Heather Kampf Talks About 2012, Plans for 2013-2016

Photo courtesy of ASICS

Heather Kampf's 2012 running season was "bookended" by US Championships.  In May she won the USATF Road Mile title in Minneapolis and in December she was part of the Team USA Minnesota team that won the USATF Club Championship title in Lexington, KY.  Here she talks about  her road mile success, the Olympic Trials, the Club Champs, and her goals for 2013 and 2016.

Down the Backstretch: You were the Road Mile “Queen” this year.  Was that something that just evolved as you continued to win or was the plan going into the year to focus on those events?

Heather Kampf:  Oh gosh, that term is certainly not one I made up for myself, but I guess it's nice to be called the "Queen" of anything! It's funny, my coach even was answering my calls this fall by saying, "Your Highness..." 

But to answer your question, no, this wasn't necessarily the plan going into the year. The primary focus was obviously the Olympic Trials, and when I didn't make the team, I initially thought I'd try to go out for another European racing tour, but with the Games taking place mid-summer, there didn't seem to be enough races to get in either prior or immediately after the Olympics. Instead, I just started expressing interest in every road mile I could find in the US. 

Obviously I felt I had something to prove/defend after winning the US Road Mile Champs this spring, but really I think that each success built more momentum and confidence for me for the next. It was a fun way to spend the late summer fall, and was really excited to end it all with a new personal best road mile time of 4:27 in New York.

DtB:  You jumped into a cross country race—the Club Champs.  That’s a departure from your post collegiate routine.  Did something change that resulted in racing cross country, one it just a “one-off” for the team, or will it be part of your yearly cycle in the future?

HK: Honestly, I think I was just hosting some teammates at my house for dinner awhile back, and they mentioned they wanted to run Club Cross, but needed one more for a team. Of course I said I would do it! In the fall, most of our training is more like cross country training anyway, so it fits right into the basic plan to race a 6K at this time of year. I would be happy to make this part of my annual schedule, though I have to say, in hindsight, it was tougher than I remember it feeling!! 

DtB:  You achieved a lot of recognition for your fall and recovery during the indoor season when you were a Gopher.  Now you had another fall that ended with a team title.  Seems like a hard road to success. What happened that led to the fall at the USATF Club Champs?  Where in the race was it?  What caused the fall?  What went through your mind when it happened?  How did your teammates react? Or didn’t they see you until the end of the race with a mud coating?

HK: Well, I think I probably got out a little bit too fast in this race, so even before the first mile (in 5:14), I was battling some side-aches on both sides. The fall itself took place just before the 2-mile mark, about halfway through the race. 

As far as I can remember, I hit something on the ground while I was taking a muddy corner, and just slid rather than catching myself. I'm sure I was hunched over due to the side-aches so my center of gravity was probably off a little bit. Honestly, I kind of just thought, 'oh great...', got up pretty quick, and kept running. I already felt as if I were way behind where I wanted to be in the race, so it was just one more thing. 

The mud was pretty soft, so it wasn't a painful fall by any means, but to add insult to injury, I caught a bug in the eye immediately after the fall, but had too much mud caked on my hands to do anything about it.  Not long after I fell, I heard someone yell to me, "Your team has four in the top ten! Keep it up!" I was really worried I was ruining our chances for the team title, but obviously knew I needed to keep running in order for us to have any chance of scoring as a team of 5. 

My teammates were well ahead, but they all responded kindly to my less than stellar race. I kept apologizing, but they kept telling me it was fine, and that they wouldn't have had a team at all if I didn't come. They're some pretty awesome teammates!

DtB:  Did the team think the team championship was a realistic goal going into the event?  Was there a pre-race strategy/plan?

HK: Yes, we went in with that goal in mind. We thought it was realistic, and were aware of who our biggest competition was. There wasn't a specific plan, but since the course was slick, we were told just get out well because people weren't changing positions in the race much after the first mile. I was the exception to that rule, unfortunately!

DtB:  When did you find out the team won the championship? How did everyone react?

HK: We looked at the individual results during our cool-down and as far as we could calculate, we believed we had pulled it off. We didn't want to say it for sure until we saw it on paper though! When results came through we were all by the team van changing after our cool downs, I think I exuberantly called out: "YES! I didn't suck enough to ruin it for everyone!" 

It was quite the relief. I know that my race wasn't absolutely horrible, but it certainly wasn't up to what I was hoping to do, nor was it near the caliber of my teammates that deserve this win. I kind of feel as though I was just lucky enough to associate myself with these women. Everybody hugged and were happy, and I think we were especially pumped for the girls who will be competing in Scotland in January---Meghan, Ladia, and Jamie.

DtB:  What are the plans for track season?  Will you run indoors, if so any specific plans for races or goals?

HK: So far, I'm planning to start my 2013 track season with, drum roll please, a road mile! There's one in Bermuda on the 18th that would be great to try. I want to try to do at least one good competitive indoor track mile, hopefully at the New Balance Indoor Games which always brings a good field of women. My goal is get more experience in this event so I will be better equipped/aware of what I should do in the outdoor season.

DtB:  You broke through to being a contender for the Olympic team at the Trials this year.  Was the result what you expected?  Disappointing or encouraging?

HK: It certainly was a great experience to race in an Olympic Trials Final, and think that I really had a shot for the team. It wasn't necessarily what I expected, but it felt like it was exactly what I needed. I found it necessary for me to make a final in order to justify what I am doing as a professional runner. 

