Friday, April 30, 2010

Palo Alto this weekend...

Hello Everyone,

I received your names from Ernie Lee as running fans in the Palo Alto area connected to the high school running scene through your respective websites.  As I’m sure you all know there are some great races on tap at the Cardinal invite this weekend, several of which have Nike athletes shooting for American Records; namely in the men’s 10k and women’s 5k.  If one of the records does fall, we’ll be hosting the record-breaker at the new Nike store in Palo Alto (located at 680 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto CA) for a reception Sunday morning at 9:30 where they will be available for questions and autographs.

Regardless of whether any records are broken, there will be a group run leaving the store at 8:30 with some post-run refreshments.  Feel free to let your constituents know about what will hopefully be a great opportunity for them to meet a new American Record Holder.

I’ll send out another email following the races to confirm any events that might be taking place on Sunday.  I know it’s short notice today – not to mention a confirmation tomorrow night, so I thank you for any support you can lend.

Let me know if you have any questions and thank you very much. 

Bret Schoolmeester
Nike Running

Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational...

Stanford is the place to be on Saturday if you are a distance fan.  Go check out a great night of racing.  Here is all the information you need for your viewing pleasure whether you do that live or online.

Full Schedule of the meet can be found here:
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/stan/sports/c-track/auto_pdf/2010PaytonJordanSchedule.pdf

Flotrack.org coverage can be found here:
http://www.flotrack.org/videos/coverage/view/236854-2010-payton-jordan-cardinal-invitational

From letsrun.com, a meet preview:
LRC Fan Guide - 2010 Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational 

Live results:

http://www.sml1.com/recordtiming/stanford/pjc10/

For those of you out there that don't know who Payton Jordan is, check out his profile here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payton_Jordan

Finally, a great link to how Payton lured the Russians to Stanford in 1962 in the US vs USSR meet:
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Thursday, April 29, 2010

Catching up with Loyola HS runner, Elias Gedyon...

Today we chat with Southern California star and Loyola HS runner, Elias Gedyon.  In almost 3 years of high school running, he has run with some of the fastest runners in the nation in Cross Country and Track and Field.  For those of you that were able to watch the Nike Cross Nationals (live or online), Elias finished in 2nd place, losing to the Craig Lutz by .3 in a highly competitive race.  Along with his cross country credentials, Elias finished in 6th place in the 800m. as a freshman and 2nd place last year in the mile behind current University of Oregon runner, Mac Fleet.  

1) How did you get your start with Cross Country and Track and Field?
I got started with track and field when I was in the 5th grade by my homeroom teacher’s inspiration. Each year around May, we have a race against our classmates and during my fourth grade year I was selected to run the mile. Without knowing how to run and race, I won that race and since I won by a lot, the following year they made me race against the teachers who were marathon runners.  I also won that race which surprised my fifth grade teacher and he saw something in me that maybe I can be good at this if I focused on it. He was the one that introduced in club track to me.


2) What were your highlights during your freshman year in both sports?
My first track meet as a freshman was at Arcadia and I was the anchor leg for our 4*800m team.  We came through very well and ran the fastest time in school history that day. I split 1.52.5 and that was my first time on the track racing with Dana Hills and other very strong athletes. In XC, my freshman year was a learning experience and my highlight was setting the all time freshman, Mt.Sac course record.

3) Highlights from your sophomore year?
My sophomore year, I won the Mt. Sac Invitational again and set another course record.  In track I moved up to the 1600 and I took 2nd in state meet with a time of 4.07.26.


4) Going into this past Cross Country season, tell us a little about your summer training (ex. miles per week, workouts during the summer etc.)
My summer is mostly running without a real break because right after the track state meet I get back to my Club track which is under the usatf. I then run the J.O’s then I get into XC training. When XC training starts, we usually run about 65-70 miles per week. Once season starts, we work out 11 times a week but during the summer it’s only one workout a day but with more mileage. 


5) Tell us about your Nike Cross Nationals experience. How did the race unfold? Best part of the whole experience?
Well overall it was the best experience; my freshman year, I had a blast and most of it was the race.  I took 35th and most important for me was being able to see Nike town. Then coming home to LA I was telling myself that I have to make it up there again as a team. Sophomore year, we made it there again and we had a great time. Most important, I focused more on the race and I took 12th and I was happy about that. Then my Junior I took 2nd and was very happy that my coaches got to that stage with me.


6) What do you feel were the key workouts for you this past cross-country season? What is the length of your long run? How many miles per week during the majority of your season? 

On of the key workouts that we did in the summer was the mile repeats and some long hill runs. Our long runs are mostly up at mammoth and our longest run is the airport run, which is a 10 miler. During the majority of our season, we run about 60-65 miles per week.

8) Once cross country is over, are there any changes to your weekly schedule as you start looking ahead to Track and Field? 

Not really. I rest a lot and just try to get ready for the upcoming season.


9) During Track and Field season, what are some of your toughest workouts?  What workouts give you the most confidence going into races?
One of the toughest workouts in track is the 8 times 400m and 7 times 200m but they get faster as the season progresses.  We do those work outs starting at 75s and get down to 65s later in the season.  Speed work is what gives me the most confidence at the end of the season going into the races.


