence, also, the famous statement that "long slow distance makes long slow runners."
But missing in this perspective is the idea that running slowly might provide some other benefit, some other training stimulus that justifies the time spent trotting along at a leisurely pace.
Yesterday, I would have argued that the main benefit of a really slow run was that it promoted recovery from all the harder runs where the real training took place. But in searching the web for definitions of junk miles, I ran across the following article in Running Times by Matt Fitzgerald, in which he debunks this line of thinking:
Rethinking Junk Miles
Fitzgerald writes:
"It is widely assumed that the purpose of recovery runs [...] is to facilitate recovery from preceding hard training. You hear coaches talk about how recovery runs increase blood flow to the legs, clearing away lactic acid, and so forth. The truth is that lactic acid levels return to normal within an hour after even the most brutal workouts. Nor does lactic acid cause muscle fatigue in the first place. Nor is there any evidence that the sort of light activity that a recovery run entails promotes muscle tissue repair, glycogen replenishment, or any other physiological response that actually is relevant to muscle recovery. In short, recovery runs do not enhance recovery."
But instead of dismissing recovery runs, or slow miles in general, as useless, Fitzgerald goes on to argue that such runs promote running economy by providing an opportunity to "practice" running when still in a state of fatigue from previous hard efforts. While more intense workouts are necessary for maximizing aerobic and anaerobic capacity, volume (mileage) is useful for improving economy -- the ability to run farther and faster with the same energy expenditure.
Training is thus the art of finding the right balance between intensity and volume -- between the hard workouts and the recovery runs, between capacity and efficiency -- and, not surprisingly, this balance will be different for every runner.
So, back to our original question, what is a "junk mile?"
Well, in truth, we need to judge a mile on what result it produces. In fact, a junk mile might be slow or fast because it's really just a mile that serves no purpose but to pad the training log. Jack Daniels even talks about "junk speed" -- speedwork done at paces that aren't beneficial to improving specific energy systems.
I would argue that a slow run or slow mile can serve many purposes without being junk: it could get you to work or school, it could renew your connection with the outside world, it could be part of your social life. And yes, for some, slow runs can help make you faster.
I still want Tyler to think about all those miles he ran on Saturday and ask himself whether they were necessary or even useful. And I'll try to tell him that my early morning runs at 8:00 pace were useful -- to me, at least -- because they were correlated with some of my best racing in years.
But I'll also try to keep an open mind, and won't be so quick to call his miles "junk." I'll just suggest that he should judge a mile based on where it takes him.
On Sunday, I scolded him for all those "junk miles," but he challenged me right back by pointing out that I sometimes did laughably easy 3-mile runs in the morning when I was in the habit of doubling. What about those? Were they also junk miles? What exactly is a "junk mile" and how does it differ from a mile of greater value?
Well, having had a day to think about it, here's my answer: I don't know.
If we were talking about junk food, I'd say that what makes a food "junk" is the high proportion of "empty" calories -- fat or sugar without the other nutrients the body needs. A Big Mac has a lot of fat -- way too much fat for the amount of protein it delivers.
I guess the analogy to junk miles would be that a mile run too slowly provides too much impact stress without the intensity to produce useful training adaptation. Hence, the ubiquitous advice to do long runs at about 70-75% of max heart rate. Hence, also, the famous statement that "long slow distance makes long slow runners."
But missing in this perspective is the idea that running slowly might provide some other benefit, some other training stimulus that justifies the time spent trotting along at a leisurely pace.
Yesterday, I would have argued that the main benefit of a really slow run was that it promoted recovery from all the harder runs where the real training took place. But in searching the web for definitions of junk miles, I ran across the following article in Running Times by Matt Fitzgerald, in which he debunks this line of thinking:
Rethinking Junk Miles
Fitzgerald writes:
"It is widely assumed that the purpose of recovery runs [...] is to facilitate recovery from preceding hard training. You hear coaches talk about how recovery runs increase blood flow to the legs, clearing away lactic acid, and so forth. The truth is that lactic acid levels return to normal within an hour after even the most brutal workouts. Nor does lactic acid cause muscle fatigue in the first place. Nor is there any evidence that the sort of light activity that a recovery run entails promotes muscle tissue repair, glycogen replenishment, or any other physiological response that actually is relevant to muscle recovery. In short, recovery runs do not enhance recovery."
But instead of dismissing recovery runs, or slow miles in general, as useless, Fitzgerald goes on to argue that such runs promote running economy by providing an opportunity to "practice" running when still in a state of fatigue from previous hard efforts. While more intense workouts are necessary for maximizing aerobic and anaerobic capacity, volume (mileage) is useful for improving economy -- the ability to run farther and faster with the same energy expenditure.
Training is thus the art of finding the right balance between intensity and volume -- between the hard workouts and the recovery runs, between capacity and efficiency -- and, not surprisingly, this balance will be different for every runner.
So, back to our original question, what is a "junk mile?"
Well, in truth, we need to judge a mile on what result it produces. In fact, a junk mile might be slow or fast because it's really just a mile that serves no purpose but to pad the training log. Jack Daniels even talks about "junk speed" -- speedwork done at paces that aren't beneficial to improving specific energy systems.
I would argue that a slow run or slow mile can serve many purposes without being junk: it could get you to work or school, it could renew your connection with the outside world, it could be part of your social life. And yes, for some, slow runs can help make you faster.
I still want Tyler to think about all those miles he ran on Saturday and ask himself whether they were necessary or even useful. And I'll try to tell him that my early morning runs at 8:00 pace were useful -- to me, at least -- because they were correlated with some of my best racing in years.
But I'll also try to keep an open mind, and won't be so quick to call his miles "junk." I'll just suggest that he should judge a mile based on where it takes him.
December 28, 2008
Arsenault: Wins HJ, LJ at MSTCA Holiday Meet
Time will tell whether the MSTCA Invite becomes a fixture on the indoor track calendar.
The week between Christmas and New Year's Day offers a relatively uncluttered week on the Reggie Lewis calendar, but by the same token, many athletes are out of town on family breaks of one sort or another. This year, the MSTCA created a two-day meet for the weekend of 12/27-28, giving runners and jumpers a chance to test themselves or hone their field event skills. I really like the idea of adding non-standard (indoor) track events like the 200, 400, 800, 5000m, while also providing a full slate of track relays (sprint medley, distance medley included). I think the meet will catch on, and next year will see a big increase in numbers.
Although there were small fields this year, there seem to have been some highly competitive events. Newton Noth's Sam Arsenault and BC High's Corey Thomas staged two high-level duels in the high jump and 55 hurdles on Saturday. Arsenault won the high jump (on fewer misses) at 6-5. Thomas won the hurdles in 7.79, but Sam pushed him all the way in the finals, recording a personal best time of 7.88.
Newton North's Ben Kiley also competed in the HJ, clearing 5-11.
On Sunday, Arsenault returned to Reggie and won the long jump with a leap of 21-5.5.
On the girls side, on Saturday Emily Hutchinson (4-11) and Amy Ren (4-9) finished 2nd and 6th in the high jump. Ren returned on Sunday to take 5th in the long jump at 15-3.75, while Michelle Kaufman was 4th in 15-7.75.
Carolyn Ranti placed 6th in the 800m, running 2:25.06.
The week between Christmas and New Year's Day offers a relatively uncluttered week on the Reggie Lewis calendar, but by the same token, many athletes are out of town on family breaks of one sort or another. This year, the MSTCA created a two-day meet for the weekend of 12/27-28, giving runners and jumpers a chance to test themselves or hone their field event skills. I really like the idea of adding non-standard (indoor) track events like the 200, 400, 800, 5000m, while also providing a full slate of track relays (sprint medley, distance medley included). I think the meet will catch on, and next year will see a big increase in numbers.
Although there were small fields this year, there seem to have been some highly competitive events. Newton Noth's Sam Arsenault and BC High's Corey Thomas staged two high-level duels in the high jump and 55 hurdles on Saturday. Arsenault won the high jump (on fewer misses) at 6-5. Thomas won the hurdles in 7.79, but Sam pushed him all the way in the finals, recording a personal best time of 7.88.
Newton North's Ben Kiley also competed in the HJ, clearing 5-11.
On Sunday, Arsenault returned to Reggie and won the long jump with a leap of 21-5.5.
On the girls side, on Saturday Emily Hutchinson (4-11) and Amy Ren (4-9) finished 2nd and 6th in the high jump. Ren returned on Sunday to take 5th in the long jump at 15-3.75, while Michelle Kaufman was 4th in 15-7.75.
Carolyn Ranti placed 6th in the 800m, running 2:25.06.
December 27, 2008
NNHS Alumni at BU Mini-Meet (12/27/08)
More fast times at BU, as NNHS alumni and others shook off their post-Christmas, post-snowstorm blues, and ripped off some solid early season races.
I never seem to give the sprinters enough credit, so let's start with Cailean Robinson, who posted a 22.66 in the 200m, the 7th fastest time overall. Cailean said he thought about entering the 400m... he said his coach at Wheaton wants him to run on the 4x400 relay... but, well, when you're a 55m/60m kind of guy, the 400 always seems like an awfully long way.
Noah Jampol did his annual 3000/1M double, running a controlled 9:45 in his trainers, and coming back to run a controlled 4:40 in his spikes. In the same heat with Noah was Josh Seeherman, who ran 4:44.41.
It was good to see Brookline alum Robert Gibson, who looked very strong and seems to have recovered from a bout of mono he suffered this fall. At BU, he doubled in the 1M/800m, taking 2nd in the 1M in 4:18.11, and 3rd in the 800 in 1:59.16. Not bad for December with no speedwork yet.
It was also great to see Dan Robb (NNHS Class of 2002), who returned recently from two years teaching at a school in Tacna, Peru. Dan was there to watch a former Providence College teammate, but he (Dan) looked fit, and I could imagine him coming down out of the stands, borrowing a pair of spike, and dropping a 2:00 flat, just like old times.
BU Mini-Meet #2 - Complete Results
I never seem to give the sprinters enough credit, so let's start with Cailean Robinson, who posted a 22.66 in the 200m, the 7th fastest time overall. Cailean said he thought about entering the 400m... he said his coach at Wheaton wants him to run on the 4x400 relay... but, well, when you're a 55m/60m kind of guy, the 400 always seems like an awfully long way.
Noah Jampol did his annual 3000/1M double, running a controlled 9:45 in his trainers, and coming back to run a controlled 4:40 in his spikes. In the same heat with Noah was Josh Seeherman, who ran 4:44.41.
It was good to see Brookline alum Robert Gibson, who looked very strong and seems to have recovered from a bout of mono he suffered this fall. At BU, he doubled in the 1M/800m, taking 2nd in the 1M in 4:18.11, and 3rd in the 800 in 1:59.16. Not bad for December with no speedwork yet.
It was also great to see Dan Robb (NNHS Class of 2002), who returned recently from two years teaching at a school in Tacna, Peru. Dan was there to watch a former Providence College teammate, but he (Dan) looked fit, and I could imagine him coming down out of the stands, borrowing a pair of spike, and dropping a 2:00 flat, just like old times.
BU Mini-Meet #2 - Complete Results
December 21, 2008
The Glove
Looking for that last minute gift for the athlete in your life and have $2500 to spend? You could buy them "The Glove," a simple device that cools (or heats) a body with remarkable efficiency and even more remarkable results.
Developed by two Stanford biologists with grants from the U.S. Defense Dept., The Glove works by using the hands as natural radiators for the rest of the body. Instead of trying to lower body temperature at the surface of the body, the glove pulls blood from the body's core to its extremities (the hands) and cools it there. Its properties have been tested on soldiers exercising in the desert, and on athletes performing at maximum intensity.
Here's an article that provides some details:
Cool Invention Helps Tired Players Bounce Back
And here's the company's web site:
http://www.avacore.com/
It kind of makes that pair of woolen mittens seem pretty tame, doesn't it?
Developed by two Stanford biologists with grants from the U.S. Defense Dept., The Glove works by using the hands as natural radiators for the rest of the body. Instead of trying to lower body temperature at the surface of the body, the glove pulls blood from the body's core to its extremities (the hands) and cools it there. Its properties have been tested on soldiers exercising in the desert, and on athletes performing at maximum intensity.
Here's an article that provides some details:
Cool Invention Helps Tired Players Bounce Back
And here's the company's web site:
http://www.avacore.com/
It kind of makes that pair of woolen mittens seem pretty tame, doesn't it?
December 20, 2008
NNHS Alumni at BU Mini-Meet (12/20/08)
As the snow continued to fall from the tail end of Boston's first big snowstorm of the winter, there were some good early season races from NNHS alumni at the first BU mini-meet of the season. Many runners use these meets as fast workouts, running multiple events for strength and tuning.
Dave Cahill had himself a very nice sprint double, winning the 400m outright in 50.80, and coming back to run 23.80 in the 200m.
John Blouin ran the mile, finishing 4th in the 3rd heat with a time of 4:42.20.
I could swear that Josh Seeherman ran the mile, too, although I don't see his name in the results. In any case, he ran the 800, clocking 2:07.90.
Also good to see several NSRP folks, including Mike Burnstein and Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot getting some speedwork in by running the 800, and James Vance, who PR'd in the mile, running 4:34.70 in what he said was his first mile race since high school.
Dave Cahill had himself a very nice sprint double, winning the 400m outright in 50.80, and coming back to run 23.80 in the 200m.
John Blouin ran the mile, finishing 4th in the 3rd heat with a time of 4:42.20.
I could swear that Josh Seeherman ran the mile, too, although I don't see his name in the results. In any case, he ran the 800, clocking 2:07.90.
Also good to see several NSRP folks, including Mike Burnstein and Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot getting some speedwork in by running the 800, and James Vance, who PR'd in the mile, running 4:34.70 in what he said was his first mile race since high school.
Hope for the Inflexible
According to the Journal of the Strength and Conditioning Research, a study of 8 collegiate distance runners found a strong inverse correlation between sit-and-reach flexibility and running economy. In other words, the more flexible the runner was, the worse their running economy (energy used at a given velocity). Or, as the study puts it...
"...the less flexible distance runners tended to be more economical, possibly as a result of the energy-efficient function of the elastic components in the muscles and tendons during the stretch-shortening cycle."
Link to the abstract
It's a small study, but if larger studies confirm that flexibility negatively impacts running economy, it's another reason not to engage in sessions of pre-workout static stretching.
"...the less flexible distance runners tended to be more economical, possibly as a result of the energy-efficient function of the elastic components in the muscles and tendons during the stretch-shortening cycle."
Link to the abstract
It's a small study, but if larger studies confirm that flexibility negatively impacts running economy, it's another reason not to engage in sessions of pre-workout static stretching.
December 19, 2008
NNHS (and other) Results From Bay State Meet #2
Both NNHS track teams won on Thursday against Braintree in the second Bay State League Meet of the season. The Tiger girls won 59-26, while the boys won by an even more lopsided score of 72-14.
For the girls, Michelle Kaufmann and Carolyn Ranti had strong meets, as Kaufmann won the 55 hurdles (9.08) and 55 dash (7.85), while Ranti won the mile (finishing 2nd overall in 5:18.25) and 300 (46.28). Margo Gillis won the 2-mile in 11:27, lapping the entire field and finishing nearly 50 seconds ahead of second place.
For the boys, the top performers were Ben Kiley, who won the 55 dash and 300, And Sam Arsenault who everything else. No, wait a minute, that's only the way it seems sometimes... Actually Sam won the high jump (6-5), 55 hurdles (8.17), and long jump (20-7.75). I'm going to go out on a speculative limb and guess that he anchored the winning 4x400 relay, which had the fastest time of the day, in 3:39.78.
It's kind of strange to see the Newton North distance runners without a sub-5:00 miler or sub-2:50 1000 runner, but it's early in the season... Meanwhile, Dan Hamilton, who earlier in the week publicly expressed his desire to have more competition in the 2-mile, got it. Weymouth sophomore Steve Sollowin beat Hamilton by two seconds, 10:00 to 10:02, with Needham's Dan Shields 20 seconds back.