It was both encouraging to be moving forward and higher in the US Ranks, and disappointing that I couldn't put together a stronger/faster race for that final. The next necessity it to break 2:00, I feel like I am just knocking at the door for that one.

DtB:  Are you thinking of moving up to 1,500, doubling, or experimenting over the next four years to see if you should stay focused on 800 or expand your horizon’s beyond the 800?

HK: I think we will continue to experiment more with the 1,500, but the nice thing is that these two events compliment each other so well, so competing in both over the next four years is not a matter of being uncertain about what I should do, but rather keeping all my tools sharp. By the Trials for Rio, it would be nice to be focusing on one event, but I can't tell you which event that may be right now!

Get in Gear Set to Turn 35 Years Old

Just like fast runners, time flies.

The Get in Gear 10K, first held in 1978, will celebrate its 35th Anniversary when this year's race is held on April 28.

The event, which has expanded over the years with additional distances, will also include a 2K, 5K and half marathon in 2012. The 2K was added in 1987, followed by the 5K in 2005 and the half marathon in 2009.

All races will begin and end in Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis. Registration for all events has begun with over 2,000 participants already signed up, including more than 600 for the half marathon which has a 1,500 limit.

The 10K race has a limit of 5,000 runners and the 5K is capped at 2,500. Race organizers expect the half marathon to fill sometime in March. The next fee increase for all events will occur on April 1. Currently the registration costs are $12 for the 2k, $25 for the 5k and 10k, and $55 for the half marathon.

“Our mission at Get in Gear for all of our 35 years is to offer a solid and well managed event for the community,” Paulette Odenthal, executive director, who has been with the race for 15 years, said in a media release. “We’ve also worked hard to keep our event current and to help it flourish while at the same time responding to what our participants want.

“The 5K and the half marathon are two of the fastest growing distances in the running industry plus it just made sense to strategically place a half marathon ahead of all the spring marathons in the area," she added. "All our races are good complements to the 10k and to the overall event.”

The Get in Gear 10k was created in 1978 as a means to spark interest in fitness. In its first year, over 4,000 participated and from this initial response, the race has been a fixture on the spring running calendar as well as Minnesota’s largest 10K race.

Through the years, the winners' circle of the Get in Gear 10K has read like a who's who of Minnesota road racing, graced with men's champions like Tony Shockency, Lindsay Brown, and Pat McCarthy and women's victors like Jan Arenz, Janis Klecker, and Jan Ettle.

The prize purse for this year's 10K features $1,000, $750 and $500 for first, second and third place open men and women, plus $250 each for the first Minnesota male and female. The master’s purse is $500, $250 and $100 for first, second and third place men and women respectively.

The Get in Gear family of races is organized by Get in Gear, Inc. a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Its major sponsor for the past 20 years has been Preferred One and its designated charitable organization since 2006 is Second Harvest Heartland.

For more information, go to www.getingear10k.com or call 612-722-9004.

Miller, Martinez Win Minnesota Mile Titles

Former University of Wisconsin All-American Craig Miller and former California-Riverside standout Brenda Martinez won the professional races at the Minnesota Mile in Duluth on Sunday.

Headwinds slowed the pace of the elites in the road mile down Duluth's Superior Street -- Miller won in 4:04, Martinez in 4:44.

Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf was the top Minnesota finisher in the professional races. The University of Minnesota alumnus was third in 4:47, a place and a second behind Amy Mortimer of Kansas, the runner-up.

Christian Hesch of California was the men's runner-up in 4:06; Kevin Chelimo of Kenya was third with the same time.

Defending men's champ Aron Rono of Kenya, suffering from a hip injury, was 11th in 4:21.

The Duluth News-Tribune's Kevin Pates has a comprehensive story on the race HERE.

Complete results of the event can be found HERE.

Smyth Wins NYC Midnight Run

Patrick Smyth apparently couldn't wait to get his 2010 racing season underway.

Early New Year's Day, the Team USA Minnesota athlete won the 31st Emerald Nuts Midnight Run in New York City, which started at the stroke of midnight.

Smyth (pictured) ran the four mile road race through Central Park in 18:35, out running Ian Dobson of Portland, Oregon who was second in 18:53. The festive event was held in weather conditions that included a mix of light snow and rain.

University of Minnesota alum Andrew Carlson holds the Midnight Run course record of 18:12.

Team USA Minnesota's media release about the race said Smyth went to the front of the race at the gun and pulled away from the field at the two mile mark, running the second half in a solo effort.

"It was definitely a bit slippery as wet snow had fallen and was falling," Smyth said in the release. "But we really only had to be mindful on the turns of which there were only a few."

"The atmosphere was exhilarating," Smyth added. "The fireworks lasted the entire 18 minutes and 35 seconds that I was running. It was a great way to usher in the New Year and definitely something I'd do again if the opportunity presents itself."

Smyth will race next at the USA Half Marathon Championships in Houston on January 17, where the 2009 Notre Dame grad will make his debut in the distance.

"The Midnight Run was a great tune-up for Houston," Smyth said. "Aside from perfect timing, which is about three weeks out, it was a great way to get the legs kicking over after putting in a long solid block of training since Manchester."

Smyth finished second at the Thanksgiving Day Manchester Road Race in New Hampshire. Last October, he finished third at the USA 10 Mile Championships held in conjunction with the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 Mile.

Find full results of the Midnight Run HERE.

There's video from the event -- but not much of Smyth -- HERE.

Photo by Gene Niemi.

On the Road: The Other New Event -- Anytime Fitness Stillwater Marathon

On the Road recently profiled the Minneapolis Marathon. Not to be perceived as urban snobs, this month we cast our gaze in a north-easterly direction, out to lovely Stillwater.

I spoke with Dave Eckberg of St. Croix Events (producers of Lumberjack Days, the Rivertown Art Festival, and basically any major event that occurs in Stillwater) about the inaugural Anytime Fitness Stillwater Marathon.

Eckberg repeatedly stressed the organization’s focus on putting on a great event centered around satisfying runners. The Stillwater Marathon, which features a 20 mile, half marathon, and 12k in addition to the keystone event, goes off at 7 a.m. on Sunday, May 24.

DtB: Where did the idea for the Stillwater Marathon come from?

Eckberg: I think within our group [St. Croix Events] running a marathon came up over 5 years ago. It’s something that’s been mentioned and talked about for a long time. At St. Croix Events, we do all the big events in the Stillwater area. People have been interested in bringing a marathon here for quite some time.

DtB: I notice you have Anytime Fitness as a title sponsor. How did that relationship come about?

Eckberg: Yes, we were able to work that out just recently. Anytime Fitness came on as a multi-year sponsor, which is great.

DtB: What has the process been like so far of getting a marathon started?

Eckberg: It’s been smooth overall. It’s an immense, immense project. And I say that as someone who has done events for over 30 years, including putting on air shows, where we worked with the Kremlin in Moscow. We’re aware that the runners are putting their lives in our hands, and we take that very seriously. There are so many details and possibilities to plan ahead for.

DtB: Why did you choose the date that you selected, especially given the other area marathons falling on the same day? Are you planning to stay on the day before Memorial Day, or is that something you will re-evaluate after this year?

Eckberg: That date will be when it is. We viewed the dates as something that works here for the local schedule. We are very aware that there are other marathons going on the same weekend. The way we look at it is that we’re providing people an option, and this is the date that works for Stillwater. If people want to run Fargo or Madison, or other events, that’s fine. Those are great events too. I don’t view this as particularly competitive. I want to provide a good experience to the runners. The way I look at it is that if we don’t exist 10 years from now, it's not anyone else’s fault. It’s our own fault for not giving runners the experience that they want.

DtB: You have a marathon, 20 mile, a half marathon, and a 12k. Why did you decide to offer that many options, and why did you select those distances?

Eckberg: It has to do with the course. Originally we looked at a point-to-point race from Taylor’s Falls to Stillwater. Well, pretty early on we found ourselves looking at a dozen red flags. The first thing that really hit us in driving that course was that there is a real cell phone coverage issue in some of those areas. That’s a safety concern. And then some of the runners who drove the course with us said that the elevation change is just too huge. It was just too brutal. The third thing was the spectator-friendly aspect. On that course, there just aren’t many spots where someone could get to if they wanted to cheer for a runner.

With the course we decided on, you can get to lots of points on our course to see the runners. There was nothing like that on the original course. We figured out a full marathon course that we thought was great, and went from there. If you take a look at our course, the different distances just cut off different parts of the full marathon course. What we were doing was literally sitting at the conference table figuring this out. It was basically a Lego-type of situation.

At Myrtle and Owens, which is in a residential area in Stillwater, the half breaks off and runs down to the finish. Meanwhile the marathon goes north and loops before coming back. The 20 mile was an option that we wanted to provide for those running Grandma’s Marathon. The 12k we were sort of left with as the final piece to the puzzle after we figured out the half marathon and the 20 mile. Initially, I kind of thought, ‘12k—what am I supposed to do with that?’ Then my daughter said, ‘duh, Bay to Breakers’. [The Bay to Breakers 12k in San Francisco is one of the largest road races in the U.S.]. So we decided to go with that.

It’s really just a great spectator course. Pioneer Park, where the 12k and Half Marathon finish, hangs right over the marathon and 20 mile course, so we can make an announcement, and people can get over to see the marathoners go into the finish.

DtB: Will all the races go off at the same time?

Eckberg: Right now, we plan to have all the races start at the same time. We may stagger them slightly if that makes more sense. John Magnuson [of timing company ChampionChip Minnesota] will decide.

DtB: The course looks to be very rolling. What can you tell readers about the features and challenges of the course?

Eckberg: We are very, very aware of hills, being born and raised in Stillwater. As a kid, I remember figuring out ways to bike places that would avoid hills, so yes, we’re aware of how hilly Stillwater is. The course we have chosen has a highest to lowest point of only 190 ft. apart, so we really avoid the extremes. We view it as a rolling course, not a hilly course. Some of the people I’ve talked to have said that the flat courses can pound the hell out you, because you’re using the exact same muscles the whole way. So the rolling course may actually work everything a little bit more evenly.

DtB: How many runners are signed up, how many do you expect, and is there a cap on the field?

Eckberg: We’re doing fine. We’ve agreed to limit it to 5,700 this year so we don’t over-run the city of Stillwater. We’ll see how it goes. The worst thing that we could have happen is to have more runners than we could handle, so we want to avoid that. Capacity-wise, we’ll evaluate how things go and make a decision after this year.

DtB: Warm weather could be a factor that time of year. Is that something you have considered and are prepared for?

Eckberg: This is one of the things that was definitely a part of the initial discussions. We feel that the 7 a.m. start is a little bit of a buffer. We will be working with our friends at Hubbard Broadcasting, Dave Dahl specifically, to get forecasts well in advance so that we can bolster water stops if need be, or be prepared for anything else.

