Rupp Is A Prima Donna-Owes Me $13

Ruppy and Coach Salazar have decided to run Sat. @ the Stanford meet instead of Hayward because the weather wasn't looking favorable for the AR attempt. Which is weird because the weather forecast for tomorrow at Stanford is exactly the same as it is today in Eugene. I just got in and it's 57 with little wind. It's perfect. http://www.oregonlive.com/trackandfield/index.ssf/2010/04/galen_rupp_will_run_his_10k_to.html

I'll be down at the meet anyway trying to pick up some college chicks with the magic words: Schnapps and hotel jacuzzi.

Rupp and Pre's Mustache @ Hayward Tomorrow

Word on the streets internet, is that Ruppy will be chasing the 10000m American record of 27:13 at Hayward Field tomorrow night.

Andrew Wheating will also be going after the 1500m collegiate record mark of 3:35.

Coincidentally, Pre's Mustache is flying into Eugene tomorrow afternoon and will be on hand for the meet.
That's right.

Check back tomorrow for coverage

Is Deena Done?

The "hot topic" on the Letsrun.com board is whether it's time for Deena to retire following her 2:36 at London, which is of course RIDICULOUS, even if her best marathon days are behind her now.

Since running 2:19:36 four years ago, this is what she's done:
2006 New York - 2:27:54 for 6th
2007 Boston - 2:35:09 for 5th
2008 OTrials - 2:29:35 for 1st
2008 OGames - DNF (injury)
2009 Chicago - 2:28:50 for 6th
2010 London - 2:36:20 for 18th

Boston '07, the weather was shit. The men ran 2:14, and the women's winner ran 2:29. 2:35 was not bad on that day and got her 5th. Respectable, no?
The 2:36 now stands out like a sore a thumb, but it's her only really poor race.

The real problem is that she was talking of running a PR beforehand. In her only race leading up she ran 1:09:43 in the NYC Half, a 2:27 equivalent. And she blew up there after being on 1:08(2:24) pace until about 15k.
So why would she think she could run 2:18 in London?

She went through 5k at 16:39(2:20/pace), and 10k in 33:50(2:22/pace). She can throw all of her excuses out there, as we all do after a bad race, but her eyes were bigger than her stomach. Or, her expectations were bigger than her ability.

Deena doesn't need to retire, as she is still easily capable of running 2:26-2:29 and finishing top 5 in a major. And last I checked, that's still a decent pay day. This is her JOB after all.
Deena just needs to be realistic at this point in her career. Going after a PR is going to make her look foolish, blow up, and finish outside the money. It's also not going to have her phone ringing off the hook from race directors.


Good luck in the future in Deena! I'm only trying to help...

A Runners Diet

During marathon training, my diet consists primarily of beer, bagels, pancakes, Snickers bars, and bananas, which is mostly due to being poor, lazy, and not knowing how to cook. I don't recommend it for everyone.
I usually clean it up a bit two weeks before my goal race by cutting back on the beer and Snickers.
Then, the night before I will have 2-3 beers and spaghetti with a slice of whole wheat bread.
I've yet to crack 2:30.


James Carney says he eats whatever he wants, whenever he wants.
He ate two pizzas and some chocolate cake the night before running Rotterdam.
He ran 2:15.

Ryan Hall's usual night-before meal is pasta with olive oil, and a Cytomax protein shake.
He's run 2:06.


Diet is not everything for running, but it is a component. If you had a high performance sports car, you wouldn't pour gravel into the gas tank.

Everyone is different, and different things work for different people. Eating healthy is hard work, less delicious, and costs more than eating from the McDonalds dollar menu. However, it might not be a bad idea to look at what the guys/girls beating you to the finish line are doing and give some of that a try.

Read some nutrition tips from Ryan and Sarah Hall HERE(i'm just sayin', click it Carney)

A London Letdown: The Duel Turns Into A Dud

The big guns disappointed as Sammy Wanjiru DNF'ed, Duncan Kibet DNF'ed, and Zersenay Tadese blew up big at 35k and finished with a 2:12.
This made one guy really happy. Tsegaye Kebede, who had cruised to a 2:05:19 victory, staking his claim as the worlds best marathoner, for now.

Wanjiru dropped out at before reaching 30k. He had fallen 10 seconds back of the pack and claimed to be having knee pain(surely from the all the TRAVEL).

Kibet ran 16min for the 25k-30k and then dropped out. No word on his excuse. Probably tired from all the TRAVEL. He also DNF'ed at Berlin in Sept. Him and Kwambi have been pathetic since their 2:04's.

Tadese finished, barely. He ran 18:30(5:57/mile for 35k-40k, and nearly 9min for the last 2k. The half marathon world record holder's try at marathon career has now resulted in a DNF, and a 2:12. The marathon is not for everyone.

Kebede was solid though. The half was passed in a(nowadys) pedestrian 1:03:06 as the pacers did a terrible job. A pack of six remained through 25k, before Kebede and Kirui injected some pace and gapped the pack by 30k. Kirui would sputter out by 35k, eventually being passed by Mutai, as Kebede powered home to near course record, and just one second off his PR. He negative split the course with a 1:02:13 second half.

But the race just wasn't that interesting. A world record was clearly not gonna happen, and after getting hyped for a Wanjiru/Tadese showdown, it was a little disappointing. And only one guy under 2:06, compared with 4 at Rotterdam.

My hat is safe as Deena Kastor was a mere 18 minutes off her PR with a whopper of a 2:37. She talked a superb game, and put up a supreme flop.
She's 37 and her days are numbered, if not over. She already signed on to run NYC in the fall, but if she doesn't run well there, I can't imagine she'll be back.

Universal Sports coverage was terrible as always. I won't even get into it again, other than just thank them for showing the entire top 25 women finish for about 10 minutes as the men's race unfolded. Thank you thank you.

Men's Top Results
1 Kebede, Tsegaye (ETH) 02:05:19
2 Mutai, Emmanuel (KEN) 02:06:23
3 Gharib, Jaouad (MAR) 02:06:55
4 Bouramdane, Abderrahime (MAR) 02:07:33
5 Kirui, Abel (KEN) 02:08:04
6 Gomes dos Santos, Marilson (BRA) 02:08:46
7 Tadese, Zersenay (ERI) 02:12:03
8 Lemoncello, Andrew (GBR)02:13:40
9 Kifle, Yonas (ERI) 02:14:39
10 Jones, Andi (GBR) 02:16:38


Women's Top Results:
1 Shobukhova, Liliya (RUS)02:22:00
2 Abitova, Inga (RUS) 02:22:19
3 Mergia, Aselefech (ETH) 02:22:38
4 Bekele, Bezunesh (ETH) 02:23:17
5 Tafa, Askale (ETH) 02:24:39
6 Akaba, Yukiko (JPN) 02:24:55
7 Bai, Xue (CHN) 02:25:18
8 Smith, Kim (NZL) 02:25:21
9 Ozaki, Mari (JPN) 02:25:43
10 Yamauchi, Mara (GBR) 02:26:16

The London Marathon Is Sunday

London organizers have put together one of, if not THE strongest marathon field ever.

And Letsrun.com has put together a nice preview. I've been working all night and I'm tired, my feet hurt, and I'm hungry, so I'm not doing it myself. See it here
But this is the gist of what's on tap:

Half marathon world record holder (58:22), 5-time world champion Zersenay Tadese.
'08 Olympic, '09 London and Chicago champ Sammy Wanjiru. (2:05:10)
Reigning world champion Abel Kirui. (2:05:04)
Fukuoka record-setter and '08 OG and '09 WC bronze medalist Tsegaye Kebede. (2:05:18)
2nd-fastest marathoner of all-time in Duncan Kibet. (2:04:27)
2009 Worlds silver medalist Emmanuel Mutai. (2:06:15)
2009 London 3rd-placer and former world champ Jaouad Gharib. (2:05:27)

Ok? Those guys are all beasts. And I don't mean that in a derogatory way.
This should be a great, great race.
Of course you cannot watch it live though.

It will be shown on delay at 8am on www.UniversalSports.com for a $5 fee. It will also be shown on the Universal Sports channel at 11am.
You can sleep in and try and shake your hangover before it starts.



One thing I keep seeing though is the athletes talking about getting the travel from their legs, and worrying about the travel effecting their performance.
Yeah, they did have some difficulty getting in due to the volcano(I still can't believe a volcano is shutting the world down. Unreal), but I'd like to point out to them: You're FLYING on an AIRPLANE and riding in BUSES and CABS. You aren't WALKING from Kenya to London.

Ryan Hall said the same thing and used it as a reason for going to Boston 3 weeks before the race.

You're just sitting on an airplane. And if you weren't sitting there, you would be sitting on your couch. Stop being such babies about traveling. I don't want to hear it.

If they don't break the WR I guarantee an excuse that includes "all the travel.." blah blah blah..

