Well, drats! What started out as a weekend so full of Hope turned into a weekend of dreams dashed. Three of our best took to the streets of Chicago with Oly Trials qualifier aspirations, all three are feeling the sting of the marathon’s indiscriminate and unforgiving lash. Another warmer than you’d like morning greeted Kayte, Cameron, & Tom. They gave it their best, Cameron soldiering across in a disappointing 2:34, Kayte dragging it in just under 3 hours, and Tom deciding at 16 miles to save his screaming hamstring and aspirations for another day. No number of cliches will help them get over yesterday so I’ll just say Giddyup!
Great reads: “Track Coach” is published quarterly by my old buddy Russ Ebbets. The Fall 2011 edition came over the weekend and the bulk of it is titled “Sports Psychology Roundtable”. Taking part in the discussion are Ralph Vernacchia, Kevin Williams, and Jordan Sneva. Three experts on how psychology and mental aspects affect performance. In a nut shell, how to overcome mental weakness, the scourge of peak performance. When asked what the one trait these experts would instill in their athletes their respective replies were “Mental toughness, Resilience, and Self-discipline.” Also a good article on exercises for runners trying to build ankle and foot strength, a tribute to the “Coach” and an analysis of the neural gains from strength training.
But, my favorite monthly read is always “Editor’s Note” by Jonathan Beverly of Running Times magazine. It is the first thing I go to when I receive my copy and it always touches my heart and my head. After reading his column I usually say “That is Exactly what I wish I could say!” He has the right unapologetic balance of focusing on the very best in our sport and making it apply to everyone that runs. He stresses the importance and necessity of those that run beyond fun and fitness, describes eloquently that slice of our sport that aspires, inspires, and perspires at a more than merely mortal level. I want to entice you into picking up a copy so here are some headline article titles: “Pre-Race Warm Up Done Right”, “A Runner’s Protein Primer”, “Gain 5 Pounds and Run Faster”, “Hard Work in the Heartland”, and “Masters Fundamentalists”. I also learned in this month’s issue that Chadron State College will revive its cross country program after a 27 year lay off. Good stuff.
Quick observations while watching Ryan Hall tackle the first half of yesterday’s Chicago Marathon. 1) He runs tangents better than the rest of the field. 2) He carries his fluid bottle long after the others have discarded theirs. 3) I dig his new hair cut.
The marathon is a cruel mistress. She can be loving too, but pain is her stock in trade.
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