With Tigst Assefa鈥檚 astonishing 2:11:53 world record at the September 23 Berlin Marathon still fresh in mind, the elite road racing circuit turns to Chicago this weekend for the next of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.

Led by Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum, the second-fastest marathoner in history, the October 8 Chicago Marathon boasts a deep field of international and American talent are set to converge on the Windy City for a race that, should cool and cloudy pre-race weather conditions hold, could continue the record-setting pace established in Berlin. Five world records have been set at the Chicago Marathon.

Women鈥檚 Elite Race

Women to Watch

• Kenya鈥檚 Ruth Chepngetich goes for the three-peat; Meanwhile there could be an Emma vs. Emily showdown among the top Americans.

Let鈥檚 back up to one year ago.

Chepngetich ran the second-fastest marathon in history, 2:14:18, to win her second consecutive Chicago Marathon. She ran under world record pace through 40K and ultimately finished just 14 seconds slower than Brigid Kosgei鈥檚 mark of 2:14:04, which was also set in Chicago in 2019.

Could Chepngetich possibly challenge Assefa鈥檚 new world record? That would be a tall order, but one that is not completely out of bounds鈥擟hepngetich did go out guns blazing in her Chicago win last year, cruising to an opening half of 65:44 before the wheels fell off. If she were to maintain that pace, she would have run a 2:11:28 full marathon. The 29-year-old is coming off a third-place, 1:06:18 half marathon in Buenos Aires in late August.

Not to be forgotten is challenger Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, the two-time Olympic champion on the track who can always be counted on to make things interesting. The 30-year-old Ethiopian-born runner won her debut over 26.2 miles at the London Marathon in April (2:18:33)鈥� despite stopping multiple times to stretch鈥攁nd beat a loaded field that included reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir.

Hassan鈥檚 unorthodox racing schedule also included a triple at the World Athletics Championships in August, where she earned the bronze medal in the 1,500m, silver in the 5,000m and 11th place in the 10,000m鈥攁 race she led until falling in the final meters before the finish line. In between events, she was seen completing a workout on the track in Budapest鈥攔eportedly, to keep her mileage up in preparation for the Chicago Marathon. Track and field has certainly never seen an athlete like Hassan before, and it would be foolish to count her out.

On that note, fellow middle-distance-star-turned-marathoner Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia is also one of the top seeds, with her 2:18:05 personal best. Both Hassan and Dibaba have previously set the world record in the mile, which is now held by Faith Kipyegon of Kenya.

A total of eight women in the field have run 2:20 or faster, including Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei (2:17:43 PB), winner of the 2021 London Marathon and 2019 New York City Marathon, and Ethiopia鈥檚 Megertu Alemu (2:18:32 PB), who was second in this year鈥檚 London Marathon.

The domestic field will be loaded as well, with returning to the venue where she set an American record of 2:18:29 last October. The 31-year-old who splits time between Flagstaff, Arizona, and Providence, Rhode Island, will have competition from Boulder, Colorado-based Emma Bates, 31, who declared she was in American record shape before , a new personal best. Both women are considered to be top contenders to make the U.S. Olympic team on February 4 at the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Orlando, Florida.

Other top Americans include Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel (2:24:42 PB), and Des Linden (2:22:38 PB), the 2018 Boston Marathon champion who is chasing the U.S. masters record of 2:27:47, set by Deena Kastor at the 2015 Chicago Marathon. Nell Rojas (2:24:51 PB), Dakotah Lindwurm (2:25:01) and Sara Vaughn (2:26:23).

Men鈥檚 Elite Race

Men to Watch:

• Kelvin Kiptum races history; American men chasing Olympic standard

If Kenya鈥檚 Kelvin Kiptum isn鈥檛 yet a household name among running fans, he should be soon. The 23-year-old鈥檚 2:01:53 winning time at the 2022 Valencia Marathon was the fastest debut in world history, and his subsequent 2:01:25 to win this spring鈥檚 London Marathon is the second-fastest time in world history. Only three men in history have run under 2:02, and Kiptum is the only marathoner to do it under the age of 35.

Eliud Kipchoge and his 2:01:09 are officially on watch.

The Chicago Marathon is Kiptum鈥檚 first marathon on U.S. soil, and he鈥檒l face some experienced competition.

Fellow Kenyan Benson Kipruto returns to defend his title, which he won last year in 2:04:24, the fourth-fastest time in Chicago history. The 32-year-old Kipruto also won the 2021 Boston Marathon.

Bashir Abdi of Belgium (2:03:36 PB) could also play spoiler after earning bronze at the 2020 Olympics and 2022 World Championships, and Seifu Tura of Ethiopia (2:04:29 PB) returns to Chi-town after winning the title in 2021 and earning runner-up honors in 2022. Ethiopia鈥檚 Kinde Atanaw (2:03:51 PB), the fourth-place finisher at last fall鈥檚 London Marathon (2:05:27) was just added to the field, but is a bit of a wild card after dropping out of London this year.

On the domestic side, the top U.S. men will use the traditionally flat and fast Chicago Marathon course to chase the Olympic standard of 2:08:10. The qualifying procedures are somewhat convoluted, but if three American men can either earn a top 64 world ranking or the auto qualifier of 2:08:10, then the top three finishers at the U.S. Olympic Trials will earn a spot on the Olympic team. A high placing finish in Chicago would also earn the runner points for the world rankings.

Two-time Olympic medalist Galen Rupp headlines the American field in Chicago, as the 37-year-old looks to make his fifth Olympic team next year. The 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials champion (eighth in Tokyo) has a strong competitive record in Chicago, where he won the marathon in 2017 (2:09:20) and earned runner-up honors in 2021 (2:06:35). In 2022, he came back from injury to place 19th at the world championships (2:09:36), but dropped out of the New York City Marathon in November. He hasn鈥檛 raced this year since his lackluster 17th-place showing at the NYC Half Marathon (1:04:57) in March.

The heir-apparent to Rupp鈥檚 domestic crown could be Conner Mantz, 26-year-old Utah runner who was the top American finisher in Chicago last year in 2:08:16鈥攖he second-fastest U.S. debut ever, and just six seconds off the Olympic standard. After he had a good Boston Marathon in April (11th, 2:10:25), Mantz has been racing extremely well on the track and roads this year, including a high-altitude win at the Bolder Boulder 10K in May and his recent runner-up showings at the Beach to Beacon 10K in August and the U.S. 20K Championships in September.

Other top U.S. entrants include Leonard Korir (2:07:56 PB), Matt McDonald (2:09:49 PB) and Eritrean-born Daniel Mesfun (2:10:06 PB), who just received U.S. citizenship in May.

The post Will World Records Fall at the 2023 Chicago Marathon? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

There鈥檚 just three action-packed days of track and field remaining in Budapest, Hungary for the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Whether you鈥檝e spent the past six days glued to your streaming service or you鈥檙e just catching up, here鈥檚 a refresher on the top highlights so far, and what we鈥檙e looking forward to most this weekend.

1. Sha鈥機arri Richardson Steals the Show

Sha鈥機arri Richardson proved that she is here to stay by winning the 100-meter final with a new championship record of 10.65. To do it, she had to take down her Jamaican rivals Shericka Jackson, the fastest woman in the world this year, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the reigning world champion and 15-time world medalist.

After a poor showing in her semifinal, Richardson failed to achieve one of the auto-qualifiers and was placed in lane nine for the final. None of that mattered on race day, though, as the 23-year-old showcased the best acceleration over the final 30 meters of any runner in the field to claim gold from the outside lane. Jackson took silver in 10.72, while Fraser-Pryce ran a season鈥檚 best of 10.77 for bronze.