Tony Chen had a great race in the hurdles, claiming 2nd in 8.27 (a PR?) and doubled back to finish 2nd in the 55 (7.19) to Kiley.
More Bay State Notes
Framingham senior Phineas McGovern rceorded one of the strangest statistical doubles I have ever seen when he had the fastest time of the day out of the 45 runners who competed in the mile (4:53), and later finished dead last among the 48 competitors in the shot put (21-6). I'm telling you, I've never had a good shot put after running the mile.
Rebecca White blazed a 3:05.12 to win the girls 1000 for Natick and record the fastest time of the day.
Is the high jump harming kids' self-esteem? More than half the field in the boys high jump (16 jumpers) failed to clear the opening height of 5-3. I've always been suspicious of an event in which even the winner fails in the end.... Speaking of the high jump, Wellesley's Michael Blair and Patrick Conklin jumped 6-3 and 6-1, respectively. All they need is one guy who can jump 5-7 and they have a champion team for the Class C Relays.
Milton's Paul Connor ran the league's (and state's?) fastest time in the 600 so far this year, winning in 1:26.95. Nice to see Brookline's Ryan Hardiman back in action. Ryan finished 3rd for Brookline in the 600, running 1:31.73.
If you score NNHS boys vs. Weymouth it would be 43-38 Newton going into the relay.
If you score NNHS girls vs. Weymouth it would be 44-42 Newton AFTER Weymouth won the relay. Food for thought.
Happy Birthday, David Smith!
For the girls, Michelle Kaufmann and Carolyn Ranti had strong meets, as Kaufmann won the 55 hurdles (9.08) and 55 dash (7.85), while Ranti won the mile (finishing 2nd overall in 5:18.25) and 300 (46.28). Margo Gillis won the 2-mile in 11:27, lapping the entire field and finishing nearly 50 seconds ahead of second place.
For the boys, the top performers were Ben Kiley, who won the 55 dash and 300, And Sam Arsenault who everything else. No, wait a minute, that's only the way it seems sometimes... Actually Sam won the high jump (6-5), 55 hurdles (8.17), and long jump (20-7.75). I'm going to go out on a speculative limb and guess that he anchored the winning 4x400 relay, which had the fastest time of the day, in 3:39.78.
It's kind of strange to see the Newton North distance runners without a sub-5:00 miler or sub-2:50 1000 runner, but it's early in the season... Meanwhile, Dan Hamilton, who earlier in the week publicly expressed his desire to have more competition in the 2-mile, got it. Weymouth sophomore Steve Sollowin beat Hamilton by two seconds, 10:00 to 10:02, with Needham's Dan Shields 20 seconds back.
Tony Chen had a great race in the hurdles, claiming 2nd in 8.27 (a PR?) and doubled back to finish 2nd in the 55 (7.19) to Kiley.
More Bay State Notes
Framingham senior Phineas McGovern rceorded one of the strangest statistical doubles I have ever seen when he had the fastest time of the day out of the 45 runners who competed in the mile (4:53), and later finished dead last among the 48 competitors in the shot put (21-6). I'm telling you, I've never had a good shot put after running the mile.
Rebecca White blazed a 3:05.12 to win the girls 1000 for Natick and record the fastest time of the day.
Is the high jump harming kids' self-esteem? More than half the field in the boys high jump (16 jumpers) failed to clear the opening height of 5-3. I've always been suspicious of an event in which even the winner fails in the end.... Speaking of the high jump, Wellesley's Michael Blair and Patrick Conklin jumped 6-3 and 6-1, respectively. All they need is one guy who can jump 5-7 and they have a champion team for the Class C Relays.
Milton's Paul Connor ran the league's (and state's?) fastest time in the 600 so far this year, winning in 1:26.95. Nice to see Brookline's Ryan Hardiman back in action. Ryan finished 3rd for Brookline in the 600, running 1:31.73.
If you score NNHS boys vs. Weymouth it would be 43-38 Newton going into the relay.
If you score NNHS girls vs. Weymouth it would be 44-42 Newton AFTER Weymouth won the relay. Food for thought.
Happy Birthday, David Smith!
December 17, 2008
The Dropout
"'Taking [the] season off' or 'Work' are the new 'excuses' for doing nothing..."
- from a post on the DyeStat New England Forum
By sheer coincidence, I read that comment on DyeStat a couple of weeks ago on the same day that I met with some Concord Academy kids for a run around Walden Pond, passing near the site of Thoreau's cabin in the woods.
Henry David Thoreau wrote "Walden" about his two-year experiment living at arms-length from Concord Society. Many have found profound inspiration from Thoreau's paean to simple living, many have found it to be the self-indulgent work of a classic dropout who shirked his responsibilities and preferred to spend his time on long walks, gardening, and writing.
I thought of this while I considered that comment about "doing nothing," letting it resonate in my mind. I thought about all the dropouts I had known, and what they had learned by going off the beaten path. Mostly, I thought about my own experience as a senior in high school, recalling a time when I heard similar words from a coach....
* * *
Back in the mid 1970's when I was in my final year at Amherst Regional High School, I took a series of detours from the expected path that had been laid out for me.
In my junior year, I had become a successful runner -- a "track star" (you need to say it with infinite disdain, the way Anne Bancroft says it to Dustin Hoffman in "The Graduate") -- and by my senior year, I had begun to chafe at that role. I found that, increasingly, when I wanted to explore some new interest or activity, my desire to follow where it led came into conflict with the single-minded dedication expected of me.
In those days, there was no indoor track for Amherst High School. Most of my friends from the cross-country team played basketball in the winter, although some wrestled, and others "did nothing" (meaning no organized sport). In my senior year, I decided to quit basketball and get a job. I wasn't at all sure that I wanted to run Spring track. More alarmingly to my parents, I decided I wasn't going to apply to college.
In November or December of my senior year, I got a phone call from a college coach. His voice on the other end of the line was friendly and persuasive. He had been an assistant at UMass-Amherst, and had followed the fortunes of the ARHS cross-country and track teams. He was calling, he said, to let me (and several of my teammates) know that he was taking a new coaching job at a big university out of state, and he wanted to know my plans for running in college. Would I consider applying at this university and running for them?
I was flattered, obviously. It certainly gave my ego a boost to be recruited. I wasn't a great runner -- I had seen some great runners and I knew they were at another level entirely -- but I was pretty good and I had been serious about the sport since I was in 7th grade. My entire experience with college recruiting to that point had been the half dozen or so letters I had received addressed to "student-athlete." This was the first time anyone had actually called to talk to me in person.
I also knew that the university was a good school, and I knew that two of my teammates were thinking about applying there. It was tempting to do the same.
But even though I wanted to say "yes," what I told him was that I had decided not to apply to college this year, that I would be taking time off from school and running... to work... to read.... I didn't say "to do nothing" but it probably came out about the same was as if I had.
He tried to convince me that I was making a mistake, that I shouldn't take time off. He counseled against throwing away the chance to run in college, and urged me to reconsider my plans. I think we spoke for another 10-15 minutes before he gave up, but not before urging me again to "stick with it."
I didn't take his advice.
The spring of my senior year in H.S. was strange. Having earned enough credits for graduation, and with no requirement to take a minimum number of classes (it was a different era in public education), I was free to read, to work, and to think about the future. After much thought, I decided to run outdoor track my senior year. Without basketball to distract me, I trained alone for about six weeks, just running along the snowy back roads of Amherst. I had a good season, and it was fun. It was also the last season of competitive running I would do for a while.
While my friends opened letters of acceptance or rejection from colleges, I made plans to find an apartment and a job in Boston. Two of my teammates did attend that out-of-state university, perhaps influenced by the assistant coach who tried to recruit me. One of them ran for a single season before quitting the track team. Both got great educations. Another teammate went to UMass, ran a couple of seasons and then stopped running for a couple of decades.
I graduated, moved to Boston, worked for a year, traveled for a few months, and eventually decided to apply to a school with no athletic programs -- no track or cross-country. It would be another five years before I ran a competitive race again.
* * *
These days, when I talk with high school runners, I am struck by how many of them are struggling to define the right place for running in their lives. Running on a team is great, it really is, and it has a lot to offer, but it is not the be-all, end-all of high school life. For seniors especially, the need to think about what comes next after high school can shift the focus of their attention in ways that create mental stress and strain. Some will re-dedicate themselves to having the best senior seasons they possibly can; others will drop out, rather than go through the motions when their heart is no longer in their sport.
As a coach, it can be maddening. We dedicate ourselves every day to helping kids realize the potential that we see in our athletes, and it can drive us crazy when we see immense talent go by the wayside. Every coach can recall with sadness the names of athletes who stopped caring, or never cared, about achieving their best.
But we are wrong when our focus on track and field becomes so single-minded that we fail to see the potential that our athletes have in other areas of their lives, and fail to see their need to explore other interests and activities. I believe it is a coach's responsibility to try to understand why some kids want to drop out, and help them make the best decision, rather than simply dismiss their actions as laziness or lack of commitment to their teams. Do some kids need to learn the value of "sticking with it?" Yes, I have no doubt. But are there other kids for whom sticking with it season after season, year after year is an opportunity missed to grow in other ways?
I feel strongly that the important principle is one of discovery. Running track or not running track, going to college or working at a fast-food restaurant for minimum wage aren't good or bad of themselves, but only in proportion to the process of discovery and lifelong learning that should be our goal for ourselves and those we coach.
I didn't run in college because I urgently needed to discover other things about myself. I returned to running after college, because I found running had much more to teach me.
* * *
So Thoreau spent his two years in a cabin. Then he went back to work. In the end, it wasn't so much the dropping out that we remember and admire, but what he made out of his experience, what he learned, and what he wrote when he was back at his desk trying to make a living.
In his conclusion to Walden, he wrote:
"I left the woods for as good a reason as I went there. Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live, and could not spare any more time for that one. It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves...."
"I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. [...] In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."
- from a post on the DyeStat New England Forum
By sheer coincidence, I read that comment on DyeStat a couple of weeks ago on the same day that I met with some Concord Academy kids for a run around Walden Pond, passing near the site of Thoreau's cabin in the woods.
Henry David Thoreau wrote "Walden" about his two-year experiment living at arms-length from Concord Society. Many have found profound inspiration from Thoreau's paean to simple living, many have found it to be the self-indulgent work of a classic dropout who shirked his responsibilities and preferred to spend his time on long walks, gardening, and writing.
I thought of this while I considered that comment about "doing nothing," letting it resonate in my mind. I thought about all the dropouts I had known, and what they had learned by going off the beaten path. Mostly, I thought about my own experience as a senior in high school, recalling a time when I heard similar words from a coach....
* * *
Back in the mid 1970's when I was in my final year at Amherst Regional High School, I took a series of detours from the expected path that had been laid out for me.
In my junior year, I had become a successful runner -- a "track star" (you need to say it with infinite disdain, the way Anne Bancroft says it to Dustin Hoffman in "The Graduate") -- and by my senior year, I had begun to chafe at that role. I found that, increasingly, when I wanted to explore some new interest or activity, my desire to follow where it led came into conflict with the single-minded dedication expected of me.
In those days, there was no indoor track for Amherst High School. Most of my friends from the cross-country team played basketball in the winter, although some wrestled, and others "did nothing" (meaning no organized sport). In my senior year, I decided to quit basketball and get a job. I wasn't at all sure that I wanted to run Spring track. More alarmingly to my parents, I decided I wasn't going to apply to college.
In November or December of my senior year, I got a phone call from a college coach. His voice on the other end of the line was friendly and persuasive. He had been an assistant at UMass-Amherst, and had followed the fortunes of the ARHS cross-country and track teams. He was calling, he said, to let me (and several of my teammates) know that he was taking a new coaching job at a big university out of state, and he wanted to know my plans for running in college. Would I consider applying at this university and running for them?
I was flattered, obviously. It certainly gave my ego a boost to be recruited. I wasn't a great runner -- I had seen some great runners and I knew they were at another level entirely -- but I was pretty good and I had been serious about the sport since I was in 7th grade. My entire experience with college recruiting to that point had been the half dozen or so letters I had received addressed to "student-athlete." This was the first time anyone had actually called to talk to me in person.
I also knew that the university was a good school, and I knew that two of my teammates were thinking about applying there. It was tempting to do the same.
But even though I wanted to say "yes," what I told him was that I had decided not to apply to college this year, that I would be taking time off from school and running... to work... to read.... I didn't say "to do nothing" but it probably came out about the same was as if I had.
He tried to convince me that I was making a mistake, that I shouldn't take time off. He counseled against throwing away the chance to run in college, and urged me to reconsider my plans. I think we spoke for another 10-15 minutes before he gave up, but not before urging me again to "stick with it."
I didn't take his advice.
The spring of my senior year in H.S. was strange. Having earned enough credits for graduation, and with no requirement to take a minimum number of classes (it was a different era in public education), I was free to read, to work, and to think about the future. After much thought, I decided to run outdoor track my senior year. Without basketball to distract me, I trained alone for about six weeks, just running along the snowy back roads of Amherst. I had a good season, and it was fun. It was also the last season of competitive running I would do for a while.
While my friends opened letters of acceptance or rejection from colleges, I made plans to find an apartment and a job in Boston. Two of my teammates did attend that out-of-state university, perhaps influenced by the assistant coach who tried to recruit me. One of them ran for a single season before quitting the track team. Both got great educations. Another teammate went to UMass, ran a couple of seasons and then stopped running for a couple of decades.
I graduated, moved to Boston, worked for a year, traveled for a few months, and eventually decided to apply to a school with no athletic programs -- no track or cross-country. It would be another five years before I ran a competitive race again.
* * *
These days, when I talk with high school runners, I am struck by how many of them are struggling to define the right place for running in their lives. Running on a team is great, it really is, and it has a lot to offer, but it is not the be-all, end-all of high school life. For seniors especially, the need to think about what comes next after high school can shift the focus of their attention in ways that create mental stress and strain. Some will re-dedicate themselves to having the best senior seasons they possibly can; others will drop out, rather than go through the motions when their heart is no longer in their sport.
As a coach, it can be maddening. We dedicate ourselves every day to helping kids realize the potential that we see in our athletes, and it can drive us crazy when we see immense talent go by the wayside. Every coach can recall with sadness the names of athletes who stopped caring, or never cared, about achieving their best.
But we are wrong when our focus on track and field becomes so single-minded that we fail to see the potential that our athletes have in other areas of their lives, and fail to see their need to explore other interests and activities. I believe it is a coach's responsibility to try to understand why some kids want to drop out, and help them make the best decision, rather than simply dismiss their actions as laziness or lack of commitment to their teams. Do some kids need to learn the value of "sticking with it?" Yes, I have no doubt. But are there other kids for whom sticking with it season after season, year after year is an opportunity missed to grow in other ways?
I feel strongly that the important principle is one of discovery. Running track or not running track, going to college or working at a fast-food restaurant for minimum wage aren't good or bad of themselves, but only in proportion to the process of discovery and lifelong learning that should be our goal for ourselves and those we coach.
I didn't run in college because I urgently needed to discover other things about myself. I returned to running after college, because I found running had much more to teach me.
* * *
So Thoreau spent his two years in a cabin. Then he went back to work. In the end, it wasn't so much the dropping out that we remember and admire, but what he made out of his experience, what he learned, and what he wrote when he was back at his desk trying to make a living.
In his conclusion to Walden, he wrote:
"I left the woods for as good a reason as I went there. Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live, and could not spare any more time for that one. It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves...."
"I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. [...] In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."
December 15, 2008
Turn Back? Oh, Man!
Runners can be stubborn, sure, but for sheer persistence, orienteers are off the charts.
Orienteering isn't a big sport in the U.S.; it's far more popular in Europe. It involves traversing rugged terrain in search of marked checkpoints using a map and compass. The best orienteers are generally good runners, but the converse is not true; the best runners are frequently awful orienteers, probably because their brains never learned to work as quickly as their legs.
Runners like things to be predictable; they like to know how far they've gone, and how far there is left to go. Runners don't like wrong turns. Runners wear Garmins, and log their weekly mileage to the tenth of a mile.