More From James Carney On The Hudson Breakup

My current coaching situation is a tough one. It was a very difficult decision to not work with Mr. Brad Hudson anymore as I have the utmost respect for Brad as a coach and person. I still have a great relationship with him and love him like a brother. With that being said, we mutually agreed my current situation is not the most conducive for athletic progression. Brad is in Eugene and I am in Boulder. Additionally, I didn't have any one to consistently work out with. In order to take a legitimate shot at that team in 2012, I need to be in the best situation possible. Right now, Im weighing my options to figure out my next move...

http://www.carneyrunning.com/blog/post

That is of course the politically correct way of saying "I've been under performing in the marathon and blame my coach".

LaShawn Merritt Wanted A Bigger Dick, Fucked Himself

My general understanding was that black dudes don't really have a need for penis enhancement pills. Unless they want to chop down some trees with it.
LaShawn Merritt is going to stick with that excuse anyway as his reason for testing positive for DHEA, an anabololic steroid.

Taking a closer look at that photo, maybe he did need them.
Do those pills really work though? My, uh, friend wants to know...

Washing Post story HERE

Hansons Hobby Joggers

The Hansons had runners at Boston? I sure didn't see any of them on TV running with the giant lead pack.

But yes, they were there doing what they do best now; running moderately fast OT qualifiers, 10 minutes behind the leaders. And that's why they will be called the Hansons Hobby Joggers from now until they have a sub 2:15 on the team.
Brain Sell said it best after his disappointing 2:16 at Boston last year, "2:16 doesn't even deserve shoes".

I'm a fan of the Hansons and think what they've done with the program is great and really gives guys a chance to go after their dreams and unlock their potential. Unfortunately they haven't been able to recruit, or retain much talent lately.


Arcianaga and Rizzo were heading in the right direction, but they split after their PR fall marathons, for reasons unknown. And with Sell's retirement, that hasn't left them with much.

Chad Johnson has been heading in the wrong direction since his 2:15 in '06. He put a couple 2:20's last year, then managed a 2:17:41 in Boston. He's 33 now, and not likely to touch 2:14 after all these year.

Sage Canaday ran 2:21 and 2:20 while in college, and has since run 2:30 in NYC and just put up 2:24 in Boston. Hard to imagine he's gonna suddenly throw down a 2:14.
They may need to put a wig on him and switch him to the woman's team. He can pace Davila.

The one bright spot seems to be the other new guy to the team, Drew Polley.
He was recruited after a 2:21 in San Antonio last fall, and ran 2:16:36 at Boston. He has a ways to go yet, but he's young, new to the marathon, and took a big chunk off his PR on his first try.

Could he be the on to the remove the "hobby jogger" tag??

James Carney And Brad Hudson Broke Up

James is currently looking for a new coach.
http://www.carneyrunning.com/blog/post/show/id/13-Reactions-from-patriots-day

Craig Virgin On Boston

Craig Virgin via Facebook- "Congratulations to Ryan Hall and Meb Keflezighi for 4th and 5th place in Boston Marathon respectively. Two Americans in top 5 of one of the "major" marathons...nowadays is quite good...and the U.S.A can be proud. The year that I got 2nd (1981) I got a trophy and some free food. adidas paid for my flight and hotel. Nowadays...2nd place is worth $75,000. It's tough to be a pioneer in a sport!".

Craig would have made stacks and stacks of sweet cash if they had the appearance and prize money of today in the '80's.

Ryan Hall took in $25k for FOURTH and donated it all to his charity, which he can afford to do because he pulled six figures just to show up.
Maybe he should have given it to Craig though, for his, ya know, pioneering.

Merga

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

In the days leading up to the marathon Deriba Merga was quoted as saying he doesn't finish a race if he expects to finish outside the top 3. He will quit. That is was the reason for his DNF's earlier this year.

In this video from the post race press conference a reporter asked him to elaborate on that philosophy a bit.

Through an interpreter he responded, "I am in very good condition, I was going for the number one spot, so I'm not very happy with this race".

He was then asked if he enjoys watching any American sports such as baseball or basketball while in the U.S., to which he replied, "Yes, I would very much like a cheeseburger".

Thoughts On The Atrocious TV Coverage AKA BITCH FEST

It sucked. Plain and simple.

Every surge and break was missed.
Very few splits and the ones they gave were 5-10 minutes AFTER PASSING the marker.

What is wrong with these producers??

How can you cover a race and miss all of the action, give no updates on the position of the trailing runners, and almost no splits??
It's unreal.
How long have Tony Reavis and Larry Rawson been covering this sport? Too long. And they just don't get it.

Some of the action happened during commercial break. We come back from commercials and suddenly Cheruiyot and Merga are 50yds clear. Why in the world can't they go back and show them break?? I can watch a baseball game and see a replay of a play two seconds after it happened.

How about more split screen with men's AND women's race. Showing Erkesso running out front alone for minutes at a time and then cut back to men and positions have changed, guys have fallen back, and we missed it. Nobody in production is watching the men's race and see's the developing action and says "maybe we should cut back to that"?. Show them both on split then. WTF?

We also need split screen with race leaders, and chasers. We see the leaders with no idea what is happening behind them. Where are 3rd and 4th place in relation to them?

How about a simple mile split, every mile, at the mile? Why is that so hard? Has the pace slowed? Has the pace increased? Merga ran a 4:37? Well what did Hall run the same mile in?
Can't a guy on motorcycle hang at the mile markers and feed splits right to the announcers ear? Then go up to the next mile? No? Too complicated?


Urgh.

Boston Results: Thoughts On Hall.

21 y-o Robert Kiprono Cheryuiot negative split the course, and finished with a course record 2:05:52(previous 2:07:14). Simply incredible.

1. Robert Cheruiyot KEN 2:05:52
2. Tekeste Kebede ETH 2:07:23
3. Deriba Merga ETH 2:08:39
4. Ryan Hall USA 2:08:41
5. Mebrahtom Keflezighi USA 2:09:26
6. Gashaw Asfaw ETH 2:10:53

Hall's time was faster than Merga's winning time last year and a minute faster than he ran last year. Also fastest time by an American ever in Boston. A solid run by him, but I've yet to see him cover a move in ANY of his marathons. He MADE the move in the trials, but that hardly counts. He will fall back and reel them back in once or twice, but always gets broken again between 25 and 30k.
He ran the fastest final 5k in NYC which took him from like 10th to 4th.
Hall's yet to bomb a marathon either, unless you consider 11th in the Olympics a bomb. He runs smart. He's relentless and never gives in, but it's unlikely he will win a major. Not with the way Kenyans race.
He did reclaim the #1 American marathoner spot by beating Meb. No reason to hang his head today.

Now onto Chicago and a run at the American record..

Boston Marathon - Live Blogging......

9:26- Mocha Latte: check.
Six pack of Blue Moon: check.
I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready...

9:30- Looks like great weather. Mid 40's, partly cloudy, winds 16mph.

9:32- The women are off! They look tiny and slow. I know, I'm just jealous cause they are faster than me.

9:34- I like Tony Reavis announcing. Larry Rawson is a schmuck though.

9:36- Two stocky looking Asians in front. Everyone else tucked in right behind. Pack of 14.

9:44- 12 minutes in they give a 10:59 through 2 miles split.

9:38- 6:25 into race and no mile split yet. Great job!!

9:40- 8:30 into race going to commercial, still no split for the first mile.

9:46- Women are stringing out a bit. Asians still out front pushing it. Men are warming up. Hall looks good.

9:50- no 3 mile split. no 5k split. My blood pressure is going up up up

9:55- 4 miles 22:14. 2:26 pace. Chinese out front still but pack is bunched back up.

10:00- The men are off.

10:02- Prize money
First 150,000
Second 75,000
Third 40,000

World Record Bonus 50,000
Course Record Bonus 25,000


10:05- Hall out front. Interesting. Not flying though. Some retro looking red and blue USA singlet. Kind of ugly. No mile split. WHAT THE FUCK IS SO HARD ABOUT GIVING MILE SPLITS AS THEY HAPPEN??

10:10- women on 2:28 pace through 6 miles. Chinese out front still.
Hall leading men. 9:30 in and no splits. You motherfuckers....

10:13- Hall in front, Merga just behind him, then everyone else. no split at 13:10 in.. oy vey

10:15- I can see Rohat and Vega just off main pack. They are lurking there. STILL NO SPLITS after 5k?!?!

10:16- 14:57 5K. Merga taking the lead for a minute then tucked back in.

10:18- Men are running about 9 wide now. Hall has dropped back in the pack a bit. Merga up front.

10:19- the two Chinese women still leading the women but they are still bunched up in pack. Everyones there. still on 2:28ish pace

10:22-Hall back in front. Meb there with him now. They just traded smiles and a laugh. 5k split last year was 14:34 btw.

10:24Hall is looking VERY relaxed out front. More so than anyone behind him. Still not giving splits!! over 5 in now

10:264:56 for the 5th mile

10:27 women 15k in 53:01 2:29 pace now. Men on 2:07 pace

10:30- second wave of men just starting. lots of gray hair in that crowd.

10:31- Grigoryeva out front now for women. Chinese right behind her 1:00:00 in.

10:35 Chinese women back in front. they are 1-2. Grigoryeva 3rd. Still a pack. Hall still leading men. Merga right behind him. Still a pack with everyone there. 37min in.

10:37- 30:05 10k split 6 min. after passing it. Great. still 2:07 pace.

10:39- one of the Chinese women in front is Jia, this is her debut for marathon.

10:41 Ethiopians making a move to the front. Tune and Legese

10:42- Wheelchair sprint finish!

10:44- And Ernst Van Dyke wins his 9th Boston Wheelchair title. Well that's something.

10:44- Ok Universal Sports, how about some mens race coverage and some splits?? no?

10:47- 3 Ethiopians have broken women's race. they are out front by a 30 yards. And oh shit. Merga breaking mens open. Meb hanging close. Hall dropping back 50 yards.

10:49- Merga pushing it here. Early move and not even halfway. Him and one other I can't tell who with lead. Hall is back a ways.

10:53- The coverage sucks balls. I love how they just cut back to the action AFTER the big moves and you don't even see what happened.

10:54- more wheelchair coverage. ooh an interview with the winner. how exciting.

10:55- I'm going to multi-task here and start preparing my angry letter to Universal Sports. "Dear Fucks,...."

10:56- Hall is back out front, but who knows how the hell the happened... the pack is back together with Hall in front. incredible. Would have been nice to see that!

10:58- Tune and Legese are 1-2 out front. 1:25 in. Splits? what splits??

10:59- Merga threw down a 4:35 mile on the break. This is good for Hall. He sat back and called their bluff. Back in front.

11:00- Hall soaking up the cheers from the crowd. He is looking comfortable still. He just ran around the back side of bottle table. that was weird.

11:02- Legese has about 3 steps on Tune. No clue where the rest of the women are. They are not showing them

11:04- i'm an idiot. That's ERKESSO out front. Not Legese. But who cares really? Back to men please..

11:07- Holy smokes, they come back from commercial and Erkesso is way out front of Tune now. Can't even see her. Erkesso looks like she has this locked up now 1:36 in. Nobody close to her. Tune vanished.

11:09- 7 men are breaking again, meb is 7th back. Hall trailing again. Merga second. Big push here.

11:10- Hall seems to be running even and not going with the moves. Worked on the first move, but we have 8 men now out front by 100 yards or so with no Hall in sight. Meb is with the leaders in 8th

11:12- Hall is 9th he is close enough now and gaining back ground. He is def. not out

11:13- Break pack looks to be slowing up again. Meb looks to be straining a little in 6th. Merga relaxed in 2nd. I can't tell the Kenyan in front.

11:14- This coverage is managing to miss all the action. It may be the worst ever. Commercial break. Watch them come back and Hall is in front.

11:18- Erkesso 54sec. lead at 30k. 16:57 split from 25k to 30k to break Tune.

11:19- Goumri is out front for men now. Merga second. Still pack of 7 with meb on the back. Hall barely in sight now. 150yds back maybe. Not looking good for him right now.

11:24- Erkesso doesn't look particularly good in front, but she will have to die pretty hard to lose it. Back to men please...BACK TO MEN PLEASE

11:2 of course another break during the break.
Cheryuiot and Merga are surging again. side by side and they have a big lead now. No meb, no Hall 1:30 in...

11:30- The keep showing Erkesso running alone while there is a race happening with the men. I just don't get it.

11:31 Men are on course record 2:06 pace. Merga and Cheruyiot have a good lead. They are not showing how much though. No word on Hall.

11:34- 14th mile 4:37 from Merga and Chery. Hall is wayyyy back. Dead meat there.

11:35- 16:55 5k split from Erkesso 30-35k. she has 2min lead now.

11:36- Erkesso looks in bad shape all sudden. looks like shes gonna puke and is slowing.

11:37 Hall a min. back at 30k.

11:39- Goumri has dropped out. I thin Meb is 4th about 30 sec back..

11:40- A russian in her debut is in view of Erkesso now and looking great. smiling and waving to camera guy. could be interesting...

11:41- Merga has put a few steps on Chery

11:43 Russian 35 sec. back of Erkesso now. Made up close to 90 sec. in about 2 miles and still gaining. Meb in 4th for men.

11:44- Chery now a few steps on Merga...1:44 they are still clear of everyone else..still course record pace. Can they hold on to it or will someone reel them back in? They look pretty good right now. Not struggling. But it is fast..

11:47- Erkesso's lead now 28sec. with 2 miles to go. She seems to have recovered a little from her rough patch.

11:48 Chery looked back at Merga and shook his head. Like a "fuck. he's still there" look.

11:51- Some splits via letsrun.com
Men's 5k splits
5k 14:58
10k 30:06 15:08
15k 44:58 14:52
20k 1:00:11 15:13
Half 1:03:25 HM Ryan Hall leading
25k 1:15:01 14:50 (lead pack, Cheruiyot, Kebede, Merga, Meb, Kigen, Gomri, Yegon, ~Mandago)
30k 1:29:58 14:57
35k 1:44:47 14:49

11:52- 16 sec. lead for Erkesso with mile to go. Gonna be a close finish..


11:53- Chery had broken Merga and put 30yds on him. Nobody close to Merga. So Chery is way out front at 1:54 in

11:55- Hall is over 2 min back of leader in 6th

11:57- Erkesso holding 14 sec lead with 600 to go. She is giving her all here

11:58- Russian is making big push 8 sec back!

11:58- Erkesso holds on for win. 2:26:12.

12:00- Girma and defending champ Kosgei battling for 3rd. side by side. and Kosgei takes 3rd.

12:01- Chery looking smooth here at 2:01 in. Big big lead. May have course record locked.

12:03- Cheruiyiot is locked in for win in final mile

12:06- course record CRUSHED. 2:05:50. Ho Ly Smokes.

12:07- Kebede in 2nd 2:06:--. where did Merga go.

12:07- Hall closing on Merga for 3rd!!

12:08- Hall is a beastly finisher but always loses in 2nd rd of race

12:08- Hall couldn't catch Merga both around 2:08:40 for 3rd and 4th. Hall closed well and looked strong at finish but only 4th today. Should have kept the beard...

12:12 Hall is so good and always performs well overall, but he just cannot cover the surges and handle the pace changes. I know he's been working on it, but obviously hasn't helped. He always drops back to 10th or so and comes back to finish 3rd or 4th. He's a great marathoner no doubt, but he will never win racing like that.

12:14- Hall's time is fastest ever by American in Boston

Meb was 5th in 2:09:26.
Lehmkuhle 2:12
Vega 2:13:47.
Not bad. Did I call a Vega 2:14??? I think I diiiiid.

To clear up any confusion, because there are at least 4 elite Robert Cheryuiot's. The winner was the 21 y-o...oh who cares....it wasn't Ryan Hall...

anyway THAT particular Cheryuiot just took home $175,000. That will be many cattle and much land. Sacks of grain for everyone!!!

I WILL Be Tailgaiting

If you are trapped behind a desk working, unable to watch the race.

I will be live, drunk, blogging the race.
So stop by for that, and the 25cent hot wings.

I may even mention the woman's race.
But probably only to make fun of how slow they are running.

Boston Marathon Monday

The 114th running of the BAA Boston Marathon is, of course, tomorrow.
I don't get excited about much, but major marathons are like Christmas to me. Except better, because I don't even like Christmas.
The weeks and days leading up to the Boston marathon are filled with prevailing anxiety.
I may not sleep tonight.

A big part of the excitement surrounding this years edition is no doubt due to Ryan Hall having a definite shot at taking Beantown crown.

When the elite field was initially announced, it was a formidable one, full of fast PR's and ex-champs, experienced road warriors and fresh faced young guns.

Since then, 4-time champ Robert Cheruiyot, has withdrawn with a hip injury.
2008 Chicago champ, Evans Cheruiyot has withdrawn.

Defending champ, Deriba Merga has DNF'd twice this year, in his only two races and said on Thurs. he is not in to shape due to "troubles at home" complicating his training.

NYC champ and the other American hopeful, Meb Keflezhighi has been battling a knee injury since early winter, hampering his training. He says it's still bothering him.

So what is standing in the way of one Ryan Hall from walking away with the win and into history, fame, and fortune(?)?

Well, two major things.
One, he's American.
Two, he's white.

And then there's 33y-o Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri. With a 2:05:30 PR, and 2nd place finishes in London, Chicago, and NYC.
Is this HIS time to finally step into the spotlight? Or is he forever the bridesmaid?

You also can't ignore the 4-6 other young 2:07-2:08 guys looking to make a name for themselves with their first shot at a major marathon.


So how will this story end? The best possible storyline would be Hall and Meb, side by side with 4-5 miles to go. Another "dual in the sun".
The chase pack 100 yards back.
Stride for stride, step for step they go into the final mile.
A surge from Meb.
A response from Hall.
Again side by side, half mile to go.
Hall surges. This is his final move.
Meb is hurting. He's digging deep but can't match it.
Meb is 5 strides back.
10 strides back.
400 to go.
Hall is flying.
200 to go.
It's all his.
100 to go. He's pointing to the heavens.
The crowd is going nuts. Larry Rawson finally shuts up. This moment needs no senseless commentary.
50 to go. Hall sheds the shades. Praise to the Lord.
And out of nowhere Abderrahim Goumri appears like a flash of lightning and breaks the tape just ahead of Hall.

