Meb Keflezighi closes out a strong American showing in London

Meb Keflezighi streams the flag down the homestretch
(photo: The Oregonian)

Going into the final "Athletics" event Sunday, the United States Track and Field Team had earned 29 medals; only one short of Doug Logan's lofty goal of 30. All eyes were on fan favorite, Ryan Hall, to compete and potentially get that 30th medal. Needless to say, that didn't happen. Hall, along with Abdi Abdirahman, would both drop out just after the 10 mile mark. The man that came in with little fanfare nearly delivered #30 to a man that's no longer in office.

The word on the street, specifically from Meb Keflezighi's longtime coach, Bob Larsen, was that Meb had been injured and that he was under trained. With that knowledge available, no one gave much of a shot to the 2004 Athens Silver Medalist. And sadly, once Hall and Abdi dropped, I feared Meb may too. Luckily, that outcome was not in the cards.

Instead, Keflezighi slowed worked his was way up from 17th at the halfway mark to 14th at 25k to 10th at 30k to 6th at 35k, and finally, to 4th at the finish line. He was never in medal contention and finished 1:29 behind third placer, Kenya's Wilson Kipsang, but his run further validated his return to glory, after a disappointing 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials, one where he would break his leg and finish 8th, off the Beijing Olympic Team.

A job well done for the veteran. One of many inspiring performances from the American distance squad at the 2012 London Olympics.

Here are a few more of my favorite American Distance Moments of the 2012 games:

• Galen Rupp following his teammate, Mo Farah, to the promise land to earn a Silver Medal in the Men's 10,000 meters (story here).
• Leo Manzano kicking furiously over the last 100 meters of the Men's 1500 to take the Silver Medal, while Matt Centrowitz battled to within .04 seconds of the Bronze (story here).
• Duane Solomon (1:42.82) and Nick Symmonds (1:42.95) going 4,5 in the best 800 final of all time; one where David Rudisha would break the World Record (1:40.91).
• Shannon Rowbury's strong rally for 6th in the Women's 1500; the same race where Morgan Uceny's fall made every distance running fan in America feel sick to their stomach. 
• Evan Jager finishing 6th and Donn Cabral 8th in the Men's 3000 meter Steeplechase. Strong runs by both in an event where the US hasn't done anything in a very long time.
• Emma Coburn's continued improvement in the Women's 3000 meter Steeplechase. Her 9th place finish would net her another PR (9:23.54).
• The Men's 5000. It's been a long while since the United States had three men in the final. All three held their own and a trip with 100 meters to go is the only thing that kept Bernard Lagat off the medal stand.
• All three American's setting PR's in the Women's 10,000. Being your best on the biggest stage is what the Olympics are all about!

And if you're enjoying this Track & Field thing, DN Galan aka Diamond League Stockholm is this Friday, August 17th!

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5 Questions with Tim Jeffreys, filmmaker of "The 41st Day" (Ryan Hall Film)

Tim Jeffreys

Today we have 5 Questions with a fellow North Carolinian and a fellow "film student," who has an exciting project in the works that offers fans a chance to fly to Flagstaff and spend a day with Ryan Hall. Running, dinner and just hanging out. What a cool concept!

Tim Jeffreys is a runner and a film maker. If you haven't heard of the new Ryan Hall film yet, you're one of the few. The Kickstarter page for "The 41st Day" launched a mere three days ago and has already hit the funding goal of $30,000, but there are still plenty of chances to get involved! Follow Tim on Twitter and check out the Kickstarter page to see out some of the incredible fan packages that are available to help support the film.

5 Questions with Tim Jeffreys

1. Writing About Running: Your first foray into running films was "the TRIALS" series for McMillan Elite. How'd that come about and what's your background in film making?

Tim Jeffreys: I graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2010 with a honors degree in Math, so my background is about as far away from film as possible. After starting to do videos for McMillan Elite last year, I found a passion for film that needed to be cultivated. I proceeded to essentially go to "film school." I read everything about movies and watched all the films I could find. The director of photography for our project, Matt Conner, has more knowledge about films than anyone I've ever met. We've worked together to try and develop a unique style for "The 41st Day" that has elements from all of our favorite films.

2. Writing About Running: What is your favorite documentary and why?

Tim Jeffreys: My favorite documentary, hands down, is "Man on Wire." Everything about that film is perfect. Documentaries are all about telling a story and no one has done it better than they did. It was the only film to win the Jury Prize, Audience Award (at Sundance) and an Oscar in the same year. The protagonist, Philippe Petit, is one of the most compelling personalities I've ever seen in a film.