We have Dr. Matt Sedgley on board to head up our medical team. He has worked with Dr. Bill Roberts of the Twin Cities Marathon for many years, and he is doing a great job. We will probably have around 50 doctors scattered around the course. In getting this thing going, I talked with [Race Director] Dave McGillvery of the Boston Marathon. He told me, ‘in your head, you need to understand that the runners are putting their lives in your hands.’ We’ve really taken that to heart. So yes, we’ll be ready for any kind of weather.

The beauty of Lumberjack Days [the festival, not the 10 mile race] is that it basically takes place in a four block space. If we need to evacuate we can do that quickly. It’s trickier when you have people out over the full course. It’s a fascinating event. Initially, somebody made a comment of ‘how big of a deal can it be to put on a marathon?’ Let me tell you, it is a big deal.

What we have tried to do is surround ourselves with good people. We have John Magnuson doing the timing. He’s the best. We have a roster of vendors and suppliers from Lumberjack Days who will transfer over for the marathon. Many of them work with the Twin Cities Marathon as well, and Twin Cities is as good as it gets. I’ve been honored to meet Virginia and Brian at the Twin Cities Marathon – talk about quality people. It really is one of the top marathon organizations in the world.

DtB: What sets the Anytime Fitness Stillwater Marathon apart, and what do you see as being your niche?

Eckberg: We’ve got a beautiful, beautiful course for people to run. I think we’ve addressed the fear of the hilliness of Stillwater affecting the experience for the runners. We’ve structured this to be a fund-raising event for many local charities, including the Jon Francis Foundation. David Francis, Jon’s father, approached us about a year. The sorrow he still carries with him every day is incredible. He wanted to do a race in Jon’s name, and we’re honored to be able to be a part of that. Mainly, we want runners to be able to come and have a good experience. We think we’re setting things up for them to be able to do that.

On the Road: Mpls. Marathon Comes to Town

Holding a spring marathon in the Twin Cities is an idea that I have heard an awful lot of local runners mention over the last few years. Given the immense running community and the overwhelming success of both the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and Grandma’s Marathon, it should come as no surprise that another marathon has found its way onto the racing calendar.

The big surprise is that there are two, and they’re only a week apart. The Stillwater Marathon, scheduled for May 24, will be featured on DtB in the weeks to come. But for this installment of On the Road, I did my civic duty as a Minneapolis resident and did some research on the Minneapolis Marathon. The event features a full marathon, half marathon, and 5k, and will be held on Sunday, May 31.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I should note that I have had some connections with the event organizer (the Team Ortho Foundation) in the past. I volunteered for a few months on the organization’s Communications Committee, and my dog Sierra and I have participated in a couple of Team Ortho races.

I recently spoke with John Larson, the founder and head of the Team Ortho Foundation, about the Minneapolis Marathon. Larson answered some of the big questions that local runners may have about the first-year event.

DtB: Where did the idea for the Minneapolis Marathon come from?

Larson: It pretty much evolved that we (Team Ortho) wanted to do longer distance races. We added a half marathon to the Monster Dash. We started with the 5k, and realized that people want to continue to challenge themselves, so we started adding the longer races and we had good response.

We did the Downtown Half last year the same weekend as the marathon will be this year. Going into it, we had decided that if we could do that successfully we’d do a marathon the next year. The 35W bridge collapse caused us to have to change our course, so that was a challenge, but the event was successful. We applied for a permit right after the Downtown Half last year, and finally got a permit issued in December.

Some people have said ‘oh, this is totally out of the blue. They haven’t thought about what they’re doing.’ But in reality, we’ve had it in the works for about two years. It’s just a long process, and you don’t want to announce anything until you have things in place.

DtB: What has the process been like so far of getting a marathon started in a major city?

Larson: It’s been great. The course actually crosses four different jurisdictions, and all four of those jurisdictions have been very helpful and kind. It takes time and it’s a lot to do, but everyone we have worked with, from Fort Snelling State Park to the Park and Rec. Board, has been really great.

DtB: The course starts downtown, does a loop, and then heads south on the West River Road all the way down to Fort Snelling, and then loops before returning up the West River Road. How will that out-and-back work, and what else can you tell us about the course?

Larson: The River Road portion will be out on one side of the roadway, and back on the other. The half marathon has one 180 degree turn on the River Road to send runners back toward the finish.

For the marathon, there is a portion on the paved bicycle path leading into Fort Snelling. That is narrower than a road, but we anticipate runners being strung out enough by then for that to work fine. There won’t be two-way traffic there. On the River Road, where there will be two-way traffic, the road is wide enough.

We think it’s a great course. It’s tree-lined and shaded almost all the way, which is part of why we chose this course. Also, you have the history of Fort Snelling, and passing the convergence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. There are a lot of great things about it. It’s really a beautiful course. I mean, what a great place to run a marathon!

There are a couple of significant hills, one is near the finish, coming up the River Road near Gold Medal Park, and also coming out of Fort Snelling, earlier in the race [around the 17 mile mark]. That one is steep but fairly short. Those are really the two big ones. There’s a lot of flat on the course as well.

DtB: How many runners do you expect, and is there a cap on the field?

Larson: It’s hard to say what each race will be. For the whole body of races (the 5k, half marathon and marathon), we have set the cap at 6,500, and for the marathon, somewhere around 2,300. It should be a big enough field where you have plenty of people to run with, but not crowded and overwhelming.

There’s still plenty of room in both the marathon and the half. We’re expecting the half to be about twice as big as the marathon. A lot of people have signed up for the half who are then planning to run Grandma’s Marathon. So far, we have people from 25 states signed up. We have really been pleased with the early response.

DtB: Warm weather could be a factor that time of year. Is that something you have considered and are prepared for?

Larson: Certainly. That’s why we kept the race where it is on the calendar, so we don’t get into mid-June or late June where warm weather is more likely. We feel the course is very helpful as well. We have a very shaded course. Almost all of the course is tree-lined, and we have a 7 a.m. start. This all should help.

We will have 20 fluid stations on the course, where we'll have energy drink and water. We’ll have energy gels out on the course as well. We have already assigned 18 of the 20 water stops. Most will be run by volunteer organizations. We’ll have over 400 volunteers helping out.

As far as the date goes, we haven’t really decided on the weekend for sure for next year. Going the weekend after Memorial Day would push us a little later, but people like to travel and do other things on Memorial Day weekend, so we’ll have to sort that out.

DtB: What’s your long term vision for the event?

Larson: I don’t have enormous ambitions. We want to put on a local, urban marathon, a well-produced event. We want to be welcoming to other people from other states and other countries, but mostly it’s something for the local community to look forward to. The goals of our organization are to get people active, keep people active, and raise money for research. So that’s what the Minneapolis Marathon is all about.

Our goal is not to turn this into an international competition. For some people, it might be motivation to keep training through the winter. A lot of people want to run a marathon and don’t want to travel, whether because of time, or the money for gas and hotel or whatever. So this is a nice option for local people to do that.

NCAA XC: Reflections and Remembrances

It's NCAA Championship weekend again. Cross country teams from across the country have put the finishing touches on a long season of training, some hoping simply to hold on for one more race, others poised to surprise the competition with a perfectly timed peak. Whether you are talking about the Division I, II, or III level, the NCAA cross country meet is probably the single biggest day on the collegiate distance runner’s calendar.

The local running community looks on with interest. Saturday's DII and DIII races have come and gone, and we can celebrate the victory of a Minnesota woman in the DIII race. Many are curious to see how the Golden Gophers will fare on Monday, and some of us may be checking up on the old alma mater as well. For those of us who ran collegiate cross country, it is also a chance to look back and remember the journey.

For me, memories of NCAAs are bittersweet. I was a member of two NCAA championship teams at Stanford. Coached by current University of Oregon coach Vin Lananna, “the Machine” (as we called ourselves) was the dominant program of the late 1990s. Coach Lananna has done it again, taking an Oregon program steeped in tradition, and returning it to greatness.

When I think about my college team, I think about a great bunch of guys bonded closely by the pressures of performing on the course, and the greater pressures of a training regimen so intense that it pushed us either to become great or to crack.

I, unfortunately, usually fell into the “cracked” category. The best I could manage were my final two seasons, when I subbed in as a varsity runner at the district meet. I ran 6th or 7th on the team, which once was good enough for All-District honors, but never got me to the starting line at the national meet.

In 1997, I traveled with the team to Furman, South Carolina; I was the alternate – the guy who warmed up with the team and did the whole routine up until it was time to start the race, at which point, I stepped off to the side and assumed the role of cheerleader.

We won the meet. It was an incredible weekend to be a part of, and I truly cherish having been there with the team. But at the same time, it smarts that much more to be that close and not quite make it.

The disappointment of sitting out the national championship meet was certainly great, but it did not really take away from the experience of being a part of great teams. If I could go back and do it again, I would not have chosen to run for a team that was not quite as good, even if it meant I would have had more racing opportunities like the NCAA XC meet.

By running with the best, I learned how to push harder and dig deeper than I ever thought possible. I developed the humility to understand that the body can only be pushed so far before it rebels. Several of my teammates went on to run in the 2000 Olympics. I watched them qualify and compete with a great sense of pride.

The years that followed saw the typical post-collegiate dispersion and loss of contact. A couple of my teammates continue to train and race today. Most of them trained for another year or two after graduation, and then hung up the spikes. They felt like they had gone as far as they could in running. If there is a lesson to be learned from my experiences, it’s that at age 22 or 23, you are only beginning to come into your prime as a runner. I wonder what some of the guys who roundly whipped me meet-after-meet may have accomplished if they had continued to train with passion for another five or ten years.

If disappointment has a silver lining, it is found in the sense of possibility, the feeling of just missing something that could have been great, and being that much hungrier for a taste of success. I finished my collegiate career and turned a new page on running. Rather than staying with Coach Lananna and the Nike Farm Team, I joined a small club team called Hoy’s Excelsior, based in San Francisco. I ran cross country, road races, and eventually made it back to the track.

I did many of the same grueling workouts – six by a mile, or ten by a kilometer – and I continued to do them hard. However, I took more easy days in between, and I rested well before racing. Those minor adjustments took my career to a new level. Eventually, I ended up back in Minnesota and the marathon soon became my obvious niche.

When I watch NCAAs these days, it’s no longer with the envy of the guy who didn’t quite make it. I remember how hard it was just to make it there, and the pressure of having to time your training so well – to push yourself to new heights, and to balance there for that one day without stepping off the edge into the abyss of illness, injury, or overtraining. So when I watch, I feel pure unadulterated excitement to see such a mass of talented runners barreling along the course. The runners attack the race, fueled by miles and miles of base training, endless interval workouts, and the realization that, for a few moments, they are living their dreams.

On the Road: Lundstrom on State Qualifying

In his column this month, Chris Lundstrom, who refers to himself as "old school" on the matter, weighs in on the debate over State Meet qualifying.

Section 6AA Blues

As a current high school coach (St. Paul Como Park) and former runner (Northfield) in the Minnesota State High School League system, I'm interested in the discussion and controversy revolving around the process of state meet qualification.

To review…the #3 ranked Edina boys team did not make it to the State Meet this year, as they happened to be in the same section (6AA) as the #1 and #2 teams, Wayzata and Eden Prairie. This unfortunate occurrence brought some new fire to the idea of changing the process of state qualification.

First off, I give Coach Jamie Kirkpatrick a huge amount of credit for both building the Edina program over the years and also for the temperate, well-thought-out comments published on this site. Few coaches I know (myself included!) would remain so philosophical in what is obviously a frustrating situation. Jamie nailed it on the head when he said it’s a blessing and a curse. Kids, and athletes in general, rise to the level of their competition.

Section 6AA was clearly the toughest section in the state this year on the boys’ side. I don’t know anyone who would argue that. Many 6AA coaches, parents and athletes believe that they are always the toughest section. In looking over the last fifteen years of results, I think that is arguable. The reality is that competitive level varies from year to year in each section. Some sections tend to be stronger than others, but none hold a monopoly on state meet success.

Looking back through the top boys teams in the state over the last ten to fifteen years, you see Willmar (2AA) , Marshall (2AA), Hopkins (6AA), Stillwater (4AA), Wayzata (6AA) and a few other teams popping up again and again. These teams – and others – have all had periods of being consistently at or near the top. You can look through girls AA results or Class A results and pull out the top teams from those divisions as well. You can look deeper into the past and see some real dynasties – Minneapolis South and Minneapolis Southwest, for example.

Ultimately, the only consistent trend is that teams rise and fall. They dominate for a time, and then are replaced by others at the top. What makes them great, and what makes them fade? Passionate and high quality coaching, beneficial trends in demographics, the inspiration of a small group of exceptional athletes – it’s probably a unique set of circumstances in each instance.

So while I can certainly see how it would seem like being a boy’s team in section 6AA appears to be an impossible obstacle to overcome, I think history teaches us that that is simply untrue.

That said, it undeniably stinks to be ranked #3 and not toe the line at state. So it is certainly worth taking a look at the options ...

The Pluses and Minuses of an At-Large System

In his interview, Jamie Kirkpatrick touched on the fact that MSHSL simply will not approve any type of at-large system for entry into the state meet. Cross country is considered a team sport, and entry into the state tournament must determined by head-to-head competition for all sports under the umbrella of the MSHSL.

Setting aside the snowball’s chance odds of ever getting an at-large system for team qualification approved, I’d nonetheless like to take a look at the benefits and the drawbacks to such a system.

The proposal that DtB's Charlie Mahler put forward last year on this site involved adjusting bids per section based on the prior year’s results at the state meet. Section champions would qualify automatically, and the next eight slots would be allotted to sections based on previous state meet results. This system would be similar to the NCAA.

This proposal ignores one key thing: the MSHSL practice of doing sectional realignments every two years. Every other year, teams change sections. Under this system, half of the time state meet slots would be awarded to teams who may not have even been in the section the previous year. While some schools have been in the same section for as long anyone can remember, others – Como Park, for example – are accustomed to switching sections.

It might seem unfair to kids to have their chances of going to state determined by the section they happen to be in. I can guarantee that it would seem much more unfair to have their opportunity for qualification determined by how a bunch of kids (many of whom have since graduated) from another team (which may or may not still be in your section) ran on one day almost a year ago. Most people will take head-to-head competition over that any day.

Another idea I have heard thrown around is having coaches bid-in a certain number of teams after sections, based on results throughout the season. Another idea is utilizing results from early in the season to determine those at-large bids. For example, you could take the four teams who beat the most state qualifying teams but did not qualify out of their section.

Under either of those systems, Edina would certainly have gotten into the state meet this year. However, these ideas have drawbacks as well. Getting to the state meet could become political if coaches vote. Basing state entries on results from earlier in the season puts undue pressure on coaches and athletes to race fast early in the season, when the focus should be on training. The state meet could become secondary to the race to gain entry into the state meet; performances at the end of the season, and the long-term development of athletes, could be compromised.

Plus, I think it’s important to step back and look at the point of the whole thing. On the one hand, part of the state meet is about having the best teams and the best runners at the line at the same time. But that is not the only – or even the primary – purpose of the meet. If it was, there would never be a two-class system. We would get to see the best of the best, and forget about handicapping based on enrollment or any other factors.

So what else is the state meet about? I believe it is about giving athletes something to strive for, something to push them to elevate themselves to a higher level than they would otherwise have achieved. As evidenced by Jamie Kirkpatrick’s comments, that can occur whether the team makes it to state or not. I think that it is about providing exceptional teams and individuals a fair and clear opportunity for qualifying. Under that criteria, I believe that Edina had a fair shake this year. They knew all year the teams they would face and have to beat in order to go to state.

Northfield High School, Circa the Early 1990’s

As a one-time member of a 3rd place sectional team back in my days at Northfield High School, I can certainly understand the disappointment of this year’s Edina boys. My senior year, we failed to qualify for state despite placing 5th in state the previous year and returning most of our top runners. Unlike the Edina boys of this year, we were extremely close to qualifying – a few points from 2nd and a couple more points from 1st in the sectional meet – this despite taking the first two spots individually. It was hard, especially after the magic of the previous season.

My junior year, we had a pretty strong top three entering the season, but our team had never made it to state before. We needed something special to happen for us to get there, and it did.

Our fourth and fifth runners – who only emerged later in the season – were seniors who were out for the team for the first time. We pushed each other hard as a group, each runner just a step behind the others, always there to challenge and motivate the next guy on the team.

