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.
Showing posts with label U.S. Olympic marathon trials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U.S. Olympic marathon trials. Show all posts
Friday, January 20, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Rarin' to Go
With much-improved weather today, I managed a solid six miles with a Magic Minute thrown in for good measure. I borrowed the Magic Minute concept from Jeff Galloway. It's a mile run at close to 5k tempo. I try to run them at c. 85/90% of 5K effort. I ran today's MM in 7:38. Not bad for me since I've done no speed work since mid-November.
The big news today, of course, is the results of yesterday's Olympic Trials Marathons. In a bit of an upset Meb Keflezighi defeated favorite Ryan Hall, who finished second. The third male qualifier for the Olympic Marathon was Abdi Abdirahman. On the women's side, favorite Sharlane Flanagan took the top spot. Desiree Davila and Kara Goucher round out the women's team. Congratulations to them all. I'm counting the days until the London Games!
Yesterday's Olympic Marathon Trials have me itching to toe the starting line at the Colorado Marathon this spring. Of course, the marathon is almost four months away and there's lots of training left to be done. If I'm correct, I finished the 10th week of my 26-week train-up today. So far, so good. I've done all the scheduled workouts with no problems or ill effects. There will inevitably be challenges ahead, including bouts of awful weather, but the memory of the Marathon Trials should help to keep spirits up. If that memory begins to fade, there's always the video of the Colorado Marathon posted on the Marathon's website: http://www.ftcollinsmarathon.com/
That video is the reason I signed up for the race. Last fall, I was surfing the web checking out marathons to run in 2012, and I clicked on the Colorado Marathon site. Then, I clicked on the video icon. That was it. I love Colorado anyway and here was this incredibly scenic course. The 1000' of elevation loss from start to finish didn't hurt. And, here I am with 16 weeks to go. Safely registered. Room reserved in Ft. Collins. Training going well. Life is good.
I'm still looking for a fall event: marathon or ultra. I'm considering returning to the North Face Endurance Challenge in Madison, Wisc. to reprise last fall's 50K or perhaps try the 50-Miles. I want to do the Marine Corps Marathon some day. Maybe this year. Last year, my wife and I joined our Army officer son for the Army 10-Miler in D.C. and had a blast. I've even thought about staying close to home and doing our local marathon: the Quad-Cities Marathon. I'm open to suggestions.
The big news today, of course, is the results of yesterday's Olympic Trials Marathons. In a bit of an upset Meb Keflezighi defeated favorite Ryan Hall, who finished second. The third male qualifier for the Olympic Marathon was Abdi Abdirahman. On the women's side, favorite Sharlane Flanagan took the top spot. Desiree Davila and Kara Goucher round out the women's team. Congratulations to them all. I'm counting the days until the London Games!
Yesterday's Olympic Marathon Trials have me itching to toe the starting line at the Colorado Marathon this spring. Of course, the marathon is almost four months away and there's lots of training left to be done. If I'm correct, I finished the 10th week of my 26-week train-up today. So far, so good. I've done all the scheduled workouts with no problems or ill effects. There will inevitably be challenges ahead, including bouts of awful weather, but the memory of the Marathon Trials should help to keep spirits up. If that memory begins to fade, there's always the video of the Colorado Marathon posted on the Marathon's website: http://www.ftcollinsmarathon.com/
That video is the reason I signed up for the race. Last fall, I was surfing the web checking out marathons to run in 2012, and I clicked on the Colorado Marathon site. Then, I clicked on the video icon. That was it. I love Colorado anyway and here was this incredibly scenic course. The 1000' of elevation loss from start to finish didn't hurt. And, here I am with 16 weeks to go. Safely registered. Room reserved in Ft. Collins. Training going well. Life is good.
I'm still looking for a fall event: marathon or ultra. I'm considering returning to the North Face Endurance Challenge in Madison, Wisc. to reprise last fall's 50K or perhaps try the 50-Miles. I want to do the Marine Corps Marathon some day. Maybe this year. Last year, my wife and I joined our Army officer son for the Army 10-Miler in D.C. and had a blast. I've even thought about staying close to home and doing our local marathon: the Quad-Cities Marathon. I'm open to suggestions.
Friday, January 13, 2012
The Day After
Yesterday's snow storm is headed east finally, but we're still cleaning up here in Hog Heaven. We picked up six inches here in Bettendorf, Iowa. The city has cleared the main streets, but many of the side streets are still snow-covered. Plus, only about half of my neighbors have cleared their sidewalks. So, this morning's one-hour run was more challenging than usual. Slower too. I usually cover c. 6 miles but logged only about 5 today. Oh, well. It's about "time on feet," right? Not mileage.
Tomorrow is cross training. I've shoveled my sidewalk and driveway already, so I can't count that as cross training. And, I gave up on cross-country skiing years ago. Guess, I'll have to do the usual 4/5 mile walk.
There's some good medical news for marathoners. A new study finds that, contrary to media speculation, marathoners do not suffer more heart attacks than athletes engaged in other activities. See here: http://news.discovery.com/adventure/marathon-running-heart-011112.html
Today is the eve of the Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, and I'm getting excited. It would be nice if somebody was televising the men's and women's races live, but we'll have to be content with the two hours of taped coverage that airs on NBC from 3-5 p.m. E.T.
I discussed the women's race in yesterday's blog entry, so today is the men's turn. The favorites on the men's side include: 1) Ryan Hall, winner of the Marathon Trials four years ago and owner of the fastest qualifying time this year, 2) Dathan Ritzenhein, who was second at the 2008 Trials, and 3) Meb Keflezighi. Both Hall and Meb have local connections having won the Quad-City Times Bix 7 race. Meb is coming off an injury and has expressed cautious optimism for the Trials.
The race has an intriguing dark horse. He's Galen Rupp--a marathon virgin. He qualified for the Trials on the basis of a 1:00:30 half-marathon finish in New York last March. Rupp holds the American record for 10,000 meters and is a favorite to make the U.S. team in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters.
Rupp's decision to enter the Marathon Trials brings to mind the late, legendary Czech distance runner, Emil Zatopek. In Helsinki in 1952, Zatopek won the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters--both in Olympic record time. Although he had never run a marathon, Zatopek decided to enter the event at the last minute and not only won but also set an Olympic mark. Makes one wonder if Rupp is a student of history.
Tomorrow is cross training. I've shoveled my sidewalk and driveway already, so I can't count that as cross training. And, I gave up on cross-country skiing years ago. Guess, I'll have to do the usual 4/5 mile walk.
There's some good medical news for marathoners. A new study finds that, contrary to media speculation, marathoners do not suffer more heart attacks than athletes engaged in other activities. See here: http://news.discovery.com/adventure/marathon-running-heart-011112.html
Today is the eve of the Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, and I'm getting excited. It would be nice if somebody was televising the men's and women's races live, but we'll have to be content with the two hours of taped coverage that airs on NBC from 3-5 p.m. E.T.
I discussed the women's race in yesterday's blog entry, so today is the men's turn. The favorites on the men's side include: 1) Ryan Hall, winner of the Marathon Trials four years ago and owner of the fastest qualifying time this year, 2) Dathan Ritzenhein, who was second at the 2008 Trials, and 3) Meb Keflezighi. Both Hall and Meb have local connections having won the Quad-City Times Bix 7 race. Meb is coming off an injury and has expressed cautious optimism for the Trials.
The race has an intriguing dark horse. He's Galen Rupp--a marathon virgin. He qualified for the Trials on the basis of a 1:00:30 half-marathon finish in New York last March. Rupp holds the American record for 10,000 meters and is a favorite to make the U.S. team in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters.
Rupp's decision to enter the Marathon Trials brings to mind the late, legendary Czech distance runner, Emil Zatopek. In Helsinki in 1952, Zatopek won the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters--both in Olympic record time. Although he had never run a marathon, Zatopek decided to enter the event at the last minute and not only won but also set an Olympic mark. Makes one wonder if Rupp is a student of history.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Snow Day!
All good things must end . . . Including our unseasonably warm and relatively snow-less winter. With the snow still flying outside, we've got about 3-4 inches on the ground. (Somewhere between a nuisance and a headache.) The temp is 16 degrees, and with the winds gusting up to 30 mph, the wind chill is -1.
