Links from Here and There

I interviewed Tim Tays a couple months ago about his book, Wannabe Distance God. Earlier this week, LetsRun.com ran a review and interview with Tim and named him their second Blue Collar Runner.

Sometimes I wonder what happens at large schools on the East Coast. Having grown up part-time in Maryland, I've got some good guesses. In this case, it certainly looks like the school was acting vindictively. Legally Blind Runner Allowed Back On School Team .

Over at JillWillRun, a tutorial on her garden. I do my own small garden and share with the neighbors. My process is mostly benign neglect and seems to work. Certainly the deer enjoyed it as the poor tomatoes retreated into their cages. Any protruding branches got nubbed at the wire. The habanero peppers were safe though.

Lauren Fleshman has a training journal coming out in a month or two. I'm going to get one to look it over - I handed out a couple of run-of-the-mill logs to a pair of my runners this year. Lauren was one of the few people that I sent a copy of Finishing Kick to, even though she told me she wouldn't have time to read it as a new mom and pro athlete. Okie-dokie, someday she will have time.

I need to get ready for the Inland Empire Klassic meet today over in Lewiston. I'll have some articles on it tomorrow over at InlandXC.com but probably not all the races. They kind of drag on until the middle of the afternoon and I need to be on the work site by 2PM. Don't think I'll get to varsity boys.

This System Fails the Kids

News came out in the last couple of days that two kids,  Olga and Yelena Paushkina of Russia, flunked doping tests. One, Yelena, was the gold medal winner at the Europe Youth Olympic Festival.  Her twin was a 4:25 1600M runner.

I can imagine that parents and coaches in the States are saying, "Yeah, that's over there, though."

I wonder. The pressure to win overwhelms common sense too frequently, and not just overseas. People are people, regardless of origin. The human genome is a remarkably homogenous mish-mash of DNA.

We have teenagers signing pro contracts. Pros are expected to win, perhaps not immediately, but eventually, and there's none of the "scholar-athlete" excuses to be made. We know that high school athletes in football, basketball, and baseball have been busted for steroids. It's not that large a leap to think that a near great runner is experimenting with PEDs.

It's a shame, both for the runner who's health is being risked, but also to the clean athletes who are competing uphill. And, even if they are successful, the misbehavior of the others potentially taints their accomplishments. Go to message boards like those at LetsRun.com and you'll see the suspicion.

I want my sport clean. If that means fewer World Records, so be it. Immortality doesn't come with asterisks. It takes drive, dedication, hard work, and more luck than a record-holder might want to admit.

Sore Knee Day

Gonna have to skip my run today because my left knee feels like a spike got inserted into the joint on the inner face, low down on the joint. It's not the first time I've had joint problems. People with gout get to learn all sorts of things about joints and how painful they can be.

That doesn't mean I'm not doing anything, though. One thing I figured out years ago is that whining about what I can't do is a losing strategy. Much better to determine what I can do, then do it.

Perpetual forward progress - it may not be fast but it should be relentless.

Run gently out there. Mind the smoke.

Training Log

Most successful competitive runners use a training log of some sort, and, if they don't, their coaches do in their place. The logs can be written or digital, though I prefer written. It's slower but it's a more thoughtful and mindful practice.

I have two runners that I gave logs to this year. That's a first for us because junior high xc athletes usually are just entering the sport and the emphasis is on fun. These two have been with us for the last two years and both came to me on the first day of practice asking for extra training because they want to be the best.

Obviously, they can't both be best unless every race is a tie. Not gonna happen.

But I can help them develop the talent they do have. One thing to do was get them logging their workouts. It was as not in-depth or explicit as I used to maintain. I have them recording three pieces of information. Anything else they do is for themselves.

First, I want the duration of workouts, including the ones away from practice. They can give me time or miles but I know that they do extra running outside the program. I don't want them hurt or overtrained and leg dead, so I need that info.

Second, what kind of surface are they running on? Hard pavement, trails? Same reason as above plus the training effect of trails on stabilizing muscles is huge.

Finally, the fun factor. On a scale of 1-5, I want them to give me a rating on their runs that tells me how much they enjoyed it. Once we know what they like to do for training, we can designed workouts for it. It also get us an insight into how they are enjoying the sport.

Ideally, the race times will come down while the pleasure factor goes up. Still acceptable is the race times flat or rising but the enjoyment factor high.

The only disaster is if the enjoyment factor craters. This is junior high running, not the Olympics - these kids should be running for run.

Planning for the long run

My ego wants to do fifteen miles today, and my brain is rationalizing twelve, while the stomach is hankering for eggs and cheese and sausage. The rest of the body wants to know why in the name of Sam Houston we're moving before dark.

It's long run day.

Once upon a time, that was twenty or thirty miles as I prepped for marathons or ultras. Today will be shorter, much shorter, the kind of distance that you don't brag about. It's not that I can't run further-I can, but long runs, essential for some types of training, are mostly overrated for someone who's looking to achieve fitness.

More important is consistency of effort, adding one more day of training into the log, everyday or nearly so. If I went fifteen miles today, tomorrow would be wiped out. Maybe Tuesday as well. In effect, I might average five miles a day but at lower intensity (and higher risk of injury.) That was a decision that I made early this year when I didn't have time to prepare for the Turkey Trail Marathon in Pagosa Springs. It was a survival mode of training.

The next race I hope to run is an ultra next summer. I have plenty of time to build if I remain consistent. The rule of thumb from the Daniel's Running Formula is the long run should comprise no more than 25 percent of your total weekly mileage. (Daniel's is the running bible, btw - if you wan to race, you need this book in your home library.)

To approach that standard, I need to up my mileage from it's current piddling amount to at least 70 miles a week which would match my peak in the past. I'd like to see if my legs would handle more but time becomes a factor and, until the books sell at a rate that allows me give up regular employment, going to work is a priority, as is time with wife, daughters, and grandkids. Throw in the writing and squeezed is the word that comes to mind.

So the focus, both for fitness and to get to the next brass ring, is consistency. I don't need big runs at this point, but I need steady, daily mileage with a dash of speed work. Then, grow the daily runs until I get back to ten miles a day, every day.

Then start adding in the long runs.

It's a progression, and requires lots of patience, something I'm particularly bad at. It beats broken and cranky, though, so I'll try.

Running Barefoot

Started the day with a cancellation on a inspection, which hurt this time of year when I'm taking extra time off to help out with the junior high squad since it's a double whammy on the day for income. I substituted some construction inspections with a new bank and designed some forms that wowed them, then got a trail run in up on North Asotin Creek.

The run was nice but I was feeling a bit blue. One big disadvantage of owning your own micro-business and also being a writer is that you exist on a tiny little island with your own circular thoughts for long periods of time. It turns out to be a great way to host a pity party at a table for one.

Thank goodness for cross country practice.

One of our experienced girls asked if this was a Coach Paul "Weirdness" day. I denied the weirdness part of the description. The 8th graders swapped looks that said, "Pretty much." Thinking their getting to know me a little.

Since the kids had done speed work on Tuesday, with some longer easy, easy running yesterday, we (being the coaches) decided to take a break, go to the park, and play.

It was warn-up drills to start, and foot speed goofiness afterwards. We played follow the leader, which in junior high is very nearly a blood sport.

Then we went on to barefoot running on the grass at City Park.

Since we started doing this a few years ago, it has easily become the kids favorite activity. We didn't do anything fancy, just some jogging and a couple of accelerations. The kids tried skipping and a few other things. The grass provides a soft surface for them to experiment on and they took advantage of it.

Watching them, it amazes me how much their form cleans up when they get to run naturally. About half the gang ran taller, moving a bit more forward to the ball of their foot. All of them were springier off the ground. All of them were smiling.

We finished with some planks and, as a team, they decided that they want to have a contest to see who can hold a front plank the longest, so we have that coming up some time in the near future.

I suspect I'll get roped into it but it'll be fun. It's definitely a cure for pity parties.

Olympic Dream by Henry Rono

I'm about three quarters through Henry Rono's autobiographical Olympic Dream and shocked. The behavior of the various athletic organizing bodies, the sports promoter, and even his college coach stuns me-which simply means that I am, in fact, a bit naïve.