Orienteers like to go off the grid; they amuse themselves by getting lost and then trying to figure out where they are. They know that it doesn't matter how fast you run if you don't know where you're going. They fear nothing.
Runners and orienteers sometimes train together -- long runs on trails or in forests are a happy common interest. But every once in a while, the difference between the two breeds bubbles to the surface.
So it was on a cold Sunday morning when our usual group met for a run on the Minuteman Trail in Lincoln. Our typical long run involves following the trail for about four miles, cutting through a cemetery and some other roads to get to the Great Meadows Wildlife refuge. We do a two-mile loop around the marshes, and then go back the way we came.
That's the plan, and we get to Great Meadows after 5+ miles of running, and see that the trail is underwater. The recent rains have swollen the river and the marsh, and for at least 75 yards, we can see that the water is at least ankle deep, maybe more. But after that, we see that the trail is dry... at least for a while; after that, it curves off into the distance towards the river. After a brief discussion, the five non-orienteers in the group want to go no further, figuring that if it's wet here, it will be wet all around the marsh trail. The orienteer, Andy, thinks that trail will dry out after this little bit of overflow. More discussion, and the five runners decide that one way or the other, we're not interested in running another 6-7 miles back in soaking wet shoes and socks, so we decide to turn back. Andy plunges ahead... literally... splashing off through the frigid water towards that one spot of dry trail, yelling that he'll meet us around the other side.
So we run back and down to where the trail comes out the other side of the marshes. The trail on that side is also under water... not a good sign. We wait for a while, and there's no Andy. Happily for us, there is an observation tower (for viewing the birds, presumably), so we climb it and scan the horizon for signs of our orienteering friend. After a few minutes we see his navy blue windbreaker making very slow progress through what appears to be knee-deep water.
Remember now, the air temperature is about 25 degrees F.
Finally, Andy emerges from his circuit of the marshes, his tights wet to his waist. He still has a big smile on his face as he says simply, "You were right!"
Orienteering isn't a big sport in the U.S.; it's far more popular in Europe. It involves traversing rugged terrain in search of marked checkpoints using a map and compass. The best orienteers are generally good runners, but the converse is not true; the best runners are frequently awful orienteers, probably because their brains never learned to work as quickly as their legs.
Runners like things to be predictable; they like to know how far they've gone, and how far there is left to go. Runners don't like wrong turns. Runners wear Garmins, and log their weekly mileage to the tenth of a mile.
Orienteers like to go off the grid; they amuse themselves by getting lost and then trying to figure out where they are. They know that it doesn't matter how fast you run if you don't know where you're going. They fear nothing.
Runners and orienteers sometimes train together -- long runs on trails or in forests are a happy common interest. But every once in a while, the difference between the two breeds bubbles to the surface.
So it was on a cold Sunday morning when our usual group met for a run on the Minuteman Trail in Lincoln. Our typical long run involves following the trail for about four miles, cutting through a cemetery and some other roads to get to the Great Meadows Wildlife refuge. We do a two-mile loop around the marshes, and then go back the way we came.
That's the plan, and we get to Great Meadows after 5+ miles of running, and see that the trail is underwater. The recent rains have swollen the river and the marsh, and for at least 75 yards, we can see that the water is at least ankle deep, maybe more. But after that, we see that the trail is dry... at least for a while; after that, it curves off into the distance towards the river. After a brief discussion, the five non-orienteers in the group want to go no further, figuring that if it's wet here, it will be wet all around the marsh trail. The orienteer, Andy, thinks that trail will dry out after this little bit of overflow. More discussion, and the five runners decide that one way or the other, we're not interested in running another 6-7 miles back in soaking wet shoes and socks, so we decide to turn back. Andy plunges ahead... literally... splashing off through the frigid water towards that one spot of dry trail, yelling that he'll meet us around the other side.
So we run back and down to where the trail comes out the other side of the marshes. The trail on that side is also under water... not a good sign. We wait for a while, and there's no Andy. Happily for us, there is an observation tower (for viewing the birds, presumably), so we climb it and scan the horizon for signs of our orienteering friend. After a few minutes we see his navy blue windbreaker making very slow progress through what appears to be knee-deep water.
Remember now, the air temperature is about 25 degrees F.
Finally, Andy emerges from his circuit of the marshes, his tights wet to his waist. He still has a big smile on his face as he says simply, "You were right!"
December 14, 2008
Girls Footlocker Finals: The Final Mile
If like me you tried to watch the Webcast of the Footlocker finals, you probably got choppy video for the both races, and weren't able to really appreciate the fantastic finish in the girls race.
It's worth watching (without the choppiness).
To set the scene, with a mile to go, Allie McLaughlin -- who has led from the 400m mark -- has about a ten-second lead over the chase pack, which includes three defending champions. McLaughlin looks as if she has been sprinting the entire race, but the pack lurks...
Here's a link to a great blow-by-blow account of the race from DyeStat:
Footlocker Girls Champipnship Recap
It's worth watching (without the choppiness).
To set the scene, with a mile to go, Allie McLaughlin -- who has led from the 400m mark -- has about a ten-second lead over the chase pack, which includes three defending champions. McLaughlin looks as if she has been sprinting the entire race, but the pack lurks...
Here's a link to a great blow-by-blow account of the race from DyeStat:
Footlocker Girls Champipnship Recap
December 13, 2008
Footlocker Finals Today
Indoor track may have begun, but cross-country lives for one more day, at least, with the Footlocker Finals today in San Diego.
Massachusetts runners Emily Jones and Kristin Kasper compete in the girls championships, while Mike Moverman and Phil Galebach compete in the boys race.
Jones has an outside chance at a top three finish, but she is facing three former FL champions (the first time three former champions have faced each other in a FL final). Any of the other Mass runners would probably be happy to be in the top twenty at the end of the day.
You can watch a live Webcast here:
Footlocker Finals Live Webcast (after 9 a.m. Pacific Time)
Massachusetts runners Emily Jones and Kristin Kasper compete in the girls championships, while Mike Moverman and Phil Galebach compete in the boys race.
Jones has an outside chance at a top three finish, but she is facing three former FL champions (the first time three former champions have faced each other in a FL final). Any of the other Mass runners would probably be happy to be in the top twenty at the end of the day.
You can watch a live Webcast here:
Footlocker Finals Live Webcast (after 9 a.m. Pacific Time)
December 12, 2008
Tigers Sweep Indoor Season Opener
It's late Thursday night, and I'm thinking to myself "Thank god for the Internet and instant access to H.S. track results!" Unable to attend yesterday's season-opening meet at Reggie, I settle in to feed the fine print that will enable me to write about the annual juggernaut that is Newton North track.
But wait a minute, what's this? Emma Kornetsky running 3:05 in the 1000? That's awfully fast for the first meet of the season, especially from a runner who, as far as I know, has never run a race longer than an 800m relay leg. And wait a minute, here's Emma's name in the 600... running for Milton? I know it is strictly forbidden by BSL rule s to double in the 1000-600 during a Bay State meet, even if you transfer schools in the 20 minutes between races. And, where is Carolyn Ranti's name? Not in the mile. Not in the 600. Oh, here we go, in the 300 and... shot put.
Ok, fine, so the Internet is no substitute for being at the meet, and who knows whether anything that I report actually happened. But for the sake having something to write about, let's accept most of these results and see what we can make of them...
Bay State Meet #1 - Results (?)
The Newton North boys and girls indoor track teams both started their seasons with easy wins over their Needham counterparts. The girls won every event, and swept all but three, amassing 81 points to Needham's 5. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that it was Ranti who ran away with the 1000, while Kornetsky won the 600 (1:48). Nora Barnicle and Susannah Gleason (or their stunt doubles) went 1-2 in the mile (5:51 and 5:53).
Sophomore Evelyn Hurwitz won the 300 (47.59) with Meaghan Pursley 3rd and Ranti 4th. Michelle Kaufman won the 55 hurdles in 9.01 (great early season time!) and Emily Den and Amy Ren completed the sweep of that event. Kaufman came back in the 55 dash to win that, too (I thought you couldn't do that anymore, with participation in these meets limited to 1 individual track event, 1 field event, and 1 relay? Obviously I have not been paying attention...do the hurdles count as a field event? If so, the weirdness just keeps growing).
The high jump looks like it might be a good event for North this year, as the trip of Amy Ren (4-10), Emily Hutchinson (4-10), and freshman Lucia Grigoli (4-8) swept the event. In the SP, Bella DiMambro, Kaufman (she's everywhere!), and Ranti swept.
Oh... almost forgot one of the best performances of the meet, as sophomore Margo Gillis ran 11:36 to take 2nd overall behind BSL XC champion Rebecca White (11:28). After White, the next five finishers in the 2M were sophomores. It's a strong class!
The boys fell behind in the first event (1M), as Dan Shields won in 4:51, with Dan Ranti finishing 2nd in 5:06. Needham's advantage didn't last long, however, as Ezra Lichtmann won the 1000 (2:51) with Niel Fulwiler 2nd (2:52).
After taking 2-3 in the 600, NN got a win in the 300 from Ben Kiley, swept the 55 hurdles (Sam Arsenault, 8.20), won the 55 dash (Troy Peterson, 6.94), went 1-2 in the high jump (Arsenault, Kiley - 5-10), and swept the shot put (Charles Ebbs, 40-10).
In the 2-mile, Dan Hamilton was the first overall finisher in 10:22. North's 4x400 relay ran 3:42.49 to beat Needham, but finish 2nd overall to Weymouth. You can be sure that as a result of that narrow defeat, Newton North sprinters will be running a large number of two- and three-lappers in the days to come.
By my count, a dual meet between Weymouth and NN, Weymouth wins the running events, but North comes out on top 46-39 on the strength of the high jump and shot put. The meet against Weymouth is scheduled for 1/22/09, and is the last of the divisional meets. For both the boys and girls, it could very well determine the league champions.
But wait a minute, what's this? Emma Kornetsky running 3:05 in the 1000? That's awfully fast for the first meet of the season, especially from a runner who, as far as I know, has never run a race longer than an 800m relay leg. And wait a minute, here's Emma's name in the 600... running for Milton? I know it is strictly forbidden by BSL rule s to double in the 1000-600 during a Bay State meet, even if you transfer schools in the 20 minutes between races. And, where is Carolyn Ranti's name? Not in the mile. Not in the 600. Oh, here we go, in the 300 and... shot put.
Ok, fine, so the Internet is no substitute for being at the meet, and who knows whether anything that I report actually happened. But for the sake having something to write about, let's accept most of these results and see what we can make of them...
Bay State Meet #1 - Results (?)
The Newton North boys and girls indoor track teams both started their seasons with easy wins over their Needham counterparts. The girls won every event, and swept all but three, amassing 81 points to Needham's 5. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that it was Ranti who ran away with the 1000, while Kornetsky won the 600 (1:48). Nora Barnicle and Susannah Gleason (or their stunt doubles) went 1-2 in the mile (5:51 and 5:53).
Sophomore Evelyn Hurwitz won the 300 (47.59) with Meaghan Pursley 3rd and Ranti 4th. Michelle Kaufman won the 55 hurdles in 9.01 (great early season time!) and Emily Den and Amy Ren completed the sweep of that event. Kaufman came back in the 55 dash to win that, too (I thought you couldn't do that anymore, with participation in these meets limited to 1 individual track event, 1 field event, and 1 relay? Obviously I have not been paying attention...do the hurdles count as a field event? If so, the weirdness just keeps growing).
The high jump looks like it might be a good event for North this year, as the trip of Amy Ren (4-10), Emily Hutchinson (4-10), and freshman Lucia Grigoli (4-8) swept the event. In the SP, Bella DiMambro, Kaufman (she's everywhere!), and Ranti swept.
Oh... almost forgot one of the best performances of the meet, as sophomore Margo Gillis ran 11:36 to take 2nd overall behind BSL XC champion Rebecca White (11:28). After White, the next five finishers in the 2M were sophomores. It's a strong class!
The boys fell behind in the first event (1M), as Dan Shields won in 4:51, with Dan Ranti finishing 2nd in 5:06. Needham's advantage didn't last long, however, as Ezra Lichtmann won the 1000 (2:51) with Niel Fulwiler 2nd (2:52).
After taking 2-3 in the 600, NN got a win in the 300 from Ben Kiley, swept the 55 hurdles (Sam Arsenault, 8.20), won the 55 dash (Troy Peterson, 6.94), went 1-2 in the high jump (Arsenault, Kiley - 5-10), and swept the shot put (Charles Ebbs, 40-10).
In the 2-mile, Dan Hamilton was the first overall finisher in 10:22. North's 4x400 relay ran 3:42.49 to beat Needham, but finish 2nd overall to Weymouth. You can be sure that as a result of that narrow defeat, Newton North sprinters will be running a large number of two- and three-lappers in the days to come.
By my count, a dual meet between Weymouth and NN, Weymouth wins the running events, but North comes out on top 46-39 on the strength of the high jump and shot put. The meet against Weymouth is scheduled for 1/22/09, and is the last of the divisional meets. For both the boys and girls, it could very well determine the league champions.
December 11, 2008
Bay State Indoor Meets Begin Today, 12/11
The 2008-2009 indoor track season kicks off today for the Bay State League, with the first league meet at Reggie Lewis. Newton competes against Needham, with the complete slate of meets looking like this:
Dedham vs Norwood
Milton vs Natick
Walpole vs Wellesley
Braintree vs Weymouth
Brookline vs Framingham
Needham vs Newton North
For the distance runners who competed up to and including the state meet (and this is only my opinion, sure to be mocked), it's too early to be jumping into races when a longer period of recovery and "winter base" would be better. But for everyone else -- the sprinters, jumpers, and throwers -- I'm pretty sure the feeling is unbridled excitement about competing again.
It's a shame the BSL still hasn't figured out that they should score the long jump.
Dedham vs Norwood
Milton vs Natick
Walpole vs Wellesley
Braintree vs Weymouth
Brookline vs Framingham
Needham vs Newton North
For the distance runners who competed up to and including the state meet (and this is only my opinion, sure to be mocked), it's too early to be jumping into races when a longer period of recovery and "winter base" would be better. But for everyone else -- the sprinters, jumpers, and throwers -- I'm pretty sure the feeling is unbridled excitement about competing again.
It's a shame the BSL still hasn't figured out that they should score the long jump.
December 08, 2008
NNHS Alumni Results - Husky Winter Carnival
On Saturday, local collegiate and open competition moved indoors with the Husky Winter Carnival at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury. Several generations of NNHS alumni were represented in the results.
Starting with the field events (for once), Bentley freshman Steve Long put the shot 13.11m (43-00.25) to place 14th in his first collegiate meet.
In the mile, Seb Putzeys ran 4:26.05 to place 11th. After a full season of XC running 8Ks, do you think Seb is looking forward to the shorter races indoors?
Dave Cahill (Greater Boston TC) jumped into the 500 and placed 9th in 1:07.30.
In the women's 3000m, Jess Barton placed 3rd in 10:18.21.
But to me, the most significant result of the day was to see that Harvard won the 4x400 relay in 3:19.30, with senior Jon Wofsy running anchor. While at Newton North, Wofsy was one of the most exciting, most reliable anchors the school ever had. At Harvard, he has had to deal with various injuries, including a stress fracture of the femur. It is great to see him running well, and we wish him good health and the best of luck this season.
Husky Winter Carnival Results
Starting with the field events (for once), Bentley freshman Steve Long put the shot 13.11m (43-00.25) to place 14th in his first collegiate meet.
In the mile, Seb Putzeys ran 4:26.05 to place 11th. After a full season of XC running 8Ks, do you think Seb is looking forward to the shorter races indoors?
Dave Cahill (Greater Boston TC) jumped into the 500 and placed 9th in 1:07.30.
In the women's 3000m, Jess Barton placed 3rd in 10:18.21.
But to me, the most significant result of the day was to see that Harvard won the 4x400 relay in 3:19.30, with senior Jon Wofsy running anchor. While at Newton North, Wofsy was one of the most exciting, most reliable anchors the school ever had. At Harvard, he has had to deal with various injuries, including a stress fracture of the femur. It is great to see him running well, and we wish him good health and the best of luck this season.
Husky Winter Carnival Results
November 30, 2008
Mass. Girls Rock Regionals!
Emily Jones winning the Footlocker NE Regional (Photo: John Dye)
Saturday was a mighty impressive all-around day for Massachusetts H.S. girls' cross-country. Maybe Josh will point me to a day of better performances from decades past, but yesterday has to rank up there with the best of them.
In the Bronx, Bromfield's Emily Jones won the Footlocker Northeast Regional race, with Kristin Kasper also qualifying for the finals in San Diego. Last year Jones finished 2nd in 17:41. This year, she broke away from the pack at 2 miles and finished in 17:31, the fastest winning time in the Girls seeded race in ten years. Jones' VCP PR got her the win by seven seconds, and earned her a third trip to the finals.
Kasper, a three-time Mass. All-State Division I champion, ran 18:10 to finish 7th, an improvement of six seconds and five places over her 12th-place finish from 2007.
DyeStat Coverage of the Footlocker NE Regional
Meanwhile, in Wappinger falls, Kelsey Karys won the Nike XC Nationals Northeast region qualifier, and Lincoln-Sudbury overcame an 11-point deficit to Newton South at 2.5K to come back and win the team competition for the second year in a row. Newton South finished 2nd to earn the other automatic qualifying bid to Portland for the national championship. With Phillips Andover taking fourth, three of the top four teams were from Massachusetts.
At halfway, Karys was in a pack of five at the front of the race. She then ran the second half of the race 10 seconds faster than the first half to pull away to a 5-second win in 18:45.7. Newton South placed four runners in the top 15, but their fifth was well back in 47th. Lincoln-Sudbury, running as the Mercury TC, was led by Ellie Hylton in 6th (19:16.3) and placed all of their top five in the top 20 finishers.
NXN Northeast Regional Results
Just so the boys don't feel too left out, I should mention that Massachusetts had two boys qualifiers at the Footlocker race, as All-State D2 Champion Mike Moverman (Oliver Ames) and EMass D1 champion Phil Galebach (Medford) finished 6th and 7th (15:48 and 15:49, respectively).
Galebach recovered from a sub-par race at the All-State meet, and probably used all that training in the Middlesex Fells to good advantage on the back hills of the VCP course.
At NXN Regionals, Mansfield (without Shayne Collins) and Amherst represented Massachusetts, finishing 11th and 14th, respectively.
November 29, 2008
Chebot Family Results
Dan Chebot writes:
"All five of us ran the Boston Volvo 5k for MS [on Thanksgiving Day]. I got 5th in 15:56... Ben got 9th in 17:22, Jesse got 31st in 19:10, my dad got 131st in 24:02 and my mom finished 396th in 28:22. It was a lot of fun for all of us and hopefully my parents are now hooked."
Dan's fifth place came against stiff competition (there are no easy races on Thanksgiving!), and he was only 16 seconds behind the winner. Ben won his age group. It's amazing that Jesse ran just over 19 minutes, since most of his training is probably on the bike. As for Alan and Terri -- I'm delighted to be able to post the results from their first (?) road race. The Chebots have always been great supporters of this blog and Newton North track and XC. Congratulations on your run, and on fielding a complete five-person team!
(And let me know when you want to start those track workouts...)
"All five of us ran the Boston Volvo 5k for MS [on Thanksgiving Day]. I got 5th in 15:56... Ben got 9th in 17:22, Jesse got 31st in 19:10, my dad got 131st in 24:02 and my mom finished 396th in 28:22. It was a lot of fun for all of us and hopefully my parents are now hooked."
Dan's fifth place came against stiff competition (there are no easy races on Thanksgiving!), and he was only 16 seconds behind the winner. Ben won his age group. It's amazing that Jesse ran just over 19 minutes, since most of his training is probably on the bike. As for Alan and Terri -- I'm delighted to be able to post the results from their first (?) road race. The Chebots have always been great supporters of this blog and Newton North track and XC. Congratulations on your run, and on fielding a complete five-person team!
(And let me know when you want to start those track workouts...)
Footlocker, NXN Regionals Today
Experiencing cross-country withdrawal symptoms since the Mass. State Meet? Not ready for Indoor Track yet? If you to stay outdoors for two more weeks, the XC season continues today with two big post-season events.
Van Cortland Park in the Bronx hosts the Footlocker Northeast Regional meet. There are events for freshmen, sophomore, juniors, and seniors who want a chance to run the famed 5K course, and boys and girls championship races for those who want to qualify for the Footlocker National meet to be held December 13 in San Diego.
There will be dozens of runners from Massachusetts competing at VCP for a ticket to San Diego, including many of the top runners in the state:
Omar Aden and Ahmed Ali (Charlestown)
Brendon Aylaian and Coby Horowitz (Nashoba)
Jeff Bush (Wetborough)
Phil Galebach (Medford)
Johnny Gregorek (Seekonk)
Mike Moverman (Oliver Ames)
Zack Pietras (Ludlow)
Abbey D'Agostino (Masconomet)
Jenna Davidner (Oliver Ames)
Emily Jones (Bromfield)
Kristin Kasper (North Andover)
Emily Lanois (Hamilton-Wenham)
Camille Murphy (Framingham)
The Bay State league will be represented by Murphy (above), many of the top Wellesley boys, most of the Milton girls, Jake Newfield (Needham), and others.
Footlocker's home page is here: www.footlockercc.com
Meanwhile, the Northeast Regional Qualifier for the Nike XC Team Nationals (NXN) will take place at Bowdoin Park in Wappinger Falls, NY today. Mass State Div I champs Newton South (girls) and Mansfield (boys) will compete, along with last year's girls regional champions, Lincoln-Sudbury. Newton South and Lincoln-Sudbury are ranked 1-2 among girls teams in the Northeast Region.
Two other girls teams are ranked in the top ten for the region: Hamilton-Wenham (but will the Lanois sisters be running at Footlocker or at NTN Regionals?) and Philips Andover, winners of the New England Prep School Div I Championships.
Here's the NXN web site: www.runnerspace.com/nxn
Van Cortland Park in the Bronx hosts the Footlocker Northeast Regional meet. There are events for freshmen, sophomore, juniors, and seniors who want a chance to run the famed 5K course, and boys and girls championship races for those who want to qualify for the Footlocker National meet to be held December 13 in San Diego.
There will be dozens of runners from Massachusetts competing at VCP for a ticket to San Diego, including many of the top runners in the state:
Omar Aden and Ahmed Ali (Charlestown)
Brendon Aylaian and Coby Horowitz (Nashoba)
Jeff Bush (Wetborough)
Phil Galebach (Medford)
Johnny Gregorek (Seekonk)
Mike Moverman (Oliver Ames)
Zack Pietras (Ludlow)
Abbey D'Agostino (Masconomet)
Jenna Davidner (Oliver Ames)
Emily Jones (Bromfield)
Kristin Kasper (North Andover)
Emily Lanois (Hamilton-Wenham)
Camille Murphy (Framingham)
The Bay State league will be represented by Murphy (above), many of the top Wellesley boys, most of the Milton girls, Jake Newfield (Needham), and others.
Footlocker's home page is here: www.footlockercc.com
Meanwhile, the Northeast Regional Qualifier for the Nike XC Team Nationals (NXN) will take place at Bowdoin Park in Wappinger Falls, NY today. Mass State Div I champs Newton South (girls) and Mansfield (boys) will compete, along with last year's girls regional champions, Lincoln-Sudbury. Newton South and Lincoln-Sudbury are ranked 1-2 among girls teams in the Northeast Region.
Two other girls teams are ranked in the top ten for the region: Hamilton-Wenham (but will the Lanois sisters be running at Footlocker or at NTN Regionals?) and Philips Andover, winners of the New England Prep School Div I Championships.
Here's the NXN web site: www.runnerspace.com/nxn
November 28, 2008
Turkey Trotting
I was trying to remember yesterday whether I've EVER run a race on Thanksgiving Day. It seems hard to believe that I haven't, since there are so many races to choose from, but there it is. Scanning the results of local turkey trots, it seems I was one of the only runners in New England who didn't race yesterday.
In Somerville, MA, the "Gobble Gobble Gobble 4M" attracted over 2000 participants. Five runners broke 5:00 pace, and 51 runners broke 6:00 pace. Yikes! That's some sauce for the bird right there.
Among the trotteratti were local club runners, current and former high school stars, travelers in town for the holiday, and of course hundreds (thousands?) of recreational runners out to burn a few calories in preparation for a big meal later on in the day. NNHS alumnus John Blouin ran 22:37 (5:42 pace) and only finished 30th. Former Brookline star George McArdle, now 25, ran 21:43.
There were races all around the area, and many of them gave hometown heroes a chance to win on home turf. In Braintree, Chris O'Day won the annual Braintree Boosters 5K in 17:05 over a field of 440 runners. In Weymouth, Mark Jordan won the Dreamcatcher 2M race by nearly a minute and a half (10:23) over Newton's Justin and Chris Keefe. The 2M? Why not suck it up and run the 5M?
There were 700 in that Weymouth 5M. There were another 900 people racing next door in Hingham. In Stow, L-S star Jake Shoemaker won a 5K over Nashoba star Coby Horwitz and 550 other fellow trotters.
And on it goes. So many races, so many runners.
I guess like the holiday itself, the tradition of the Turkey Trot itself is all about getting together across generations. People tend to run the same T-Day race year after year, and would no sooner change that routine than change the way they make stuffing or mashed potatoes.
In Somerville, MA, the "Gobble Gobble Gobble 4M" attracted over 2000 participants. Five runners broke 5:00 pace, and 51 runners broke 6:00 pace. Yikes! That's some sauce for the bird right there.
Among the trotteratti were local club runners, current and former high school stars, travelers in town for the holiday, and of course hundreds (thousands?) of recreational runners out to burn a few calories in preparation for a big meal later on in the day. NNHS alumnus John Blouin ran 22:37 (5:42 pace) and only finished 30th. Former Brookline star George McArdle, now 25, ran 21:43.
There were races all around the area, and many of them gave hometown heroes a chance to win on home turf. In Braintree, Chris O'Day won the annual Braintree Boosters 5K in 17:05 over a field of 440 runners. In Weymouth, Mark Jordan won the Dreamcatcher 2M race by nearly a minute and a half (10:23) over Newton's Justin and Chris Keefe. The 2M? Why not suck it up and run the 5M?
There were 700 in that Weymouth 5M. There were another 900 people racing next door in Hingham. In Stow, L-S star Jake Shoemaker won a 5K over Nashoba star Coby Horwitz and 550 other fellow trotters.
And on it goes. So many races, so many runners.
I guess like the holiday itself, the tradition of the Turkey Trot itself is all about getting together across generations. People tend to run the same T-Day race year after year, and would no sooner change that routine than change the way they make stuffing or mashed potatoes.
November 27, 2008
Taking Things in Stride
It's Thanksgiving, the day of Turkey Trots and big meals, of journeys to relatives, of worrying about the weather and bracing for the onslaught of Christmas. I know I should be helping to dice the onions, but instead I'll take this moment to wish everyone a safe and healthy Thanksgiving day. Remember to help clean up after the meal, and don't argue politics at the table.
I received a very nice Thanksgiving Day note from Dr. Robert Chasen this morning. Many NSRP alumni know "Dr. Bob" and his son Ben from their journeys up to Newton from Weymouth last summer. Dr. Bob is a podiatrist, a runner with a marathon-long list of accomplishments and honors, and an occasional columnist for New England Runner. He's also a blogger, sharing technical articles on various topics interesting to athletes, as well as more personal subjects.
His blog is called "Taking Things in Stride," and you can read it for yourself at
takingthingsinstride.blogspot.com. His most recent post is an essay on the Achilles tendon, its structure and function, as well as a survey of the many causes of Achilles tendonosis (far more common than the misnomer, Achilles tendonitis).
I recommend Dr. Bob's blog, and also Dr. Bob's medical wisdom. He knows runners and running injuries like few medical professionals. He treated me for my mysterious injury this summer and his insightful diagnosis and recommendations were extremely important in getting me back on the road to health.
I received a very nice Thanksgiving Day note from Dr. Robert Chasen this morning. Many NSRP alumni know "Dr. Bob" and his son Ben from their journeys up to Newton from Weymouth last summer. Dr. Bob is a podiatrist, a runner with a marathon-long list of accomplishments and honors, and an occasional columnist for New England Runner. He's also a blogger, sharing technical articles on various topics interesting to athletes, as well as more personal subjects.
His blog is called "Taking Things in Stride," and you can read it for yourself at
takingthingsinstride.blogspot.com. His most recent post is an essay on the Achilles tendon, its structure and function, as well as a survey of the many causes of Achilles tendonosis (far more common than the misnomer, Achilles tendonitis).
I recommend Dr. Bob's blog, and also Dr. Bob's medical wisdom. He knows runners and running injuries like few medical professionals. He treated me for my mysterious injury this summer and his insightful diagnosis and recommendations were extremely important in getting me back on the road to health.
November 25, 2008
Watching the NCAA Championships (from the comfort of home)
What a world we live in! To think we now have live webcasting of the NCAA Div I Cross-Country Championships from Terre Haute, Indiana, with on-the-course updates of the score every kilometer or so. Very impressive, and a sure way to make the sport more popular, right?
Well, I'm sorry to be a wet blanket, but the web coverage convinced me that for the time being the mass appeal of cross-country will continue to be limited. I mean, I loved being able to watch the race, not just read the results. But I can't imagine anyone but a die-hard finding the coverage compelling, and here's why:
1. Those commentators
There must be some FCC requirement that commentators for running events have to be either former athletes incapable of making their own sport interesting or broadcasters borrowed from another sport who lack any real knowledge about running. How else to explain the universally poor commentary?
The only exception that comes to mind is Toni Reavis, but he can't be everywhere, can he?
Yesterday, the commentators made a huge big deal out of Rupp tripping on Chelanga's heels when Chelanga slowed down. It seemed totally out of proportion to the significance of the contact, but it just showed that they didn't know what else to talk about. Then they kept talking about how this year's race was just like last year's (when Rupp lost in a final sprint to Josh McDougal), but it sure seemed to me like a completely different race: last year, you had the sense that Rupp and McDougal were at the end of their endurance, and the final sprint was about survival, not speed. This year, Rupp never looked troubled -- not once, and you knew that the winner would be the one who could pull out the can of whip-ass and lay down a 60-second final 400.
The other night, I found myself watching a bunch of old videos of Steve Ovett's races on YouTube. The British announcers are so good -- so excited, but also so knowledgeable. They actually know all the competitors, and have a sense about how each one of them races. When someone is trapped on the inside lane, they react with urgency, if not panic. Why aren't there are announcers like that in the U.S.? Why do we settle for so much less?
2. No One Really Knows What's Going On in the Team Race
Although there are 252 runners in the race, and the team title is probably being decided somewhere between places 25 and 75, all the coverage focuses on the top few runners. Yesterday, virtually all the coverage was on the cat-and-mouse game between Rupp and Chelanga. And even then, I felt they failed to point out the obvious -- that Rupp was coasting, waiting to make one big move.
But perhaps that's hindsight. But anyway, regardless of the race at the front, it's nearly impossible to know what's happening in those critical team places in the middle/front of the pack. Maybe if you had spotters assigned to each team? But those spotters would have to have some idea about what to look for; they would have to know each of the runners. Maybe they could enlist the alternates from each team to provide live updates?
For example, it appears from the split times and final results that Matt Centrowitz (Oregon's fourth runner) passed 7 runners in the final 2K, and that Diego Mercado (Oregon's 5th) passed 11 runners. Andrew Wheating (Oregon's 7th, and an Olympian at 800m) used his closing speed to pass 20 runners in the last 2K!
3. It's hard to broadcast weather
The event becomes more interesting when you really get a sense that the athletes are contending not only with each other but with the conditions. Somehow, the broadcast has to get across the damp, the cold, the mud of the race so that we can experience the triumph over the elements.
