Monday, August 18, 2008
Week of 8/18/08. Workouts, and I will be putting up articles on the Olympics on our TheSchedule.com site later. Olympic Triathlon for men and women should be completed by nowThe men's tri Ihave recorded; we messed up on the women's tri recording. The men's event was quite exciting with four leaders in contention for the medals to the very end.
> Once again, Paula Radcliffe, the world record holder for the marathon, and one tough lady, should not have been in the Olympic Marathon - again. She had sustained a stress fracture in her femur, lost three months of training and could not be ready for the Olympics. I think she ran it because the British press is merciless and so critical of this incredible athlete, that if she didn't finish this race she'd been crucified!
In the Athens Games, she dropped out, but if you had seen her litany of injuries - she should never have started! But boy, did she come back and show her stuff when she won the NYCMarathon later that Fall!
Amazing experience on Pike's Peak Marathon: storm and more, by ASHLEY MCCULLOUGH
Hi there!
Well, what an adventure in Colorado this past weekend! I know that I have talked to some of you, so I won't belabor the details of my crazy day up on Pikes Peak. It was quite a race, I must say, and all ended pretty well, although it was a very long and quite arduous day.As you know, the race is a half marathon, from the bottom of the peak to the top, 14,000 ft! The fastest women knock this off in about 2:35, which is pretty incredible. I was hoping for a sub 4 hour finish, which is in the top 13% of the women. Weather is always a factor in this event, along with, obviously, the effects of the altitude. So, I wasn't so surprised when a storm blew in, but this was no ordinary storm. By Friday night, they were expecting a foot of snow on the summit. I wasn't too concerned, as the storm was supposed to leave on saturday. Well, it never left!! So, we started out in rain and dense fog. All I kept thinking of was pacing. " There is no speed that is too slow for the first 9 miles", my friends who are veteran racers had told me, so I kept with the motto.The weather worsened but I continued to climb, and felt pretty good. My legs never got that tired, as I had to go slow. There is a different type of fatigue though, more systemic, when you have less and less air to breathe. And the headache is pretty crushing. Regardless, I pushed all thoughts of altitude out of my mind. Near mile 9, I saw racers from the first wave, dressed in singlets and shorts (??) descending past me. I couldn't figure it out. Had they already summited? Given up? At mile 10, I was at the "A Frame", 12,000 ft. It was the second to last aid stop and also where the trees stop growing...there is absolutely no protection from the elements. I came through the trees and a gust of wind nearly knocked me down. Hail pelted my face. I was thinking it was about time for another expresso gel, or something along those lines, when a race official grabbed me and another runner and announced that the summit had just been closed. It was 23 degrees on the top of the mountain and covered with a sheet of ice, not to mention the falling snow. I looked at my watch, 2:44. Only 3 miles to go, I was well under my goal pace! I had just missed the cutoff by minutes, but it no doubt would have been a challenging push to the finish.A huge bummer to have to turn back. And the worst part, aside from the disappointment of not reaching the summit, was having to go down the 10 miles I just climbed! :-)In any event, a great race, historic and full of very loyal and devoted runners not unlike the Dipsea. I will have to go back and FINISH the thing next year!!Hope you are well and having a great summer!-Ashps/ I did say no details, didn't I?All smiles at the start. Good thing I remembered the gortex!
Parking lot 4 miles from the summit where John waited to be shuttled to the summit to cheer me on. Road was closed shortly thereafter!
Good thing the beer tent had plenty for the survivors like myself! After 20 miles I needed one!
> Olympic Lifting: Absolutely incredible what these guys are lifting; note particularly the "snatch" lift (that's the one I'm having you do-in part, but only as a "snatch squat" for flexibility and core strength):
77kg class(169lbs): Snatch: 370lbs Clean & Jerk: 446 lbs
105 kg (231 lbs): Snatch: 444lbs Clean and Jerk: 519 lbs a WR! this guy from Belarus doesn't even look that strong, but has speed, some strong legs, technique and the balance required. Amazing: I'd be happy to roll those kind of weights around! ( even my best squat was just 400 and the snatch 185 -takes a great deal of shoulder strength on those guys)...
