Kenyan Running Advantage: Connective Tissue Elasticity

This will be "science day" on Down the Backstretch.  Two sports scientists I've met while visiting Chicago are South African natives Ross Tucker and Jonathan Dugas.  Both studied under Tim Noakes in South Africa.  Jonathan works for a South African company in Chicago.  Ross consults for various sports teams and writes from his base in South Africa.

Several decades ago I wrote a piece for The Runner on the Achilles tendon.  The thing that stuck with me from the research for that article was how little we know about connective tissue and its role in sports performance as compared to muscle fibers.  That hasn't changed much, but every now and then an interesting research project gets published.

One of those studies was published recently and Amby Burfoot included it in one of the Twitter links he often posts on sports science research.  A conclusion of the study was that Kenyan runners may have more elastic Achilles tendons, which may help them run faster.  This coincided with something I had noticed in my own running of late.

I would run a loop on the five mile course I do normally four days of the week and discovered with the same effort--perceived exertion--I would be running significantly faster--sometimes ten to twenty seconds a mile.  The only theory I could come up with that made any sense was that is that the amount of force I was generating with each stride had increased without an increase in perceived effort. My respiration stayed the same.  No major stride changes or application of force that I could feel.

Somehow I was generating more power with the same amount of perceived effort.  When I read the abstract that Amby linked to regarding tendons it noted that one of the findings was that connective tissue--the Achilles tendon in this case--was found to generate more force without utilizing more oxygen.  In other words, an athlete could go faster without breathing harder or feeling the stress the same way it would if the muscles were working harder.

I sent off the article Amby had sent me to Ross and Jonathan.  Today Ross wrote a piece on their blog about the topic.  You can find it HERE. As with most science the paper creates more questions than answers, but it does appear to show that tendon elasticity is an important component in elite athlete performance.  The questions it raises is whether or not the elasticity of the tendons is a genetic trait or whether it is merely an adaptation to training.

Does it help explain why East Africans, Kenyans, are more successful in elite distance running?  Or, stated more simply, is it something you are born with or can any athlete develop this adaptation with the right training.  All interesting questions waiting for answers.

The Products of A Curious Mind

One of the benefits of running is the people you meet.  One of them who has been particularly interesting over the years, not so much for his running, but rather for his "day job,"--is Bernd Heinrich  Heinrich is an emeritus professor of biology and has written extensively on nature and even one book on running.

Heinrich was a top ultra runner in his prime.  I met him at one of the AMJA ultra championships Dr. Noel Nequin used to organize in Chicago many years ago. In 1980 at one of those races, Minnesotan Barney Klecker set the world record.

Heinrich has used the discipline and dedication that made him a successful ultra runner to good use as an observer of nature.The topics he has tackled don't get a lot of attention, but he has had an interesting life, and made a great contribution to his chosen field.  You can read about his latest project HERE.

USATF Minnesota Athletes of the Month for December 2012

Grant Wintheiser and the Wayzata High School girls' cross country team are USATF Minnesota's Athletes of the Month for December 2012.

Wintheiser, a sophomore at St. Olaf College, is honored for his third-place finish at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships held in Terre Haute, Indiana in late November. The Sartell native ran the 8K course in 24 minutes, 36 seconds, leading the Oles to a 14th-place finish in team competition.

The Wayzata girls' cross country team is recognized for its 7th-place finish at Nike Cross Nationals, a national  championship competition for high school teams held in early December. The 2012 MSHSL Class AA state champions tallied 232 points at the meet in Portland, Oregon.

Andrew Carlson Seventh at Chevron Houston Marathon

Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson finished seventh in a rain soaked Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday in 2:17:16.  Carlson was the first American to finish after the top six places were taken by Ethiopians led by race winner Bazu Worku, who ran 2:10:17.  Marathon and Half-Marathon results are HERE.  Video of Carlson's post-race press conference is HERE.  Post race FloTrack interview is HERE.

Gopher Track Teams Open Indoor Season

The University of Minnesota men's track & field team won ten individual titles in their first meet of the indoor season,  Saturday's Northwest Open at the Fieldhouse. The University of Minnesota women’s track team started off their indoor season at the Bison Classic in Fargo, ND and at the Northwest Open.

In North Dakota, the Gophers posted one-two finishes in two events. Becca Dyson (9:48.59) and Maggie Bollig(9:51.15) took the top two spots in the 3,000 meters. Kylie Peterson (5.02) and Todea-Kay Willis (5.10) finished first and second in the 40-yard dash.

