NNHS Alumnus Dave Cahill took another two steps towards life as a middle distance runner, running both the mile and the 800m at the first mini-meet at Boston University yesterday.
Cahill ran 4:43.21 in the 1M, and then came back later to win the 800m outright in 1:59.99! If he continues with the mile, watch for his time to drop as he gets used to the distance.
Many of the older runners at the meet took refuge in the 3000m. I want to mention on performance as especially notable: Craig Fram, 49 years old, ran 9:06.45, or the equivalent of a 9:47 2-Mile. His son, who is a H.S. sophomore (I think) ran 9:34.16.
That's an impressive family double! How soon do you think Craig Fram junior will be able to beat Craig Fram senior?
Results of BU mini-meet #1
December 16, 2007
December 14, 2007
What Was your Workout Yesterday?
It snowed 10 inches in Boston. What did you do for a run? Did you run in the snow, do a track workout indoors, run through the halls of your school sprinting up the stairs, do push-ups and sit-ups at home?
I'll start: I ran 35 minutes in the parking garage here at work, waiting for the massive traffic jams on 128 to clear. It wasn't too bad, although I got some strange looks.
So what did you do?
I'll start: I ran 35 minutes in the parking garage here at work, waiting for the massive traffic jams on 128 to clear. It wasn't too bad, although I got some strange looks.
So what did you do?
December 13, 2007
Ted Corbitt: 1919 - 2007
Ted Corbitt, a legendary figure in the history of American distance and ultra-distance running, died on Thursday at the age of 88.
He was one of the five original inductees into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. The other four -- Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, Joan Samuelson, and Katherine Switzer -- are all household names. But Corbitt, the one who is not a household name, might have had more of an impact than all the others put together. Most of what he accomplished, however, was behind the scenes.
Corbitt did not win any olympic medals (although he competed in the 5K, 10K, and marathon in the 1952 Olympics), but he set American records at 25 miles, the marathon, 40 miles, 50 miles and 100 miles. He set the 100 mile record (13:33:06, beating the old standard by two and a half hours) at the age of 50. He ran 134.7 miles in a 24-hour race when he was 54.
It wasn't just as a runner that he contributed to the sport. He was the first president of the Road Runners Club of America, and co-founded the New York Road Runners. Corbitt developed standards for course measurement, and published a treatise on the subject in 1964, laying the ground work for course certification and meaningful comparison among events.
Running Times called him "a shaping force" behind the masters division, and all of us who compete as masters owe him a debt of gratitude.
If you have never heard of Corbitt, he probably wanted it that way.
Ted Corbitt Obituary in NY Times
Article on Ted corbitt in Running Times
Wikipedia entry for Ted Corbitt
He was one of the five original inductees into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. The other four -- Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, Joan Samuelson, and Katherine Switzer -- are all household names. But Corbitt, the one who is not a household name, might have had more of an impact than all the others put together. Most of what he accomplished, however, was behind the scenes.
Corbitt did not win any olympic medals (although he competed in the 5K, 10K, and marathon in the 1952 Olympics), but he set American records at 25 miles, the marathon, 40 miles, 50 miles and 100 miles. He set the 100 mile record (13:33:06, beating the old standard by two and a half hours) at the age of 50. He ran 134.7 miles in a 24-hour race when he was 54.
It wasn't just as a runner that he contributed to the sport. He was the first president of the Road Runners Club of America, and co-founded the New York Road Runners. Corbitt developed standards for course measurement, and published a treatise on the subject in 1964, laying the ground work for course certification and meaningful comparison among events.
Running Times called him "a shaping force" behind the masters division, and all of us who compete as masters owe him a debt of gratitude.
If you have never heard of Corbitt, he probably wanted it that way.
Ted Corbitt Obituary in NY Times
Article on Ted corbitt in Running Times
Wikipedia entry for Ted Corbitt
Snowed Out?
Heavy snow in the forecast for Thursday afternoon could postpone this afternoon's meet at Reggie Lewis. Although I haven't heard any official word yet, so far, according to WBZ radio, the following Bay State Schools have announced early dismissals:
Dedham - Closing 3 hours early
Walpole - Closing 1 hour early
Wellesley - Closing 2 and 1/2 hours early
WBZ - Public School closings
As of 8:45 a.m., there's no word on the Newton school department site about early dismissal or postponement of athletic activities.
Newton Schools Weather policy
Also no word on the Reggie Lewis site, but that's not surprising. They often close for bad weather without posting it on www.rltac.com.
Perhaps one of the coaches knows whether the meet is on?
Dedham - Closing 3 hours early
Walpole - Closing 1 hour early
Wellesley - Closing 2 and 1/2 hours early
WBZ - Public School closings
As of 8:45 a.m., there's no word on the Newton school department site about early dismissal or postponement of athletic activities.
Newton Schools Weather policy
Also no word on the Reggie Lewis site, but that's not surprising. They often close for bad weather without posting it on www.rltac.com.
Perhaps one of the coaches knows whether the meet is on?
December 12, 2007
First indoor League Meets
And so the season begins, with the first week of league dual meets at Reggie Lewis. Checking Cool running this morning, I see the results of Tri-County Meet #1, which includes Brockton, St. John's (Shrewsbury), St. John's Prep (Danvers), Catholic memorial, and others.
Tri-County Meet #1
It's early, I know, but it's irresistable to start wondering about the teams that will be a threat at the State level.
St. John's (Shrewsbury) has a lot of potential to be a state caliber team. They have a strong group of middle distance runner, led by Cam Tieuli, and while it will be difficult to score points in the 1M at the state level, it looks like they might have the makings of a very good 4x800 team:
Their best all-around athlete is Andrew Powell, who high-jumped 6-4, long-jumped 20-5, and ran the 55 Hurdles in 8.09.
They also have a sophomore running 10:15 for the 2-Mile, and always seem to be tough in the 4x400.
Brockton has an intriguing mix of athletes, with All-Scholastic XC runner Carlos Montrond a likely point-scorer at the state levl in the 2M, and two impressive long-jumpers:
Yowza! They also had two runners under 38 seconds for 300, so they might have the makings of a strong 4x200 or 4x400 relay team.
Thursday is the first Bay State League Meet, and Newton North runs against Weymouth. I know little about either team, but based on returning strength, I'd have to think the Newton North boys are a strong favorite (with Putzys, Hamilton, Bao, Chan, Arsenault accounting for a lot of points).
The girls meet should be much closer, but I'm not going to embarrass myself by making any predictions or trying to analyze the teams.
The meet starts at 4:30 at Reggie. Good luck to all the Bay State teams!
Tri-County Meet #1
It's early, I know, but it's irresistable to start wondering about the teams that will be a threat at the State level.
St. John's (Shrewsbury) has a lot of potential to be a state caliber team. They have a strong group of middle distance runner, led by Cam Tieuli, and while it will be difficult to score points in the 1M at the state level, it looks like they might have the makings of a very good 4x800 team:
1 1219 Tieuli, Cameron JR Saint John's 4:37.91
2 1210 Perron, Ben SO Saint John's 4:38.78
4 1170 Clark, Brian SR Saint John's 4:48.99
5 1222 Turner, Kevin JR Saint John's 4:50.08
Their best all-around athlete is Andrew Powell, who high-jumped 6-4, long-jumped 20-5, and ran the 55 Hurdles in 8.09.
They also have a sophomore running 10:15 for the 2-Mile, and always seem to be tough in the 4x400.
Brockton has an intriguing mix of athletes, with All-Scholastic XC runner Carlos Montrond a likely point-scorer at the state levl in the 2M, and two impressive long-jumpers:
1 769 Dean, Dregory SR Brockton 21-11.00
2 787 Guerrier, Jimm JR Brockton 20-09.50
Yowza! They also had two runners under 38 seconds for 300, so they might have the makings of a strong 4x200 or 4x400 relay team.
Thursday is the first Bay State League Meet, and Newton North runs against Weymouth. I know little about either team, but based on returning strength, I'd have to think the Newton North boys are a strong favorite (with Putzys, Hamilton, Bao, Chan, Arsenault accounting for a lot of points).
The girls meet should be much closer, but I'm not going to embarrass myself by making any predictions or trying to analyze the teams.
The meet starts at 4:30 at Reggie. Good luck to all the Bay State teams!
December 09, 2007
Weekend Results: Dec 8, 2007
I guess cross-country season really is over.
After watching the Footlocker finals via webcast yesterday, I opened today's Boston Globe and found the section on the Fall All-Scholastics. As expected, Brookline was well represented in the selections for cross-country honors. Congratulations to Runner-of-the-Year Robert Gibson, Coach-of-the-Year Mike Glennon, and Brookline's other All-Scholastics: David Wilson, Mike Burnstein, and Elliot Lehane. It will be a long time before Massachusetts sees another team like the 2007 Warriors.
Boston Globe All Scholastics - Cross Country
Yesterday marked the first weekend of indoor track meets for many colleges, and that means we have some alumni NNHS results to report.
Noah Jampol opened his indoor campaign with a 4:35.61 mile for third at the Ursinus Winter Track Invitational. That's a nice time for the early season and a less than speedy track. It's great to see "the track junkie from Johns Hopkins" back in action.
Yale freshman David Smith tossed the big ball for the first time in college competition Saturday, putting 13.02m (42' 8.5")for fifth at the Yale Invitational.
Dave Cahill blazed a 1:57.47 800m at the Harvard Open meet in Allston on Saturday. Cahill also ran a very respectable 2:36.47 1000m a week earlier at Northeastern's Husky Invitational. Is this a permanent move up in distance for the man who runs 51s 400s more often than Tom Brady throws a touchdown pass?
By the way, Newton South alumnus and Brandeis freshman Sam Donovan ran a very nice mile time - 4:31.62 -- at that same Husky Invitational.
I also missed this result from a week ago: Steph O'Brien won an early season 1000m in 3:10.21 at the Wesleyan Invitational in Middletown, CT last weekend. I'm hoping we get to see Steph run the mile once or twice this season.
After watching the Footlocker finals via webcast yesterday, I opened today's Boston Globe and found the section on the Fall All-Scholastics. As expected, Brookline was well represented in the selections for cross-country honors. Congratulations to Runner-of-the-Year Robert Gibson, Coach-of-the-Year Mike Glennon, and Brookline's other All-Scholastics: David Wilson, Mike Burnstein, and Elliot Lehane. It will be a long time before Massachusetts sees another team like the 2007 Warriors.
Boston Globe All Scholastics - Cross Country
Yesterday marked the first weekend of indoor track meets for many colleges, and that means we have some alumni NNHS results to report.
Noah Jampol opened his indoor campaign with a 4:35.61 mile for third at the Ursinus Winter Track Invitational. That's a nice time for the early season and a less than speedy track. It's great to see "the track junkie from Johns Hopkins" back in action.
Yale freshman David Smith tossed the big ball for the first time in college competition Saturday, putting 13.02m (42' 8.5")for fifth at the Yale Invitational.
Dave Cahill blazed a 1:57.47 800m at the Harvard Open meet in Allston on Saturday. Cahill also ran a very respectable 2:36.47 1000m a week earlier at Northeastern's Husky Invitational. Is this a permanent move up in distance for the man who runs 51s 400s more often than Tom Brady throws a touchdown pass?