8/19/08 TUESDAY. 6:30am . TEMPO. China Camp
8/19/08. TUESDAY. 9am. TEMPO. Meet at Church Parking lot for Tenn Valley group.
We'll have you do the 2M warmup to north end of MV bike path, then do 3.5M or 4.0M tempo. Those of you gearing up for Fall half or full marathon, tack on a run towards Tenn Valley for extra mileage: should be getting 7-8M total on these Tuesdays. I'll see ifI can get Sandy to bike with you; I'm not ready: hurting a bit today,so I must be patient.
8/21/08. THURSDAY. 7am & 9am. TRACK at COM
Count on a new half marathon speedwork routine; for the others a bit different speedwork.
warmup: 4 x 100 (100), 2 x 150 (50), 2 x 200(200);
400 (under 5K pace)
1200 @ 10K pace (400)
3200 (8 laps) @ half marathon pace: get your goal pace on target!
"C" gp: 2 x 200(200)
600 (200)
1000(200)
8/23/08. SATURDAY. 8am .Ed's TRACK GROUP at NOVATO HS.
warmup: 4 x 100(100), 2 x 150(50), 2 x 200(200)
400 (on 2:30, 3')
600 (200) @ 5K pace
800 (200) @ 10K pace
1.5M @ half marathon pace.
After the main workout do a series of 8 x the width of the soccer field: a pickup across the width, jog back to start easy, then a quick turnover emphasis across the field. continue for 8 reps.
8/23/08. SATURDAY. 7am. HILL REPEATS. McGinnis Park
Most of the folks do their warmup run starting at 6a;30am, then meet at base of hill by 7am. I hope to be there for part of it, but just in case:
2 x Long Hill
2 x Med. Hill (around corner)
4 x Short Hill (to "12" painted triangle, about 35")
4 x Sprint Hill
2 x Med Hill
> UPCOMING XC SEASON -STARTS 8/23/08. Time to get our teams to show up. by JANET BOWMAN
Dear Tamalpa Senior and Super Senior Women:
It's that time of year again – XC Season! The first race of the 2008 PA-USATF XC Grand Prix, the Empire Open, is coming up this Saturday, Aug. 23, in Santa Rosa.We would love to have a good turnout. All Tamalpa women are welcome and appreciated, whether you are fast or slow. It's the team that counts in XC!Remember, to be scored for Tamalpa, you need:
Current membership in Tamalpa Runners.
A current USATF card designating your club affiliation as Tamalpa (Club #100).
A shirt of some kind that says "Tamalpa", preferably the current women's uniform top, available in bra, tank, tee, or long sleeve styles.
Highly recommended: Sign up for the XC races you plan to run. This helps all of us plan our schedules so that we can have a minimum of three women in 50-59 and 60-69 at as many races as possible, especially the ones closer to Marin. The signup page is at
http://www.realendurance.com/tamalpa.htmlClick on "Cross Country Women"Enter Code "wilddog" and click LoginYou will now be able to add your name to any blank line, and type Yes, No, or Maybe for each event. Click on "Save" when you're done. This is not a hard-and-fast commitment, just an indication of your intentions. Do the best you can. If you enter "yes" for a race and then later something else comes up and you can't make it, we will forgive you. It happens to all of us. If you want to go back and change something later, just repeat the same procedure.I will be driving to the Empire Open and have a few seats available. Send me an email if you'd like to carpool.Sincerely,Janet BowmanCo-Captain415-924-5976
NOTE: If you haven't experienced the XC races I think they're a special part of the year's racing. Give it a go! You'll love the variety in the courses and smaller fields.
RESULTS:
WOMEN'S OLYMPIC TRIATHLON: Aussies dominate:
BEIJING, China (August 18, 2008) -- If it weren't for a bit of cramping on the run, U.S. triathlete Laura Bennett (N. Palm Beach, Fla. / Boulder, Colo.) may have found her place on the Olympic Games medal stand on Monday.Instead, the 33-year-old will have to wait four more years for another shot at glory after finishing fourth at the Beijing Olympic Games at the Ming Tombs Reservoir."I'm pleased with fourth. I started cramping on the third lap and lost touch with third place, so that's a little disappointing, but I feel I tried to pull out what I could today and I'm really happy with fourth," Bennett said.Triathlon fans were able to witness the much anticipated head-to-head matchup between three- time world champion Australian Emma Snowsill and Portuguese sensation Vanessa Fernandes. But the race was over by the time the run started as Snowsill pulled away from all the other competitors to grab gold in 1:58:27. Fernandes won the silver in 1:59:34, with Australian Emma Moffat finishing third in 1:59:55.Bennett's result in 2:00:21 led the three-person American team, with Sarah Haskins (St. Louis, Mo. / Colorado Springs, Colo.) finishing 11th in 2:01:22 and Julie Ertel (Placentia, Calif. / Irvine, Calif.) finishing 19th in 2:02:39.The U.S. athletes were among the top five out of the water after the 1.5k swim and were part of a large lead group of close to 15 athletes on the bike. The team strategy of gaining an edge with a breakaway on the bike didn't come to fruition as this group stayed together throughout the 40k bike course that took the competitors in front of the grandstands filled with close to 10,000 supporters six times."There was a big group on the bike. I tried to attack on the bike, but the pack kept us in it," said Haskins. "So it came down to a strong run. I felt good on the run. But 11th place, you know, I can't complain."Ertel said the challenging bike course set the tone for the rest of her race. "It was a hard bike," she said. "I just got a lower back cramp on the first hill and it was hard for me to recover. It lasted the first three laps of the run. The last lap I felt great. I wish it was a 20k."I was still happy with my performance, but the bike was definitely the hardest part today. I knew going in that this wasn't a course that played to my strengths. I feel it did well. My goal was to stay with that lead pack [on the bike]. I can't say it was easy but I managed to do that. And then the run, I was kind of out of gas."Once the athletes started the 10k run, the lead group began to separate. Snowsill quickly put space between herself and her pursuers, gaining a 15- second advantage by the time the first of four laps was complete. Bennett, Fernandes, and Moffatt led the group in pursuit, with the American pulling into second for much of the second lap. Unfortunately, that's when the cramps set in and Bennett lost three places, as Fernandes began to find her legs, Moffat gave chase and Juri Ide pulled into fourth."I felt great after the swim, getting on the bike and staying with the girls. We all worked the hill quite well. I felt strong and was ready to get out on the run where I knew it was going to come down to," said Bennett, a first-time Olympian who was team alternate in 2004. "I knew it was going to be fast and was going to take some deep digging to keep with the girls. I did my best to dig and stay with them. A little bit of cramping set me back, but that's part of racing."Bennett was smiling as she entered the stadium for the last time, on the heels of Ide, but out of reach of a medal. She passed the Japanese athlete in the homestretch and maintained her smile across the finish line."The whole experience has been fantastic," said Bennett as she made her way through the post-race throngs of reporters. "We had a great time at the Opening Ceremonies. We're taking in the whole experience and taking in what the Olympics is all about."When she gets back to the States, Bennett and her teammates will turn their attention to London in 2012. But there is one athlete that they have their sights set on. "Emma is definitely the mark, and that's what we'll build toward over the next four years," said Bennett.Ten of the 55 athletes were unable to finish the race.This was the third year for triathlon on the Olympic Games program. The lone medal for the U.S. (men or women) came in 2004 when Susan Williams won bronze in Athens.The men race at 10 a.m. local time on Tuesday, August 19.Beijing 2008 Olympic Games - Women's TriathlonGold - Emma Snowsill (AUS) 1:58:27Silver - Vanessa Fernandes (POR) 1:59:34Bronze - Emma Moffatt (AUS) 1:59:55 4th - Laura Bennett (N. Palm Beach, Fla. / Boulder, Colo.) 2:00:215th - Juri Ide (JPN) 2:00:236th - Nicola Spirig (SUI) 2:00:307th - Daniela Ryf (SUI) 2:00:408th - Andrea Hewitt (NZL) 2:00:459th - Kiyomi Niwata (JPN) 2:00:5110th - Debbie Tanner (NZL) 2:01:06Other U.S. Athletes11th - Sarah Haskins (St. Louis, Mo. / Colorado Springs, Colo.) 2:01:2219th - Julie Ertel (Placentia, Calif. / Irvine, Calif.) 2:02:39 ¶ 3:10 PM
> Once again, Paula Radcliffe, the world record holder for the marathon, and one tough lady, should not have been in the Olympic Marathon - again. She had sustained a stress fracture in her femur, lost three months of training and could not be ready for the Olympics. I think she ran it because the British press is merciless and so critical of this incredible athlete, that if she didn't finish this race she'd been crucified!
In the Athens Games, she dropped out, but if you had seen her litany of injuries - she should never have started! But boy, did she come back and show her stuff when she won the NYCMarathon later that Fall!
Amazing experience on Pike's Peak Marathon: storm and more, by ASHLEY MCCULLOUGH
Hi there!
Well, what an adventure in Colorado this past weekend! I know that I have talked to some of you, so I won't belabor the details of my crazy day up on Pikes Peak. It was quite a race, I must say, and all ended pretty well, although it was a very long and quite arduous day.As you know, the race is a half marathon, from the bottom of the peak to the top, 14,000 ft! The fastest women knock this off in about 2:35, which is pretty incredible. I was hoping for a sub 4 hour finish, which is in the top 13% of the women. Weather is always a factor in this event, along with, obviously, the effects of the altitude. So, I wasn't so surprised when a storm blew in, but this was no ordinary storm. By Friday night, they were expecting a foot of snow on the summit. I wasn't too concerned, as the storm was supposed to leave on saturday. Well, it never left!! So, we started out in rain and dense fog. All I kept thinking of was pacing. " There is no speed that is too slow for the first 9 miles", my friends who are veteran racers had told me, so I kept with the motto.The weather worsened but I continued to climb, and felt pretty good. My legs never got that tired, as I had to go slow. There is a different type of fatigue though, more systemic, when you have less and less air to breathe. And the headache is pretty crushing. Regardless, I pushed all thoughts of altitude out of my mind. Near mile 9, I saw racers from the first wave, dressed in singlets and shorts (??) descending past me. I couldn't figure it out. Had they already summited? Given up? At mile 10, I was at the "A Frame", 12,000 ft. It was the second to last aid stop and also where the trees stop growing...there is absolutely no protection from the elements. I came through the trees and a gust of wind nearly knocked me down. Hail pelted my face. I was thinking it was about time for another expresso gel, or something along those lines, when a race official grabbed me and another runner and announced that the summit had just been closed. It was 23 degrees on the top of the mountain and covered with a sheet of ice, not to mention the falling snow. I looked at my watch, 2:44. Only 3 miles to go, I was well under my goal pace! I had just missed the cutoff by minutes, but it no doubt would have been a challenging push to the finish.A huge bummer to have to turn back. And the worst part, aside from the disappointment of not reaching the summit, was having to go down the 10 miles I just climbed! :-)In any event, a great race, historic and full of very loyal and devoted runners not unlike the Dipsea. I will have to go back and FINISH the thing next year!!Hope you are well and having a great summer!-Ashps/ I did say no details, didn't I?All smiles at the start. Good thing I remembered the gortex!
Parking lot 4 miles from the summit where John waited to be shuttled to the summit to cheer me on. Road was closed shortly thereafter!
Good thing the beer tent had plenty for the survivors like myself! After 20 miles I needed one!
> Olympic Lifting: Absolutely incredible what these guys are lifting; note particularly the "snatch" lift (that's the one I'm having you do-in part, but only as a "snatch squat" for flexibility and core strength):
77kg class(169lbs): Snatch: 370lbs Clean & Jerk: 446 lbs
105 kg (231 lbs): Snatch: 444lbs Clean and Jerk: 519 lbs a WR! this guy from Belarus doesn't even look that strong, but has speed, some strong legs, technique and the balance required. Amazing: I'd be happy to roll those kind of weights around! ( even my best squat was just 400 and the snatch 185 -takes a great deal of shoulder strength on those guys)...
8/19/08 TUESDAY. 6:30am . TEMPO. China Camp
8/19/08. TUESDAY. 9am. TEMPO. Meet at Church Parking lot for Tenn Valley group.
We'll have you do the 2M warmup to north end of MV bike path, then do 3.5M or 4.0M tempo. Those of you gearing up for Fall half or full marathon, tack on a run towards Tenn Valley for extra mileage: should be getting 7-8M total on these Tuesdays. I'll see ifI can get Sandy to bike with you; I'm not ready: hurting a bit today,so I must be patient.
8/21/08. THURSDAY. 7am & 9am. TRACK at COM
Count on a new half marathon speedwork routine; for the others a bit different speedwork.
warmup: 4 x 100 (100), 2 x 150 (50), 2 x 200(200);
400 (under 5K pace)
1200 @ 10K pace (400)
3200 (8 laps) @ half marathon pace: get your goal pace on target!
"C" gp: 2 x 200(200)
600 (200)
1000(200)
8/23/08. SATURDAY. 8am .Ed's TRACK GROUP at NOVATO HS.
warmup: 4 x 100(100), 2 x 150(50), 2 x 200(200)
400 (on 2:30, 3')
600 (200) @ 5K pace
800 (200) @ 10K pace
1.5M @ half marathon pace.
After the main workout do a series of 8 x the width of the soccer field: a pickup across the width, jog back to start easy, then a quick turnover emphasis across the field. continue for 8 reps.
8/23/08. SATURDAY. 7am. HILL REPEATS. McGinnis Park
Most of the folks do their warmup run starting at 6a;30am, then meet at base of hill by 7am. I hope to be there for part of it, but just in case:
2 x Long Hill
2 x Med. Hill (around corner)
4 x Short Hill (to "12" painted triangle, about 35")
4 x Sprint Hill
2 x Med Hill
> UPCOMING XC SEASON -STARTS 8/23/08. Time to get our teams to show up. by JANET BOWMAN
Dear Tamalpa Senior and Super Senior Women:
It's that time of year again – XC Season! The first race of the 2008 PA-USATF XC Grand Prix, the Empire Open, is coming up this Saturday, Aug. 23, in Santa Rosa.We would love to have a good turnout. All Tamalpa women are welcome and appreciated, whether you are fast or slow. It's the team that counts in XC!Remember, to be scored for Tamalpa, you need:
Current membership in Tamalpa Runners.
A current USATF card designating your club affiliation as Tamalpa (Club #100).
A shirt of some kind that says "Tamalpa", preferably the current women's uniform top, available in bra, tank, tee, or long sleeve styles.
Highly recommended: Sign up for the XC races you plan to run. This helps all of us plan our schedules so that we can have a minimum of three women in 50-59 and 60-69 at as many races as possible, especially the ones closer to Marin. The signup page is at
http://www.realendurance.com/tamalpa.htmlClick on "Cross Country Women"Enter Code "wilddog" and click LoginYou will now be able to add your name to any blank line, and type Yes, No, or Maybe for each event. Click on "Save" when you're done. This is not a hard-and-fast commitment, just an indication of your intentions. Do the best you can. If you enter "yes" for a race and then later something else comes up and you can't make it, we will forgive you. It happens to all of us. If you want to go back and change something later, just repeat the same procedure.I will be driving to the Empire Open and have a few seats available. Send me an email if you'd like to carpool.Sincerely,Janet BowmanCo-Captain415-924-5976
NOTE: If you haven't experienced the XC races I think they're a special part of the year's racing. Give it a go! You'll love the variety in the courses and smaller fields.
RESULTS:
WOMEN'S OLYMPIC TRIATHLON: Aussies dominate:
BEIJING, China (August 18, 2008) -- If it weren't for a bit of cramping on the run, U.S. triathlete Laura Bennett (N. Palm Beach, Fla. / Boulder, Colo.) may have found her place on the Olympic Games medal stand on Monday.Instead, the 33-year-old will have to wait four more years for another shot at glory after finishing fourth at the Beijing Olympic Games at the Ming Tombs Reservoir."I'm pleased with fourth. I started cramping on the third lap and lost touch with third place, so that's a little disappointing, but I feel I tried to pull out what I could today and I'm really happy with fourth," Bennett said.Triathlon fans were able to witness the much anticipated head-to-head matchup between three- time world champion Australian Emma Snowsill and Portuguese sensation Vanessa Fernandes. But the race was over by the time the run started as Snowsill pulled away from all the other competitors to grab gold in 1:58:27. Fernandes won the silver in 1:59:34, with Australian Emma Moffat finishing third in 1:59:55.Bennett's result in 2:00:21 led the three-person American team, with Sarah Haskins (St. Louis, Mo. / Colorado Springs, Colo.) finishing 11th in 2:01:22 and Julie Ertel (Placentia, Calif. / Irvine, Calif.) finishing 19th in 2:02:39.The U.S. athletes were among the top five out of the water after the 1.5k swim and were part of a large lead group of close to 15 athletes on the bike. The team strategy of gaining an edge with a breakaway on the bike didn't come to fruition as this group stayed together throughout the 40k bike course that took the competitors in front of the grandstands filled with close to 10,000 supporters six times."There was a big group on the bike. I tried to attack on the bike, but the pack kept us in it," said Haskins. "So it came down to a strong run. I felt good on the run. But 11th place, you know, I can't complain."Ertel said the challenging bike course set the tone for the rest of her race. "It was a hard bike," she said. "I just got a lower back cramp on the first hill and it was hard for me to recover. It lasted the first three laps of the run. The last lap I felt great. I wish it was a 20k."I was still happy with my performance, but the bike was definitely the hardest part today. I knew going in that this wasn't a course that played to my strengths. I feel it did well. My goal was to stay with that lead pack [on the bike]. I can't say it was easy but I managed to do that. And then the run, I was kind of out of gas."Once the athletes started the 10k run, the lead group began to separate. Snowsill quickly put space between herself and her pursuers, gaining a 15- second advantage by the time the first of four laps was complete. Bennett, Fernandes, and Moffatt led the group in pursuit, with the American pulling into second for much of the second lap. Unfortunately, that's when the cramps set in and Bennett lost three places, as Fernandes began to find her legs, Moffat gave chase and Juri Ide pulled into fourth."I felt great after the swim, getting on the bike and staying with the girls. We all worked the hill quite well. I felt strong and was ready to get out on the run where I knew it was going to come down to," said Bennett, a first-time Olympian who was team alternate in 2004. "I knew it was going to be fast and was going to take some deep digging to keep with the girls. I did my best to dig and stay with them. A little bit of cramping set me back, but that's part of racing."Bennett was smiling as she entered the stadium for the last time, on the heels of Ide, but out of reach of a medal. She passed the Japanese athlete in the homestretch and maintained her smile across the finish line."The whole experience has been fantastic," said Bennett as she made her way through the post-race throngs of reporters. "We had a great time at the Opening Ceremonies. We're taking in the whole experience and taking in what the Olympics is all about."When she gets back to the States, Bennett and her teammates will turn their attention to London in 2012. But there is one athlete that they have their sights set on. "Emma is definitely the mark, and that's what we'll build toward over the next four years," said Bennett.Ten of the 55 athletes were unable to finish the race.This was the third year for triathlon on the Olympic Games program. The lone medal for the U.S. (men or women) came in 2004 when Susan Williams won bronze in Athens.The men race at 10 a.m. local time on Tuesday, August 19.Beijing 2008 Olympic Games - Women's TriathlonGold - Emma Snowsill (AUS) 1:58:27Silver - Vanessa Fernandes (POR) 1:59:34Bronze - Emma Moffatt (AUS) 1:59:55 4th - Laura Bennett (N. Palm Beach, Fla. / Boulder, Colo.) 2:00:215th - Juri Ide (JPN) 2:00:236th - Nicola Spirig (SUI) 2:00:307th - Daniela Ryf (SUI) 2:00:408th - Andrea Hewitt (NZL) 2:00:459th - Kiyomi Niwata (JPN) 2:00:5110th - Debbie Tanner (NZL) 2:01:06Other U.S. Athletes11th - Sarah Haskins (St. Louis, Mo. / Colorado Springs, Colo.) 2:01:2219th - Julie Ertel (Placentia, Calif. / Irvine, Calif.) 2:02:39 ¶ 3:10 PM
