Mead Mania: The Golden Era of Prep Distance Running in Washington

Here is another web find from http://www.edbagleyblog.com

It's a four part series about Mead High School and their legendary coach, Pat Tyson. For those of you that don't know, Mead High School (in the state of Washington) has been ranked nationally in the Harrier many times (14 to be exact including 2 #1 rankings). Their 1993 team rates as one of the best high school teams ever with many listing them as the very best. Tyson has since left the school to coach collegiately in Oregon and Kentucky but Mead still remains one of the best teams nationally ranking in the top 6 in each of the last three seasons.

•Mead Mania: The Golden Era of Prep Distance Running in Washington - Part 1
•Mead Mania: Pat Tyson's Arrival Starts a Run of 9 Consecutive Titles - Part 2
•Mead Mania: How About a State Cross-Country Title Where the First 3 Finishers Are Your Runners - Part 3
•Mead Mania: 2 Mead Runners Crack 9 Minutes At the State 3200 Meter Championship - Part 4

Don't forget to vote in the poll to the right. So far Webb is the runaway voter with Lagat in 2nd. Could that be the order of the 1500m. final in Osaka? Can Kastor pull off another medal?

World Class Runner to Coach Los Gatos Boys' XC team

Former British 10000m. Olympian, Karl Kloska, takes over the helm of the Los Gatos boys' cross country team. Read about it here on the San Jose Mercury News blog:

Olympian Kleska is new Los Gatos XC coach

Can World's Strongest Dad

For those of you that have never seen this youtube video of Dick and Rick Hoyt, here it is.

Next time, you don't quite feel like getting out the door and running...

Once A Runner Movie Trailer

Unfortunately, it's not real. For those of you that have read the book (a must if you are distance runner), rumors spread that a movie of the book was finally coming out this summer. There was even a trailer. It turned out to be a graphic design student project, a very good one at that.

Check it out for yourself.

www.oncearunnermovie.com

1st Annual Main Coach and Athlete Cross Country Clinic

I found these two links from the following blog (http://news.runtowin.com), which might be of interest for coaches and athletes alike. The first part of the article covers the following topics from a cross country clinic in Maine that included progression, stretching and goals. One of the speakers also mentioned the importance of running shoes and how to care for them. The second part of the article covers intervals, recovery, mental preparation and teamwork. The article concludes with a question and answer session with all the coaches. I think it's a good read. Check it out.

Read more about this clinic at the two following links:
1st Annual Maine Coach and Athlete Cross Country Clinic (Part I)
1st Annual Maine Coach and Athlete Cross Country Clinic (Part II)

Don't forget to vote on the poll to the right. Poll closes in two days.

HS California team in the news

Amador cross country notches strong summer runs

Track and Field Stat. Links

With the Track and Field world championships coming up in Osaka, here are a few website links that will give you the tons of statistics with yearly lists, all time bests, world record progressions etc.

Track and Field Statistics
Track & Field all-time performances
Track and Field Statistics
Statistics
World records and finnish national records progression

From Track and Field News
Track & Field News lists
Records

Olympic Games
Everything about the Olympics
List of Olympic medalists in athletics (men)
List of Olympic medalists in athletics (women)

Not Stats. but World Record Videos
World Record Videos

If you know of any similar links, please feel free to add them with a comment.

Don't forget to vote for the greatest distance runner of all time on the poll to the right. Three days left before poll closes. If you voted for OTHER, please post your selection with a comment as well. Unfortunately, the poll does not have a write in category.

Craig Virgin vs. Dave Walters (High School Training Comparison)

I found the link at the end of this article on the Illinois Track and Cross Cross Country Coaches Association website. It's a HS training comparison between Craig Virgin and Dave Walters. While Virgin is a more well known than Walters, both enjoyed immense success during their high school and college years in the state of Illinois.

Profiles of both runners courtesy of the ITCCA
Craig Virgin
•5-time Illinois H.S. State Champion in the 1-mile/2-mile Track events and in the 3-mile Cross Country event.
•Still holds the Illinois State Meet records in both cross country and the 2-mile race.
•9-time Big Ten Champion as well as NCAA Cross Country Champion at the U. of Illinois.
•2-time World Cross Country Champion; only American man ever to win that title.
•3-time Olympian in the 10,000 meter track event.

