It must be bad luck to run intervals on a Monday
Because here I am, cruising the suburbs one late
August afternoon, with no place to do a workout.
I drive to one track -- no good -- the lanes are blocked
with coolers of Gatorade, and throngs of kids in pads
wonder what it will take to make the football team.
I drive to another; they've just painted the lanes.
"Hey buddy, you can't run here!" (It looks very nice,
like a fancy cake lying safe and tempting behind a glass.)
Finally, I end up at Claypit Pond where most of Belmont
is walking the dog, or pushing the stroller, or at band
practice (the trombones have taken a spot on the path).
I jog around to estimate the distance - about 1K.
I jog some more to get loose, and find my footing.
I do a few strides, reset the watch, take off my shirt.
I run the first interval, past the dogs, strollers,
a couple sitting on a bench, the trombones, everyone.
Quick enough, but under control. And 90 seconds to enjoy it.
Then a second interval. Then a third. Am I worrying
The dogs? Am I disturbing the loving couple? Startling
the jogger with the headphones? Sorry, sorry, sorry.
Then a fourth, Then a fifth. The couple left after four.
The dogs have gone home. The trombones have wandered
off to join the rest of the band, I guess. Now it's just me
And a million small black gnats rising from the pond
Like a mist, sticking to my wet skin. I barely notice,
Thinking about this last interval and making it good.
And when it gets hard (so soon, on the last one),
I talk myself through it step by step. Keep the rhythm,
Don't get excited. Turn over. Don't float. Hold your form.
Cooling down, I realize it's unlikely I'll be back any time soon.
That's ok. I'll leave the dogs of Belmont to enjoy the pond
Each night, every night for the rest of their lives.
August 25, 2008
August 24, 2008
Judging Runners by Their Strides
Sunday's NY Times once again tackles the intriguing question of the relationship between running form and running success and concludes that there is no right way to run.
There Are No Points for Style in the Marathon
The author surveys various aspects of running form -- stride length, the way the foot contacts the ground, finding the correct shoes for you -- but admits that "for every rule there are great runners who exemplify it and great runners who are exceptions to it."
There Are No Points for Style in the Marathon
The author surveys various aspects of running form -- stride length, the way the foot contacts the ground, finding the correct shoes for you -- but admits that "for every rule there are great runners who exemplify it and great runners who are exceptions to it."
Wanjiru Sets OR to Win Marathon
I couldn't have been more wrong about the Olympic marathon.
I thought the weather would be hot, humid, and oppressive. But after overnight rain, it was bright and clear for the start, and not too hot for the early miles. Eventually the temperature would rise into the 80s, but the the humidity was relatively low, a big plus for the early front-runners.
I was sure it would be a slow race with a huge cautious pack eye-ing each other nervously through 12-13 miles. Instead, the pace was fast from the get-go, with Kenyan Luke Kibet and Ethiopian Deriba Merga leading a pack of 8 runners through 10K in 29:25, and 20K in 59:10 -- sub 2:05 pace!
I thought the Americans would be up there in the lead pack, but they weren't taking their chances with that kind of go-for-broke crazy running, and they were never near the lead.
I thought the "Kenyan curse" would prevail, but Sammy Wanjiru won the country's first gold medal.
The Kenyans had decided that a slow early pace favored the Europeans. As Martin Lel said, “the idea was to make this like London,” explained Lel. “Run it fast and hard, especially in the first half. We realised that in the Olympics if there is a slow pace in the first half then Kenyans are trapped because the Europeans and others will be very strong in the later stages. So we knew our tactics had to be to fight hard in the first half so we could cut them off with a fast pace.”
I thought Carlos Lopes' Olympic record 2:09:21 from way back in 1984 was safe, but the 21-year-old Wanjiru -- the world record holder at the half marathon -- survived the early pace and absolutely crushed Lopes' record, running a surreal 2:06:32. The early pace killed almost everyone else in that lead pack (Morrocco's Jaouad Gharib ran 2:07:16 for Silver, but Lel faded to 5th (2:10:24), and no one else broke 2:10.)
Ultimately, Dathan Ritzenheim and Ryan Hall made a good showing, moving up to finish 9th and 10th, but this day the race belonged to the front-runners.
I thought the weather would be hot, humid, and oppressive. But after overnight rain, it was bright and clear for the start, and not too hot for the early miles. Eventually the temperature would rise into the 80s, but the the humidity was relatively low, a big plus for the early front-runners.
I was sure it would be a slow race with a huge cautious pack eye-ing each other nervously through 12-13 miles. Instead, the pace was fast from the get-go, with Kenyan Luke Kibet and Ethiopian Deriba Merga leading a pack of 8 runners through 10K in 29:25, and 20K in 59:10 -- sub 2:05 pace!
I thought the Americans would be up there in the lead pack, but they weren't taking their chances with that kind of go-for-broke crazy running, and they were never near the lead.
I thought the "Kenyan curse" would prevail, but Sammy Wanjiru won the country's first gold medal.
The Kenyans had decided that a slow early pace favored the Europeans. As Martin Lel said, “the idea was to make this like London,” explained Lel. “Run it fast and hard, especially in the first half. We realised that in the Olympics if there is a slow pace in the first half then Kenyans are trapped because the Europeans and others will be very strong in the later stages. So we knew our tactics had to be to fight hard in the first half so we could cut them off with a fast pace.”
I thought Carlos Lopes' Olympic record 2:09:21 from way back in 1984 was safe, but the 21-year-old Wanjiru -- the world record holder at the half marathon -- survived the early pace and absolutely crushed Lopes' record, running a surreal 2:06:32. The early pace killed almost everyone else in that lead pack (Morrocco's Jaouad Gharib ran 2:07:16 for Silver, but Lel faded to 5th (2:10:24), and no one else broke 2:10.)
Ultimately, Dathan Ritzenheim and Ryan Hall made a good showing, moving up to finish 9th and 10th, but this day the race belonged to the front-runners.
August 23, 2008
Everything Olympics
I think I went into Olympic shock over the past 24 hours trying to take in all the athletic melodrama, while continuing to chafe at NBC's fast-food coverage of the track and field events. Here's a sampling of the fevered thoughts running through my brain as I wait for the water polo, platform diving, and Morgan Freeman "Olympic moments" to end...
So Tyson Gay missed the two days of relay practice at the U.S. training camp prior to the games. Haven't we learned in basketball that it's not enough to show up with the most talented athletes if they haven't worked together to function as a team? It's too bad the U.S. mens team didn't make the 4x100 finals, but they would have had NO chance against the world-record setting Jamaican squad. The Jamaicans ran 19.30, a huge improvement over the previous WR. For comparison, if someone were to break the mile world record by the same percentage, they would take it down to 3:41.5!
On the other hand, the Jamaican women totally botched their hand-offs, showing that the U.S. does not have a monopoly on wasting its talent. The Jamaican 4x100 team featured two gold and two silver medalists. Their first handoff was merely terrible, as their number two runner got a slow start. Their second handoff was a catastrophe, as their third runner left too soon, then slowed down and drifted across her lane at the same time. Eventually NBC reached the same conclusion after initially saying that the runner left too late. And wasn't it strange to be celebrating for the underdog Russian women against the mighty Jamaicans?
Congratulations to Bryan Clay for his gold medal domination of the decathlon. I haven't seen a single second of video from the decathlon, and once again I was unwilling to sit through hours of NBC coverage of other events in order to glimpse the few moments selected for air time. The decathlon is a hard event to fit into the network TV coverage, which is not the fault of the decathlon but of the coverage. I followed live results all day yesterday and let the marks speak for themselves. By the way, American Trey Hardee was in position to medal before falling victim to the "Dan O'Brien" curse, failing to clear a height in the pole vault and withdrawing.
That women's 5000... How can they run that slow? The opening 1k took 3:39, which is roughly 17:30 pace. Did the crowd start to whistle and jeer? Well, all's fair in an Olympic final, even if it makes for a strange race. Tirunesh Dibaba made great use of her closing speed to win her second gold medal of the games, and Meseret Defar had to settle for the bronze. Has anyone noticed the woman who earned silver in both the 10k and 5k, Ethiopian-born Elvan Abeylegesse? Her performances -- a total of 3 seconds deficit to Dibaba over 9.3 miles of racing -- were tremendous, but no one much mentions her. I wonder why?
Even though I'm not a huge Jeremey Wariner fan, the guy won silver instead of gold because LaShawn Merritt ran better -- a better Olympic final, and a better season. Let's hope they both run spectacular legs in the 4x400 relay today.
All of Finland must be in mourning after Tero Pitkamaki managed only bronze in the javelin. Forget about the troubles of the U.S. sprint team, for the Finns to finish 3-4-5 in their strongest event means it will be a long, sad day in Helsinki.
As I type this Saturday morning, I can see the IAAF link to the results of the men's 5000 meters is up. Should I click on it and find out what happened, or wait half a day and night to let NBC show me five laps, with 6 minutes of commercials in between?
So Tyson Gay missed the two days of relay practice at the U.S. training camp prior to the games. Haven't we learned in basketball that it's not enough to show up with the most talented athletes if they haven't worked together to function as a team? It's too bad the U.S. mens team didn't make the 4x100 finals, but they would have had NO chance against the world-record setting Jamaican squad. The Jamaicans ran 19.30, a huge improvement over the previous WR. For comparison, if someone were to break the mile world record by the same percentage, they would take it down to 3:41.5!
On the other hand, the Jamaican women totally botched their hand-offs, showing that the U.S. does not have a monopoly on wasting its talent. The Jamaican 4x100 team featured two gold and two silver medalists. Their first handoff was merely terrible, as their number two runner got a slow start. Their second handoff was a catastrophe, as their third runner left too soon, then slowed down and drifted across her lane at the same time. Eventually NBC reached the same conclusion after initially saying that the runner left too late. And wasn't it strange to be celebrating for the underdog Russian women against the mighty Jamaicans?
Congratulations to Bryan Clay for his gold medal domination of the decathlon. I haven't seen a single second of video from the decathlon, and once again I was unwilling to sit through hours of NBC coverage of other events in order to glimpse the few moments selected for air time. The decathlon is a hard event to fit into the network TV coverage, which is not the fault of the decathlon but of the coverage. I followed live results all day yesterday and let the marks speak for themselves. By the way, American Trey Hardee was in position to medal before falling victim to the "Dan O'Brien" curse, failing to clear a height in the pole vault and withdrawing.