Football does a pretty good job at this. They somehow have learned over the years how to frame the long-distance shots that show the snow falling, the rain pelting down, the crowd in parkas...
4. Commercials
I guess you have to have commercials to pay for the coverage. Actually, the commercials weren't too bad, but if the commentary had been better, the commercials would have killed the buil-up and suspense. I think it was lucky that Rupp chose to run a race that concentrated all the drama in the first 1.5M and the last 400m.
Well, so it was great to have the webcast, but it still left me kind of grumpy.
I'm sure some will disagree. Did you watch the webcast? What did you think? Do you think Noah Jampol could do a better job calling the race?
Well, I'm sorry to be a wet blanket, but the web coverage convinced me that for the time being the mass appeal of cross-country will continue to be limited. I mean, I loved being able to watch the race, not just read the results. But I can't imagine anyone but a die-hard finding the coverage compelling, and here's why:
1. Those commentators
There must be some FCC requirement that commentators for running events have to be either former athletes incapable of making their own sport interesting or broadcasters borrowed from another sport who lack any real knowledge about running. How else to explain the universally poor commentary?
The only exception that comes to mind is Toni Reavis, but he can't be everywhere, can he?
Yesterday, the commentators made a huge big deal out of Rupp tripping on Chelanga's heels when Chelanga slowed down. It seemed totally out of proportion to the significance of the contact, but it just showed that they didn't know what else to talk about. Then they kept talking about how this year's race was just like last year's (when Rupp lost in a final sprint to Josh McDougal), but it sure seemed to me like a completely different race: last year, you had the sense that Rupp and McDougal were at the end of their endurance, and the final sprint was about survival, not speed. This year, Rupp never looked troubled -- not once, and you knew that the winner would be the one who could pull out the can of whip-ass and lay down a 60-second final 400.
The other night, I found myself watching a bunch of old videos of Steve Ovett's races on YouTube. The British announcers are so good -- so excited, but also so knowledgeable. They actually know all the competitors, and have a sense about how each one of them races. When someone is trapped on the inside lane, they react with urgency, if not panic. Why aren't there are announcers like that in the U.S.? Why do we settle for so much less?
2. No One Really Knows What's Going On in the Team Race
Although there are 252 runners in the race, and the team title is probably being decided somewhere between places 25 and 75, all the coverage focuses on the top few runners. Yesterday, virtually all the coverage was on the cat-and-mouse game between Rupp and Chelanga. And even then, I felt they failed to point out the obvious -- that Rupp was coasting, waiting to make one big move.
But perhaps that's hindsight. But anyway, regardless of the race at the front, it's nearly impossible to know what's happening in those critical team places in the middle/front of the pack. Maybe if you had spotters assigned to each team? But those spotters would have to have some idea about what to look for; they would have to know each of the runners. Maybe they could enlist the alternates from each team to provide live updates?
For example, it appears from the split times and final results that Matt Centrowitz (Oregon's fourth runner) passed 7 runners in the final 2K, and that Diego Mercado (Oregon's 5th) passed 11 runners. Andrew Wheating (Oregon's 7th, and an Olympian at 800m) used his closing speed to pass 20 runners in the last 2K!
3. It's hard to broadcast weather
The event becomes more interesting when you really get a sense that the athletes are contending not only with each other but with the conditions. Somehow, the broadcast has to get across the damp, the cold, the mud of the race so that we can experience the triumph over the elements.
Football does a pretty good job at this. They somehow have learned over the years how to frame the long-distance shots that show the snow falling, the rain pelting down, the crowd in parkas...
4. Commercials
I guess you have to have commercials to pay for the coverage. Actually, the commercials weren't too bad, but if the commentary had been better, the commercials would have killed the buil-up and suspense. I think it was lucky that Rupp chose to run a race that concentrated all the drama in the first 1.5M and the last 400m.
Well, so it was great to have the webcast, but it still left me kind of grumpy.
I'm sure some will disagree. Did you watch the webcast? What did you think? Do you think Noah Jampol could do a better job calling the race?
November 23, 2008
Wellesley Alums Shine at D3 Nats
Two Wellesley HS alumni had standout races at the D3 National XC Championships held at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana on Saturday.
Middlebury senior Alexandra Krieg (Wellesley '05) finished 6th in the women's 6K to lead Middlebury College to the Women's Team title. Krieg, in 15th place at 1.5 miles, moved up to 6th by 5K (17:44) and held that position to the finish, crossing the line in 21:14.
In the same race, Haverford freshman Emily Lipman (Needham '08) finished 87th in 22:22.
In the Men's 8K, Emory University junior Charlie Meade (Wellesley '06) finished 18th overall, running 24:49.
Also in the men's race were two pillars of this summer's NSRP: Brandeis sophomore Paul Norton (Amherst '07) ran 25:02 to finish 39th, and Trinity freshman Mike Burnstein (Brookline '08) capped a stellar first fall of college XC by finishing 92nd with a time of 25:35. Congrats, Mike!
Middlebury senior Alexandra Krieg (Wellesley '05) finished 6th in the women's 6K to lead Middlebury College to the Women's Team title. Krieg, in 15th place at 1.5 miles, moved up to 6th by 5K (17:44) and held that position to the finish, crossing the line in 21:14.
In the same race, Haverford freshman Emily Lipman (Needham '08) finished 87th in 22:22.
In the Men's 8K, Emory University junior Charlie Meade (Wellesley '06) finished 18th overall, running 24:49.
Also in the men's race were two pillars of this summer's NSRP: Brandeis sophomore Paul Norton (Amherst '07) ran 25:02 to finish 39th, and Trinity freshman Mike Burnstein (Brookline '08) capped a stellar first fall of college XC by finishing 92nd with a time of 25:35. Congrats, Mike!
November 21, 2008
Sanca, UML Race Saturday at NCAA D2's
One of my favorite images of Ruben Sanca is how, four years ago, he ran away with the Boys D2 race at the 2004 EMass Championships. It had snowed several inches overnight and Franklin Park was a winter wonderland. In spite of the cold and snow (which continued to fall), Ruben wore only the white uniform of O'Bryant H.S., disdaining multiple layers underneath his singlet. Sanca took the lead after a half mile, and it grew steadily. He won the race by 15 seconds, but it seemed like a lot more.
Tomorrow, Saturday Nov 22, Sanca will compete for UMass Lowell at the NCAA Division II Championships at Slippery Rock University in Western Pennsylvania. UML and Stonehill College went 1-2 at the Northeast Regional two weeks ago, and Sanca won the regional race by 30 seconds. Both teams will compete again at Nationals.
Sanca has been having a great season, also winning the Northeast 10 Conference Championship earlier in the season and finishing 2nd (by one second) at the New England Collegiate Championships. Of Sanca's finish at the regional meet, UML coach Gary Gardner commented,
"Ruben dominated the field... He is on a different level than he has ever been. He is a completely different athlete. He ran great."
The UML and Stonehill teams include many familiar names to Mass HS XC fans, including:
UML:
Angus MacDonald (Central Catholic)
Jack Kilcommons (Archbishop Williams)
Rex Radloff (Dedham)
Carlos Montrond (Brockton)
Stonehill:
Matt Meagher (Mansfield)
Kevin Gill (Brockton)
Josh Andrews (Chelmsford)
The forecast for tomorrow in Western Pennsylvania is temperatures in the high 20's. Will it help Sanca and the other tough New Englanders?
November 20, 2008
Ryan Hall to Run Boston
On Tuesday, the Boston Athletic Association announced that 2008 Olympic Trials winner and 2:06 marathoner Ryan Hall will run in the 2009 Boston Marathon.
TOP AMERICAN RYAN HALL TO RUN 2009 BOSTON MARATHON
Hall is the fastest American ever, and finished 10th in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He is also considered one of a very few Americans with a realistic chance of winning a major marathon against the top runners in the world.
The last American to win Boston was Greg Meyer in 1983, and that was before the race offered prize money. Since then, the closes any American has come to the top spot was in 2006, when Meb Keflezighi finished third, and Brian Sell and Alan Culpepper took fourth and fifth.
It will be interesting to see how Hall does. I wonder if he will make any trips east from his training base in Mammoth Lakes, CA to practice on the Boston course?
TOP AMERICAN RYAN HALL TO RUN 2009 BOSTON MARATHON
Hall is the fastest American ever, and finished 10th in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He is also considered one of a very few Americans with a realistic chance of winning a major marathon against the top runners in the world.
The last American to win Boston was Greg Meyer in 1983, and that was before the race offered prize money. Since then, the closes any American has come to the top spot was in 2006, when Meb Keflezighi finished third, and Brian Sell and Alan Culpepper took fourth and fifth.
It will be interesting to see how Hall does. I wonder if he will make any trips east from his training base in Mammoth Lakes, CA to practice on the Boston course?
November 19, 2008
Why Are We Still Out Here?
Tuesday night, November 18 -- I pull in to the parking lot outside Harvard Stadium at 6:15, a little later than I had planned, and I worry that Terry and Tom will already have started their workout. As I get out of the car, I can't help but notice athletes in shorts and t-shirts warming up within the Gordon Track facility, taking easy laps around its friendly banked turns. Not for me the indoor track tonight.
Terry promised that this workout -- the last outdoor track workout of the year -- would make us look forward to going inside. He wasn't kidding. As I jog out beyond the stadium to the outdoor track, the temperature is in the low 30's and there is a stiff wind blowing in from the Northwest.
The lights at the track have long been shut off, and it's very dark. In fact, it's hard to see more than 30 feet in front of me, and I don't catch sight of Tom, Terry, and Anneliese until they are almost past me. Good news, though -- they have only just arrived and are a lap into their warm up. I join them in ghostly circuits around the outside lanes of the track.
Tonight, the word "warm up" is a relative term. Although I am wearing hat, gloves, three layers of shirt, and running pants, two miles of running and there is no hint of a sweat. My hands are beginning to ache, and I have decided to keep on all my clothing when we start the intervals.
Tonight's workout will be a mix of 800's, 1000's and a few shorter pieces at the end. By tradition, we finish our warm up with four strides. The strides down the backstretch (with the wind behind us) feel easy. The strides up the homestretch (into the wind) are a shambles. The arms work to maintain form, but the wind just beats us into submission.
It's far too dark to see our watches, so we run the entire workout based on perceived effort. Everything is slow. On a normal night, we would feel better after the first interval, but tonight it all just feels the same. Even our short jogs between intervals lack definition. This is the kind of workout that probably doesn't do much of anything for our training. It's not fast enough to prepare us for indoor track races to come. It's just one more Tuesday night on the track.
We joke that we're out here for the social life. Indeed, the only warmth available now is the glow of shared purpose and the tiny bit of satisfaction in knowing that we're not afraid to feel a little discomfort. Oh sure, we could run with a larger group, but there is something very intimate about being among the last ones out here. It's a little bit like what happens when the party's been over for hours, but there are a few people left sitting around talking. Earlier in the fall there were a number of groups working out on the track, but now in late November almost everyone has gone inside or found another pastime to occupy their week nights. We'll do the same in a couple of weeks, but tradition of "the last outdoor workout" requires that we wait until its obvious even to us that there's nothing more to be gained from defying winter.
After the workout, we jog another couple of miles out to the river and back. Anneliese is jogging back to MIT, so we head in that direction with the wind at our back. We talk about the best strategies for running with and into the wind, trying to understand the physics of it. After a mile, Terry and I turn around and get a blast of cold air in our faces. Terry says, "No one ever beats the wind; the best you can do is try not to get beaten too badly." In my near-frozen state, this sounds like pure genius.
Terry was right about another thing. after tonight, I'm ready to head inside for my next track workout. It will be nice to warm up, to feel my hands, to shed layers, to run fast, to sweat.
But I'll miss the social life.
Terry promised that this workout -- the last outdoor track workout of the year -- would make us look forward to going inside. He wasn't kidding. As I jog out beyond the stadium to the outdoor track, the temperature is in the low 30's and there is a stiff wind blowing in from the Northwest.
The lights at the track have long been shut off, and it's very dark. In fact, it's hard to see more than 30 feet in front of me, and I don't catch sight of Tom, Terry, and Anneliese until they are almost past me. Good news, though -- they have only just arrived and are a lap into their warm up. I join them in ghostly circuits around the outside lanes of the track.
Tonight, the word "warm up" is a relative term. Although I am wearing hat, gloves, three layers of shirt, and running pants, two miles of running and there is no hint of a sweat. My hands are beginning to ache, and I have decided to keep on all my clothing when we start the intervals.
Tonight's workout will be a mix of 800's, 1000's and a few shorter pieces at the end. By tradition, we finish our warm up with four strides. The strides down the backstretch (with the wind behind us) feel easy. The strides up the homestretch (into the wind) are a shambles. The arms work to maintain form, but the wind just beats us into submission.
It's far too dark to see our watches, so we run the entire workout based on perceived effort. Everything is slow. On a normal night, we would feel better after the first interval, but tonight it all just feels the same. Even our short jogs between intervals lack definition. This is the kind of workout that probably doesn't do much of anything for our training. It's not fast enough to prepare us for indoor track races to come. It's just one more Tuesday night on the track.
We joke that we're out here for the social life. Indeed, the only warmth available now is the glow of shared purpose and the tiny bit of satisfaction in knowing that we're not afraid to feel a little discomfort. Oh sure, we could run with a larger group, but there is something very intimate about being among the last ones out here. It's a little bit like what happens when the party's been over for hours, but there are a few people left sitting around talking. Earlier in the fall there were a number of groups working out on the track, but now in late November almost everyone has gone inside or found another pastime to occupy their week nights. We'll do the same in a couple of weeks, but tradition of "the last outdoor workout" requires that we wait until its obvious even to us that there's nothing more to be gained from defying winter.
After the workout, we jog another couple of miles out to the river and back. Anneliese is jogging back to MIT, so we head in that direction with the wind at our back. We talk about the best strategies for running with and into the wind, trying to understand the physics of it. After a mile, Terry and I turn around and get a blast of cold air in our faces. Terry says, "No one ever beats the wind; the best you can do is try not to get beaten too badly." In my near-frozen state, this sounds like pure genius.
Terry was right about another thing. after tonight, I'm ready to head inside for my next track workout. It will be nice to warm up, to feel my hands, to shed layers, to run fast, to sweat.
But I'll miss the social life.
November 17, 2008
NNHS Alumni Results - NCAA 2008 Regionals
Some noteworthy NNHS (and other) results from the NCAA Regionals this past weekend:
The D1 North East Regionals were held at Van Cortland Park in the Bronx on Saturday. Boston University finished 20th, with two Bay State runners in the top five. Elliot Lehane (Brookline '08) ran 34:22 for the brutal 10K course, finishing 91st overall. David Polgar (NNHS '06) ran 35:13 to finish 126th.
In the women's 6K, Boston College junior Brielle Chabot (Wellesley '06) finished 71st in 23:10. Northeastern sophomore transfer Jess Barton (NNHS '07) finished 107th in 23:46.
The D3 New England Regional was held at Williams College on Saturday, and featured several local runners. In the women's 6K, Alexandra Krieg (Wellesley '05) finished 3rd, running 22:34, and leading Middlebury to the victory. Tufts freshman Anya Price (Natick '08) finished 40th in 24:06. Wesleyan senior Anna Schindler (NNHS '05) finished 81st in 24:59.
In the men's race, Trinity freshman Mike Burnstein (Brookline '08) finished 13th overall, running 26:35. Bates junior Doug Brecher (NNHS '06) finished 36th in 27:09. Westfield State's Philip Gingras (Walpole '05) finished 98th in 28:23. Tufts sophomore Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot (Brookline '07) finished 120th in 28:36. UMass Boston's Ryan Norton (Walpole '05) and Craig Myers (Weymouth '08) finished in 33:09 and 34:46, respectively.
In the D3 Atlantic Regional held at St. Lawrence University, Rochester senior Dan Chebot (NNHS '05) finished 74th in 27:36.
My apologies if I missed anyone.
The D1 North East Regionals were held at Van Cortland Park in the Bronx on Saturday. Boston University finished 20th, with two Bay State runners in the top five. Elliot Lehane (Brookline '08) ran 34:22 for the brutal 10K course, finishing 91st overall. David Polgar (NNHS '06) ran 35:13 to finish 126th.
