Dan Chebot sampled the rich experience of a New England summer road race last night, finishing 3rd (out of 1500 runners) at the Yankee Homecoming 5K in Newburyport. Dan was credited with a 16:00 (after a 4:48 opening mile), but claims that his time was just a shade over 15:58. No FAT up here in Newburyport, Dan.
Actually, the 5K is the salad course for the evening. The main course is the 10-Miler, which offers big bucks and annually attracts a deep field. Friend of NSRP Ruben Sanca finished a strong 3rd in the 10-Miler in 51:30. This correspondent managed to mop up the competition in the senior citizen division.
July 29, 2009
July 28, 2009
The Last American 800m Olympic Champion
Whether you agree or not that the problem with American middle distance running is "obvious" (Not enough speedwork!) or indicative of a general lack of will, it's still interesting to see how different runners have made it to the top with very different training philosophies.
Since I specifically asked the rhetorical question "Where have all the half-milers gone," I got what I deserved when Coach Blackburn told me why he thinks the U.S. has fallen behind. (Thanks for the reply, coach!)
I actually agree with many (but not all!) of his points. But it's fascinating and somewhat perplexing to realize that the last U.S. Olympic gold medalist in the 800m was an unlikely champion who claimed that he hated to work out, and only ran hard three times a week.
In an article in Sports Illustrated from 1973, a year after he shocked favorite Dmitry Arzhanov in the Munich 800m final, Dave Wottle is quoted on the subject of his training:
"There is a limit to what I can do without running myself down...I only work out hard three times a week. I really prefer to have the pain three days instead of seven."
His teammate steeplechaser Sid Sink is then quoted:
"I ran every morning last year... Dave came out maybe three of five. Yet he made the Olympic team and won the medal. I stayed home. It was, shall we say, aggravating, and all the more so because he was right. He ran as he felt. I did a lot of that work just to satisfy my head. It tore the rest of me up."
"Aggravating." I love that.
Read the whole article here:
and Our Hats Are Off to You
Does this mean I think hard work isn't important for achieving success? Of course not! Hard work -- VERY hard work -- is essential for success in track and field, but figuring out how hard to work (and how and when to rest) is a matter of great dispute and probably varies tremendously from runner to runner. I don't happen to believe that the answer is always "train harder."
I also have to point out that Dave Wottle wasn't typical. Maybe he was unique, but I don't think so.
Anyway, if you have never watched the 1972 Olympic 800m final, please correct this lack in your education by viewing it now. If Arzhanov stays out of trouble on the first curve, I think he wins 9 times out of 10.
Jim McKay has the call:
Since I specifically asked the rhetorical question "Where have all the half-milers gone," I got what I deserved when Coach Blackburn told me why he thinks the U.S. has fallen behind. (Thanks for the reply, coach!)
I actually agree with many (but not all!) of his points. But it's fascinating and somewhat perplexing to realize that the last U.S. Olympic gold medalist in the 800m was an unlikely champion who claimed that he hated to work out, and only ran hard three times a week.
In an article in Sports Illustrated from 1973, a year after he shocked favorite Dmitry Arzhanov in the Munich 800m final, Dave Wottle is quoted on the subject of his training:
"There is a limit to what I can do without running myself down...I only work out hard three times a week. I really prefer to have the pain three days instead of seven."
His teammate steeplechaser Sid Sink is then quoted:
"I ran every morning last year... Dave came out maybe three of five. Yet he made the Olympic team and won the medal. I stayed home. It was, shall we say, aggravating, and all the more so because he was right. He ran as he felt. I did a lot of that work just to satisfy my head. It tore the rest of me up."
"Aggravating." I love that.
Read the whole article here:
and Our Hats Are Off to You
Does this mean I think hard work isn't important for achieving success? Of course not! Hard work -- VERY hard work -- is essential for success in track and field, but figuring out how hard to work (and how and when to rest) is a matter of great dispute and probably varies tremendously from runner to runner. I don't happen to believe that the answer is always "train harder."
I also have to point out that Dave Wottle wasn't typical. Maybe he was unique, but I don't think so.
Anyway, if you have never watched the 1972 Olympic 800m final, please correct this lack in your education by viewing it now. If Arzhanov stays out of trouble on the first curve, I think he wins 9 times out of 10.
Jim McKay has the call:
July 27, 2009
Asbel Kiprop Runs 3:32 at 5500' Altitude
Asbel Kiprop, who finished second to Rashid Ramzi at the Beijing Olympics but was elevated to the gold medal after Ramzi tested positive for the banned blood-enhancer CERA), ran a 3:32.82 to win the 1500m at the Kenyan National Championships over the weekend.
Kiprop has developed a habit of celebrating for much of the final straight, so it's hard to tell if he's really going all out. But if he wasn't going all out, and if he ran a 3:32 at altitude, that's a serious, serious time.
According to the NCAA altitude adjustment tables, running at Nairobi's 5500 foot altitude slows a 1500m runner down by between 2.4 and 2.8%, or about 5-6 seconds. Even a more modest 4s faster would make Kiprop the fifth fastest metric miler of all time.
And this while celebrating for the final 60m!
I'm probably not the first to say it, but Kiprop is the Usain Bolt of the 1500m.
Kiprop has developed a habit of celebrating for much of the final straight, so it's hard to tell if he's really going all out. But if he wasn't going all out, and if he ran a 3:32 at altitude, that's a serious, serious time.
According to the NCAA altitude adjustment tables, running at Nairobi's 5500 foot altitude slows a 1500m runner down by between 2.4 and 2.8%, or about 5-6 seconds. Even a more modest 4s faster would make Kiprop the fifth fastest metric miler of all time.
And this while celebrating for the final 60m!
I'm probably not the first to say it, but Kiprop is the Usain Bolt of the 1500m.