That women's 5000... How can they run that slow? The opening 1k took 3:39, which is roughly 17:30 pace. Did the crowd start to whistle and jeer? Well, all's fair in an Olympic final, even if it makes for a strange race. Tirunesh Dibaba made great use of her closing speed to win her second gold medal of the games, and Meseret Defar had to settle for the bronze. Has anyone noticed the woman who earned silver in both the 10k and 5k, Ethiopian-born Elvan Abeylegesse? Her performances -- a total of 3 seconds deficit to Dibaba over 9.3 miles of racing -- were tremendous, but no one much mentions her. I wonder why?
Even though I'm not a huge Jeremey Wariner fan, the guy won silver instead of gold because LaShawn Merritt ran better -- a better Olympic final, and a better season. Let's hope they both run spectacular legs in the 4x400 relay today.
All of Finland must be in mourning after Tero Pitkamaki managed only bronze in the javelin. Forget about the troubles of the U.S. sprint team, for the Finns to finish 3-4-5 in their strongest event means it will be a long, sad day in Helsinki.
As I type this Saturday morning, I can see the IAAF link to the results of the men's 5000 meters is up. Should I click on it and find out what happened, or wait half a day and night to let NBC show me five laps, with 6 minutes of commercials in between?
August 21, 2008
Runaway Train
(BOLT (TRANSITIVE VERB): To start suddenly and run away)
I've given up on watching the Olympics on my non-Tivo, non-DVR, 20th-century TV, waiting for NBC to get around to showing me the few moments it cares about approximately 24 hours after they happen. Instead, I've been hanging out on the IAAF web site during the day, checking the results as they come in. Then I watch the videos after they've been posted. It has come to that.
Anyway, so I knew that Usain Bolt had run wild in the 200 long before it was broadcast on NBC, but I didn't get around to watching the video until a few minutes ago.
It was so out of this world, so without precedent that I don't think I'll ever think of sub-20.00 as being particularly fast ever again. That Bolt ran such a time in his eighth race in a week, and into a 0.9m/s headwind defies belief.
It was only a year ago that I called Tyson Gay's performance at the world championships the greatest sprint double in history, but it looks plain and ordinary in comparison with Bolt's combined 100+200 meters in 28.99 seconds.
Bolt might have ticked off IOC head Jacques Rogge, but I've got no problem with Bolt this time, as he ran at least 200m all out on the way to his shocking takedown of the formerly unreachable Michael Johnson.
I've given up on watching the Olympics on my non-Tivo, non-DVR, 20th-century TV, waiting for NBC to get around to showing me the few moments it cares about approximately 24 hours after they happen. Instead, I've been hanging out on the IAAF web site during the day, checking the results as they come in. Then I watch the videos after they've been posted. It has come to that.
Anyway, so I knew that Usain Bolt had run wild in the 200 long before it was broadcast on NBC, but I didn't get around to watching the video until a few minutes ago.
It was so out of this world, so without precedent that I don't think I'll ever think of sub-20.00 as being particularly fast ever again. That Bolt ran such a time in his eighth race in a week, and into a 0.9m/s headwind defies belief.
It was only a year ago that I called Tyson Gay's performance at the world championships the greatest sprint double in history, but it looks plain and ordinary in comparison with Bolt's combined 100+200 meters in 28.99 seconds.
Bolt might have ticked off IOC head Jacques Rogge, but I've got no problem with Bolt this time, as he ran at least 200m all out on the way to his shocking takedown of the formerly unreachable Michael Johnson.
Remember the Decathlon
Slate has a humorous, but nonetheless interesting essay on the falling popularity of the decathlon.
Remember When Decathletes Were Cool?
Among the reasons given by Slate's Robert Weintraub:
- The Dan and Dave debacle of 1992
- Too many chances for the favorites to screw up
- The final event is slow and painful, and the winner is usually back in the pack just trying to hold on.
In any case, cool or not, these guys deserve our attention and support. At the end of the day, I'm not sure Bryan Clay isn't a better athlete than Michael Phelps.
Remember When Decathletes Were Cool?
Among the reasons given by Slate's Robert Weintraub:
- The Dan and Dave debacle of 1992
- Too many chances for the favorites to screw up
- The final event is slow and painful, and the winner is usually back in the pack just trying to hold on.
In any case, cool or not, these guys deserve our attention and support. At the end of the day, I'm not sure Bryan Clay isn't a better athlete than Michael Phelps.
August 20, 2008
Hard to Watch: W400 Final
I keep asking myself why Sanya Richards felt she needed to run 48 flat to win the women's 400m? Why did the announcers keep saying she needed to put away the field early?
The 400m is always run on a knife edge of speed and relaxation: run the first 100 meters too slow and you might never make it up; run it to fast and... well, we've all experienced that desperate feeling when the legs won't move any more, when the body seizes up and the track turns to sand as in some sort of bad dream.
I've watched the NBC video many times now, trying to take Richard's splits. As best I can determine, she runs the first 100m in just over 11 seconds. For some reason, the announcers think this is perfect. She "relaxes" a bit, and by my reckoning goes through the 200 in 22 high, way ahead.
After the race, Richards talked about how her hamstring cramped up. I haven't heard anyone talking about what happens to any athlete when they run the first 200 of a 400 at or just above their 200 PR pace. It's not nice to fool mother nature.
Richards ran her third 100 in about 13s, and her final 100 in about 15s. She was caught in the final stretch, and faded to third. Actually, I think she did very well to hold on to third. Those last few strides must have been very painful, indeed.
I wish I could replay that race, but with Richards running the first 100 in 11.5, and hitting the 200 in 23.5.
The 400m is always run on a knife edge of speed and relaxation: run the first 100 meters too slow and you might never make it up; run it to fast and... well, we've all experienced that desperate feeling when the legs won't move any more, when the body seizes up and the track turns to sand as in some sort of bad dream.
I've watched the NBC video many times now, trying to take Richard's splits. As best I can determine, she runs the first 100m in just over 11 seconds. For some reason, the announcers think this is perfect. She "relaxes" a bit, and by my reckoning goes through the 200 in 22 high, way ahead.
After the race, Richards talked about how her hamstring cramped up. I haven't heard anyone talking about what happens to any athlete when they run the first 200 of a 400 at or just above their 200 PR pace. It's not nice to fool mother nature.
Richards ran her third 100 in about 13s, and her final 100 in about 15s. She was caught in the final stretch, and faded to third. Actually, I think she did very well to hold on to third. Those last few strides must have been very painful, indeed.
I wish I could replay that race, but with Richards running the first 100 in 11.5, and hitting the 200 in 23.5.
August 19, 2008
Final NSRP Run on Wednesday, August 20
With collegiate runners returning to their college teams, and high school runners beginning pre-season, it's time to bid farewell to Mondays and Wednesdays group runs at Cold Spring Park.
Our final run will be Wednesday, August 20.
Thanks to all the runners, and good luck in your fall seasons!
Our final run will be Wednesday, August 20.
Thanks to all the runners, and good luck in your fall seasons!
Stephanie Brown-Trafton Wins First U.S. T&F Gold
Stephanie Brown Trafton pulled off the biggest upset of the Olympic Track and Field Program so far by winning the discus, and giving the U.S. it's first T&F gold medal of the games.
Brown Trafton Delivers Unlikely First U.S. Gold in Beijing
An hour later, Angelo Taylor added to the U.S. medal tally by leading a sweep in the 400m hurdles.
The 28-year-old Brown Trafton is an unlikely champion. She was third in the U.S. Olympic Trials, and only made the finals here on her last throw in the qualifying round. although she competed in Athens, she had never qualified for a World Championship meet before. However, she has been having a solid, if unspectacular season, and earlier this summer threw a career best 66.17 (third best in the world this year). But I think it's a safe bet that Brown Trafton, who works half time to support her habit of throwing a metal plate long distance, wasn't receiving a lot of aid or sponsorship money.
Brown Trafton didn't seem fazed to be at the Olympics. She won the discus on her first throw - 64.74, which stood up through six rounds. It was the first gold medal in the discus for a U.S. woman in 76 years.
After she won, all she wanted to do was meet former gymnast Mary Lou Retton. I wonder if Brown Trafton will also get her picture on a Wheaties Box?
Brown Trafton Delivers Unlikely First U.S. Gold in Beijing
An hour later, Angelo Taylor added to the U.S. medal tally by leading a sweep in the 400m hurdles.
The 28-year-old Brown Trafton is an unlikely champion. She was third in the U.S. Olympic Trials, and only made the finals here on her last throw in the qualifying round. although she competed in Athens, she had never qualified for a World Championship meet before. However, she has been having a solid, if unspectacular season, and earlier this summer threw a career best 66.17 (third best in the world this year). But I think it's a safe bet that Brown Trafton, who works half time to support her habit of throwing a metal plate long distance, wasn't receiving a lot of aid or sponsorship money.
Brown Trafton didn't seem fazed to be at the Olympics. She won the discus on her first throw - 64.74, which stood up through six rounds. It was the first gold medal in the discus for a U.S. woman in 76 years.
After she won, all she wanted to do was meet former gymnast Mary Lou Retton. I wonder if Brown Trafton will also get her picture on a Wheaties Box?
August 18, 2008
Lagat Out of 1500m Finals
It won't be the biggest shock of the Olympics (Liu Xiang withdrawing from the 110 hurdles will certainly be bigger news), but it was still a big surprise that last year's double world champion Bernard Lagat finished only 6th in his 1500 semifinal and failed to advance to the final. For Lagat, it was the end of his dream to win the 1500m gold medal after coming within a tenth of a second in Athens.
There was a fine story about Lagat and the 1500m semis by Jere Longman in Sunday's New York Times...
Failure to Qualify for 1,500 Final Knocks the Wind Out of Lagat
"As Lagat walked along a kind of cattle chute Sunday night, moving from one group of reporters to the next, his mood seemed to sag. He seemed puzzled, thwarted, resigned. He tried to shrug off his disappointment, but it began to harden, like concrete."
There's also a blow-by-blow account on Letsrun.com
At least Lagat still has the 5000m, where he'll be privileged to take on the best distance runner on the planet, 10000m gold medalist Keninisa Bekele.
For the other Americans, Lopez Lomong and Leo Manzano, the 1500 was a disappointment, as both runners finished last in their respective semi-final heats. Where are you when we need you, Jim Spivey?
There was a fine story about Lagat and the 1500m semis by Jere Longman in Sunday's New York Times...
Failure to Qualify for 1,500 Final Knocks the Wind Out of Lagat
"As Lagat walked along a kind of cattle chute Sunday night, moving from one group of reporters to the next, his mood seemed to sag. He seemed puzzled, thwarted, resigned. He tried to shrug off his disappointment, but it began to harden, like concrete."
There's also a blow-by-blow account on Letsrun.com
At least Lagat still has the 5000m, where he'll be privileged to take on the best distance runner on the planet, 10000m gold medalist Keninisa Bekele.
For the other Americans, Lopez Lomong and Leo Manzano, the 1500 was a disappointment, as both runners finished last in their respective semi-final heats. Where are you when we need you, Jim Spivey?
August 17, 2008
Sprinters -- Do You Have A Second?
Ok, that 100m final was pretty exciting, pretty impressive.
I was planning to stay up last night to watch it, but after the local NBC affiliate completely spoiled the surprise by announcing -- during the 7 O'clock news, several hours before showing the finals -- that Usain Bolt had won and set a world record, well, I wasn't interested losing any more sleep waiting to see something that had happened 24 hours earlier.
So I watched video of the race this morning. Very nice. Very fast. Very cool -- at least for the first 8.69 seconds.
Maybe its just me, but I didn't care for the final 15 meters. I hear everyone oohing and ahing about how Bolt set a world record even though he eased up in the final 15 meters. Well, is it too much to ask that sprinters who are about to win race save their celebrations for a few more strides? I mean, is it really necessary to show disdain for the other runners by coasting across the line in an Olympic 100m final?
I mean, c'mon people, the race takes less than ten seconds, and then you get several minutes to prance and preen, wrap yourself in a flag, hold up your finger in a universal symbol of happiness that of all the available integers, your name will be forever associated with the lowest.
Is it too much to ask that you actually race the full 100 meters?
It annoys me no end that in the next two weeks I will read several thousand speculations on what Bolt's time would have been if he hadn't lowered his arms, turned his head, and stopped driving to the finish while there was still several meters of tartan to traverse before the finishing line. Who cares? He ran 9.69. He won. Isn't that what it's all about?
Constantina Tomescu also celebrated before her race was over, but after running hard for 2 hours and 20 minutes, I'm a little bit more sympathetic to someone who blows a few kisses to the crowd. It's hard to begrudge a marathoner those moments of happiness after what they've been through.
But sprinters, please, all I ask is one second of your time -- one more second to help instill the principle that one should always run hard through the line, one more tick of the clock, and then let the celebrations begin.
I was planning to stay up last night to watch it, but after the local NBC affiliate completely spoiled the surprise by announcing -- during the 7 O'clock news, several hours before showing the finals -- that Usain Bolt had won and set a world record, well, I wasn't interested losing any more sleep waiting to see something that had happened 24 hours earlier.
So I watched video of the race this morning. Very nice. Very fast. Very cool -- at least for the first 8.69 seconds.
Maybe its just me, but I didn't care for the final 15 meters. I hear everyone oohing and ahing about how Bolt set a world record even though he eased up in the final 15 meters. Well, is it too much to ask that sprinters who are about to win race save their celebrations for a few more strides? I mean, is it really necessary to show disdain for the other runners by coasting across the line in an Olympic 100m final?
I mean, c'mon people, the race takes less than ten seconds, and then you get several minutes to prance and preen, wrap yourself in a flag, hold up your finger in a universal symbol of happiness that of all the available integers, your name will be forever associated with the lowest.
Is it too much to ask that you actually race the full 100 meters?
It annoys me no end that in the next two weeks I will read several thousand speculations on what Bolt's time would have been if he hadn't lowered his arms, turned his head, and stopped driving to the finish while there was still several meters of tartan to traverse before the finishing line. Who cares? He ran 9.69. He won. Isn't that what it's all about?
Constantina Tomescu also celebrated before her race was over, but after running hard for 2 hours and 20 minutes, I'm a little bit more sympathetic to someone who blows a few kisses to the crowd. It's hard to begrudge a marathoner those moments of happiness after what they've been through.
But sprinters, please, all I ask is one second of your time -- one more second to help instill the principle that one should always run hard through the line, one more tick of the clock, and then let the celebrations begin.
August 16, 2008
Flanagan Runs "Perfect Race" to Medal
The 10,000 meters has not exactly been a strong point for the U.S over the years, and any time an American does well it's generally considerd an upset (c.f. Billy Mills in 1964).
But Shalane Flanagan is no fluke, and she overcame the heat (no ice vest for her), a case of food poisoning that kept her from running for two days, and a blistering early pace to win the Olympic bronze in the first track final of the games. It was only the second time the U.S. has medaled in the 10K since 1984, and it is an odd footnote that both of those medals were won by women born and raised in Massachusetts.
Flanagan ran with a perfect combination of brains, confidence, and mental toughness. The food poisoning had been serious enough that she couldn't keep food down for two days and it would have been entirely understandable if she had withdrawn from the 10K to focus on the 5K, which would give her more time to recover. Instead, she just went out and ran her own race, figuring she had come this far so what the hell. According to the Shira Springer's excellent story in the Globe, Flanagan had a moment in the race where she thought to herself "this could end really well or really badly."
In eighth at halfway, Flanagan started picking off other runners, and moved into 3rd with about 800m to go. At the finish, she wanted to celebrate but because of the lapped runners, she wasn't sure she was third. But she knew she had run a great race; it turned out to be an American record 30:22.22, about 28 seconds behind Tirunesh Dibaba's Olympic record 29:54.
Flanagan's race made staying up late worthwhile, but NBC's paltry coverage was embarrassing. It was bad enough that they waited until after 1 a.m. to show the event, but in the end they showed barely a quarter of the race. In fact, before they showed the finish of the 10K, they showed throws from the men's shot put finals that took place AFTER the finish of these. It wouldn't have mattered, except that in one throw you can clearly see the finish of the 10K on the stadium scoreboard.
I hate NBC. I hate them with a burning passion.
But Shalane Flanagan is no fluke, and she overcame the heat (no ice vest for her), a case of food poisoning that kept her from running for two days, and a blistering early pace to win the Olympic bronze in the first track final of the games. It was only the second time the U.S. has medaled in the 10K since 1984, and it is an odd footnote that both of those medals were won by women born and raised in Massachusetts.
Flanagan ran with a perfect combination of brains, confidence, and mental toughness. The food poisoning had been serious enough that she couldn't keep food down for two days and it would have been entirely understandable if she had withdrawn from the 10K to focus on the 5K, which would give her more time to recover. Instead, she just went out and ran her own race, figuring she had come this far so what the hell. According to the Shira Springer's excellent story in the Globe, Flanagan had a moment in the race where she thought to herself "this could end really well or really badly."
In eighth at halfway, Flanagan started picking off other runners, and moved into 3rd with about 800m to go. At the finish, she wanted to celebrate but because of the lapped runners, she wasn't sure she was third. But she knew she had run a great race; it turned out to be an American record 30:22.22, about 28 seconds behind Tirunesh Dibaba's Olympic record 29:54.
Flanagan's race made staying up late worthwhile, but NBC's paltry coverage was embarrassing. It was bad enough that they waited until after 1 a.m. to show the event, but in the end they showed barely a quarter of the race. In fact, before they showed the finish of the 10K, they showed throws from the men's shot put finals that took place AFTER the finish of these. It wouldn't have mattered, except that in one throw you can clearly see the finish of the 10K on the stadium scoreboard.
I hate NBC. I hate them with a burning passion.
August 12, 2008
Gabe Pacione: 1990-2008
"The three of us walked across the track and took our seats in the stands. The infield was cruelly empty. As the clock ticked, a spot or two of sun broke through the westerly scudding clouds. People began to rise and a few cried "Go Pre!" In numbers they stood and applauded. With a minute to go, it was as if he were into his last lap. His people were all up, roaring him home as they had done four nights before. When the clock stopped, there was a visceral "OOOF!" and five seconds of dead silence. Then people were pointing, cheering, imagining him on his victory lap..."
- Kenny Moore
August 11, 2008
Peter Coe: A Hell of a Coach
Peter Coe, father of two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time world-record holder Seb Coe, passed away on Saturday, August 9, just hours after his son had boarded a plane to fly to the Olympic Games in Beijing
Like Oregon's Bill Bowerman, Peter Coe was a one-of-a-kind coach who applied his sharp intellect to the practical problem of training a human being to run faster than any human being had run before. In Coe's case, he focused his efforts on his own son, who became the best in the world.
As the London Times remarked: "Peter Coe changed the emphasis on the training for the middle-distance events. He advocated more intense, faster running, with short intervals of recovery, rather than so many slow, long runs. He believed that 'slow running makes slow runners'."
Along the way, the elder Coe received his share of criticism for his methods, but neither he nor his son ever seemed much troubled by the criticism. Well, that's not quite true -- Seb Coe famously lashed out against the British press after they doubted his fitness to run the 1500m in the 1984 Olympics (where he won a second gold medal).
While it is a daunting manual that delves deep into physiological processes, I still think Peter Coe's and David Martins' "Better Training for Distance Runners" is one of the best, most thought-provoking books on training for the middle distances.
Peter Coe was never interested in becoming a "guru". He believed that in order to train an athlete correctly, one had to study the athlete closely. He didn't aspire to take on that task for masses of athletes, so he directed most of his efforts towards his one athlete. He once remarked that he had been privileged to work with "a hell of an an athlete." But then, he said, "he had a hell of a coach."
For father and son, the success they achieved together spoke for itself.
Obituaries:
The London Times
The Telegraph
August 10, 2008
It's Not the Smog; It's the Humidity
Interesting article in today's NY Times describing the first long endurance event at the Beijing Olympics, the Men's cycling road race.
Humidity Is the Problem in a Race of Attrition
In reporting on the race, and on the conditions that American George Hincapie described as the worst of his career, Times writer Greg Bishop reported:
The American Jason McCartney came into the race with the same concern as the journalists who flocked here to gauge the effect pollution would have on endurance riders. McCartney acknowledged thinking during the first few days in Beijing, “We’re in trouble.” It turned out that they were, but for different reasons. In trouble from the heat, but mostly in trouble from the humidity that soaked shirts and dotted brows with sweat.
Only three of the five American riders finished, including Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, and Christian Vane der Velde. Hincapie said the air quality was not that big a deal, but the humidity was.
In very humid conditions, sweat doesn't evaporate efficiently from the skin, it just drips. Without the natural radiator of sweat evaporation, the body compensates by having the heart pump more and more blood to the surface from the body's core, with a huge negative impact on performance.
Anyone want to predict the winning times in the women's and men's marathons?
Vande Velde, who finished the race in 17th, had nice words for the course itself, calling it one of the most epic he has ever ridden (and that includes the 22 stages of the Tour de France). Bishop writes:
Almost lost in the air quality and the humidity was the beauty of the course itself. The collage of colors at the finish, the lush green mountains in the background, the Great Wall looming above, covered in the smog.
Humidity Is the Problem in a Race of Attrition
In reporting on the race, and on the conditions that American George Hincapie described as the worst of his career, Times writer Greg Bishop reported:
The American Jason McCartney came into the race with the same concern as the journalists who flocked here to gauge the effect pollution would have on endurance riders. McCartney acknowledged thinking during the first few days in Beijing, “We’re in trouble.” It turned out that they were, but for different reasons. In trouble from the heat, but mostly in trouble from the humidity that soaked shirts and dotted brows with sweat.
Only three of the five American riders finished, including Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, and Christian Vane der Velde. Hincapie said the air quality was not that big a deal, but the humidity was.
In very humid conditions, sweat doesn't evaporate efficiently from the skin, it just drips. Without the natural radiator of sweat evaporation, the body compensates by having the heart pump more and more blood to the surface from the body's core, with a huge negative impact on performance.
Anyone want to predict the winning times in the women's and men's marathons?
Vande Velde, who finished the race in 17th, had nice words for the course itself, calling it one of the most epic he has ever ridden (and that includes the 22 stages of the Tour de France). Bishop writes:
Almost lost in the air quality and the humidity was the beauty of the course itself. The collage of colors at the finish, the lush green mountains in the background, the Great Wall looming above, covered in the smog.
August 08, 2008
"Must-See" Track and Field
Sports Illustrated's David Epstein has a nice piece explaining why he is looking forward to the Men's 800m as one of the most exciting events of the 2008 Olympics. In a few hundred words he manages to communicate the chaos and anaerobic panic of the 800, praise Nick Symmonds for his unworldly acceleration in the late stages of races, and pay homage to Dick Wottle, the last U.S. man to win an Olympic gold medal in the two-lap event.
What I'm looking forward to...
Symmonds will have his hands full, and even making it to the finals will be a tall order. Still, even though he doesn't have the fastest time in the field, his 1:44.10 at the Olympic Trials was faster than the winning time in the 2004 Olympics... so anything is possible. Symmonds will be joined in the 800m by Vermont native and current Oregon runner Andrew Wheating and by Christian Smith.
The first round of the 800m is Wednesday, August 20th, at 7:00 p.m. Beijing time.
Meanwhile. we'll have to be content with swimming, basketball, beach volleyball, and gymnastics. And talking about those spectacular opening ceremonies. My goodness!
What I'm looking forward to...
Symmonds will have his hands full, and even making it to the finals will be a tall order. Still, even though he doesn't have the fastest time in the field, his 1:44.10 at the Olympic Trials was faster than the winning time in the 2004 Olympics... so anything is possible. Symmonds will be joined in the 800m by Vermont native and current Oregon runner Andrew Wheating and by Christian Smith.
The first round of the 800m is Wednesday, August 20th, at 7:00 p.m. Beijing time.
Meanwhile. we'll have to be content with swimming, basketball, beach volleyball, and gymnastics. And talking about those spectacular opening ceremonies. My goodness!
August 07, 2008
Ryan Hall Profile in The New Yorker
It's not every day that The New Yorker covers distance running, but the latest issue includes a lengthy profile of Ryan Hall (not available online, unfortunately).
Actually, the article wanders a bit from its purpose of describing the making of a long-distance runner to a long study of the question of what happened to American distance running -- marathoning, in particular - since Frank Shorter won Gold in Munich and Silver in Montreal to the present day.
The author, Peter Hessler, makes the argument that before the U.S. running boom, marathon runners in this country were on the fringe of what was already a fringe sport. And they were obsessed with the marathon and being as fast as they could be.
In other words, it wasn't about finishing, and it wasn't about being healthy; it was about "what can I get out of this machine?"
After the running boom, there were far more participants in marathons in the U.S., but they were slower. In 1982, the 100th finisher in the New York Marathon ran 2:25:45. In 2007, with three times as many participants, the 100th finisher ran 2:39:26.
These days, most marathon runners tend to be educated people with good jobs, not maniacs obsessed with running as many miles as possible, as fast as possible. The New Yorker quotes two remarkable statistics to support this argument: the average household income for participants in the New York Marathon is $130,000; and the median income of subscribers to Runner's World is approximately the same as the median income of people who subscribe to Forbes Magazine.
Or, to put it more bluntly: "For Kenyans and Ethiopians, The running boom...created a lot of slow, rich, American marathoners willing to pay big money to get beat."
But now, we have Hall...and Ritzenheim, and Sell, and a new generation of runners that shows signs of being every bit as obsessed as the marathoners of old. One thing that does come across in the article is that Ryan Hall is definitely an obsessed kind of guy, who struggles to reconcile his uber-competitiveness with his Christian faith.
Hall is also the fastest U.S. Marathoner of all time, and dominated the U.S. Trials last year against the strongest field in U.S. history. His preparations have included training on a Beijing-like course in Bishop, California.
Could he win the marathon like Shorter in 1972? That's the goal. Not just to finish, but to win.
Actually, the article wanders a bit from its purpose of describing the making of a long-distance runner to a long study of the question of what happened to American distance running -- marathoning, in particular - since Frank Shorter won Gold in Munich and Silver in Montreal to the present day.
The author, Peter Hessler, makes the argument that before the U.S. running boom, marathon runners in this country were on the fringe of what was already a fringe sport. And they were obsessed with the marathon and being as fast as they could be.
In other words, it wasn't about finishing, and it wasn't about being healthy; it was about "what can I get out of this machine?"
After the running boom, there were far more participants in marathons in the U.S., but they were slower. In 1982, the 100th finisher in the New York Marathon ran 2:25:45. In 2007, with three times as many participants, the 100th finisher ran 2:39:26.
These days, most marathon runners tend to be educated people with good jobs, not maniacs obsessed with running as many miles as possible, as fast as possible. The New Yorker quotes two remarkable statistics to support this argument: the average household income for participants in the New York Marathon is $130,000; and the median income of subscribers to Runner's World is approximately the same as the median income of people who subscribe to Forbes Magazine.
Or, to put it more bluntly: "For Kenyans and Ethiopians, The running boom...created a lot of slow, rich, American marathoners willing to pay big money to get beat."
But now, we have Hall...and Ritzenheim, and Sell, and a new generation of runners that shows signs of being every bit as obsessed as the marathoners of old. One thing that does come across in the article is that Ryan Hall is definitely an obsessed kind of guy, who struggles to reconcile his uber-competitiveness with his Christian faith.
Hall is also the fastest U.S. Marathoner of all time, and dominated the U.S. Trials last year against the strongest field in U.S. history. His preparations have included training on a Beijing-like course in Bishop, California.
Could he win the marathon like Shorter in 1972? That's the goal. Not just to finish, but to win.
Lopez Lomong and the American Flag
So here we are on the eve of the 2008 Olympic Games, less than 24 hours from the opening ceremonies, and already it seems that these Olympics are bigger and more significant than any in recent memory. Coverage of the Beijing Olympics -- much of it unflattering -- started long ago with stories about torch relay protests, possible boycotts of the opening ceremonies, the pollution problem.
But if you want an inspirational story, check out Helene Elliott's column in the LA Times about Lopez Lomong, who has been elected by his teammates to carry the American Flag in the opening ceremony.
Thanks to Lopez Lomong, it's good to believe in the Olympics again
Lomong is one of three naturalized U.S. citizens running in the 1500m. I've seen negative comments about the fact that no American-born runner qualified in that event, but if you aren't rooting for Lomong to do well, then you need a heart transplant.
"The American flag means everything in my life -- everything that describes me, coming from another country and going through all of the stages that I have to become a U.S. citizen."
But if you want an inspirational story, check out Helene Elliott's column in the LA Times about Lopez Lomong, who has been elected by his teammates to carry the American Flag in the opening ceremony.
Thanks to Lopez Lomong, it's good to believe in the Olympics again
Lomong is one of three naturalized U.S. citizens running in the 1500m. I've seen negative comments about the fact that no American-born runner qualified in that event, but if you aren't rooting for Lomong to do well, then you need a heart transplant.
"The American flag means everything in my life -- everything that describes me, coming from another country and going through all of the stages that I have to become a U.S. citizen."
August 05, 2008
Summer Runners (Tagged)
Henry Finch took this photo of the Newton Summer Running Project crew on Monday, August 4th (I'm the only one not in running clothes!).
August 04, 2008
Happy Birthday, Mary Decker Slaney!
Mary Decker Slaney (neé Mary Teresa Decker), turns 50 today.
At 15, Mary Decker was a world record holder. In 1982, she set six world records in distances ranging from the mile to the 10,000. In 1983 she won double gold at the world championships in Helsinki. 1983 would turn out to be the high point of here career. It was in 1983 that she was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the year.
In 1984, her career took a nasty turn as she famously collided with Zola Budd in the Olympic 3000m finals in Los Angeles, ending her best chance for an Olympic gold. she didn't help her image by publicly blaming Budd, a teenager running one of her first international races, for the fall. It was her Nancy Kerrigan moment, and it wasn't pretty.
In the late 1980's and early 1990's, Slaney's training and racing was affected by the many injuries she sustained. She failed to make the Olympic teams in 1988 and 1992. But in 1996, at age 37, she once again qualified for the Olympics, this time in the 5000m. However, a urine test taken at the Olympic Trials showed an unusual -- and illegal -- ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone. Slaney claimed this was the result of the birth control pills she was taking. The controversy went on for years, with the IAAF banning Slaney from competition, and the USATF supporting her.
In 2003, Slaney was inducted into the USATF Hall of Fame. Her PR's are still amazing to contemplate:
800 m - 1:56.90
1,500 m - 3:57.12 (American record)
1 mi. - 4:16.71 (American record)
3,000 m - 8:25.83 (American record)
5,000 m - 15:06.53
10,000 m - 31:35.30
Not only do these marks show amazing, Said Aouita-like range (1:56 to 31:35 is incredible), twenty-five years later, these marks would still put her near the top of the world.
August 03, 2008
Congratulations, Dávid and Kinga!
Our very best wishes and congratulations to Kinga Kertész and Dávid Polgar, who were wed on Saturday, August 2nd, at St. Stephen's Church in Passaic, New Jersey.
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