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Quote of the Day:

"I have to hand it to Wisconsin, they were better than us today. We didn’t run badly, we just couldn’t match it. Wisconsin had too many people up front. I’m not disappointed. Getting second to Wisconsin is ok"

-Arkansas coach John McDonnell, whose Razorbacks finished 2nd to a dominating Wisconsin team that scored only 37 points to dominate the NCAA XC championships yesterday in Terre Haute, IN

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Mental Side of Running
Book Review: Running Within
Want to improve your mental outlook on running? Then Running Within is the book for you. Read our review of this excellent book.
Recommended Reads
Looking for a good running book ? Read our mini-reviews and suggestions

We interview one of our own:
LetsRun.com's Rojo talks about coaching at Cornell

We Didn't Even Know this Existed:
Video Of Roger Bannister's 4 Minute Mile

NCAA XCs:
Women: Stanford Stuns #1 Duke, Johanna Nilsson Gets Individual Crown

Duke was a huge favorite coming in, but Peter Tegen's Stanford squad pulled the upset. Defending champ Colorado was a surprising 2nd and Duke only 3rd as Tegen captured his 3rd national title (he won 2 at Wisconsin in the 1980s). On the individual side, Johanna Nilsson (who trains in Flagstaff) blew away the field for the win.
*Women's Team Results
*Women's Individual Results
More:
*Stanford Women Get 2nd Title in 3 Years
gostanford.collegesports.com

*Clara Horowitz, Duke's Top Runner, Leaves Terre Haute Sad www.goduke.com
*CU Buffs Leave Nationals Without a National Title for the First Time Since 1999 But their women surprised with a strong 2nd palce finish. www.cubuffs.com
Photos:
Men's Photos from 2005 NCAA Cross Country Championships www.trackandfieldphoto.com
*
Women's Photos from 2005 NCAA Cross Country Championships www.trackandfieldphoto.com

Sunday Action:
Tokyo: Takahashi Wins Tokyo Marathon

The 2000 Olympic champ won in her first race in two years.
*Nigeria:
Fabiano Joseph World Half Marathon Champ Wins Lagos Half Marathon in Record Time over John Korir IAAF
Portugal:
Ronald Rutto Defeats Tariku Bekele in Portugal IAAF
Spain:
Songok and Jepchumba Win XC Titles in Spain
Kenya: Elias Kemboi Wins 2005 Tegla Loroupe Peace Race
IAAF

Roger Bannister's Sub 4 Minute Mile Called Greatest Athletics Achievement in Last 150 Years www.forbes.com

Saturday's XC Action:
Club Nats: Brooks Team Hanson's, See Jane Run Win Matt Tegenkamp
and Elizabeth Woodworth were the individual cahmps
*Results

DII: Western State Men, Adams State Women Win
*
Men's Results Nicodemus Naimadu won by nearly a minute
*
Women's Results Mandi Zemba with the win
DIII: *Results

Lottery Funding for UK Athletes Announced and Smouth Athletes Get Warning That Their Funding May Be Cut Yahook UK

Kelly Holmes To Decide Within 2 Weeks Whether She'll Compete In Commonwealth Games BBC

Torrie Edwards Hopes To Compete At World Indoors After Getting Her Drug Ban Reduced BBC

Tariku Bekele To Defend His XC Title In Portugal This Weekend IAAF

World XC Bronze Medallist Abdullah Hassan, Kenya's Boniface Songok Expected To Battle in Spanish XC on Sunday IAAF

2000 Olympic Champ Naoko Takahashi Is Main Attraction At Sunday's Tokyo Marathon (IAAF) The question is whether or not she is 100% healthy

Baseball's New Drug Policy is Tougher But it Is Still Full of Loopholes

Fabiano Joseph, World Half Marathon Champ, to Run Lagos Half Marathon this Weekend IAAF

World Record Holder in Pole Vault Isinbayeva Parts With Her Long Time Coach He supposedly wanted more money.

This weekend:
Netherlands:
G
ebrselassie Versus Fastest Half Marathoner Ever Zersenay Tadesse Originally Paula Radcliffe was supposed to run, but once she pulled out the organizers wasted no time getting a great matchup at 15k between the great Gebrselassie and Tadesse who ran a 59:05 half marathon this year, the fastest ever.
*Tegla Loroupe Peace Run and Toyota Great Ethiopia Run are This Weekend allafrica.com

Drug News: Prosecutor Asks Kenteris and Thanou to Stand Trial for Faking Accident at 2004 Olympics

British News: Dave Collins, UK Athletics Performance Director Likes More Lenient Worlds Qualifying Procedures
*Jermaine Mason Who Won World Indoor Gold in High Jump Switches from Jamaica to His Native Britain
*Triple Jumper Christian Olsson to Make His Comeback January 18 in Britain

Kenya To Host East African XC Championships in 2006 As Dry Run For 2007 Worlds

Coach Of European Jr. 5k Champ Emily Pidgeon Arrested On Rape Charges The 17 yr. old Pidgeon and her parents are supporting the coach for now and she is not the source of the charges

IAAF News:
*
1 Athlete With 'B' Standard Will Be allowed at Worlds with Countries That Have 'A' Standard Athletes 1 or 2 distance runners from the US may notw be able to sneak into worlds. IAAF
*
Qualifying Standards for 2007 Worlds Announced IAAF
*World Athletics Tour to Be Top IAAF Tour in 2006 and the Only US Meet is the Pre Classic IAAF

NCAA XC News:
*Martin Fagan Profile in Irish Runner www.irishrunner.com
*Martin Fagan Brief Chat Runners World
*More XC News:
*ChasingTradition.com at Georgetown, Get the inside scoop on the Hoyas.
*Plus Check Out Alan Webb's Crib Video
Watch him 'pull a Ritz' and play football in the street plus see his Mercedes.

ING NYC Marathon:
*
NYC Champs Have a Full Day of Media Appearances After Marathon Past Champ German Silva, only one year older than Tergat, ran NY this year,as did former cyclist Laurent Jalabert.
*
Abdi Abdirahman Talks About His Marathon PR Post Race News:
*Tergat Happy with NY Win but Too Sore to Party it Up Sunday Night in the Big Apple
*Hendrick Ramaala Says His Legs Gave out on Him at End
superathletics.co.za
*Cold May Have Affected Lornah Kiplagat in NY
She was only 10th on the women's side. allafrica.com

*World Food Programme Congratulate Tergat
Previous:
UNBELIEVABLE FINISH:
TERGAT OUTKICKS RAMAALA

The world record holder, Paul Tergat, and the defending champ, Hendrick Ramaala, battled it out during the final straight separated by inches. In final 10 meters, Tergat got a half foot ahead and Ramaala dove for the finish but it was a futile dive and Tergat triumphed by the smallest amount. On the women's side Jelena Prokopcuka got a narrow win over Susan Chepkemei. Chepkemei has a narrow lead until she started vomiting her fluids while running. American Meb Keflezighi was with Tergat and Ramaala until the final mile and finished 3rd while fellow American Abdi Abdirahman was 5th.

*
Top Results *Full Results
Women:

*Jelena Prokopcuka Wins 2005 ING NYC Marathon for Latvia NY Times
*Susan Chepkemei Vomits Down Homestretch to Come Up Short at ING NYC Marathon Again Guardian
Men: Meb Keflezighi Talks About His 2005 ING NYC Run Runners World
Photos: Men's Photos 2005 ING NYC Marathon www.nycmarathon.org
*The best individual photo of the men's finish we have seen is here
*
Women's Photos 2005 ING NYC Marathon www.nycmarathon.org
PreRace: NYC is Back!!!:

"I'm the first to say, 'You know what? New York kind of fell behind for a while; it's time for us to catch up, 'But now we're caught up and now we're going to go head to head with the rest of you and try to be even better"

-Mary Wittenburg, ING NYC race director, on the resurgence of the NYC maratho
n

"I left a piece of me on that race course that day. If I had to leave part of myself on any race course, that was a good place."-Dick Beardsley on his famed battle with Alberto Salazar in the 1982 Boston Marathon. Beardsley according to this article still knocks out 70 to 90 miles a week.

Drugs Drugs Drugs

Recommended Read:A Great Look at The East German Doping Program

NCAA XC News:
Polls, Polls, Polls:
Grote Poll: Post Pre NCAAs Edition

The humorous pontificator ranks the top NCAA men's XC teams. In this edition, he takes on travel agencies (schools that import all their runners), altitude tents, and he breaks his word and ranks Stanfurd #4.

*Mondo Men's Cross Country Poll Arkansas still on top.
*Finishlynx Women's Cross Country Poll: Duke gets all the first place votes and Stanford moves up to #2.
*Pre NCAA Photos trackandfieldphoto.com
*
Weekend Results Here
Chile Pepper
This meet was sick upfront as Africans swept the top 11 places led by a 28:27 by Josphat Boit (who won last year in 29:22). Forget about pre-nats, this was the toughest meet upfront this weekend. #1 Arkansas won easily.
*Team Results *Indiv Results
PreNationals:
White Race:
Men: Individual: Josh McDougal Dominates
The Liberty sophomore had the best time on the day in all the races
* Team Results: Colorado Wins over Notre Dame
Women :
Individual Results:
Christine Bolf
of Colorado Wins
Team Results: Michigan Edges Arizona, Colorado 4th

Blue Race:
Women: Individual Results: Victoria Mitchell
of Butler Edges Caroline Bierbaum of Columbia
Team Results: Stanford Defeats Notre Dame Men: Men: Individual Results: Josh Rohatinsky Wins
Men's Team Results:
Stanford Wins Easily

*Combined Women's Results here
More Weekend Results here
PreRace:
*McDougal Hoping to Win

It's Not All About Pre NCAAs:
"This will probably be the best meet we've ever had"- John McDonnell on the stacked Chile Pepper field that includes #1 Arkansas, #6 Arizona, and #11 UTEP
*
Shawn Forrest Talks About Chilepepper Invite Runners World

World Half Marathon Champs
LetsRun.com Coverage:
Two Surprises of a Different Sort: Shami Celebrates Too Soon, Tomescu Surprise
s
Mubarek Shami
was just meters away from winning the world half-marathon title, yet he celebrated too soon and Fabiano Joseph passed him on the line to win the title after finishing 2nd the last 2 years. On the women's side Constantina Tomescu surprisingly dominated the field. The US men led by Ryan Shay and Jason Hartman had their highest finish ever.
LRC Exclusive!!!!! 3.5 MB Quicktime Video of Crazy Men's finish.
*Results

Photos: *Women's Photo Gallery of 2005 World Half Marathon Champs
*Men's Photo Gallery of 2005 World Half Marathon Champs
*Istvan Gyulai Upset Britain Didn't Send Men's Team to World Half
Yahoo UK
*British Women's Team Fifth at World Half Yahoo UK
*IAAF Rigthly Criticizes British Men For Sending No-One The country got the Olympics, how about supporting the sport in the non-Olympic years?

Drug News: IOC Athletes Commission Asks for French Lab Involved in Armstrong Affair to Be Suspended for Violating WADA Code WADA will lose credibility if it does not sanction violations of its code and admit it when there are problems with drug tests.
*Jerome Young Trying to Get His Lifetime Ban Overturned He was busted for the two drugs that have the most suspicious tests nandrolone and EPO.Guardian
*
Mafia Allegedly Trafficking in Performance Enhancing Drugs in Italy (Estimated 500,000 Users in Italy) Guardian

Incredible: 3 Year Old Boy Running Up to 30 Miles a Day "I can run and eat to my heart's content here"- says the 3 year old. And eating is very important to an incredibly poor child whose mother sold him for $20.

A Legend Passes: "I don't train never have. I don't think of running as training. I just go out and run each day, and let the racing take care of itself"- Jack Foster of New Zealand, who ran a 2:11:17 marathon at the age of 41 to win silver at the Commonwealth Games in 1974. He died in a bike accident yesterday at the age of 72.

A Look Back at a Truly Great Run: Todd Williams American Record at 15k Williams was on fire in 1995, and his 15k is one of the best American records. He finished 9th at World XCs that year when all the best in the world raced in one race. Nice read by Amby Burfoot

More isn't always better:
"I had over-trained. I put too much pressure on myself because I wanted that gold medal too much. If I had trained 15 per cent less, I would have won. I was training like a crazy person. There was a lack of self-confidence and a lack of maturity. An athlete does not only train with his body. He trains with his mind."