July 26, 2009
Where Have All the Half-Milers Gone?
The 800 meters is a great event. It sometimes plays out as an impossibly long sprint where the most brazen athlete wins, and sometimes unfolds as a tactical minefield in which timing and the ability to accelerate at just the right moment is the key to victory. One way or the other, there is precious little room for miscalculation.
I think back to the 1980 Olympic 800m final, a race I've read about many times, in which Seb Coe, at the time the greatest 800m runner in the world and a prohibitive favorite for the gold medal, sat back in last place with 300m to go, giving his rival and countryman Steve Ovett all the advantage he would need to steal the victory.
But even though the races are always exciting, something seems to be missing. Where have the great 800m runners gone? After Coe and Ovett in the late 70's and early 80's, there was Joaquim Cruz who won Olympic gold in 1984. A decade passed and then there was the incomparable Wilson Kipketer in the late 90's. Kipketer tied and then eclipsed Coe's world record of 1:41.73, placing it at 1:41.11, a mark that hasn't been seriously threatened since it was set in 1997.
Perusing the all-time lists, I'm struck by the fact that its dominated by Kipketer, Cruz, Coe, and their contemporaries. Kipketer has seven of the top ten times, with Coe (1981), Cruz (1984), and Sammy Koskei (1984) filling out the list. Looking down the list, only five of the top thirty times are from this century. Since 2003, the fastest time run is 1:42.69 by Sudan's Abubaker Kaki, good only for 31st on the all-time list.
The U.S. all-time list is similarly slanted towards the past. The American record is Johnny Gray's 1:42.60 from 1985. Of the top ten American times, not one is from this century. The list even includes Rick Wolhuter's hand-timed 1:43.5 from 1974, thirty-five years ago. Gray is still the only American to run under 1:43.20, a feat he last accomplished in 1988.
So are we on the verge of a breakthrough, or is there some other persistent reason that the U.S. hasn't produced another Johnny Gray, and the world hasn't produced another Wilson Kipketer?
Could it be that training for middle distance runners has changed in some fundamental way -- perhaps with less emphasis on pure speedwork, and more on endurance work? Can we blame it on modern running shoes with their higher, heavier heels that protect but perhaps weaken the achilles tendon?
Whatever the reason, we seem to be stuck for the moment. Will the world championships in Berlin add any names to the all-time list? I don't see it happening.
I think back to the 1980 Olympic 800m final, a race I've read about many times, in which Seb Coe, at the time the greatest 800m runner in the world and a prohibitive favorite for the gold medal, sat back in last place with 300m to go, giving his rival and countryman Steve Ovett all the advantage he would need to steal the victory.
But even though the races are always exciting, something seems to be missing. Where have the great 800m runners gone? After Coe and Ovett in the late 70's and early 80's, there was Joaquim Cruz who won Olympic gold in 1984. A decade passed and then there was the incomparable Wilson Kipketer in the late 90's. Kipketer tied and then eclipsed Coe's world record of 1:41.73, placing it at 1:41.11, a mark that hasn't been seriously threatened since it was set in 1997.
Perusing the all-time lists, I'm struck by the fact that its dominated by Kipketer, Cruz, Coe, and their contemporaries. Kipketer has seven of the top ten times, with Coe (1981), Cruz (1984), and Sammy Koskei (1984) filling out the list. Looking down the list, only five of the top thirty times are from this century. Since 2003, the fastest time run is 1:42.69 by Sudan's Abubaker Kaki, good only for 31st on the all-time list.
The U.S. all-time list is similarly slanted towards the past. The American record is Johnny Gray's 1:42.60 from 1985. Of the top ten American times, not one is from this century. The list even includes Rick Wolhuter's hand-timed 1:43.5 from 1974, thirty-five years ago. Gray is still the only American to run under 1:43.20, a feat he last accomplished in 1988.
So are we on the verge of a breakthrough, or is there some other persistent reason that the U.S. hasn't produced another Johnny Gray, and the world hasn't produced another Wilson Kipketer?
Could it be that training for middle distance runners has changed in some fundamental way -- perhaps with less emphasis on pure speedwork, and more on endurance work? Can we blame it on modern running shoes with their higher, heavier heels that protect but perhaps weaken the achilles tendon?
Whatever the reason, we seem to be stuck for the moment. Will the world championships in Berlin add any names to the all-time list? I don't see it happening.
July 24, 2009
NNHS Alumni Results - 7/23/09
Doug Brecher, in the midst of a superb summer of training, ran a personal best 25:04 for third place at the Marathon Sports 5 Mile Road Race last night. Brecher, whose 10K PR is 31:15 (5:02 pace), ran 5:01 pace over the rolling Wellesley course with the track finish.
(Photo: Jim Rhoades, jimrhoades.com
On another note entirely, the race featured a team competition, and the eternal struggle between Newton South and Lincoln-Sudbury continued...
222 34:37 Andrea Keklak Lincoln Sudbury Warriors
223 34:38 Kathy O'Keefe Team Newton
...
226 34:46 Marika Crowe Lincoln Sudbury Warriors
227 34:47 Melanie Fineman Team Newton
Teams consisted of two men and two women, and Team Newton came out on top with Xhulio Uruci and David Melly running 27:40 and 28:21, respectively.
(Photo: Jim Rhoades, jimrhoades.com
On another note entirely, the race featured a team competition, and the eternal struggle between Newton South and Lincoln-Sudbury continued...
222 34:37 Andrea Keklak Lincoln Sudbury Warriors
223 34:38 Kathy O'Keefe Team Newton
...
226 34:46 Marika Crowe Lincoln Sudbury Warriors
227 34:47 Melanie Fineman Team Newton
Teams consisted of two men and two women, and Team Newton came out on top with Xhulio Uruci and David Melly running 27:40 and 28:21, respectively.
July 23, 2009
Pack Mentality
It's July, and once again I have become addicted to watching coverage of the Tour de France on TV. After resisting for a few weeks, I've been glued to the TV set for the final week in the Alps, and what's worse, I've started to think and talk in the foreign language of professional cycling. If I'm out on a run with a group and someone goes ahead, they've "launched an attack on the peleton," and when someone charges up a hill, they're looking for points for "King of the Mountains." My conversation is peppered with phrases like "setting the tempo," "controlling the breakaway," and "defending the maillot jaune."
Sad as this condition may seem -- especially so since I have no cycling experience whatsoever -- it usually passes within a few weeks of the riders taking their victory laps on the Champs Élysées. However, there is one lasting effect of watching so many hours of this stuff, and that is a renewed appreciation of the importance -- and dangers -- of riding, or running, with the pack.
I thought about this again last night, setting off from Cold Springs with about twenty-five other runners and heading up Commonwealth Ave. towards the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. I had planned to run easily, but that plan was almost immediately out the window as I was swept along by a large pack that moved at a steady but rapid tempo. I felt like I had about as much control over my own pace as a leaf that falls into the stream.
It was not unpleasant to be running too fast; actually, it was intoxicating. In fact, it took quite a bit of willpower to follow my original plan of turning at BC, and heading back towards Cold Spring on a pre-arranged shorter loop. there were five of us who turned at that point, and immediately after leaving the larger pack, I suddenly felt the fatigue that had been building up through the early fast miles.
This kind of experience shows the positive aspects of running with a group, and also its perils. In a group, most of us find the collective strength to work harder, and the psychological support to overcome the daily fatigue of training. But at the same time, running with a group can mean turning over responsibility to others for important decisions about training. If a coach is not monitoring the group, the pace and distance of the runs will tend to be determined by the group's strongest, or most excitable members. I wonder how many of us have found ourselves hammering away in practice day after day, even though our race performances suffer for it.
Ideally (and selfishly), the best situation is to have a group that always runs at the right pace: easy, when easy is called for, and fast when the pace needs to be challenging. Realistically, that never happens. On the other hand, by having different training partners for different occasions, you can accomplish the same goal. For example, I think everyone should have at least one training partner who runs so slowly that when you run with that person, you are guaranteed an easy day.
As I write this, the Tour riders are finishing up their final individual time trial. After nearly two weeks of being concerned about drafting and having teammates around for every emergency, it is fascinating to see how the riders cope with having to do all the work by themselves. But even on this day, they have the radios in their ears and they know exactly what the other riders are doing or have done. Even when they are on their own, they are in the midst of the group.
So, too, are the runners who come to Cold Springs. Even when they aren't actually running together, they form a kind of society that encourages its members in training and racing at a higher level.
Ultimately, no one runs alone. You just have to make sure you're in the right group.
Sad as this condition may seem -- especially so since I have no cycling experience whatsoever -- it usually passes within a few weeks of the riders taking their victory laps on the Champs Élysées. However, there is one lasting effect of watching so many hours of this stuff, and that is a renewed appreciation of the importance -- and dangers -- of riding, or running, with the pack.
I thought about this again last night, setting off from Cold Springs with about twenty-five other runners and heading up Commonwealth Ave. towards the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. I had planned to run easily, but that plan was almost immediately out the window as I was swept along by a large pack that moved at a steady but rapid tempo. I felt like I had about as much control over my own pace as a leaf that falls into the stream.
It was not unpleasant to be running too fast; actually, it was intoxicating. In fact, it took quite a bit of willpower to follow my original plan of turning at BC, and heading back towards Cold Spring on a pre-arranged shorter loop. there were five of us who turned at that point, and immediately after leaving the larger pack, I suddenly felt the fatigue that had been building up through the early fast miles.
This kind of experience shows the positive aspects of running with a group, and also its perils. In a group, most of us find the collective strength to work harder, and the psychological support to overcome the daily fatigue of training. But at the same time, running with a group can mean turning over responsibility to others for important decisions about training. If a coach is not monitoring the group, the pace and distance of the runs will tend to be determined by the group's strongest, or most excitable members. I wonder how many of us have found ourselves hammering away in practice day after day, even though our race performances suffer for it.
Ideally (and selfishly), the best situation is to have a group that always runs at the right pace: easy, when easy is called for, and fast when the pace needs to be challenging. Realistically, that never happens. On the other hand, by having different training partners for different occasions, you can accomplish the same goal. For example, I think everyone should have at least one training partner who runs so slowly that when you run with that person, you are guaranteed an easy day.
As I write this, the Tour riders are finishing up their final individual time trial. After nearly two weeks of being concerned about drafting and having teammates around for every emergency, it is fascinating to see how the riders cope with having to do all the work by themselves. But even on this day, they have the radios in their ears and they know exactly what the other riders are doing or have done. Even when they are on their own, they are in the midst of the group.
So, too, are the runners who come to Cold Springs. Even when they aren't actually running together, they form a kind of society that encourages its members in training and racing at a higher level.
Ultimately, no one runs alone. You just have to make sure you're in the right group.
July 13, 2009
NNHS Alumni Results - 7/12/09
The Greater Boston Track Club men placed fourth at the USATF national club track and field championships this past weekend, and Newton North grads (and GBTC teammates) Dave Cahill and Josh Seeherman were there competing.
Dave ran in both the 4x400 and 4x800 relays. The 4x400 finished second in 3:18.10, while the 4x800 ran 8:20.57 to finish 6th.
Josh competed in the open 800, running 1:59.31, ran a leg on the aforementioned 4x800 relay, and anchored GBTC's sprint medley, which also finished 6th in 3:43.41.
---
Jamie Krieder won the weekly 5M race at Fresh Pond Race on Saturday morning, running 28:25 for the roughly 5M two-loop course.
---
Rumor has it that Dan Chebot jumped in an ran the Utica Boilermaker 15K as a bandit, but as he was unofficial, we'll have to ask him to supply the details.
Dave ran in both the 4x400 and 4x800 relays. The 4x400 finished second in 3:18.10, while the 4x800 ran 8:20.57 to finish 6th.
Josh competed in the open 800, running 1:59.31, ran a leg on the aforementioned 4x800 relay, and anchored GBTC's sprint medley, which also finished 6th in 3:43.41.
---
Jamie Krieder won the weekly 5M race at Fresh Pond Race on Saturday morning, running 28:25 for the roughly 5M two-loop course.
---
Rumor has it that Dan Chebot jumped in an ran the Utica Boilermaker 15K as a bandit, but as he was unofficial, we'll have to ask him to supply the details.
July 09, 2009
Turning Cats Into Tigers
"The long run is what puts the tiger in the cat." - Bill Squires
I have a confession: I don't know why long runs work.
I understand, more or less, the science behind running at various faster paces. I understand the concepts of V02 Max and Lactate threshold, and am happy to reap the benefits of race-pace repetitions. But long runs are still a bit mysterious to me.
When I say long run, I mean a run lasting 90 minutes or more at a relatively modest pace (1 1/2 - 2 minutes per mile slower than 5K race pace, or even slower). When done with a group, long runs are obvious social occasions, and the pace is never so fast that it precludes a good long conversation).
When I'm out of shape, the long run scares me. I make excuses for myself before I've taken my first step, and I struggle to manage 75 minutes, and I need a day or two to recover. As Sundays come and go, I find myself able to manage 90 minutes on a regular basis, and recovery is quicker. And if I'm really motivated (and healthy), and not too distracted by over-racing, I start pushing the long runs up to 1:40, 1:45, 1:50...
...and it is when the long runs start approaching two hours that this amazing thing happens. It's hard to describe, really, because it's a subtle change in how I feel all the time. For one thing, I start looking forward to longer and longer runs; in other words, it's highly addictive. For another thing, I seem to recover more quickly from all my runs, including hard efforts on the track. The effect of a two-hour run once a week seems to be that it drives my metabolism into a new gear where I am always ready to run some more. It's a little spooky, as though my body has decided that it should prepare itself for constant ambulation.
Some of this is psychological, no doubt. There's a powerful sense of accomplishment in running a long way. But what physical changes underlie that psychological strength, I don't know for sure. When asked about it, I'm happy to blather on about capillary growth and mitochondrial enzymes, but really, I don't know what's going on down there at the cellular level.
But I do have some opinions about how to do long runs, based on what has worked for me in the past.
First and foremost, I would do long runs in beautiful places -- on trails, in woods, or along quiet and pleasant roads without a lot of traffic. It's healthy in multiple ways to have something to enjoy besides the sound of your own breathing. Also, in planning a route, it's a good idea to make sure there are water fountains and bathrooms along the way.
Second, I would try to find agreeable training partners who are happy to share a relaxed pace that allows for free conversation.
Third, I would have a goal of increasing the length of your long runs by about 5 minutes every two weeks. In other words, if your longest long run now is 70 minutes, do your next two at 75 minutes, then the next two at 80, and so on.
Fourth, I would not plan anything too important for the rest of the day on a day you are doing a long run. I know that I like to do some walking after a long run to keep my legs moving at least a little bit. The worst thing (for me) is to sit in a car or on an airplane after doing a long run.
Fifth, since doing long runs is likely to fill your mind with feelings of running invincibility, I would urge a certain amount of caution. Like anything else, the benefits of doing long runs come slowly, over the course of many months, if not years. I have to remind myself that I was struggling mightily through 90-minute runs this winter, and it's only now -- six months later -- that I feel like I'm reaping the benefits.
And finally, I realize after writing the paragraph above that long runs are hard to manage for a lot of high school athletes who might compete in three seasons, racing many weekends. On the other hand, summer might be a good time to experiment a little with doing something a little longer than the standard high school 7-8 mile run.
I have a confession: I don't know why long runs work.
I understand, more or less, the science behind running at various faster paces. I understand the concepts of V02 Max and Lactate threshold, and am happy to reap the benefits of race-pace repetitions. But long runs are still a bit mysterious to me.
When I say long run, I mean a run lasting 90 minutes or more at a relatively modest pace (1 1/2 - 2 minutes per mile slower than 5K race pace, or even slower). When done with a group, long runs are obvious social occasions, and the pace is never so fast that it precludes a good long conversation).
When I'm out of shape, the long run scares me. I make excuses for myself before I've taken my first step, and I struggle to manage 75 minutes, and I need a day or two to recover. As Sundays come and go, I find myself able to manage 90 minutes on a regular basis, and recovery is quicker. And if I'm really motivated (and healthy), and not too distracted by over-racing, I start pushing the long runs up to 1:40, 1:45, 1:50...
...and it is when the long runs start approaching two hours that this amazing thing happens. It's hard to describe, really, because it's a subtle change in how I feel all the time. For one thing, I start looking forward to longer and longer runs; in other words, it's highly addictive. For another thing, I seem to recover more quickly from all my runs, including hard efforts on the track. The effect of a two-hour run once a week seems to be that it drives my metabolism into a new gear where I am always ready to run some more. It's a little spooky, as though my body has decided that it should prepare itself for constant ambulation.
Some of this is psychological, no doubt. There's a powerful sense of accomplishment in running a long way. But what physical changes underlie that psychological strength, I don't know for sure. When asked about it, I'm happy to blather on about capillary growth and mitochondrial enzymes, but really, I don't know what's going on down there at the cellular level.
But I do have some opinions about how to do long runs, based on what has worked for me in the past.
First and foremost, I would do long runs in beautiful places -- on trails, in woods, or along quiet and pleasant roads without a lot of traffic. It's healthy in multiple ways to have something to enjoy besides the sound of your own breathing. Also, in planning a route, it's a good idea to make sure there are water fountains and bathrooms along the way.
Second, I would try to find agreeable training partners who are happy to share a relaxed pace that allows for free conversation.
Third, I would have a goal of increasing the length of your long runs by about 5 minutes every two weeks. In other words, if your longest long run now is 70 minutes, do your next two at 75 minutes, then the next two at 80, and so on.
Fourth, I would not plan anything too important for the rest of the day on a day you are doing a long run. I know that I like to do some walking after a long run to keep my legs moving at least a little bit. The worst thing (for me) is to sit in a car or on an airplane after doing a long run.
Fifth, since doing long runs is likely to fill your mind with feelings of running invincibility, I would urge a certain amount of caution. Like anything else, the benefits of doing long runs come slowly, over the course of many months, if not years. I have to remind myself that I was struggling mightily through 90-minute runs this winter, and it's only now -- six months later -- that I feel like I'm reaping the benefits.
And finally, I realize after writing the paragraph above that long runs are hard to manage for a lot of high school athletes who might compete in three seasons, racing many weekends. On the other hand, summer might be a good time to experiment a little with doing something a little longer than the standard high school 7-8 mile run.
July 08, 2009
Usain Insane in the Rain
Last night in Lausanne, Switzerland, Usain Bolt reminded everyone why he is the "God of sprinting."
In a 200m race that included the defending 200m Olympic Silver medalist (Shawn Crawford), the defending 400m Gold medalist (LaShawn Merritt), and at least one other Olympic finalist, Usain Bolt washed them all away like a mighty flood. Running in a steady rain and into a 0.9 m/s headwind, Bolt ran 19.59 -- the fourth fastest wind-legal time in history.
Hi margin of victory was an astounding 0.82s over Merritt (20.41), who won the race for first mortal sprinter. How do the other runners prepare for a race against Bolt, when they view a race like this?
Results:
1. Usain Bolt 19.59
2. LaShawn Merritt 20.41
3. Churandy Martina 20.76
4. Shawn Crawford 20.80
5. Brendan Christian 20.85
6. Christophe LeMaitre 21.01
7. Stephan Buckland 21.30
In a 200m race that included the defending 200m Olympic Silver medalist (Shawn Crawford), the defending 400m Gold medalist (LaShawn Merritt), and at least one other Olympic finalist, Usain Bolt washed them all away like a mighty flood. Running in a steady rain and into a 0.9 m/s headwind, Bolt ran 19.59 -- the fourth fastest wind-legal time in history.
Hi margin of victory was an astounding 0.82s over Merritt (20.41), who won the race for first mortal sprinter. How do the other runners prepare for a race against Bolt, when they view a race like this?
Results:
1. Usain Bolt 19.59
2. LaShawn Merritt 20.41
3. Churandy Martina 20.76
4. Shawn Crawford 20.80
5. Brendan Christian 20.85
6. Christophe LeMaitre 21.01
7. Stephan Buckland 21.30
July 07, 2009
Mile Record Turns Ten
It has been ten years since we've seen a new open world record in the one mile run.
Ten years ago today, on July 7 1999 in Rome, Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj ran one mile in 3:43.13, breaking Nourredine Mourceli's world record. El Guerrouj, considered by many to be the greatest middle distance runner of all time, was chased to the line by Kenya's Noah Ngeny, who ran 3:43.40, a time that was also well under the old record. There's no doubt that the competition between the two in the final stretch helped both men eke out every last hundredth of a second.
3:43.13 and 3:43.40 are still the top two mile times in history, the only times under 3:44. After that race, El Guerrouj never ran within 1.5 seconds of his record. No other runner since has come within 3 seconds of it. Here's a video of the race -- well worth watching over and over...
Most people believe that eventually someone will run faster... eventually, but when? The mile record has never lasted this long before, at least not since there has been an international sanctioning body for track and field.
Has the record lasted so long because the mile isn't run as often as the 1500m? That might explain why the current 1500m record (El Guerrouj's 3:26.00 from 1998) is superior to the current mile record, but the all-time list for the 1500 shows that no one since 2004 has run under 3:29. Basically, no one has been close to the record in the last five years.
Is the record tainted by some still hidden drug scandal? I find that more than a little hard to believe... El Guerrouj was the best miler/1500m runner in the world for over 8 years. And other than Ngeny and, later, Bernard Lagat, no one was even close to El Guerrouj.
I think that the record was put "way out there" because El Guerrouj was truly ahead of his time in talent -- maybe in twenty years we'll see dozens of people running under 3:44 for the mile, but it will take a while for the world to catch up with the Moroccan. And also, that race for the line was magic. I've tried to figure when have two men both run faster than the existing mile world record in a single race? I can't think of a time, although I can imagine it happened at some point.
By the way, the women's world record for the mile is in a similar state of stasis. The current women’s record is 4:12.56 by Svetlana Masterkova of Russia, set on August 14, 1996. The #2 time is over three seconds slower, and was set in 1989.
In the case of the women's record, I think two things are different: first, there ARE fewer one mile runs at major competitions. Second, seven of the top ten times were run by athletes from The Soviet Union, Russia, or Romania from the mid 1980s to mid 1990s. I'm not saying that Eastern European countries were the only ones with doping issues, but I do -- sadly -- discount many of the times run in that era.
So back to the anniversary of the El Guerrouj - Ngeny Dual in Rome: will we see anything similar in the near future, or will we wait another 10 years for someone to go under 3:43?
One hopeful sign that we might not have to endure without a new record for so long was the performance of Asbel Kiprop at the Prefontaine Classic in June of this year. Kiprop won the Bowerman mile, running 3:48.50. In the final 100m he crossed himself twice, raised his hands over his head to clap to the crowd, crossed himself again, and wagged his finger, all while looking like he was strolling through an easy strider. He looked entirely untroubled by the effort.
Now we just need someone who can push him all the way to the line.
Ten years ago today, on July 7 1999 in Rome, Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj ran one mile in 3:43.13, breaking Nourredine Mourceli's world record. El Guerrouj, considered by many to be the greatest middle distance runner of all time, was chased to the line by Kenya's Noah Ngeny, who ran 3:43.40, a time that was also well under the old record. There's no doubt that the competition between the two in the final stretch helped both men eke out every last hundredth of a second.
3:43.13 and 3:43.40 are still the top two mile times in history, the only times under 3:44. After that race, El Guerrouj never ran within 1.5 seconds of his record. No other runner since has come within 3 seconds of it. Here's a video of the race -- well worth watching over and over...
Most people believe that eventually someone will run faster... eventually, but when? The mile record has never lasted this long before, at least not since there has been an international sanctioning body for track and field.
Has the record lasted so long because the mile isn't run as often as the 1500m? That might explain why the current 1500m record (El Guerrouj's 3:26.00 from 1998) is superior to the current mile record, but the all-time list for the 1500 shows that no one since 2004 has run under 3:29. Basically, no one has been close to the record in the last five years.
Is the record tainted by some still hidden drug scandal? I find that more than a little hard to believe... El Guerrouj was the best miler/1500m runner in the world for over 8 years. And other than Ngeny and, later, Bernard Lagat, no one was even close to El Guerrouj.
I think that the record was put "way out there" because El Guerrouj was truly ahead of his time in talent -- maybe in twenty years we'll see dozens of people running under 3:44 for the mile, but it will take a while for the world to catch up with the Moroccan. And also, that race for the line was magic. I've tried to figure when have two men both run faster than the existing mile world record in a single race? I can't think of a time, although I can imagine it happened at some point.
By the way, the women's world record for the mile is in a similar state of stasis. The current women’s record is 4:12.56 by Svetlana Masterkova of Russia, set on August 14, 1996. The #2 time is over three seconds slower, and was set in 1989.
In the case of the women's record, I think two things are different: first, there ARE fewer one mile runs at major competitions. Second, seven of the top ten times were run by athletes from The Soviet Union, Russia, or Romania from the mid 1980s to mid 1990s. I'm not saying that Eastern European countries were the only ones with doping issues, but I do -- sadly -- discount many of the times run in that era.
So back to the anniversary of the El Guerrouj - Ngeny Dual in Rome: will we see anything similar in the near future, or will we wait another 10 years for someone to go under 3:43?
One hopeful sign that we might not have to endure without a new record for so long was the performance of Asbel Kiprop at the Prefontaine Classic in June of this year. Kiprop won the Bowerman mile, running 3:48.50. In the final 100m he crossed himself twice, raised his hands over his head to clap to the crowd, crossed himself again, and wagged his finger, all while looking like he was strolling through an easy strider. He looked entirely untroubled by the effort.
Now we just need someone who can push him all the way to the line.
July 05, 2009
An Evening of Mile Races July 18th in Concord
Feel like running a fast summer mile?
The Concord-Carlisle XC and T&F teams are holding a fundraiser race on Saturday July 18th, consisting of a series of mile races. These include boys and girls races for 11-12 years old, 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18. It also includes an open category (19-39), and masters category (40+). All proceeds to benefit the Adrian Martinez Scholarship at Concord-Carlisle High School & The Concord-Carlisle T&F / Cross Country Teams.
The miles will be raced on the Track at Emerson Field, located at Everett and Thoreau Streets, Concord MA.
Schedule of Events:
5:00 PM: 11-12 Miles; 13-14 Miles
5:35 PM: 10-under Mini Mile
5:45 PM: First Timer's Mile
6:00 PM: Open Miles (age 19-39); Master's Miles
6:45 PM: The Adro "Elite" Mile
7:00 PM: 15-16 Miles
7:20 PM: 17-18 Miles & Scholastic Challenge
(note schedule may change slightly, depending on entries. Race director will notify by email before race day)
There will be prizes for the top 3 in each category. There is also an elite category, and serious prizes for any man who runs sub 4:10 or woman who runs sub 4:55.
The scholastic challenge is a team category for high school students (team members must be from the same town and must be attending high school in the fall).
Online registration and more info is here:
https://www.signmeup.com/site/reg/register.aspx?fid=DB2V5K7
The Concord-Carlisle XC and T&F teams are holding a fundraiser race on Saturday July 18th, consisting of a series of mile races. These include boys and girls races for 11-12 years old, 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18. It also includes an open category (19-39), and masters category (40+). All proceeds to benefit the Adrian Martinez Scholarship at Concord-Carlisle High School & The Concord-Carlisle T&F / Cross Country Teams.
The miles will be raced on the Track at Emerson Field, located at Everett and Thoreau Streets, Concord MA.
Schedule of Events:
5:00 PM: 11-12 Miles; 13-14 Miles
5:35 PM: 10-under Mini Mile
5:45 PM: First Timer's Mile
6:00 PM: Open Miles (age 19-39); Master's Miles
6:45 PM: The Adro "Elite" Mile
7:00 PM: 15-16 Miles
7:20 PM: 17-18 Miles & Scholastic Challenge
(note schedule may change slightly, depending on entries. Race director will notify by email before race day)
There will be prizes for the top 3 in each category. There is also an elite category, and serious prizes for any man who runs sub 4:10 or woman who runs sub 4:55.
The scholastic challenge is a team category for high school students (team members must be from the same town and must be attending high school in the fall).
Online registration and more info is here:
https://www.signmeup.com/site/reg/register.aspx?fid=DB2V5K7
July 03, 2009
Dream Mile Tonight (Today) in Oslo
One of the most famous track meets in the world, the Bislett Games, takes place this evening (local time) in Oslo, Norway. The meet features what is annually billed as the "Dream Mile" with many of the top middle distance runners in the world.
This year the buzz centers around Kenya's Augustine Kiprono Choge, who ran 3:29.47 for 1500m in Berlin earlier this year, best in the world for 2009.
You can watch the dream mile live on Universal Sports.Com at 2 p.m. Eastern time.
Here's the start list for the race:
Cliff Bargar
Mike Burnstein
Matias Carrasco
Dan Chebot
Scott Cole
Sam Donovan
Ben Finch
Noah Jampol
Alex Long
...
Oops, my bad, those guys are just a few of the NSRP regulars who meet at Cold Spring Park on Mondays and Wednesdays (meet at 6:15, run at 6:30). It WOULD be a sweet mile, though, wouldn't it?
Here's the real start list for the Bislett meet:
Henok Legesse, Ethiopia
Tarek Boukensa, Algeria
Nathan Brannen, Canada
Philemon Kipkorir Kimutai, Kenya
Vickson Naran Polonet, Kenya
Mohammed Shaween, Saudi Arabia
Jeffrey Riseley, Australia
Augustine Kiprono Choge, Kenya
Deresse Mekonnen, Ethiopia
Mekonnen Gebremedhin, Ethiopia
Nicholas Kiptanui Kemboi, Kenya
William Biwott Tanui, Kenya
This year the buzz centers around Kenya's Augustine Kiprono Choge, who ran 3:29.47 for 1500m in Berlin earlier this year, best in the world for 2009.
You can watch the dream mile live on Universal Sports.Com at 2 p.m. Eastern time.
Here's the start list for the race:
Cliff Bargar
Mike Burnstein
Matias Carrasco
Dan Chebot
Scott Cole
Sam Donovan
Ben Finch
Noah Jampol
Alex Long
...
Oops, my bad, those guys are just a few of the NSRP regulars who meet at Cold Spring Park on Mondays and Wednesdays (meet at 6:15, run at 6:30). It WOULD be a sweet mile, though, wouldn't it?
Here's the real start list for the Bislett meet:
Henok Legesse, Ethiopia
Tarek Boukensa, Algeria
Nathan Brannen, Canada
Philemon Kipkorir Kimutai, Kenya
Vickson Naran Polonet, Kenya
Mohammed Shaween, Saudi Arabia
Jeffrey Riseley, Australia
Augustine Kiprono Choge, Kenya
Deresse Mekonnen, Ethiopia
Mekonnen Gebremedhin, Ethiopia
Nicholas Kiptanui Kemboi, Kenya
William Biwott Tanui, Kenya
July 02, 2009
Feeling Good... and Other Perils of Training
A couple of times in the last few weeks, I have jokingly observed to my running companions that the key to successful training is to avoid feeling too good. It's when you feel really good, really fit, that you make the most egregious training mistakes.
Well, perhaps that's overstating things a bit. But I have certainly noticed with myself that feeling good is like being slightly intoxicated. it feels like you can do ANYTHING and get away with it. Run back-o-back races on a Saturday and Sunday? Sure, why not... Run 80 miles a week instead of 60? Hey, I was feeling fine... It's like the old joke about the optimist who falls off the 80-story skyscraper; as he passes the 50th floor he says "so far, so good!"
There's something to be said for being a little fatigued, a little subdued in your approach to the daily running task. I have found that good training is a little boring -- the same damn thing over and over, week after week without high highs or low lows. A stretch of this kind of training is not without its satisfactions, as you realize that gradually and without fanfare, you are logging a lot of good miles, and making it all feel routine.
And there ARE highlights, but not necessarily performance-related. There is the long run with friends that feels easy and satisfying, the run in the rain that goes really well and puts a smile on your face in spite of the outside gloom. There is the social life -- and the chance to talk while out for yet another 7-8 mile run.
Maybe this kind of mood isn't conducive for the peak of a racing season, but that's ok. When you're racing, you are so neurotic about being ready to run your best on one day that it keeps you from doing stupid things on the days leading up to the race. It's ok to feel good as you gather up your energy for the big event. But without races to enforce some kind of restraint, feeling good is a temptation that few of us can resist.
So I ran with all the NSRP folks at Cold Springs last night -- a pretty quick run (for me, not for them), and I felt pretty good. And I feel pretty good this morning.
I think I'd better stay in bed until the feeling passes.
Well, perhaps that's overstating things a bit. But I have certainly noticed with myself that feeling good is like being slightly intoxicated. it feels like you can do ANYTHING and get away with it. Run back-o-back races on a Saturday and Sunday? Sure, why not... Run 80 miles a week instead of 60? Hey, I was feeling fine... It's like the old joke about the optimist who falls off the 80-story skyscraper; as he passes the 50th floor he says "so far, so good!"
There's something to be said for being a little fatigued, a little subdued in your approach to the daily running task. I have found that good training is a little boring -- the same damn thing over and over, week after week without high highs or low lows. A stretch of this kind of training is not without its satisfactions, as you realize that gradually and without fanfare, you are logging a lot of good miles, and making it all feel routine.
And there ARE highlights, but not necessarily performance-related. There is the long run with friends that feels easy and satisfying, the run in the rain that goes really well and puts a smile on your face in spite of the outside gloom. There is the social life -- and the chance to talk while out for yet another 7-8 mile run.
Maybe this kind of mood isn't conducive for the peak of a racing season, but that's ok. When you're racing, you are so neurotic about being ready to run your best on one day that it keeps you from doing stupid things on the days leading up to the race. It's ok to feel good as you gather up your energy for the big event. But without races to enforce some kind of restraint, feeling good is a temptation that few of us can resist.
So I ran with all the NSRP folks at Cold Springs last night -- a pretty quick run (for me, not for them), and I felt pretty good. And I feel pretty good this morning.
I think I'd better stay in bed until the feeling passes.
July 01, 2009
I Grew Up in a Small Town...
I am sitting in a Bruegger's Bagels near the center of Amherst, taking advantage of a couple of hours of free time to drink a cup of coffee, read my email, and think about my home town.
There was no Bruegger's when I was growing up here, and it was Hi-Fi, not Wi-Fi that was the cool new technology. Other changes in town are more subtle but more profound: the passing out of existence of businesses that used to be pillars of the place; the aging and passing of members of my parents' generation; the aging of loss of independence for my own parents. Coming back here, I find myself consulting with some of my boyhood companions, who stayed in the area and are now elders of the community, the lawyers, property managers, businessmen who sit on the board of the little league and watch their own children graduate from high school and leave for college.
Sometimes it seems like the only thing that hasn't changed is the basic geography of the place, the landscape that I came to know intimately, first through the normal explorations of a kid just kicking around town with his friends, and later through the experience of a thousand runs that took me in ever-wider circles: Amherst, Hadley, Sunderland, Leverett, Shutesbury, even Greenfield.
I smile when I think that I know exactly how far it is (to the tenth of a mile) from my parents' house to North Amherst Center, taking the back roads through Hadley, past the riding stable and the tobacco barns, a long empty stretch that seems to last forever on a hot summer day, and punishes you in January with a steady headwind. I know the trails behind Amherst College, and I remember where you can go off the trails, and, if you are bold and daring and don't mind stepping gingerly over a barbed wire fence, you can cut through the fields to emerge on Mill Street.
I don't run here often. When I do, every step brings back memories. I think about the ten-mile loop I used to traverse through Hadley, taking South Maple Street all the way to Bay Road, which felt like the end of the known world to me. I remember the smell of manure from the cattle farms, and the barking dogs that weren't always tied up. I remember the run that started with me heading West up and over Mt. Warner Road, then running North on Rt. 47 all the way to Sunderland Center and back into town via Rt. 116, the longest run I had ever done at the time.
I remember running to Shutesbury to see my girlfriend - nine miles, and yes, it was mostly uphill -- and the disapproving look on her mother's face when I showed up, a skinny tramp in sneakers needing a ride back into town. I remember the loops from the high school with the team, out North East Street to Cushman and Flat Hills Road, up Pelham Hill, Harkness Road.
I sometimes think that I have a deficiency for recalling normal things -- the classrooms, movie theaters, pizza places that ought to fill me with nostalgia, but, in truth, leave me relatively unmoved. Instead, some undistinguished stretch of road inspires me to recall endless summers and youthful adventures.
The funny thing is, the classrooms have all been torn down and replaced in new school buildings; the pizza places have come and gone, in rapid succession. I don't even know where people go to see movies anymore. But the roads of Amherst are still here, their friendly shoulders hardly changed from the 60s and 70s. It occurs to me that these are the places, and just about the only places, where for a time I can imagine that nothing has changed for me, either.
There was no Bruegger's when I was growing up here, and it was Hi-Fi, not Wi-Fi that was the cool new technology. Other changes in town are more subtle but more profound: the passing out of existence of businesses that used to be pillars of the place; the aging and passing of members of my parents' generation; the aging of loss of independence for my own parents. Coming back here, I find myself consulting with some of my boyhood companions, who stayed in the area and are now elders of the community, the lawyers, property managers, businessmen who sit on the board of the little league and watch their own children graduate from high school and leave for college.
Sometimes it seems like the only thing that hasn't changed is the basic geography of the place, the landscape that I came to know intimately, first through the normal explorations of a kid just kicking around town with his friends, and later through the experience of a thousand runs that took me in ever-wider circles: Amherst, Hadley, Sunderland, Leverett, Shutesbury, even Greenfield.
I smile when I think that I know exactly how far it is (to the tenth of a mile) from my parents' house to North Amherst Center, taking the back roads through Hadley, past the riding stable and the tobacco barns, a long empty stretch that seems to last forever on a hot summer day, and punishes you in January with a steady headwind. I know the trails behind Amherst College, and I remember where you can go off the trails, and, if you are bold and daring and don't mind stepping gingerly over a barbed wire fence, you can cut through the fields to emerge on Mill Street.
I don't run here often. When I do, every step brings back memories. I think about the ten-mile loop I used to traverse through Hadley, taking South Maple Street all the way to Bay Road, which felt like the end of the known world to me. I remember the smell of manure from the cattle farms, and the barking dogs that weren't always tied up. I remember the run that started with me heading West up and over Mt. Warner Road, then running North on Rt. 47 all the way to Sunderland Center and back into town via Rt. 116, the longest run I had ever done at the time.
I remember running to Shutesbury to see my girlfriend - nine miles, and yes, it was mostly uphill -- and the disapproving look on her mother's face when I showed up, a skinny tramp in sneakers needing a ride back into town. I remember the loops from the high school with the team, out North East Street to Cushman and Flat Hills Road, up Pelham Hill, Harkness Road.
I sometimes think that I have a deficiency for recalling normal things -- the classrooms, movie theaters, pizza places that ought to fill me with nostalgia, but, in truth, leave me relatively unmoved. Instead, some undistinguished stretch of road inspires me to recall endless summers and youthful adventures.
The funny thing is, the classrooms have all been torn down and replaced in new school buildings; the pizza places have come and gone, in rapid succession. I don't even know where people go to see movies anymore. But the roads of Amherst are still here, their friendly shoulders hardly changed from the 60s and 70s. It occurs to me that these are the places, and just about the only places, where for a time I can imagine that nothing has changed for me, either.
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