By the way, Newton South alumnus and Brandeis freshman Sam Donovan ran a very nice mile time - 4:31.62 -- at that same Husky Invitational.
I also missed this result from a week ago: Steph O'Brien won an early season 1000m in 3:10.21 at the Wesleyan Invitational in Middletown, CT last weekend. I'm hoping we get to see Steph run the mile once or twice this season.
December 08, 2007
Going Out Fast at Footlocker Nationals
I hadn't intended to write any more about cross country, but having just watched the webcast of the Footlocker Nationals again, I can't help commenting on the races.
Footlocker Finals - Webcasts
Specifically, the boys and girls races featured almost identical tactics from the early front-runners, Jordan Hasay in the girls race and Luke Puskedra in the boys race. Both went out fast -- no surprise there -- and both continued to push the pace, presumably in an effort to build insurmountable leads early.
Hasay came close to accomplishing her mission, as she strung out the girls pack with splits of 2:31 at 800m, 5:18 at the mile, and 11:02 at the 2M. At one point, Hasay had at least a five-second lead, but the chase pack stayed close, and Florida's Ashley Brasovan went by with about 1000m to go and won the race. Hasay ended up third.
Hasay's mile splits were approximately 5:18/5:44/5:55.
In the boys race, Puskedra took the pace out hard from the gun, running 2:10 for the first 800m, and 4:28 for the first mile. Even at that pace, he never had much more than a 1-2 second lead over the chase pack, which included Colby Lowe and German Fernandez.
By two miles, Puskedra had been joined by Mike Fouts, but Fouts did not seem in any hurry to take the lead. He waited for a minute or so, and then accelerated away at about the 10:20 mark. Meanwhile, Clint Derrick was moving up into sixth. Fouts opened up daylight on Puskedra, Lowe et al., and charged up the final hill on his way to a national title in 14:50. Derrick finished very fast to take second in 14:57. Puskedra ended up fifth in 15:15.
Puskedra's mile splits were approximately: 4:28 / 5:00 / 5:25. Fouts, on the other hand, ran a 5:00 final mile.
So what to make of this... One might conclude that going out fast isn't a great strategy, but I think it's more complex than that. After all, if the goal was to run even splits (which the textbooks tell us is the most efficient way to run), then everyone went out too fast, including the race winner. And it's possible that Derick, the guy who ran the most even race, waited too long tro establish contact with the front of the race. We can't know this for sure.
When I was watching the boys race, I recalled watching Dan Robb run the 800m at the Class A meet his senior year. Dan was feeling really good that day and went out very fast. He came through 400m in about 56, as I recall, and was leading the race by about 10m over a very talented field. He kept pushing and still held the lead at 600, but several runners passed him in the stretch. He still finished fourth, however.
I remember what Coach Blackburn said that day: he said that Dan ran the first 300m perfectly, but that he never stopped pushing. He said that if Dan had been able to relax and let his natural running form take over, he would have been able to conserve energy and defend his lead late in the race.
When I was watching the videos of the footlocker races, I had the same sense. It wasn't that the races went out fast, it was that once having taken the lead, it seemed that Hasay and Puskedra felt the need to keep pushing the pace. In any other race, they might have run away with victories, but against the very best runners in the country, their early pace was too costly, and they couldn't defend their leads late in the race.
I know, I know, it sounds simple and it really isn't. Nor is it an easy thing for the other runners in the race to hang on through those scalding early miles and challenge late in the race. But it brings home to me once again the difference between a truly championship caliber race and everything else. In a race among the best, there's no margin for error or allowance for moves that sap one's energy.
Footlocker Finals - Webcasts
Specifically, the boys and girls races featured almost identical tactics from the early front-runners, Jordan Hasay in the girls race and Luke Puskedra in the boys race. Both went out fast -- no surprise there -- and both continued to push the pace, presumably in an effort to build insurmountable leads early.
Hasay came close to accomplishing her mission, as she strung out the girls pack with splits of 2:31 at 800m, 5:18 at the mile, and 11:02 at the 2M. At one point, Hasay had at least a five-second lead, but the chase pack stayed close, and Florida's Ashley Brasovan went by with about 1000m to go and won the race. Hasay ended up third.
Hasay's mile splits were approximately 5:18/5:44/5:55.
In the boys race, Puskedra took the pace out hard from the gun, running 2:10 for the first 800m, and 4:28 for the first mile. Even at that pace, he never had much more than a 1-2 second lead over the chase pack, which included Colby Lowe and German Fernandez.
By two miles, Puskedra had been joined by Mike Fouts, but Fouts did not seem in any hurry to take the lead. He waited for a minute or so, and then accelerated away at about the 10:20 mark. Meanwhile, Clint Derrick was moving up into sixth. Fouts opened up daylight on Puskedra, Lowe et al., and charged up the final hill on his way to a national title in 14:50. Derrick finished very fast to take second in 14:57. Puskedra ended up fifth in 15:15.
Puskedra's mile splits were approximately: 4:28 / 5:00 / 5:25. Fouts, on the other hand, ran a 5:00 final mile.
So what to make of this... One might conclude that going out fast isn't a great strategy, but I think it's more complex than that. After all, if the goal was to run even splits (which the textbooks tell us is the most efficient way to run), then everyone went out too fast, including the race winner. And it's possible that Derick, the guy who ran the most even race, waited too long tro establish contact with the front of the race. We can't know this for sure.
When I was watching the boys race, I recalled watching Dan Robb run the 800m at the Class A meet his senior year. Dan was feeling really good that day and went out very fast. He came through 400m in about 56, as I recall, and was leading the race by about 10m over a very talented field. He kept pushing and still held the lead at 600, but several runners passed him in the stretch. He still finished fourth, however.
I remember what Coach Blackburn said that day: he said that Dan ran the first 300m perfectly, but that he never stopped pushing. He said that if Dan had been able to relax and let his natural running form take over, he would have been able to conserve energy and defend his lead late in the race.
When I was watching the videos of the footlocker races, I had the same sense. It wasn't that the races went out fast, it was that once having taken the lead, it seemed that Hasay and Puskedra felt the need to keep pushing the pace. In any other race, they might have run away with victories, but against the very best runners in the country, their early pace was too costly, and they couldn't defend their leads late in the race.
I know, I know, it sounds simple and it really isn't. Nor is it an easy thing for the other runners in the race to hang on through those scalding early miles and challenge late in the race. But it brings home to me once again the difference between a truly championship caliber race and everything else. In a race among the best, there's no margin for error or allowance for moves that sap one's energy.
Thin Ice
I don't mind the cold...much. On days when the temperature hovers in the teens, it's a little bit more difficult to get out the door but once the first couple of miles are behind you, the run feels good. And when you get back and your body is steaming like a draft horse, you can afford to laugh at the cold.
And rain is rain. I mean, the first few minutes are the worst until everything resolves into a damp mush, and then it's just a matter of having the sense to know when to come in and shuck off those wet clothes and spent the rest of the afternoon drinking hot cocoa.
I actually like hot days, and you'll never hear me complain about hot weather unless its a matter of having to race in the heat. Summer racing is always a little dangerous, but I don't mind a heat wave for everyday running. There's always the pleasure of waiting for sunset and then running through suburban streets on a summer night.
But ice?
Ice -- especially that thin, can't decide between rain and snow, didn't shovel the sidewalk version -- is the worst. I really resent it when all my favorite outdoor running routes are blighted with these frictionless stains of frozen slop. Each day I hope that the temperature will rise enough to melt the ice patches, or drop enough that they won't keep reforming at night after the sun melt during the day.
I go for a run, and every quarter mile I'm taking some ridiculous evasive action to avoid slipping and cracking my brittle bones on the road or sidewalk. And there's nothing redemptive about this. It's not like I'm getting tougher by doing this kind of running. I just end up sore from changing my stride. And then, I'll hit a patch of bare pavement and I'll suddenly feel grateful -- grateful! -- that the city deigned to plow ithis particular stretch of Comm Ave.
It's enough to make you do your long runs inside a parking garage.
And rain is rain. I mean, the first few minutes are the worst until everything resolves into a damp mush, and then it's just a matter of having the sense to know when to come in and shuck off those wet clothes and spent the rest of the afternoon drinking hot cocoa.
I actually like hot days, and you'll never hear me complain about hot weather unless its a matter of having to race in the heat. Summer racing is always a little dangerous, but I don't mind a heat wave for everyday running. There's always the pleasure of waiting for sunset and then running through suburban streets on a summer night.
But ice?
Ice -- especially that thin, can't decide between rain and snow, didn't shovel the sidewalk version -- is the worst. I really resent it when all my favorite outdoor running routes are blighted with these frictionless stains of frozen slop. Each day I hope that the temperature will rise enough to melt the ice patches, or drop enough that they won't keep reforming at night after the sun melt during the day.
I go for a run, and every quarter mile I'm taking some ridiculous evasive action to avoid slipping and cracking my brittle bones on the road or sidewalk. And there's nothing redemptive about this. It's not like I'm getting tougher by doing this kind of running. I just end up sore from changing my stride. And then, I'll hit a patch of bare pavement and I'll suddenly feel grateful -- grateful! -- that the city deigned to plow ithis particular stretch of Comm Ave.
It's enough to make you do your long runs inside a parking garage.
December 07, 2007
Footlocker Finals on Saturday
The 2007 Footlocker HS XC finals will be held on Saturday at Balboa Park in San Diego.
Massachusetts has two runners in the race: Bromfield's Emily Jones (2nd at the NE Regional), and Triton's Keely Maguire (5th at NE Rregionals). Jones, only a junior, also made the finals in 2006. Good luck to both!
You can find regional results, photos, predictions, and links to video at the following sites:
Official Footlocker Meet Site
DyeStat's Footlocker Finals Index Page
There is a live webcast available via DyeTV. The girls race is at 12:15 EST (9:15 local time) and the boys race is at 1:00 EST (10:00 local time).
Footlocker Finals Video from DyeStat
Massachusetts has two runners in the race: Bromfield's Emily Jones (2nd at the NE Regional), and Triton's Keely Maguire (5th at NE Rregionals). Jones, only a junior, also made the finals in 2006. Good luck to both!
You can find regional results, photos, predictions, and links to video at the following sites:
Official Footlocker Meet Site
DyeStat's Footlocker Finals Index Page
There is a live webcast available via DyeTV. The girls race is at 12:15 EST (9:15 local time) and the boys race is at 1:00 EST (10:00 local time).
Footlocker Finals Video from DyeStat
December 04, 2007
Robert Cade: An Appreciation
Robert Cade, the inventor of Gatorade, died a week ago at the age of 80.
Neil Amdur wrote a nice, informative appreciation of Dr. Cade in Sunday's NY Times.
Raise a Glass to the Father of Energy Drinks
It is hard to imagine a world in which hydration, electrolyte replacement, and carbo-loading were not universal concepts in athletics, but that was the way things were in 1966 when Cade started providing "Cade's Cola" to the U. of Florida football team.
Now, Americans drink 7 billions of bottles of Gatorade a year. 7 billion.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Cade was that he wasn't trying to start a revolution or found the sports drink industry, he was just trying to help athletes. His other projects involved experimenting with high-carbohydrate meals prior to exercise and designing a better football helmet.
Neil Amdur wrote a nice, informative appreciation of Dr. Cade in Sunday's NY Times.
Raise a Glass to the Father of Energy Drinks
It is hard to imagine a world in which hydration, electrolyte replacement, and carbo-loading were not universal concepts in athletics, but that was the way things were in 1966 when Cade started providing "Cade's Cola" to the U. of Florida football team.
Now, Americans drink 7 billions of bottles of Gatorade a year. 7 billion.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Cade was that he wasn't trying to start a revolution or found the sports drink industry, he was just trying to help athletes. His other projects involved experimenting with high-carbohydrate meals prior to exercise and designing a better football helmet.
December 03, 2007
This Day in Running History: Derek Clayton
On this day in 1967, Australian distance runner Derek Clayton set a world marathon best of 2:09:36.4 in the Fukuoka marathon, becoming the first human to run under 2:10. He would lower his own world's best again in 1969, running 2:08:33 in Antwerp. That time would stand as the world record for 12 more years, and would still be considered a world-class time today.
I remember reading about Clayton in Sports Illustrated back in the day. Clayton's training was always long and always fast. He logged 120-140 mile weeks for years until he finally sustained too many injuries to continue.
Clayton was not blessed with tremendous speed, but made up for it by developing the "Clayton shuffle," a low, economical stride that carried him along with little wasted effort. He rarely trained slower than 5:30 per mile pace.
Clayton competed in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, finishing 7th and 13th respectively.
I remember reading about Clayton in Sports Illustrated back in the day. Clayton's training was always long and always fast. He logged 120-140 mile weeks for years until he finally sustained too many injuries to continue.
Clayton was not blessed with tremendous speed, but made up for it by developing the "Clayton shuffle," a low, economical stride that carried him along with little wasted effort. He rarely trained slower than 5:30 per mile pace.
Clayton competed in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, finishing 7th and 13th respectively.
December 02, 2007
NNHS 2007-2008 Indoor Schedule
Unofficial Schedule for NNHS Indoor Track
(From highschoolsports.net and other spources)
(From highschoolsports.net and other spources)
December
Thu 12/13/07 4:30 NNHS v. Weymouth B&G RLTAC
Sun 12/16/07 9:30a Winter Festival B&G RLTAC
Thu 12/20/07 4:30 NNHS v. Needham B&G RLTAC
Sat 12/22/07 10:00a MSTCA Team Pentathlon ?? RLTAC
January
Thu 01/03/08 4:30 NNHS v. Braintree B&G RLTAC
Sat 01/05/08 9:30a Auerbach Frosh/Soph B&G RLTAC
Wed 01/09/08 4:00 JV Meet B&G NNHS
Thu 01/10/08 4:30 NNHS v. Framingham B&G RLTAC
Fri 01/11/08 TBA Dartmouth Relays Girls Hanover, NH
Sat 01/12/08 TBA Dartmouth Relays Girls Hanover, NH
Wed 01/16/08 4:00 JV Meet B&G NNHS
Thu 01/17/08 4:30 NNHS v. Brookline B&G RLTAC
Sat 01/19/08 9:30a Div I State Relays B&G RLTAC
Wed 01/23/08 4:00 JV Meet B&G NNHS
Thu 01/24/08 4:30 BSC Divisional Meet B&G RLTAC
Sun 01/27/08 11:00a McIntyre Elite Relays B&G RLTAC
Wed 01/30/08 4:00 JV Meet B&G NNHS
February
Sat 02/02/08 9:30a State Coaches Invite B&G RLTAC
Sun 02/03/08 TBA State Coaches Elite B&G RLTAC
Wed 02/06/08 TBA BSC Meet B&G RLTAC
Sun 02/17/08 TBA Div 1 State Meet B&G RLTAC
Fri 02/22/08 TBA State Finals B&G RLTAC
Fri 02/29/08 TBA New Englands B&G RLTAC
December 01, 2007
Brookline, Wilson 7th at NTN Nationals!
A wintry 3000 miles from home and facing acres of mud, numerous hay bales, and the infamous roller coaster hills known as the "whoop-de-doo's," the Brookline XC Club ably represented Massachusetts and the Bay State League on Saturday at the Nike Team Nationals. The Warriors (if the MIAA will let me call them that) finished 7th overall (of 22 teams) with 256 points.
David Wilson, second to teammate Robert Gibson all XC season, held back slightly at the beginning, but moved up and ran with the second pack most of the race. Wilson caught and passed Gibson with about 500 meters to go and was the first Brookline runner across the line at NTN Nationals, placing 7th overall in 16:27. Gibson, running hard from the gun, faded a bit in the final stretch but hung on to place 16th in 16:36.
(Don't be fooled by the times: even the race winner, Naperville's Chris Derrick, admitted "this course really eats you up.")
Congratulations to these kids and to the entire Brookline program on their State Championship, their NTN Regional championship, their performance in Portland, and a season for the ages!
Media notes: The team of announcers and athlete-commentators was generally good. Toni Reavis is, of course, the best, although he stumbled a few times -- understandable given that these were not star performers in a track race, but high school kids in a wild 5K race. Lauren Fleshman is a lively commentator. Alan Culpepper tries hard. Sadly, athlete stud Chris Solinsky was a dud as a commentator. The worst moment occurred while he was interviewing Lucas Walters, a runner who had undergone nine chemotherapy treatments in the past year. After Walters had described the cancer and its treatment, Solinsky awkwardly tried to segue back to the race, saying "Ok, well tell me how the race went today."
David Wilson, second to teammate Robert Gibson all XC season, held back slightly at the beginning, but moved up and ran with the second pack most of the race. Wilson caught and passed Gibson with about 500 meters to go and was the first Brookline runner across the line at NTN Nationals, placing 7th overall in 16:27. Gibson, running hard from the gun, faded a bit in the final stretch but hung on to place 16th in 16:36.
7. David Wilson 16:27.0
16. Robert Gibson 16:36.5
45. Mike Burnstein 17:05.8
60. Elliot Lehane 17:14.4
128. Chris Mercurio 18:00.4
140. Ryan Hardiman 18:12.7
151. Brendan Grove 18:26.1
(Don't be fooled by the times: even the race winner, Naperville's Chris Derrick, admitted "this course really eats you up.")
Congratulations to these kids and to the entire Brookline program on their State Championship, their NTN Regional championship, their performance in Portland, and a season for the ages!
Media notes: The team of announcers and athlete-commentators was generally good. Toni Reavis is, of course, the best, although he stumbled a few times -- understandable given that these were not star performers in a track race, but high school kids in a wild 5K race. Lauren Fleshman is a lively commentator. Alan Culpepper tries hard. Sadly, athlete stud Chris Solinsky was a dud as a commentator. The worst moment occurred while he was interviewing Lucas Walters, a runner who had undergone nine chemotherapy treatments in the past year. After Walters had described the cancer and its treatment, Solinsky awkwardly tried to segue back to the race, saying "Ok, well tell me how the race went today."
November 30, 2007
NTN Live WebCast info
Here is the info (copied from the Dyestat FAQ) for watching the Nike Team Nationals in real time via webcast.
Q: What is the address of the live webcast?
A: http://ntn.dyestat.com
Q: When is the live webcast?
A: Saturday, December 1 at 10:15am PST.
Q: What software will be needed to view the webcast?
A: Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player (installed by default on most Microsoft Windows based computers). To download the latest version of Media Player go here: www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/
Q: I have a Macintosh, will I be able to watch the webcast?
A: Yes, but you'll need some additional software called Flip4Mac. To download a free copy click here: http://www.flip4mac.com/wmv_download.htm
In addition, Firefox is the recommended Macintosh web browser. To download Firefox for Macintosh click here: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/?from=getfirefox
Q: How fast of an Internet connection is required to watch?
A: Broadband (DSL, Cable, FIOS, etc).
Q: Are their any videos from the Regional Championships?
A: Yes, click here to see those: http://www.dyestat.com/?pg=nikentn-regional-videos
Q: What is the address of the live webcast?
A: http://ntn.dyestat.com
Q: When is the live webcast?
A: Saturday, December 1 at 10:15am PST.
Q: What software will be needed to view the webcast?
A: Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player (installed by default on most Microsoft Windows based computers). To download the latest version of Media Player go here: www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/
Q: I have a Macintosh, will I be able to watch the webcast?
A: Yes, but you'll need some additional software called Flip4Mac. To download a free copy click here: http://www.flip4mac.com/wmv_download.htm
In addition, Firefox is the recommended Macintosh web browser. To download Firefox for Macintosh click here: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/?from=getfirefox
Q: How fast of an Internet connection is required to watch?
A: Broadband (DSL, Cable, FIOS, etc).
Q: Are their any videos from the Regional Championships?
A: Yes, click here to see those: http://www.dyestat.com/?pg=nikentn-regional-videos
Voice of Reason
Flotrack (www.flocasts.com) has a series of terrific video interviews with Olympic medalist, exercise physiologist, and legendary distance running coach Jack Daniels.
From the Flotrack web site:
Daniels has coached 31 individual national champions, 131 All-Americans and has won 8 NCAA team titles. He earned two Olympic medals, Silver and Bronze, in the modern pentathlon. As coach, Daniels was been honored numerous times: he was named National cross country coach of the century, National coach of the year three different times and the World's best coach by Runners' World. In addition to coaching, Daniels has written five books, including Daniels' Running Formula.
In the following video, he discusses at length the question of how much training is best for young runners. Daniels argues that while there is no physiological reason why a runner will physically "burn out" with higher mileage, the real danger is that they will lose interest in the training.
Jack Daniels Interview: Questions I Get Asked
According to Daniels, the most important role of the coach is to make training rewarding, and to create an environment where each athlete can begin to realize their abilities.
From the Flotrack web site:
Daniels has coached 31 individual national champions, 131 All-Americans and has won 8 NCAA team titles. He earned two Olympic medals, Silver and Bronze, in the modern pentathlon. As coach, Daniels was been honored numerous times: he was named National cross country coach of the century, National coach of the year three different times and the World's best coach by Runners' World. In addition to coaching, Daniels has written five books, including Daniels' Running Formula.
In the following video, he discusses at length the question of how much training is best for young runners. Daniels argues that while there is no physiological reason why a runner will physically "burn out" with higher mileage, the real danger is that they will lose interest in the training.
Jack Daniels Interview: Questions I Get Asked
According to Daniels, the most important role of the coach is to make training rewarding, and to create an environment where each athlete can begin to realize their abilities.
November 28, 2007
Gradus ad Parnassum
There's something to be said for living in a place where you can't help training, at least if you want to eat breakfast.
Here we were at Maho Bay Camp on the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was four in the afternoon, and I was sitting in the open air pavillion that sits up on the hill and overlooks the bay. It was that hour when vessels of every size and shape make their way home after a day of adventures on the water. I was thinking to myself, either this place is a dream, or that other place -- where bitter winds strip leaves from the trees and water freezes in the lakes -- that place is a dream. They can't both co-exist in the same moral universe.
You see, I never expected in my lifetime to visit the Virgin Islands. Nothing really prepared me for it. My family always believed in staying put during the winter. My dad liked to lay in the supplies and try to outlast the season. On the day I was born, a blizzard dropped two feet of snow on Amherst. With that background, I've always considered it an act of folly, if not a failure of character, to try to escape the cold by jetting off to some exotic location. So what was I doing here, in November, swimming in the aquamarine waters, relaxing in sandals and a t-shirt as cool breezes fanned my brow?
Well, I could blame it on Ann -- it was her 50th birthday that became the pretext for this unprecedented trip. Or I could point to the fact that our week away from New England coincided with having our kitchen torn apart as the first step in a wholesale renovation that will have us eating from the microwave for four weeks.
In an any case, here we were.
The camp where we're staying was actually a small city of about 150 tent structures and a few buildings built on the side of a steep hill that rises up out of the sea. Each tent structure was made with a solid wood platform that supported screened walls and a canvas roof that provided shelter from the occasional rain. (The rain, when it fell on the taut canvas in the middle of the night, sounded like fireworks crackling above our heads.)
The tents are connected by a series of boardwalks and stairs with whimsical names like Lizard Lane, Peahen Parkway, Crab Ramble Road, and Lost Donkey Highway. If there were slides, it would be like a life size version of Chutes and Ladders.
In this tent city, if we needed to go anywhere, we had to ascend or descend a great many flights of stairs. Ann and I were in Tent E28, which was near the top of the hillside. Between the beach to our tent, there were 365 stairs. I know because I counted them three separate times. The uphill version of this journey took about eight minutes. Of course, we were always carrying something, adding to the fun.
It didn't take me long to conclude that I was getting a pretty good workout just walking up and down the stairs. Of course, I was also running for about 30 minutes every morning, and those runs weren't flat either. The final 500 meters of my morning run asecended this same hill from a different side and involved climbing a grade that I estimated at 12% (yes, steeper than the hill at Gardner). The first day of doing this, and then walking up and down stairs all day, I was beat. The second day, I was looking for excuses to stay in our tent -- or, having left it, to stay away.
But by the third day a miracle occurred: I started getting used to it. By the fourth day, I was going out of my way to explore the vast network of walkways, finding new ways to navigate the hillside. That's when I started counting steps and stairs. I started taking pride in our remote and inaccessible location and looked down - literally and figuratively - on those guests whose tents were near the beach. I started imagining a running camp built on such a hill, a running camp that would turn its guests into mountain goats.
On the day before we left, I timed the final part of my run, and found out it took me 2:46 to climb the last hill. Later that day, we were returning from an excursion and were getting a ride from a truck that served as a taxi for the camp. On a whim, I started my watch when the truck began the long agonizing climb up the same hill I had run in the morning. Three minutes and twelve seconds later, I stopped my watch as the the truck crested the climb with a final groan from its lowest gear. I showed the watch proudly to Ann sitting next to me. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head, as if to say that vacations are completely wasted on some people.
Looking down from just above our tent onto Maho Bay, St. John, U.S.V.I.
Here we were at Maho Bay Camp on the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was four in the afternoon, and I was sitting in the open air pavillion that sits up on the hill and overlooks the bay. It was that hour when vessels of every size and shape make their way home after a day of adventures on the water. I was thinking to myself, either this place is a dream, or that other place -- where bitter winds strip leaves from the trees and water freezes in the lakes -- that place is a dream. They can't both co-exist in the same moral universe.
You see, I never expected in my lifetime to visit the Virgin Islands. Nothing really prepared me for it. My family always believed in staying put during the winter. My dad liked to lay in the supplies and try to outlast the season. On the day I was born, a blizzard dropped two feet of snow on Amherst. With that background, I've always considered it an act of folly, if not a failure of character, to try to escape the cold by jetting off to some exotic location. So what was I doing here, in November, swimming in the aquamarine waters, relaxing in sandals and a t-shirt as cool breezes fanned my brow?
Well, I could blame it on Ann -- it was her 50th birthday that became the pretext for this unprecedented trip. Or I could point to the fact that our week away from New England coincided with having our kitchen torn apart as the first step in a wholesale renovation that will have us eating from the microwave for four weeks.
In an any case, here we were.
The camp where we're staying was actually a small city of about 150 tent structures and a few buildings built on the side of a steep hill that rises up out of the sea. Each tent structure was made with a solid wood platform that supported screened walls and a canvas roof that provided shelter from the occasional rain. (The rain, when it fell on the taut canvas in the middle of the night, sounded like fireworks crackling above our heads.)
The tents are connected by a series of boardwalks and stairs with whimsical names like Lizard Lane, Peahen Parkway, Crab Ramble Road, and Lost Donkey Highway. If there were slides, it would be like a life size version of Chutes and Ladders.
In this tent city, if we needed to go anywhere, we had to ascend or descend a great many flights of stairs. Ann and I were in Tent E28, which was near the top of the hillside. Between the beach to our tent, there were 365 stairs. I know because I counted them three separate times. The uphill version of this journey took about eight minutes. Of course, we were always carrying something, adding to the fun.
It didn't take me long to conclude that I was getting a pretty good workout just walking up and down the stairs. Of course, I was also running for about 30 minutes every morning, and those runs weren't flat either. The final 500 meters of my morning run asecended this same hill from a different side and involved climbing a grade that I estimated at 12% (yes, steeper than the hill at Gardner). The first day of doing this, and then walking up and down stairs all day, I was beat. The second day, I was looking for excuses to stay in our tent -- or, having left it, to stay away.
