Dathan Ritzenhein: Next Stop … Beijing Olympic Marathon
(Elite Athlete Blog Entry 12)
Posted August 13th, 2008 at 7:00 PM by Dathan Ritzenhein
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Dathan Ritzenhein
Welcome to the official blog of top U.S. distance runner Dathan Ritzenhein! Check back every other Tuesday for Ritz’s latest entry at http://dathanritzenhein.thefinalsprint.com as he prepares to represent the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics!
It has been a long couple of days. I left Eugene on Tuesday morning and flew to San Jose for team processing. For the second trip in a row I had a rough start. My flight was cancelled from Eugene so Nick Symmonds, Andrew Wheating and I had to drive to Portland and our flight from there ended up delayed. By the time we got to team processing everyone was already done and so we had to blast through and get caught up. The amount of gear we got was amazing, but I have to say it was all very cool. We then had to get up early and Teg [Matt Tegenkamp]and I tried to get a 60 min run in at 5:00 before we left. Once we got to Beijing I was beat, but still managed to make it out for a 70 min run.
The village is awesome. It is so much nicer than Athens. The opening ceremonies were the next day and the feeling of walking into the stadium (under the same tunnel that the marathon will finish into) gave me chills. It helped to dull the experience of standing on our feet for eight hours. We also got to meet President Bush and Bush Sr. That was a cool experience - regardless of your individual political views.
After that we left to Dalian for the USATF training camp. It is very nice here. Right on the ocean and the hotel is beautiful. The only thing that sucks is that the security is crazy. You can’t do anything. I had a security officer following me on a bike and so I tried to drop him on the uphill just for fun.
The last few days here were great recovery. After the last five days I needed some down time to just train and sleep. It was OK though that I had five easy days because the week I had from the NYC Half Marathon to the time I left was very hard. It was also one of the best weeks of training that I have ever had. I gained a lot of confidence between the half marathon and now. The difference between my training before the trials and now has been night and day. I feel that I am very ready but that I am also very fresh, and I hope that will give me and advantage both physically and mentally over the guys who are over trained and that might have raced very hard marathons earlier in the year.
I have my last big important workout tomorrow. It is a 15 mile tempo run which we will use to determine the pace we think we can run in these conditions. I had a very good idea of what I thought I was capable of running in decent weather, now if I can figure out that effort here; that will help me from over doing it on race day. I will then have one more long run a week out from the race and one more light workout after that.
The marathon is such a strange event. I was talking with some of the guys here and trying to explain the difference between track and marathon training. The best analogy we came up with is that it is like training for a prize fight. Instead of having a whole year of build-up and base phase, speed and all of that; instead we train for only 12 weeks and put it all into one shot. This short time of intense training really suits me well as I feel like I am getting ready just at the right time and that I will be hungry and ready to go one the start line instead of being tired.
I will be here for one more week before heading back to the village for the last couple days. I can’t wait until I get back for two reasons. The first is that once I get there I feel like it is race time and all the work will be done. The second is that my family is coming in to watch. My wife Kalin is bringing our daughter Addison and I am missing them already. This is the longest time I have ever been away from Addy and I can’t wait to see her. It will make it all worth it though when I come through that tunnel into the stadium.
It helps a lot having the team that we have here. Everyone has been pretty close and team USA has the best team we have sent to the Olympic Games in a very long time. I guess the next time you guys hear from me it will be after the race, so hopefully I will have something good to tell you about, thanks again for all your support!
- Dathan
To comment on this entry and to send feedback & questions to Ritz, please click here.
PHOTO: Courtesy of the New York Road Runners
Related Stories:
- Dathan Ritzenhein: NYC Half-Marathon & On to Beijing
(Elite Athlete Blog Entry 11) - Dathan Ritzenhein: Looking to Avenge the ‘04 Olympic Trials
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry 9) - Dathan Ritzenhein: Responding to Your Questions & My Olympic Training
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry 8) - Dathan Ritzenhein: Fueling the Olympic Family and More
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #6) - Dathan Ritzenhein: XC Champs, Alter-G & Olympic Training
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #1)
Tags: 10k, Beijing, beijingolympics2008mensmarathon, Dathan Ritzenhein, dathan ritzenhein blog, elite athlete blog, elite athlete blog series, kalin ritzenhein, marathon, New York City, NYC Half Marathon, olympic marathon, olympics, ritz blog, the final sprint elite athlete blog series, thefinalsprint.com elite athlete blog series, track and field
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August 13th, 2008 at 9:06 amDathan, I always enjoy reading your blog. Best of luck in the marathon - I will be cheering for you all the way from the New York!
August 13th, 2008 at 12:35 pm“There is no road too long for the person who treads lightly and without haste; there is no advantage too distant for the person who is prepared to be patient.”
La Bruyere (1688)
Good luck on the 24th!
August 13th, 2008 at 2:37 pmGood luck in the marathon. Rest up! Can hardly wait to see the race!
August 14th, 2008 at 9:52 amMy daughter starts in your mother’s 1st grade class today. We are very excited to watch and cheer for you. Good luck!
August 14th, 2008 at 10:01 amHi Dathan:
August 14th, 2008 at 1:28 pmWe enjoy your blog and will be watching and rooting for you on the 24th. Hope all goes well according to your plan.You make us and Rockford very proud to know you.
Godspeed to you and your family.
GO DATHAN GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Floyd, Mary & Brian Patrick :
We will be cheering for you, Dathan!
Hi, Dathan - you don’t know us but our nephew, Nick Gow, used to run against you in shorter distances. (He ran for Lakeland H.S. then on to Univ. of IL). We’ll be watching all the Olympic marathon action from our home in Interlochen, near Traverse City. Wishing you “fleet feet”!!
Jody, Scott, Connor and Kara Hansen
August 18th, 2008 at 1:22 pmBest of luck to you Dathan. We are all excited for you here back in Hesperia, Michigan. Kick some butt.
from the Hesperia Cross Country Team
DIVISION 4 State Runner UP 2007
GO DATHAN!!!!!!!
August 18th, 2008 at 10:16 pmNot only are you my favorite athelete Dathan you are my HERO
August 18th, 2008 at 10:22 pm…….Mike Cherry
You have done a marvelous job throughout your entire your career leading to now despite obstacles.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:39 pmHope your Olympic marathon performance is not only your best ever, but a fulfillment of all you’ve worked so hard for. You make us older runners proud!
Go Ritz
lord knows you dont remember me but i was a kid from grandville who you absolutly whooped on in track…lol…still got your autograph on a grand rapids press story of you!
do it to it kid!
August 20th, 2008 at 11:27 amHi Dathan,
“For you are bought with a [P]rice: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” -
I CORINTHIANS 6:20
So glad your family will be with you. Thanks for these blogs. Do your best!
August 20th, 2008 at 1:16 pmHey Dathan saw your name up on NYC subway and was like “Heh I know that guy”. Best of Luck in Beijing.
August 21st, 2008 at 11:18 pmCongratulations on the great run! We just watched your finish at the Olympic Stadium in Beijing! What a lifetime accomplishment - to represent the USA at the Beijing Olympics.
Congratulations!!
From fellow RAMS in Rockford, MI!
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:06 pmDathan, you were just fantastic! I’m your Aunt Wendy’s cousin (on her dad’s side of the family). I think they had a big get-together back home to watch you. I know Wendy sent me an e-mail yesterday and she was very excited, as well as very proud.
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:14 pm[…] Dathan Ritzenehin: Next Stop … Beijing Olympic Marathon(Elite … […]
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:17 pmcongrats on 9th! Stellar finish. Can’t wait for four more years when you win it all.
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:36 pmDathan- Congratulations- so very proud for you. All the hard work and time was well worth it. You looked good, but it certainly looked like it was hot. Everyone I know in Lowell was watching you and praying for a good race. Great job and hope to see you when you, Kalin and Addy come home. Love, Charlie, Wendy and Thomas
August 24th, 2008 at 5:01 pmCongratulations Dathan,
We were all so proud of you. Finishing 9th is pretty awesome. You looked just great.
We were watching you run with our grandson Kenny–who ran on Rockford track with you when he was 8. He now runs for Cedar Springs and will be in 10th grade.
Hope we all get to see you at NKRC track work out while you are in Rockford.
August 24th, 2008 at 6:09 pmCONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 9TH PLACE FINISH IN THE 2008 OLYMPICS. AS I WATCHED THE RACE ALl I COULD THINK WAS WOW…WOW… WHAT AN AMAZING EVENT IN YOUR LIFE. GREAT JOB!! YOU SHOULD BE VERY PROUD!
August 25th, 2008 at 10:17 pmDathan,
August 27th, 2008 at 7:09 pmI left a message for you on the 24th but wasn’t sure that you received it. Very good effort and finish. Best US time in an Olympic Marathon. I was from Rockford and was present in Florida for your first High School National Cross Country race where you finished 8th with, as I recall, one shoe. Your finish, when they finally showed you Saturday brought back many memories when I first saw you in GR as a Freshman. I knew then that there was something there and that feeling returned when I knew you would be the first American across the finish line in the Olympics. It brought back memories of my younger days of running 25 miles a day and loving every minute of it. Wish I could do those distances toda, but I’m satisfied with my 6 miles a day and that I can still do it. Anyways, good luck and stay healthy. You have many more good years ahead of you since the mid thirties should be your best marathon years.
Dathan - awesome finish at the Olympics! Have been following your progress since you were in high school as I am from Grand Haven just down the road, though now live in London. Will you be running the Great North Run this year?
August 30th, 2008 at 7:25 pmHello Dathan & Kalin,
This morning, saturday the 6th of September, my wife and I were pulling out of our driveway (on Belding rd.) to run some errands when I noticed a man and woman running. I commented to my wife as we approached the runners, “They are running pretty fast”. The next words out of my mouth were “That was Ritz”!! I immediately turned the car around to drive by you both. I was the guy in the Grey Camry that slowed down and yelled out “Way to go Ritz. Your the man”. WOW I got chills to see an olympian running down the same roads that I do. Very inspiring stuff. As you know, sometimes runners don’t need much for inspiration and that memory should do me for a very, very long time.
Way to go Dathan. Your the man.
September 6th, 2008 at 4:50 pm