2009 NCAA Indoor National Championships RAP-UP

Great rap-up video from the hilarious crew at RunnerSpace.com:

http://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?do=view&video_id=9344

(sadly, I couldn't embed it)

Sex and Running: Is sex a new workout you should add to your weekly schedule? NO.

It is a truth universally disavowed that sport is all about sex. We prefer to think that there is some higher goal, but it is really an exercise in showing off and, later on, taking off. No sooner does a football match end these days than Cristiano Ronaldo is removing his shirt and smouldering into the camera with the air of a man for whom 4-4-2 holds only limited fascination.

Boxers, by nature, are poseurs. Athletes wear dental floss. Racing drivers are just classier versions of little boys driving around in Fiestas; when Lewis Hamilton won the Formula One world title he was only several steps removed from the teenager boasting about his new alloy wheels and stereo surround.

I have no problem with this. Sport is basically a nation's youth hooked up to a testosterone drip. I still recall the day I saw Maria Sharapova walk into the media centre at Wimbledon and a phalanx of middle-aged men disappeared down a whirlpool of their own dribble. In their defence, she could hardly complain given that she had spent that afternoon flashing her knickers and grunting like a rutting wildebeest in the name of being taking seriously.

I was also told recently by a football agent that a Premiership player had got himself into fantastic physical shape. I remarked how good it was to hear of a young man taking his job seriously. The agent then pointed out the regime was undertaken strictly with a view to looking good when he got his latest groupie into the penthouse suite at the Hilton. Anything else was a bonus.

This is sport. It is sex in socks. But what I find distasteful is the repeated claim by researchers that sex, in itself, is exercise. I resent the claim that sex is good for you and releases endorphins. It irritates me to think I am trawling through purgatory when all I really need is a good bunk-up and a post-match fag.

There are manifold studies (well, who wouldn't want to be a researcher on that one?) that have made wild claims on behalf of the lusty. Queen's University in Belfast announced that you can lose 300 calories an hour by having sex and that sex uses every muscle group in the body, while Dr Graham Jackson of Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital said: "'In fitness terms, its equivalent is going for a mile-long walk."

Clearly, there are flaws in these arguments. For a start, while 300 calories an hour sounds notable, it actually equates to around 30 calories for most of us. That's a cream cracker but I prefer to get cream crackered standing up. I also dispute the idea that sex uses every muscle group as surely this depends on whether you are an apathetic lover or, say, Michael Douglas. The very idea that God has somehow disenfranchised that section of society not given over to bedroom gymnastics and leopardskin negligees also induces a crisis of faith.

But can sex help as part of a running programme? 'Runners' World' has attacked this thorny issue in the past and concluded women marathon runners benefit from having an orgasm the night before a race. Most of the positives are reportedly down to the feel-good hormones released into the brain. It is not known whether faking it achieves the same result, but we do know it will make no difference to her running partner either way.

The magazine editor claimed runners were sex gods and had a positive self-image, thus providing conclusive proof that, despite all the denials and Lycra, I am not a runner. A Canadian cardiologist added: "Running improves vascular health and vascular health is necessary for a male to have a proper sexual function." Again this could be contested by no end of lonely folk for whom a proper sexual function is a pause button.

The sad truth is that running is likely to improve your sex rather than vice-versa. There is no evidence that a French maid outfit will benefit you in the long run, and it is difficult to see how sex can toughen your legs, unless of course you are into S&M.

The entire debate seems confused, which reminds me of Joan Rivers' take on sex education. "I blame my mother for my poor sex life," she recalled. "All she told me was the man goes on top and the woman underneath. For three years my husband and I slept on bunk beds."

The general consensus seems to be that sex is better for women than men before competing in sport. The All Blacks abstained from special cuddles during the 2007 World Cup but were found to be curiously impotent against the Euro love gods of France. Dennis Mitchell, the American athlete, initially escaped a ban after testing positive for heightened levels of testosterone after claiming he had been at it with his wife four times the previous night. "It was her birthday," he protested.

Everyone has an opinion. I even saw one headline that claimed 'Walking Is Better Than Sex'. I thought it was a misprint. We are getting pre-occupied. The fact is sex is not the answer. It's just a good question.

Nike Indoor Nationals 2009 RECAP

2009 Nike Indoor Nationals Distance Recap

 
A great weekend of action wrapped up today at Nike Indoor Nationals, taking place at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury, MA. Here are some recaps of the distance races from Sunday, March 15, 2009. 

Girls Mile Final (Seeded Heet)
The Girls mile was taken out at a fast pace, as Cory McGee of Missouri led the pack through an opening split of 33 second at the 200m mark. Soon after, though, New York’s Emily Lipari, the state champion in the 1500m took to the front. She led until the 800m mark, where Massachusetts state 1000m champ Camille Murphy decided to pick up the pace. They passed the half mile in 2:22. 

"I wanted to keep the pace up, cause it seemed like in the middle it slowed for a bit," said Murphy. 

With 200m to go, McGee again took the lead, and held off New Jersey’s Melanie Thompson around the final turn. But, with 50 meters left, Lipari came out of nowhere, like she was shot from a cannon. Moving from fourth to first on the final stretch, Lipari crossed the tape first in 4:47.44, a new personal record. Thompson, McGee, and Murphy followed finishing two, three, four. 

"I just told myself I was almost done, and that I was still in it. I wanted to break 4:50, and that was my goal coming in, no matter what place, I wanted to break 4:50."

She did, and took home her first Nike Indoor National championship.

Boys Mile Final (Seeded Heet)
The guys mile also had a stacked field, as 3 men in the race had already broken 4:10 this season. Led by Boston Indoor Games champ Mac Fleet and runner up Andrew Springer, the pace was fast early, as 61.11 was the first quarter split. Through 800 in 2:03.9, Fleet kept the lead safe until the 1000m mark. Their, Springer came up beside and challenged for the lead. The lead pack of five runners were still all close together, and as they were jockeying for position, Brett Johnson of New Jersey ended up taking a spill. Luckily, he got right back up and sprinted back, just off the tail end of the lead group. But by then Springer, Fleet and Pat McGregor (Hoover, AL) had made their move. Springer ended up kicking home in an unbelievable 28.6 last 200, to set the leading time in America this year, 4:08.47. McGregor and Fleet also came in under 4:09, placing two-three. 

Remarkably, after the race, Fleet took his shoe off to reveal four spike wounds, which had bloodied his whole calf and ankle. Yet, he still managed to set a personal record and afterwards said he would be ok. 

Girls Two Mile Final (Seeded Heet)
This was truly the Jordan Hasay show. The two-time Foot Locker Cross Country national champ didn’t think twice about taking the lead, as she did right from the gun. Attempting to break Melody Fairchild’s record of 9:55.92 from 1991, Hasay took the mile out in 5:01. By then, she had created a sizeable gap between herself and 2007 FLCC National Champ Ashley Brasovan and the nation’s leading two miler in Emily Jones. Despite slowing a little bit down mid-race, Hasay proved that she was in a class of her own, averaging about 37 second laps around the 200m track. She broke the tape in 10:10.89, all alone and 14 seconds ahead of second place finisher Shelby Greany. 

"Indoor is a lot different than outdoor," said Hasay, "More turns and I felt like I wanted to be done half way. But I am happy with it."
 
Boys Two Mile (Seeded Heet)
Lukas Verzbicas continued to add on to what has already been an impressive weekend: he set a national high school record of 14:18.42 on Friday, and won the two mile today in a freshman record 8:57.44. That shatters the previous mark by 19 seconds (Sintayehu Taye 9:16.65, 2005)! After staying in the back of the pack for the first 800m, Verzbicas went to the front. He led the doubling Andrew Springer and Mason, Ohio’s Zach Willis through the mile in 4:31.5, and from that point on began to distance himself from the pack. With 800 to go and passing the clock in 6:46.2, Verzbikas went to a second gear. He crossed the line with his second record in three days, and was followed in by Wes Rickman and Bill Matthews. 