Dave Walters
•2-time Illinois State Champion in the 2-mile Track and 3-mile Cross Country events.
•All American in Cross Country at the University of Illinois in 1977.
•U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials Participant in 1988.
•2-time World Duathlon Champion in 2000 & 2002.
•Level II USAT Triathlon Coach.

http://www.itccca.org/clinic/2006/clinic%20pdfs/clinic_book_virgin_walters2.pdf

Don't forget to keep voting on the greatest distance runner of all time in the poll to the right. Four days remaining before poll closes.

Emil Zatopek, Legendary Runner #1

As you can see by the subject heading, Emil Zatopek is my #1 runner on my list of most influential runners. I will confess that during high school, Zatopek was my favorite runner. I loved reading about him and all his accomplishments. In the midst of races, I would try to duplicate the same toughness he displayed throughout his career. There are numerous pictures, like the one to the left (courtesy of http://www.omundodacorrida.com), displaying his unmistakable form. To the dismay of my coach, I tried to emulate his form.

"The Czech Locomotive", as he was known, competed in three Olympics ('48-'56) garnering 4 gold and 1 silver medals. In his career, Zatopek broke 18 world records in the distances ranging from 5000m. to 30000m. He was the first to break 29 minutes in the 10000m. and to run 20000m. in under an hour. Between 1948 and 1954, Zatopek won 38 straight 10000m. races. In the 1952 Olympics, Zatopek accomplished the feat of being the only runner in history to win the three longest running distances (5K, 10K and the marathon) in the same games.

Zatopek is the answer to another trivia question as he and his wife, Dana Zatopkova, are the only married couple to win gold medals. Dana won her gold medal in the javelin as Emil was finishing up his marathon in '52. She also won a silver in '60 to bring their total family total to 7 Olympic medals.

He was a giant in the sport of Track and Field but will also be remembered for his giant heart, generosity and camaraderie. He spoke seven languages and was friendly with many of his foes, speaking to them in their native language. His most memorable gesture was giving Ron Clarke his very own gold medal that he had won in the 1952 10000m. race. Clarke was a great runner in his own right who was never able to win an Olympic gold medal. I just can't conceive of another person giving up his medal to another athlete in the same manner Zatopek (seen here in the '52, 5000m. final courtesy of http://virtual.finland.fi) did with Clarke.

Frenchman, Alain Mimoun, finished 2nd. to Zatopek in three separate Olympic races. In the 1956 Olympics, Mimoun and Zatopek were competing against each other, this time in the marathon. Not running at his best, Zatopek encouraged Mimoun during the race by telling him "You go, this is your day". Mimoun went on to win but in respect to his great competitor, waited for him at the finish line as Zatopek came in, finishing 6th. Zatopek, showing grace in defeat, took his painter's hat off and saluted the victor.

Zatopek studied the training of Paavo Nurmi and being without a coach, devised many original training ideas. During Zatopek's era, distance runners trained by running long distances each day. Zatopek trained by running intervals such as 20-40 times 400m. repeats several times a week. He ran in snow with heavy boots. When asked about his interval training, Zatopek replied "Why should I practice running slow? I already know how to run slow. I want to learn to run fast. Everyone said, 'Emil, you are a fool!' But when I first won the European Championship, they said: 'Emil, you are a genius!" Many of his training methods are utilized to this day. Picture to the left is of Zatopek and his wife Dana courtesy of http://www.vitejte.cz.

His legend will live on even after his death in 2000 due to a virus. Ron Clarke, perhaps the man most affected by Zatopek, said it best, "His enthusiasm, his friendliness, his love of life, shone through every movement. There is not and never was a greater man than Emil Zatopek."

Don't forget to vote for the greatest distance runner ever in the poll to the right. Five days to go before it closes.

Great Summer Reading for Runners...

If you are looking for some reading material before the end of the summer, check out the following books: