I ran 7 miles on local trails this morning as I continue to taper for next Saturday's (August 18) Pikes Peak Ascent. I have three short runs (4, 4, & 3 miles) planned for next week. We'll drive to Colorado Springs on Friday, and the race is Saturday morning. I think that I'm ready, but you never know.
It's hard to believe that the Olympics end tomorrow. It's been an entertaining, and often inspiring, two weeks. Despite my bias for track & field, my favorite moment of these Olympics was the gold medal match for women's beach volleyball. Won, of course, by Americans Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh. It was their third--and final--Olympic Gold. Misty May retired after the match. So, I guess that made it a bitter-sweet moment.
Yesterday's women's 1500 meters was another American middle distance/distance disappointment. The race was won by Turkey's Asli Cakir Alptekin in 4:10.23. Shannon Rowbury was the only U.S. qualifier to make it to the finish line. Well back in 6th place. Morgan Uceny tripped on the final lap and did not finish. Jenny Simpson failed to make the final.
Runners' World columnist Amby Burfoot handicaps Sunday's men's marathon here: http://olympics.runnersworld.com/2012/mens-marathon-kenyans-ethiopians-super-strong/
Kenya's David Rudisha notched a world record and became the first man to run a sub-1:40 800 meters in the finals of the Olympic 800 on Thursday: http://running.competitor.com/2012/08/news/david-rudisha-wins-800m-gold-in-world-record-time_56732
One of my favorite bands of all time, the Who, will appear in the closing ceremony Sunday evening. Maybe the IOC will add pinball for the 2016 Games!
Showing posts with label Misty May-Treanor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Misty May-Treanor. Show all posts
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Training for Colorado and thinking about London
Got up early this morning so that I could run before the latest snow storm arrived. No such luck. The snow began before I had gone a mile and picked up in intensity as I went. By the time I finished (4.5 mile maintenance run plus a one-mile cool-down walk), the snow had begun to accumulate on the streets. But, I got the run in without slipping and sliding and that's always a good thing. Winter is one day closer to being over and Ft. Collins (Colorado Marathon) is one day closer!
Tomorrow is cross training, i.e. a brisk 4/5 mile walk. My next long run--17 miles this time--is Sunday. Right now the Weather Service is forecasting mid-30s for Sunday. Hooray!
I got an email this morning from a friend who was visiting Houston last weekend and saw the Marathon Trials. She reported that the enthusiastic spectators--estimated at 500,000--were rewarded with two competitive and entertaining races. Awesome, indeed.
My biggest takeaway from the trials is the upside potential of women's winner Shalane Flanagan. In only her second marathon, Shalane ran an event record time of 2:25:38. Given her background at 5000 and 10000 meters and six months to prepare for London, she has a chance to surprise. And, surprise in a big way. A big golden way. As in gold medal.
Congrats to Meb Keflezighi, two-time winner of the Quad-City Times Bix 7 and local Hog Heaven favorite, on his win in the men's race. Despite Meb's win, the U.S.'s best hope among the men to medal at London is likely Ryan Hall, who finished second at the trials. Meb is now 36-years-old and his marathon PR is 2:09:08. Consider that Kenyan Patrick Makau ran 2:03:38 last September in Berlin. Berlin is known as a fast venue, but still . . .
What to watch for in London this summer besides the men's and women's marathons: 1) I'll be watching to see how Michael Phelps, the undisputed king of the Beijing Games does. He's four years older and his competition is stiffer. Has fame, fortune, and the occasional toke slowed MP down? 2) In the pool on the women's side, I'll be rooting for Centennial, Colorado, high school student Missy Franklin, a sixteen-year-old phenom. If you've seen Missy interviewed, you already know that she's a breath of fresh air. 3) Has motherhood slowed the queens of the sand: Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, 2004 and 2008 Gold medalists in Beach Volleyball. Following the Beijing Games, Kerri took some time off to give birth. Twice. I'm not much of a fan of beach volleyball, but during the Beijing Games, I found that I couldn't not watch these two dynamos. Okay. The bikinis didn't hurt. 4) Can anyone stay with Usain Bolt? Gold medalist in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4x100 meters at Beijing, Usain holds world and Olympic records in all three events including a ridiculous 9.58 in the 100.
Tomorrow is cross training, i.e. a brisk 4/5 mile walk. My next long run--17 miles this time--is Sunday. Right now the Weather Service is forecasting mid-30s for Sunday. Hooray!
I got an email this morning from a friend who was visiting Houston last weekend and saw the Marathon Trials. She reported that the enthusiastic spectators--estimated at 500,000--were rewarded with two competitive and entertaining races. Awesome, indeed.
My biggest takeaway from the trials is the upside potential of women's winner Shalane Flanagan. In only her second marathon, Shalane ran an event record time of 2:25:38. Given her background at 5000 and 10000 meters and six months to prepare for London, she has a chance to surprise. And, surprise in a big way. A big golden way. As in gold medal.
Congrats to Meb Keflezighi, two-time winner of the Quad-City Times Bix 7 and local Hog Heaven favorite, on his win in the men's race. Despite Meb's win, the U.S.'s best hope among the men to medal at London is likely Ryan Hall, who finished second at the trials. Meb is now 36-years-old and his marathon PR is 2:09:08. Consider that Kenyan Patrick Makau ran 2:03:38 last September in Berlin. Berlin is known as a fast venue, but still . . .
What to watch for in London this summer besides the men's and women's marathons: 1) I'll be watching to see how Michael Phelps, the undisputed king of the Beijing Games does. He's four years older and his competition is stiffer. Has fame, fortune, and the occasional toke slowed MP down? 2) In the pool on the women's side, I'll be rooting for Centennial, Colorado, high school student Missy Franklin, a sixteen-year-old phenom. If you've seen Missy interviewed, you already know that she's a breath of fresh air. 3) Has motherhood slowed the queens of the sand: Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, 2004 and 2008 Gold medalists in Beach Volleyball. Following the Beijing Games, Kerri took some time off to give birth. Twice. I'm not much of a fan of beach volleyball, but during the Beijing Games, I found that I couldn't not watch these two dynamos. Okay. The bikinis didn't hurt. 4) Can anyone stay with Usain Bolt? Gold medalist in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4x100 meters at Beijing, Usain holds world and Olympic records in all three events including a ridiculous 9.58 in the 100.
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