In the women's 6K, Boston College junior Brielle Chabot (Wellesley '06) finished 71st in 23:10. Northeastern sophomore transfer Jess Barton (NNHS '07) finished 107th in 23:46.
The D3 New England Regional was held at Williams College on Saturday, and featured several local runners. In the women's 6K, Alexandra Krieg (Wellesley '05) finished 3rd, running 22:34, and leading Middlebury to the victory. Tufts freshman Anya Price (Natick '08) finished 40th in 24:06. Wesleyan senior Anna Schindler (NNHS '05) finished 81st in 24:59.
In the men's race, Trinity freshman Mike Burnstein (Brookline '08) finished 13th overall, running 26:35. Bates junior Doug Brecher (NNHS '06) finished 36th in 27:09. Westfield State's Philip Gingras (Walpole '05) finished 98th in 28:23. Tufts sophomore Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot (Brookline '07) finished 120th in 28:36. UMass Boston's Ryan Norton (Walpole '05) and Craig Myers (Weymouth '08) finished in 33:09 and 34:46, respectively.
In the D3 Atlantic Regional held at St. Lawrence University, Rochester senior Dan Chebot (NNHS '05) finished 74th in 27:36.
My apologies if I missed anyone.
November 16, 2008
2008 State Meet (Boys): Mansfield's Park
Why are these runners smiling? (They're about to win go 1-2 at the state meet). Brookline's Brendan Grove (left) has no idea that in a few moments, Medford's Phil Galebach (right) is going to clip Grove's heel, depriving the Brookline runner of his left shoe. (Photo: Henry Finch)
One of my favorite scenes in the movie Chariots of Fire is the Sunday-morning montage of Eric Liddell speaking to a congregation while the Olympics are going on in the stadium far away. Liddell's sermon is interleaved with scenes of Aubrey Montague competing in the steeplechase in the rain. We see Montague struggle, falter, and fall, only to stagger on, his legs caked with mud from the wet track. He finishes the race, and slumps on a bench with his head in his hands, badly beaten. Meanwhile LIddell asks, "And where does the strength come from... to see the race to its end?" He pauses, and then, "From within."
On Saturday at Franklin Park, there were many runners who had tough races. EMass D1 winner Phil Galebach struggled throughout and finished 21st. Brookline's Brendan Grove lost a shoe two strides into the race, and finished 27th after running a 16:50 5k -- in the mud -- with only one shoe. Ben Perron of St. John's (Shrewsbury) collapsed in the final straightaway and crawled across the finish line.
Not only individuals, but teams struggled. Newton North ended up 16th after Dan Hamilton had to drop out of the race at 2 miles with a bad cramp. Newton South, one of the top teams in the state all year, finished 7th overall.
But of course, amidst the general gloom and heartache, there was exhilaration and glory.
A few minutes before the start of the boys D1 race, I saw a familiar figure in a full track suit jogging away from the starting area. "What is Said Ahmed doing here?" I wondered. Some twenty minutes later, the Boston English alum watched as two Boston Latin (via Charlestown High) runners, Ahmed Ali and Omar Abdi, romped to a 1-2 finish that looked positively easy. Coincidence? I think not.
While other teams struggled, Mansfield frolicked in the park, placing five runners in the top 55 to overcome strong challenges from EMass D1 winner St. John's Prep and CMass D1 winner Nashoba. Mansfield was paced by sophomore Shayne Collins, younger brother of Ryan, who turned out to be a pretty fair runner, as I recall. Four of Mansfield's top five are underclassmen, by the way.
For Newton North, there were bright spots. Jake Gleason followed his breakthrough 17:34 from last week with perhaps a better race in the mud, finishing 86th in 17:45. He was North's second finisher. (Jake -- my first race at Mass All-States I, too, finished 86th; the next year, I finished 9th. Yes, you can!)
Dan Hamilton and Mike Goldenberg try to stay out of trouble just before the mile. (Photo: Henry Finch)
In D2, Mike Moverman of Oliver Ames ran the fastest time of the day, 16:04, while capturing the state title by 15 seconds over Seekonk's Johnny Gregorek. Oliver Ames finished second, only three points behind Bishop Feehan. Two Bay State league teams -- Wellesley and Walpole -- finished third and fourth. Wellesley was led by Will Volkmann (17:25). Walpole was led by Jarrod Goula (17:27).
November 15, 2008
2008 State Meet (Girls): Newton South Prevails
(Photo: Dave Fineman, used totally without permission)
I think we can finally agree that the last four years of Newton South Girls XC will go down in history as the Kelsey Karys era.
It seems like so long ago that Kelsey the freshman finished fourth in the All-State meet and led her team to a second-place finish -- so agonizingly close to Amherst. And then there was Kelsey the sophomore, experiencing the exhaustion of 2006 at Northfield Mountain. Kelsey the junior led her team to an EMass title in 2007, followed by another second-place finish at the state meet in Gardner -- this time to league rivals Lincoln-Sudbury. Finally, in 2008 on a warm, wet, and windy day at Franklin Park, Kelsey the senior ignored the mud, ignored whatever pressure she might have felt, and just plain ran a great race. Unquestionably the leader of what might be, after all, the best Massachusetts girls team of all-time, she ran behind North Andover's Kristin Kasper, but ahead of all others until the very end when she was passed by teammate Bridget Dahlberg and LS sophomore Andrea Keklak.
Watching Karys and Dahlberg, one a veteran of four XC seasons and dozens of big races, the other finally looking at home in a cross-country race in cross-country weather, one felt that it was going to be a good day for the Lions. Although Keklak won the individual battle with a brilliant kick, South placed five runners in the top 20, averaged under 19 minutes on a sloppy course, and won the state title with a paltry 35 points (ahead of L-S with 51). In addition to Dahlberg and Karys, the Lions got great races from Kathy O'Keefe (19:01), Madeleine Reed (19:10, fighting back after a rough spot in the middle of the race), and Olga Golovkina (19:20).
Meanwhile, Kristen Kasper was busy winning her third state title. It was interesting that Kasper and Karys (the KK twins) repeated their finish places from their freshman year.
Actually, that wasn't the only reason for deja vu.
In the girls Div II race in 2005, three freshmen finished in the top ten. Hamilton-Wenham's Emily Lanois, who had won the EMass D4 race the previous week, placed 3rd; Holyoke Catholic's Kristen Veit placed 7th; and Bromfield's Emily Jones placed 10th.
Three years and many miles later, these girls staged a reunion of sorts. In the 2008 D2 race, Jones (17:50), Lanois (18:37), and Veit (18:55) finished 1-3-4.
Not to take anything away from the other runners and the new faces, but we have been privileged to watch Kasper, Jones, Karys, Lanois, and Veit for all these years. It is SO hard to maintain a standard of excellence for so long, but they have done it. Kasper and Jones have six state XC titles between them. Lanois has four EMass D4 titles. Veit has three WMass D2 titles (she finished 2nd as a freshman). Karys has an EMass D1 championship. That's a lot of championships!
It was a just a really strong year, in general. I should mention that in addition to Lincoln-Sudbury, Haverhill was another team that in a normal year was quite good enough to win the state title. This year they had to settle for third behind NS and LS.
In girls D2, Lanois led Hamilton-Wenham to the team title over Bishop Feehan. Amazingly, H-W averaged 19:33 for its top five runners, and Feehan averaged 19:53.
The Bay State League was well represented in D1 and D2.
In D1, it was all individuals. Natick's Becca White, a classy XC runner for four years, finished 5th overall in 18:45. Framingham senior Camille Murphy (19:12) and Brookline sophomore Leah Gellineau (19:13) were both in the medals, finishing 13th and 14th overall. Natick senior Caitlyn Maclellan (20:32) was 53rd. Framingham sophomore Sara Bowhill (20:38) and Newton North's Carolyn Ranti (20:39) were 58th and 60th, respectively.
In D2, it was all teams, as Wellesley placed 3rd and Milton took 7th. I also want to say an individual congratulations to Wellesley senior and captain Alison Griswold, who was Wellesley's fifth runner. I will miss her great XC articles in the Wellesley paper.
November 09, 2008
Galebach Falls, Wins
Thanks to Henry Finch (Newton South Running Times), we have two terrific photos of Phil Galebach falling with 300m to go in the Boys Div I race at the EMass championships:
It is amazing that Galebach was able to get to his feet, and win a sprint to the line with Omar Aden.
Galebach not only is a gutsy and talented runner, he had the good sense to fall at the top of the one place on the course where he would be able to regain his momentum almost instantly. Not only that, it appears that he forced third-place finisher Ahmed Ali to hurdle him.
It is amazing that Galebach was able to get to his feet, and win a sprint to the line with Omar Aden.
Galebach not only is a gutsy and talented runner, he had the good sense to fall at the top of the one place on the course where he would be able to regain his momentum almost instantly. Not only that, it appears that he forced third-place finisher Ahmed Ali to hurdle him.
EMass Girls: NS Over LS; NN Finishes (oh, no!) Sixth
The Newton South girls "dream team" continued to make history Saturday, placing 2-3-6-8-10 to score 29 points and win the EMass Div I title over Lincoln-Sudbury . According to the Boston Globe, that is the lowest point total for a girls team at EMass Div I in state history. (Q: How does the Globe know this? I would trust Josh Seeherman more than the Globe sports desk...)
Andrea Keklak of LS won the individual title, just barely edging out South's Madeleine Reed. Both runners were given the same time of 18:20. Then it was Kelsey Karys (18:28) for NS, Corey Stock (18:42) and Ellie Hylton (18:45) for LS, Bridget Dahlberg (18:52) for NS, and finally Brookline's Leah Gellineau in 7th as the first runner not from the two top teams. I mean, it was as if NS and LS decided to have a dual meet at Franklin Park, and for fun invited 25 other teams to join in.
Olga Golovkina (18:56) and Kathy O'Keefe (19:04) finished in 8th and 10th, with Framingham's Camille Murphy (18:56) in between.
As expected, after NS (18:44 team avg) and LS (18:55 avg) had divided the spoils of the top two places, Haverhill (19:49 avg) took a strong but distant third. Billerica was 4th, and then.... Chelmsford grabbed the last qualifying spot for the state meet, leaving Newton North in sixth. More about that in a moment.
Carolyn Ranti was top finisher for the Tigers, running 20:02 and qualifying for the All-State meet as an individual. I'm going to guess (i have no inside info) that she skips the state meet to rest and begin the transition to indoor track where she will be one Joe Tranchita's captains.
Becca Park (20:33) was North's second finisher. She was followed by Nora Barnicle (20:48), Susannah Gleason (21:15), Davika Banerjee (21:53), Elena Hemler (23:04), and Liz Altieri (23:07).
The Tigers' 219 points left them 16 points behind Chelmsford. It was the final indignity for the Class of 2009 harriers, who were always near the top, but never able to break through as a team to get to the All-State meet. Their four-year record at EMass included:
2005 - 190 points, 7th (18 points behind 5th)
2006 - 156 points, 6th (18 points behind 5th)
2007 - 178 points, 7th (2 points behind 5th)
2008 - 219 points, 6th (16 points behind 5th)
That's a remarkable record of consistent performance, but also four near misses in four years. Peter Martin has earned the white hairs on his head.
Let's see, other notes: Framingham had two individual qualifiers, Camille Murphy and Sarah Bowhill. The Bay State League was well-represented with four teams in the top ten. In addition to Newton North, Brookline finished 7th, Framingham (!) 8th, and Weymouth 10th. The other BSL team, Braintree, finished 19th.
As for Framingham, in 2006 the Flyers finished 25th in EMass Div I, ahead of only Revere. Last year, they were 17th. This year, 8th. Congratulations to their program for such an impressive improvement in a short time!
Div II - Kasper wins, White 2nd
In Div II, defending D1 State champ Kristin Kasper (North Andover) ran 18:18 to win the individual title by over half a minute. The second finisher was Natick's Becca White (18:53). Although Natick finished 8th, White and teammate Caitlyn Maclellan (20:05) qualified for the state meet as individuals.
Needham was the other BSL team to compete, finishing 21st.
Div III - Wellesley, Milton qualify for states
The Wellesley girls placed their top five scorers in the top 50 overall, to finish 2nd, behind only Bishop Feehan in the team scoring. The Raiders were led by freshman Priyanka Fouda (19:59) who finished 9th.
Milton made it two teams to qualify from the BSL in D3, as they finished 5th beating out Pentucket by a mere 5 points. Other have pointed out that Miltons turnaround from last year is astonishing. In 2007, they finished 27th at this meet. To qualify for the state meet in the next year is a remarkable achievement.
In Div IV, Dedham finished 25th.
Andrea Keklak of LS won the individual title, just barely edging out South's Madeleine Reed. Both runners were given the same time of 18:20. Then it was Kelsey Karys (18:28) for NS, Corey Stock (18:42) and Ellie Hylton (18:45) for LS, Bridget Dahlberg (18:52) for NS, and finally Brookline's Leah Gellineau in 7th as the first runner not from the two top teams. I mean, it was as if NS and LS decided to have a dual meet at Franklin Park, and for fun invited 25 other teams to join in.
Olga Golovkina (18:56) and Kathy O'Keefe (19:04) finished in 8th and 10th, with Framingham's Camille Murphy (18:56) in between.
As expected, after NS (18:44 team avg) and LS (18:55 avg) had divided the spoils of the top two places, Haverhill (19:49 avg) took a strong but distant third. Billerica was 4th, and then.... Chelmsford grabbed the last qualifying spot for the state meet, leaving Newton North in sixth. More about that in a moment.
Carolyn Ranti was top finisher for the Tigers, running 20:02 and qualifying for the All-State meet as an individual. I'm going to guess (i have no inside info) that she skips the state meet to rest and begin the transition to indoor track where she will be one Joe Tranchita's captains.
Becca Park (20:33) was North's second finisher. She was followed by Nora Barnicle (20:48), Susannah Gleason (21:15), Davika Banerjee (21:53), Elena Hemler (23:04), and Liz Altieri (23:07).
The Tigers' 219 points left them 16 points behind Chelmsford. It was the final indignity for the Class of 2009 harriers, who were always near the top, but never able to break through as a team to get to the All-State meet. Their four-year record at EMass included:
2005 - 190 points, 7th (18 points behind 5th)
2006 - 156 points, 6th (18 points behind 5th)
2007 - 178 points, 7th (2 points behind 5th)
2008 - 219 points, 6th (16 points behind 5th)
That's a remarkable record of consistent performance, but also four near misses in four years. Peter Martin has earned the white hairs on his head.
Let's see, other notes: Framingham had two individual qualifiers, Camille Murphy and Sarah Bowhill. The Bay State League was well-represented with four teams in the top ten. In addition to Newton North, Brookline finished 7th, Framingham (!) 8th, and Weymouth 10th. The other BSL team, Braintree, finished 19th.
As for Framingham, in 2006 the Flyers finished 25th in EMass Div I, ahead of only Revere. Last year, they were 17th. This year, 8th. Congratulations to their program for such an impressive improvement in a short time!
Div II - Kasper wins, White 2nd
In Div II, defending D1 State champ Kristin Kasper (North Andover) ran 18:18 to win the individual title by over half a minute. The second finisher was Natick's Becca White (18:53). Although Natick finished 8th, White and teammate Caitlyn Maclellan (20:05) qualified for the state meet as individuals.
Needham was the other BSL team to compete, finishing 21st.
Div III - Wellesley, Milton qualify for states
The Wellesley girls placed their top five scorers in the top 50 overall, to finish 2nd, behind only Bishop Feehan in the team scoring. The Raiders were led by freshman Priyanka Fouda (19:59) who finished 9th.
Milton made it two teams to qualify from the BSL in D3, as they finished 5th beating out Pentucket by a mere 5 points. Other have pointed out that Miltons turnaround from last year is astonishing. In 2007, they finished 27th at this meet. To qualify for the state meet in the next year is a remarkable achievement.
In Div IV, Dedham finished 25th.
