In a recent interview with Hugh Hewitt, vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan indicated he’d run a sub-3:00 marathon.
Running wasn’t the focus of the interview, which was mostly a fawning “How can I help you get elected?” sort of affair.
But along with some questions about his history in athletics, Hewitt prodded him about his running.
HH: Are you still running?
You’ve got to plan ahead–Waaaay ahead!
Today’s lunchtime run was easily the hottest run of the year and the crisp training days of autumn still seem like an impossible dream.
With that in mind, it is difficult to come to terms with the fact I need to be deciding, right now, whether or not to register for a December marathon.
Difficult or not, that is what we are faced with as the folks at the California International Marathon are reporting they are about 90% full, as of today.
The CIM continues to fill way faster than last year! Marathoners entered as of 8/9/2012 = 7,026; marathon entry limit = 8,000. Although the entry fee increase deadline was a reason, we had more than 800 people enter last week alone! Daily entries continue to be higher than last year… so… dare we say, “Do the math.”? We will say, “Enter sooner than later to avoid disappointment!”
Radcliffe at the 2008 New York City Marathon
There have been rumors swirling that Paula Radcliffe’s Olympic hopes were fading due to a painful foot injury.
I have long been a fan of Radcliffe, and I must admit, I’ve been clinging to the hope that this lioness of the sport would finally get her chance for Olympic glory.
Alas, this was not to be. Announcing her withdrawal from the games, Radcliffe released a statement on Monday that was as classy as the woman herself.
Good luck to everyone running the Boston Marathon, tomorrow!
It looks like it may be warm (80+) so maybe leave the gloves at home and try to drink a little more fluids than you’ve been needing on your 42 degree (Fahrenheit) training runs.
The Boston Athletic Association is so concerned about the heat, they have issued an advisory, saying:
We are now making the recommendation that if you are not highly fit or if you have any underlying medical conditions (for example-cardiac disease, pulmonary disease or any of a number of medical problems), you should NOT run this race.
It is one of my core beliefs that very few runners ever achieve all they are capable of.
There are many reasons for this, but often it’s simply that people don’t realize that they are capable of doing more and going faster.
Running is one of the few things in life that consistently and generously rewards you for diligent, and intelligent effort.
Of course, no matter how hard you train, to be an elite runner you need to have some talent. But how will you know whether you have the talent unless you push yourself a bit?
There are many exciting stories coming out of the Olympic Trials Marathon, but this has to be one of my favorites.
500 channels and no live coverage
This year, for the first time in US history, the Olympic Trials Marathon, for both men and women, will be held at the same time and at the same venue. This is a terrific opportunity to showcase our sport!
Sadly, Unless you’ve got a ticket to Houston, or are unlucky enough to live there, the only television coverage you’ll get to see of the Olympic Trials marathon will be a two-hour, tape delayed version at 3:00 PM Eastern Time on NBC.
Take out the 30 minutes of commercials, and that leaves about 90-minutes to cover a nearly three hour event. Take out the required 20-minutes of athlete interviews and jibber-jabber, and that leaves maybe 70-minutes of actual running.
Rick Perry: The pro-marathon candidate.
While the GOP presidential primary is far from settled, Texas Governor Rick Perry has definitively settled the age-old dispute over whether men should wear their shorts over or under their tights.
He is also now on the record as “pro-marathon.”
Lloyd Levine
Quick! Name the second fastest (ever) female U.S. Marathon runner. The answer will probably surprise you.
Recently, I wrote about Ryan Hall and the state of men’s marathon running in the United States. Given that, it seems only fair to look at the status of women’s marathon running in the U.S. as well. The women don’t have a Ryan Hall type figure (i.e. fast times but no wins) who draws praise, and scorn in equal measures, but the status of women’s marathon running in the U.S. is not much different from that of the men. There are a few women marathon runners who draw praise and generate excitement but, except for Deena Kastor, have little to show in the way of meaningful results or times. Additionally, like the men, there is really very little depth in the talent pool.
Most serious marathon runners in the United States probably know that Deena Kastor holds the American Record, but do you know who the second and third fastest are? After analyzing the 1,875 (which is how many times the 2:30 mark has been broken) fastest women’s marathon times of all time it appears that the United States has only had two, legitimate, top-level marathon runners, Deena Kastor and Joan Benoit–who is still the second fastest U.S. woman of all time, despite having run her best time 1985. (Editor’s Note: The list, updated today, now includes 1,917 names but the analysis of the standing of the US women has not changed materially.)
Deena Kastor and Joan Benoit are the only U.S. women to have won major marathons, posted times competitive with the best in the world, and won Olympic medals. Deena Kastor has a PR of 2:19:36, good for 11th place on the all time list (and fifth on the all time list of women not named Paula Radcliffe). Deena won the bronze medal in the Athens Olympics, and has won London and Chicago (as well as many other top finishes). Joan Benoit has a PR of 2:21:21, won the Olympic Gold medal, held the world record, and won numerous marathons.
Nice place to visit, but don't drink the water!
I have heard it said that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Is this still true?
Last weekend’s Las Vegas Zappos.com Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon is getting a lot of press and discussion on the boards this week, but it’s probably not the kind of news they were hoping for.
There were complaints of mayhem and confusion at the finish line, runners possibly getting sick from the aid station water, and my favorite, allegations of cheating in the half-marathon by the CEO of Competitor Group (the race management/promotion company).
Sounds like good times!
Your last chance for an OT qualifying time
Next weekend’s California International Marathon is pretty much the last chance for runners to earn an Olympic Trials Qualifying time.
Today’s Bee includes some pretty decent coverage of local marathoners gunning for this magic time at next weekend’s CIM.
Dec. 11 is the last day to qualify for the 2012 Trials – scheduled for Jan. 14 in Houston – which means those attempting to qualify at the CIM most likely will be taking their final shot. The men’s standard is 2:19; the women’s is 2:46.
Check out the article, it’s definitely worth the read. In the Sports Section, no less!