Watch the trailer for "the TRIALS" here

3. Writing About Running: How'd the plan for the Ryan Hall film come together?

Tim Jeffreys: After "the TRIALS" was coming to a close, I was trying to figure out what my next film project was going to be. I wanted to do something that, as a running fan, I would want to see and be interested in more than anything else. Ryan Hall is someone who I've followed closely for a few years and one of the most interesting athletes in the sport. So, in December, I went for it. I pitched the idea to his agent Ray Flynn, he was very receptive to it, and then it progressed from there. Once Ryan made the team, we started following him, and have continued to do so ever since.

4. Writing About Running: The initial response to the Kickstarter project has been incredible. What made you decide to go this route for funding?

Tim Jeffreys: At of the time of this writing, we just hit our goal, so first I want to thank everyone who donated to the project. Kickstarter was something that was in the back of my mind for a while. It made sense to launch the film and subsequently launch Kickstarter, so that fans who are excited and drawn to the film have a place to get involved. This film is literally happening because of our fans and that is a beautiful thing. I want to build a community around this project. If people are invested in the film, they take an ownership and sense of pride surrounding it that would not otherwise be possible.

Watch the teaser for "The 41st Day" here

5. Writing About Running: The kind of documentary you are doing requires a lot of time spent with Ryan. Will this be a "warts and all" affair and how has the shooting gone thus far?

Tim Jeffreys: Filming thus far has gone quite well. We have a total of seven months to capture all the footage of Ryan we can get. Obviously, I want to acquire as much footage as possible, while still having the integration into Ryan's life come naturally. Up to this point, we've filmed mostly workouts and interviews, but we are at a mutual level of trust (at about two months in) that is going to allow us to start spending protracted amounts of time with him.

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Thanks to our sponsor, 14 Minutes, the Alberto Salazar autobiography, 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.

Road to Houston: Meb and Shalane triumph, while Abdi surprises in Olympic Trials Marathon

I had to fly to Houston to watch the live stream

It was an exciting morning in Houston. The weather was excellent and the runners rolled. The Men took off at a furious pace and the early pack consisted of Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein, Abdi Abdirahman, Mo Trafeh and former steepler, Brian Olinger. Bit by bit, the Men began to fade off the back, eventually leaving Meb, Hall, Ritz and Abdi to fight for the three spots. Ritz was the first to drop, and was down 35 seconds to Abdi with about a 5k to go. This is when Abdi began to fade and Ritz began to pick it up. As Ritz rounded the last turn, it looked as though he just may catch him. In the end, Meb triumphed (in 2:09:08), with Ryan Hall finishing a strong second (in 9:09:30), Abdi rounding out the podium (in 2:09:47) and Ritz being the first alternate (in 2:09:55). Brett Gotcher ran a strong fifth in 2:11:06. Click here for full Men's results.

On the Women's side, they took it out very, very easy (6:13 first mile) and slowly paired it down. Like the Men's race, in the late stages, it was a pack of four. This pack consisted of Flanagan, Davila, Goucher and Amy Hastings. Hastings was the first to drop, and just as you thought she was done, she put the hammer down and took the lead just before going into the last lap (18.2 miles in). Eventually, the move wore her out and Davila showed her strength. Flanagan hung with her and Goucher stayed a few steps back. Flanagan pulled away over the last 5k and won in 2:25:37, with Davila just a bit back (in 2:25:55) and Goucher just behind her (in 2:26:06). Hastings finished fourth (in 2:27:17) with Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (in 2:29:45) rounding out the top five (Women's full results are here).

More to come later...

Click here for my "fan video" of Meb rounding the last turn with Hall just behind.

Click here for my "fan video" of Shalane rounding the last turn, with Desi and Kara following thereafter.

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Road to Houston: An early look at the Men's Olympic Marathon Trials contenders

On Saturday, January 14th, less than four weeks away, the best American marathoners will take to the roads of Houston in hopes of a podium finish, and more importantly, a trip to London. Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting a series of articles entitled, "Road to Houston," to preview the big day. First up, the early Men's Contenders.

Hall's 2007 Houston magic

1. Ryan Hall
Resume: Defending Olympic Trials champion (10th in Beijing). Owns the top three qualifying marks with his 2:04:58 at Boston (2011), 2:08:04 at Chicago (2011) and 2:08:44 at Boston (2010). American Record Holder in Half Marathon (59:43 from Houston 2007).
Why he'll make the team: Has been the most consistent American Marathoner over the past 5 years. Has run very fast in Houston (2007 Half AR). Will have to have a very bad day to finish outside of the top three.
Why he may not: Hall raced Chicago in October, so it will be a fairly quick turnaround. Three months should be ample time, but recover is tricky when it comes to the marathon.

2. Meb Keflezighi
Resume: 2004 Olympic Marathon Silver Medalist (Athens). 2009 New York City Marathon Champion. Owns marks 4-7 going into trials (best 2:09:13 at NYC 2011).
Why he'll make the team: Is coming off a PR at NYC and seems to be in the best marathon shape of his career, despite being 36 years old. Has the most experience and has proven to be a champion.
Why he may not: Meb will be only two months removed from NYC and he's not getting any younger. Will he be fully recovered and race-ready when he toes the line?

Ritz will want another day like this

3. Dathan Ritzenhein
Resume: Former American Record Holder at 5000 (12:56.27 from 2009). World Half Marathon Championship Bronze Medalist (2009). 2008 Olympian in the Marathon (9th in Beijing). Owns 9th best mark (2:10:00 at London 2009).
Why he'll make the team: Ritz is a fierce competitor and nothing would announce his comeback more than making the London team.
Why he may not: Has been injured a ton over the past two years, so his race fitness and durability is a big question mark.

4. Galen Rupp
Resume: American Record Holder at 10,000 (26:48 in 2011). 60:30 in debut Half Marathon (NYC 2011).
Why he'll make the team: Rupp's half time converts to about 2:07 or 2:08, depending on what you use to calculate and there aren't many guys running in that range. If he can hang through 20 miles, he's got a shot.
Why he may not: Has to be on the starting line to make the time. He is entered, but it's all speculation until declarations are made. Has never run the marathon. Breaking up Hall, Meb and Ritz will be tough.

5. Jason Hartmann
Resume: 1st American at Chicago 2010 (2:11:06). Won Twin Cities in 2009 (2:12:06).
Why he'll make the team: Has run excellent marathons in back to back years and can run with the best when healthy. Has proven to do well on flat courses and warm conditions.
Why he may not: Has to break up the big three (and possibly Rupp), which will be no easy task.

Saucony's big gun, Jason Lehmkuhle

6. Jason Lehmkuhle
Resume: 5th at 2008 Olympic Trials. Ran 1:02:49 at Houston Half in 2011. Ran 2:12:34 at Boston (2010).
Why he'll make the team: Lehmkuhle is incredibly consistent and will be in the hunt. He came close in '08 and will run his race. Whether or not that will be fast enough will be the question.
Why he may not: His PR is 2:12 and it will take every bit of that to make the team. Lehmkuhle will have to have an A+ day to have a shot.

7. Brett Gotcher
Resume: 2:10:36 for 2nd at Houston (2010). 46:51 for 10 miles in October (Twin Cities).
Why he'll make the team: Gotcher's excellent debut came on the Houston course (although it's a little different) and he boasts the best qualifying time outside of Hall, Meb and Ritz.
Why he may not: His second trip to Houston wasn't as successful. This will only be his third marathon.

The McMillan men look at the field with deep focus

8. Nick Arciniaga
Resume: 2nd at Houston in 2011 (2:11:36) while pacing Gotcher and then choosing to continue. 3rd at San Diego in 2010 (2:11:48).
Why he'll make the team: Arciniaga's success at Houston last year will certainly give him confidence. Trains with Gotcher (for McMillan Elite), so the two of them will be able to help each other.
Why he may not: Has been injured of late and it's hard to say what kind of marathon shape he'll be in. Making the team will demand an A effort, but certainly something he's capable of.

Trafeh will take aim at Hall over 26.2

9. Mo Trafeh
Resume: 2011 USATF Half Marathon Champion (in Houston with a time of 1:02:17). 2011 USATF 10 Mile Champion (Twin Cities, 46:46). 60:39 at NYC Half (2011).
Why he'll make the team: Trafeh's very good over the half marathon and below distances. He out kicked Hall in the USATF Half Championship in Houston last year and has dominated the Gate River Run 15k two years in a row. Like Rupp, if he can get to 20 miles with the leaders, he's a threat.
Why he may not: Has never raced a full marathon. The trials will be a pressure packed place to debut!

10. Tim Nelson
Resume: 27:28 PR in the 10,000. 1:02:11 Half at Houston 2010
Why he'll make the team: Nelson has an excellent training group with Team Schumacher in Portland (Solinsky, Tegenkamp, Bairu, Jager, Vaughn) and has a great kick. If he can hang on, he'll be tough over the last few miles.
Why he may not: His first go at the marathon wasn't the best (2:15:06 at NYC 2010). He'll need to have a much better day to be considered a threat.

Stay tuned for the Women's Contenders article this week and continued coverage leading up to the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, TX on January 14, 2012.

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Road Rage: Ryan Hall is ready to #OwnChicago, but can he Stop Mosop?

Can Ryan Hall stop Moses Mosop?

Ryan Hall will have his hands full this weekend, but he couldn't be happier. The self-imposed pressure that seemed more evident a year ago, seems to be gone. He ran Boston in 2:04:58 and in turn considers himself a 2:04 marathoner. He is. No one seems to question his coaching decision anymore as well. And even though he took some heat when signing on for Chicago, his two biggest competitors at the trials will have tougher hills to climb (pun intended), than he does. The projected runner-up, Dathan Ritzenhein, hasn't raced in year and continues to battle injury, while Meb Keflezighi will be suiting up a month from now in New York. Judging by his interview with Flotrack, Hall is feeling pretty confident about his chances making the team and competing in London. Another thing Hall touched on during the Flotrack interview was Let's Run's offer to donate $5000 to his Steps Foundation if he goes under 2:05. Although he'd love to break that magical 2:05 mark, I am sure he'd be happy enough breaking Khalid Khannouchi's American Record of 2:05:38, a former World Record, that was set April 14, 2002 at the London Marathon.

Ryan Hall, sex symbol?
(copyright ESPN The Magazine)

Hall will have his hands full with one of the men that beat him on his incredible run last year in Boston; the Renato Canova-coached, Moses Mosop. Boston was Mosop's debut (2:03:06) and he looked equally, if not better, during the 30k World Record that he ran on the track in Eugene this Summer. Doug Binder and Jim McDannald (of Track Focus) watched in awe as Mosop got faster and faster the entire race and dropped a 63-second 400 on lap 45 (of 75). If Hall can follow Mosop, and the weather agrees, the American record should be in jeopardy, but beating Mosop will take a career effort (and some luck).

Also of note on the Men's side is a strong contingent of Ethiopians, led by Bazu Worku and Bekana Daba, as well as an equally strong group of Kenyans (Evans Cheruyiot, Wesley Korir, Bernard Kipyego, Joshua Chelanga). Brazil's Marilson Dos Santos and Japan's Atsushi Sato round out the contenders. On the Women's side, the favorite will be Russia's Liliya Shobukhova, with three others coming in with PR's under 2:25.

Full elite startlist is available here.

Of local note, Raleigh and The Athlete Foot Racing's Joe Moore will be taking aim at the 2:19:00 Olympic Trials standard. Good luck Joe!

Watch the Chicago Marathon live Sunday at NBCChicago.com from you computer or your smartphone (I like this trend).

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Road Rage: Ryan Hall channels Meb and will run Chicago this fall

All about the Benjamins?

In surprising news, Ryan Hall announced today that he will run the Chicago Marathon this October, which falls just three months before the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon in Houston. Hall has a nice contracts with Asics, Nissan and many other companies, so it's not quite the cash grab that Meb Keflezighi's fall marathon is. Although, you can't blame Meb. Keflezighi lost his Nike sponsorship and didn't get to run an "appearance fee" spring marathon (as he was shunned by the John Hancock staff at Boston during negotiations). As Meb enters the twilight of his career, with a silver medal already in hand (from Athens '04), taking the money at the NYC Marathon will carry him and his family further than a slot on the Olympic team (not that he won't make it). But Hall hasn't reached the same Olympic glory that Meb has, so why would he risk not making the team?

In my opinion, there are two reasons Hall will be doing this: money, as it's always about the money, and lack of competition at the trials. In the back of his mind, it looks as though Hall is confident enough that he can recover quickly to go against the best in the United States three months later. And worst case scenario, he could probably qualify for the 10k in the summer, behind Galen Rupp and Chris Solinsky, if the marathon didn't pan out.

So looking at the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon today (July 28, 2011), here are:

The Favorites:

1. Ryan Hall - favorite after his 2:04:58 at Boston
2. Dathan Ritzenhein - top US placer at Beijing, but often hurt and hasn't competed in a long time
3. Meb Keflezighi - will be coming off the NYC Marathon (November 6), getting older

The Contenders

1. Brett Gotcher - ran 2:10 in January 2010, which will be 2 years from the date of the trials
2. Jason Hartmann - ran 2:11 at Chicago 2010
3. Nick Arciniaga - ran 2:11 on Houston course in 2011
4. Jason Lehmkuhle - ran 2:12 at Boston in 2010 (8+ minutes slower than Hall in 2011)

The Mystery

1. Galen Rupp - will he or won't he? If he does, he's a shoe in for top three after his strong showing at the NYC Half 

Here is the list of all the 2012 Olympic Trials Qualifers

Looking at this, you can see why Hall feels pretty comfortable in his decision, considering his chances. Arciniaga looks to be the best possible outsider that could break in, with his strong run at Houston last year. It's a good bet that either Meb or Ritz won't show up healthy. The only other wild card is Galen Rupp. In my opinion, if he runs, he's in. Will he? Who knows. If he qualifies in the marathon, he could still qualify in the 10,000 and forego his marathon spot for 2012. We'll find out Sunday, January 14, 2012.

Also, you can check out my reviews of Meb's book here and Ryan Hall's book here

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Road Rage: Ryan Hall leads strong field at Peachtree

America #1!

This July 4th, Ryan Hall will make his return to the USA Running Circuit at one of the largest races in the United States, the Peachtree Road Race. Peachtree serves as the USATF Men's 10k National Championship and always attracts an excellent field. This year is no different. Lining up with Hall will be defending 10k road champ, Ed Moran, recent USATF 8k Champion Bobby Mack, recent track 10,000 bronze medalist Scotty Bauhs, and the always enigmatic Black Cactus (aka Abdi Abdirahman). Also fighting for the win will be the always strong group of James Carney, Fernando Cabada, Patrick Smyth, Ben True, Aaron Braun, USA Running Circuit vet Josh Moen and many others looking to take aim at the 15-deep prize money.

Peachtree always brings in a strong international field as well. Leading that group will be a trio of Kenyans, including the favorite, Sammy Kitwara, former Galen Rupp pacer, Matthew Kisorio and cross country specialist Joseph Ebuya. Expect them to push the pace and string out the Americans.

Runnerspace will be broadcasting the race live, starting at 7:30am eastern (on July 4). Go here for pre-race interviews and to view the live stream

Update: Sammy Kitwara takes the overall win in 28:05 over Matthew Kisorio. Here's the video replay of the race and below are the top 15 results for the Americans (click their names for their Runnerspace post-race interview):

1. Ben True 28:28 
2. Ed Moran 28:29 
3. Abdi Abdirahman 28:35 
4. Brian Olinger 28:35 
5. Christo Landry 28:52 
6. Patrick Smyth 29:06 
7. Scotty Bauhs 29:15 
8. Ian Burrell 29:16 
9. Ryan Hall 29:16 
10. Aaron Braun 29:17 
11. Josh Moen 29:20 
12. Justin Young 29:26 
13. James Carney 29:36 
14. Bobby Mack 29:43 
15. Lex Williams 29:54

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Bookworm: "Running With Joy" by Ryan Hall

On April 18, 2011, Ryan Hall will make his third consecutive trip to Beantown to toe the line at the 115th Boston Marathon. In an interview this week at the Endurance Live Awards Gala, Ryan said "Something about Boston grabs my heart. Runners are rock stars that weekend. I love when I'm standing on the starting line in Hopkinton. I feel like I'm living in a history book and I'm writing history (Video of Interview)." Many of us who treat the Boston Marathon like our personal Olympics feel the same way! "Running with Joy" really embraces Ryan's love of the world's oldest annual marathon and details his training from January 2010 up until the start of the race, where he concludes his first book with a recap of his race to Boston, where he finished 3rd overall in an American Record time (for Boston) of 2:08:41.

"Running with Joy" is a book for runners. Those that feel elite runners are too cryptic in their training methods and never let the public in enough to what they are doing will love "Running with Joy" as Ryan details every training run from January to April 2010 (most days are doubles) and doesn't hold back when something is bothering him. One more fired up moment of his account is when he is discussing the challenging winters in Mammoth Lakes, CA:

"Why do we live here? We could train anywhere in the world-Mexico, Columbia, Kenya-and yet we train here! Why?" I yelled as I slipped for the fifth time in that many minutes running through a blizzard with the team on Mammoth Scenic Loop. I knew I had a bad attitude, but I couldn't hold it in anymore. It was dumping snow, and with every slip I saw my journey to Boston crashing to a halt because of muscle spasms. I was sure I'd tear something before long.

Powerful emotional outbursts like this help show the reader and more than likely, the runner, that even Ryan Hall has some bad days. He goes on to say that his then teammate, American 50k record holder, Josh Cox, helped him get to a better place mentally during that run and by the end of it, his attitude was positive again. This kind of run also possibly led to his departure from the Mammoth Track Club in October 2010 to train in various (and milder) locations like Flagstaff, San Francisco and most recently, Seattle. There is no doubt that Ryan is a free spirit of sorts, which makes him extremely relatable to me and likely to many that will pick up this book.

Another very important thing in Ryan's life is his faith. Many people have found Ryan to be a polarizing figure because of this, but I believe "Running With Joy" will show the reader where he is coming from. That is a good place. Ryan is using the bible to inspire himself and to do unto others. He and his wife Sara have established the Hall Steps Foundation to raise money towards Clean Water (through World Vision), fighting Human Trafficking (through International Justice Mission), and funding a home in a Rescue Center in Kenya through Global Children’s Movement. Hall never comes off as preachy and only quotes scripture to inspire and help him understand his own personal growth, not to condemn others for their particular beliefs. There is an entertaining piece about Sammy Wanjiru in here, as well as former teammate, Deena Kastor, who is Jewish, that will show the reader a deeper side of his faith and values.

No matter what you believe, if you believe in the run, you will take something away from "Running With Joy." This is a book that I will not be passing on to a friend, because there are too many good workouts and ideas for training weeks/months, that will provide an excellent reference as I continue to train for this years Boston Marathon myself. I enjoy reading running books to learn some new tricks. Here's a few I picked up from Ryan:

• He drinks 20 ounces of water when he wakes up in the morning. 
• He coats his feet in vaseline before runs (and puts band-aids on his nipples).
• He does easy runs in the Asics Gel-Cumulus, faster runs in the Asics Gel-DS Trainer, and tempos/races in the Asics Gel-Hyperspeed.
• He takes his easy runs easy (after hammering in college and losing steam at the end of seasons). Many runs are around 7:00-7:30 pace.
• He focuses on a healthy diet and eating every few hours to maintain racing weight.
• He wears the Garmin Forerunner 110 and brings gum to the starting line (in case he "gets parched").

What's next for Ryan? Before heading back to Boston, he'll be tackling the best in the nation this weekend in Houston at the USATF Half Marathon Championship, the place where he set the set the American Record in 2007 (on a slightly different course). Houston is also the place where this 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon will take place a year from now, so that should provide for some extra excitement. You can also find Ryan tweeting here and blogging here (while currently rocking a sweet beard).

Be sure to check out RunningWithJoy.com for more information and for a chance to win some of Ryan's favorite things (including copies of "Running With Joy" as well as Oakley and Cytomax products). You can order a copy of "Running With Joy" on Amazon.com here

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Hobby Jogging: 11/1/09 - New York, NY - New York City Marathon

This was the race I had been training all Fall for. After slogging through a marathon last year, I realized to be successful at this distance you really have to train hard! That I did and it paid off. At 30, this would be my first "real marathon." The goal going in was to qualify for Boston (3:10:59 or better), but as the race got going, I knew I could do a little better. I started in the second wave at 10am and had a great starting position (2nd row). The canon went off and I got out comfortably and was in 2nd place until we caught the first wave at mile 3! This is where the fun began; dodging and elbowing my way through the joggers that had gotten into wave 1 somehow or another. It wasn't bad until about mile 8 when the road narrowed to 2 lanes and the easy 6:25's turned into hard fought 6:45's. I hung near the curb and would break through people occasionally, giving them a "coming through" warning, but oft times having to just bust through the iPod wearers. This took a lot of energy out of me that I didn't notice until about mile 15 (I PR'd at the half in 1:25:40). By about mile 18 I was hurting and decided to just control it and get home without blowing up as I was pretty safe for a Boston Qualifier. The hills over the last 5 miles were very tough, but I soldiered through and made it home with plenty of time to spare (3:04:29). A great day in NYC!

More info available at: http://patprice.com/running/races/reports/20091101NYCMarathon.htm

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