We ran out of our heads at the section meet – 15:33, 15:44, 16:05, and a couple 16:40 somethings – for a team time under 81 minutes. By the way, that’s faster than any boys teams including national powerhouse Wayzata ran at their section meet this year. Then it was on to state and a fifth place finish for the first ever Northfield boys cross country team to make it there. We didn’t run as well, but we were pleased nonetheless.

What Makes 6AA Great?

Let’s be real. Many of the schools in 6AA are situated in a geographical area encompassing a corridor of wealth that runs through the western suburbs. I’m going to go out on a limb and posit that they have some very real advantages over an average school in Minnesota: resources, parental and community involvement, extensive and well-funded youth sports programs, and high enrollment which allows for sheer numbers unimaginable at other schools.

Add to that the socio-economic reality that most of these kids aren’t working to help support the family, and I doubt that many are required to be home to prepare dinner for their family and care for their younger siblings before they even think about doing their homework.

Lack of other commitments is a luxury, and it creates a situation where the athletes are able to focus on their own development. They can train year-round, and they often begin to do so in their early teens. By the time they are seniors, they have logged thousands and thousands of miles. Those miles are the currency of cross country performance; they are cashed in every fall for fast times.

Lessons on the Course

As a coach at a smaller AA school in a lower socio-economic area, in a school district that doesn’t even have junior high cross country, I may at times envy the position of my suburban neighbors. However, I’m not about to quit trying, and I’m not about to cede the meet before the season even begins. I have coached state qualifiers in cross country, Nordic skiing, and track at Como Park – even a state champion in track. No, we haven’t come anywhere close to a team qualifier, but I see that as just a few more steps away. White Bear Lake, Roseville, and Stillwater probably aren't going to get any worse. We're going to have to get a lot better.

Yes, the advantages of the suburban behemoths are very real, but I question the notion that there is an unshakable order in any section or in the state. The beauty of cross country is in the accessibility of the sport. Look at the history of state meet finishes, and you will see excellence from every corner of the state.

A little trivia – if you add team place from the 2006 and 2007 state meet for boys AA, which teams would have the lowest scores?

Rosemount (3AA), 4
Brainerd (8AA), 7
Willmar (2AA), 7
Eden Prairie (6AA), 11

Rosemount and Brainerd did not qualify this year. Ultimately, it takes a little bit of luck and a little bit of magic. It’s about putting it all on the line, and staring up through the haze at the end of the race to see what the clock says, and what the scores add up to. The clock treats us all the same, and the places are set in stone when the race finishes. That is the beauty of the sport.

Marathon Wisdom

I heard that Dean Karnazes has a book about the lessons he learned running 50 marathons in 50 days. I haven’t read it, but it did get me thinking about my own, much less prolific marathon history. So for this installment of “On the Road” I set out to write about the lessons I have taken from the 15 marathons of my career.

In the process, I got hung up on my first marathon. Maybe it’s because I’ve been training with a couple of guys who are about to make their debut at the distance, Team USA Minnesota runners Antonio Vega and Josh Moen. I don’t know. Maybe it’s because it has been almost a year since my last marathon, long enough to be in danger of forgetting a few things.

Anyway, I remember my own hopes and trepidations going into my first marathon, which was over seven years ago. I know that I had a vague idea that the marathon might be my best distance, because I always seemed to pass people in the latter stages of shorter races. Other than that, I guess I figured I had nothing to lose, so I’d give it a shot.

I can’t help but compare myself seven years ago with Antonio and Josh as they head into their first marathon. My first thought is that I am glad for their sake that these two guys are much better prepared than I was for my first 26.2 miler. They have better 10k speed, have put in more mileage, more marathon-specific workouts, and have had better guidance than I did.

The second thing that really strikes me is that, while I am obviously much more experienced today than I was then, many of the same questions and concerns remain. I’ll be toeing the line at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon along with these rookies in less than three weeks, and I will probably be just as filled with uncertainty as they will. Maybe more, because I know how much it’s going to hurt, even on a good day.

What questions still trouble me after so many marathons? How fast can I go out, and still come back strong in the second half? How will I adjust to different weather conditions? What if choosing to run my pace means running alone? What can I do in these final weeks to make my legs feel great on race morning? What will I do if they don’t? How will I manage if I encounter problems X, Y, and Z? Missed water bottles, pacing errors, GI distress, blisters, equipment malfunctions – the list of what can go wrong goes on and on.

I guess if there is one “lesson” that I have learned from the marathon, it is that it pays to stay calm in dealing with whatever comes your way. A few seconds lost won’t kill you. A panic attack will.

If your shoe comes untied, calmly stop and tie it and quickly get moving again. If you feel yourself becoming dehydrated, focus ahead on reaching the next aid station, refuel as best as you can and then get moving again. Need a bathroom break? Take it, quickly and efficiently, and then get moving again.

Yes, that is my genius advice, the wisdom accumulated over 15 marathons: always, always, always keep going. It’s the only way to get to the finish line.

On the Road with Chris Lundstrom: Looking Back on the Olympic Trials

Down the Backstretch is pleased to report that Chris Lundstrom has joined our little organization.

Chris, as you likely know, is a member of Team USA Minnesota and a former Northfield High School and Stanford University standout. Chris (pictured) has already contributed to DtB by covering the second portion of the Olympic Track and Field Trials and getting the scoop behind the improbably fast Run for Oromia races.

Today, we introduce "On the Road," a column Chris will write regularly for DtB. We think Chris' background as an elite runner, high school coach, and long-time witness to the Minnesota running and track scene will make his observations an interesting and entertaining read.

Welcome aboard, Chris!

On the Road
By Chris Lundstrom

About a month has passed since the USA Olympic Track and Field Trials. I did not compete, but rather attended the meet as a spectator and journalist. Having spent the better part of my life deeply involved in running and track & field, I have rarely been a spectator. I have competed more times than I can count, and I have coached a lot of teams at a wide variety of meets.

But this was different. I wasn’t worried about warming up and checking in for my race, or concerned about whether I had given the team the instruction that they needed to perform their best. I had a rare opportunity to just sit back and watch the drama of the sport unfold.

I watched the Trials partially as an objective observer – someone who appreciates the sport for its innate beauty. And indeed the Trials featured an amazing gathering of talents and abilities, from the coordinated power of a perfectly executed triple jump to the sustained drive of the final laps of the 10,000 meters. Add to that the inherent drama built into the Trials. It’s all or nothing. Top 3 go to the Games. Everyone else goes home. Hundreds of athletes from around the country put their lives on hold to train and prepare for this opportunity that comes once every four years. A cold, an inflamed tendon, or an aching muscle can turn a favorite into an also-ran.

At the end of the day, most competitors are forced to accept that their best wasn’t quite good enough. Not this time. Yet they battle on, hurling themselves to the finish line for 8th place, knowing I suppose that the race against themselves must be fought as courageously as the race for the Olympic team. Maybe next time third place will be on the line, and they will need to know how to dig in with everything in their being. Or maybe the athletes simply need the peace of mind that comes with knowing that they gave it everything they had on that day.

So yes, it was a beautiful thing to watch, as I’m sure the Olympic Games will be. But I have to admit that I also watched the meet as a partisan fan. I don’t normally get into sports in the sense that many people do – I haven’t entered an NCAA Final Four pool since I was a kid, and I couldn’t tell you who won the Superbowl since sometime in the late 1980’s.

But at the Olympic Trials, I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat, heart in my throat, pulling for my favorites in race after race. Much of that has to do with the personal ties I have to many of the athletes who were out there performing, I suppose. There were my current Team USA Minnesota teammates, a few former collegiate teammates from Stanford, and many other individuals who I have gotten to know over the years. There was even a young woman who I remember as a very talented high school kid that I worked with in my first coaching job at Sacred Heart Cathedral High School in San Francisco.

That young woman, Shannon Rowbury, won the 1500 meters and is going to Beijing. As her high school assistant coach 8 years ago, I have had little to nothing to do with her success, yet I feel so proud of her and what she has done with her talent. Watching her run at the peak of fitness in perhaps the biggest race of her life was such a thrill. It was a reminder of just how great the highs can be in our sport.

But the lows can be pretty low too. And the one meet qualifying system does not forgive those who do not peak properly, or who simply face too much bad luck too close to the meet. I had aspirations to compete at the Track and Field Trials myself, but several illnesses, a shin injury, a foot injury, and various other life events all conspired to keep me out. So I return to my specialty, the marathon, humbled by the unforgiving oval. Having the experience of two Olympic Trials Marathons under my belt made it easier to stomach sitting in the bleachers.

But for others, track is everything, and the Olympics are what they dream about every day. My Team USA Minnesota teammate Carrie Tollefson became an Olympian in dramatic fashion in 2004. After massive surgeries and two years of struggle, she found that her Beijing dreams were not to be. Despite all of the work, the unerring positive attitude, and the support of her family and friends, it wasn’t meant to be. If the Trials could have been delayed a few weeks, would it have made the difference for her? I don’t know. If there were some other way to choose the team, maybe she would have had enough time.

Many countries have different selection methods. Kenya chooses its Olympic team by selectors – individuals who decide who should go – rather than through a Trials meet. Impress the right people, and a slot in the Olympics is yours. Get on someone’s wrong side, and forget it. Kenya dominates the world running scene, particularly among men. Yet in the biggest of the big meets – the Olympic Games – the podium hosts just a sprinkling of Kenyan runners.

I can’t say with any certainty that it’s because of their selection system, but I can say that the many of the Kenyan runners I know do not feel the same passion about the Olympics that most track & field athletes in the U.S feel. They do not tend to place representing their country at the Olympics at the top of their list of dreams and aspirations, the way most elite athletes do in the U.S.

I think part of the reason for that is that with our system, the athletes make the decision in the most pure manner conceivable. Head-to-head. One shot only. As many hearts as the system has broken, it has fed the dreams of thousands and thousands, the dream of having that perfect day when it counts, and making the trip to the Games ahead of the 21 guys who had faster times than you going into the meet.

Part of the goal of USATF is to send teams that will bring home the most medals. Some argue that exceptions should be made to include athletes who have a better shot at making it to the podium. Does Alan Webb have a better chance to medal than Leonel Manzano? Probably. But if Webb were to be placed on the team at the expense of an athlete who beat him fairly, we would not only be crushing the dreams of that athlete. We’d be crushing the dreams of all the long-shots and underdogs.

Those athletes need to have their dreams fed, because they are the fuel that keeps the competitive fire burning in our sport. These athletes rise to greatness or fail trying, but they do so because they can, not because someone calculates that they have the best odds. Head-to-head competition is what the sport is all about. Whether it’s a high school dual meet, an age-group duel in a road race, or the Olympic finals, it’s all about the testing our limits against others and ourselves.

It’s about seeing where we stack up, and doing the best we can on that particular day.

Photo courtesy of TCM and Competitive Image.