Nevertheless, I bundled up, grabbed my walking stick and went for a four-mile trek. With both roads and sidewalks still a mess, I was lucky that today was a cross training day, not a running day. Even if I don't like the weather, it's nice to get outside and moving.
Jeff Galloway (Marathon: You Can Do It) includes the cross training days in his training program--especially for active recovery--but he concedes that they can be missed, without harm, on occasion. I have a Type A personality so I don't like to paint outside the lines. I might miss one or two in a 26-week train-up, but that's about it. That's just me. There's no one-size-fits-all marathon training program. Everybody has to figure out what works for him/her. I like Galloway because he allows quite a bit of flexibility. Plus, for the long training runs and the marathon itself, I find that Galloway's unorthodox run/walk/run approach works for older runners like me. It results not only in a more consistent effort over 26 miles but also a more enjoyable experience.
The weather should be much better in Houston this weekend for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials (men and women). The top three in each race will qualify to represent the U.S. in the London games this summer. You can find information on the Trials in lots of places, but the official website is: www.houston2012.com
The good news for us running fans is that the Trials will be telecast on a tape-delay basis on Saturday from 3-5 p.m. E.T. As they say, check your local listings.
Over 200 women met the qualifying standard for the Trials. Anything can--and sometimes does--happen at the Trials, but a few of the favorites include: 1) Shalane Flanagan, a relative novice in the marathon--who clocked 2:28:40 in her debut marathon at New York--but the bronze medalist at 10,000 meters in Beijing, 2) Desiree Davila, who owns the fastest qualifying time at 2:22:38 (2011 Boston), and 3) Deena Kastor, the bronze medalist back in 2004.
Quite a few of the leading men and women in the Trials have run right here in River City, a.k.a. Davenport, Iowa, home of the Bix 7-Mile race. The Bix 7 offers decent prize money and usually attracts a handful of world-class runners every July to the local streets. In fact, the list of qualifiers (men and women) includes 44 runners who have competed in the Bix 7, including Colleen DeReuck on the ladies side and Ryan Hall and Meb Keflezighi on the men's side. If you've never been among the c. 20,000 runners for the Bix, check out their website at: http://www.bix7.com/2011/
If I have a favorite in the women's race, I think she's Lisbet Sunshine of Larkspur, Calif. I don't actually know anything about Lisbet, but I saw her name on the list of qualifiers and was hooked.
That's me in front of my home. The road to Ft. Collins runs thru rain, snow, heat, and gloom of night, but we runners are an intrepid lot. (Probably not so much heat and gloom of night this time of year.)
Tomorrow: If the roads/sidewalks are clear, the plan calls for an hour of running (c. 6 miles). I try to avoid indoor tracks and treadmills. Later, inside by the fire, we'll look at the men's field for Saturday's Marathon Trials.
Nevertheless, I bundled up, grabbed my walking stick and went for a four-mile trek. With both roads and sidewalks still a mess, I was lucky that today was a cross training day, not a running day. Even if I don't like the weather, it's nice to get outside and moving.
Jeff Galloway (Marathon: You Can Do It) includes the cross training days in his training program--especially for active recovery--but he concedes that they can be missed, without harm, on occasion. I have a Type A personality so I don't like to paint outside the lines. I might miss one or two in a 26-week train-up, but that's about it. That's just me. There's no one-size-fits-all marathon training program. Everybody has to figure out what works for him/her. I like Galloway because he allows quite a bit of flexibility. Plus, for the long training runs and the marathon itself, I find that Galloway's unorthodox run/walk/run approach works for older runners like me. It results not only in a more consistent effort over 26 miles but also a more enjoyable experience.
The weather should be much better in Houston this weekend for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials (men and women). The top three in each race will qualify to represent the U.S. in the London games this summer. You can find information on the Trials in lots of places, but the official website is: www.houston2012.com
The good news for us running fans is that the Trials will be telecast on a tape-delay basis on Saturday from 3-5 p.m. E.T. As they say, check your local listings.
Over 200 women met the qualifying standard for the Trials. Anything can--and sometimes does--happen at the Trials, but a few of the favorites include: 1) Shalane Flanagan, a relative novice in the marathon--who clocked 2:28:40 in her debut marathon at New York--but the bronze medalist at 10,000 meters in Beijing, 2) Desiree Davila, who owns the fastest qualifying time at 2:22:38 (2011 Boston), and 3) Deena Kastor, the bronze medalist back in 2004.
Quite a few of the leading men and women in the Trials have run right here in River City, a.k.a. Davenport, Iowa, home of the Bix 7-Mile race. The Bix 7 offers decent prize money and usually attracts a handful of world-class runners every July to the local streets. In fact, the list of qualifiers (men and women) includes 44 runners who have competed in the Bix 7, including Colleen DeReuck on the ladies side and Ryan Hall and Meb Keflezighi on the men's side. If you've never been among the c. 20,000 runners for the Bix, check out their website at: http://www.bix7.com/2011/
If I have a favorite in the women's race, I think she's Lisbet Sunshine of Larkspur, Calif. I don't actually know anything about Lisbet, but I saw her name on the list of qualifiers and was hooked.
Tomorrow: If the roads/sidewalks are clear, the plan calls for an hour of running (c. 6 miles). I try to avoid indoor tracks and treadmills. Later, inside by the fire, we'll look at the men's field for Saturday's Marathon Trials.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Looking ahead
The weather was a bit more seasonal today with a temp of 24 when I ventured out this morning for a leisurely 60-minute run. With just a hint of lingering soreness from Friday's long run, I'm considering doing a hill workout on Tuesday. Tomorrow is cross training. Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday would be 60-minute runs at moderate effort. Thursday would be cross training, and I expect to take Saturday off. We'll see. But, I feel good about my progress so far. Despite feeling lethargic during Friday's long run, I've felt fine otherwise and the tweaks have been few and ephemeral.
The U.S. Olympic marathon trials will be held this coming Saturday in Houston. I'll have more to say on that subject in the upcoming week. For now, you might check out the official website at: http://www.houston2012.com/Default.aspx
The best news on this front is that NBC will have two hours of coverage on tape delay from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday (January 14).
The top three finishers in each race (men's & women's) will represent the U.S.at this summer's Olympic Games in London. The London games will run from July 27 through August 12. Mark your calendar. Also see the official website at: http://www.london2012.com/
The rest of the U.S. runners (plus jumpers and throwers) will compete for spots on the team at the track & field trials from June 22 through July 1 at Eugene, Oregon. You can find details here:
http://tracktown12.gotracktownusa.com/News/Details/competition-schedule-released-for-2012-u-s-olympic-trials-track-and-field/
There are rumors that the IOC (International Olympic Committee) is considering adding an ultra marathon in the future. If approved, the distance would most likely be 100 kilometers which seems to be the international standard. I can't imagine why they couldn't find a place for ultra running in the Olympics. After all, there's room for shooting, canoe, ping pong, badminton, synchronized swimming, and a 50km race walk. I have nothing against these activities. I'm just saying that ultra running is at least as worthy.
The U.S. Olympic marathon trials will be held this coming Saturday in Houston. I'll have more to say on that subject in the upcoming week. For now, you might check out the official website at: http://www.houston2012.com/Default.aspx
The best news on this front is that NBC will have two hours of coverage on tape delay from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday (January 14).
The top three finishers in each race (men's & women's) will represent the U.S.at this summer's Olympic Games in London. The London games will run from July 27 through August 12. Mark your calendar. Also see the official website at: http://www.london2012.com/
The rest of the U.S. runners (plus jumpers and throwers) will compete for spots on the team at the track & field trials from June 22 through July 1 at Eugene, Oregon. You can find details here:
http://tracktown12.gotracktownusa.com/News/Details/competition-schedule-released-for-2012-u-s-olympic-trials-track-and-field/
There are rumors that the IOC (International Olympic Committee) is considering adding an ultra marathon in the future. If approved, the distance would most likely be 100 kilometers which seems to be the international standard. I can't imagine why they couldn't find a place for ultra running in the Olympics. After all, there's room for shooting, canoe, ping pong, badminton, synchronized swimming, and a 50km race walk. I have nothing against these activities. I'm just saying that ultra running is at least as worthy.
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