Alena Brooks won the 800 meters in 2:11.10. Willis took the long jump title with a leap of 19 feet, two inches (5.84m). Bria Halama (38-9, 11.81m) won the triple jump.

“Overall, it was a good meet,” director of track and field and cross country Matt Bingle said. “We ran a lot of odd events today, but next week we’ll go full force. We need to have a good week in practice.”

At the Northwest Open Gopher event winners were Jessica Schmidt (3,000m), Becci Osterdyk (shot put) and Caitlyn Dongoske(weight throw).

"We had some solid performances to start our indoor season, and now we have some things that we can build off of as the season continues," director of men's track & field Steve Plasencia said. "Next week, we have a more competitive meet with the Jack Johnson, and our guys have to be ready for it."

  

Among the individual titles was Jon Lehman's weight throw of 20.74m, the top throw in the NCAA so far this season and an NCAA qualifier. The Gophers finished 1-2-3 in the event with Lehman besting teammates Quentin Mege (18.31m) and Justin Barber (17.76m).

Minnesota also posted a 1-2-3 finish in the pole vault with Jack Szmanda, Zach Siegemeier and Logan Markuson leading the day's competitors. Szmanda paced the event with a vault of 5.08m.

Additionally, the Gophers featured 1-2 finishes in the 600m run with Jacob Capek (1:20.89) edging Kevin Bradley (1:21.10) for top honors, the high jump with Danny Schiller (2.1m) topping Trevor Yedoni (2.05m) and the shot put with Mark Jennings picking up first place at 17.08m to Emmanuel Onyia's 17.01m.

The Gophers will host the Jack Johnson Classic at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse Jan. 18-19.

Men's results are HERE. 
Women's results are HERE
Bison Classic results are HERE.

USA 100K Trail Running Champs

from Roy Pirrung 
Sage Canaday won his first ultra championship, to go along with last year's Mountain Running title, at the USA 100K Trail National  Championships in Texas on Saturday.  Canaday was timed in 8:13:49 on a tough, hilly, and rocky trail topped off with mud. Finishing second in 8:53:27 was first-place Masters finisher, Dave Mackey,  who held the course record until Canaday boke it by two minutes, 59 seconds. Paul Terranova, who completed the Grand Slam and an Ironman last year, placed third in 8:55:41. 

In the woman's race Michele Yates, took the lead from the start, winning her second trail title in less than two years after a win at last year's 50-mile at Nueces. Yates' time was 10:08:48. Melanie Fryar took second in 10:17:30, Sabrina Little, known for her fine 24-hour performance in 2012, took third in 11:00:03. Liza Howard finished fourth.

‎50K splits
Male: Canaday 3:51:45, Mackey 4:00, Terranova & Stanley two seconds apart at 4:13:57, & Lundstrom at 4:17:31: 
Female: Yates 4:43:24, Fryar 4:52:17 & Howard 4:54:56. Several top runners have dropped out. Trail conditions continue to deteriorate with high humidity. 

Full results are HERE. Note that Chris Lundstrom finished 50K faster than the winner of that event, but was entered in the 100K.

Beth Alford Sullivan to Become President of USTFCCCA

Former Minnesota high school and Gopher standout, who is currently Director and Head Coach of Penn State track and field and cross country, Beth Alford-Sullivan,  will become President  of the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) in the summer of 2013. Sullivan was nominated and elected during the opening session at annual USTFCCCA Convention in December of 2012.  

Alford Sullivan ran for Hopkins High School and the University of Minnesota.  In 2007 she was inducted into the Hopkins HS Hall of Fame.

Yes/No: Michael Reneau under 2:15 at Houston?

Yes/No returns in 2013 and with a clean slate for all Yes/No participants.  You could say that everyone is currently tied for first place (and last place).  This is your chance to try and dethrone the 2012 champion, Heather Jelen.

The Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon are often considered the race of choice for folks looking for a fast race in the middle of winter.  The weather generally cooperates, the competition is top-notch, and the course is flat and fast.

A few of our own Minnesota marathoners, including 2:11 Team USA-MN runner Andrew Carlson and Twin Cities Track Club's Michael Reneau, are looking to take advantage of this opportunity.  Another TCTC member, Joe Moore has been contracted by the Houston Marathon to rabbit a group through the half marathon point at 66 minutes.

We will focus on Reneau with the first question of 2013...

Yes/No: Will Michael Reneau run faster than 2:15:00 at the Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday?