Athletes, as with stars in other prominent endeavors, capture the imagination of those of us who can't run a four minute mile, throw a baseball at 96 mph, or sing our way out of a paper bag. They get placed on pedestals.

They also reek of opportunity for the shameless.

Sports promoters paid large entry bonuses to get Rono to show up, reinforced by rejecting the rest of his teammates-blocking their chance to make a living- unless he accompanied them. Twice, Rono was not permitted to compete in Olympic events due to politics.

In school, he struggled to make a primary school education fit the demands of a major university-while his coach told him that he would 'earn his degree with his feet.' Not much has changed if you look at college athletics. Even now, the University of North Carolina, once a highly respected public university, has admitted that athletes took 'paper classes' where the submission of a single term paper sufficed to pass. Other classes did not require attendance and were predominately populated by athletes.

Henry Rono also had an alcohol problem, something that was known early in his racing career in the States. His drinking was encouraged, as stunning as that sounds.

I should finish the book this evening and I'm looking forward to the redemptive phase of Rono's life. After a two decade battle with alcoholism, after getting used, abused, and thrown away by a sports complex more interested in profit than athletes, Rono is back on his feet. While getting there, he worked in carwashes and as a sky cap at the airport.

This was a man who set four world records in 81 days during a magical summer. Carrying suitcases.

He penned and published the autobiography in 2007, after he reassembled his life. Living in New Mexico, he coaches now and if you go to the webpage for Team Rono, you'll see his self-introduction.

"I am Henry Rono, the Nandi warrior."

The Mop Rule

Someone in the last couple of days asked why I've been writing about cross country and track when I won't make any money at it. At least with the books (hint: look in the sidebar-they make wonderful gifts to runners!), I have a chance to make a peso or two.

There are two answers, either completely sufficient.

First, I enjoy the heck out of it. Talking to Rick Riley is about the third biggest highlight of my year on the writing front. I don't think it's hero worship, just a recognition of the man. He did things on the track I will never do, most of us will never do.

He's also been around the sport long enough to appreciate how much things have changed - and how little, at the same time. The response from all the readers has been terrific.

The second reason involves the mop rule and is connected to the biggest highlight of my year on the running front. Nope, that highlight wasn't having the book mentioned in Running Times.

It was having a mom stop me on the way to the district meet to tell me how much her son appreciated what I had noticed and wrote about on the blog. If that doesn't humble you . . .

Here's a kid, a good kid, who's also a good athlete. And the only mention that he got was on my blog. I keep apologizing to the kids that they deserve better; a better chronicler, a better website, more meets covered.

What they have is me, for right now, though I'm hoping to grow things.

Because of the mop rule.

Never heard of it? You might have a different name for it but it's a major reason I've been married for better than three decades. The rule is simple. You can't go to another person and say, "Hey, the floor needs mopping."

If it needs mopping, we both know where the mop is. We get off our duffs and we do it. We don't nag the other person to fix our peeves.

The mop rule is why I started writing books for runners. Nobody else was and I thought we deserved books that reflected well on our community.

And when I realized that these kids work darned hard for so little recognition of what they are accomplishing. I mean that about all of them, not just the Lucy Egglestons and Maddie Wards, the Hunter Olsens and Chandler Tiegens, but all the ones that step to the line and run every race with all the guts they have.

Well . . .It's all very well to say it should be done, somebody ought to write the articles. The real question is, do you care enough to actually do it yourself?

Do you care enough to do it yourself.

That's the mop rule.

Waiting for the Kids . . .

Blogging might be a little light over the next couple of weeks. We have two grandbabies due in four days. That's pretty much a priority.

I do plan on having an interview up that I did with Rick Riley. Don't recall the name? You should - how many high schoolers set national records? A WSU grad, Rick coaches now at St. George's Academy. Hoping to have that up on Tuesday.

For those that caught the article on Emma Kraft, a blogging update - that's now the most popular article ever on the site. Glad you liked it and thanks for stopping by!

Alexa Efraimson Appreciation Day and more . . .

Alexa Efraimson Appreciation Day - Very cool but I'd like to see all the high school runners - not only the elites - get this kind of recognition. Most are pretty awesome kids, just not quite as quick. I do like that Aexa did not concede the race in Eugene to the team from Kenya - she actively challenged them. She ran out of gas on the last lap but it was gutsy run worthy of Hayward Field.

Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of Joan Benoit Samuelson's victory at the '84 Olympics. For the young'uns, that was the first Women's Olympic Marathon. It was a big deal. Running Times has a great read right here.

Speaking of Kenyans, those who say it's all genetics, that's why they win - nope. A lot of it is plain old fashioned courage and a tremendous amount of hard work. Kenyan Who Had His Legs Amputated Gets Back on Track.

Yes, please, the rules are antiquated. Time for State Associations to Evolve with Today's High School Elites For more discussion, head over to Runnerspace. Washington State passed a rule to help with this (referred to as the Alexa Efraimson Rule). Could we make a rule that allows quality teams more freedom to head for Invitationals without being penalized for not racing in-district enough?

Blog Roll

I don't have a formal blog roll on the sidebar but there are some sites that I check pretty frequently for news, and ideas about running. Here are some of my favorites:

Running Times - in my opinion, the best of the running magazines. The website has additional virtual-only articles.

Let's Run - Not the easiest website to navigate but, if it's running related, it's there somewhere. Tremendous amount of information and a mostly knowledgeable forum.

RunBlogger - Pete Larson is a very, very bright dude who does a fantastic job of reviewing running products and teaching running form. Sign up for his newsletter or swing by the blog.

Runners World - the most popular running magazine has a huge web presence - warning: they're very aggressive on twitter and can blow up your feed a bit.

RunnersConnect - a coaching site that has long form articles that are thought provoking at the blog.

ProActive Coaching - not so much running but youth sports in general, these folks understand the secrets to coaching. If you are a coach, from junior high to D1, follow them on Facebook. You won't regret it.

JillWillRun - Jill blogs on running, running gear, and promotes a healthy perspective on eating and lifestyles. Not your everyday aim for a PR blog. Running is personal and so is Jill's Blog.

Let me know your favorites - and I know, we're having a few issues with the commenting system - magical imps are working on it now. If you can't comment, feel free to send me an email. I reply to all of them.

Cascade Lakes Relay

The teams are on the course for the Cascade Lakes Relay.

For you folks that have never done a relay, they can be a hoot. The Cascade Relays team puts on a fun event with contests, time trials, and a ton of camaraderie.

Spend 24 hours chasing other teams through the Oregon mountains on a picturesque course. All day, taking turns. All night. Again into the next day. Relays are a unique adventure in running, a combination of teamwork, fun, and the unpredictable.

For those interested, you can follow the action at https://twitter.com/CascadeRelays. They have an app for the leaderboard this year as well.

Good luck to the runners tonight - stay safe, have fun, and RUN!

Full Disclosure - The team I run with, Velocity Deficit Disorder, is out this year. Me because two daughters are expecting babies the same weekend as the Spokane to Sandpoint relay, a couple of others due to work, and one to a Bluegrass festival.

We'll be back next year with a little luck, maybe for the Cascade Lakes Relay this time. Scott and his crew really do put on a great race.

Benefit Run

If you're looking for a 5K next weekend, the Seaport Striders are hosting their annual benefit run. This run contributes all the proceeds to the local cross country programs at Lewiston, Clarkston, and Asotin High Schools.

Here's the application. The race starts at 7PM on Friday, August 8th. I have received a tentative agreement from Mother Nature to turn down the heat a bit but she's got to balance out the weather everywhere else to do it, so cut her some slack.

Starting location is Chief Looking Glass Park in Asotin.

For $10, you receive a shirt (while they last), a water bottle provided by Peak Performance PT,  and the satisfaction of knowing your funds are matched by the Seaport Striders. Timing is provided by the mostly reliable right thumb of this author. Prizes will be by lottery based on bib numbers.

A special thanks to Peak Performance Physical Therapy for their very kind donations.

Can You Name The Indian Who Won Boston - Twice?

I couldn't either but got introduced to Ellison 'Tarzan' Brown by a client of mine.

Here's the link to a wonderful, and tragic, story of this Narragansett runner. T

The Indian From Rhode Island Who Won the Boston Marathon—Twice

Ellison 'Tarzan' Brown running in a marathon. Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.