Mary Wittenberg Interview in Runner's World

Interesting thoughts by Wittenberg on the national/international running scene. She's already publicly said she's not interested in running USATF (Doug Logan was ousted), and I know throngs of local runners with opinions good and bad about how NYRR handles the local running scene (some complain NYRR spends too much time on attracting the stars to NYC) ... that said, it's an intriguing idea

Also, since I'm on the national topic... check out LetsRun.com for the debate about Ryan Hall's decision to pull out of Chicago because he was fatigued.

USATF Lifts Headphone Ban

I still think it was a good idea ... anyway, race directors now have the discretion to make a decision as to whether to have a ban or not.

Random Thoughts on a Saturday Afternoon

-- I was walking toward the water fountain this morning at Prospect Park (the one near the Grand Army Plaza entrance, under the trees) when I heard this squishing sound. Looking down, thinking perhaps I'd stepped in something unpleasant, I realized that, no, in fact the combination of sweat and water I dumped upon myself during the preceding 13 mile run had led to the condition known as "squishy foot." As aggravating as it was, when I got home, I discovered that I'd lost only about 1 pound during the run, which meant that for a change, I did a good job staying hydrated.

Folk, it's hot out there. Make sure you're using plenty of sunscreen and are carrying or have access to plenty of water. During the first part of my run today, I was with a group that at one point went over the Brooklyn Bridge, where sadly there was no wind today. You could just feel the group wilting as the humidity started to take hold (and we left at 7 a.m.). If you're doing something long, run smart. Don't try to get that 13 mile run in if you're body is telling you otherwise (and if you're going long, make sure you've got some way of getting those electrolytes - I use Clif Shot Bloks, which have the texture of, well, not something pleasant, but they work well and you should be able to get them at your favorite running store.)

-- What are you capable of, if an Olympic berth is on the line? Can you find some extra gear, something that can add the necessary speed to get across the line in time? Amy Begley did, as seen here in this morning's NYT article (not in the paper). For Begley, it wasn't enough to finish third - she had to finish with a time below 31:45 to meet the qualifying standards. What's just as gratifying as the race results is the crowd at Hayward Field knew exactly what was at stake and knew what she needed to do. Here's another angle.

-- I need to figure out some way to stay up and watch the Trials (yes I know, I could Tivo, but I hate doing that for sporting events - I'm such a news hound that I'll look for the results beforehand.) At least they are on at 8 p.m. tonight. The headline event is the women's 100 meters.

-- Remember, the Cosme 5K is tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. on Coney Island. (Oooh, it's going to be hot.) For those who want more info, the Richmond Rockets provided a link to the application (scroll down a bit).

Olympic Track Trials Start Today

Here's the meet schedule and the TV schedule. A lot of it is late night rehash, but a few days in prime time (as the Let's Run article notes, swimming is getting the better slots).

Best Site for Olympic Coverage

I've been poking around for a bit, and consistently come back to this site: Let's Run will be the best place you'll find the commentary that will evaluate what's going on, even though you'll get sucked into the NBC site for video. They link both the news, which a lot of places do, but the message boards are invaluable: You may not agree with the comments, but they are filled with people who are seeking to attain the top. It's also a great place to understand the various debates (including the ongoing presence of drugs in this sport).

A reminder: US Olympic Trials start later this month and continue into July. Worth making time to watch.

USATF 5K Series in New York

Folks, USATF is starting a 5K points series here in New York (I'm going to rant in a bit about the lack of publicity, or maybe my ignorance, but not yet):

It's four races in New York at different settings: Icahn Stadium (2), Prospect Park and Van Cortlandt Park. The first one is on May 10, part of the New Balance NYC Qualifying Challenge, with other races to follow. The top 6 male and female finishers get medals and points, the top three in each category get cash prizes at the end.

Here are the dates:

May 10: Icahn Stadium - track
June 22: Icahn Stadium - track
June 30: Prospect Park - road
Sept. 28: Van Cortlandt Park -X/C

Just found out about it, so don't know if there are age categories (from the Web site, it doesn't look like it), and I'm curious about the Prospect Park date, which is a Monday, which if it's tied to PPTC, doesn't line up (their race is on Wednesday that week).

** Quick UPDATE: The New Balance Web site lists the Prospect Park race as *July 30* not June 30, which makes a lot more sense. So I'll try to get that clarified.

A Rare X/C Appearance on TV

According to the USATF:

"The 2008 USA Cross Country Championships will be televised in association with the AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships February 24, from 5-7 p.m. on ESPN 2."

Dathan Ritzenhein and Shalene Flanagan ran away with the main championships, though perhaps we'll see snippets of some of the other races, which were held in San Diego.

And yes, the indoor competition will be awesome to see as well.