Michael Reneau has a marathon personal best of 2:14:37.  He talks about his goals for the 2013 marathon in this article on runblogrun.com.  For more information on Reneau, check out this 2007 Washington Post article.

The Chevron Houston Marathon boasts a strong field including 2:05 marathoner Bazu Worku.  The top American runners include Carlson, Reneau, Fernando Cabada, Tommy Neal and Sergio Reyes.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 7:00 A.M. CDT, Sunday, January 13th.  Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail.

My Answer:  Yes

Heather Jelen won the 2012 version of the Yes/No contest.  She finished two points ahead of Mike Henderson and Jesse Schoen.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner, HERE.

News Items

The story behind Stillwater's orange and green uniforms from the Stillwater Gazette is HERE.

More on Nicole Porath's indoor women's world marathon record from the Northfield News is HERE.

Brent Hanson's Video of Perham boys' and girls' XC teams is HERE.

Andrew Carlson Will Run the Chevron Houston Marathon

Team USA Minnesota’s Andrew Carlson will run in the Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday.

“I am definitely racing on Sunday,” said Carlson.

Some 13,000 participants are expected for the Houston Marathon which will start at 7 AM  The prize purse features $40,000 for first place with additional money for American runners, including $5,000 for first place.

Gopher Women Track Preview: Throws

Minnesota's throws group graduated two seniors in DeAnne Hahn and Shanna Campbell. Hahn, a former Big Ten champion in hammer, qualified for the NCAA preliminary meet in hammer last spring. The Gophers return eight throwers from last year's roster, including two redshirt freshmen, and sophomore Christina DeLakis, who had a breakout season in her redshirt freshman year. GopherSports.com sat down with throws coach Lynne Anderson to talk more about her group of student-athletes.

GopherSports: Can you talk a little bit about who will be stepping into DeAnne Hahn's place in the hammer throw?

Lynne Anderson: Right now our seniors are Amy Kubat and Jeri Johnson-Chambers. Those two will stepping up and taking over for Dee's place. They're training really well right now. Caitlyn Dongoske's working on it. Those guys are really working hard right now. Jeri and Amy seem to really be catching on to what we're trying to do, so it's working out for them.

GopherSports: Talk about Christina DeLakis's development over the past couple years, and about what you expect to see from her in the spring.

Lynne Anderson: She's learning the hammer from square one just like everyone else. She has excelled greatly in the shot. She placed third at the outdoor Big Ten meet in her freshman year. Right now we're just working on her strength levels to get her up there. She has very good technique, so the variables we work with are the strength, the speed, the understanding of being able to repeat it more and more with heavier shot puts. That's what our training is, and she's responding pretty well to it. She's still very young, though.
GopherSports: Which other returners should we watch for this upcoming season?

Lynne Anderson: I think Devin Stanford did a good job last year. She held herself together in a lot of the meets. She came back ready to go. She and Tina and Jeri and Amy and our redshirt freshmen, Lyndsey Thorpe and Becci Osterdyk, are working very hard also. My true freshmen are learning everything, from a new event to enhancing what they already have. I have a really nice group of people.
GopherSports: Tell us a little bit about those incoming freshmen.

Lynne Anderson: Angie Guenther is from White Bear Lake. She was a runner-up in the discus several years in a row. She's been a very big surprise and very happy surprise for me in that she learns so quickly. She is extremely fast, and sometimes when they're fast like that, it's very hard to adjust. But she's doing a great job. Another freshman is Autumn Miller. She's recovering from surgery, so it's been slow go, but she's making some progress every day. And Kailee Kamps has probably been my biggest surprise in the freshman group. She's from Wisconsin, learns very quickly, and is also very fast. She is learning the hammer, and Angie Guenther is learning the javelin. Angie and Kailee are both discus throwers, and they're each learning a new event. It's going to be very interesting to see how they do this freshman year. They're very, very athletic.

Gopher Women Indoor Track Preview: Sprints & Hurdles

In the outdoor season, the 4x100-meter relay was the Golden Gophers' best event, advancing to its second straight NCAA Championships meet. Minnesota returns some of that relay team as well as several other promising athletes in addition to bringing in some exciting newcomers. GopherSports.com sat down with head coach Matt Bingle to talk about the sprints, jumps and hurdles.

GopherSports: Who are some returners you are especially excited about right now?