10) Some rapid fire questions:

Favorite cross-country race? Mt.Sac Invitational
Favorite cross-country course? Mt.Sac
Favorite track and field invitational? Favorite race distance in Track?  Arcadia invitational and favorite would be the 800m and the mile.
Favorite competitors? Mostly, it’s anyone that would fight to the end and try to win the race.  There are so many people that are my favorite competitors that it's hard to pick just a few.
Professional runners you look up to? I honestly look up to Kobe Bryant the most and then Michael Johnson, kenenisa bekele, Haile Gebrselaisse, Abebi bikila, and Jeremy Warner. 


11) Who is your coach and how has he helped you develop as a runner?
Mr. Lalo Dias is a very intelligent coach and he has coached me throughout my high school years.  He has helped me through so many things. First would be my academics and personal things and then track and XC.  Also in sports he has pushed me to the best of my abilities. I thank God for my family and my coaches.

12) Anything else you would like to add.
To those who are out there thinking… “How did Elias Gedyon get this far?” my gift and talents are from the above and one thing that I ask God to do for me is to open the gift that he has stored inside of me. Without knowing, he has answered my prayers and it looks like this gift that has opened many doors for me would be running. Thank you every one for you support! You all are the best.
 Thank you so much for this interview.


Thank you very much for your time Elias!  AJC

Your toughest workout you have done this spring?

Would love to hear from athletes and coaches out there about their toughest workout that they have done this track and field season.  Please include the distances, type and length of rest, workout benefit etc.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Croshaw born to run

Aragon High sophomore Lauren Croshaw never envisioned competing in the 800-meter run, let alone excelling at it.

How ironic then the 800 has become Croshaw’s best event. The Daily Journal’s Athlete of the Week, Croshaw finished third in the 800 last Friday at the Top 8 Meet in Los Gatos, one of the key races of the regular season. Croshaw’s time of 2 minutes, 16.79 seconds bettered her previous record by two seconds, and it also set a school record.

“I was extremely surprised when I found out it was a school record,” Croshaw said. “With all the good runners Aragon has had, I never thought it was going to happen.”

Croshaw’s run was nothing if not dramatic. Croshaw, 15, beat the fourth-place finisher by two-tenths of a second, leaning forward at the line with so much force she nearly did a face plant.

“I almost fell on my face,” she said.

If Croshaw ends up winning the 800 at the upcoming Peninsula Athletic League Championships and doing well at the Central Coast Section Meet, she’ll look back to the Top 8 as the event that jump-started her run. This was only the fourth time Croshaw had competed in the 800, and as such she didn’t know what to expect.


To read the rest of this article, go to the following link:
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=130105&title=Croshaw%20born%20to%20run

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

TRACK: Full head of steam

HOLLISTER

Jason Roascio stood in Lane 4 under the early-evening light on Friday in Los Gatos. With the Hollister "H" emblazoned across his chest and his skin-tight, midnight-black pants making him look swift even in a stationary position, the San Benito junior appeared focused and poised for the forthcoming 200-meter race.

He was calm. He would later say he felt a little fatigued, having previously run the second leg of the 4x100 relay as well as the 400-meter event, but that was impossible to tell at this point. He worked on his start, did several high-knee exercises, and he wasn't shy enough to back down from meeting and greeting with several of his competitors.

The competition was out to get him, of course. But despite being new to the track-and-field spotlight, and even new to the sport itself, Jason Roascio hasn't let much sidetrack him from the finish line this season.

"I'm thinking about the race, thinking about performing," Roascio said. "But I'm also making sure I'm having fun."

At a moment when it can become all too easy to let the mind wander, and let nerves set in the pit of the stomach, Roascio instead enjoys the moment.

After all, he was competing in the exclusive Top 8 Track and Field Classic on Friday night - the last remaining precursor to the Central Coast Section Championships - and even boasted the fastest recorded time in the 200 meters to date.



To read the rest of this article, go to the following link:
http://hollisterfreelance.com/sports/265163-track-full-head-of-steam

More Northern California Track and Field coverage...

TRACK: Roascio, Kret set school records at Top 8 (hollisterfreelance.com)
Sacramento MOC (sfgate.com)
Byers, Bingham & Page moving up on lists (pressdemocrat.com)
Granada High's Josh Atkinson wins 100 meters at James Logan Top 8 Track and Field Invitational (contracostatimes.com)
Ashton Purvis whips college sprinters at Brutus Hamilton Invitational (contracostatimes.com)

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Photo of the Week

Courtesy of the Santa Cruz Sentinel (Bill  Lovejoy) from this past Friday's CCS Top 8 Meet.
Freshman Nikki Hiltz of Aptos leaves the field in a blur as she wins the Girls' Varsity 1600m. run in 5:04.60.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Dirt tracks...

Members of my own team are probably not aware that dirt tracks STILL exist.  My first year coaching track at Crystal Springs Uplands School, I took one girl ran to run a 400m. (probably was 440yds) race at El Camino HS in 2002.  We also competed at the old Castro Valley HS track a couple years later at their invitational but as far as I can remember, those were the only dirt tracks.  Since then, it's been ALL all-weather for us.  We don't actually have a track on campus so we travel...to San Mateo HS...to College of San Mateo...to Burlingame HS...to Serra HS...basically to any facility that will take us. 