-Hicham El Guerrouj on why he didn't win Olympic gold in 2000

NCAA XCs:
Men: Wisconsin, Simon Bairu Dominate

The Badgers are chokers no more as they put on a running clinic in Terre Haute to win the NCAA title with an incredible 37 points. Arkansas was 2nd, Notre Dame 3rd and Iona delivered on their preseason promise by finishing 4th over Colorado which ran poorly but still was 5th.

*Men's Team Results
*Men's Individual Results

More:

*
John McDonnell Gracious in Defeat www.hogwired.com
Photos:
Men's Photos from 2005 NCAA Cross Country Championships www.trackandfieldphoto.com
*More NCAA Photos from Track and Field News
Previous: LetsRun.com Fans Picks and Polls
Simon Bairu is the slight favorite over Josh McDougal with Arianna Lambie a slight favorite over Caroline Bierbaum

Nice Profile on Providence's Martin Fagan: Proivdence Coach Ray Treacy Says, "His run at VCP was brilliant, but realistically, the NCAA this year is the deepest in a long, long time. A top 10 would be a good result. He will be up against sub-28 minute 10k runners and they have to be respected. He's certainly in the mix, and we want him to finish as high as possible"
*NCAA Press Conference Notes
*McDonnell says Wisconsin is the favorite but his Hogs can win: "I think it's going to take five people running in the top 30 to win it. That’s pretty good, but I think we have five people that can do that, but they have to do it"

*Caroline Bierbaum And Her Ex Duke Team Both Among the Favorites at Nationals
LetsRun.com! LetsRun.com NCA
A XC Men's Preview We break down the men's individual and team battles for what in our minds is the greatest race held on American soil each year. Included in the preview, is a link to early results of the LetsRun.com prediction contest where our visitors are making the Duke women a 10 to 1 favorite over Stanford and the Wisconsin men a 3 to 1 favorite over Arkansas.
*
Shannon Rowbury of Duke Talks About Monday's NCAAs Runners World
*Wisconsin Ready for Nationals www.dailycardinal.com
LetsRun.com Prediction Contest

Tell us who you think the top teams and individuals will be at the NCAA meet.

Polls:
Final Finishlynx Women's Coaches Poll After 3 weeks as a unanimous #1, Duke 'only' gets 12 of the 13 first place votes.
*Final Mondo Men's Coaches XC Poll Wisconsin gets 13 of the first place votes. Arkansas 3.
On the boards:
*The Men's NCAA Individual Champions Predictions
*The Women's NCAA Individual Predictions
*Grote vs Rexing
*Grote Poll Nationals Preview
The big dance in Terre Haute is less than a week away. Ryan Grote breaks down the 31 team men's field and tries to insult everyone outside the state of NJ along the way.

Kip Keino Causes Furor In Kenya For Supposedly Ripping Rugby Team "We are out to build a strong team (for the next Commonwealth Games) unlike in the past when it was packed with joy riders. And holiday makers."

NCAA Regionals Recap:
*NCAA Field Announced
*
Results
LetsRun.com Recaps:

SouthEast Region Recap:
Duke and McDougal Impress
NorthEast Region:
Iona Back on Track, BC Wins Supertight Women's Race

Things went largely according to form at the reiongals. Loyola of Chicago was the big winner on men's side from the at-large system (24th only at prenationals but a win versus Eastern Michigan in a small meet), and Princeton perhaps the biggest or closest loser as they were 4 points from an automatic spot and aren't going to nationals.

On the boards: Who got the best/worst of the regionals?
LetsRun.com! 2005 LetsRun.com Super NCAA XC National and Regional Polls: Wisconsin Bac
k on Top Check out the LetsRun.com picks to make nationals. The top 2 in each region will automatically go to nationals.

London Does it Again!
*
Paul Ter
gat, Haile Gebrselassie and Hendrick Ramaala to Run 2006 Flora London Marathon The good news for Boston is its easier for an American to win. Daily Telegraph

*LetsRun.com viewers' Halloween Photos Up
(you can still submit yours)
Colorado and Michigan in the albums.

NCAA XC on the Message Boards:
On Wisconsin Men:
"I sincerely accept your apology for disrespecting my statement that Wisconsin could do a team tempo run at Big 10s and still win. My assertation turned out to be even more accurate than I once thought. They could have just jogged(as a team)with Minnesota's top runner and still won easily"
*NCAA Women's XC Discussion after the Conference Meets
*Who Will Win NCAA Men's Indiv, Team Titles?

Weekend Marathons
Venice: Mubarak Shami Comes Through As Favorite For Victory
It was nice to see Shami get the victory as he was the one who earlier in the month let up at the finish line and lost the world half-marathon championships as a result earlier
(LRC Exclusive!!!!! 3.5 MB Quicktime Video of Crazy Men's finish at world half)
Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon
*Newcomers Barmao and Chptanui Take Titles (Daily Nation recap)
Barmao was a total uknown until yesterday's life changing win. Cheptanui broke the course record. *IAAF Recap of Race
Pre-Race News
From Kenya

Former Boston Marathon Champ Timothy Cherigat Entered Nairobi Marathon Day Before The Race Cherigat ran Chicago two weeks ago and finished 10th. He evidently thinks he's recovered enough to pick up the first place check of roughly $40,000.
*Elly Rono Will Be Running His 41st Marathon
From Venice
Venice Marathon Preview Courtesy of IAAF

Paula Radcliffe Will Defend London Marathon Crowd
The great Brit will run once again in her native country as she turned down offers from Osaka and Boston. She'll race in London just a month after she'll try to win the 5k and 10k at Commonwealths.

Jon Brown Reveals His Training Secret: Training With Survivor Flagstaff Member Matt Smith Runners World If you don't know what the hell Survivor Flagstaff is then click here.

Paul Tergat's Foundation to Help Those With Sporting Talent "The foundation was born out of conviction that our society is rich in the potential found in its people" -Paul Tergat

ING Amsterdam Marathon:
Gebrselassie 2:06:20

It's a 2005 world's best for Geb but he was disappointed afterwards. He went out in a fast 1:02:01 halfway and the wind hurt him in the 2nd half.
*Gebrselassie Says Wind Cost Him 2 Minutes in Amsterdam Marathon
*Geb's splits 5k by 5k (too fast between 10 and 15k and a negative split would work better,
Tergat split 1:03:04 in his world record run)
*On the boards: How old is Geb?

Eugene Gets 2008 Olympic Track and Field Trials

LetsRun.com NCAA Super Polls:
Razorbacks and Duke on Top

The Arkansas Razorbacks are #1 by a narrow margin on the men's side while Duke is a dominant #1 on the women's. Neither Duke or Arkansas will be at this weekend's Pre-NCAA meet.
*This Weekend's Schedule Showing Who Is Going Where

Nice Reuters Article on Martin Keino's Retirement The son of the legendary Kip Keino was best known for being the world's best pace-setter. If he were American, he'd be known for being a multi-time Olympian as he was smoking fast.

Great Read: Catching Up With Todd Williams and Ed Eyestone www.runningstats.com

Paul Tergat
*"As the holy scriptures say, 'for whoever much is given, much is expected,' it is, therefore, my duty and privilege to help in any small way in giving back to society."
-Marathon world record holder, Paul Tergat, speaking after founding a sports foundation that will help disadvantaged youths.
*Tergat's hamstring injury has healed and he says he's ready to go at NYC: "I expect good results as I am in good shape" but he's out of next week's Half Marathon in Britain, but interestingly Gezahegne Abera (remember him, formerly the greatest marathoner in the world) is running. www.registerguard.com

Jos Hermans Tells Why Ethiopians Beat Kenyans: According to Jos it has little to do with training: "Ethiopians have more respect for their women, which explains why their women athletes perform better than their Kenyan counterparts, who excel in junior championships only to pander to cultural and domestic demands later in life" and "A mentally prepared athlete can easily beat a physically prepared one,"

Underfunded Labs Now Admitting EPO Test May Not be as Clear Cut as They Once Said Guardian

Good Read: A Nice Look Back at Don Bowden, The First American Sub 4 Minute Miler and a Student Athlete The 20 year old Cal student took an exam the day of his race.

JK Speaks: Progressing To Peak Fitness LetsRun.com coaching guru John Kellogg talks about progression runs and the art of the sport versus the science of the sport.

British Sports Minister Richard Caborn Proposes Drug Companies Fund Anti Doping Research to £12m Million a Year While the US Congress dances around one of the main issues (money), Caborn has proposed something that might make a difference. If the pro sports leagues would kick in their fair share as well, serious anti-doping research could be done. In other good news, it was announced that the HGH test now can be used on non-whites.

Vitamin C Can Help Marathon Runners Not Get Colds The surprising news is may not do much for the general population.

Drug News:
WADA Admits to Some Problems With Nandrolone Test

LetsRun.com Book Reviews 2 Good Reads on Milers 50 years apart:
Sub 4:00 and The Perfect Mile

Read the review of story on Alan Webb's (and Nate Brannen's) first brush with adversity. Plus, read about 3 great milers trying to be the first under 4 minutes 50 years ago.

And the winner is:
Best Running Movie of All-Time: Fire on the Track
After sitting on the results for months, we're proud to announce that the best running movie of all-time as selected by our viewers is a not an academy award winner, Chariots of Fire, or a highly publicized film produced by Tom Cruise (Without Limits), but rather a running documentary, Fire on the Track: The Steve Prefontaine Story. Read all about the voting and see the 10 best running movies of all-time as selected by our viewers.

In case you missed it:
Todd Williams Hangs them up

In our lengthy 3 part interview, Todd Williams, the premier 10,000m runner in the US, talks about his illustrious career and the sport of running in general.
Part I here, Part II here, Part III here

Training Advice:
Advice from the pros
.Top 10 Training Tips
LetsRun.com's Weldon Johnson gives his top 10 training tips. They helped him run a 28:27 10k and will definitely help you too.
No Shortcuts
LetsRun.Com coaching consultant John Kellogg outlines his basic coaching approach and gives the four principals to correct training for elites. LetsRun.com co-founder Robert Johnson translates Mr. Kellogg's approach so that it is beneficial for the masses.
Marathon Training Program
Do you want to run a successful marathon? Sign up for our marathon training program. Let our experts show you how.
High School Section
Interviews
Turn Back the Clock:
Interviews With Today's Stars on Their High School Careers

Rod Dehaven: U.S. Marathon Champ
Juli Henner: U.S. Olympian
Todd Reeser: Top Road Racer Wrestled in High School
Many more
Training Advice
Learn how LetsRun.com running guru, John Kellogg, made a tiny private school in Texas one of the best teams in the state.

Stat of the Day: "This is the first time since 1999 that the Buffs have not won an individual or team title, "
Sad Stat of the Day: Wisconsin XC Victory Already Off the HomePage of the Wisconsin Athletics Website
But you can read about the basketball team defeating Old Dominion.

LetsRun.com's Wejo Says Simon Bairu Needs to Work on His Kick

Kenyan News: World 5k Champ Benjamin Limo Says He Wants 10k World Record in the Future EA Standard
*Paul Tergat Gets Hero's Welcome in Kenya
*Paul Tergat's Wife Throws a Surprise Party to Celebrate His Win in NY allafrica.com
*
Security to Be #1 Concern for World XC Champs in Kenya in 2007

Haile Gebrselassie Runs 2005 World's Best for 15k, Berhane Adere Wins IAAF

Profile on British Marathoner Mara Yamauchi Independent

Khalid Khannouchi Set for Comeback He revolutionized the sport of marathoning and is only 33 so his career may not be over.

2005 Race Director Compensation Study Released Only 35% say they get paid, although 40% say it is their profession.

Nef Araia says that Arizona 'honestly' isn't 'competitive' with Stanford. We'll find out at NCAAs where Arizona's low sticks up front may make a difference.

China Shuts Down Factories to Reduce Haze and Impress IOC Members on Beijing Visit
Daily Telegraph

Tegla Loroupe Race Gets Sh500,000 Donation ($6,605) EA Standard

Other Weekend Action:
*
Hayley Yelling 2nd in European XC Race in Holland Yahoo UK
Monaco: Favorites Win Monaco Marathon IAAF
Kenya:
5000m Silver Medalist Isabe
lla Ochich Wins XC Race in Kenya EA Standard
Norway: Nordic XC Recap, Former NAU Runner Henrik Ahnström Wins IAAF
*
Jon Brown Unlikely to Run European XCs BBC

Tamsyn Lewis Blasts Back at Nic Bideau Fox Sports AU

Jeans Marines A Bunch of Charity Cheats
*
More on Jeans Marines
*Message board thread here.

Former Yale Runner Casey Moriarty Qualifies for Division II XC Nationals www.spectator-online.com

Run More Like Boston Bill: Sports Illustrated's Tim Layden Catches Up With Gabe Jennings Sports Illustrated

Movie Review: Saint Ralph We and everyone who saw it with us gives it a thumbs up. It's about a ninth grader who wants to win the Boston Marathon and was directed by a 2:20 marathoner and Detroit Marathon winner.

Great Read: A Look at Ivo Van Damme We're sure a lot of you have never heard of Van Damme (the man for which the Brussels Golden League Meet is named after). Europe's version of Steve Prefontaine, picked up 2 Olympic medals (silvers in 800 and 1500) at the age of 22 but was dead 5 months later. Van Damme didn't start running until the age of 17.Thanks to message boarder Zatopek for the link.

"they sent guys like myself, Shorter, Rogers, and Salazar down to this lab in Georgia. They told us that we would get the same benefits and run the same times that we ran at only 80 miles. I personally never listened and went out and did 130-140 miles because that gave me the confidence I needed. At the end of my era, lots of these marathoners started listening to these scientists and lowered their mileage alot. US Marathoning began to turn into an all time low. But its rising now, and just like it slowly declined it will slowly increase. Don't expect an overnight change, but give it a few years."
-message boarder reportedly paraphrasing Dick Beardsley on why US marathoners in the 1980s were deeper than US marathoners in the 2000s

More on This Later: It's Not Just the US: Track and Field's Popularity Lagging in Europe

Arthur Lydiard Quotes:
"
Train Don't Strain"

-famed distance coach Arthur Lydiard
Friday's Lydiard Quote:
"Americans arrogantly want it all now, this is why they finish last. Speed must be used in proper proportions. Build and build like the Afrikans. This is the only way to realise your potential."
-famed distance coach Arthur Lydiard


'Suddenly I got to the age of 36, and one day I realized I can't ever run any quicker than I'm running at this moment"
(Coe reportedly stopped midwork and never ran another competitive step)

-SebCoe,
2 time 1500m gold medallist and former 800m world record holder, according to Frank Deford in an audio essay on the doping scandal.

Great Advice:
"I am glad that because I chose to focus on a personal goal, pursued passionately and today I bear testimony of what it can yield, even beyond my wildest expectations. I hope that this will somehow encourage someone here today as well, to pursue his dream and vision...Usually, I get quite enriched whenever I have an opportunity to positively touch the life of someone. Such opportunities to show concern enable me, and indeed all of us, to share what God has placed into our hands."

-World Record Holder in the Marathon and Humanitarian Paul Tergat in his acceptance speech for his honary degree from Bloomfield College in New Jersey.

A True Gentleman and a Paid Male Escort, Unbelievable:
"He's a true gentleman"
-Canadian marathoner, Peter Vail, on LetsRun.com's
Weldon Johnson in an Arizona Daily Sun profile on his "running" house, plus an update on steeplechaser Anthony Famiglietti
(and if you'd like to go back in the LetsRun.com archives and read about "Surivor Flagstaff", the attempt by 5 of the World's sexiest distance runners to live in a one bedroom apartment click here)

More Great Advice for the Greatest Distance Runner Ever:
Haile Gebrselassie says work hard, be patient, and take your recovery days seriously.
Good Read.

Great Read/Advice: Such a Simple Sport:
"I train twice every day except on Sundays and on Christmas Day."

-the great Haile Gebrselassie, on his training over the holidays. He says his New Year's resolution is to win the gold medal at 10k and break the 10k world record. And Gebrselassie is still young as it is only 1996 in Ethiopia (we swear).

Great Read: "...there would be days I would run 70 km (43 miles) and then there are days I would run 20 or so. I just mentioned that figure (70) to state that there are days I would actually run up to 70 or so. The fact that I can run that much gives me confidence and makes me believe I am doing a good job."
-former world record holder in the marathon Naoko Takahashi in Part I of a fascinating interview with Japan Times on her training

*Part II Here

Inspirational Running Poem

You know you're a runner if....... (our reader's fill in the blanks with some hilarious responses on the message boards)

Is it the VAAM?:
"I thought for a few minutes my legs would be sore. But my legs weren't heavy at all. I went jogging and felt as good as ever."
-Naoka Takahashi won won the Berlin marathon and reportedly went for a "long run" the day after. Takahashi credits some of her success to VAAM, the sports drink from made from stomach acid of killer hornets that she drinks.
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