The end.

VOTD

Here Ryan runs a 3 x 5 mile workout with a 3 mile warm up, an easy mile between, and 3 mile cool down.
You'll have to get yourself a calculator and add that up.

Then he applies Vasoline to his chaffed pits.

He wouldn't reveal how fast he was running the sets, but as you can tell from the video, it was fucking fast.

Training Tips with Ryan Hall from Run Talk Radio on Vimeo.

Ryan Hall Has Blown His Shot At Boston

He shaved the beard. Didn't even leave the mustache.

Enjoy second place Ryan!





And on a related note, Antonio Vega says he wants to "bank a little time" on the first half of the course and go low 65.

Enjoy your 2:14 Antonio!

Happy B-day To Sara Hall

Here's wishing a very happy birthday to Mrs. Ryan Hall.

Who says women can't look attractive while running(probably just me)?

I would find her more attractive if her mile PR wasn't faster than mine.
Huge turnoff there.

And if she didn't talk about jesus so much. That's not helping either.
I think we're all familiar with him and his work. Enough is enough.

Training Advice For The Non-Kenyans

I've seen and heard comments along the lines of, "the Kenyans aren't afraid to take a day off. If it's raining, they won't do a workout". And they will use this as an excuse to sit on their butt.

Well, the Kenyans can afford to take a day off. They are more talented and have been running much longer than you. So get off your ass and get out the door and do your workout, regardless of the weather.

Mo Trafeh Is The New Face Of American Distance Running

Are you down wit' it?

Hot Dam

Patrick Makau won the Rotterdam Marathon in the 4th fastest time ever, 2:04:48.

Jimmy Carney let me and the rest of America down by not finishing within 10 minutes of Makau. He ran 2:15:50 with a goal of 2:12-2:13. James is a great runner and I'm an official member of the "Carnation Fan Club", but the marathon has been kicking his ass. I believe he has 3 DNF's, a 2:17 and a 2:16 now. He's a much better runner than that shows.
Waiting to hear his thoughts about it on his blog.

In Paris Marathon news, Tadesse Tola won it in 2:06:41.

Tola also won the Healthy Kidney 10k in '09. Makau won it in '08. And Ritz won it in '07.
What this obviously means is that Ritz will win his fall marathon.

Rotterdam Marathon

The Rotterdam marathon will be show on the Universal Sports channel and online at 12pm EST.

Pacers are scheduled to take them through the half at 62:05, just off world record pace.

Will James Kwambi claim the victory this year? Will they challenge the 2:03:59 world record? Will an American finish within 10 minutes of the winner?
You have to tune in to find out!

Or just look around for results since it took place at 5am and is being shown on delay.
Nah, don't do that. Tune in.

http://www.universalsports.com/marathon/index.html

VOTD

Not all black people have rhythm and know how to dance.



That's Boston marathon champ Deriba Merga gettin' all kinds of funky with his bad self.

It's not clear if this is before the marathon and they were drunk, or after and their muscles weren't functioning properly. And they were drunk.

Breaking News.....

Well, obviously the big news of the day is that after two months of being up, Pre's Mustache passed the 10,000 page views milestone today.
I think it's safe to say we're now the #1 mustache related running blog on the internet.

The second biggest news is the announcements of Ryan Hall running Chicago this Oct, and Meb returning to NYC to defend his title in Nov.


This is another smart move for Hall.
He's already said that he plans to hit the track a little this summer after Boston, and get a little speed back. Then he will hit the flat, fast course in Chicago to chase the American record of 2:05:whatever.

The champs always return to defend, so it's no surprise Meb is heading back to the Big Apple.

It's great to see the US's two best marathoners at the moment running two marathons this year, in the US. Both are doing Boston in two weeks, of course.
So, hooray hooray, USA USA.

I'ma gonna get me a Budweiser and bag o' beef jerkey and celebrate proper!

http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=19247
http://twitter.com/RunMeb

Hall In Boston

Ryan Hall has taken the proverbial bull by the horns and relocated to Boston for the final 3 weeks before the race.

Hall lives and does the vast majority of his training in mountains of Mammoth Lakes, CA at 7,900 feet. And while he's had a lot of success hiding away up there, doing little, if any racing before marathons, and coming down to sea level just days before racing, I still like this move a lot.

For starters it's not a bad idea to switch things up. Training on the same roads, day after day, segment after segment, year after year, gets stale. I know because I run around the same damn park, every damn day. Anytime I get out of town, it feels great.

Considering altitude training is a speculative science with research failing to back up it's perceived benefit, it will at least be interesting to see how this 3 weeks at sea level effects his race.

Now ask yourself, actually I'll just ask you, where have the last 3 Americans to win Boston lived and/or trained?

No.
Not Lexington, Kentucky.
Nope.
Not Cincinnati.

Ok, jeez, I'll just tell you.
In BOSTON.

Greg Meyer lived and trained in Boston and won in '83.
Alberto Salazar grew up next to the course. He won in '82.
Bill Rodgers won in '75, '78, '79, and '80. Lived and trained on the course.
Even Dick Beardsley spent extensive time in Boston, training daily on the course when he finished 2nd to Salazar in '82.

Think it doesn't pay to know that course, be comfortable on it, and have the local support?

Hall having home field advantage could be huge for him.
In January I wasn't liking his chances too much, but things are looking better.
Defending champ Deriba Merga has shown us nothing leading up to this, with multiple DNF's and a DNS. So who knows what's going on with that guy.
4-time champ Robert Cheryuiot has dropped out with a hip injury.
Meb has been dealing with a knee injury and looks like his training did not go as well as he would have liked in the early stages of preparation.

He does have the 2nd fastest PR in the field, but there's still a good group of 2:06-2:07 guys that will be breathing down his neck.

Will he take out the first mile in 4:38 this year? Probably not.
He was ridiculed for it last year, I guess because he didn't win in the end, but I thought it was great. It made the race exciting to watch. He ran the legs right off most of the field, knocked a few out, and finished third. That's not too bad on your first try at the course. He didn't pull a Goucher and bawl his eyes out at the finish, anyway.

So now he returns wiser, more experienced, knowing the course like the back of his hand, and if he's as fit or fitter than last year, he has a really good shot at taking this thing.


114th Boston Marathon John Hancock’s 2010 Elite Athlete Field

Men’s Open Field (Personal Best)

Deriba Merga, Ethiopia 2:06:38 (London, 2008)

Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya 2:07:14 (Boston, 2006) CR

Ryan Hall, USA 2:06:17 (London, 2008)

Abderrahim Goumri, Morocco 2:05:30 (London, 2008)

Gilbert Yegon, Kenya 2:06:18 (Amsterdam, 2009)

Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, Kenya 2:06:23 (Frankfurt, 2009)

Evans Cheruiyot, Kenya 2:06:25 (Chicago, 2008)

Chala Dechase, Ethiopia 2:06:33 (Dubai, 2010)

Elijah Keitany, Kenya 2:06:41 (Amsterdam, 2009)

David Kipkorir Mandago, Kenya 2:06:53 (Paris, 2009)

Benjamin Maiyo, Kenya 2:07:09 (Chicago, 2005)

Tekeste Kebede, Ethiopia 2:07:52 (Fukuoka, 2009)

Gashaw Asfaw, Ethiopia 2:08:03 (Paris, 2006)

John Kipkorir Komen, Kenya 2:08:06 (Reims, 2008)

Samuel Mugo, Kenya 2:08:20 (Beijing, 2009)

Stephen Kiogora, Kenya 2:08:24 (Frankfurt, 2008)

Mebrahtom Keflezighi, USA 2:09:15 (New York City, 2009)

Moses Kipkosgei Kigen, Kenya 2:10:12 (Nairobi, 2009)

Abdellah Falil, Morocco 2:12:37 (Turin, 2009)

Jason Lehmkuhle, USA 2:12:54 (New York City, 2007)

Cutbert Nyasango, Zimbabwe 2:13:19 (Berlin, 2009)

Alejandro Suarez, Mexico 2:13:33 (Torreon, 2009)

Josh Rohatinsky, USA 2:14:23 (New York City, 2008)

Antonio Vega, USA 2:15:45 (Minneapolis/St.Paul, 2009)

Mohammed Amyn, Morocco (Debut)

Missing In Action

What's happening with these guys?
Fasil Bizuneh
Fernando Cabada
Jorge Torres
Andrew Carlson
Jason Hartman

Have yet to see any of them racing this year.
Probably their girlfriends were like, "You spend too much time running. Why you never spend time with me? Lets watch the Sex In The City movie", and they can't get any decent training in.

Nah. No way Carlson has a girlfriend.

Blogging Is Cool

Fact: All cool people blog.
That is not to say that all bloggers are cool though.

Now, did you you know that Ryan Hall got a ticket for pissing in Yosemite?
That James Carney might have an infection in his wisdom teeth and needs them pulled?
Or that Dathan Ritzenhein is having another baby?

Well you would know all that and so much more if you only read their blogs!

http://dathanritzenhein.competitor.com/
http://www.carneyrunning.com/blog/post
http://ryanhall.competitor.com/