American Track & Field - FALL/WINTER 08

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BEIJING DIARY…Last summer, I was fortunate to be creden-tialed for my fifth Summer Olympic Games.Our editor, James Dunaway, who celebratedhis 80th birthday in Beijing, has been cre-dentialed for 14 Summer Olympics! I spent20 days in Beijing, China, covering the track& field portion of the Olympics, interviewinggreat athletes and coaches. Thanks to myfriends at Reebok, I had a place about a 40-minute taxi ride from the Bird’s Nest Stadium.Most days, I would get up about 10 in themorning local time (it would have been 10p.m. the night before in Fort Atkinson,Wisconsin), take a walk, then grab a taxi andhead into Beijing. The 40-minute taxi ridecost me about US$7 or 60 yuan. I always hadmy intended location written in Chinese, sothe taxi drivers were good at getting mearound town.

The volunteers at the stadium were quitehelpful. Most were your age, 15–22, and theywould speak English with us as we grabbedour McCafe coffee at the Media Press Centreand walked 20 minutes to the stadium. Mostsessions, I was there with two good friends—Pat Butcher, sports correspondent for TheFinancial Times, and James O’Brien, publish-er of Winged Foot, the magazine of the NewYork Athletic Club. We were mesmerized by10 nights and days of Olympic track & field.

Our routine was to walk to most places, asdid most Chinese. There were bikes, oldbikes, everywhere. On my walks, I would seegrandparents pedaling slowly on their oldbikes with the grandchild sitting on a backseat. Unemployment doesn’t exist in China. Imet young people—your age—picking theweeds out of Communist officials’ frontyards. Most of the Chinese Army regulars, thefew who carried guns, were 18–20 years old.

I have always wanted to go to China. I will returnto China. With 5,000 years of cultural historyand amazing natural beauty, the Chinese peoplehave much to be proud of. I was at odds withhow their government controlled the media, anddisallowed peaceful protests during the Games,but my experiences each night, dining in smallChinese restaurants on fresh fish, vegetablesand rice, were memorable.

One night, Pat, James and I were sitting in arestaurant having dinner. We had fresh fish(picked out of an aquarium on the wall), don-key with peppers (spicy, tasted like beef),sweet and sour chicken, and lots of fresh veg-etables. The cooks finished cooking and satdown next to us, having their large bowls ofsteaming noodles and fish. But this night wasspecial as the cooks had brought out a freshwatermelon, sliced it with a huge butcher knifeand offered us pieces off the end of the knife.

The track & field had the largest crowds, butfor reasons known only to NBC, you didn’tsee much of the track & field in the U.S. TheU.S. team had good days and bad days. Theywon 24 medals, but not in the two shortrelays, and with Tyson Gay hurt, the chancesof a best-ever performance by the U.S. werelong gone. My high moments for the U.S.were: Shalane Flanagan in the women’s

Athletes Only is produced, published and owned by Shooting StarMedia, Inc., PO Box 67, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0067;920.568.8142 phone; 920.563.7298 fax; Christine Johnson,President; Larry Eder, Vice President. Publisher assumes no lia-bility for matter printed. Publisher assumes no responsiblity orliability for content of paid advertising and reserves the right toreject paid advertising. Opinions expressed are those of theauthors and not necessarily those of the Publisher.

Copyright © 2008 by Shooting Star Media, Inc. All RightsReserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in anyform without the written permission of the Publisher. AthletesOnly is not related to or endorsed by any other entity or corpora-tion with a similar name and is solely owned by Shooting StarMedia, Inc.

Publisher recommends, as with all fitness and healthissues, you consult with your physician before institu t ing anychanges in your fitness program.

Volume 13, Number 4Fall/Winter [email protected]

Group PublisherLarry [email protected]

Group EditorChristine Johnson

EditorJames [email protected]

ProofreadingMarg SumnerRedInkEditorial.com

Design/LayoutTwo Fish Design

WritersKirby LeeJames DunawayLarry EderMark Winitz

PhotographersVictah Sailer (PhotoRun)Lisa Coniglio (PhotoRun)Kirby Lee

Printer/PrepW. D. Hoard & SonsFort Atkinson, WI

Ad SalesPeter Koch [email protected]

National Sales Peter [email protected]

Special Projects Adam [email protected]

Proud Member ofThe Running Network, LLC.

3 BEIJING DIARY

4 CROSS COUNTRY SHOE REVIEWS

6 NIKE CROSS NATIONALS

7 THE ESSENTIALS — TIPS

9 THE ESSENTIALS #2 — TIPS

12 CHASING THE LIGHTNING BOLT

ON THE COVER…Shalane Flanagan is our cover athlete. She isshown running the 10,000 meters in Beijing,where she took the bronze medal in an newAmerican record of 30:22.22!Photo: Victah Sailor, PhotoRun

AO • FALL/WINTER 2008 • www.atf-athlete.com 3

continued on page 11


REVIEWSREVIEWS

The 2008 cross country season is looming, complete with a new batch of shoes designed for traction and lightness. This season’sofferings are familiar, each with a little something for all aficionados of the hill and dale sport. As always, the versatility of crosscountry racing shoes is their adaptable traction on varying terrain and their protective cushioning, despite their low-profile design.