When I ran in high school it was all dirt for us, all the time.  I could probably count on one hand the number of times I raced on an all-weather track.  I remember running at Menlo school with their black track (I think it was black).  I definitely remember running on the old CSM track (the black one) that stuck to your spikes on hot days.  According to the old CSM coach and current timer Bob Rush, spraying Pam on the bottom of your spikes prevented this from happening.  Who knew?  Now he tells me.  I am still picking off parts of that track from my old high school spikes.

Anyways...before I ramble on, here is the world famous Hank Lawson below, laying down the finish line before a recent meet at Lynbrook HS.  Ah, the good ole days of laying down those lane lines before the weekly dual meet against your cross town rival.

Lastly, this article was in this week's San Mateo Times talking about the end of an era at Westmoor HS.  The old high school dirt track will be replaced by an all weather track next year.  It only took the district over 30 years to finally get coach DiMaggio a well deserved all-weather facility.  I had the pleasure of coaching with him for seven years and he is truly one of the most important people in my development as a coach.  I will have to write more about him and some of my other mentors in another time.  In the meantime, here is the article:

Reeves: Days numbered for Westmoor's dirt track

Anybody else have a good track story to share?  I posted a link to the St. Mary's (Berkeley) track earlier this year...you know...the triangular one.  Any other odd shaped tracks?  

Early report from Viking Track Classic...

Reesey Byers runs 4:11.83/1:56.42...with Hugh Dowdy close behind in 4:16/1:56.67 (updated).  Luis Luna of Piner ran 4:23 and 9:28.  Jacque Taylor in 4:54 and 2:19.  Lucy McCullough of Marin Academy in 2:16 and Tamara Purpura in 2:17.

Early Results from Viking Track Classic as posted on the Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
http://www.northbay.com/running/10Viking%20Track%20Classic.pdf

For you Track and Field fans out there, Penn Relays on ESPN2 from 5pm to 7pm today.

Any other reports from any Track and Field meets out there today?

Strum brothers roll at CCS Top 8 Meet...

Complete results here thanks to Hank Lawson:
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/TRACK/2010/top8_res.htm


Newspaper article here thanks to Dennis Knight and SJ Mercury News:
Top 8 Meet: Brother's victories inspire Pioneer distance runner

Interview I did with Weston Strum during cross country season:


An amazing night of racing.  The boys' 400 was awesome.  18 guys under 2 minutes in the 800m.  Aptos freshman Nikki Hiltz in 1600 with 5:04.60.  Nelms over Walker in 100m. hurdles by .02.  Ferrante wire to wire in girls' 3200m.  And closing out the meet, San Benito over Bellarmine in the 1600m. relay by .04.  Leigh and Bellarmine early favorites for team titles?  What other performances stood out for you?

Friday, April 23, 2010

CCS Top 8 Predictions...

Interesting article about friendly rivals leading up to tonight's meet at Los Gatos HS.  (picture to the left courtesy of paloaltoonline.com).
Gunn-Paly track much more than a grudge meet

Chime in at message board above.  Who is going to have the most outstanding performance tonight?  Who are the favorites?  Who are some of the athletes missing from tonight that will be contenders at THE CCS meet in May?


"I will also tweet as many of the results from tonight's meet as I can.  You can find me on twitter at http://twitter.com/ccexpress"

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Sac-Joaquin Section announces inaugural Hall of Fame class

Some very familiar names as well as current coaches including Evelyn Ashford, Dusty Baker (even if he was a Dodger and made that pitching change in 2002...yeah I am not bitter), Tedy Bruschi, Bill Buckner (infamous is more like it), Bill Cartwright, Kevin Johnson, Mark Marquess (Stanford baseball coach), Summer Sanders, Walt Lange (Jesuit HS fame), and Bob King (Del Campo HS fame).

You can check out the complete list at the following link:
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/preps/archives/2010/04/sac-joaquin-sec-4.html

A very cool list.  Would be nice if other sections did the same thing.  Who would be part of an inaugural class in CCS?  NCS?  SF?  OAK? etc.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Catching up with Menlo Atherton runner, Jason McGhee...





Today we chat with Menlo Atherton runner, Jason McGhee.  This past Saturday at the Serra Top 7 Invitational, Jason stamped himself as one of the contenders for the state meet in the 800m. as he recorded a personal best of 1:55.4h.  The most impressive part of the effort was that Jason ran that time by himself in the slowest heat of the 800.  He will get to test himself further this Friday as he battles some of the other contenders in the 800 at the CCS Top 8 Meet.  Jason, who is a junior, is new to the sport of Track and Field and I will let him explain how he made his way to the oval in the spring (and hill and dale in the fall).




1) What sports have you participated in before and during high school?
I played AYSO soccer from about 1st grade until 3rd grade then I began to play more competitively on a CYSA until 7th grade when I had some disagreements with coaches and ended up stopping the sport entirely. In middle school I played flag football, and continued with football freshman year. Unfortunately I didn't have the size or the hands to be a starter - and I wouldn't play a sport where I'd have to sit on the bench. Next came lacrosse, freshman year in the spring and sophomore year in the fall (box league) and spring. Although I did enjoy the new sport, Eric Wilmurt, the cross country coach, began to talk to me about joining the cross country team along with a few runners. So, this year, I decided to try it out.