After this weekend, Verzbikas said he would give some thought to committing himself solely to running, as he is a highly touted triathelete. But for now, he said he would be gearing up for the World Junior Triathlon Championships. Only a freshman, Verzbikas has an extremely bright future ahead of him. 
 
4x800 World Junior Record 
In the 4x800, Albemarle, VA set a national record of 7:36.99. This ranks #13 all time amongst all junior 4x800’s indoor OR out. The team, comprised of Garrett Bradley, Zach Vrhovac, Luke Noble, and Anthony Kostelac, was pumped with the win. Their goal was to set a record from the start, as a birthday present for their coach Buzz Male. Male easily got the best present a coach could ever receive. When asked what their first thought was after the win, the team jokingly replied, "We are going to Chinatown!" (They planned on going out to dinner after the meet, eating in Boston’s Chinatown district.) They all agreed that they were surprised by how much they beat the record by, and were happy to end their indoor careers on a special note (all but Kostelac are seniors).

ARE YOU F*CKIN' KIDDING ME?? Freshman Lukas Verzbicas runs new 5k national indoor record!!!!

Recently Lukas Verzbicas (Lincoln Way, New Lenox, Il.) set a national indoor freshman class record with nation-leading 8:29.15 for 3,000 meters but that turned out to be just a hint of what was to come. Friday night he clocked 8:31.0 for 3,000—on his way to a stunning time of 14:18.42 for 5,000 meters to set a new national high school record breaking the old mark of 14:29.80 set by Brad Hudson (South Eugene, Eugene, Or.) in 1984. The tall, wirily built Verzbicas, who was born in Lithuania and moved to the U.S. before he began competing in high school, opened up with a 64.0 and 2:13.0 to leave only the clock for  competition. His splits were 4:29.0 for 1,600, 9:05.0 for 3,200 and 13:46. for 4,800. The kilo progression was 2:46.0, 5:38.0 (2:52.0), 8:31.0 (2:53.0), 11:25 (2:54.0) and 14:18.4 (2:42.4). Max Straneva (Binghamton, N.Y.) was second for most of the way before being passed by Sean Curry (Bishop Ludden, Syracuse, N.Y.) in the last kilometer, 15:01.69 to 15:10.98. Nick Ross (East Greenwich, R.I.) was fourth at 15:13.13. Brandon Freyer (Pawling, N.Y.) won the B race in 15:17.31 and Brian Faherty (Roosevelt, Greenbelt, Md.) won the C race in 15:12.00.  Verzbicas will now take a break from track (or was he taking a break from the triathlon?) when he competes for the United States Triathlon team in the Pan-American Junior championship in May. (courtesy of LetsRun.com)

Race Video: http://runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?do=videos&pg=1&event_id=51&video_id=9020&folder_id=762&offset=8#video

Hottest runner = Kara Goucher

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara_Goucher

... 'nuff said

Sprinter Dwain Chambers admits working with Conte AGAIN

March 11 - Dwain Chambers has admitted that he is working closely again with Victor Conte (pictured), the man who supplied the illegal performance-enhancing drugs that have wrecked his career.

 

The Londoner revealed he is working with Conte on a revolutionary new method that is behind his incredible success this winter, which culminated at the European Indoor Championships in Turin last weekend when Chambers won the gold medal and also set a European record of 6.42sec, the third fastest in history.

 

Conte, the founder and president of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (Balco), has put Chambers on a programme that involves him alternately breathing low and high oxygen air through a hypoxicator in a techinque that causes the body to begin creating its own Erythropoietin (EPO), the hormone that stimulates red blood cell production.

 

A typical hypoxic training session consists of one hour of alternating between breathing hypoxic air for five minutes and then ambient air for five minutes.

 

It is widely accepted that increased blood cell count allows athletes to recover quicker from training and, therefore, withstand greater loads.

 

The hypoxicator (pictured), which retails for around $1,300 (£936), is already popular among the world's top cycling teams and is perfectly legal.

 

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have investigated on several occasions whether the technique is illegal but have so far refused to ban it.

 

Chambers said: "This allows me to have a deeper training load. I suffer less lactic acid, delivering more oxygen to my muscles.

 

"It’s a shame we didn’t know this five years ago.”

 

EPO was one of the 300 drugs that Conte prescribed Chambers in the period 2001-2003 when they were last working together.

 

But, taken naturally, the drug is not illegal, which is why so many distance runners, including Britain's world marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe, spend so long training at altitude.

 

Conte said: “This is the wave of the future.

 

"Everyone used to think [simulated altitude training] was all about endurance athletes.

 

"No one thought of applying this to explosive sprinting.”

 

It is Chambers's continued close association with Conte that will alert officials, already monitoring him after the publication of his controversial book, Race Against Me, on Monday.

 

Conte was the mastermind behind the biggest doping scandal in sports history when he admitted supplying banned drugs to competitors in a range of sports, including 2000 triple Olympic champion Marion Jones, the world 100m record holder Tim Montgomery, former world boxing champion Shane Moseley and Barry Bonds, the United States biggest baseball star.

 

Conte was later found guilty over the affair and was sentenced to four months in prison.

 

But he and Chambers have remained close.

 

Chambers claims that Conte has been a father figure to him and, even after he tested positive for the designer anabolic steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) given to him by the American, that the relationship has not soured. 

 

Conte claims that he has not given drugs to any sportsman or woman since 2003 when Balco was raided by the FBI.

 

A spokesman for UK Sport, the Government agency that carries out anti-doping in Britain, condemned the relationship between Chambers and Conte.

 

He told insidethegames: "The method described is not prohibited so there is no question of any anti-doping rule violation taking place.

 

"However, any athlete who chooses to work with someone previously linked to the supply of prohibited substances has to expect that their relationship will be heavily scrutinised.

 

"Ultimately it is up to them to make decisions about who they work with and what impact such links might have on their reputation."

MY TAKE ON IT: HA..HA..HA.. CHEATING IS NOT FUNNY

Hall pulls out of 1/2 marathon in Holland, Geb EYEING THE PRIZE BABY!!

Bad News:

American marathoner Ryan Hall has decided to bypass the Fortis City-Pier-City Half-Marathon next Saturday in The Hague. Hall, who ran a personal best 2:06:17 at London last April, decided with coach Terrence Mahon to remain at his training base in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., and continue to focus on his preparations for the Boston Marathon on April 20. Hall was to face Haile Gebrselassie in that race.

Good News:

Hengelo, The Netherlands - The organizers of the Fanny Blankers Koen Games announced yesterday that Haile Gebrselassie will attack his own World record for the One Hour in Hengelo on 1 June 2009.

MY TAKE ON IT: THIS, IN MY OPINION, IS ANOTHER GLARING PROBLEM WITH US DISTANCE RUNNING: WE ARE TOO CONSERVATIVE. I HAVE NO IDEA IF RYAN HALL IS INJURED OR NOT, BUT IF HE IS NOT, I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH HIS DRIVE, AND VERY CONCERNED WITH HIS CHANCES OF SETTING A NEW AMERICAN MARATHON RECORD IN THE BOSTON MARATHON, WHICH IS COMING UPON US VERY SOON.

The importance of your brain in running

Running is the ultimate power vacation—no BlackBerrys, no kids, no bosses. But all's not quiet in the brain while you're pounding the pavement. In fact, you're performing mind acrobatics: problem-solving, making your to-do list, even drifting to a calm state. "Running gives you the freedom to access those inner processes that the busy outer world often robs you of," says James P. Brennan, Ph.D., an adjunct professor of human behavior at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Studies show that elite runners tend to stay focused on the run—on things like form, pace, and the way their bodies feel. The rest of us flit around four major thought bubbles: organizing, problem-solving, wandering, and pondering. "A lot of people will shift back and forth during a run, or depending on the day," says Michael Sachs, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology at Temple University in Philadelphia. Each thought pattern has its pros and cons. Recognizing them will help you get the most out of your workouts. 


Think About It: Organizing

Most days, Lindsay Decken, 24, a buyer for an engineering firm in Greenville, South Carolina, wakes up at 5 a.m. to run five to eight miles. By the time she's through, she has a pretty clear idea what she'll be doing the rest of the day. Between 10-hour days at work and evenings and weekends packed with volunteering gigs and a home remodeling project, her runs provide a much-needed chance to see the big picture. "It's just a time to get away from everything," she says. "I have complete solitude."

It's great when the organizing leaves you with a sense of accomplishment. But experts say that if taking inventory starts to be a source of tension, then you've taken it too far. Set a time limit, maybe 15 minutes, to think about all the tasks that are piling up. "You don't want to shackle yourself when one of the things that you get out of running is a great release," Brennan says. 


Think About It: Problem-Solving

Jim Mallory, a 42-year-old network technician in Denver, often spends several frustrated hours at his desk trying to figure out what's tripping up a customer's data network. Then he'll put in a10-miler at lunch. "While running, or shortly afterward, I'll think of some new angle and end up fixing it right away," he says. 

Running has a way of untying some huge brain knots. Because we're stepping out of our task-oriented days during a run, we're subconsciously turning off creativity-killers like distractions, rationalization, and blame. Add in feel-good brain chemicals triggered by running, and your brain is at its best. 

What's more, experts say, running is a right-brain activity. Most of the day, whether we're poring over documents at work or shopping lists at home, we're in left-brain territory. "If you're working your left side really hard, you might not give the right side a chance to come up with something," Sachs says. Think About It: Wandering

If you were to listen in on Aaron Cunningham's thoughts during his five-mile loops through Seattle, you might hear this: Oh, there's the China Harbor Restaurant. I wonder if it's good. That runner looks fast. There's the Northwest Outdoor Center. I haven't been kayaking in a long time. 

Cunningham, a 36-year-old software engineer, says letting his mind roam keeps him relaxed when he wants to maintain a moderate pace. "If I start thinking fast thoughts, I'll run too fast and start pushing harder than I should," he says. Plus, a wandering mind helps him pass the time. "Part of it is just being in the moment," Cunningham says. 

Sachs says that letting your mind go loosey-goosey offers a tremendous release—part of the reason many of us run. Rather than taxing your brain by focusing on work stress or the kids' busy schedule, "you're giving it a chance to meditate or float," Sachs says. "It's rejuvenating." 

That's not a pass to stay in la-la land for the duration of your run. Doing so can detract from your performance, Sachs says, so check in with your body every few minutes. Otherwise, you risk blowing your workout—failing to maintain a certain pace for tempo runs, for example, or not feeling pain from an injury. 


Think About It: Pondering 

When she's facing a packed day at work, Lindsay Decken postpones her morning run until afternoon. By then, the day, with all its stresses, is well under way. And rather than building a to-do list, she spends a lot of her quiet time with raging thoughts about work pressures. "I'll get frustrated, go for a run, and talk myself down," she says. "You don't necessarily solve anything, but everything that bothered me at work is erased from my memory, at least until the next day." 

Experts say it's okay to feel anxious or angry during a run, but if it consumes you, set it aside. "Put your life in compartments," Sachs suggests. "Say to yourself, 'I'm going to take this stuff that happened at work, put it in a drawer, and I'm not going to think about it.'" After all, ruminating endlessly won't just suck the fun out of your run. Those negative vibes can also compromise your performance. 



Wrong Headed

How to figure out—and avoid—mind problems

Letting your thoughts turn a stellar run into a drag? Human performance consultant James Brennan gives three signs it's time to switch head gears. 

You're Not Happy: We run to feel good. So if you notice your thoughts bringing you down, give yourself permission to leave your woes behind until after your run. "If our thoughts are negative, we're going to be in a poorer physiological state," Brennan says. That means you're more likely to huff up that hill or putter out early on a long run. 

You're Tense: Running provides a release, but over-thinking a problem can start to show in your form—shoulders up to your ears or shallow breathing, for example. Brennan recommends taking a mental inventory of your body, starting at your head and working down. 

You're Slower: Who doesn't love a little daydream on a run? That's fine, but if you have goals, don't stay on autopilot the entire time. Check in every few minutes, or tell yourself you'll let your mind go after this split. Until then, stay focused on your pace, Brennan says.

(courtesy of RunnersWorld.com)

MY TAKE ON IT: I am positive a strong mind is essential to running. A year ago, I spoke with an ex-short distance hurdler about his experience and about my experience with running. When I told him I was a long-distance runner, he looked enviously at me, telling me how he just, mentally, could never get himself to run 50 mpw... I guess it is true what they say, smart kids do well in running

Interesting Quote by Ryan Hall

"Everyone on the starting line (at the Olympics) dreamed of winning, but only one won – but this is not important – the journey was what was important. Dream big, but let your dreams inspire how you live today. Dreams should not be about the end goal, but rather about day to day living."
- American marathon star Ryan Hall, speaking to a high school writer prior to his recent 15km run in Florida. We saved the quote for the unveiling of the site as it talks about living the dream.

Mr. President, Barack Obama, gets in on the action

15-YEAR OLD Jamaican boy runs 10.42!! for 100m at trials

FIFTEEN-year-old Jazeel Murphy of Bridgeport High School produced a lifetime best 10.42 seconds (+1.1 wind m/s) to win the U-17 Boys 100 metres to steal the spotlight on yesterday's first day of the Carifta Trials at the Stadium East Field. Murphy, who had a less than impressive start, recovered by the 40-mark to beat main rivals Odean Skeen of Wolmer's Boys' and Adam Cummings of Munro, who were both credited with 10.75 for joint second place. Fifteen-year-old Jazeel Murphy of Bridgeport High School (left) beats his chest in celebration while posting a lifetime best 10.42 seconds to win the Under-17 Boys 100 metres at yesterday's Carifta Trials at the Stadium East in Kingston. Munro's Adam Cummings (centre), who defeated Murphy in Class 3 at Boys' Champs last year, was joint second with Odean Skeen of Wolmer's in 10.75 seconds. (Photo: Bryan Cummings) Murphy's 10.42 is 0.34 seconds faster than last year's winning time of 10.76 at the Carifta Games in St Kitts and Nevis. Bridgeport coach Carl Page, who revealed Murphy was over a knee problem from last season, told the Observer he was impressed with his performance. "He's been sprinting fine all season and we knew he was going to run well, but he surprised me with this 10.4 this early, so I'm expecting great things from him at (Boys' and Girls') Champs...," a delighted Page said. But while Murphy was on cloud nine, it was despair for reigning World Youth and Junior 100m gold medallist Dexter Lee of Herbert Morrison. Lee, who was the firm favourite for the U-20 Boys 100 crown, failed to advance to the final after placing second in 10.75 in heat two of six. Only the winners and two fastest losers are guaranteed a place in the final. Kemar Bailey-Cole of Old Harbour High won in 10.53 ahead of the St George's College pair of Darrion Mitchell (10.62) and Khorey Spalding (10.63). Carrie Russell, the 2006 World Junior bronze medallist who now attends The Queen's School, won the U-20 Girls equivalent in 11.50secs, while Deandre Whitemore of Vere took the U-17 event in 11.71. Other top performances came from Manchester High's Shay-Ann Holness and Holmwood Technical's Janieve Russell in the U-17 Girls high jump and 300m hurdles. Holness clocked 41.15secs in the semi-finals - a time which is better than the 11-year-old Carifa record of 41.33 set by Vere's Patricia Hall in 1998. Holness was second in the final in 44.55 behind Sashel Brown of Alpha, 44.20. The in-form 15-year-old Russell cleared a PR 1.80m to win the U-17 Girls high jump ahead of STETHS' Peta-Gaye Reid, 1.75m. The Carifta U-17 mark is 1.80m held by Jamaica's Sheree Francis in 1999. There were also impressive wins for Kingston College's Donohue Williams (1:51.94) and JC's Waquar DaCosta (1:54.33) in the U-20 and U-17 Boys 800m.

MY TAKE ON IT: Jamaica keeps producing top-notch sprinter, could this be the next Usain Bolt? doubtful and out of the question... but still this young man may have a bright future regardless.