EMass Boys: SJP Wins D1, NN Boys 4th
The Newton North boys will be returning to the All-State cross-country meet as a team for the first time since 2004, as they placed finished fourth, behind St. John's Prep, Methuen, and Newton South.
The Tigers got outstanding performances from their top two runners, as Dan Hamilton placed 13th overall in 16:31 and Mike Goldenberg finished 17th in 16:36. Hamilton's race was 40 seconds faster than last year, and placed him ahead of Brookline's Brendan Grove and Weymouth's Steve Sallowin, two runners who beat him (twice) earlier in the season.
Jared Forman was NN's third runner, finishing 35th in 17:04. However, the team's qualifying finish was secured only after Sophomore Dan Ranti (17:36) and Junior Jake Gleason (17:38) battled in the trenches to finish 68th and 72nd, respectively. It was a gutsy and clutch performance for Gleason, who has typically been outside the top five this year, but came up with a great performance in the biggest and muddiest meet of the year.
Mike Weinfeld (18:23) and Sam Fogel (18:40) rounded out Norths top seven.
2008 BayState League champions Brookline were missing David Wilson (lower leg injury), and finished 11th with 309 points. Although the Warriors did not earn a berth in next week's All-State championships, top finisher Grove earned the last individual qualifying spot.
Weymouth, led by Sallowin's 15th place finish (16:34), finished 17th. Framingham finished 25th, and Braintree finished 33rd.
Needham 9th, Shields 10th in Div II
Needham, led by Dan Shields' 10th-place finish (16:35) placed 9th in Div II, only three points behind perennial power Concord-Carlisle. Shields earned an individual qualifying spot for the All-State meet.
Other BSL teams were Norwood in 19th and Natick in 21st
Wellesley Wins Div III; Walpole 4th
Wellesley's Will Volkmann, Peter Krieg, and Billy Littlefield finished 6th, 7th, and 8th, and sophomore John Williamson had the race of his life to finish 16th, as Wellesley upset Oliver ames to win the Emass Div III championship.
Oliver Ames was led by individual champion Mike Moverman (16:03), who won the race by 45 seconds.
Walpole's 2nd-5th runners crossed the finish within six seconds of each other to nail down fourth place and the team's first state qualifying berth since... does anyone know? Walpole was led by Jarrod Goula (23rd, 17:22).
Congratulations to both Wellesley and Walpole for making it to the All-State Meet, and good luck next Saturday!
The other BSL team in Div III, Milton, finished 25th.
In Div IV, Dedham finished 37th.
The Tigers got outstanding performances from their top two runners, as Dan Hamilton placed 13th overall in 16:31 and Mike Goldenberg finished 17th in 16:36. Hamilton's race was 40 seconds faster than last year, and placed him ahead of Brookline's Brendan Grove and Weymouth's Steve Sallowin, two runners who beat him (twice) earlier in the season.
Jared Forman was NN's third runner, finishing 35th in 17:04. However, the team's qualifying finish was secured only after Sophomore Dan Ranti (17:36) and Junior Jake Gleason (17:38) battled in the trenches to finish 68th and 72nd, respectively. It was a gutsy and clutch performance for Gleason, who has typically been outside the top five this year, but came up with a great performance in the biggest and muddiest meet of the year.
Mike Weinfeld (18:23) and Sam Fogel (18:40) rounded out Norths top seven.
2008 BayState League champions Brookline were missing David Wilson (lower leg injury), and finished 11th with 309 points. Although the Warriors did not earn a berth in next week's All-State championships, top finisher Grove earned the last individual qualifying spot.
Weymouth, led by Sallowin's 15th place finish (16:34), finished 17th. Framingham finished 25th, and Braintree finished 33rd.
Needham 9th, Shields 10th in Div II
Needham, led by Dan Shields' 10th-place finish (16:35) placed 9th in Div II, only three points behind perennial power Concord-Carlisle. Shields earned an individual qualifying spot for the All-State meet.
Other BSL teams were Norwood in 19th and Natick in 21st
Wellesley Wins Div III; Walpole 4th
Wellesley's Will Volkmann, Peter Krieg, and Billy Littlefield finished 6th, 7th, and 8th, and sophomore John Williamson had the race of his life to finish 16th, as Wellesley upset Oliver ames to win the Emass Div III championship.
Oliver Ames was led by individual champion Mike Moverman (16:03), who won the race by 45 seconds.
Walpole's 2nd-5th runners crossed the finish within six seconds of each other to nail down fourth place and the team's first state qualifying berth since... does anyone know? Walpole was led by Jarrod Goula (23rd, 17:22).
Congratulations to both Wellesley and Walpole for making it to the All-State Meet, and good luck next Saturday!
The other BSL team in Div III, Milton, finished 25th.
In Div IV, Dedham finished 37th.
November 06, 2008
Jamie Krieder: 2:56:03 at Cape Cod Marathon
Newton North alum and great friend of NSRP, Jamie Krieder, finished 14th in the Falmouth Cape Cod Marathon last Sunday, running 2:56:03 (6:43 per mile). Jamie was also first master (40-49).
Congratulations, Jamie!
The race was won by Newton South and BU grad Mike Fisher (below), who ran 2:33:12 (5:51 pace).
(Thanks to Josh Seeherman for pointing me to the results.)
Congratulations, Jamie!
The race was won by Newton South and BU grad Mike Fisher (below), who ran 2:33:12 (5:51 pace).
(Thanks to Josh Seeherman for pointing me to the results.)
Creatures of Darkness
After the sun goes down and the world is plunged in darkness, they emerge from their dens, these creatures of darkness, these silent shadowy forms scurrying along the alleys and byways of the oblivious city. Their movement seems purposeful, if plodding, but their intentions are obscure. Are they foraging? Are they setting out on a nocturnal migration South to escape the cold winter months?
...
Sunday morning was great -- an extra hour in the morning thanks to the return to standard time, a long run on the Minuteman trail, and back home well before noon. Hey, I thought, November's not going to be so bad.
Monday night was the other side of the time-change coin. I arrived home shortly after five and by the time I got out for what I thought would be my "afternoon" run, it was pretty much pitch black. Not even a moon to light the way.
It wasn't too cold... not yet, anyway, but the thought of doing all my weekday runs in the dark for the next three months was depressing. My old standby, the six-miler through Auburndale, West Newton, and Newtonville seemed strange and forbidding, a risky dash on uneven surfaces, blinded by headlights from oncoming cars.
Wednesday night I ran in Concord and after a spooky mile or so around town, I circled back to the town track and ran several miles there, barely able to see the ground in front of me.
I think I've become more affected by the change of daylight in recent years. For one thing, my eyesight isn't as good as it used to be, and I can't see the ground as well. at this time of year, navigating sidewalks with their leaves and debris is harrowing. I run in fear, thinking about rocks and bottles half-hidden in the leaves and just waiting there ready to roll my ankle.
And traffic is much more of a problem now that the cars can't see you even if you have on the reflective vest and halogen light. I'm tempted to wait until after rush hour to run, but that has its own issues -- shifting my entire schedule later and later. This is not a desirable change for a morning person.
The last couple of years, turning the clocks back has provided me an excuse to start running early in the morning. It's still dark, but at least there's a chance of seeing the sun rise as you finish your run. It's sure cold in the mornings, though...
Either way, this is the time of year when just trying to get in your daily runs makes you feel like a social misfit. Running in the dark is somehow offensive to common sense in a way that a happy little jog in the daytime isn't.
Still, I still feel that the socially acceptable but mind-numbing alternative -- taking to the treadmills -- would be worse.
So I ask only that on your drive home from work or school you try not to run me down out there on the streets of Newton... that is, if you see me at all.
...
Sunday morning was great -- an extra hour in the morning thanks to the return to standard time, a long run on the Minuteman trail, and back home well before noon. Hey, I thought, November's not going to be so bad.
Monday night was the other side of the time-change coin. I arrived home shortly after five and by the time I got out for what I thought would be my "afternoon" run, it was pretty much pitch black. Not even a moon to light the way.
It wasn't too cold... not yet, anyway, but the thought of doing all my weekday runs in the dark for the next three months was depressing. My old standby, the six-miler through Auburndale, West Newton, and Newtonville seemed strange and forbidding, a risky dash on uneven surfaces, blinded by headlights from oncoming cars.
Wednesday night I ran in Concord and after a spooky mile or so around town, I circled back to the town track and ran several miles there, barely able to see the ground in front of me.
I think I've become more affected by the change of daylight in recent years. For one thing, my eyesight isn't as good as it used to be, and I can't see the ground as well. at this time of year, navigating sidewalks with their leaves and debris is harrowing. I run in fear, thinking about rocks and bottles half-hidden in the leaves and just waiting there ready to roll my ankle.
And traffic is much more of a problem now that the cars can't see you even if you have on the reflective vest and halogen light. I'm tempted to wait until after rush hour to run, but that has its own issues -- shifting my entire schedule later and later. This is not a desirable change for a morning person.
The last couple of years, turning the clocks back has provided me an excuse to start running early in the morning. It's still dark, but at least there's a chance of seeing the sun rise as you finish your run. It's sure cold in the mornings, though...
Either way, this is the time of year when just trying to get in your daily runs makes you feel like a social misfit. Running in the dark is somehow offensive to common sense in a way that a happy little jog in the daytime isn't.
Still, I still feel that the socially acceptable but mind-numbing alternative -- taking to the treadmills -- would be worse.
So I ask only that on your drive home from work or school you try not to run me down out there on the streets of Newton... that is, if you see me at all.
November 05, 2008
The Votes Are In: Stretching is Out
Sorry for that title. Like everyone else, I'm suffering from post election night fatigue. But this post won't be about presidential politics, but about another ideological struggle...
The New York Times has an article on the great stretching debate:
Stretching: The Truth
This quote pretty much sums up the article:
"Researchers now believe that some of the more entrenched elements of many athletes’ warm-up regimens are not only a waste of time but actually bad for you."
Mobility drills, anyone?
The New York Times has an article on the great stretching debate:
Stretching: The Truth
This quote pretty much sums up the article:
"Researchers now believe that some of the more entrenched elements of many athletes’ warm-up regimens are not only a waste of time but actually bad for you."
Mobility drills, anyone?
November 03, 2008
Down Memory Lane at the NYC Marthon
Back stories from Sunday's NYC marathon:
Twenty-five years ago, Rod Dixon made up a big deficit in Central Park to overtake Geoff Smith less than 200 meters from the finish and win the 1983 NYC Marathon. It was an unforgettable race, and it led to an unforgettable image of the triump and heartbreak of the two competitors. A photo taken just after the finish shows Dixon raising his arms to the sky relieved and exultant, while Smith sprawls on the ground in exhaustion and disbelief. Yesterday Dixon returned to the scene of what he called his "career-defining race" to run the marathon with his daughter Emma. the pair finished in just over 3:38.
25 Years After Win, Dixon Finishes with Daughter
It was twenty-four years ago that Zola Budd collided with Mary Decker Slaney in the 1984 Olympic 3000m final, a painful and unfortunate meeting between a young runner and her idol. The 42-year-old Budd-Pieterse moved to the U.S. recently and completed her first NYC marathon yesterday, running 2:58. She was hoping for 2:50 but faded in the final miles, citing low blood sugar as the problem. In her remarks after the race she quipped:
"At 35K I saw my uncle from South Africa waving at me," she said. "He's been dead for 10 years, so I knew I was in trouble."
Zola Budd Runs 2:58 in Her First NYC Marathon
A year ago, Ryan Shay collapsed and died while running the U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon Trials. Yesterday, members of Shay's family stood at "Ryan's Spot," a memorial for Shay located between the 24 and 25 mile mark on the course. A number of Shay's former teammates at Notre Dame ran the race in his memory, wearing blue and gold ND singlets.
Finally, on the eve of the U.S. elections a story about another kind of vote. It's unfortunate that the World Major Marathon challenge, which awards a half million dollars to the man and woman who earn the most points via top finishes in a series of five major marathons, was decided by a vote. Gete Wami and Irina Mikitenko finished with the same number of points. The directors of the five marathons voted unanimously to award the winner-take-all prize of $500,000 to Mikitenko. Elections are fine for choosing presidents, but in sports, choosing a winner by voting is never a good thing.
November 02, 2008
NNHS Alumni Results - Nov 1, 2008
This was the weekend for conference meets, ad we have results from a few of them:
At the NESCAC championships in Lewiston, Maine, Doug Brecher and Ben Chebot represented host Bates College in the men's 8K. Brecher finished 30th in 26:50, while Chebot finished 111th in 29:19. Other friends and notables in the race included Trinity freshman Mike Burnstein (21st, 26:30) and Tufts sophomore Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot (51st, 27:17). In the women's 6K, Wesleyan senior Anna Schindler finished 64th in 24:24. Middlebury senior and former Wellesley star Alexandra Krieg (Peter's sister!) finished 3rd overall in 22:25.
At the UAA Championships, hosted by Emory University, Dan Chebot placed 46th (5th man for Rochester) in 27:23.
Boston University competed at the America East Championship in Maryland. David Polgar finished 27th overall, fourth for his team, running 26:48 for 8K. BU was led by none other than freshman Elliot Lehane (Brookline '08), who finished 20th in 26:32. Lehane's teammate at Brookline and now teammate at BU, Chris Mercurio, finished in 57th place in 28:15.
Northeastern competed at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships in Centreville Virginia, Saturday. In the women's 6K, Jess Barton finished 21st overall, 3rd for the Huskies, in 22:19. For the men, Seb Putzeys finished 39th overall, 2nd for the Huskies with a time of 26:24. (By the way, Northeastern XC Coach Renny Waldron is no relation of mine).
At the NESCAC championships in Lewiston, Maine, Doug Brecher and Ben Chebot represented host Bates College in the men's 8K. Brecher finished 30th in 26:50, while Chebot finished 111th in 29:19. Other friends and notables in the race included Trinity freshman Mike Burnstein (21st, 26:30) and Tufts sophomore Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot (51st, 27:17). In the women's 6K, Wesleyan senior Anna Schindler finished 64th in 24:24. Middlebury senior and former Wellesley star Alexandra Krieg (Peter's sister!) finished 3rd overall in 22:25.
At the UAA Championships, hosted by Emory University, Dan Chebot placed 46th (5th man for Rochester) in 27:23.
Boston University competed at the America East Championship in Maryland. David Polgar finished 27th overall, fourth for his team, running 26:48 for 8K. BU was led by none other than freshman Elliot Lehane (Brookline '08), who finished 20th in 26:32. Lehane's teammate at Brookline and now teammate at BU, Chris Mercurio, finished in 57th place in 28:15.
Northeastern competed at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships in Centreville Virginia, Saturday. In the women's 6K, Jess Barton finished 21st overall, 3rd for the Huskies, in 22:19. For the men, Seb Putzeys finished 39th overall, 2nd for the Huskies with a time of 26:24. (By the way, Northeastern XC Coach Renny Waldron is no relation of mine).
November 01, 2008
Big Day for the Chameleons
I was standing right next to the Concord Academy girls XC team at Franklin Park, as the awards ceremony for the EIL championships began. Until that moment, I would have described them as a happy, but low-key bunch.
I was about to have my consciousness raised.
First, the announcer read the names of the top twelve finishers in the boys race, starting with 12th. When the announcer read the name of the 6th-place finisher, CA's Eric Edelstein, the girls gave an unusually raucous cheer that startled me and several of the people near me. When the the announcer read out the name of the 2nd-place finisher, CA's Dylan Awalt-Conley, the girls' approval reached a new and alarming decibel level. And when the winning team was announced and the CA boys went up to accept their gaudy and over-sized trophy as meet champions, my head throbbed with the ear-splitting cheers.
And that was only the beginning. Before the awards were over, they also had a chance to register their off-the-Richter-scale appreciation for CA's Emma Quinn, who ran nearly a minute-PR to place 4th overall in the girls race, and for themselves for placing second, without a doubt their finest race of the year.
It was a pretty good day for Concord Academy cross-country.