2) I believe you ran cross country for the first time this past fall. How did you end up deciding to participate in the sport?
I ran "The Big Bear Run" - a 5k run and fundraiser at Menlo-Atherton freshman year and was the first Menlo-Atherton student to finish, then ran it again sophomore year, however, a freshman at the time, Jack Beckwith, beat me handily, which I did not particularly like... So I thought I'd run cross country and see if I could improve. Both my competitive nature and countless people telling me to at least try cross country, convinced me to give it a shot.

3) What were some of your highlights for you and your team as well as your personal record at the crystal springs course?
A big part of the cross country season was building a relationship with the other six guys on the varsity team and having fun, while still getting down to business and running. Mt. Sac was definitely the highlight of our season - it was a blast! (Even if I didn't run all that well) My PR during cross country season for the Crystal Springs Course was 16:53 I believe, and my mile time was 5 minutes flat. 

4) This is your first year running track as a junior following two years on the lacrosse team. What led you to making that switch in sports?
I think the biggest reason I switched to track, at the time, was my lack of talent in contrast in lacrosse. In practice, I realized, I would always have the most fun when we had to do a timed run or sprints because I would excel – running is so simple! You just have to give it all you got; there is nothing else you need to worry about (like scoring goals, passing a ball to your teammates, being ready to catch a ball, and preparing for a hit). People tell me lacrosse has been around basically forever, but don’t you think track or more specifically foot racing, has been around longer? I do. It’s what man is born to do.

5) You ran some indoor races during the winter. Where did you run and what were your times?
I indeed did get the privilege of running in an indoor meet! I went to the Simplot Games with ISC International from February 18th to the 20th for my first track meet – Pocatello, Idaho was a long way to go for a first! I ran the 4x4 preliminary with a few teammates and we barely missed the finals, and I ran the 800m. In the prelim my time was 2:03, I believe and I got second in my heat and 8th overall. In the final, being 8th I got to race in the night final, or “A” final, I ran a 1:58.15 and placed second to Alex Paul from Colorado. 

6) Tell us about your race this past weekend at the Serra Top 7 Invitational were you ran 1:55.4h and how you ended up in the slowest heat.
The reason I was in the slowest heat at Serra Top 7 was because I hadn’t and still haven’t received a FAT time besides my indoor time. The race was a much better paced than some of my others, where my first 400m was 53 (Johnny Mathis) or 54 (first dual meet) – I finally realized just because you don’t feel tired within the first 10 seconds doesn’t mean you aren’t running fast enough. It was a little weird having to cut in twice in the race though (being #16), I was afraid I was going to cut someone off; I did get out a bit too hard, but I held a similar pace the next lap and ended up with a PR. Running in the slowest heat didn’t affect my time, I don’t think, I usually don’t focus on the other runners, until near the end of race. I try to focus on keeping my pace so I can finish with the fastest time possible.
7) What is the track club your belong to and who are some of your fastest teammates and their accomplishments?
 I belong to ISC International (Integrated Speed Concepts). Everyone on the team is definitely fast, however some of the faster athletes currently on ISC are Johhny Beard (SO) - 50 low (400m) 22 low (200m), Andre Chapman (JR) – 22.05 (200m), 49.03 (400m) and Iesha Hardiman (SO) – 55 low (400m), 24 low-mid (200m). Sebastian Sam, an athlete which you previously interviewed, was on ISC as well, but is now running at Cal. 

8) What are some of your toughest workouts that you do in practice that you feel have helped you get to this point in the 800m?
Toughest workout? Probably… 17 x 200m at 28 seconds each, until the last 5 which had to be faster and faster each interval.  (Recovery is jog back to start)

9) Who are the runners you are looking forward to racing this Friday at the CCS Top 8 meet?
As the top two runners in CCS have decided to run in the 3200m, I’m looking forward to racing Kyle McNulty and Chris Waschura.

10) What other big races are you looking forward to this season?
 I’m looking forward to the Meet of Champions in Sacramento, CCS Finals and State.

11) Who are your coaches and how have they helped you develop as a runner?
Chioke Robinson, the head coach of ISC International has helped me more than I could imagine. My PR for the 800m before I joined ISC was 2:06 and my PR in the mile was 5 minutes flat. I still haven’t run an official mile, but I did run a 1500m in 4:07, so when I do run the mile I will most likely PR by over thirty seconds. He’s done all the work, basically all I have to do is exactly what he says, and there’s no limit to what I can do.

12) Anything else you would like to add.
I’ve realized running is mostly mental, and once you forget what you think you can and can’t do and just put all you’ve got into racing and push when you think you can’t anymore – that’s when you start doing amazing things. If someone has a great work ethic, understands that it’s true – “No pain, no gain.” There is nothing stopping you from being the best. “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.” – Chioke Robinson

Thank you for your time Jason, AJC!

2nd Annual Downtown San Rafael One Mile Road Race









http://www.marinruns.com/sr-mile.htm

BCL #3 at Chabot Results

The following link is to the results of the last BCL meet before the league championship.  Some very good marks as always, especially on the girls side.

http://albertcaruana.blogspot.com/2010/04/bcl-3-at-chabot-results.html

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Friday, April 16, 2010

Excellence in Sports: Five Questions An Athlete Should Ask Themselves

Following article is from the following link:
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/athletes-sports-experience/2010/04/excellence-in-sports-five-questions-an-athlete-should-ask-themselves.html

What is it that truly separates the average athlete from the good or the good athlete from the great? If you answered that question with the word "talent," as most might, I would say that that is only a small part of the equation.

Muhammad Ali once said, "Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill."

Yes, skill (or development thereof) does have some basis in talent; however, the real message in that quote goes way beyond sheer talent, and even the skills of a sport (which can be learned and improved on). The key is in that last sentence, "the will must be stronger than the skill." The power in that quote is exemplified in those last eight words.
baseball throw.jpg
Even the truly gifted will need to focus on certain guidelines if they want to reach the pinnacle of their sport and stay ahead of the pack. At least if they want to attain "True Champion" status - one who strives to reach their full potential without cheating (using anabolic steroids and other types of performance-enhancing drugs), develops solid foundations of good character and integrity, and reaps the intrinsic benefits from their endeavors.

Here are five questions (which in turn raise several sub-questions) that athletes can ask themselves if excellence in sports is what they are after.

1. Why do I play?
- Is it the sheer nature of competition that drives your interest?
- The love of the game?
- The pure social aspect of being with friends?
- That your siblings play?
- That just playing sports, any sport, is fun?

Or is there something else, something more? See if you can narrow it down to one or two reasons that stand above all others. Self-reflection like this is a key to discovering enjoyment and happiness through your sports experiences, as well as in life. The answer to this question will help point you in the direction you want to travel, and will help lay the ground work for the next question.

2. What am I looking to accomplish?
- What do you want to do?
- Where do you want to go?
- What is your goal, your objective?

The answers here center your attention on some point, or points, in the future. It gives clarity to that direction you discovered in the answer to question #1 and greatly narrows your focus. Once decided upon you are not only pointed in the direction you want to go but have a place, a plateau, a level of achievement that you want to reach. Without goals or objectives, there is less "purpose" and the tendency to just go through the motions.

3. What is my plan?
- How will you make it happen?
- What do you need to, or have to do?
- What are the specifics?
- Can you set appropriate priorities?
- How will you implement this plan?
Front Cover Picture 12 Plaunch.JPG
Determining your approach, and how you implement that approach, can make all the difference. It is not enough to just know what to do, the "how" will have equal significance to the accomplishment of one's goals. Your plan must build one step upon another with each level below supporting the one above. Like building a house of cards, one unstable or missing card weakens the structure as a whole.

4. What is my determination, my "will?"
- Do you have the discipline?
- Will you make the commitment?
- Do you have the ability to follow through?
- Can you accept sacrifice?
- Can you accept disappointment, learn from failure?
- Will you persevere through adversity?
- Like the Gatorade commercial, "Is it in you?"

Make no mistake (as Muhammad Ali's quote implies), this will make or break you as an athlete. It is where your heart and passion lie. It is what drives you, makes you stronger, especially when things become most difficult (and/or you are at your weakest). Once you have decided on your path, it is this factor, above all others, that ultimately determines your level of success.

boxing.jpg
5. Can I accept the possibility of not accomplishing what I want?
- Do you understand that there are no guarantees for success, or for "winning?"
- Can you accept the importance of the process over the outcome?
- Can you place more value on what you learn and develop on the inside rather than what you gain on the outside?

You should notice that all five of these questions, and sub-questions, center their focus on aspects intrinsic to the athlete, a common theme I emphatically support. It is not that "winning" - something outside oneself (and one's direct control) is unimportant, it certainly is part of the nature of competitive sports. However, it is not the only thing, nor a certainty by any stretch of the imagination, no matter what you do.

Don't get me wrong, I loved winning, becoming a State Champion, National Champion and an All-American but would I have learned any less from my sports experience if I had taken second? It is the difference between sports becoming life and sports being part of and enhancing one's life. Is it a fine line? Yes, absolutely, but a fine line that is critical to a true understanding and acceptance of what the sports experience is all about.

Your thoughts on above article?  Why are you involved in sports?

Thursday, April 15, 2010

One hurt, one held in shooting at Pinole Valley High School


Assailant fired into a crowd, witnesses tell authorities
Updated: 04/15/2010 06:49:49 AM PDT

PINOLE -- Violence marred a track meet at Pinole Valley High School, where one person was shot and fights broke out Wednesday afternoon.
Police held one man for questioning, briefly held a second and searched unsuccessfully for a third after the shooting, which sent a juvenile victim to the hospital with a wounded hand, Pinole police Deputy Chief Pete Janke said.
Police received calls about fights at the school, then a call about the shooting at 4:01 p.m., and officers arrived to find a large crowd of students in a parking lot near the football field, Janke said.
"We were told that a suspect had aimed a gun into the crowd, fired shots and then fled," he said.
To read the rest of this article, go to the following link:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_14884043?source=email

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Great coaching resource...


If you have some free time and would like to check out some great articles, go to Coach Jeff Arbogast's (National High School Athletic Assocation Hall of Fame Inductee) Bingham HS Cross Country and Track and Field website:
http://www.binghamxcountry-track.com/art.htm

You can find the front page at the following link:

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Shannon Rowbury and Team Cook in Mexico

Video courtesy of David Torrence and bayareatrackclub.com

More Bay Area Track Club videos at the following link:
http://www.bayareatrackclub.com/video

Northern California Arcadia Invitational coverage...

Byers first to break 9 minute barrier (Press Democrat Blog)

Metro Area track stars shine at Arcadia (SF Chronicle Blog)

More articles will be posted shortly (send me links of your local paper that covered your team's participation at the meet).  I will also try to get some feedback from athletes that participated at Arcadia and post them during the week.

albertjcaruana@gmail.com

Arcadia Invitational boys' 3200m. Invitational race...


Courtesy of runnerspace.com

Friday, April 09, 2010

Everything Arcadia Invitational...

can be found at the following link:
http://www.runnerspace.com/ArcadiaInvite

Including live webcast.

Live results:  http://www.royalresults.com/liveresults/

Interval Session: Trinity Wilson

Courtesy of ESPN/Rise, an interview with St. Mary's Berkeley hurdler, Trinity Wilson:
http://rise.espn.go.com/track-and-xc/blogs/interval-sessions/2010/02/Trinity-Wilson.aspx

Jesuit could be on track for state title run

Without googling to find the answer, what year did a track and field team from Northern California win the state team title?
2009? No
2008? No
2007? No
2006? No
2005? No
2004? Ding, ding, ding.  And the winner was...James Logan.

For the girls it is more recent and that would be 2007 and Mount Pleasant.

Check out the following article about a team from Northern California that could challenge for the state title this year:
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/08/2662908/jesuit-could-be-on-track-for-state.html

Finally, one of my all time favorite trivia questions.  What girl won the state meet by herself scoring 38 points at the state meet?  Name the girl, school, events and year.

Chico Twilight Invitational Preview by Chico St. coach Gary Towne

Dear Wildcat Fans,

This weekend the Chico State track teams will host a two day multi team invitational that includes a two day format with Friday evening distance events and a Saturday full meet schedule.  The following is a quick preview of the action that will take place on the Wildcat Track in University Stadium this weekend.  (Distance Running Highlighted of Course)

Schedule:
Friday Distance Carnival: 7pm-9:30pm

7:00pm: 800’s (Women-1 heat, Men-3 heats)
7:30pm: Steeplechases (Women-1 heat, Men-2 heats)
8:30pm: 5,000m (Women-1 heat, Men-2 heats)

Saturday:
4:00pm: Running Starts at University Stadium with 100m hurdles
4:40pm: Non Seeded heats of 1500’s
6:00pm: Non Seeded heats of 800’s
7:30pm: Seeded Women’s 1500m (1 heat)
7:40pm: Seeded Heats of Men’s 1500m (2 heats)
8:10pm: 10,000m’s (men/women)
9:30pm: Meet concludes
***All times are subject to change but should be close to actual schedule***

Competing teams: Athletes from the following schools will be participating at this year’s Chico Twilight Invit: Sacramento State, University of Sacramento, St Mary’s College, Humboldt State, University of Santa Clara, San Jose State, William Jessup, Butte College, Shasta College, College of the Redwoods, Oregon Tech and numerous post collegiate club runners.

The skinny on the distance races starting with Friday evening’s distance carnival:

Women’s 800m: Chico runners take the top seeded spots in a modest women’s 800m field this year. NCAA heptathlon qualifier Kelly Clancy comes into the race with the quickest PR of the field (2:16.1) Teammate Anna Eicholtz has twice run 2:16 this season After 1500m races earlier in the day, so the junior from Red Bluff is hoping for a 2:14-2:15 on fresh legs.

NCAA Provisional Standard: 2:14.50

Men’s 800m: 3 heats in the Invite Sections!

Heat 1 will be rabbited by former Wildcat and current SOKA coach Pat Boivin.  Pat plans to bring the field through 400m in 54 seconds.
Top entrants: Chico’s Michael Wickman has the fastest PR among all entrants with his 1:49.38, which was run  several hours after a 3:44 1500m last season.  After an early season injury that hindered his Stanford weekend of racing, Michael appears to be back on track and has 1:49-something on his mind looking at Friday evening’s race. Teammates Clinton Hayes-1:50.7 PR, Kyle Robinson-1:52.6 PR,  and Manny Mejia 1:53.06 PR, also look to run in the low 1:50’s range on Friday.

The NCAA provisional Mark is 1:53.00

Women’s Steeplechase: Sac State alum Jody Leal (10:40’s PR) stands as the pre-race favorite, but Wildcat NCAA provisional qualifiers Amy Schnittger (11:08) and Jessica Brieno (11:12) stand as descent threats for the title as well.  Katie Spencer (11:17 PR) should also be in the mix at the front.

NCAA provisional Standard: 11:20.00

Men’s Steeplechase: Santa Clara’s Stephen Koch (9:30pr) stands as the fastest of the entrants in this year’s field.  Wildcats Thomas Whitcomb (9:33 PR), and Miles Dunbar (9:55 debut) should also be in the hunt.

