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!

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Battle Royale: Futsum Zeinasellassie vs. Edward Cheserek at Foot Locker Nationals

Futsum won NXN, can he double back at Foot Locker?

Last year, they were both runner-ups. Edward Cheserek finished just behind Lukas Verzbicas at Nike Cross Nationals and Futsum Zeinasellassie finished just behind Verzbicas at Foot Locker, two years after finishing seventh in his freshman season. This Saturday, they'll fight for that number one spot over what could be the most competitive Foot Locker race since 2007, when Michael Fout dug deep to overtake Chris Derrick, Luke Puskedra, Colby Lowe and German Fernandez.

Cheserek has had an absolutely perfect season. Eight course records in eight tries, on difficult and storied courses, going as low as 14:20 for 5k. He also ran 14:02.33 for 5000 meters on the track this spring (in a college meet) and took home the New Balance Nationals 5000 Championship as well. He'll be ready to complete his perfect season this Saturday, but he'll have to go through the new NXN course record holder to do it.

Cheserek has one more course record in mind

Like Cheserek,  Futsum Zeinasellassie is also undefeated this season, with his most impressive win this past weekend in Portland at Nike Cross Nationals. What impressed me most about Zeinasellassie's win was his patience. This will be key Saturday at Balboa Park; a tough course whose hills will swallow those up that get too aggressive early on the first loop. If Cheserek tries to go out in 4:20 and drop Zeinasellassie, expect Zeinasellassie to reel him in by the top of the second hill. Otherwise, we'll have to wait and see what's in store!

The chase pack will be led by a nice group from the South. Expect Craig Nowak, Daniel Vertiz and Thomas Graham to make it a fast race behind the lightning duo with the Midwest's Tony Smoragieweicz looking to make a strong case for First Team All American, after his strong performance last year. Other top ten contenders will be West winner Darren Fahy, Virginia's Ahmed Bile, Washington's Nathan Weitz and anyone out of the always strong Midwest Region.

Karlie Garcia, downhill master

On the girls side, the Midwest's Molly Seidel and Julia Bos have to be the favorites, after their strong performances at the regional. The rest of the group of girls from the Midwest looks strong, as does the South team, who ran some quick times at the always fast McAlpine Park. I'm particularly fascinated to see what 1:16:58 Half Marathoner, Alana Hadley, can do in a smaller field and the ability to run a more paced race. Finally, watch out for West winner Karlie Garcia, who really broke it open on the downhill at Mt. Sac last weekend to win big. Balboa Park will play to her strengths if she uses the long downhills the same way.

Here's a link to the entire field of participants, with a little more info on their state and regional finish.

The event will be streamed live at 12:00 eastern, this Saturday, December 10th at http://footlockercc.com

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My 2 Spikes Worth: Why Foot Locker and Nike Cross Nationals can coexist

Facing the choice, Edward Cheserek chose Foot Locker 

For years, I've been a staunch supporter of the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. Being from Charlotte, I grew up around Foot Locker South. I ran it, my dad was the announcer and I even did my high school senior project on "the only true national championship in high school sports." When Nike came in, I wasn't sure what to think, but I didn't like the idea of watering down a unique event like Foot Locker.

At first, when Nike branded their new championship, "Nike Team Nationals," I didn't think twice. Cool, a national team championship. Being on a high school team that finished top five in the state three times in my four years, I liked the idea. Then Nike changed their tune. "Nike Cross Nationals" was the new name and they wanted it all. Why wouldn't they? Cross Country is the third most participated sport in high school sports (behind swimming and track), and that's a lot of consumers. It seemed like just last year that they may take over what Foot Locker had built, but after attending the Nike Cross Southeast Regional this weekend in Cary, NC, I see that Foot Locker is alive and well, but that Nike has indeed carved out a cool niche that is indeed their team factor.

There are a few major differences that I have observed from comparing the two championships that give both a great deal of viability and show why both can exist:

1. Multiple Locations
Having multiple venues caters to (almost) everyone that wants to participate in a post-season meet. Nike is set up more like the NCAA system, with eight regional championships (plus auto qualifiers from the California state meet). This particularly serves runners in areas like Texas, who host the Nike Cross South Regional, but would have to travel all the way to Charlotte to compete at Foot Locker. That's certainly not in everyone's budget and it's nice that Nike Cross Regionals are more spread out. Foot Locker only has four. Aside from New York (which hosts Foot Locker Northeast, Nike Cross Northeast and Nike Cross New York) and North Carolina (which hosts Nike Cross Southeast and Foot Locker South), the regional meets are held in different states, to make travel as easy and as affordable as possible.

2. Nike is a true team championship, qualifying for the regional alone is impressive
At the Nike Cross Southeast Regional, I saw some the best teams I've ever seen in person. Having to qualify as a top 20 team is not something to be taken lightly. Like winning a state championship, this is an accomplishment in itself. The team that won the meet on the boys side, Belen Jesuit (aka the Miami Magis), is by far the most impressive high school team I've ever seen. Their top five went 14:58, 15:32, 15:50, 15:52 and 15:56 on the honest Wake Med course. The winning girls team, Tatnall (aka Wilmington XC Club), went 17:11, 17:53, 18:16, 18:16, 18:31. Unreal! The fifth girls individual qualifier ran 18:22, which tells you all you need to know about how good Tatnall is and how much of a team competition, and not an individual competition Nike is. Also, their were only five races and the meet was much, much smaller than the Foot Locker meet 150 miles west. What lacked in quantity (with all of Foot Locker's grade races), was made up with the quality of the teams participating in the championship race.

3. Foot Locker is the true individual championship
It seems that the top preps were going back and forth for a few years, but it looks now that the best of the best (not affiliated with high performing teams), are choosing Foot Locker again. Why? Foot Locker is a true individual championship. 40 of the best boys and girls in the nation compete every year at historic Balboa Park in front of the top collegiate coaches in America, as well as their families, friends and rabid running fans. The course is excellent for sorting out the best of the best and the presentation is second to none. On the regional level, there are freshman races, sophomore races, middle school races, etc. It's all about the individual, and it gives everyone a chance to shine that may have been tucked back on their team all season. Here in North Carolina, two time Foot Locker National Qualifier, Thomas Graham, has chosen to forego racing in his hometown of Cary, NC, where Nike Cross Southeast is held, to race at Foot Locker South. That dream of making it to San Diego drives many individuals to Foot Locker; to follow in the footsteps of Chris Solinsky, Meb Keflezighi, Jordan Hasay and the many others that have stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado en route to prep glory.

Whichever your preference... both will be broadcast free online over the next few weeks. Nike Cross Nationals will be broadcast at 12:30 eastern, this Saturday, December 3rd, at NikeXC.com. Foot Locker will be live at 12:00 eastern, next Saturday, December 10th at http://footlockercc.com

I'll be excited to watch both!

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Web Runner: Some Thanksgiving week articles worth a read

Turkey Trot Clip Art is always good

It's been an exciting week in the running world, and judging by the increased traffic to the site, there are some bored people out there. Sitting around at work, waiting to go home for the Thanksgiving holiday or waiting for NFL games to get cranked up?

Personally, there will be no turkey trotting for me this year, but I will get to run by the North Fork Reservoir in Black Mountain, NC, where the Hunger Games was recently filmed.

Whethere you're running or not tomorrow, here are a few articles I've tweeted out over the past few days, with a few more new ones, for good measure. If there's a good running story, please email it to me or tweet it at me! I'll be adding stuff all week long...

• Coach Jason Vigilante has left the University of Virginia. Former Cavalier, Ryan Collins, who transferred to Wisconsin (and won the NCAA team title Monday), has a very poignant quote, possibly about the situation. "I was planning on staying but then a bunch of different stuff happened, and I was able to graduate," Collins told a Madison reporter. "I just kind of needed a new place, new environment (and) some new experiences." While nothing has been set straight yet, the situation is extremely intriguing, as Vig currenly coaches Alan Webb, as well as Robby Andrews, and UVA is in the process of getting a brand new track facility. (Richmond Time-Dispatch link / Let's Run thread)

• UPDATE: Per Track and Field News, via Webb's agent, Ray Flynn, "Vigilante will likely continue to coach Webb." (link)

• Alan Webb talking about his training and future. Says he's ready to compete and is fascinated with longer distances, but has no immediate plans to move up, as he's not 30 yet. Says Bernard Lagat is his template (of sorts) and that he was inspired this summer by Jenny Simpson's and Matt Centrowitz's performances at Worlds. Nothing on the Vig situation though (Running Maryland link). Webb will also be the Nike Running athlete at NXN Southeast this Saturday in Cary, NC.

• Kenya won the 2011 International Chiba Ekiden. The Athlete's Foot Cameron Village's Bobby Mack led Team USA to a 5th place finish with a 28:55 10k split. (Full results and splits)

• Oh yeah, the NCAA Cross Country Championships were Monday. The Wisconsin Men and the Georgetown Women took the team titles, while Arizona's Lawi Lalang and Villanova's Sheila Reid took the individual crowns (Men's Race Video / Women's Race Video / Mens' Individual Results / Men's Team Results / Women's Individual Results / Women's Team Results). Meanwhile, I took third in the men, fifth in the women, and fourth overall in our fantasy challenge.

• House of Run recapped said NCAA Championships as well as the rest of the week in running. (link)

• Dathan Ritzenhein continues his Olympic build up tomorrow at the very popular Silicon Valley Turkey Trot. (Silicon Valley Mercury News link)

• Sadly, doctors had to amputate the frostbitten feet of Marko Cheseto, the All-American runner from the University of Alaska Anchorage, who suffered severe frostbite during a two-day disappearance earlier this month. (Anchorage Daily News link)

• Toni Reavis thinks distance racing has hit the wall. Outside Magazine's Peter Vigneron thinks otherwise. Both make some salient points and Reavis in particular takes The Competitor Group to task for running a race series that's anything but competitive. I couldn't agree more. (Reavis link / Vigneron link)

• Have you seen "Marathon Boy" yet on HBO? My review is all spoilers (link)

• Tim Jeffreys is following the McMillan Elite team as they train for the Olympic Trials Marathon. He is posting a documentary series of videos on Vimeo. The second episode just dropped. (Jeffreys' Vimeo page)

I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving! Happy Turkey Trotting!

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Battle Royale: 2011 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships are Monday

Tomorrow is the 2011 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, which are held in Terre Haute, Indiana (home course for Indiana State). The event will be broadcast at noon eastern on NCAA.com and will once again, be packed with many exciting individual and team battles.

Here's a few that stand out:

Men's Individual Contenders
-Arizona's Lawi Lalang has not lost this year. He truly hasn't been challenged. He is a freshman though, so it may not be as easy to win this one as some people think. Expect some competition from the guys below.
-Iona's Lenny Korir was fourth last year. He was four seconds behind Oregon's Luke Puskedra. He should challenge Lalang and won't be afraid to inject some speed in the pace, if it dawdles.
-Puskedra has been top five twice and has run well all year. Expect top ten at the absolute worst. Like Korir, Puskedra is not afraid to push it, if needed.
-NC State's Ryan Hill has had an excellent season and has only lost to one person. That man is Lawi Lalang. Hill finished second to Lalang at Griak and at Wisconsin, before winning ACC's and the Southeast Regional. Hill can kick with the best of them and should go top five (Disclaimer: he was my top pick in my fantasy draft. 5th overall).
-Stanford's Chris Derrick has always been consistent. Similar to Puskedra, he's seasoned and ready to go. This year, an individual title is on his mind and expect him to lay it all out there.
-BYU's Miles Batty is great over every distance. Coach Ed Eyestone has him raring to go, and like Hill, he can kick from far out.
-NAU's Diego Estrada runs excellent with a chip on his shoulder. He'll look to throw down one more good one in a field of strong competitors tomorrow and will be the dark horse of the group.

Can the Cowboys make it three in a row?

-The big enigma is Oklahoma State's German Fernandez. He's run excellent all year and a conference  title should give him the confidence to go for it. He may be conservative with a team title on the line, but you never know what's coming, which makes him intriguing.

Men's Team Contenders
-Oklahoma State has won two in a row and is primed for a third win. Fernandez has run strong all season. Colby Lowe has been excellent as usual. Tom Farrell will lead the rest of the group to a potential three peat.

-Wisconsin has looked effortless all season. Will their pack finish far enough towards the front to give the Cowboys a run for their money? Mo Ahmed will lead the way with Maverick Darling, Ryan Collins, Reed Connor and Elliot Krause all needing a strong race for the Badgers to have an honest chance.

Women's Individual Contenders

-Villanova's Sheila Reid is the favorite to repeat here, as she has looked untouchable once again this year. She may get some competition from Oregon's Jordan Hasay and North Carolina's Kendra Schaaf, but she'll be hard to beat down that last straightaway.

Who will leave smiling tomorrow?

-Hasay has beaten Reid before and can beat her again. Will she have it today? When she's on, she's one of the best. It'll likely come down to that last 500.
-Schaaf has been here before and she looks the most ready this year to make a run at the title. Unlike previous years, Schaaf has been hanging with the pack and running reverse splits from the first 3k to the second 3k, consistently. Expect her to make a move mid-race as being in a kicker's duel with Reid and Hasay won't be in her best interest (Disclaimer: she was my top pick in my fantasy draft. 3rd overall).

Women's Team Contenders
-Florida State has been dominant all year with a minimal spread. Expect Karen Harvey's women to improve on their runner-up finish last year.
-Villanova will have the benefit of getting the low stick from Reid and from the always excellent coaching from Gina Procaccio. Expect them to make Florida State work hard to take the title belt from them.
-Georgetown may be the hottest women's team right now. Have they been racing too hard? Emily Infeld will lead the Hoyas to a podium finish at minimum.

As with Cross Country, expect the unexpected. It should be a wild ride. Stars will emerge and some will buckle under pressure. Let's hope for some great weather and some honest races!

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Film Major: "Marathon Boy"

Fame and fortune have led to many tragic downfalls. None are quite as evident as the reality inflicted in Gemma Atwal's extremely captivating documentary, "Marathon Boy." The old aphorism, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions," couldn't ring more true in the handling of "child prodigy," Budhia Singh. Although, as the film wears on; sometimes good intentions are better than the alternative; bad intentions.

The idea of anyone under the age of 18 running a marathon is pretty farfetched here in the United States. For the most part, I would imagine this would ring true internationally. So the thought that Budhia Singh had run 48 marathons by the age of four seems pretty sick. Who would put him up to this?

Coach Biranchi Das

The answer to that question was his adoptive father, and coach, Biranchi Das. Das ran an ophanage by the name of Judo Hall and coached the best judo competitors in India. Das took Budhia on when Singh's birth mother could no longer care for the child. Das allowed her to visit Budhia whenever she wished. Das also took in many orphans over the years and claimed to never take any government assistance to help pay for their needs.

As Budhia began to gain more fame and notoriety, his mother began to get the idea that Das was gaining large sums of money from other countries for Budhia's performances. Ultimately, she kidnapped Budhia from Judo Hall and threatened violence against Das if he were to try and get him back.

This is where the idea of who the villain is begins to change. To the average person, watching Budhia complete the 42 mile run from Puri to Bhubaneswar was more than exhausting. It comes off as borderline child abuse when Das encourages him to run another 1.8 miles to the stadium. When Budhia pukes up all the water and looks unresponsive, you feel like maybe he does need to be taken from Das.

Budhia was a true child star

Then you see the alternative as he lives in the slums with his mom and her brainwashing boyfriends. They convince Budhia to tell authorities that Das abused him. Das was jailed. Ultimately, those claims were proven false and Das was acquitted of all wrongdoing. Not long after his release, Das was murdered (at Judo Hall). Many think that it stemmed Das's rise to power and potentially was linked to the government. His killers have been jailed for life, but conspiracy theories live on.

As for Singh, he has continued running and has been given a scholarship to continue attending private schooling. He's still only nine years old, so it will be some time before the rest of the world sees if he truly has the talent to become an Olympic marathoner.

"Marathon Boy" was funded by HBO and BBC Storyville and is on HBO and HBO On Demand right now. I highly encourage checking it out. There's a trust fund to save Judo Hall in Das's absence as well. Pick up "Marathon Boy" on Amazon.com here.

Check out the Marathon Boy website here and their Twitter account here. There was an excellent follow-up article on Budhia a few weeks ago on CNN.com as well.

Here's the trailer:


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My 2 Spikes Worth: The not so mysterious case of Lukas Verzbicas

World Champion Triathlete, National Champion Runner

When you heard the news yesterday that Lukas Verzbicas had dropped out of the University of Oregon to focus on the triathlon full time, how surprised were you? Me, a little surprised, but not shocked. While I hate to see someone with so much running talent partially abandon his running career and head for the dark side that is the triathlon (kidding, of course), I am rational enough to understand why.

While Verzbicas had dominated the prep running scene in the United States for the last three years, his times don't measure up to what's going on internationally. In the triathlon, they do. One of the biggest factors that had to have been looming in his mind while he slogged through at few disappointing 8k's this fall, was the fact that just a few months earlier, he had won the World Junior Championship in the Triathlon.

"Decided to pursue my olympic dream and dedicate myself fully as a triathlete with the intention of making the 2012 USA Olympic team." 

-Verzbicas, yesterday on Twitter

Verzbicas reunites with Step-Father/Old coach in CO

While Verzbicas had committed to running full time earlier in the spring when he accepted a scholarship to run at the University of Oregon, he had not, at the time, claimed a World Championship. Also, over the summer, his step-father, and former co-coach, Romas Bertulis, was named head coach at the Elite Triathlon Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. The stars were aligning for a way out, if the whole collegiate running thing didn't go the way that Verzbicas had hoped. Unfortunately, for running fans, it didn't, but something tells me the wheels were in motion the day that Bertulis accepted the job in Colorado.

One of two races as an Oregon Duck

So what now for Verzbicas? He mentioned that his immediate goal is to begin training for the 2012 Olympics. One question I have is, could it not have waited two weeks? He will suffer some well deserved backlash for leaving his fellow Oregon Ducks a few days before regionals to follow his dream. Also, as Competitor's Mario Fraoili mentioned yesterday on Twitter, Verzbicas is not a US Citizen. While I am sure this is something that can be fast-tracked (no pun intended) for someone like Verzbicas, it is still a hurdle. Between that and moving up the ranks in the complicated Olympic qualifying process that the USA Triathlon has, he'll have his hands full.

Will Gatorade come calling?

And what about the sponsors? Who will be first aboard? Will Nike, the underbelly of the school he just shunned get into the Triathlon game, step up and be the first? I doubt it, at least not yet. Verzbicas is an undeniable star, but his abrupt exit from the running game will rub many fans the wrong way. There's been a lot of initial backlash from the community that doesn't necessary "get the triathlon."  If the Triathlon continues to grow, Nike will likely get more involved, but my guess is that his early options will be more along the K-Swiss or Newton level, with obvious potential opportunities with Gatorade, GU, Speedo, Trek, Specialized, etc.

Personally, I can't blame Verzbicas for doing what he's best in. I don't like the timing, but as Hunter S. Thompson said, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." I don't think there could be a more fitting quote about the subject, as with all the speculation over the past few days before the announcement, things were most certainly weird. I certainly wish Verzbicas the best and hope he does make the 2012 Olympic team. It will give me more of a reason to follow the sport, but don't expect there to be a whole lot of coverage here or adoption by most US running fans. I've run and followed the sport of Track and Field for twenty years. I will watch the Ironman replay when it's on NBC. That's how I, and many, many running fans feel about the Tri. I hope Verzbicas realizes this when the throngs of running fans begin to look for the next big thing and let him do his three a days in peace.

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