Matt Bingle: To be honest, I'm excited about a lot of people, just because we were so young last year. You can see huge growth in them. There's a long list of people I'm excited about. One of the biggest things I'm telling them is, "We've just got to get better, and everybody has to do their part on and off the track." That's what they're focusing on right now. Everybody's moving forward together. Relatively, we're still young. We have a good group of seniors. We have Kylie Peterson, who's having a great fall in the weight room and on the track. Those seniors--Alena Brooks, Kylie, and Todea-Kay Willis--are all doing a good job.

GopherSports: What are you looking for from each group?

Matt Bingle: In the sprints, obviously we're excited to have Kylie and Alena back. And TK was the Jamaican national champion in long jump this summer. She went 6.37 meters. She's doing well, and we're just starting to work on long jump now. She's very focused right now. She just needs to stay the course, keep trying to get better, and work on little things that are going to help her improve her jumping. She will have a more prominent role in the sprints this year. She's going to focus on the long jump and doing the 60 meters indoors.

Alena Brooks represented Trinidad in some meets this summer, and she's also having a good fall. She's healthy. She was injured for most of last season, but she's really doing a good job off the track right now and on the track. She's being a great teammate and working really hard. I'm very excited for her for her senior year.

Te'Shon Adderley is new from Iowa Central College. She's had a very good fall. She's transitioned well with the team. She's been running with the cross country team this fall, and now she's transitioning to be with the 600 and 800 meters group with the sprinters. We're kind of going back and forth with her. She represented the Bahamas at the World Junior Championships, where she ran 2:07 in Spain. She's fitting in well and we're excited about her potential. The potential to have her and Alena indoors in that 600 and 800 group has us excited to see how they turn out.

We're also excited about the development of Frances Conlin, Jessica Waldvogel, and Madison Smith. Megan Geyen has had a great fall and she's ready to take the next step. Chidera Obasih had a good indoor season last year and she's coming back better. Erin Hawkins, a really talented freshman, is doing well right now. I'm excited about that group.

In the pole vault, Katie Murgic returns. She had a good freshman campaign last year and looks a lot better this fall.Stephanie Oleson is having a good fall. We're excited about the addition of Cami Gilson, who went over 13 feet in high school last year.

In the multi-events, we return Nicole Murphey and Jess Herauf. They really committed over the summertime. They're doing a lot of work and doing what is necessary. We also have the addition of Alex and Amanda Beckman, who redshirted last year. They're off to a great start. We added Audra Winter in that group as a freshman, and she has been doing even better than I thought.

In the long jump we'll have Todea-Kay. Nicole Murphey is coming along in the long jump. She went 19 feet at the end of the last year. In triple jump, I'm excited about Bria Halama. She went close to 40 feet last year as a redshirt freshman, and she was pretty beat up. With the addition of Shani Marks coaching her, I feel excited about that.

GopherSports: Can you talk about the overall improvement of this group?

Matt Bingle: Of course we won't know exactly how much better they are until competition starts, but they are all doing a great job this fall and you can definitely see improvement. I think we'll be better this year. Our goal is to score a lot more points at the Big Ten meet. We'll hopefully be healthier this year, which will give us a lot more depth. I'm cautiously optimistic. 

It's been a great Fall. They're working their tails off. They're committed. They're making changes off the track. They're making mental changes. As I tell them all the time, it's not enough. I need more. They understand that, and they're working their butts off. It's really fun going to practice because they're committed to getting better. There's a lot of learning going on. It makes you feel good every day. I love going to practice, and I think they feel the same way. 

That's what I like about this group. This is what it was like in '06, '07, '08, '09. I couldn't wait to get to practice because those guys were ready to work. This group is a very blue collar group, too, because they want to do great things. You tell them what to do, they'll do their best to do it.

Gopher Women Indoor Track Preview:Distance Runners

The final installment of GopherSports.com's indoor track preview series focuses on the distance group. Minnesota's season begins this Saturday with meets at North Dakota State and at home in the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse.

After a 22nd-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, the Golden Gopher distance runners have been transitioning from running on outdoor courses to a flat indoor track. Sophomore Molly Kayfes and junior Laura Docherty were consistently the team's top two runners throughout the cross country season. In addition to the Gophers' NCAA and Big Ten competitors, a lot of runners with shorter distance focuses will enter the mix during track season. Coach Sarah Hesser sat down with GopherSports.com to talk about the distance group.

GopherSports: Talk a little about the transition from cross country to indoor track.

Sarah Hesser: The most important thing between the national meet and now is that the girls got a nice two-week break where they really got away from the sport for a little while, which I think is important to mentally refresh. The cross season can be kind of long and mentally challenging, just to keep your emotions going at that point. To take a little break is really important.

And then, basically from the time of their break until now, they've been doing a lot of base work. They've been getting miles in. They've been doing maybe one or two workouts a week, but nothing too crazy. The way we look at it is, the indoor season is really only about six weeks long. It's really hard to crunch everything in, especially after cross country. It's hard to then peak for the indoor season, come back down, and peak again for outdoor. We try to look at it as one elongated season. We want to run well at the indoor Big Ten meet and maybe get some people to nationals, but we also want to still have legs and be running our fastest in May and June. 

As a distance coach, you have to be a little bit careful, coming out of that intense fall, in how you build for the indoor and outdoor seasons. But we've always had people that can perform well indoors and keep the momentum going into outdoor. It helps that sometimes the outdoor events are a bit different than the indoor events, so you can train a little differently and adjust going from indoors to outdoors.

Having the great fall that the girls had, they've got a lot of confidence and that's the biggest thing for indoors--knowing that they're fit, knowing that all the stuff they did all fall is going to build into their indoor season. It doesn't just disappear and start over.

GopherSports: Who besides the top cross country group should we watch for in the indoor season?

Sarah Hesser: When you start to add the mid-distance group indoors, you definitely pull in some more people that aren't necessarily 6K runners. For example, freshman Te'Shon Adderley can run the 800 meters and 600 meters, and she's kind of a hybrid between the sprinting and distance groups. Katie Hill, who had a very good cross country season for her while not necessarily in our top group in cross, is primed and ready to have a good track season in the 800. Heather Brunn is another one who scored last year indoors. I think she's ready to rock and roll. Freshman Haylie Zenner got through cross, but her passion and skill level is really suited for the 800. Those are some of the names you didn't hear as much in cross country.

Becca Dyson was an alternate for Big Tens in cross, but she's more of a miler, so I think you'll see her name move up higher on the totem pole. I think Maggie Bollig is going to make a big impact in that mile group. The 3,000- and 5,000-meter group is going to be very much the same as what you saw in cross. Molly Kayfes, Laura Docherty, Ashlie Decker, Jamie Piepenburg, Katie Moraczewski, Liz Berkholtz--I think they will be the big players in the 3,000 and 5,000 indoors.

News Items(includes some Monday updates)

A few of the news items that appeared over the Holiday break:

Andrew Carlson has an Achilles injury that may alter his plans for running the Houston Marathon is HERE.

Masters champion Ralph Maxwell still going strong despite cancer scare is HERE.

Gopher All American Barbora Špotáková ranked number one in the World in the javelin by T&F News is HERE.

Joe Moore thanks Alan Webb is HERE.

Interview with Steve Thomas, Minnesota age-group Runner of the Year is HERE.

Augsburg press release on Dennis Barker, who was the coach for the US team that competed this weekend in Scotland, is HERE.

Coach Barker's report on the races in Scotland: "Senior Women:  The Europeans had a strong team and were in control of the race.  The US and GB/NI were neck and neck through three runners but they put their 4, 5, and 6 just in front of ours and that was the difference.  Ladia ran very well. She started a little too far back maybe, but finished strong.  She outkicked Julia Bleasdale, a 15:02 5K and sub 31 10K runner who finished 10th in the Olympics last summer. 

"Senior Men: Team depth won it for our senior men.  The Europeans and GB/NI had some tough guys up front but our 2-6 guys  made up a good pack and broke up those teams a bit.  Jon Peterson ran in that pack.  He wanted to do a little better, but I thought it was a solid race for him."

Another article remembering Johanna Olson is HERE.

Reports on a record run in the Zoom! Yah! Yah! indoor marathon are HERE and HERE.. Race results are HERE.

Launch of second Explore Minnesota Challenge running series for 2013 is HERE and HERE.

Mike Reneau talks about his goals at this weekend's Chevron Houston Marathon HERE

Lydiard Foundation article on running shoes is HERE

Gabriele Anderson makes Competitor. com top ten American runners to watch in 2013 is HERE.. .

US Men Win BUPA Great Edinburgh International Cross Country Team Challenge

The US men's team won the team title at the BUPA Great Edinburgh International Cross Country Team Challenge Saturday in Edinburgh, Scotland.  The US women were third.  A race report is HERE.

The US's Bobby Mack won the men's individual title by one second in 24:27 for 8K. Team USA Minnesota's Jonathan Peterson was twelveth in 25:08, the sixth man on the US team(the top six score in this meet). Joe Moore was fifteenth in 25:11, the US's eighth man to finish. Mattie Suver finished third in the women's 6K race in 21:00. Team USA Minnesota's Ladia Albertson-Junkans finished seventh in 21:08; Meghan Peyton was eighteenth in 21:38;  Jamie Cheever finished 20th in 21:41; Stephanie Price placed 21st in 21:43; McKenzie Melander was 29th in 22:58.

Report on the races from Dennis Barker, Augsburg/Team USA Minnesota coach, and coach of the US teams that competed in Scotland: "Senior Women:  The Europeans had a strong team and were in control of the race.  The US and GB/NI were neck and neck through three runners but they put their 4, 5, and 6 just in front of ours and that was the difference.  Ladia ran very well. She started a little too far back maybe, but finished strong.  She outkicked Julia Bleasdale, a 15:02 5K and sub 31 10K runner who finished 10th in the Olympics last summer.

"Senior Men: Team depth won it for our senior men.  The Europeans and GB/NI had some tough guys up front but our 2-6 guys  made up a good pack and broke up those teams a bit.  Jon Peterson ran in that pack.  He wanted to do a little better, but I thought it was a solid race for him."

A few video clips from the races are HERE.

Remembering Johanna Olson

Photo courtesy of Photo Run

Minnesota native Johanna Olson's courageous battle with recurring brain cancer is over.  You can read about Johanna's life HERE, HERE,  and HERE.

Midnight Run Photo Album

The leaders early in the race
Photo by Jim Ferstle

NYRR president/CEO Mary Wittenberg(blue hat) welcomes
finishers
Photo by Jim Ferstle

Wittenberg cheers runners as they finish
Photo by Jim Ferstle

Runners cross the finish
Photo by Jim Ferstle

Many have unique costumes
Photo by Jim Ferstle

Runners and spectators get a post-race concert
Photo by Jim Ferstle

Midnight Run entertainment by jferstle

The photos and videos were all taken with an iPad.  The videos being recorded from the back of a pickup truck in front of the race.  For a more professional view of the race start and you can watch Ambrose Salmini's clips of the start and finish HERE.

Happy New Year

2013 began with bright light and thunderous explosions in Central Park when the clock hit midnight on New Year's Eve.  As the 4,000 runners in the Emerald Nuts 4-mile took off from the starting line on the 72nd Street traverse that bisects the Southern portion of the Park, a fireworks show began over the starting line and behind the spectators gathered along the slight ridge adjoining the course.  

Fueled by the adrenalin rush generated by the pyrotechnics, the elite field flew through the opening stages of the race with the more experienced racers quickly adjusting so as not to spend too much of their energy in the first mile.  Woman's winner Delilah DiCrescenzo, a NYC resident who warmed up in her in her plain white long-sleeved T, said she consciously took her foot off the throttle at the beginning because she was concerned about getting sucked into too fast an early pace. 

NYRR Emerald Nuts Midnight Run by jferstle
The men settled into a group of nearly a dozen in the front pack who were watching one another and waiting for someone to make a move. That move came at around a mile and a half when two-time Olympian at 1,500 meters, Ethiopian Mulugeta Wendimu, who now runs for the NYC-based West Side Runners, surged to the front. Wendimu, who eventually finished third, was followed by his West Side teammate Tesfaye Dereje Girma and the Boston Athletic Association's Tim Ritchie, as that pack of three separated themselves from the field. 

Wendimu kept throwing in surges for the next half mile and looking around to see the impact of his tactics on his companions.  As the pace slowed a bit in the third mile, DiCrescenzo's NJ-NY Track Club teammate,  Christian  Johnson, who had been left behind by the Ethiopian's early accelerations, gradually worked his way back to the front pack. 

Ritchie and Johnson then became the aggressors, one or the other alternately making the pace too hot for Wenimdu to handle.  By the time the duo reached the final half mile, Johnson had taken control, even though he had continually expended extra energy by running in the center of the road, while Richie hugged the curbs and ran the tangents.  

As the pair neared the final quarter mile, the firework finale began with a machine-gun-like burst of concussive thunder as the aerial explosions began coming in rapid succession.   Ritchie finally wilted from Johnson's relentless pace and the red-haired Pennsylvania resident outran Ritchie by five seconds in the last quarter mile to win in a  time of 18:49.  DiCerscenzo had a much less contested victory, cruising to a 17 second win in a time of 21:07 over runner up Frances Koon, and 34 seconds over third place finisher Ashley Higginson.

NYRR president and CEO Mary Wittenberg was at the finish to great the elites and stayed to congratulate the rest of the finishers.  Some sharing  a high five, others receiving plaudets for their efforts.  Despite having access to the latest in timing technology, the Midnight  Run elites were timed with stopwatches not computerized scoring systems and chip timing.  It's in keeping with the the purpose of the event being a "fun run" to provide runners with an alternative celebratory activity for New Year's Eve.

While a burgeoning crowd of revelers filling the streets from just below the Park to past Times Square in an attempt to view the annual ball drop and accompanying fireworks, the race site was filled with runners,  some of whom sipped the sparkling apple cider at the race's aid station, and joined the spectators at the post-race concert at the bandshell near the baggage claim area where runners picked up their warm up clothing after finishing.  By the time the New Year had passed its first hour, many of the participants were on their way to boarding nearby subway trains to take them back to their homes or hotels.  

A young couple from Pennsylvania, who traveled to the city to run their third Midnight Run said that it had become their way of celebrating on New Year's Eve.  An IT manager from the city, who took up running in high school as a way in getting in shape for his first sport, hockey, has been running the race for the last seven years.  "It's become a tradition," he said.  Another young couple who live in Alphabet City on the lower East side of Manhattan, said it was their first time running the race, and that they planned on coming back.  They were hooked by the fireworks and the festive atmosphere.  

Just as the famed Midnight Run in Brazil inspired the NYRR to create their New Year's Eve event, other US cities are trying similar events in their cities. A variation on that theme that takes into account Minnesota winter weather being the January 1 Lifetime Fitness Commitment Day 5K run/walk in the Metrodome.

Happy Holidays and Thanks from DtB!

Happy Holidays everyone!

On behalf of our little operation, let me wish all of you a happy, healthy, and relaxing holiday season from Down the Backstretch. As much as we all love cross country, track & field, and road racing, it's now time to turn our focus to family and friends rather than results and performances.

As we've done in the past, DtB is going to enjoy a little holiday vacation. We'll return to action after the New Year, of course, getting you back on top of the sport and the budding indoor season.

Before we go, let me take a moment to thank some of the folks who made 2012 another fine year for DtB. First off, special, heart-felt thanks go to Adam Lindahl of TC Running Company and the Board of Directors at USA Track and Field Minnesota for their support of DtB as its presenting sponsors. Without their generous investments in our site, DtB would likely not still exist.

We'd also like to thank everyone who has advertised with us during the year -- folks like Twin Cities In Motion, Grandma's Marathon, the Minnesota Distance Running Association, the University of Minnesota Track and Field Camps, C Tolle Run, the Autism 5K, and Life Time Fitness. Your business is truly appreciated!

Special thanks goes to Jim Ferstle who has served as DtB's day in, day out reporter and editor since August.  Jim brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and care to his work, something we know readers trust and value.

I'd also like to thank anyone and everyone who has contributed to DtB. Special thanks go to co-founder Pete Miller, fantasy contests director Doug Cowles, photographer Gene Niemi, ultra-running maven Alex Kurt, and high school lists' statisticians Kevin Moorhead, Bill Miles, and Tim Miles. Without the generous contributions of those folks and others, DtB wouldn't have been all that it was this year.

Finally, allow me to thank you, our readers, for making DtB an important part of your enjoyment of the greatest sport on earth. Your continued loyalty to DtB makes the job of covering all the track, road, and cross country action fun and rewarding.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Ladia Albertson-Junkans Does It All

Ladia Albertson-Junkans leads a full life.  She's been a high school state XC champion, nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year award, took a two month trip to Ethiopia in 2008 working with the Tesfa Foundation, which provides early childhood education to disadvantaged children. And she's currently juggling a career in Child Development research with her professional running career.  Below she talks about how she fits it all in, the USATF XC Club champs, her "vacation" from running after finishing her undergrad degree, and representing the US in Scotland.

Down the Backstretch:  You have an interesting history in that you don’t fit the stereotype of the top rung athlete who focuses primarily on the sport.  In a way you are a dual career person with your work in child development research and a pro runner.  How do you handle juggling dual careers?

Ladia Albertson-Junkans: I am definitely still learning how to manage it all. Some days and weeks I do better than others. That said, my success in both careers can be largely attributed to the support I receive from family, friends, colleagues, and especially Team USA MN and my employer. 

My boss and co-workers have been supportive of my running from day one; following my racing schedule and even coming out to see me race occasionally. When the opportunity arose for me to join Team USA MN—on the condition that I could meet for team workouts and have an active presence in the community—my officemates were more than willing to let me flex my schedule so that I could accommodate bi-weekly team workouts and still maintain full-time status. 