5,000m: Women’s Race (1 heat) the women’s 5,000 is headed by Humboldt’s Megan Rolland who has run 4:34 and 10:35 Pr’s this season in the 1500 and steeple events. Rolland appears capable and ready to run in the 17:15 range on Friday night.
the ‘Cats will have a pack of women following 16:45 rabbit Kara Lubieniecki who hopes to lead 5-6 Chico women at an even 17:35 pace for the early laps.  This group will include Paige Henker (17:41 PR) Julie Shaw (17:23 PR) Shannon Rich (17:38 PR), Shannon McVannel (17:59 PR) Jonah Weeks (17:53 PR) and Stephanie Consiglio (18:02 PR).  Hopefully all or a good portion of this group  will be able to hold the pace and close well to give the ‘Cats a nice group in the 17:25-:40 range by the finish.

NCAA Provisional Standard: 17:33.00

Men’s 5,000m: (2 heats) Whew, 65 entrants between two men’s races will create a fun conclusion to the Friday evening.
The fastest entrant is River City Rebels’ Kevin Pool who clocked 14:20 at the recent SF State Invitational.  After Pool, a slew of ‘Cats will be paced by 14:17/14:26 guys Jimmy Elam and Brent Handa. In this group for the ‘Cats will be: Joey Kochlacs (14:43 Pr), Josh Linen (14:45 Pr),  Brendan Scanlon (14:46 PR), Adrian Sherrod (14:53 PR), Alex Sharp (14:53 PR).
This race is very deep with 31 guys having seed times between 14:20 and 15:15!

NCAA Provisional Standard: 14:45.00

Heat II will follow with a solid group of entrants seeded between 15:16 and 17:00

Saturday: Invitational 1500’s

Women’s 1500m: Three weeks ago, Chico’s Tori Tyler recorded a 4:42 PR for the 1500 distance, while sliding into the #10 spot on the CSUC All Time list for the event.  A week later teammate Anna Eicholtz nailed a 4:41 PR at the SF State Invitational, making Tori’s stay on the Top 10 list a short lived one. On Saturday both will take aim at running in the 4:30’s, and they’ll have 4:34 performer and teammate Kara Lubieniecki to follow through at least 1,000m of the race (Kara will rabbit this event as well!) Stephanie Consiglio and Paige Henker (4:46 and 4:47 PR’s will double back from a Friday 5k in hopes of recording PR’s as well.

NCAA provisional standard: 4:38.00

Men’s Invitational 1500’s:

Heat I: With 3:43 guy Michael Wickman as a planned rabbit through 1200m the top seeds in this race will have a very qualified pacer.  Sub 9 min steepler Beau Rogers (Chico State) owns the fastest PR of the group who will vie to become the first person not named Scott Bauhs to win this race since it’s origin 2 years ago (of course the ‘08 version was a mile).  Beau ran 3:50 in the ’09 Chico Twilight, and recent workouts indicate sub 3:50 potential.  Southern Oregon’s Levi Roudebush (3:51 PR) should be in the mix, as will Wildcats Manny Mejia (3:52.1 PR) and Chico red shirt Anthony Solis (USA Junior 10k runner up ’09).  Humboldt’s Eric Malain has a 3:53 PR to his credit and isn’t afraid to mix it up with a fast early pace.  Another solid competitor who has shown the ability to run in the low 3:50 range is Santa Clara’s Robbie Reid (3:54 pr).  This appears to be the premier field of the meet and should not disappoint those present to witness it.

Heat II: Will be paced by Wildcat alum David Wellman and Pat Boivin will take 1k of work at 3:58-3:59 pace. This race will be fun to watch as well, given the 18 runners in the field all have seed marks between 3:58-4:03!

NCAA Provisional Standard: 3:53.00

Thanks for your support and check out the links below for a few great write-ups by our local sports folks: Rory Miller (CSUC Sports Info) and Travis Souders (Chico ER)

Chico State Athletics Article:
[ http://www.chicowildcats.com/news/2010/4/7/MTRACK_0407101056.aspx ]http://www.chicowildcats.com/news/2010/4/7/MTRACK_0407101056.aspx

Chico ER Article
[ http://www.chicoer.com/sports/ci_14842754 ]http://www.chicoer.com/sports/ci_14842754

Thursday, April 08, 2010

Need some motivation during those tough moments in a race?

We have all been there before.  You are in the middle of a race.  You are working hard to stay with the pack.  Your coach is yelling at you.  The pace is picking up.  Do you keep pressing or do you let go?

Peanut Harms calls it THE COMPETITIVE MOMENT.

The following link is a series of edited excerpts from a keynote address by Billy Mills.  It's well worth the read especially for those of you heading down to Arcadia.

You can find it at http://www.thegunlap.com/

For those of you that have never seen the last lap of the 1964 10000m. race, here it is (LOOK AT MILLS, LOOK AT MILLS!):


Here is another youtube clip of Billy Mills explaining the lead up to the Olympics.  It's from Ultimate Athlete, Pushing the Limit by Discovery Channel.

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Fundraising opportunity for one of my runners

One of my runners is a volunteer at Coyote Point Museum.  In order to keep up with their expenses, the museum does annual fundraisers.  This year, members of the museum are running a half marathon (13.1 miles) this Sunday to raise money.

The link to donate to Team Coyote Cruisers is http://active.com/donate/coyoteptmuseum to make a general donation. Contributors donating at the Woodlands Level or higher will receive two free passes via mail, and donors at the Mountain Level or higher will receive an annual membership in addition to their free passes.

Thank you in advance for any contributions to the museum.

Albert Caruana
Crystal Springs Uplands School

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Heart and Sole - Elite Mile

Heart and Sole is going to be hosting an Elite Mile Friday night, May 7th, at the end of the Santa Rosa HS All City meet. The goal is to have the fastest miles for both men and women ever run in Sonoma County. We already have some solid confirmations, and are expecting two amazing races. More information can be found on our website: http://www.heartnsolesantarosa.com/elitemile.html


Alex Wolf-Root
--
Train Hard. Win Easy.
University of California at Davis '09
Maria Carrillo High School '05

Monday, April 05, 2010

Chabot Track and Field in 2011


Dear Coach -

Happy Easter! And I hope you have had a great track and field season so far.  

I know 2011 is a long way off,  but as they say you always have to plan for the future.  

The reason for this email is let you know that despite the state budget cuts,  Chabot College and the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District will have track and field in 2011.

How do I know for sure...well in 2011,  I will again oversee the track and field program at Chabot College.   We will offer a program that serves both Chabot and Las Positas College.  

Just as Las Positas offers a cross country that serves Chabot College students we will make sure students that live in the tri-valley area have the opportunity to compete in community college track and field.  

Las Positas College is scheduled to have a completed track stadium in 2011 and I am working closely with the Administration at LPC to be able hold track and field practice at both colleges in the Spring of 2011.  For those Chabot College athletes that have an interest in running cross country we will have a program available for them at Chabot in the Fall, but they will officially run for LPC.  Our goal is to meet the needs and interests of our student-athletes and see them develop to their fullest potential.  

Chabot College will again host it's Summer All Comer Meet Series, fully automatic timing, beginning on Tuesday evenings on June 22nd - (Go here for the Summer All Comer Meet Information -http://www.chabotcollege.edu/facsites/pages/index.cfm?teacherid=27&pageid=61)

In the next few weeks I will try to come by and meet with you on your campus about your athletes.  In the meantime, if you have an athletes that may have an interest in running track and getting a solid inexpensive education in General Education before transferring please give them my name, number and email address.

Thanks and Good Luck with Remainder of Your Season,
Ken Grace
Chabot College Track and Field
510-723-6662

Northern CA Track & Field leaders through. April 3

http://theconningtower.blogspot.com/2010/04/northern-california-high-school-leaders.html

Anybody missing from above list?

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Northern California Track and Field coverage...


Skyline's Hart hard to catch (insidebayarea.com)

Marin briefs: San Rafael High's Ehlenbach, Harris shine at distance event (marinij.com)

HIGH SCHOOL TRACK AND FIELD (santacruzsentinel...scroll down)

Heart and Sole Elite Mile (heartandsolesantarosa.com) <---check this out

Avis Kelley Invitational results (lynbrooksports.com)

Stay tuned for more interviews this week, updated Northern California rankings, newspaper coverage, more training links and much more.

Arcadia is coming up as well.  What Northern CA athletes and relay teams will have the biggest impact at Arcadia?  What are the most anticipated races?

Saturday, April 03, 2010

Sports Science Update: Dehydration Does Not Cause Muscle Cramps

Read more: http://running.competitor.com/2010/04/features/sports-science-update-dehydration-does-not-cause-muscle-cramps_9199#ixzz0k2eJJTfKNew study explodes old myth.

Written by: Matt Fitzgerald


Ask 100 runners what causes muscle cramps during exercise and at least 60 of them will say it’s either dehydration or electrolyte depletion or both. This idea goes back more than 100 years, yet it has never been supported by well-designed scientific studies. In fact, most studies have found that hydration and electrolyte levels are higher in athletes at the moment a cramp strikes than they are in non-cramping athletes who have performed an equal amount of exercise.

One challenge to proving or disproving the dehydration theory of cramping is that it is very difficult to study cramping in a controlled manner. As Ross Tucker pointed out in The Runner’s Body, “Perhaps the greatest problem affecting our understanding of muscle cramps is that no one has yet created a laboratory protocol in which scientists can deliberately induce muscle cramps in a controlled, reliable manner.”

Until now. In a study newly published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers at North Dakota State University used electrical stimulation to induce muscle cramps both before and after subjects cycled indoors in a hot environment until they were 3 percent dehydrated. The objective was simple: To see whether less electrical stimulation was required to induce cramping in the calf muscles when subjects were dehydrated than when they were hydrated.

In fact, there was no difference in the amount of electrical stimulation required to induce cramping before and after dehydrating exercise. This is very good evidence that exercise-induced muscle cramping is caused by a fatigue-related factor rather than by dehydration or electrolyte depletion, as fatigue is always present when cramping occurs “in the field” but was removed from the equation in this study.

Add this finding to already existing evidence against the dehydration/electrolyte depletion theory, such as the fact that cramps always occur in individual working muscles instead of throughout the body, as one would expect if they were caused by dehydration, and the fact that cramps usually go away when an athlete stops moving and stretches or massages the muscle, which measures do not affect dehydration.

Read more: http://running.competitor.com/2010/04/features/sports-science-update-dehydration-does-not-cause-muscle-cramps_9199#ixzz0k2eJJTfK

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