There is little doubt that the Southern California (aka CIF Southern Section) High School Division Finals at Mt SAC on Saturday will draw a far larger crowd than the USATF High Performance Meet at Oxy on Friday. Track and field in the month of May in southern California has been dominated for decades by the nail-biting three rounds of competition between League meets and the California State Meet Prelims/Finals. The first round kicked off last Saturday with the Division Prelims spread across four sites. The second round continues on Saturday a...
One of the great pleasures in track and field is enjoying an amazing performance with other spectators. The passion and drama of track and field is heightened by a crowd that is roaring at the same pace as the competition. The sport is at its best when the crowd and athletes are in rhythm, creating an atmosphere that is ideal for specatular performances. On May 18, the USATF High Performance Meet at Occidental College (Oxy) will feature incredibly deep fields, as some of the world’s best are on the start lists. Unfortun...
It has taken a few days to recover from the madness that occurred at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. I feel like I say that every year after the meet, and the 2012 edition provided excitement in a totally different way. I have watched the video of the men’s 5000 meters, talked with friends about it, and pondered the race throughout my run the day after. I still cannot believe what I saw, on a number of different levels. It seemed to take supernatural efforts just to get anyone under 13:20 at...
2012 Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational RACE SPLITS Sunday, April 29, 2012 RESULTS | Archived Video | Meet Schedule | Meet Photos Race splits from @FloStopWatch (App coming soon for iPhone!) Men's 10,000m Section 1 Leader, Time 27:27.96 (65.9 avg lap) These correspond very closely to Cameron Levins's splits as he was near the front for most of the race. Lap Distance Time Split 1 400m 67.3 67.3 2 800m 2:14.8 67.5 3 1200m 3:20.5 65.8 4 1600m 4:27.3 66.8 5 2000m 5:33.9 66.6 6 2400m 6:40.4 66.5 7 2800m 7:46.7 66.3 8 3200m...
I hate to say it , but a hint of doubt crept into my track and field heart and mind when I saw Evan Jager’s 8:26.14 debut victory in the steeple at the Mt. SAC Relays on Thursday. The doubt did not come from his ability to perform in the event. He easily moved away from a solid field that included Dan Huling, the fourth fastest steepler in US history. There is no questioning his ability to hurdle. His technique was as good as any rookie. In his post race interview, Evan said he had been hu...
The 2012 Stanford Invitational featured several athletes that have traveled different paths on the roads to success. When the top recruits select their five official NCAA visits, they seem to be in a position of power, control, and comfort. Years later some find themselves attempting to rebuild their dominance on the track. Universities show their best sides during visits, but the reality and rigors of college track and field leave athletes sometimes longing for another change. Chris Derrick, from an outsider’s view, is...
Hippies, Rednecks, endless trails, sunny days, lots of snow (sometimes), beautiful trails, NAU, Bagel run, Macy’s coffee, Buffalo Park, windy, oxygen deficit, 2100m, Urban trail system, dry air, crocodile skin, Late for the train coffee, dirt/gravel/unpaved paths.. Oh and did I mention there are trails everywhere and all across town? No? I’ve been planning this 39-day training camp to Flagstaff for quite a while. Every time when I told someone who visited Flag before that I was planning on going there they would tell me the exact sa...
Perseverance – Character – Hope By Holly van Dalen As I look back to the last time I stood on a track, it was 31st July 2011. I was in Belgium surrounded by athletes and other New Zealanders who were all there for the same reason – because we have a passion for this sport! Here, I ran my 5000m personal best of 15.41, and on that day I did not realize how much this race would be my motive and hope to get back into running, during an injury that was about to be with me for the following year. As runners we all have our goals and...
“I train in pain because I race in pain and if you can’t tolerate pain you may as well quit.” –Steve Scott Nothing means more to a runner than the Race itself. No job promotion, good grade, first kiss, high five, finding a dollar on the ground, or the smell of freshly baked cookies beats the Race. When one is within it, nothing in the outside World matters. There isn’t a care in the mind besides the track underneath the feet and heart pounding ...
Stuck in my mind this week is Monday night. I took my family to the Golden State Warrior game to see the jersey retirement ceremony of my favorite childhood player, Chris Mullin. A great halftime recognition turned very uncomfortable when the crowd of over 15,000 fans booed team owner Joe Lacob as soon as he took the microphone. No, my hands were not cupped around my mouth. Rather, I was trying to explain to my wife and sons why the crowd suddenly became hostile. Right or wrong, the dedicated Warriors’ fans were ex...
So I'm a distance runner, 1600m/3200m guy, and I was wondering what kind of spikes to put in my "Nike Zoom Victories"? Some of my friends use pyramid spikes, while others have needle spikes. Then there is the issue of the length. Should I use 1/4 or 1/8 or 3/8? I know everyone has their own preference but which are the best for 1600m and 3200m?
I've decided to go "All In" this cross country season. What does that mean? It means that I'm done being mediocre and missing the little details that I've been neglecting throughout the years. I'm going to dedicate almost all of my time to my cause and make sure that I know without a shadow of a doubt that I did everything that I could to reach my goals. My diet is going to be geared towards this as well as my sleep schedule and class schedule. Speaking of class schedule I've eliminated any chance to have any excuses this semester. I am taking ...
So I was at school today and my friend was telling me that I should try backwards running. I looked at him like he was crazy. As I looked into it I found there were some real benefits to it. Have you guys heard of and benefits to backwards running? Do you guys do it?
Well, today is Wednesday May 16th. We drove down into Santa Fe for a workout and figured, "why not make a day out of it"? We came down about an hour ago grabbed a small bite to eat and then headed over 'here', The New Mexico State Library. Today is a little over a week since we've been here but it seems like much much longer already. Running is getting a tad easier day by day but still not camparable to the easiness of ...
Alright, well getting to this point today has been a tough travel. After searching for a computer for over 2 hours we finally found a way to get on the internet. Caleb's Dad (Keith) helped us get online at a Holiday Inn here in Santa Fe. Well since my last blog a lot has happened. Running has been hell, sleeping has been tough, and the weather won't let up! I'm pretty sure it has snowed on us everyday thus far, today is day 6. For exampl...
Freshman year, what a ride. I started off cross country season with no running experience. My first 5k was a 21:13. Not great, but not too bad considering I had no experience. Thanks to my coaches (shout out to Horan and Sowder). By the end of cross country season I ended off running a 19:23 5k. I can't wait for my sophomore year. Hopefully a sub18 minute 5k. Track season started off great. My first track race was a 3k. Ran it in 10:48. As the season progressed I could see just how fast I was progressing. I run the 800, 1600, 3200. The 800 isn'...
WILT - What I Learned Today Whether it be important or not, here it is
Haven’t posted in about 7 months, so I figured I’m due! It has been a while. As the year winds down, I can’t help but reflect on the past, enjoy the present and look forward to the future. I hit a hiccup during indoor track which lead to a lack of racing, but it all has been a positive learning experience. Most recently I broke my foot while running on a golf course of all places, which kept me out of the outdoor season after getting into good shape post fall. Fortunately we found answers about an issue that has been a ...
Well, I'm now in New Mexico living in a tent with my friend Caleb Clark. We left my parents house Tuesday morning at 4:10 a.m and got to the camp at 9:30 a.m. It took us quite a while to set the tent up and everything but finally we got that finished and ate some lunch (chicken noodle soup over the fire). We decided to go on an hour run and weren't expectig what came at us. We started at the Big Tesuque Trailhead that's about 15 yards from our tent. We didn't realize the trail was going to go straight up the mountain. We ran from 9,700 feet to ...
I have had two great outdoor seasons to start off my collegiate career. I have put myself in position to score points each year! That's your job in the regular season, getting yourself to conference championships and getting into the fast heats. I have done my part during the regular seasons. However, when it comes to championships, I do nothing but fold. I have been in position to score 17 points in the last two years, and I came away with 1 point in indoor, and that was only due to luck. I went into my conference champion...