Their enthusiastic interest in my athletic pursuits is as invaluable as the support provided by Team USA MN and the community—especially on those days and weeks when I feel on the brink of being stretched too thin.  

DtB:  What is the allure of running for you?  What brought you back to top level competition after taking “time off” to get your masters in public health?

LAJ: As it is for many folks, running is my stress-release, my get-away, my reset button. It is a way for me to see and learn about the world, to meet new people, and make life-long friends, to explore nature and be active. It also offers an opportunity to challenge myself daily and feel a tangible sense of accomplishment. 

Racing offers yet another way for me to challenge myself, and I think this is ultimately what brought me back to high-level competition. Each time I run a personal best in a road race, I want to try again and see how much better I can do in my next attempt. At the same time, there are always new distances to try, new places to race, new people to meet, new goals to set, new things to learn. 

Running is new and exciting, while also familiar and comforting; both deeply personal and refreshingly social; a means and an ends. It is so many things to me that I just can’t imagine life without it!

DtB:  What are your goals for this year?  Do you have a particular event that you are either fond of or you consider your best event or are you searching to find one that may suit your talents?

 LAJ: I am enjoying exploring the many distances that road racing has to offer. I have had some success at the 10K on the roads, but I plan to continue challenging myself in other distances as well.

DtB:  You seem to do well in cross country. State champion as a sophomore at Stillwater high school.  Helping the Gophers win three Big Ten titles, 19^th at NCAA Division I Nationals.  Now fifth in the USATF Club Championships.  Does something about cross country suit you better than on the track or roads?

LAJ: In some ways, metronomic running does not come easily to me; it is more my nature to run as hard as I can, for as long as I can, and just hope I can still kick at the end. In essence, I run by feel, and I think this “style” of running lends itself well to cross-country and road racing. Moreover, my athleticism and agility can really come in handy on technically challenging courses.

DtB: Is your “day job” flexible enough so that you can train, rest, race when it suits you or  do you fit in running when you can around the job?

LAJ: A little bit of both. Prior to joining Team USA MN, I did all of my weekday running before and/or after work (i.e., 6 AM and 6 PM). Now that I am on the Team—and thanks to the support of my co-workers—I flex my work schedule such that on workout days I arrive at the office very early, leave mid-morning for the workout, and then stay late if needed to get in my 8 hours. 

I use my vacation days to travel to competitions. It’s possible that I don’t rest as much, or in the same way, as other pro runners. However, I am a fairly restless person so I’d probably stay pretty active during the day even if I wasn’t at work. 

In some respects, my job forces me to sit down (sometimes, although I usually stand when I’m at my desk) and maintain a schedule. It also limits the amount of time I have to run, thereby limiting my mileage to some extent. I actually view this as protecting me from over-training and risking injury.

DtB:  I assume you kept up your running when you were doing your schoolwork for your masters, correct?  You’ve made a gradual return to competitive running, was that something of a test to see if you could handle both your non-running and running careers?

LAJ: Throughout graduate school, my days were a series of moving parts, and running was not a high priority, although I did continue to run casually. Once I started working full time, my schedule became more predictable. 

It certainly took at least eight months for me to adjust to the demands of full-time work before I was able to consistently run 60-70 miles a week. In the past couple of months, I have been able to gradually add one or two workouts per week to my regimen without feeling completely spent by Friday. 

Moreover, I relish the challenge of pursuing growth and excellence in both professions, as well as personally. This desire to be the best that I can be and to always keep learning and growing really underlies it all.

DtB:  Did the outcome of the USATF Club Championships race surprise you or was what you anticipated you could do?

LAJ: The outcome of XC Club Nationals pleasantly surprised me mostly because I had been sick with a lower respiratory tract infection for much of October and November that significantly interrupted my training for at least three weeks. Thankfully, I had a strong base of summer and fall mileage under me—and a fierce desire to make the team competing in Scotland—so I still managed to have a solid race.

DtB:  Are you looking forward to the trip to Scotland and stepping up to international competition?  Do you view it as more of a new challenge, a bit nervous about taking it to the “next level,” or a little bit of both?

LAJ: I am beyond thrilled for the opportunity to travel and compete internationally, to meet new people and see a different part of the world. This to me is the ultimate vacation. On top of it all, to don a US uniform will be an extraordinary privilege. The generosity of the many folks who work hard every day to make these opportunities possible for folks like me is incredibly humbling. I am much too excited to be nervous.