Each has a subtly different fit to allow runners to find a racing shoe for their individual feet. Cross country spiked and spikeless modelsnearly mirror each other in styling and weight, with spikes providing a marginally better grip on muddy or soggy ground. Cross countryspikes are designed to perform best on all-natural courses, while the spikeless versions, which have integral outersole nubs of somesort, generally handle all surfaces, including indoor or outdoor tracks. If you’re looking to make a purchase that will transition fromcross country season to track season, consider the one of the spikeless options here.

adidas adiZero BelligerenceThe Belligerence is the first adiZero cross

country shoe and, thanks to adidas’

experience, it’s right on tar-

get. Available in a spiked

version only, it features a

flexible, rubbery spikeplate

that’s covered with dozens of

multi-directional lugs surrounding the

6 spike wells. A thin layer of CM-EVA midsole provides a bit of pro-

tection with its very low-profile and responsive ride. The upper uses

minimal synthetic overlays with the HF-welded bands from the eye-

stay to the bottom of the shoe doing the heavy lifting. The tongue is

secured in the interior all along the medial side to shore up the foot

and provide additional support. On the lateral side, it’s held in place

by an elastic band that flexes with the foot while keeping the tongue

in place. The mesh used in the upper allows a bit of stretch that im-

proves the fit, but is strategically reinforced to provide a balance be-

tween freedom and structure.

“Very pleased with the great fit. The traction was the best feature, like an exten-sion of my foot, no, more like part of it, the way it flexed and moved with it.”

Price: $90 Spiked Weight: 7.4 oz. (men’s 11) with 6 spikes Fit: snug heel, glove-like toe box

Cross Country by Cregg Weinmann

adidas RLH CrossAfter a lengthy run on store shelves, the Nep-

tune has been replaced by the RLH, in

both spiked and spikeless versions.

RLH (an abbreviation for “Run

Like He!!”) takes a cue from the

adiZero line and features a

more streamlined design than

did recent editions of the Neptune.

The upper is well tailored with a minimalist approach, but has just

enough Lightstrike foam for comfort in the ankle collar and heel.

The low-profile midsole offers enough protection without extra

weight, and its thin enough that it doesn’t hinder flexibility. Well-

placed Traxion lugs in both the heel and forefoot provide an effec-

tive grip, with enough give to provide a little cushioning on hard

surfaces. Both spiked and spikeless versions provide the extra trac-

tion needed for sloppy conditions.

“Fit hugs foot without unpleasant pressure anywhere, ideal for racing flat. Nofeeling of being out of control racing downhill, traction is just right.”

Price: $60 Spiked/Spikeless Weight: 7.9 oz. (men’s 11) Spikeless/8.2 oz. (men’s 11) with 6

spikes Fit: snug heel, glove-like toe box

ASICS Hyper XC2/XCS2 Hyper Rocketgirl XC2/XCS2

The Hyper cross country series, for men and

women, has undergone an update

which offers improvement at sev-

eral turns. The value-oriented price

holds steady despite increases

throughout the industry. The CM-

SpEVA midsole, lugged outersole, and rubber Trusstic element con-

tinue to provide effective support, cushioning, and traction. The

unisex sizing remains with the Hyper XC2/XCS2, as does the

women’s last for the Hyper Rocketgirl XC2/XCS2. The upper retains

the water-shedding, closed mesh though the rand but the overlays

have been pared down, helping to shave almost 3 grams of weight.

That’s not much of drop, but as long as support and durability aren’t

compromised, lighter is always better. The spikeless version is effec-

tive for all surfaces and indoor and outdoor competitions, making it

a good choice if you’re also looking forward to track season.

“This shoe has a great fit to it, even the heel area has a nice snug feel. Thecushioning is low-profile with a minimalistic feel, just enough cushion and gripfor racing with nothing more.”

Price: $55 Spiked/$50 Spikeless Weight: 8.4 oz. (men’s 11) Spikeless/9.1 oz. (men’s 11)

with 6 spikes Fit: snug heel, close-fitting toe box

Mizuno Wave Kaze 4For more than 5 years, the Wave Kaze has

been consistent thanks to the dialed-in

Wave Plate, midsole, and outersole

combination. This year, the Kaze

continues with what has worked

best, and still managed to

lighten the shoe by redesigning

the upper, thinning out the mesh with

a sandwich of Airmesh over closed mesh. Excess material in the

overlays has been trimmed, accounting for more than half an ounce

coming out of the shoe. The last and sizing continue unchanged with

unisex sizes fitting the bulk of the runners, and the women’s shoe

taking care of the smaller and narrower feet.

“Fit [is] snug all around, and they work amazingly well on hills. Good tractionfrom the little nubbin-y things on the bottom. Feel light and fast.”

Price: $75 Spiked/Spikeless Weight: 8.2 oz. (men’s 11) Spikeless/8.8 oz. (men’s 11) with 6

spikes; 5.7 oz. (women’s 8) Spikeless/6.3 oz. with 6 spikes Fit: snug heel, glove-like toe box

4AO • SUMMER 2008 • www.atf-athlete.comAO • FALL/WINTER 2008 • www.atf-athlete.com4


AO • SUMMER 2008 • www.atf-athlete.com

REVIEWSREVIEWS

Nike Zoom Waffle Racer VI& Zoom Waffle XC VII

The Nike 2008 cross country seasonamounts to a back-to-the-drawing

board for the Nike Waffleofferings. The upper’s tai-loring is familiarly snug,reflecting the spike thatit is. The midsole and

spikeplate/outersole haverecognizable aspects—the aggres-

sive chevron-shaped “Waffle” rubber and the CM-EVA midsole—butthe switch to a thin layer of thermoplastic in the midfoot has taken sig-nificant weight out of the shoe, a whopping 2 ounces. The upper alsocontributed to the weight loss, with gauze-y mesh and open mesh sand-wiched together, with a soft, synthetic suede arch band for fit and com-fort.

“These shoes feel good; they are light, offer good traction, and just enough pro-tection for cross country racing.”

Price: $50 Spikeless/$60 Spiked Weight: 6.4 oz. (men’s 11) Spikeless/6.8 oz. (men’s 11)

with 4 spikes Fit: snug heel, glove-like toe box

Nike Jana Star Waffle III & Jana Star XC III

The Jana Star series benefits from thechanges to its sibling the Waffle

Racer, the men’s half of thispair. Significantly, it hasdropped over an ouncein weight—directly attrib-

utable to changes in themidsole. The midfoot now

sports a thin, thermoplastic layer of support in place of the much heav-ier rubber from before, without sacrificing protection from the cushion-ing and the thermoplastic layer that protects from rocky surfaces. Theupper has been reworked to internalize the structural overlays of the pre-vious version, again at a weight savings. One of the ways that the Janadiffers from the men’s versions is the open mesh over the toe with a dif-ferent sandwich of meshes from the midfoot through the heel. Suededlining in the heel and just in front of the arch offer comfort where the shoefits the snuggest.

“I really like the shoes overall. Love the color, and they feel fast! Lacing feels se-cure and strong, won‘t let me down. Maybe best of all, the fit is comfortablysnug, but soft against my foot.”

Price: $50 Spikeless/$60 Spiked Weight: 4.9 oz. (women’s 8) Spikeless/5.1 oz. (women’s 8)


Reebok Velocity Waffle II& Velocity XC II

The updated Velocity retains the effectiveparts of the shoe, while introduc-

ing some improvements.The proven mid-sole/outersole, with its de-pendable traction and

cushioning for harder sur-faces, does equally well on the soft

surfaces. The upper contributes to the lighterweight with a new, closed mesh and a bit of water-resistant, rubberyoverlays combined with good support from its Vector stripes. The nar-row, sueded overlays on the edging add protection and a little structure.Overall, the supportive, glove-like fit has been maintained to continueto provide Reebok’s version of low-profile design.

“Reebok has steadily provided a shoe that works great for my cross country rac-ing. They fit me, the traction is reliable, and the low profile gives me a feel forthe course.”



Saucony Shay XCThe Shay XC becomes Saucony’s new cross coun-

try option to the Kilkenny. Named for RyanShay, the late elite marathoner and cross

country All-America selec-tion, it’s aimed at thefastest performances.The upper features an

open mesh with touchesof supportive overlays—it’s

minimal but enough. Inside, there’sa soft, flexible sleeve stitched to the sides of the tongue and securedalong the edges of the Strobel board. This sleeve moves with the foot,offering a close fit and reducing friction. The midsole is nicely cush-ioned, especially for a racer. The outersole features the old-schoolSaucony triangular lugs, which really grip on a wide variety of sur-faces, and a fun “footprint” in a second color of rubber. The combina-tion of performance and comfort add up to a hardworking cross countryracer—just like its namesake.

“This shoe was a pleasant surprise—traction, cushioning, breathable, comfort-able on the foot—it really performs.”


with 6 spikes Fit: snug heel, close-fitting toe box

Cross Country

Cregg Weinmann is footwear and running products reviewer for the Running Network LLC. A competitive runner for the past 43 years, he also has coached runners at all levelsfor over 25 years. He can be reached via fax at 661.872.1233 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Copyright © 2008 by Running Network LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be stored, copied, or reprinted without prior written permission of the Running Network LLC. Reprinted here with permission.



Nike Cross Nationals Midwest RegionalOpen, closes Nov 09 2008 at 11:59 PM CSTWhen: November 15, 2008Where: Terre Haute, INHomepage: http://www.nikecrossnationals.comPoint of Contact: Geoff Wayton([email protected])Entry Types Allowed: allowed Individual Athletes allowedCoaches/Teams

Notes:The following states are in the NXN Midwest Region: Indiana,Ohio, Illinois, Michigan & Missouri.

Nike Cross Nationals Heartland RegionalOpen, closes Nov 09 2008 at 11:59 PM CSTWhen: November 15, 2008Where: Sioux Falls, SDHomepage: http://www.nikecrossnationals.comPoint of Contact: Kristi Rieger ([email protected])Entry Types Allowed: allowed Individual Athletes allowedCoaches/Teams

Notes:The following states are in the NXN Heartland Region: SouthDakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska & Wisconsin.

Nike Cross Nationals Northwest RegionalOpen, closes Nov 09 2008 at 11:59 PM PSTWhen: November 15, 2008Where: Boise, IDHomepage: http://www.nikecrossnationals.comPoint of Contact: Ryan Canning ([email protected])Entry Types Allowed: allowed Individual Athletes allowedCoaches/Teams

Notes:The following states are in the NXN Northwest Region: Idaho,Oregon, Washington, Montana, Alaska &, Hawaii.

Nike Cross Nationals Southwest RegionalOpen, closes Nov 16 2008 at 11:59 PM PSTWhen: November 22, 2008Where: Tempe, AZHomepage: http://www.nikecrossnationals.comPoint of Contact: Jeff Guy ([email protected])Entry Types Allowed: allowed Individual Athletes allowedCoaches/Teams

Notes:The following states are in the NXN Southwest Region: Arizona,Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada & Wyoming.

Nike Cross Nationals South RegionalOpen, closes Nov 16 2008 at 11:59 PM CSTWhen: November 22, 2008Where: The Woodlands, TXHomepage: http://www.nikecrossnationals.comPoint of Contact: Dan Green ([email protected])Entry Types Allowed: allowed Individual Athletes allowedCoaches/Teams

Notes:The following states are part of the NXN South Region:Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, & Mississippi.

Nike Cross Nationals Southeast RegionalOpen, closes Nov 23 2008 at 11:59 PM ESTWhen: November 29, 2008Where: Cary, NCHomepage: http://www.nikecrossnationals.comPoint of Contact: Pat Helland ([email protected])Entry Types Allowed: allowed Individual Athletes allowedCoaches/Teams

Notes:The following states are in the NXN Southeast Region:Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina,South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, WestVirginia, & Kentucky.

Nike Cross Nationals Northeast/New York RegionalOpen, closes Nov 23 2008 at 11:59 PM ESTWhen: November 29, 2008Where: Wappingers Falls, NYHomepage: http://www.nikecrossnationals.comPoint of Contact: Paul Limmer ([email protected])Entry Types Allowed: allowed Individual Athletes allowedCoaches/Teams

Notes:The following states are in the NXN Northeast Region:Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, NewJersey, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

The state of New York is its own region.

NXN Open RaceOpen, closes Nov 30 2008 at 11:59 PM PSTWhen: December 6, 2008Where: Portland, ORHomepage: http://www.nikecrossnationals.comPoint of Contact: Mike Elder ([email protected])Entry Types Allowed: allowed Individual Athletes allowedCoaches/Teams

Notes:It is recommended that, when entering, yourteam name should reflect that of a club insteadof a specific school. And, if a specific club in yourarea does not exist, that name should have someassociation with the town or city in which theschool is located. All individuals should competeas a club or unaffiliated.

For the first time in harrier history, a single race—Nike Cross Nationals—will crown both individual and team nationalchampions. Just as in past Nike Team Nationals events, the 22 best teams of each gender will compete. Only differ-

ence is, this year they'll be joined by the 45 fastest individuals from non-qualifying teams. It's true cross country, anda true national championship, whether you compete solo or for the team.

All high school runners are invited to prove who has the most guts on their stretch of turf and toe the line at the Nike Cross Regionals.

Photo Credit: Nike Communications

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7

Nutrition—Fuel the Engine

Unless you get real food into your system,each and every day, your engine won’trun well. If you’re starving yourself, noteating right, living on junk food, yourbody will revolt.

The first facts are that if you’re running5–6 days a week and eating well, yourbody will get to its natural weight.Vegetables, green ones, yellow ones, redones—you should have some every day.Pasta, whole grain breads are great. Milkand cheese are good for you, as are meatand fish. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan,or want to be, remember to fuel the sys-tem with beans and rice. Cheese is great,as well. Breakfast, a mid-morning snack,lunch, afternoon snack, dinner andevening snack all make sense. Try carrotsticks, try an apple slice with peanut but-ter. Drink a low-sodium V-8.

You can also eat smart while traveling.Bean burritoes, chicken super burritoes atTaco Bell, pizza with cheese, and veggies.

Drink water, fruit juice, green tea, sportsdrinks. If you want the book on sportsnutrition, go to www.nancyclarkrd.com.

Hydration—yes. Water is magic

Eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, fora sedentary person, is the rule. We sug-gest 10 glasses of water a day for atraining athlete, plus sports drinks. Cutback on carbonated beverages (theyhamper muscle recovery). Water helpsyour body transfer energy at the cellularlevel. More leg cramps and worn-outathletes have been “cured” by addingwater to their regimen than by any vita-min or medicinal suggestion.

Training shoes—Two pair, always

Our sport is pretty basic. You need a cou-ple good pair of training shoes. I suggesta pair of trainers that fit your foot, and gettwo of the same pair. Alternate them onworkouts, and that will cut down injuriesduring the training cycle. If you race inspikes or racing flats, you should also—gently—start using them early in the sea-son at the end of the workout during strideouts. As you get later into the season, youshould use your racing shoes for one hardworkout a week, say the tempo run orthree times a mile. Train smart, racesmart. Using your shoes as the equipmentthey are is key.

Training smart—Barefoot or nearit, two times a week

If you’re serious about racing and trulywant to improve your times, strong feetare key. With 26 bones in the foot, prop-er foot hygiene is paramount. Twice aweek in your lightest racing shoes, bare-foot, or in shoes like a Nike Free (forthose who don’t wear this shoe, your rac-ing flats will do), start by jogging easy forno longer than 30 minutes. Build up todoing your warmup exercises, highknees, butt kicks, in them. Getting yourfeet to work properly is a key to speeddevelopment.

WE TEST THE SHOES.YOU TEST YOURSELF.

Nike Air Structure Triax+ 11 GTX® GORE-TEX® Footwear with XCR® Product Technology

© 2008 W. L. Gore & Associaes, Inc. GORE-TEX®, XCR®, GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY®, GTX®, GORE® and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates.

EXPERIENCE MORE...

Skinny RavenAnchorage, AK

The Essentials

Dear Readers: You seem to respond best to our suggestions on training and tips on how to be abetter runner. So in this issue, you’re getting what you asked for. We’ve prepared two sets oftraining tips for you. This first one is called “The Essentials.”

by Larry Eder

continued on page 8

AO • FALL/WINTER 2008 • www.atf-athlete.com

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AO • FALL/WINTER 2008 • www.atf-athlete.com8

Everything we do is geared towards helping you love RUNNING more.

To find a dealernear you, go to:

www.newbalance.com

Athletics is a sport. Have a life

The Greeks were right; we have a physical and a spiritual side. When one isout of whack, the other is out of whack. You need friends, family and com-munity to be a whole person. You’ll learn lots from cross country or track. Lifelessons. But your running will be better the less pressure you put on yourselfand your fellow teammates. Whether you’re planning to win state, yourregion, your local race or the Olympics, remember, sport is part of your life.Look at Haile Gebrselassie, who had five runners pass him with 200 metersto go! Afterward, he smiled and noted that he’d done his best. Learn from him.Notice how world record holder Paula Radcliffe—who could have quit inBeijing—didn’t, and gallantly finished the race. Why? Because it was theOlympics, something bigger than she. Learn from her. Eight weeks later, HaileGebrselassie broke the world record in the Berlin marathon.Twelve weekslater, Paula Radcliffe won her third ING New York City Marathon!

Ethics: There is right and there is wrong

In this world, you get all kinds of messages. Here’s the truth: most people don’tcheat. In any part of their lives. Sports is a sacred trust. You expect your com-petitor to train hard, and you train hard. In the end, it comes down to whocan kick better down that last 300 yards. Afterward, even if it’s close, youshake the other person’s hand and talk about the race. Those are memoriesyou’ll have for 30 years, I promise you! But you never, ever, rationalize cheat-ing in sport, because at the end of the day, you need to know that that 4:40mile you ran was yours and nobody else’s. Well, your coach and teammatessure helped, but no chemical help or illegal drug.

If you want to see what happens when you get caught, go to the Oprah web-site and rewatch Marion Jones on the show, and see how the greatest athleteof her generation sold herself short and lost everything. Sport is sport, andusing drugs because it may give you more access to money or success justdoes not make sense. If one uses drugs to further their career in sports, theyhave dirtied the sport and lowered themselves.

�

Everything we do is geared towards helping you love RUNNING more.

To find a dealernear you, go to:

www.newbalance.com

08:Layout 1 11/19/08 7:19 AM Page 1


Local Dealers

Visit the following

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Academy Sports

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Visit www.sofsole.com

and use the retail locator for more information

BASICS OF TRAINING

1. You need a coach!

The most important way to make sure your running is a success is to find acoach. The coach at your high school is there because he or she loves the sport(they sure aren’t getting rich from coaching cross country or track). Listen tothem, ask them questions, tell them when something hurts or when you’re feel-ing wiped. They need to learn about you, and you need to learn about them.If you disagree with your coach, do it respectfully, and they should do the samefor you. Each coach interprets training differently. Finding an approach thatworks for you is key. Remember, a good coach will help you be a better run-ner, challenge your beliefs and, especially, the limits you put on yourself.

2. Warmup and cool down

Muscles work better when they’re warmed up. That’s common sense. Our sug-gestion is to jog an easy mile and take 10 to 15 minutes and stretch the bigmuscles. Do it gently and increase the focus as you get longer in your buildup.Your cool down should be more of the same. Before a track or speed session,work on the stride-outs, butt kicks, skipping and jumping. Find a system thatworks for you, and stay with it. If you need a good warmup system, check ourwebsite, www.atf-athlete.com.

3. The long run

The long run—from 50 to 90 minutes for most high schoolers and 90 minutesto 2 hours for most college runners—is about developing your base and yourability to transport oxygen-rich blood cells through your body more efficiently.Arthur Lydiard called it capillarization. He believed that as you ran 90-minuteruns, once a week, your body would continue to develop a stronger circula-tory system, which allows you to handle tougher workouts and tougher races.A long run, once a week, run at 65–70% effort, 50 weeks a year is key toyour running success. Suggestions are to do it on trails with a few friends.Keep it relaxed and the jokes coming.

The Essentialsby Larry Eder

#2


Footwear

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10 AO • FALL/WINTER 2008 • www.atf-athlete.com

4. A tempo run

A tempo run is an importanttool in your training regimen.Simply done, after a goodwarmup, a tempo run takes20 minutes, once a week. Atfirst, you should do yourtempo run on the track.

This is how you do your run:Take your current 5K racingtime—let’s say 18:30. Then,figure out the mile pace,which is 6 minutes per mile.Now, add 30 seconds a mileto that time, so you’re at a6:30 pace. Your tempo runthen is to run for 20 minutes at6:30 a mile. If there are sev-eral of you doing that run,then share the pacing duty.The pace is supposed to bestrong, not decimating. As youget faster, increase the pace of your tempo run, but always use this parame-ter. The tempo run is a huge tool in helping you increase your ability to raceat a higher level. Our suggestion is to do this on a Tuesday during yourbuildup. Cool down well after this workout.

5. Hills, your secret weapon

If you have delicate legs, if you can’t handle lots of speed work, hill runs willget you into shape—quickly. The smartest way to start is just running up thehills slowly, and as you get into better shape, the hills will come more easily.I suggest a hilly run 3–4 times a week early on. As you get into shape, cut thehill workout down to the following: nice 2-mile warmup, then start with 4 timesa 200-meter charge up the hill, jog down, add one hill charge each week untilyou hit 12.

6. Train, don’t strain

When you start out training for a season, take it all slowly. Add no more than5% to your mileage every 2 weeks. Running slowly never hurt anyone. As youget into shape, your pace will increase, so relax. The easiest way to foil a sea-son is to train too hard or put too much pressure on yourself!

7. Recovery days

When your coach tells you to run an easy hour, do it. He or she has a reasonfor this. Run as slowly as you’re told, so your body can recover from the hardstuff. If you’re doing easy morning runs, run relaxed and note that over amonth, your pace will start to pick up naturally. Keep the rest days at a pacewhere you can carry on an easy conversation! If you don’t do the recoverydays right and easy runs right, you’ll get injured. It’s that simple.

8. Double runs

If you’re trying to build summer mileage, an easy run in the morning or aneasy run after a race or hard workout helps get the cobwebs out, and also thelactic acid. Try this 2–3 times a week, but never on long days or speed days.

�


With a full range of neutral cushion-

ing, support, stability, and maximum

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provide you exactly what you need to

be runstoppable. Available at select

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Alaska: Beaver Sports, Fairbanks

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California: Future Track Running Center, Agoura Hills; REI, Sacramento; Outfooters, Santa Barbara; Merrell Union Square, San Francisco

Colorado: Aspen Sports, Denver; REI, Denver; Paragon Sports, Evergreen

Florida: Lloyd Clark Sports, Gainesville;

Mr. R, Miami Beach; Track Shack, Orlando

Georgia: Merrell at The Peachtree Forum, Norcross; The Athlete’s Foot, Marietta

Iowa: Scheels All Sports, Coralville, Sioux City, Waterloo, West Des Moines

Kansas: Great Plains Running Company, Topeka

Massachusetts: Cape Tip Sportswear, Provincetown

Michigan: Gazelle Sports, Grand Rapids, Holland, Kalamazoo

Minnesota: Get Fit Duluth, Duluth; REI, Bloomington; Scheels All Sports, Eden Prairie, Moorhead, Water Park

Missouri: Fleet Feet Sports St. Louis, St. Charles; Ridge Runner Sports, Springfield

Montana: Scheels All Sports, Billings, Great Falls

Nebraska: Scheels All Sports, Lincoln, Omaha

Nevada: Scheels All Sports, Sparks

New Jersey: Shore Runner, Long Branch

New Mexico: Mountain Sports, Angel Fire

New York: Hudson Valley Outfitters, Cold Spring; Merrell Huntington Village, Huntington Village; Paragon Sports, New York

North Dakota: Scheels All Sports, Bismark, Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot

Ohio: Up and Running, Dayton; Vertical Runner, Hudson

Oklahoma: Elite Feet, Edmond; Fleet Feet Sports, Tulsa

Oregon: REI, Portland; Signal Sports, Portland

Pennsylvania: The Finish Line Running Store, Emmaus

South Dakota: Scheels All Sports, Rapid City, Sioux Falls

Tennessee: Sports Seasons, Franklin; Merrell Nashville, Nashville

Texas: Hill Street Running, Austin; Run Tex, Austin

Utah: Basin Sports, Vernal; REI, Salt Lake City; Runner’s Corner, Orem

Washington: REI, Seattle

Wisconsin: Scheels All Sports, Appleton, Eau Claire

Wyoming: Sheridan Sport Shop, Sheridan

Vermont: Fleet Feet Sports, Essex Junction

merrell.com

11AO • FALL/WINTER 2008 • www.atf-athlete.com

10,000 meters; StefanieBrown Trafton winning thewomen’s discus, giving theU.S. its first women’s Goldmedal in the discus since1932(!); the men’s 400meters and 400 meterhurdles; Sanya Richards’move in the last 50 metersof the 4x400 meters; andthe U.S. guys in the4x400 meters. DathanRiztenhein and Ryan Hallwent 9 and 10, respective-ly, in the Olympicmarathon, after a 21-year-old Kenyan dusted theentire field, running a2:06:21 in the humidBeijing conditions.

Usain Bolt was everywhere.He was the rock star of theGames. The crowd lovedhim, and he loved thecrowd and the adulation.The team from Jamaica putit all together on the right10 days at the right times.I was also impressed byKenenisa Bekele, who won the 5000 meters and10,000 meters, the first since his countrymenMiruts Yifter won both races in Moscow in 1980!In the 5000 meters, Bekele won by running a4-minute mile with 5 laps to go, and then sprint-ing a 53-second last lap! On the women’s side,Tirunesh Dibaba, also of Ethiopia, won the firstwomen’s double, with a sub-30-minute 10K. Her5000 meter victory was a snorer—really slow for11 laps, then kick over the last lap and a half.

Liu Xiang was to be the Gold medal that did nothappen

Liu Xiang is the 2007 world champion in the110 meter hurdles. He’d hurt himself lastspring and when he showed up at the ReebokGrand Prix he withdrew. At the Pre Classic, hefalse-started the race. The week before theOlympic track sessions began, Liu injured hisAchilles so badly that, in front of 80,000 fans,on his first round Xiang made it five steps overthe first hurdle and then went back to the startas the entire stadium made a collective gasp.The Games were changed for China. Liu Xiangwas to have been China’s first win for a Chinesemale in a major track event. It was not to be.1.4 billion Chinese were disappointed.

A press conference followed where Liu Xiang’scoach, in tears, spoke of the pain Liu had takenon trying to compete. The Chinese team coachtried to soften the blow, but the Chinese mediawas all over the coaching staff. On Chinese web-sites, there were accusations of a double cross,of Liu faking it, and much worse. But theChinese authorities took most notes down thesame day.

The President of China sent a note to Liu Xiangwishing him a speedy recovery and noting thathe would “win many more great victories for themotherland.”

That afternoon, all nine Chinese TV stations didan hour-long show on Liu Xiang, his coach, his

racing. Commentators ongovernment-run TV askedthat the Chinese peopleconsider Liu Xiang’s feel-ings. Two days after hisloss, on Chinese TV LiuXiang apologized to theChinese people about hisinjuries, and promised toget healthy and race again.

The Great Wall

My most memorablemoment came after theGames closed. I joinedJames and Pat on a jour-ney to the Great Wall. Wefound an untouched sec-tion of the Wall, whichstretches 1,000 kilome-ters across China, 2 hoursfrom Beijing. Seeing theGreat Wall for the firsttime was amazing. Thewall, built over severalhundred years, nearly2,000 years ago, was tokeep the Chinese peoplein and other people out. It

was effective. The wall is 50 feet thick, and 100feet high, and built along mountain ridges.“How did they get one brick up here?” Ithought, as I sweated profusely, trying to get up100 feet at a time. The steps were steep, thesun was out and I was sweating—and sweatingsome more. Every 1,000 feet or so, there wouldbe a small shop selling sodas, water, etc. TheChinese have sure embraced capitalism.

Climbing the wall took me nearly 2 hours. It washot, even in the morning. 3,000 steps later, andseveral breaks, I made it to the top of the wall.I went to Towers 5 through 8. Chinese came upand took my picture. They said I was one of thebiggest guys to climb the wall. All I know wasthat I was tired, and my size 13 feet on size 6steps meant that I walked sideways down thesteps for 2 hours! The climb was worth it.

By this time, instead of gasping, I was laughingand enjoying the irony of being in China andbeing asked by a Chinese American family if Ihad interviewed Kobe Bryant (no, but I haveinterviewed Yao Ming and Liu Xiang).

Our last evening in Beijing was spent at the GuLuo, the Drum Tower area, where we could findlots of small restaurants.

My return flight was 14 hours from Beijing toChicago, and then a 3-hour bus ride home toFort Atkinson. My flight was full of NBC TV crewand Olympic athletes. It was a nice flight, but Islept most of the time.

I’ve been back for 6 weeks. I’m sleeping a pret-ty regular schedule now as I head to the INGNew York City Marathon this weekend, and thento the Nike Border Clash and Nike TeamNationals later this fall. Write me([email protected]) about your ideas on howwe can make Athletes Only better for you!

�


For 10 days in August 2008, young Jamaican runner Usain Bolt captured the interest of the world.

Bolt, who turned 22 during the Olympic Games, broke world records at 100 and 200 meters,

and then ran the third leg of Jamaica’s world record 4x100m relay effort!

Thanks to three Gold medals in 10 days, Usain Bolt is now a household name across the globe.

Jiro Michizuki/www.PhotoRun.net

G L O B A L P E R S P E C T I V E S



At the beginning of the Games, there were three sprinters who looked to dominate the

sprint competition: Bolt, fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell, and American Tyson Gay. All

three were relatively healthy and all three were set to compete in Beijing. But in-

stead of witnessing head-to-head competition, it turned out to be Usain Bolt

alone who took the global stage and enthralled track fans everywhere. Tall

for a sprinter—6 foot, 5 inches—Bolt has excellent form and had dedi-

cated the year leading up to the Games to training with his coach, Glenn

Mills. No question, Bolt was ready to race when he came to Beijing.

In the opening round of the 100 meters, Bolt ran 10.20 and looked

like he was jogging. In round two, he ran 9.92, the fastest time of

the day to that point, and he was still jogging! The following day,

August 16, Bolt began to look as if he was racing, clocking 9.85

in the semi-finals at half past seven in the evening. Unfortu-

nately, the injury Tyson Gay had suffered at the U.S. Olympic

Trials took longer than expected to heal and he was elimi-

nated in the semi-finals.

Three hours after the semis, the athletes were back in the

starting blocks for the final. As the gun went off, Bolt

charged out of the blocks. By the 50-meter mark he

was in control of the race. At 75 meters, he put his

arms out and then flew through the finish, record-

ing a legal world record 9.69 seconds! Such domi-

nation in the 100 meters—second place was 2/10

of a second back—hadn’t been seen since 1964,

and the crowd of 91,000 fans in the Bird’s Nest

couldn’t stop applauding!

Later Bolt told the assembled media, “I will run my

heart out in the 200 meters.” And the Jamaican Gold

medalist kept his promise. On August 20 in the 200

meters final, Bolt came off the turn 6/10 of a second

ahead of 2004 Olympic Gold medalist Shawn

Crawford. Running strong the whole way, Bolt grimaced

and leaned at the finish, stopping the clock at 19.30. He

destroyed the world record set in 1996 by Michael

Johnson, a record that many thought would never be

broken. Even more remarkable, Bolt’s second world record

of the Games was set running into a headwind!

On Friday night, August 22, the crowd was anticipating

the 4x100m relay final. Without the American team on

the starting line—their relay hopes had ended in the first

round when they failed to complete the handoff be-

tween legs 3 and 4—Jamaica was the clear favorite. A

crowd of 90,000-plus cheered as the baton was passed

from Nesta Carter to Michael Frater to Usain Bolt. Bolt made

the final hand-off to Asafa Powell, who brought it home for

Jamaica in a new world record of 37.10!

Jiro Michizuki/www.PhotoRun.netG L O B A L P E R S P E C T I V E S



Over the course of the 2008 Olympic Games, the men and women on Jamaica’s track & field team

captured 7 of a possible 12 individual medals in the 100 and 200 meters, plus the men’s 4x100m relay gold.

In the final analysis, Bolt’s success in Beijing started a year ago. At the 2007 World Championships in Osaka,

Bolt was beaten by Tyson Gay, who came from behind in the men’s 200 meters to snatch away the Gold

medal. Determined never to be passed like that again, the young man who liked to have fun went to his

coach, Glenn Mills, and requested a year-long training program. And then came August 2008.

Usain Bolt ran 10 races in 10 days. He set two solo world records, at 100 meters and 200 meters, and

another one with his teammates in the 4x100m relay. His performances also earned

Jamaica its first Olympic Gold medals in the sprints.

What’s next for Usain Bolt?

Writer : Larry Eder; Design/Layout: Alex Larsen; Editor : Christine Johnson; Proofreader: Red Ink Editorial Service. © 2008 by Shooting Star Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be stored, copied, or reprinted without prior written permission of Shooting Star Media, Inc. A version of this story first appeared at www.RunBlogRun.com and is reprinted here with permission.

Victor Sailer/www.PhotoRun.net

Victor Sailer/www.PhotoRun.net

Jiro Michizuki/www.PhotoRun.net

G L O B A L P E R S P E C T I V E S





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