The victory marks Richardson鈥檚 first appearance at a global championship. She won the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021, but was unable to compete in the Olympic Games in Tokyo after testing positive for marijuana, a banned substance. In 2023, Richardson said, she鈥檚 鈥渘ot back, [she鈥檚] better.鈥�

Can magic strike twice, and can she earn another medal in the 200 meters? She鈥檒l again face Jackson, the second-fastest woman in world history, as well as American Gabby Thomas, the bronze medalist in Tokyo and the fastest woman in the world this year.

The women鈥檚 200-meter final is on August 25. On Saturday, August 26, Richardson and Thomas will team up to compete against Jackson and Fraser-Pryce in the 4×100-meter relay.

2. Can Noah Lyles Make History in the 200 Meters?

The flamboyant American Noah Lyles has made clear his ultimate goal of breaking Usain Bolt鈥檚 world record of 19.19 in the 200 meters for nearly a year now, ever since breaking the American record, en route to his second world title last summer in Eugene. But to get there, coach Lance Brauman reveals in NBC docuseries 鈥淯ntitled: The Noah Lyles Project,鈥� the 200-meter specialist would need to improve his speed by focusing on the 100m.

Despite never making a U.S. team in the 100 meters before, Lyles muscled his way onto the podium at the USATF Track and Field Championships a week after getting COVID, and executed his race plan perfectly in Budapest to claim gold with a world-leading time of 9.83. Letsile Tebogo of Botswana set a national record of 9.88 to earn silver and become the first African to podium at a world championship, while Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain took home his first bronze medal.

鈥淭hey said I wasn鈥檛 the one,鈥� he said immediately after the race, in what is sure to be one of this world championship鈥檚 most memorable moments. 鈥淏ut I thank God that I am.鈥�

Now his attention turns to a third world title in the 200 meter鈥攁nd a potential world record. Only Bolt has won three straight world titles over 200 meters, and the Jamaican world record holder is also the last man to win the 100-meter/200-meter double back in 2015.

In a bizarre turn of events on Thursday, a golf cart transporting athletes including Lyles to the track for the 200-meter semi-finals collided with another cart. Several athletes had to be seen by a doctor before the race, and Jamaica鈥檚 Andrew Hudson was automatically advanced to the final after competing with shards of glass in his eye. Lyles was reportedly fine.

Tebogo and Hughes will be back for the 200-meter final, as well as Kenneth Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton, who completed the USA sweep with Lyles last year, and Tokyo Olympic champion Andre de Grasse of Canada.

The 200-meter finals are on Friday, and the 4 x 100-meter final is on Saturday.

3. Josh Kerr Upsets Olympic Champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1,500 Meters. Can the Norwegian Redeem Himself in the 5K?

For the second year in a row, the best middle-distance runner in the world was outkicked in the world championship 1,500-meter final by a British athlete. This time, it was Josh Kerr who delivered the kick that broke Jakob Ingebrigtsen, winning his first world title in 3:29.38.

For the fiercely competitive Ingebrigtsen, the second-fastest man in world history in the event, silver is hardly any consolation for losing. Yet he nearly lost that as well 鈥斅爃is Norwegian countryman Narve Gilje Nord氓s (who is coached by Jakob鈥檚 father Gjert) nearly beat him to the line, with Ingebrigtsen finishing slightly ahead, 3:29.65 to 3:29.68.

RELATED: Josh Kerr Shocks Jakob Ingebrigtsen for the 1,500-Meter World Title

Kerr, the Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo, seemed to employ a similar tactic as last year鈥檚 upset winner Jake Weightman, who similarly sat and kicked with about 180 meters to go. Kerr and Weightman actually trained together as youth rivals at Scotland鈥檚 Edinburgh Athletic Club. Kerr now trains in the United States with the Brooks Beasts.

Ingebrigtsen revealed after the race that he had a slight fever and some throat dryness. He competed in the preliminary round of the 5,000 meters on Thursday, advancing to the final with the third-fastest time of the day. He is the reigning world champion and will race the final on Sunday.

While the path to victory looks difficult, at least one heavy hitter has removed himself from conversation 鈥� world record holder Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, who already won the 10K this week, pulled out of the 5K with a foot injury.

4. Dutch Athletes Femke Bol and Sifan Hassan Run to Redemption

On the very first day of competition in Budapest, the Netherlands track and field federation suffered not one but two devastating falls while running within reach of gold.

Femke Bol was leading the anchor leg of the mixed 4×400-meter relay when she fell just meters from the finish line, leaving the Dutch team disqualified while Team USA captured the gold medal.

On the same night, countrywoman Sifan Hassan stumbled to the ground in the final meters of the 10,000 meters, going from first to 11th, while the Ethiopian trio of Gudaf Tsegay, Letesenbet Gidey and Ejgayehu Taye swept the podium positions.

Hassan was the first to get redemption, earning a bronze medal in the 1,500 meters in 3:56.00 behind only world record holder Faith Kipyegon of Kenya (3:54.87) and Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia (3:55.69). , calling it 鈥渘ot a big deal,鈥� and the next morning won her 5,000-meter prelim in a blistering 14:32.29 over Kipyegon, who also owns the world record over 5K (14:05.20). The two will face off in the final on Saturday.

On Thursday, 23-year-old Bol got her redemption run. With the absence of world record holder Sydney McLaughlin in her signature event of the 400-meter hurdles, the gold was Bol鈥檚 for the taking and she left no mercy on the field. She stormed to her first World Championships gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles with a dominant effort of 51.70, with the United States鈥� Shamier Little nearly a full second behind in 52.80. Jamaica鈥檚 Rushell Clayton took bronze in 52.81.

Bol will return to the track for the women鈥檚 4 x 400-meter relay final on Sunday. The Dutch was also disqualified in this event last year at Worlds and will seek to record a result at all expense.

The post 4 Stunning Moments So Far at the World Track and Field Championships appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

For the second year in a row, Norwegian wunderkind Jakob Ingebrigtsen was upset in the World Athletics Championships 1,500-meter final by a Scot鈥攖his time, it was 25-year-old Josh Kerr, who pulled even with the world鈥檚 best middle-distance runner with 200 meters to go and then beat him to the finish in 3:29.38 to win gold.

The strain was obvious on Kerr鈥檚 face in the final 100 meters, but he continued to drive to the finish while Ingebrigtsen ran out of steam and was nearly passed at the line by countryman Narve Gilje Nordas. Just 0.03 separated the two Norwegians, as Ingebrigtsen took home silver for the second year in a row in 3:29.65 while Nordas, who trains under Jakob鈥檚 father Gjert, ran 3:29.68 for bronze in his first world championships final.

鈥淚 didn’t worry about what was going on earlier in the race, I just made sure I was there with 200 meters to go,鈥� . 鈥淭hen in the last 30 meters, I thought, ‘I want this so badly, I don’t care how much pain I’m in. I’m going to do everything to get to the finish line first’.鈥�

Kerr, who trains with the Brooks Beasts in Seattle, Washington, had to settle for fifth in last year鈥檚 world final after earning Olympic bronze in Tokyo. Now, he is the third British runner in history to win the world title.

Steve Cram won the inaugural 1983 world championships, and it was Kerr鈥檚 fellow Scot Jake Weightman who pulled the upset last summer in Eugene, employing similar tactics over the final 180 meters. Kerr and Weightman actually trained together as youth rivals at Edinburgh Athletic Club, and now both men will be favorites for the podium at the 2024 Paris Games.

For the second straight year, someone in this picture ran down Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win the 1500m world title

鈥� Jonathan Gault (@jgault13)

Ingebrigtsen, who is the second-fastest man in the history of the 1,500 meter, will return to the track in Budapest to compete in the 5,000 meters, wherein he is the defending world champion. But the reigning Olympic champion in 1,500 meters hedged on his chances to reporters after the race, saying that he felt ill with a dry throat in the days before the race.

RELATED: WTF Is the World Athletics Championships and Why Should I Care?听听

鈥淚t got worse on the last two days and then a little bit better when I woke up this morning, he said. 鈥淣ot feeling 100 percent feels very unlucky. I will definitely run the 5,000 meters, but I do not know how it will go.鈥�

The preliminary heats of the men鈥檚 5,000 meters are on Thursday evening local time, and the final is on Sunday, the final day of competition.

The post Josh Kerr Shocks Jakob Ingebrigtsen for the 1,500-Meter World Title appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The elite fields for the 2023 Boston Marathon are out, and this Patriots鈥� Day is looking extra spicy. With 16 women who have run faster than 2:21 and an incredible nine women who have broken 2:20 for 26.2 miles, it鈥檚 the deepest field in race history.

Because of Boston鈥檚 tactical racing vibe without pacemakers and, of course, the difficult, hilly course, only five times has the women鈥檚 winner broken 2:22. But with the stellar field assembled for this year, Buzunesh Deba鈥檚 2014 course record of 2:19:58 could definitely be in danger on April 17.

The Athletes Coming To The Boston Marathon 2023

Reigning world champion Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia headlines the field after running a personal best of 2:18:11 at the Eugene championship this past summer. The 27-year-old won the 2021 Berlin Marathon in her debut at the distance and has finished no worse than third at Abbott World Marathon Majors, placing third in both the Tokyo and New York City Marathons in 2022.

She鈥檒l be challenged by countrywoman Amane Beriso, who was the surprise winner of December鈥檚 Valencia Marathon in 2:14:58 鈥� the third-fastest time in history. Beriso鈥檚 12th-place at the 2016 Boston Marathon is her only finish at an Abbott World Marathon Major, so this will be an interesting test for the 31-year-old.

The top two women from the 2022 New York City Marathon will make their debut in Boston. Sharon Lokedi of Kenya, who competed in the NCAA system for the University of Kansas, was the surprise winner last fall in her marathon debut ahead of Israel鈥檚 Lonah Salpeter, who earned runner-up honors in New York to go with her impressive bronze medal performance at last summer鈥檚 World Athletics Championships.

The second- and third-place finishers from the 2022 Boston Marathon will return in the hopes of winning their first crown: Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia and Mary Ngugi of Kenya; as will three former champions: American Des Linden (2018), Kenyan Edna Kiplagat (2017, 2021), and Ethiopian Atsede Baysa (2016).

Of the 16 women in the field who have run faster than 2:21, Sara Hall is the only American. Her personal best of 2:20:32, set in 2020 at the Marathon Project, is the fourth-fastest time in U.S. history, and she set the American record in the half marathon in Houston last year (since improved upon by Emily Sisson).

Hall will turn 40 years old two days before the Boston Marathon, but age is just a number for her. She was fifth at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene last summer, third at the 2021 Chicago Marathon and second at the 2020 London Marathon.

Aliphine Tuliamuk, will be lining up to run her first Boston Marathon. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

American fans will also eagerly anticipate the return of Aliphine Tuliamuk to the elite racing scene. The Hoka NAZ Elite athlete was the surprise winner of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, then gave birth to her first child during the pandemic when the Olympics were postponed. She finally raced in Tokyo seven months after giving birth, but could not complete the race. The past fall, she showed she鈥檚 still a force to be reckoned with as she finished as the top American in New York City with a seventh-place finish in a new PR of 2:26:18.

Emma Bates, seventh at the 2022 world championships in a new PR of 2:23:18, eighth in New York last fall and the runner-up at the 2021 Chicago Marathon, will also be a top American entrant after another strong year of marathon racing.

has finished as the top American in the past two editions of the Boston Marathon, placing fifth in 2:27:12 in 2021 and tenth in a new PR of 2:25:57 in 2022. She earned a Nike sponsorship deal last year and has been training in Iten, Kenya this winter, eager to run Boston for the third time in 19 months.

鈥淚鈥檓 very excited to return to Boston once again,鈥� Rojas said in a BAA press release. 鈥淭he excitement of the city and fans, quality of the professional field, and challenging course keeps drawing me back!鈥�

Dakotah Lindwurm (winner of Grandma鈥檚 Marathon in 2022 in a 2:25:01 PR), Laura Thweatt (fifth at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials with a 2:25:38 PR from 2017, Annie Frisbie (seventh in New York in 2021 in a 2:26:18 PR), Sara Vaughn (seventh in Chicago last fall in 2:26:23 PR) and Erika Kemp (making her debut) are more American names to watch.

The post The 2023 Boston Marathon Women鈥檚 Field is Absolutely Loaded appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Des Linden鈥檚 was the stuff of a dramatic sports movie.

While the day鈥檚 torrential rain and cold and wind drove many of her competitors to withdraw midway through 鈥� or worse,聽 hypothermia 鈥� the 35-year-old persevered to break the 33-year American title drought at the world鈥檚 most iconic marathon.

Five years later, it鈥檚 still easy to recall the imagery of the victory: Linden crossing the finish line still fully clothed in her Brooks running jacket, embracing her husband Ryan and her agent Josh Cox, and later chugging champagne out of a shoe.

What Linden reveals in her memoir, 鈥淐hoosing to Run,鈥� written with ESPN alum Bonnie Ford, is that her epic victory almost never happened, due to a secret battle with hypothyroidism, a condition that has become somewhat controversial in the endurance sports world. That鈥檚 just one of many revelations in the quick read, which goes deep on the financial realities of professional running, including the no-frills lifestyle of Linden鈥檚 early days with the Hansons Distance Project, the dirty details of contract negotiations, her athlete-coach relationship with former coaches Kevin and Keith Hanson, her Olympic Games disappointments, devastating injuries and her disillusionment with doping problems in the sport.

RELATED: Des Linden Always Keeps It Real

Hypothyroidism: A Life-changing Diagnosis

Linden is a fierce advocate for clean sport, and the fact that her defining Olympic experience was the 2016 Games, in which both the gold and silver medalists in the women鈥檚 marathon later served doping bans, hardens her perspective.

That makes it all the more confusing when she is diagnosed with hypothyroidism, a common condition in which the thyroid gland fails to produce enough thyroid hormone to support bodily functions. Thyroid medication is taken to combat the chronic fatigue and weight gain that can come with low thyroid levels, and it has become controversial in the endurance sports world due to concern that athletes could take it to improve performance. Thyroid medication has never been listed as a banned substance, though USADA and U.K. Athletics lobbied the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to ban it in 2015.

Her strong feelings on the subject had also recently caused a rift in her relationship with her long-time coaches Keith and Kevin Hanson. They had signed Dathan Ritzenhein to a contract with the Hansons Distance Project just a few months after it was revealed that he had taken synthetic thyroid hormones while under Alberto Salazar and the Nike Oregon Project, though he had no medical need to do so.

鈥淚n my mind, thyroid medication was a shortcut drug, something athletes had sought out or been instructed to take with no true medical need,鈥� she writes.

The untreated condition sunk Linden into a deep depression, fully depleted her body and nearly ended her professional running career. She learns that her symptoms classify her as having 鈥渟evere hypothyroidism,鈥� and a nurse practitioner tells her that if she doesn鈥檛 start taking synthetic hormones immediately, she鈥檒l wind up in a coma or dead before she can get a second medical opinion.

But even once treated, there鈥檚 a long road ahead to get to the start line in Hopkinton. Her body鈥檚 hormones are completely out of whack as she鈥檚聽 training herself for the first time. After years of buying into the Hansons Distance Project鈥檚 training regimen of 120-mile weeks and cumulative fatigue, she realizes her thyroid condition requires the freedom to listen to her own body and adjust on the fly. She also needs to reorient her perception of pain and fatigue 鈥� the very thing that has led to her success as a distance runner.

鈥淎 decade at the top level of distance running had conditioned me to believe I was totally in charge of my mind-body connection,鈥� she writes. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no way I could have become the endurance athlete I was without developing a skewed perception of fatigue and pain. If those sensations were like gradually deepening shades of color, I was blind to one whole end of the spectrum.鈥�

RELATED:

鈥楥hoosing to run was the first real decision I ever made鈥�

Linden and Ford expertly weave the 2018 Boston Marathon race day narrative through Linden鈥檚 life story, each challenge giving more context to the athlete that fans know as the whiskey-drinking, no-shits-giving grinder fueled by the simple mantra of 鈥淜eep showing up鈥�.

There鈥檚 the nasty case of plantar fasciitis that ends her college career on a sour note. The numbness she felt in finishing second at the 2011 Boston Marathon, and the motivation that race gave her through the rest of her career. The awkward pangs of outgrowing the Hansons Distance Project. The ecstatic highs of making two Olympic teams, coupled with crushing disappointment at the Games themselves 鈥� in 2012, dropping out of the marathon after two miles with a femoral stress fracture, and in 2016, competing in an unfair field against drug cheats.

Linden is equally molded by her father 鈥� Dennis, a sports fanatic with a disciplinarian streak who requires both of his daughters to stay out of trouble by enrolling in sports year-round 鈥� and by the Hansons, who see the marathon potential in the underachieving All-American from Arizona State who isn鈥檛 scared away by the prospect of Michigan winters.

Linden writes about these relationships with bracing honesty 鈥� the pressure and scrutiny from her father, the lack of autonomy she feels under the Hansons鈥� training program 鈥� while acknowledging the resources that they provided her.

Running is ultimately Linden鈥檚 alone, a place where she finds herself, again and again, in defiance of the authority figures who try to control her.

鈥淚 realized that running could be my ticket to escape his scrutiny, his temper, and ultimately, his home,鈥� she writes of her high school relationship with her father and running. 鈥淪ome of his values 鈥� his relentless work ethic, his insistence on doing things right, his disdain for shortcuts 鈥� were already deeply embedded in my psyche, but he lost his immediate leverage over me when I found my place in sport鈥� Choosing to run was the first real decision I ever made. I ran because I wanted to, after years of playing other sports because I was told to. It put distance between who I was and who other people told me I should be.鈥�

It鈥檚 easy to see the through line between the stubborn kid from San Diego and the gritty Olympian who decides to keep running on that cold day in Boston.

Linden will always be remembered for her 2018 Boston Marathon. But to reduce her running story to a singular moment does a disservice to one of the sport鈥檚 most consistent performers, and it鈥檚 a gift to learn more about the ups and downs of a full career in 鈥淐hoosing To Run鈥� 鈥� one that, as she toes the line in Hopkinton later this month for her 10th career appearance at the Boston Marathon, isn鈥檛 slowing down anytime soon.

搁贰尝础罢贰顿:听

The post Des Linden Reveals All Her Layers in New Memoir 鈥楥hoosing to Run鈥� appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Yared Nuguse of Notre Dame was a man on a mission in the preliminary heat of the men鈥檚 1500 meters at the ACC Outdoor Championships last month. All he needed to do was place in the top three of his section in order to secure an automatic spot in the final. But instead of conserving energy for the final round, Nuguse went bold with a completely solo 3:34.68 win to break the and secure the Olympic 鈥楢鈥� standard needed in order to compete in the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer.

The run was a statement-making effort from the 2019 NCAA champion who did not have the chance to defend his national title last year, as NCAA spring sports were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

鈥淚t gives you a sense of every race could be your last,鈥� Nuguse said of his mindset since returning to the track in 2021. 鈥淛ust because everything was taken away so quickly, it makes you never want to leave anything out there and just give every race everything you鈥檝e got鈥� Track is in full swing and we are racing several times a week, but I鈥檓 still reminded of what happened and it just made me not want to have any regrets.鈥�

鈥�Lonely Summer鈥�

This time a year ago, Nuguse was back home in Louisville, Kentucky, grinding through another long summer of cross country training and dreaming of November to stay motivated. In that way, the summer of COVID-19 was pretty similar to any other summer 鈥� but without the guarantee of an NCAA Cross Country Championship to contend for.

鈥淗onestly, it happens every summer,鈥� Nuguse says. 鈥淚 go home and take a break from school life and be with my family a little bit and it makes it harder to continue training. What really drives me through that is, we鈥檙e doing all of this for the team, we鈥檙e going to come back and do awesome at cross country nationals.聽 But I won鈥檛 be able to do that if I don鈥檛 go out and run, or do this workout, or do XYZ.鈥�

Summer training is about eschewing tough track workouts in favor of , and that鈥檚 no different for Notre Dame athletes. Nuguse says he tops out around 70 to 80 miles per week, though some of his teammates will run upwards of 100 miles. He made a few trips back to South Bend and ran with a group, but it was mostly solo miles until late August when the team reported back to campus.

鈥淥verall, it was a pretty lonely summer, I鈥檇 say, for most people, myself included,鈥� he said.

The Irish were lucky enough to have some semblance of a fall cross country season, with the ACC Championships held in late October like usual. But the big carrot they chased all summer 鈥� the NCAA XC Championships 鈥� was postponed until March, the same weekend as the NCAA Indoor Track Championships.聽

Distance programs across the country had to choose which season to prioritize, a potentially tough call for a program like Notre Dame that boasts both a strong corps of distance runners capable of making school history at NCAA XC, and an all-time talent like Nuguse, who would be a favorite to win national titles in both the distance medley relay and the mile at NCAA Indoors.

But if there is one thing to glean from Nuguse, it鈥檚 that he is all-in for his teammates.

鈥淚鈥檓 not quite as talented at cross country as I am in track, that鈥檚 for sure, but it鈥檚 still very close to my heart,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat real fun team vibe that we have together, just going out and basically dying for your teammates every time you go and run a 10k. There is an excitement in track for me, and it always gets me excited to go out there and run fast. But cross country is still probably closer to my heart.鈥�

Historic Team Finish at NCAA XC

After leading Notre Dame to the top of the podium at the ACC XC Championships with his individual win, Nuguse says the Irish took a few down weeks before ramping back up for the unique 鈥渨inter鈥� cross country season. Typically, the end of the year marks the transition from 10k races to mile races, but he says the training was not too much different from normal.

鈥淸Notre Dame], honestly, is a very strength-based program, overall,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e do faster things to get me ready for the 1500m but there鈥檚 not a huge difference.鈥�

While Nuguse declined to share specific workouts, citing his coach鈥檚 preference, he did say that cross country staples include long tempo runs ranging from six to eight miles.

鈥淕etting used to running hard,鈥� he says of tempos. 鈥淵ou just kind of go at it and try to make it as comfortable as possible so when you get to race day, it鈥檚 a comfortable pace.鈥�

The choice to go for an extra-long cross country season was worth it as the Irish were the surprise runners-up in the team standings behind Northern Arizona. The second-place finish was the program鈥檚 highest finish since 1957, when the Irish won their first and only national title. The podium placement also capped a steady improvement from Nuguse鈥檚 freshman year, when the men鈥檚 team placed ninth at regionals and failed to qualify for the national championship. Nuguse himself was the team鈥檚 fifth scorer in 23rd place, improving on his 2019 NCAA XC placement of 46th place to earn All-American honors in cross country for the first time.

鈥淚 chose cross country over indoor,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 knew we had the chance to do something big and I really, really wanted to be a part of that.鈥�

How much cross country means to Nuguse is further illustrated by the fact that he turned down offers to sign a professional contract in order to chase the NCAA cross country team title next year. Notre Dame鈥檚 entire top six return, which is not something most top teams can boast 鈥� including reigning champions NAU. He plans to use his extra season of eligibility to enroll as a graduate student in a one-year business program.

鈥淚 really want to not leave any stone unturned at Notre Dame,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I go run professionally after that, I鈥檒l feel a lot better about my time here and all the stuff I got to do.”聽

Transition to the Track

After the historic season, Notre Dame coach Sean Carlson had Nuguse use his cross country fitness to race a 5K on the track for the first time. They traveled to Raleigh Relays immediately following the March championships, and Nuguse won in 13:40.62 鈥� an impressive debut.聽

They then took a brief down period before going all-in on speed training to bring his legs back around for his specialty event, the 1500m, in the highly anticipated return of the outdoor track season.聽

鈥淲e鈥檇 been training for cross country for close to a year when we got to nationals and I felt like all that strength was definitely going to pay off on the track,鈥� Nuguse said. 鈥淎 big part of the 1500m is getting through prelims and still having enough strength at the end of your final.

鈥淒oing that well at cross country nationals was really amazing for me and for our team and definitely got me pretty pumped for seeing what I could do and seeing that strength continue on into the track season.鈥�

In his only other race ahead of the championship season, Nuguse nipped Oregon鈥檚 star duo of Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker 鈥� who, together, won three NCAA titles indoors 鈥� with a 3:35.96 1500m at the Oregon Twilight.

A week later, Nuguse set the NCAA record 鈥� at the time, the fastest time by an American this year. The fact that he ran his time in a largely solo effort, compared to racing against an elite professional field, indicates he probably has a few more seconds in the tank.聽

At the NCAA East Prelims, he stayed conservative as rival Eliud Kipsang of Alabama deployed a Nuguse-like tactic to essentially time trial 3:35.49 鈥� the sixth-fastest time in NCAA history. , the two will race for what is likely to be a historically fast NCAA Championship title.

鈥淚 think, for sure, with [Eliud] and Cole and all the other guys, it’s going to be a very competitive race,鈥� he says, 鈥渁nd seeing how things have gone so far, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of us went out and broke [the record] again.鈥�

The U.S. Olympic Trials, to be held later this month in Eugene, are also on his mind.聽

鈥淟ast year鈥� I didn鈥檛 really think I had an actual chance of running fast enough to be in a position to go do the Trials,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd then the season rolled around and a lot apparently had changed since last year.

鈥淚鈥檝e definitely been thinking about the Trials鈥� I know it鈥檚 not going to be very easy at all and you know, it鈥檚 just more exciting to even get the chance to go and try for something like that. And if it happens, it happens. And I think I definitely have a shot. I鈥檓 not going to count myself out. I know it鈥檚 going to take a lot of work to get there, and I鈥檓 ready to put in that work. And hopefully it turns out the way I want it.鈥�

The post How Yared Nuguse Became the Fastest 1500m Runner in Collegiate History appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

It鈥檚 hard enough to move across the country to start your first job out of college at any time, much less in the middle of a pandemic. But when your new gig is professional running and the weight of making your first Olympic team is on your shoulders, well 鈥� let鈥檚 just say that last year was not a jog in the park for Sinclaire Johnson.聽

The 23-year-old is the youngest member of the (BTC), a Nike-sponsored distance training group coached by Jerry Schumacher and based out of Portland, Oregon. Johnson signed a professional contract with Nike in 2019 after a breakout junior year at Oklahoma State that saw her win the NCAA 1500m title with the second-fastest time in collegiate history, 4:05.98, and place fourth in the event at the USATF Championships 鈥� just barely missing out on a spot at the World Championships.

She had one more year of eligibility at Oklahoma State, but her racing prowess indicated she was ready for the big leagues. Still, turning pro wasn鈥檛 exactly an easy decision.

鈥淚 definitely didn鈥檛 really feel ready, honestly, in the beginning,鈥� she said from altitude camp with BTC in Park City, Utah.

With the support of her family 鈥� 鈥渢hey were huge proponents of me leaving [the NCAA system] and striking while the iron鈥檚 hot鈥� 鈥斅燡ohnson signed a contract with Nike, with the caveat that she would finish her degree in Stillwater and train with coach Dave Smith in the lead up to the Olympic Trials.

Enter: 2020

Of course, no one could have predicted the maelstrom that 2020鈥檚 COVID-19 pandemic brought to the world 鈥� including pushing the Olympic Games in Tokyo back one full calendar year. One extra year in Oklahoma started to look like two years, and eventually, Johnson and Smith agreed it was time for the young middle-distance talent to move on.聽

鈥淢y college coach [Dave Smith] and I got to a point where we realized that if I really want to make a crack at the [Olympic] team, I needed to immerse myself in an environment that was conducive to running faster and being surrounded by a bunch of people who have done things that I want to do, and I couldn鈥檛 recreate that in Oklahoma,鈥� she says. 鈥淚deally, I didn鈥檛 want to move, especially during a pandemic, but I don鈥檛 think there was going to be a better time to move.聽

鈥淚 thought, 鈥榣et鈥檚 give it a go.鈥� Jerry鈥檚 a smart coach and he鈥檚 not gonna do anything that will ruin my chances of making the Olympic team by throwing me to the wolves. [I] decided to trust that and make a leap of faith.鈥�

Once she signed with Nike, Johnson says 鈥渋t was just a matter of time鈥� before she joined BTC, because that鈥檚 where she could train with Shelby Houlihan 鈥� the current queen of middle-distance running in the United States, the national record holder in both the 1500m and 5000m.聽

鈥淚 wanted to train with the best person in my event group,鈥� Johnson says. 鈥淗aving the best of the best was where I wanted to be and what I wanted to surround myself with, so that鈥檚 why I came here.鈥�

Adjusting to BTC Training

In her six months as a member of BTC, Johnson hasn鈥檛 actually spent all that much time in Portland. The training group spent the first seven weeks of the year in Flagstaff for altitude camp and recently traveled to Utah for another stint at altitude, and this time, they鈥檒l stay until the Olympic Trials, with a few travel weekends built in for racing.

In Park City, she鈥檚 bunking with teammates , Marielle Hall and Vanessa Fraser, none of whom are 1500m specialists 鈥� which takes a little bit of the heat off of pressure-cooker workouts with Houlihan and Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, the Canadian national record holder in the 1500m and 5000m.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really beneficial to me to learn how they approach training,鈥� Johnson says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 get so worked up about blowing up in a workout if Shelby tells me she did that for two years.聽

The Florida native was originally a lacrosse player, and first found her stride on the track as a 400m/800m runner in high school. She could run cross country well, but had true natural speed on the track with prep bests of 55 seconds in the 400m and 2:08 in the 800m. That innate leg speed is clear from her thrilling 2019 NCAA title-winning 1500m run.聽

Now, Johnson says she could probably split 51 high or 52 low for 400m, and predicts it would be a close race with Houlihan 鈥� although she鈥檚 seen the reigning U.S. champion do some wild workouts on the track.

Key Workouts

Pure speed days 鈥� rare as they are under Schumacher 鈥� are Johnson’s favorite workouts with the crew. One day, they ran 4 x 300m at close to all-out effort with full recovery, and Johnson split 39-40 seconds per 300m.

Another time, the 1500m runners did four sets of 5 x 200m at 30 seconds with 100m, 30-second jog recovery.

鈥淎fter two sets, Jerry had to modify it for me,鈥� she says of one of the hardest workouts she鈥檚 done so far with BTC. 鈥淪helby did that entire workout, and Gabriela and I just looked at each other, like, 鈥榯hat was insane.鈥欌��

Johnson鈥檚 overall mileage has remained fairly low in order to prevent injury, as the intensity of workout days has dramatically increased. She says that at 55 to 60 miles per week, she鈥檚 on the lowest end of the spectrum for BTC athletes.

鈥淭he biggest adjustment is workouts and intensity of workouts,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he workouts I鈥檓 doing now are ten times harder than what I was doing in college. The intensity skyrocketed. I think that鈥檚 why we鈥檝e maintained my volume the same.鈥�

One key workout from the fall was four sets of 400m, 300m, 200m with a 100m jog recovery between reps and four minutes between sets. The first and third sets had a shorter rest and were done at Johnson鈥檚 3K pace (67鈥�68 seconds per 400m), and the second and fourth sets were faster (62鈥�64 seconds per 400m), closer to 1500m or even 800m race pace.聽

鈥淭here are obviously some days where it shows if I鈥檓 running with Shelby or Gabby, there鈥檚 more experience or their legs have a little more strength,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here are workouts I can鈥檛 complete, but for the most part, it鈥檚 been a pretty smooth transition.鈥�

It鈥檚 hard to feel ready to make the big jump into the professional world 鈥� no matter your profession. But Johnson is clearly on the right track, physically and mentally.

鈥淚 think I was a little intimidated [at first],鈥� she says. 鈥淐oming here changed my perspective and made me feel like more of an equal. I had them on a pedestal and鈥� [now], I get on the start line and I鈥檓 standing next to Jenny [Simpson] and Shelby having more of that mindset that maybe I can beat them. I definitely did not feel like that last year.鈥�

The post How Nike Pro Sinclaire Johnson is Training to Compete in the Big Leagues appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Keira D鈥橝mato鈥檚 track career was supposed to be over more than a decade ago.聽

But after marriage, two kids and building a successful career as a real estate agent, the 35-year-old Virginian is living her second life as an elite distance runner. After placing 15th at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February, she鈥檚 recently put the track world on notice by running elite-level time trials of 15:04 for 5K and 4:33 for the mile in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Someone get this woman a real pro contract so she can continue to run like she's been doing on !" : WATCH former Oakton High state champ & current Midlothian, Va mom 's 15:04 5K time trial PR run yesterday at age 35.

— MileSplit DMV (@MileSplitDMV)

鈥淚 feel like I found a quarter on the ground,鈥� D鈥橝mato says. 鈥淚 get to play again. This isn鈥檛 supposed to happen, right? It鈥檚 my bonus life鈥� I鈥檓 truly doing this for myself to get back at everything I didn鈥檛 accomplish the first time around.鈥�

The Running Realtor

D鈥橝mato was an All-American distance runner at American University under coach Matt Centrowitz, where her career highlight was placing sixth at the 2005 NCAA Cross Country Championships ahead of future Olympians Amy Cragg and Molly Huddle. She moved to northern Virginia after graduation to train with coach Scott Raczko, who famously guided Alan Webb to the American record and the U.S. high school record in the mile.

But a foot injury requiring surgery effectively ended her career not long after her 2006 graduation.

Her insurance at the time did not cover the procedure.

鈥淚 guess this is just time to start my 鈥榬eal life,鈥欌�� she thought to herself.

She ditched her running shoes for the corporate world, got married and moved around the globe for her husband鈥檚 career in the Air Force. They had two kids 鈥� Tommy, now age 5, and Quinn, who is three years old.聽

Eventually, D鈥橝mato had surgery on her foot and started running again. Her competitive spirit meant she was a fixture at local road races, but she no longer harbored any dreams of Olympic glory.

鈥淚 really had resolved that running [at the elite level] was over for me,鈥� she says. 鈥淎fter having two kids, I started running seriously just to lose weight and just to have something that was mine. As a mom, it is a lot to balance. It鈥檚 nice to have something that you can control and your space and your 鈥榤e鈥� time and a little bit of freedom in your life.鈥�

Her attitude changed in 2017, when she finished the Richmond Marathon in 2:47 鈥� just two minutes off the Olympic Trials qualifying time. Suddenly, there was a carrot to chase. It was time to work with a coach again. Luckily, Raczko still lives in Virginia.

鈥淗e came in and really helped make my training intentional and goal-oriented and a lot smarter than what I was doing,鈥� she says.

With Raczko once again in her corner, D鈥橝mato upped her weekly mileage to top out between 100 and 130 miles per week with one track workout, one tempo run and the rest filled in with 鈥渇un miles,鈥� which can mean 6:30 pace or eight to nine-minute mile pace depending on the day.聽

To make her training work with her on-the-go career as a real estate agent, sometimes that means getting on the treadmill at 3 a.m., or taking work calls while out on a run.

鈥淚鈥檝e pulled off negotiating a sale in the middle of a run,鈥� she says proudly.

She even started getting approached at local road races by potential clients.

鈥淗ey, are you the running realtor?鈥� a stranger asked at the finish line of one race, while D鈥橝mato was still gasping for air.

D鈥橝mato took down their information before heading out on her cool-down jog.聽

鈥淢y running has been my best way to get my name out,鈥� she says.

D鈥橝mato started to receive more local attention as an Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier. She set a huge personal best of 2:34:55 at the 2019 Berlin Marathon to establish herself as an underdog in Atlanta. In a Trials tune-up race effort, she ran a personal best of 70:01 at the 2020 Houston Half Marathon, which garnered her an invitation to compete for Team USA at the World Half Marathon Championships.聽

She would go on to set another personal best of 2:34:24 on the challenging Atlanta course to finish 15th overall at the Olympic Trials, a dream, but D鈥橝mato couldn鈥檛 help feeling there was more left in the tank.

鈥淭hat training went really, really extraordinarily great,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he Trials went well but I think that course really got the best of me 鈥� I feel like I didn鈥檛 quite nail it that day.

鈥淚t makes me cringe to think I鈥檓 disappointed. It was just brutal, brutal conditions鈥� When I look at my whole journey, four years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter, I never thought I would be where I am today. When I was coming down the finish line, I was pumping my fists 鈥� it was so emotional.鈥�

鈥業鈥檓 not going to stop this journey because there鈥檚 no races鈥�

Only a few weeks after the marathon trials, the coronavirus pandemic drastically shifted any plans for future racing.

D鈥橝mato took the postponement of the World Half Marathon Championships, the U.S. Olympic Trials for track and field and the Olympic Games, as well as any fall marathons, in stride.聽

鈥淲e kept the pedal to the metal to experiment for 2021,鈥� she says. 鈥淛ust to see what that would look like.鈥�

With the idea of competing in the 10K at next year鈥檚 U.S. Olympic Trials for track and field, D鈥橝mato and Raczko cut down her mileage to between 70 and 100 miles per week and added long speed workouts with short reps of 200 to 400 meter sprints. In one particularly memorable session, D鈥橝mato ran forty 200-meter repeats with 100-meter jog recovery.聽

鈥淒uring the workout, you go a little crazy,鈥� she said of that five-mile session. 鈥溾�榃hy am I out here? Is my coach playing a prank on me?鈥� I started thinking, 鈥業鈥檓 going to stick it to him. I鈥檓 gonna do 41 of these bad boys.鈥欌��

That track session may have tested her mental strength more than her body, but there鈥檚 no denying that her transition to speedwork coupled with years of marathon training have combined for eye-opening results.

鈥淚 think my training now is much more suited to play to my strengths,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been a really fast runner but in the past, I lacked a little bit of the endurance and strength, so now training for marathons, I鈥檝e built up that endurance and strength, and now that I鈥檓 getting back into my roots with the speed, I think it鈥檚 a pretty lethal combination.鈥�

A 5K earlier this month yielded a 15:04 5K 鈥� an improvement on her personal best from college by over a minute, not to mention faster than the Olympic Games standard of 15:10. It鈥檚 also the for a woman over the age of 35. And she says she can definitely go faster 鈥� sub-15 on a good day.

鈥淚n college, I always felt a little chip on my shoulder that I never broke 16,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 knew I was always capable, but now the fact that I know I can break 15 is so far ahead of where college Keira was, it鈥檚 just unbelievable. It makes me laugh that my 35-year-old self can kick my 20-year-old self鈥檚 butt.鈥�

She got the confidence for the time trial after rabbiting a local high school runner to a sub-five minute mile, then hammering a 4-mile tempo run in 20:06 (including a 15:28 5K split).

D鈥橝mato is most surprised, now, by the sudden rush of attention in a running results-starved world.聽

鈥淵ou know in and finally the guy is like, 鈥榓h, I鈥檓 not left-handed!鈥� I feel like I just did that in the 5K,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 cannot believe the response for this and in my head, I鈥檓 like, 鈥業鈥檓 not a 5K runner!鈥� I feel like this isn鈥檛 even my event.鈥�

This past week, she ran , followed by eight 200-meter repeats cutting down from 31 to 28 seconds.

She still thinks her best event on the track is probably the 10k, and doesn鈥檛 rule out the possibility of racing a time trial in that event later this summer.

Some of her family members and friends don鈥檛 understand why she鈥檚 training so hard, especially without any races on the calendar for the foreseeable future.聽

鈥淚鈥檓 a 35-year-old mom. I don鈥檛 have the luxury of decades of a career left,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 want to see what I can do, and I want to do it now. Who knows where my story鈥檚 going to go, but I want to keep improving and I鈥檓 not going to stop this journey because there鈥檚 no races.鈥�

Keira D鈥橝mato鈥檚 Typical Week of Training

Monday: Easy run 鈥渇un miles鈥�

Tuesday: Track workout (shorter reps: repeat 400s, 200/300/400 ladder, etc.)

Wednesday: Easy run 鈥渇un miles鈥�

Thursday: Easy run 鈥渇un miles鈥�

Friday: Strength workout (ex. 3 x 2 mile) or easy聽

Saturday: Strength workout (ex. 3 x 2 mile) or easy聽

Sunday: Long run (usually 14鈥�18 miles)

Total mileage: 70鈥�100 miles (100鈥�130 miles during marathon training)

Key Workouts:

Four days before 5K time trial:

鈥� 20 x 400m cutdown from 68 to 64 with 60 seconds recovery ()

Other workouts:

鈥� 8 x 400m, 400m, 300m ()

鈥� 2 mile, mile, 2 miles in 5:06/5:06, 4:51, 5:08/5:13 ()

鈥� 6 x 400m, 400m, 300m, 200m; 3 x 200m ()

Check out Keira D鈥橝mato鈥檚 for more on her workouts 鈥� and stay for the mom jokes.

The post Inside Lane: How Keira D鈥橝mato Is Breaking All the Rules appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The fastest girl in U.S. history won鈥檛 have her name in the record books just yet.

On May 19, Brynn Brown, a junior at Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, ran. Only Mary Cain鈥檚 9:38.68 two-mile from 2013 for high school girls.

Snagging the [Unofficial] Record

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Brown ran the time on her home track with the help of a few college-aged male pacers instead of at a prestigious post-season invitational against her peers. She didn鈥檛 use FAT timing as, so her impressive mark won鈥檛 count for any official record-keeping. But the milestone represents the strength it took to persevere through a year filled with the disappointment of injury.聽

鈥淔or a little while, I was in disbelief because it was so sudden,鈥� she says of the track season鈥檚 cancellation. 鈥淚 had my grieving, my pity party for a little while. And then I was like, 鈥榳ell, I鈥檓 a junior. I still have one more year.鈥� And I looked at all the silver linings: I鈥檓 not in school, I have a lot of time to rest and recuperate between training sessions. So I got amped up for a really good training block to take advantage of the time I had.鈥�

The idea of going after Tuohy鈥檚 national record was a last-minute one once Brown and her coach realized New Balance Nationals probably wouldn鈥檛 take place this year.

鈥淸As the meet became] kind of uncertain, we didn鈥檛 know if we wanted to train for this anymore if it鈥檚 not 110% going to happen,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o [my coach] said, 鈥榣et鈥檚 do a time trial to see where we鈥檙e at and call it and have some closure to the season.鈥欌��

Comeback Season Interrupted

This spring was supposed to be Brown鈥檚 comeback season after she lost most of the fall to an injury.聽

In just her second year of running last spring, Brown won two state titles in the 3200m and 1600m at the Texas State Championships, then clocked an eye-opening 9:57.54 two-mile at the Brooks PR Invitational鈥攁fter and forcing a recall of the start.

鈥淚t kind of hit me there,鈥� Brown said of Brooks PR, 鈥測ou could do something on a national level.鈥�

Brown, in 3rd, en route to a 9:57.54 2-mile at the 2019 Brooks PR Invite Photo: 101 Degrees West

She ramped up her summer training in anticipation of a big junior year fall. But an injury hindered those plans. Though she still managed to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals in December, where she placed 23rd, she missed the Texas state cross country meet and most of the fall season.

鈥淭he hardest thing was trying to get over the fact that my entire junior year was taken away due to injury,鈥� she says. 鈥淣ot having a track season made me really upset for awhile. The silver lining was being able to get in really good training without school and all the extra stress I have during the school year, especially with finals and AP tests鈥� Rest is super important. That鈥檚 one silver lining and key lesson I learned during this time.鈥�

Quarantined at home with her parents, 13-year-old sister (鈥渟he鈥檚 into basketball鈥�) and seven-year-old brother (鈥渉e鈥檚 into taekwondo鈥�), Brown embraced the time to catch up on sleep 鈥� sometimes as much as 10 hours a night 鈥� and experiment with her new favorite hobby, cooking and baking and chronicling her exploits on a foodie instagram page,

While she did workouts by herself, she says she met up with Matthew Morgan, a Guyer alum who now runs for the University of North Texas, and Kyle Johnson, an alum who currently competes for the Texas A&M track team, for easy runs and long runs during the week. Morgan and Johnson are the runners seen in the time trial video pacing Brown to her 9:39.

鈥淭he first mile felt so relaxed,鈥� she says. 鈥淢atthew in front of me looked so relaxed because the pace was probably pretty pedestrian for him. I didn鈥檛 know how fast we were going; I was just trying to follow along and not fall off pace. The second mile, the lactic acid definitely hit and it was not easy.鈥�

After a quick 4:48 opening mile, Brown was able to hold on in the second mile, closing in just over 4:50 to sneak under 9:40.

鈥淓ven though not anyone was watching, there鈥檚 a moment of self-satisfaction when it all pays off on the day,鈥� Brown says. 鈥淣othing can beat that feeling.鈥�

Brynn Brown鈥檚 Typical Week of Training

Monday – 鈥淪trength day,鈥� time-based intervals like mile or 1K repeats

Tuesday – Easy day

Wednesday – Threshold workout/tempo run聽

Thursday – Track workout, 鈥渟hort and fast鈥� like ladders

Friday – Easy day

Saturday – Long run up to 13 miles

Sunday – Off聽

Total Mileage: 65 miles per week at highest point

Key workouts:

Tempo run 鈥渮ones鈥�: Tempo runs will be about 20 minutes at the beginning of the season, around a 400-meter loop on campus or a 600-meter loop at South Lakes Park divided into 200-meter 鈥渮ones.鈥� Each week, runners will add a minute or decrease goal pace per zone to get progressively faster in a controlled setting. 鈥淲e got up to about 5 miles, 5:10 was the fastest [pace] and that was right around 26 to 27 minutes.鈥�

2 weeks before time trial: 4 x Mile @ 4:52, 4:55, 4:55, 4:57 with 2:30 rest; 鈥渞ace simulation to get the pace in my legs鈥� on half grass, half concrete course ()

Week before time trial: 6 x 600 meters cutting down from 1:45 to 1:39 with 2 minutes rest

Favorite Workout:

Brown鈥檚 favorite workouts are 10-mile tempo runs. Some LetsRun message board commenters picked up on the fact that she averaged 5:52 pace for a 15-miler, but she said she took a wrong turn that day and doesn鈥檛 usually hammer that hard for long runs.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 do it every weekend because that鈥檚 a pretty taxing workout and I don鈥檛 want to overtrain,鈥� she says. 鈥淪ometimes I鈥檒l do a progression run and start out at a pretty easy pace and work down in the last final third of the run. Sometimes I definitely get to hammer it. I love long runs, so I get really excited when I get the green light to do that but not every weekend.鈥�

Rest, Moderation and Unfinished Business

The former soccer player knows her tendency to overtrain may have something to do with her injury history, and getting the proper rest and recovery is as important to her right now as tracking summer mileage in preparation for a big cross country season.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if I鈥檓 going to increase [mileage] too much because [65] is already pretty high on the spectrum for high schoolers,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 think for me, this year, I鈥檓 going to focus on the little things like recovery and sleep. Focus on saving a lot for the collegiate experience and improving there. I鈥檝e replayed how I could have done better so many times in my head, trying to find the things I could or should have done. I supplement a lot of miles with cross training and I鈥檓 not scared to take a day off if I need to. I work with a dietician now and make sleep a priority, so doing all the little things.鈥�

With a 9:39 on her resume, a national title in cross country certainly looks within sight 鈥� especially as a runner who enjoys racing longer distances. But first, Brown is focused on making it to her state meet.

鈥淚 have yet to win a state title in cross country so I want to get that first,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 definitely have some big goals going into cross country, but first and foremost, stay healthy for sure.聽

鈥淎nd getting the official national record.鈥�

The post Inside Lane: Behind Brynn Brown鈥檚 Unofficial National Record appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Everyone is searching for silver linings these days, and perhaps none more so than high school and college seniors, whose traditional springtime rites of passage have been upended during the coronavirus pandemic.聽

Facing a canceled outdoor track season, Highland High School senior Leo Daschbach of Gilbert, Ariz., channeled the frustration of quarantine into his training and ended up in the history books last weekend by becoming the 11th high school boy to break four minutes in the mile. His official time of 3:59.54 makes him the ninth-fastest high schooler in U.S. history.聽

鈥淎t first, I was sad,鈥� Daschbach said of his canceled senior spring. 鈥淏ut then I talked to my coach and was like, 鈥榳e鈥檝e just got to change the mentality.鈥� I want to keep working hard and shoot for this goal.鈥�

Shifting Focus to the Clock

The sub-four minute mile has long been considered the gold standard for prep boys鈥� running. Before Alan Webb dismantled Jim Ryun鈥檚 national high school record in 3:53.43 in 2001, only three boys had ever conquered the barrier. Lukas Verzbicas added his name to the list in 2011, and since 2015, the sub-four stream has been steady as six boys joined the club and dozens more have come extremely close.

For Daschbach, the dream became a possibility last year when he ran 4:03.98 for the mile and 14:14.26 for 5K during the cross country season in Arizona.

鈥淚 knew that I had the ability, or the potential to do it,鈥� he told PodiumRunner.

But before the coronavirus pandemic canceled school and sporting events across the United States for the duration of the spring, running a sub-four minute mile wasn鈥檛 actually his goal.

鈥淚 was more focused on racing and competing,鈥� he says.聽

The original plan for Daschbach鈥檚 senior year was to spend the first half of the outdoor track season focusing on the 3200m in preparation for the elite race at the Arcadia Invitational in California, where he ran 8:51.09 last year. After Arcadia, he and his coach were going to adjust workouts to sharpen up for end-of-season mile races.

鈥淥nce everything got canceled, the whole mentality switched because [chasing a time] is really the only thing we could do,鈥� he says.

Daschbach completed all of his training on his own, in accordance with Arizona鈥檚 shelter-in-place orders. A typical week this spring included 50 to 55 miles of running with two hard workouts and three makeshift home weight-lifting days, plus daily core and yoga routines.聽

Leo Daschbach鈥檚 typical week of training

Monday: 鈥淪pike up鈥� for hard interval track workout + lift

Tuesday: Easy run

Wednesday: Easy run

Thursday: Hard workout + lift

Friday: Easy run + lift

Saturday: Long run with hard close (example: 12 mile long run with 7-8 miles easy, finish at 5:10-5:20 pace)

Sunday: Off day or 2-3 mile shakeout

Total mileage: 50-55 mpw

Key workouts:

9 days pre-race: 6 x 400m @ 56 seconds (average) with 500m jog recovery

5 days pre-race: 800m/600m/400m/300m/200m @ 2:02/1:29/54/40/27 with 5:00/4:00/3:00/2:30 rest

3 days pre-race: 8 x 200m @ faster than mile pace (average 27 seconds with the last 3 @ 26/25 high) with 100m walk rest

Week of the race: 3 x 200m strides @ 27 seconds after every easy run

Daschbach still had access to a track and consulted with his high school coach, David Montgomery, for workouts and a training plan, which was anchored by three time trials: a paced 4:03 mile in mid-April, a 1:49.9 personal best 800m a few weeks later, and a solo 4:07 mile.

The Race

By May, a group of elite high school runners from around the country were talking about setting up an official sub-four attempt. Organizer Matt Strangio of California, , arranged for the event, dubbed to take place on Saturday, May 23 at Oak Ridge High School in Sacramento, California, complete with a race official, automatic timing system and MileSplit live-stream.

Eight athletes from Arizona, Colorado and Utah traveled to compete in the race, where, under , small groups were by then permitted to gather for recreational purposes as long as all persons maintained six feet of physical distance from each other.

Daschbach flew on an airplane to get to the Sacramento area, but wasn鈥檛 worried about the increased risks of traveling.

鈥淚 think we were mostly excited and hungry to get a race in,鈥� he said of his family and coach鈥檚 reaction to the race opportunity.

By race day, Strangio had dropped out due to injury, leaving Daschbach as the presumptive favorite to break four.

鈥淚 was really nervous,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 felt like there was a lot of external pressure on me from everyone everywhere since this was the one high school race. Because of the times I鈥檇 put up this year [in time trials], people were largely saying I was supposed to be the one to do it鈥� I also felt like I was a source of inspiration for people, so that if I failed, I would be letting all these people down. I really didn鈥檛 want that to happen.鈥�

In addition to the external pressure, he wasn鈥檛 feeling great about his most recent time trial, the 4:07 mile, when he says 鈥渢he lack of competition and abundance of hard workouts started to weigh on me.鈥�

On race day, he woke up early鈥攁round 7 a.m.鈥攁nd tried to stay relaxed. He ate breakfast, watched TV, took a nap, and whiled away the hours until race time. During the warmup, he tried to block out a headache and impending nausea.聽

Pacers led the field through 2:02 at halfway鈥攖oo slow鈥攖hough Daschbach says he wasn鈥檛 paying attention to the clock. His race plan was to stick behind the leaders until the bell lap, which he did. But then Stanford signee Thomas Boyden of Utah put in a big final surge. They would need a sub-57 second last lap to break four. Daschbach kept his composure and unleashed his signature kick with 250 meters to go鈥攍ater than he wanted, but effective nonetheless. He closed in an astounding 56.81 to sneak under four minutes.聽

鈥淚t was a lot of fun getting to race again,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 focus on the time [during the race], I just focused on my strategy and sticking to the plan, just doing my best to get to the end of the line the best way I know how to do it.鈥�

What’s Next?

Next up for the future is a few weeks of downtime before ramping up the summer mileage to prepare for his first collegiate cross country season.聽

The spring has certainly been a season to remember.

鈥淵ou just have to adapt to hard situations,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t really sucks and I鈥檓 sad to know that all those races, competitions are gone, but I can鈥檛 complain that much, I still managed to do something great with my season so I鈥檓 not all that bummed.鈥�

It鈥檚 possible that without the extreme limitations set in place by the pandemic, Daschbach would never have touched sub-four this spring鈥攖hough he is understandably loath to chalk up his success to the coronavirus.

鈥淭he training would have been a little bit lower in quality because of all the racing I would have been doing [during a regular season],鈥� he says. 鈥淚 did three time trials and everything else was just grinding and hard workouts, so it probably paid off in a sense鈥� I can鈥檛 say if I would have [broken four in a regular season] or not, but I would have had to do it sometime into June if we had done two-mile training.聽

鈥淚f anything, [the pandemic] just meant that I could do it earlier.鈥�

The post Inside Lane: How Leo Daschbach ran a sub-4 mile during the pandemic appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.