But by the third day a miracle occurred: I started getting used to it. By the fourth day, I was going out of my way to explore the vast network of walkways, finding new ways to navigate the hillside. That's when I started counting steps and stairs. I started taking pride in our remote and inaccessible location and looked down - literally and figuratively - on those guests whose tents were near the beach. I started imagining a running camp built on such a hill, a running camp that would turn its guests into mountain goats.
On the day before we left, I timed the final part of my run, and found out it took me 2:46 to climb the last hill. Later that day, we were returning from an excursion and were getting a ride from a truck that served as a taxi for the camp. On a whim, I started my watch when the truck began the long agonizing climb up the same hill I had run in the morning. Three minutes and twelve seconds later, I stopped my watch as the the truck crested the climb with a final groan from its lowest gear. I showed the watch proudly to Ann sitting next to me. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head, as if to say that vacations are completely wasted on some people.
Looking down from just above our tent onto Maho Bay, St. John, U.S.V.I.
Brookline Wins NTN NE Regional
On Saturday, the Brookline TC (don't get me started) won the Nike Team Nationals - Northeast Regional Qualifying meet by a single point (86-87) over the NE Region's top-ranked team, Danbury TC.
Robert Gibson won the race outright in 16:01, and Brookline's quiet man (AKA, the second-best runner in the state), David Wilson, finished 3rd overall in 16:16.
It is ironic to think that the likely EMass runner-of-the-year, Gibson, who has not lost a race this year, is not a Bay State League All-Star. The irony only grows when you consider that the likely EMass coach-of-the-year, Mike Glennon, is not the Bay State League coach of the year.
But these are inconsequential things. Of much greater importance is that the Brookline TC is headed to Portland, OR to run for the national title on December 1st. We wish them the best of luck!
Early in the 2007 season, Brookline ran in the Bowdoin Park Classic, run on the same course as the regional meet. Of the five Brookline runners who competed in both races, here's a comparison of their times from the two races:
Bowdoin Classic - 9/22/07.....NTN NE Regionals - 11/24/07
Gibson.....16:13.0............Gibson.....16:00.9
Wilson.....16:36.0............Wilson.....16:16.0
Burnstein..16:48.0............Burnstein..16:30.7
Grove......17:20.0............Grove......17:34.4
Hardiman...17:35.0............Hardiman...18:16.8
In the latter race, Brookline also had Elliot Lehane (16:42.2) and Chris Mercurio (17:44.5).
To watch a recap of the regional meets, click the following link:
NTN Regionals - Web recap
Robert Gibson won the race outright in 16:01, and Brookline's quiet man (AKA, the second-best runner in the state), David Wilson, finished 3rd overall in 16:16.
It is ironic to think that the likely EMass runner-of-the-year, Gibson, who has not lost a race this year, is not a Bay State League All-Star. The irony only grows when you consider that the likely EMass coach-of-the-year, Mike Glennon, is not the Bay State League coach of the year.
But these are inconsequential things. Of much greater importance is that the Brookline TC is headed to Portland, OR to run for the national title on December 1st. We wish them the best of luck!
Early in the 2007 season, Brookline ran in the Bowdoin Park Classic, run on the same course as the regional meet. Of the five Brookline runners who competed in both races, here's a comparison of their times from the two races:
Bowdoin Classic - 9/22/07.....NTN NE Regionals - 11/24/07
Gibson.....16:13.0............Gibson.....16:00.9
Wilson.....16:36.0............Wilson.....16:16.0
Burnstein..16:48.0............Burnstein..16:30.7
Grove......17:20.0............Grove......17:34.4
Hardiman...17:35.0............Hardiman...18:16.8
In the latter race, Brookline also had Elliot Lehane (16:42.2) and Chris Mercurio (17:44.5).
To watch a recap of the regional meets, click the following link:
NTN Regionals - Web recap
November 19, 2007
Blog On Vacation: Nov 20-27
A big thank you to everyone who has been reading and commenting on this blog. I am going on vacation and will most likely be without ready Internet access for the next week. So no blog entries for a while... Sorry!
Congratulations to all on a great XC season. Good luck to Brookline at the NTN Northeast regional, and to anyone running the Footlocker regional.
Congratulations to all on a great XC season. Good luck to Brookline at the NTN Northeast regional, and to anyone running the Footlocker regional.
NCAA Div I Results
Arkansas' Chris Barnicle finished 108th at the 2007 NCAA Div I Championships, running 31:11 for the 10K course. Chris was 24:38 at 8K, but dropped back in the final (hilly) 2K.
Wellesley grad Brielle Chabot finished 77th in the Women's 6K, running 21:24 to lead Boston College.
Two other Mass. runners of note competed in the women's race: Ari Lambie (Bromfield/Stanford) finished 9th in 20:18. Lindsay Donaldson (Lincoln-Sudbury/Yale) finished 38th in 21:02. (There might be others, but I didn't notice any in the results.)
Wellesley grad Brielle Chabot finished 77th in the Women's 6K, running 21:24 to lead Boston College.
Two other Mass. runners of note competed in the women's race: Ari Lambie (Bromfield/Stanford) finished 9th in 20:18. Lindsay Donaldson (Lincoln-Sudbury/Yale) finished 38th in 21:02. (There might be others, but I didn't notice any in the results.)
NCAA Div I Championships - Live Webcast
Indiana State hosts the 2007 NCAA Div I XC Championships. Start of the Men's race is at 12:00 Easter Time (11:00 Central). The Women's Race Begins at 1:00 Eastern (12:00 Central).
CSTV is providing a live webcast (requires free registration). To access the webcast, use the following link.
CSTV Webcast of 2007 Div I XC Championships
CSTV is providing a live webcast (requires free registration). To access the webcast, use the following link.
CSTV Webcast of 2007 Div I XC Championships
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