I know that small leagues like the EIL don't merit the same attention as the Bay State league or Dual-County League. The EIL has far fewer competitors, and the level of competition is generally less intense. I guess this is because in addition to the small numbers, EIL cross-country competitors are likely to be one-season runners, without indoor and outdoor track to hone their speed and continue their endurance training.
But, to paraphrase Arthur Lydiard, there are potential champions in every small school in the land, and all they need to emerge is a little encouragement, a little attention. The overall winner of yesterday's boys race was Sam Fujimori, a freshman at Bancroft Academy. He ran 18:04, a modest time by Bay State standards, but the kid is a tiger. I saw him attack the hills at Larz Anderson (5K course) in his first race of the year and was impressed even then at his fearlessness.
Olivia Fay, a junior at Portsmouth Abbey School, won the girls race by 45 seconds, running 19:28. And remember, that's with no indoor track and a very limited outdoor track season.
Both of these runners might get faster at a bigger public school with more training and stiffer competition, but that's not really the point. The point is that their achievements matter, and are impressive within the confines and context of their current world. And the basis of ALL achievement is the ability to care about doing your best and getting better.
The winning girls team is an example of this. The Winsor girls, coached by Moriah Musto, placed six girls in the top twelve and won the meet with 30 points. Earlier in the season they won the Division I race at the Canterbury Invitational in Connecticut. They set a standard of excellence within the EIL that schools like Concord Academy strive to match.
So when you look at the times from the meet, don't think about how these schools would stack up against the Newton Norths or Brooklines of the world, think about how great it is that even in the EILs, when the athletes step up and run their hearts out, you can still hear cheers that echo in your head for days.
EIL Cross Country Championships - Results
I was about to have my consciousness raised.
First, the announcer read the names of the top twelve finishers in the boys race, starting with 12th. When the announcer read the name of the 6th-place finisher, CA's Eric Edelstein, the girls gave an unusually raucous cheer that startled me and several of the people near me. When the the announcer read out the name of the 2nd-place finisher, CA's Dylan Awalt-Conley, the girls' approval reached a new and alarming decibel level. And when the winning team was announced and the CA boys went up to accept their gaudy and over-sized trophy as meet champions, my head throbbed with the ear-splitting cheers.
And that was only the beginning. Before the awards were over, they also had a chance to register their off-the-Richter-scale appreciation for CA's Emma Quinn, who ran nearly a minute-PR to place 4th overall in the girls race, and for themselves for placing second, without a doubt their finest race of the year.
It was a pretty good day for Concord Academy cross-country.
I know that small leagues like the EIL don't merit the same attention as the Bay State league or Dual-County League. The EIL has far fewer competitors, and the level of competition is generally less intense. I guess this is because in addition to the small numbers, EIL cross-country competitors are likely to be one-season runners, without indoor and outdoor track to hone their speed and continue their endurance training.
But, to paraphrase Arthur Lydiard, there are potential champions in every small school in the land, and all they need to emerge is a little encouragement, a little attention. The overall winner of yesterday's boys race was Sam Fujimori, a freshman at Bancroft Academy. He ran 18:04, a modest time by Bay State standards, but the kid is a tiger. I saw him attack the hills at Larz Anderson (5K course) in his first race of the year and was impressed even then at his fearlessness.
Olivia Fay, a junior at Portsmouth Abbey School, won the girls race by 45 seconds, running 19:28. And remember, that's with no indoor track and a very limited outdoor track season.
Both of these runners might get faster at a bigger public school with more training and stiffer competition, but that's not really the point. The point is that their achievements matter, and are impressive within the confines and context of their current world. And the basis of ALL achievement is the ability to care about doing your best and getting better.
The winning girls team is an example of this. The Winsor girls, coached by Moriah Musto, placed six girls in the top twelve and won the meet with 30 points. Earlier in the season they won the Division I race at the Canterbury Invitational in Connecticut. They set a standard of excellence within the EIL that schools like Concord Academy strive to match.
So when you look at the times from the meet, don't think about how these schools would stack up against the Newton Norths or Brooklines of the world, think about how great it is that even in the EILs, when the athletes step up and run their hearts out, you can still hear cheers that echo in your head for days.
EIL Cross Country Championships - Results
October 31, 2008
North Girls Beat Brookline, Win Carey Title
Becca Park leads the chase pack at Larz Anderson Thursday
For all the ups, downs, and bumps in the road the team has suffered this season, The Newton North girls are still a formidable team that can rise to the challenge against a tough course and tough opponent. The 8-2 Tigers faced the 7-3 Warriors at mountainous Larz Anderson Park with the Carey Division title on the line, and came away with a 25-31 win.
Brookline's Leah Gellineau won, but Carolyn Ranti (18:48) and Becca Park (19:10) took 2nd and 3rd to even things up. Nora Barnicle ran another strong race to place 5th in 19:34, with Susannah Gleason just behind in 19:37.
But one of the most encouraging signs for the Tigers was having seniors Adina Hemley-Bronstein (9th, 20:22) and Franca Godenzi (10th, 20:24) finish well, as both placed in front of Brookline's 5th runner.
The Tigers end the season as Carey Division Champs with a final record of 9-2.
October 30, 2008
So Close! North Boys Fall to Brookline
In a race they must have all thought about since pre-season, the Newton North boys were within 200 meters of beating Brookline on the Warriors' challenging home course, and winning the league title for the first time since 2004. With the finish line in site, North had five runners in places 3-7, and a good 15 seconds back to the Brookline pack.
But the course took its toll, after all, and North's fifth runner, Ezra Lichtmann, collapsed within site of the finish line and couldn't continue. In an instant, the score "on the course" was reversed from a 25-30 advantage, to a 27-30 deficit, and Brookline was the league champion -- undefeated for the fourth straight year. The Tigers finish the season at 10-1, knowing that on this day they had the defending state champions on the ropes.
Still, the Tigers have to be extremely proud of the way they competed in this race. Brookline's Brendan Grove (15:13) and David Wilson (15:14) took the top two spots, as expected, But Dan Hamilton (15:29), Mike Goldenberg (15:47), Jared Forman (15:54), Dan Ranti (16:00), and Lichtmann ran strong races on the tough hills of Larz Anderson Park. Ranti's time of 16:00, only 31 seconds behind Hamilton is especially impressive.
Here are the top ten:
1. Grove BRK 15:13
2. Wilson BRK 15:14
3. Hamilton NN 15:29
4. Goldenberg NN 15:47
5. Forman NN 15:54
6. Ranti NN 16:00
7. Pratt-Otto, L. BRK 16:13
8. Pratt-Otto, S. BRK 16:15
9. Sklar (?) BRK 16:17
10. Connely BRK 16:20
Congratulations to both teams for a tremendous effort in the regular season finale. Congratulations to Brookline for the win and their fourth straight league title.
These results and photos are courtesy of Henry Finch. You can see more of Henry's photos of the meet at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/GeorgeTToad/NewtonNorthVsBrookline30oct08#
Doing the Math; Knowing the Score
I sometimes wonder if one of the reasons cross-country meets aren't as popular or well-covered as soccer and football games is that most of the people watching have no idea what the score is.
Well, technically I suppose there is no "score" until someone finishes the race, but there is the score "on the course" meaning the score if the race were to end with the runners in their current positions.
Anyway, I find that most of the parents and friends who come out to stand around in the cold watching people run cross-country races have a very dim idea of who is winning and by how much. A few years ago I wrote a short primer on How to Watch a Cross-Country meet, in which I tried to explain the scoring and give examples of interesting situations that can occur.
So all of this is prelude to thinking about today's showdown between Brookline and Newton North. Brookline's David Wilson and Brendan Grove are expected to go 1-2, while North's Dan Hamilton and Mike Goldenberg are expected to take the next two places. So what are the possibilities after that?
If Brookline's #3 finishes 5th, North cannot score less than 28 points, even if they take the next three places. To win, North would have to displace at least one of Brookline's runners (in other words, North's SIXTH runner would have to beat Brookline's FIFTH runner). For example:
B: 1-2-5-9-11 = 28
N: 3-4-6-7-8-(10) = 28, and wins with better 6th runner
I have to say, I think this is unlikely.
If, on the other hand, North's Jared Forman finishes fifth, the task is a bit easier. Then, North's FOURTH and FIFTH runners have to beat Brookline's FOURTH. For example:
B: 1-2-6-9-10 = 28
N: 3-4-5-7-8 = 27
If North takes 3-4-5, but Brookline takes 6-7, the meet is over and Brookline wins, no matter what. For example:
B: 1-2-6-7-12 = 28
N: 3-4-5-8-9-(10)-(11) = 29
One interesting (meaning hard to figure) scenario would be if North takes 3-4-5, and Brookline takes 6-8. This would be similar to the first scenario in that the meet could be decided by North's SIXTH runner. For example:
B: 1-2-6-8-11 = 28
N: 3-4-5-7-9-(10) = 28 , and wins with better 6th runner
Anyway, you get the idea. If the race goes as forecast, there won't be much drama at the front of the race. All the action will be back in the pack where someone's good race or final sprint could make all the difference.
Well, technically I suppose there is no "score" until someone finishes the race, but there is the score "on the course" meaning the score if the race were to end with the runners in their current positions.
Anyway, I find that most of the parents and friends who come out to stand around in the cold watching people run cross-country races have a very dim idea of who is winning and by how much. A few years ago I wrote a short primer on How to Watch a Cross-Country meet, in which I tried to explain the scoring and give examples of interesting situations that can occur.
So all of this is prelude to thinking about today's showdown between Brookline and Newton North. Brookline's David Wilson and Brendan Grove are expected to go 1-2, while North's Dan Hamilton and Mike Goldenberg are expected to take the next two places. So what are the possibilities after that?
If Brookline's #3 finishes 5th, North cannot score less than 28 points, even if they take the next three places. To win, North would have to displace at least one of Brookline's runners (in other words, North's SIXTH runner would have to beat Brookline's FIFTH runner). For example:
B: 1-2-5-9-11 = 28
N: 3-4-6-7-8-(10) = 28, and wins with better 6th runner
I have to say, I think this is unlikely.
If, on the other hand, North's Jared Forman finishes fifth, the task is a bit easier. Then, North's FOURTH and FIFTH runners have to beat Brookline's FOURTH. For example:
B: 1-2-6-9-10 = 28
N: 3-4-5-7-8 = 27
If North takes 3-4-5, but Brookline takes 6-7, the meet is over and Brookline wins, no matter what. For example:
B: 1-2-6-7-12 = 28
N: 3-4-5-8-9-(10)-(11) = 29
One interesting (meaning hard to figure) scenario would be if North takes 3-4-5, and Brookline takes 6-8. This would be similar to the first scenario in that the meet could be decided by North's SIXTH runner. For example:
B: 1-2-6-8-11 = 28
N: 3-4-5-7-9-(10) = 28 , and wins with better 6th runner
Anyway, you get the idea. If the race goes as forecast, there won't be much drama at the front of the race. All the action will be back in the pack where someone's good race or final sprint could make all the difference.
October 29, 2008
CMass Profile: Shrewsbury
There are lots of reasons not to take the MSTCA XC polls too seriously, but they're harmless and fun so why not take a look every now and then?
As of 10/26/08, the Boys D1 Poll looks like this:
1. Mansfield
2. Newton South
3. Amherst-Pelham
4. Methuen
5. Nashoba
6. Shrewsbury
7. St. John's (Shrewsbury)
8. St. John's Prep. (Danvers)
9. Whitman-Hanson Reg
10. Brookline
11. Lexington
12. Reading
14. Xaverian
14. Lowell
15. North Andover
16. Newton North
17. Dennis-Yarmouth
18. Hudson
19. Cathedral (Springfield)
20. Northampton
A couple of comments here: I think Brookline and Newton North are ranked a little too low. But then, there are always lots of ways to look at the lower half of a list like this and make the case for any given team.
Secondly, I think Methuen is the not-so-dark horse here. after dominating the MVC conference meet, I think they have a real shot at the State title and no one should be surprised by them any more.
But the thing that really strikes me about the list above is the presence of two teams from Shrewsbury in the top six. It's not surprising to see perpetual power St. John's there, but where did Shrewsbury H.S. come from, and why are they ranked so high?
Shrewsbury competes in the Midland Wachusett "A" Division in CMass, which includes Algonquin, Fitchburg, Leominster, Milford, North Middlesex, and Wachusett Regional. This year the Colonials won their division with a 6-0 league record, and went 8-1 on the season, losing only to Nashoba. On Wednesday, Shrewsbury won their league meet, going 1-2-3 (WITHOUT running their John Murray, their top guy).
At the Bay State Invitational Shrewsbury finished 7th behind Whitman-Hanson, Xaverian, and Newton North. Their top five were:
Obviously, that gap to their fifth man cost them dearly. On that day, they were missing their usual fith man, Matt D'Urzo, who would certainly have finished well under 18:00.
They did not race their varsity at the Wachusett Invitational (10/18), so it's a little hard to know where they stand right now.
Sophomore John Murray is a real talent, but has had a hip injury that has curtailed his racing this fall. if he's healthy when he races, he can go a lot faster. Anthony Frissora has done very well in the 800/1000 in track (1:59 800) and is having a fine season in XC. Liam McAllister also made big improvements last spring in track as an 800/1M guy and is having his best ever XC season.
To advance to the state meet from Central Mass, Shrewsbury has to finish in the top three in CMass Div I, where they will face Nashoba and SJS. If they make it, and if they find a reliable fifth man, they might just deserve that ranking.
As of 10/26/08, the Boys D1 Poll looks like this:
1. Mansfield
2. Newton South
3. Amherst-Pelham
4. Methuen
5. Nashoba
6. Shrewsbury
7. St. John's (Shrewsbury)
8. St. John's Prep. (Danvers)
9. Whitman-Hanson Reg
10. Brookline
11. Lexington
12. Reading
14. Xaverian
14. Lowell
15. North Andover
16. Newton North
17. Dennis-Yarmouth
18. Hudson
19. Cathedral (Springfield)
20. Northampton
A couple of comments here: I think Brookline and Newton North are ranked a little too low. But then, there are always lots of ways to look at the lower half of a list like this and make the case for any given team.
Secondly, I think Methuen is the not-so-dark horse here. after dominating the MVC conference meet, I think they have a real shot at the State title and no one should be surprised by them any more.
But the thing that really strikes me about the list above is the presence of two teams from Shrewsbury in the top six. It's not surprising to see perpetual power St. John's there, but where did Shrewsbury H.S. come from, and why are they ranked so high?
Shrewsbury competes in the Midland Wachusett "A" Division in CMass, which includes Algonquin, Fitchburg, Leominster, Milford, North Middlesex, and Wachusett Regional. This year the Colonials won their division with a 6-0 league record, and went 8-1 on the season, losing only to Nashoba. On Wednesday, Shrewsbury won their league meet, going 1-2-3 (WITHOUT running their John Murray, their top guy).
At the Bay State Invitational Shrewsbury finished 7th behind Whitman-Hanson, Xaverian, and Newton North. Their top five were:
11 #4114 murray, john 10 Shrewsbury 16:33 10
26 #4103 frissora, anthony 12 Shrewsbury 16:51 24
43 #4102 Favulli, chris 11 Shrewsbury 17:17 39
53 #4111 mcAllister, liam 12 Shrewsbury 17:25 49
136 #4113 morrissey, max 11 Shrewsbury 18:27 130
Obviously, that gap to their fifth man cost them dearly. On that day, they were missing their usual fith man, Matt D'Urzo, who would certainly have finished well under 18:00.
They did not race their varsity at the Wachusett Invitational (10/18), so it's a little hard to know where they stand right now.
Sophomore John Murray is a real talent, but has had a hip injury that has curtailed his racing this fall. if he's healthy when he races, he can go a lot faster. Anthony Frissora has done very well in the 800/1000 in track (1:59 800) and is having a fine season in XC. Liam McAllister also made big improvements last spring in track as an 800/1M guy and is having his best ever XC season.
To advance to the state meet from Central Mass, Shrewsbury has to finish in the top three in CMass Div I, where they will face Nashoba and SJS. If they make it, and if they find a reliable fifth man, they might just deserve that ranking.
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