Road to Houston Recap

We are now in the week of the race and this page will serve as a quick recap of the previews and interviews. I'll add everything to this page as we go along as well. Good news on my end as well, as I just booked my flight, hotel and rental car for the weekend. I will be in Houston! I look forward to meeting everyone. If you'll be in attendance, send me an email.

Early Predictions
Published on December 18, 2011

Check out early race previews before declarations:

Click here for Men's Race early preview

Click here for the Women's Race early preview

5 Questions with Joe Moore
Published on December 20, 2011

"There was a tight turn at the finish, and I saw the clock tick over 1:04:50, and I knew I had it. It was more just a huge relief that I had finally gotten it."

Click here to read the Joe Moore interview

5 Questions with Molly Pritz
Published on December 23, 2011

"Both in training and the race I found an inner strength I never knew I had and I'd like to think that my NYC experience has not only made me a stronger runner, but a stronger person in every aspect of life."

Click here to read the Molly Pritz interview

5 Questions with Addie Bracy
Published on  December 27, 2011

"It took me a year or two to adjust to the difference in training, as well as my training environment. It wasn't until the last 8 months that I really felt that I had a breakthrough."

Click here to read the Addie Bracy interview

5 Questions with Danny Mercado
Published on December 28, 2011

"But after tireless nagging from the guys, Greg decided to give me a shot. From there, everything just clicked."

Click here to read the Danny Mercado interview

5 Questions with Tyler McCandless
Published on December 30, 2011

"How big was Kauai for me? It was really a game-changer. Financially, it was important because I was able to use that money for a down-payment on a house."

Click here to read the Tyler McCandless interview

5 Questions with Meagan Nedlo
Published on December 31, 2011

"It was such an incredible, incredulous offer that I had no choice but to say yes! And so that's how I began my first collegiate track season at the ripe old age of 26."

Click here to read the Meagan Nedlo interview

5 Questions with Brent Vaughn
Published on January 1, 2012

"My goal at the trials is to make the team. I think thats the reason I'm running. Training has gone very well and I think strange things sometimes happen over the marathon distance "

Click here to read the Brent Vaughn interview

5 Questions with Drew Polley
Published on January 2, 2012

"The fact that my training partners and I have handled most of the workouts pretty well doesn’t change the goals we set at the beginning of the segment though. The Hanson bosses will tell you that it is important to stick to your plan and run your own race!"

Click here to read the Drew Polley interview

5 Questions with Fernando Cabada
Published on January 3, 2012

"I have what it takes. I've won 3 USA Championships... and am in better shape now. If I was to run a 2:08 on January 14th, that wouldn't surprise me. I've been due for a performance like that. It's on and I'm ready for any kind of race."

Click here to read the Fernando Cabada interview

5 Questions with Jesse Armijo
Published on January 5, 2012

"I'm more of a racer, but in the marathon, all my pervious performances were calculated failures by going out with a watch and clicking off even splits, until I inevitability faded. At CIM, I decided to just race."

Click here to read the Jesse Armijo interview

5 Questions with Ricky Flynn
Published on January 7, 2012

"I ended up going to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half and had a really good race with some good guys to run with and it worked out really well. It was a huge weight off my chest when I hit the time and I surprised myself a little bit by being that far under 65:00. It was a great feeling."

Click here to read the Ricky Flynn interview

Watch out for the Wild Cards
Published on January 11, 2012

Here we take a look at some of the overlooked competitors and wonder who will be this year's Brian Sell. We feature Bak, Cabada, Hartmann, Lehmkuhle and Morgan, Cherobon-Bawcom, Hastings, Kastor, Rhines and the newly-signed (to Asics) Molly Pritz.

Click here to read the full article

5 Questions with Luke Puskedra
Published on January 13, 2012

"I feel that I have underachieved on the track compared to results in Cross Country and the workouts I’ve done. I’d like to run fast in the 5000 and 10,000 and win some team titles... to finish off my college career."

Click here to read the Luke Puskedra interview

First impressions of Houston and Predictions
Published on January 13, 2012

I give my predictions for who I think is going to make the team for the 2012 London Olympic Games and give thanks for the people that showed me around today and recognize my fellow "unofficial track press."

Read the full article with predictions here

Meb and Shalane triumph, while Abdi surprises in Olympic Trials Marathon
Published on January 14, 2012

The results went pretty much to prediction, with the exception of Abdi Abdirahman beating out Ritz for the third and final Olympic spot. Meb and Hall qualified as well, with Shalane, Desi and Kara on the Women's side.

Read the full article on the race here

Final Trials Thoughts and Fantasy Recap
Published January 16, 2012

Houston put on an excellent show this weekend. The trials lived up to the hype and I also made the podium in the highly competitive fantasy draft.

Read my thoughts and get the fantasy scoop here

Bookmark this page for continued coverage of the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, TX on January 14, 2012.

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Road to Houston: 5 Questions with Olympic Trials competitor, Brent Vaughn

Brent Vaughn winning the 2011 Cross title

Today, we were lucky enough to have 5 Questions with one of the newest members of "Team Schumacher" on his  "Road to Houston." We'll have a few more of these features as we lead up to the big day on January 14, 2012.

Brent Vaughn has had quite a year. From dropping out of the Houston Half Marathon to bouncing back and winning the USATF Cross Country individual title to moving to Portland to train under a new coach, he's been busy. The trials will be his debut at the Marathon and he's ready to compete for a spot on the team. Follow him on Twitter here.

5 Questions with Brent Vaughn

1. Writing About Running: You had an excellent collegiate (and post-grad) career at Colorado. Now you are in Portland with the Schumacher group. How has the transition been?

Brent Vaughn: The transition has been great. I have been fortunate enough to have had great coaches coming in who I believe prepared me for increased training volume and intensity when I got to Portland.

2. Writing About Running: Winning the USATF Cross Country Championship had to be a highlight from 2011. What did you take away from that race?

Brent Vaughn: Winning cross gave me a lot of confidence. I hadn't had a whole lot of success from the previous years coming into the race and I needed that confidence boost heading into the olympic year.

3. Writing About Running: Your 13:18 at the 5000 to break the University of Colorado record was another big race for you. Aside from this and the Cross title, what's another race you have been most proud of?

Brent Vaughn: I think my breakthrough performance in college was NCAA cross in 2004. I finished fourth overall and helped our team to upset Wisconsin to win the cross title as a team. That race turned my college career around.

4. Writing About Running: You ran your debut in the Half Marathon in Houston (in 2010 in 62:04). The trials will be your debut it the Marathon. What is your goal?

Vaughn has history in Houston

Brent Vaughn: My goal at the trials is to make the team. I think thats the reason I'm running. Training has gone very well and I think strange things sometimes happen over the marathon distance and much stranger things than me making that team have happened before at the marathon distance.

5. Writing About Running: After the trials, what are your plans? Are you going to defend your cross country title in February (in St. Louis)?

Brent Vaughn: I hope that I am recovering and gearing up for the Olympic Marathon in August. I'll have to see how quickly I recover from the race and decide what makes sense going forward.

Stay tuned for more articles this upcoming week and continued coverage leading up to the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, TX on January 14, 2012.

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook