The Penn Relays kick off Olympic year coverage of Track and Field on NBC

Leo Manzano ran strong and
then plugged his Twitter handle
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

With most of the excitement in the American distance running world coming tomorrow at the Payton Jordan Invitational (at Stanford), I tuned into NBC's broadcast of the Penn Relays pretty casually. It's safe to say that my expectations were exceeded (if you followed my Tweets). While I focus on distance running here, I do appreciate the sprints (and more so, the relays) and it was great to see the American stars competing.

With the 4x100 as the first event, it was great to see a strong squad of Mike Rodgers, Justin Gatlin, Doc Patton and Walter Dix looking very strong, especially Gatlin, who appears to be sponsored by Adidas now (in addition to Chinese company XTEP).

So far there have been short pieces with Gatlin, Carmelita Jeter and Allyson Felix. Is Gatlin going to be one of the focal points for public interest stories the Olympic year? It appears that way early. The Women go on and dominate the 4x100 as well.

Now is when I started getting all kinds of interesting inquiries to find more information on certain female middle distance runners. NBC does a short piece on Erica Moore, who came on big during the indoor season to take the US 800 Title and then the Bronze at the World Championships. Unfortunately, her team dropped the baton and she never got to run. With her team's demise, the USA Blue team stormed to victory, thanks to a big last lap and very smartly executed leg by the popular Maggie Vessey. Vessey gives a great interview with Lewis Johnson and the internet starts to explode with Vessey fever.

Dwight Stones then interviews new USATF CEO Max Siegel (who says some nice things) after a piece on Sandra Richards-Ross and you immediately start to think that NBC has done some serious prep for this broadcast. Thank goodness! It was well done from top to bottom with great announcing and nice personal interest pieces to move the story along for some of the most "medal likely" athletes.

You ask & you shall receive "Maggie Vessey nude" googlers

There's plenty of obligatory Bill Cosby shots before they do a recap of last year's Distance Medley. Then the Bernard Lagat party starts. Lagat will be one of the most likely distance medal shots this summer in London (in the 5000). It wasn't his day today, as Leo Manzano got the best of him, but there's few better guys in the sport. Russell Brown and Tyler Mulder had excellent 1200 legs and reminded us of how difficult it's going to be to make the team in the 800 and 1500 this year. David Neville and Michael Tinsley both ran strong 400 legs before a newly shorn Nick Symmonds dominated the 800 leg over Khadevis Robinson. His 1:44.0 split should answer some of the questions that people had about Symmonds early season struggles. He got the baton to Lagat early, but Manzano caught up by lap four and showed his true miler speed down the homestretch.

Now in possibly a planned mention, Manzano plugged his (and his teammates) Twitter account(s). Fascinated by the Darren Rovell numbers side of sports, I immediately hopped over to Manzano's Twitter page and watched the numbers rise and rise. 30 new followers in 30 seconds and probably 100 more in the hour that I paid attention. People are watching and paying attention track and field on television.

The meet ends with an interview with Carl Lewis and US domination in the 4x400's. Sandra Richards-Ross is very fit... and she's married to Super Bowl Champion, Aaron Ross (one thing track fans have heard ad nauseum). Full results are available here. Next up on NBC, Prefontaine (I'll be there).

Future Track on TV broadcasts are available here

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook (and now Pinterest)

Thanks to our sponsor "There is No Finish Line: The Joan Benoit-Samuelson Story," for sponsoring the blog this week. Read my review of it here. If you're interested in sponsoring writing about running (and other great sites like TrackFocus, Track Superfan, Paul Merca and the House of Run podcast) in the future, check out The Relay Network. You can also support the site by buying something on Amazon.com through this link

Karhu pieces and "Runners Wanted" contest

I recently wrote a few pieces for Karhu on the history of Finnish running in the United States. Both are part of the relaunch of the Karhu website, the launch of their Karhu Originals line and their upcoming "Runners Wanted" tour across the United States, where a few lucky runners will navigate a refurbished Airstream® across the country, stopping at retailers and road races along the way. I visited the Airstream® this past weekend at the Boston Marathon and it's very cool. More information on the contest is located here. Follow Karhu Running on Twitter here.

Here are the articles. Click below each intro for the full piece on Karhu's page.

Click here to read the "Paavo Nurmi - 1925" piece on Karhu's blog

Click here to read the full "Finns rule Boston" piece on the Karhu blog

If you're interested in hiring me to write a piece or cover an event, contact me!

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Thanks to our sponsor, "There is No Finish Line: The Joan Benoit-Samuelson Story," for sponsoring the blog this week. I'll be reviewing it very soon! If you're interested in sponsoring writing about running (and other great sites like TrackFocus, Track Superfan, Paul Merca and the House of Run podcast) in the future, check out The Relay Network. You can also support the site by buying something on Amazon.com through this link

2008 US Olympic Trials - Distance Events Revisited

The 2008 US Olympic Trials were extremely entertaining. The Men's 800 kicked off the excitement (and was the race of the trials for me), with the rocket launcher like finish from Nick Symmonds, followed by the Oregon Duck, Andrew Wheating, barreling up the homestretch for second, upstaged only by the Oregon Track Club's Christian Smith, diving at the line for the final spot and getting the Olympic A-Standard in the process.

The trials closed with the Men's 1500, which was set up for drama with the mystery man, Gabe Jennings, looking incredible in the heats, but needing the A-Standard. Jennings took the lead early, but a windy day killed his hopes at a second Olympic team. Also surprising was American Mile Record Holder, Alan Webb, not having a kick over the final 100 and then getting nipped by Will Leer at the line to finish fifth.

The Women's 10,000 was exciting in the fact that Amy Yoder-Begley raced the clock, after she had locked up third place, to attain the A-Standard (which she did by a few seconds). Then Abdi crushed the last lap in the Men's 10,000, to win, and then dove into the steeple pit. What a character! Glad he'll be making a return trip this year in the marathon.

Below are the Olympic Qualifiers in every distance event from 800 - 10,000. Click on the link in each event for full results.

Race of the trials (all photos: TrackandFieldphoto)

800 meters
Men
1. Nick Symmonds
2. Andrew Wheating
3. Christian Smith

Women
1. Hazel Clark
2. Alice Schmidt
3. Kameisha Bennett (no standard)
4. Nicole Teter

Erin Donhue

1500 meters
Men
1. Bernard Lagat
2. Leo Manzano
3. Lopez Lomong

Women
1. Shannon Rowbury
2. Erin Donohue
3. Christin Wurth-Thomas

Anna Pierce

3000 meter Steeplechase
Men
1. Anthony Famliglietti
2. Billy Nelson
3. Josh McAdams

Women
1. Anna Pierce
2. Lindsey Anderson
3. Jenny Simpson

Bernard Lagat

5000 meters
Men
1. Bernard Lagat
2. Matt Tegenkamp
3. Ian Dobson

Women
1. Kara Goucher
2. Jen Rhines
3. Shalane Flanagan

Shalane Flanagan

10,000 meters
Men
1. Abdi Abdirahman
2. Galen Rupp
3. Jorge Torres

Women
1. Shalane Flanagan
2. Kara Goucher
3. Amy Yoder-Begley

Just think, we're only 3 months away from the 2012 Olympic Trials!

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Thanks to our sponsor, restwise, a cool product that quantifies you body's recovery, for sponsoring the blog this week. If you're interested in sponsoring writing about running (and other great sites like TrackFocus, Track Superfan, Paul Merca and the House of Run podcast) in the future, check out The Relay Network.  

The Olympic Standards chase starts in Australia

Torrence is ready to make a run at the A

The Sydney Track Classic in Australia has kicked off many athletes chase for the Olympic A-Standards this year. Nick Symmonds had a subpar opener in the 800, running 1:47.44 for seventh, in an event won by Kenya's Asbel Kiprop, in 1:45.91. This doesn't have any bearing on Symmonds attaining the A-Standard though, as he attained it last year, running under the 800 A-Standard of 1:45.60 during the window of May 1, 2011 - July 1, 2012. The one exception to this is for the 10,000, where the window is January 1, 2011 - July 1, 2012, likely due to the small amount of competitive 10,000's available to hit the standard. This makes the US Olympic Trials the last chance to hit the standard with no post-trials chasing.

One guy who is ready to go ahead and get the standard is David Torrence. Torrence won the STC 1500 in 3:35.66, just 0.16 off of the A-Standard. He bested a nice field of Collis Birmingham, Will Leer, Craig Mottram and others in doing so. Torrence has already run the A-Standard in the 800 and has a PR of 3:34.25 in the 1500, but that was run in 2010 in Rieti. He looks to be ready to run another PR in the 1500 soon.

Expect more and more attempts after USA Indoors next weekend. The Stanford Invitational on April 6 and 7 will likely be a big one that many will target, then Mt. SAC two weeks later.

Here are the Olympic A and B Track Standards:

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Road to Houston: 5 Questions with Olympic Trials competitor, Molly Pritz

Today, we were lucky enough to have 5 Questions with one of the Women's Contenders on her "Road to Houston." We'll have a few more of these features over the holidays as we lead up to the big day on January 14, 2012.

Molly Pritz is coming off a strong debut Marathon, finishing as the top American this November at New York City, and has had an excellent 2011. Strong Half Marathons in New Orleans and San Antonio, as well as a USATF Road Championship at 25k have vaulted her to the top tier of American road runners. She will have a quick turnaround for the Trials, but looks to be up for the challenge! Follow her on Twitter here and check out her blog here.

5 Questions with Molly Pritz

1. Writing About Running: You recently ran your debut at NYC, how's the recovery and training for the Trials going?

Molly Pritz: My recovery from NYC went really well. My quads were certainly beat up from the hills and bridges for about three days afterwards, but I spent a week in Hawaii with my mom and took full advantage of swimming in the ocean to help loosen everything up.

I took about 10 days off after NYC and felt ready to dive into training again after a few visits to the chiropractor. Unfortunately, I suffered a nasty fall while out on an easy run about 3 days after I started training again. Needless to say my knee did not like smacking against concrete. Luckily no serious damage was done, but unfortunately I had to miss even more training to allow the soft tissue to recover. I guess I need to work on my ability to not fall flat on my face!

2. Writing About Running: What were your biggest takeaways from racing that distance?
 
Molly Pritz: I would have to say I learned a lot about myself, not only from the race, but from training for it too. My build up was certainly less than ideal, but I was just so thankful to have the opportunity to be on the starting line of the best marathon in the world and wanted to do my best because so many people had helped make it possible for me to toe that line. In a way, I wanted to perform well as a thank you to them, in addition to the satisfaction of running my heart out.

Pritz and Lauren Fleshman going
stride for stride early in NYC

The biggest takeaway I had from the race experience itself is how important it is to truly enjoy what you are doing. I can honestly say I loved every mile of the marathon, including the miles I felt invincible and the final few miles where the wheels were falling off at an exponential rate. 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. I don't think I could ask for a better takeaway from a race.

3. Writing About Running: You're now being coached by Mark Hadley, who many of us in NC know, but the rest of the country may not. What led you to him?

Molly Pritz: There are so many coaches in our sport that I found it rather difficult to figure out who would coach me post-Hansons. I never really thought I would have to think about it either, so I certainly wasn't prepared for the decision. I didn't know much about Mark's training philosophies, but David Monti, from the NYRR, recommended Mark based on my running strengths and my personality. I completely trust David, so after a few conversations with Mark about his training philosophy and my long term goals in the sport, I knew David's recommendation was a perfect match.

Fighting for it in NOLA

4. Writing About Running: Aside from NYC, you've had some excellent performances in 2011, from the 1:11 Half at New Orleans to the 1:12 Half win at San Antonio, to the 25k National Championship, that you won by a convincing 3 minutes. Which performance have you been most proud of thus far?

Molly Pritz: I would definitely say that my performance last year I was most proud of would be my 1:11 half in New Orleans. I had a very short build up leading up to Mardi Gras and was really  suffering in a lot of workouts. Even on the day of the race I was feeling horrible, but every time I felt like I was faltering I would surge and push harder. Some of my friends asked me afterwards if I was disappointed about being only seconds away from breaking 1:11, and I could honestly say I wasn't, because I can't think of a single moment in that race where I could have made up those 6 seconds. That's the most I can ask for out of any race performance.

5. Writing About Running: What is your goal for the Trials?

Molly Pritz: Since my short build up to the Trials was made even shorter by my fall, my main goal for the Trials is to gain experience by running with the best women in the nation. I have less racing experience than most people my age, so I can only hope that I can learn something by the whole Trials experience that will not only help me with my spring racing plans, but for the rest of my running career.

Stay tuned for more articles this 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

The Run Down: Edward Cheserek and Molly Seidel win epic battles at Foot Locker, while controversy keeps Mark Blackmon from starting line

Seidel take the W

It wasn't easy for either victor, but the Midwest's Molly Seidel and the Northeast's Edward Cheserek came away with victories at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championship finals in San Diego, CA today. Seidel finished two seconds ahead of fellow Midwesterner in 17:22, while Cheserek finished one second ahead of Midwesterner, Futsum Zeinasellassie, in 14:52.

In the girls race, Erin Finn took it out hard very early and was not passed until about 2.5 miles in. Even after Seidel passed her going up the hill the second time, Finn fought back and took the lead going down the final hill with 600 meters to go. Seidel's kick was too strong over the last 300 meters, but Finn will have a shot at the title next year, as she is only a junior.

The boys race was one of the best ever, with Edward Cheserek and Futsum Zeinasellassie playing cat and mouse the whole way. Many surges were dropped and there was a fight for every tangent. Cheserek didn't pull away until the last 100 meters, and even then it seemed like Zeinasellassie may come back. It was the first race of the year where Cheserek didn't get a course record, but being that he's only a junior, he has already said that he's taking a shot at it next year.

On the local (North Carolina) front, on the girls side, Millbrook senior, Sammy George, finished 29th in 18:19 and freshman wunderkind Alana Hadley finished 34th, but will have a few more years to better today's performance. On the boys side, Cary Academy's Thomas Graham ran an excellent race and was in third for much of the way, until getting out-kicked down the stretch, but still finishing an excellent ninth (3 seconds separated 3-9). His finish was good enough for second team All American. Graham was also part of the boys South team that won their first team title in, well forever? I can't recall the last time the South boys won, or if they ever have for that matter. One South team member that wasn't in attendance was West Charlotte's Mark Blackmon. Blackmon's sister, and former NC State standout and Foot Locker national qualifier, Angelina Blackmon, stated over at NCRunners.com that "his basketball coach (was) threatening to keep him from starting on his championship team and his father (was) in his ear about not going." It should be known that Blackmon is a very good basketball player, playing for the team the won the state championship last year, but Angelina had "never heard him more excited about an actual race, and he was honored to have achieved such high distinction in the cross country world." It's a real shame he couldn't make it, as he earned it and had an excellent year, winning the state 4A championship and qualifed for the event with a 15:01 at McAlpine Park. Blackmon also won the state Cross Country championship in South Carolina previously, a feat that has never been done before.

Full boys results are here and watch the boys race by clicking here.

Full girls results are here and watch the girls race by clicking here.

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Running with Mother Earth Brewing

Post-run beer, anyone?

About six months ago, I was visiting my family in Charlotte, NC and happened to stop into the Earth Fare at South Park to pick up some food and drinks for a party. I was very surprised to see what I did in the beer aisle. The beer that caught my eye was Second Wind Pale Ale from Mother Earth Brewing. Of course, as a runner and beer enthusiast, I had to check it out.

Luckily, the beer was excellent and I started picking it up around Raleigh and Winston-Salem. I started introducing fellow runners to this great can of "runner beer" and wanted to know a little bit more about the brewery.

Turns out Mother Earth was founded in 2008 and resides about 30 miles from where I attended grad school, in the eastern North Carolina town of Kinston. I was lucky enough to catch up with co-founder, Trent Mooring, and get some information about the inspiration for the cool can in the craft beer section and about his life, living about everyone's dream job!

5 Questions with Mother Earth Brewing's Trent Mooring
(the first interview in the 5 Questions with series)

1. Writing About Running: Can you give us a little background about Mother Earth?

Trent Mooring: All Mother Earth names and labels come from the minds of my father in law, Stephen Hill, and myself. We both founded the brewery together and we have created the brand around our lifestyle and things that are important to us. All our art is done by a local artist named Dinah Sylivant from Snow Hill, NC. Usually we decide on a beer style we like and want to release, then we come up with the name, and then we meet with Dinah and she pulls painting from the head of Stephen and I. She is really good at capturing what is in our head!

2. Writing About Running: What led to putting the runner on the can?

Trent Mooring: For Second Wind, Stephen and I are both avid runners. We normally run every day at lunch to give us a break from the brewery and to keep our endorphins going. So, we actually came up with this name one day when we were running. Actually, I am getting ready to run as soon as I finish this!

3. Writing About Running: What effect has running had on your life?

Trent Mooring: Running has had a huge effect on my life because it is the time when I really get some peace and quiet and can really think and drift off. Like I said, a lot of the beer names have come to us from running. We call it our therapy!

"All I want to do is drink beer and train like
 an animal" - Rod Dixon, 1983 New York
City Marathon Champion

4. Writing About Running: Why is it that most runners love beer?

Trent Mooring: I am really not sure why runners like beer! I guess beer gives you a sense of relaxation as running does? I don’t really know the answer to that. Hopefully, everyone loves beer!

5. Writing About Running: Where are your favorite places to run?

Trent Mooring: One of my favorite places to run are the trails beside the brewery along the Neuse River. The Second Wind painting was painted of Stephen, I, and one of my best friends running on the trails beside the brewery. One of my best childhood friends comes and runs with us at lunch as well and the painting is an image of the three of us running. My friend actually owns the local Piggly Wiggly in Kinston, which just so happens to be one of the first Mother Earth accounts. That is usually where we run 80% of the time. Another favorite place was, about 4 years ago, we took a family trip through the country side of England and Stephen and I spent a great amount of time running trails in different small towns through Europe! Now, that was awesome!

You can find Second Wind Pale Ale and many other Mother Earth beers throughout grocery stores, restaurants and bars, all over North Carolina. Check out their website here: http://MotherEarthBrewing.com If you're lucky, you may get your hands on their very popular winter seasonal, Silent Night Imperial Stout, which is as good as they come!

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Track and Field Athletes Association members use celebrity on Twitter for greater good

The Track and Field Athletes Association (TFAA) has been looking for an identity over the past few years. $100 annual dues and lack of membership plagued it's existence until Nick Symmonds decided to write an open letter and start a Facebook group. One of the most active voices on Twitter in the sport of Track and Field is Ann Gaffigan. If you're a track fan and on Twitter, you've probably had some interaction with Ann. Her passion for the sport is as great as her knowledge and her bounty of ideas. It's no wonder that she was the one that urged Symmonds to join the TFAA and to offer his opinions on how to make it viable.

Very soon, Symmonds was championing the group (TFAA) on his Facebook group (which is now over 6000 vocal members). And today, the TFAA got to show what they were made of. Yesterday, distance darling, Lauren Fleshman, was told to remove her temporary tattoos of her company, Picky Bars, from her arms before starting the NYC Marathon. Picky Bars is her company. It's a start-up that she, her husband and Stephanie Rothstein started. We're not talking Nike or Gatorade or GU. We're talking about a Gluten-Free Nutrition bar (company) that she makes herself. PS, they're very good. I was one of the first customers. This seemed pretty unjust and the TFAA has rallied around her.

If you were on Twitter today, you probably saw a member of TFAA's message about the subject.

Quite frankly, it was awesome. Although Track and Field isn't the NFL or MLB or the NBA, it still has stars, and the stars came out. Everyone from David Oliver to Sara Hall to Matt Tegenkamp to Doc Patton to Maggie Vessey was spreading the word that #WeAreUSATrack&Field. If Rainn Wilson selling tacos is worth $12,000, the combined celebrity of the TFAA world has to be worth a few ears.

It's a great step in the right direction and I applaud all of those involved. To learn more about the TFAA, check out their website or just tweet at Ann Gaffigan!

TFAA is now open to everyone and is only $20 a year! Click here for more information on membership.

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

The Skechers Field Test

Meb Keflezighi wins the San Jose Half 
Marathon in the Skechers GOrun

When it was announced on August 1, 2011 that former Olympic Silver Medalist and 2009 New York Marathon champion, Meb Keflezighi, had signed a shoe deal with with California-based Skechers, I, and many other running fans were intrigued. A few weeks went by and when I was on my annual running vacation to Boone, NC, I decided to send an email to the publicity team at Skechers and see if they were interested in a review of their running shoe line.

Surprisingly, I got an email back within 10 minutes. After a few conversations, a new pair of the Skechers ProSpeed were on my doorstep a week later. Unfortunately, before I could get to my test drive, I was injured. Fast forward a month, I was healed up and ready to go for a spin in the new kicks. Here are my thoughts:

Colorful Skechers boxes

Skechers ProSpeed
Presentation: At first glance, the box makes some pretty aggressive claims, but upon further review, they're pretty harmless. The box says the ProSpeed "promotes mid-foot strike" and also that running "strengthens muscles, increases calorie burn and builds endurance." Fair enough. As you can see, the boxes are pretty detailed, and the inside has more information as well.

Fit: This was my biggest question. How would the ProSpeed fit compared to standard running shoes? The shoe definitely sits up a little bit. It also has an interesting hollow gap underneath the arch. So how does it feel? It feel like a support shoe with an arch-cupping orthotic. It's a snug fit and has a nice locking tongue. My only issue is how high you seem to sit up, but that's part of the goal with the way it promotes your foot to land forward.

Run: Considering my first run in a month was in the ProSpeed, I was a little worried, but they actually felt pretty good! I wore the ProSpeed for two weeks straight and did runs ranging from 3 miles to 10 miles with good results. I hit the roads and the trails, equally, with no signs of distress on the shoes. Post-run strides felt springiy and my legs had good life at the end of long runs. The only con was that it does indeed promote mid-foot strike, which left me with sore achilles. Nothing some eccentric heel drops couldn't fix though. If you are already a mid foot striker, you will likely have no issues, but I tend to hit the heel a little more than I like.

I'm obviously fascinated with the minimalist line.
From left to right, Nike Free, New Balance Minimus,
Skechers GOrun, Brooks Green Silence

Skechers GOrun
Presentation: Like the ProSpeed, the GOrun box is pretty fascinating. The claims are "ultra-lightweight, Resalyte custhioning, integrated OrthoLite insole, GOimpulse sensors, and mid-foot strike." The GOrun is Skechers foray into the minimalist movement and is doubling as their racing flat. Meb did mention on Twitter that his GOrun's have been customized, as I assume is the same with any shoe company and their sponsored athletes. I know David Oliver has custom spikes that Nike doesn't sell, so this is nothing new. I would be interested to know what his mods are though!

Bottom of the GOrun's

Fit: The fit is pretty snug on the GOrun. I found them to run a little big, but they are nice and snug through the forefoot (thanks to locking tongue). The heel fit is similar to other minimal shoes. That being a little loose to along the foot to move. I have the Nike Free 3.2's, the New Balance Minimus Roads, two pair of the Brooks Green Silence (that I train and race in) and a pair of the Brooks Pure (Project) Cadence, that I run in as well, so I am pretty accustomed to the ins and outs of this kind of shoe. The GOrun has some similarities to all of them and is a little meatier in the midfoot, which lends it to go as a racing flat and not just a minimalist shoe.

Run: What sets the GOrun apart from other minimalist shoes is the thicker sole. I did a three mile fartlek on the track with them, with a few miles warmup, drills (A-skips, karaokes, high knees, butt kicks) and then cooled down a few miles on the grass and was very happy with the results. There is a little responsiveness to the GOrun that isn't there in other minimalist shoes. I know Meb has had some say in the design of the shoe, so more than likely, this was his input. The shoe breathes well and doesn't move much once you start running. Judging by the initial feedback I have received on this shoe, people are very interested, so feel free to email me directly for more specific information about the fit and run of the shoe. Addendum: The GOrun is as comfortable shoe as I have ever worn when going sock-less and running on grass/wood chips. It always is easy to get dog crap off of if you find yourself stepping in it!

For more information on the GOrun, go to the Skechers site here and via a nice YouTube piece here.

Final Thoughts on Skechers Running Shoes: It's a good start. Are the ProSpeed and the GOrun going to start taking market share from Nike, Brooks, Asics, New Balance and Mizuno? Probably not just yet, but lets hope their commitment is long enough to see some improvement in product development. The GOrun specifically is a nice shoe, and I imagine they'll only get better with Meb's input. Their stock is up and they had a nice article on MarketWatch today about their journey into the crowded running shoe market.

Meb Keflezighi won the San Jose Half Marathon in the GOrun and will be running the New York City Marathon this weekend in them as well. If he can make some noise near the front, like he did with his win in 2009, it will provide a great deal of awareness for the brand. As he gets older and away from competing, hopefully he'll really dig into the development of the shoes, as it seems like he's already involved on that front.

Also, more sponsorship for athletes is a good thing, so lets hope that Skechers will continue with that commitment!

Can't find Skechers at your local running store? Buy them (at a discount) at Amazon.com here!



Check out my review of Meb Keflezighi's book, "Run to Overcome," here

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Olympic Trials announcement kicks off an exciting year ahead

Christian Smith tastes Olympic (Trials) glory

With today's release of the 2012 Olympic Trials schedule, the momentum is already starting to build for the Olympic year. Many athletes careers will take off in 2012 and many others will fall short and retire from professional running. It's the four year cycle that Track and Field fans have become accustomed to. New sponsorships will be earned and old sponsorships (that end at the end of 2012) will be lost.

At the Chicago Marathon this past weekend, we were reminded once again about the qualifiers for the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon. The window is closing for the January 14, 2012 race on December 15th (30 days prior), which leaves the prior weekend as the last chance to make Olympic (Trials) dreams a reality. Expect a big group runners to take one last crack at the qualifying standard at the speedy California International Marathon on December 4th. Expect some extreme last chancers at the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville on December 10th, only 100 miles from the 2004 Men's Olympic Trials Marathon.

Many new stars will emerge on the track through the collegiate system, well timed breakthroughs will take place from people like Christian Smith, who was the last seed in the 800 in 2008 (and came in third) and many old stars will surprise as well.

The Olympic Trials standards (for distance events) are as follows (not taking into consideration the Olympic Games standards):

Men				Women
Automatic (“A”)	Provisional (“B”)	Field Size & Rounds	Event	Automatic (“A”)	Provisional (“B”)	Field Size & Rounds
1:46.50	1:48.30	(30–3)	800m	2:01.30	2:05.90	(30-3)
3:39.00	3:43.00	(30–3)	1500m	4:12.93	4:17.00	(30-3)
13:33.00	13:50.00	(24–2)	5000m	15:35.00	15:50.00	(24-2)
28:15.00	29:00.00	(24–1)	10k	32:45.00	34:00.00	(24-1)
8:32.00	8:45.00	(24–2)	3000m SC	9:55.00	10:15.00	(24-2

US Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field June 22 - July 1, 2012

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook