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Lead Stories: Friday, September 5, 2008

TFS Running Podcast 132:
Ryan Hall Takes on the London Marathon: Part Deux

Posted April 9th, 2008 at 6:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Now several months removed from his victory at the USA Olympic Marathon Trials last November, Ryan Hall joins us for Episode 132 of The Final Sprint Running Podcast to share this thoughts on turning the page, the Olympic year, and beginning the next big chapter in his young, but already exhilarating career.

In the interview he talks about his preparations for his next race, this Sunday’s Flora London Marathon, his tapering strategy, expectations, not having a specific time goal, and many other details regarding his second trip across the pond.

Download the podcast to hear Ryan talk about how his younger brother Chad is adjusting to college life as he runs track and cross country for the University of Oregon. He also replies to some of the critical comments that readers have made on some of the other running websites about his faith. In addition, he explains why he enjoys blogging and he answers some of the questions that some of you have asked on his TFS Elite Athlete Blog (http://ryanhall.thefinalsprint.com), including questions about weight training for marathoners, why he’s running London instead of Boston, how he motivated himself back to the top of his game when he was struggling at Stanford and much, much more!

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Host: Jimmie Markham | Guest: Ryan Hall
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 17.7 MB | Length: 00:25:50

Episode Sponsored By: U.S. Army Special Forces

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Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!

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All Americans Who Are Worthy Of Inheriting Pre’s Legacy

Posted March 28th, 2008 at 11:00 AM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, SoundOFF, Columns, Olympics

Let’s face it—even more than three decades after his untimely death—the great Steve Prefontaine is still the Gold Standard by which American distance running is measured and yet may be for decades to come. So how does the current crop of Americans measure up when we compare their PRs to his? They have done pretty well, actually. Out of all the PR’s listed for Pre in his Wikipedia Article (at least the ones in which runners still compete these days) a full complement of twenty eight American distance runners have been able best Pre in at least one of them.

Of course, such was his talent at so many distances that only one runner out of the current crop has been able to beat all of Pre’s PRs. Care to take a guess as to who? You got it: Alan Webb.

And don’t think he’s not acutely aware of this fact, either. I would bet that every one of these guys knows which of their PRs is better than Pre’s. Like I said, he’s the standard, not only by which all elite American runners measure themselves but by which they are measured by others.
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Ryan Hall: Ready For London and Some Mean “Pan-takes”
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #5)

Posted March 17th, 2008 at 7:28 PM by Ryan Hall

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Elite Athlete Blogs, Ryan Hall

Welcome to the official blog of top U.S. distance runner Ryan Hall as he begins his quest for Olympic gold! Check back every other Friday for Ryan’s latest entry at http://ryanhall.thefinalsprint.com/

With four weeks to go until the Flora London Marathon, I can hardly believe it’s almost here. My anticipation is growing stronger and stronger with every passing day and with every big training effort complete. This past weekend was especially challenging. On Friday I completed my longest tempo run in my buildup for London (15 miles) and then completed a solid 23 mile run two days later. It was a big weekend of running that left me feeling fit and as prepared as ever for the distance. I don’t exactly know what the results will yield, but I do know that it will be a fun and exciting race.
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Ryan Hall: Keeping Perspective
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #4)

Posted March 4th, 2008 at 4:56 PM by Ryan Hall

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Cross Country, Elite Athlete Blogs, Ryan Hall

Welcome to the official blog of top U.S. distance runner Ryan Hall as he begins his quest for Olympic gold! Check back every other Friday for Ryan’s latest entry at http://ryanhall.thefinalsprint.com/

To be completely honest, I was bummed after XC Nationals. I was in good shape and ready to go, or so I thought. My expectations were high and I was hoping to kick off 2008 with a bang, so I was naturally a little bent when things didn’t turn out how I had hoped. Finishing fifth wasn’t a terrible performance and my hat goes off to Dathan and the rest of the guys on the team (I am sure we will all be proud of how they represent the US at Worlds), but it just wasn’t building the momentum I was looking for heading into London. Afterwards, there were lots of reasons, of which I constantly kept reminding myself, for why I didn’t perform well, but that didn’t keep me from getting a little bummed. Even so, I welcome these humbling experiences because they get me fired up. I had humbling experiences that preceded all of my best races.
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Ryan Hall: Confidence
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #3)

Posted February 16th, 2008 at 1:15 PM by Ryan Hall

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Ryan Hall

Welcome to the official blog of top U.S. distance runner Ryan Hall as he begins his quest for Olympic gold! Check back every other Friday for Ryan’s latest entry.

Something that has been on my mind a lot lately is the importance of confidence. When I am in Mammoth training I sometimes like to shoot hoops after our evening weight lifting is complete. When I am shooting around I like to work on my visualization skills. Just moments before releasing the ball I see the ball going in.

In my mind I become border-line cocky with each passing shot. If I miss I instantly shake it off and visualize the next shot going in, swish. I tell myself there is no way I will miss, swish. I see the ball crisply cutting through the net, swish. It amazing how much better I shoot when I am overly confident. I know this is kind of a ghetto experiment but it has definitely shown me that I am a lot more likely to perform better when I am confident than when I am unsure.
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Ryan Hall: Vision
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #2)

Posted February 1st, 2008 at 1:45 PM by Ryan Hall

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Elite Athlete Blogs, Ryan Hall

Welcome to the official blog of top U.S. distance runner Ryan Hall as he begins his quest for Olympic gold! Check back every other Friday for Ryan’s latest entry.

One of my favorite aspects of training in Mammoth is the “vision” that I get while I am up here. Let me clarify what I mean by “vision.” Vision is my mind’s-eye image of what’s possible. Vision is what inspires me to action, gives me the ample motivation to change, and – above all – gives me the belief of what is possible. On my runs these past two weeks I see London. I have a strong vision for the amazing opportunity that awaits me on April 13th and what could happen there.
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TFS Podcast 120:
KARA GOUCHER - Back in Action and Hungry for Gold!

Posted January 23rd, 2008 at 4:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Today I am joined by Kara Goucher, one of America’s most formidable female distance runners and the surprise 10,000m bronze medalist at the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka. Although its been a mere three months since she underwent knee surgery, Kara is already back on track, training hard, and confident that 2008 will be the most successful year of her blossoming running career.

In the interview we discuss her plans and priorities for the 2008 season, her current and upcoming racing schedules, what it has been like in Eugene as a member of Nike’s elite distance-running squad, and the dynamic among her teammates (including her husband and fellow running star Adam Goucher) and Coach Alberto Salazar. Kara also describes what she believes it’ll take to defeat renowned kickers like Meseret Defar and Tirunesh Dibaba in Beijing, how an Olympic medal compares to a World Championship medal, her thoughts on competing in Beijing’s infamous pollution, and much more!

Listen In
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Host: Jimmie R. Markham | Guest: Kara Goucher
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 16.3 MB | Length: 23:46 MIN

Episode Sponsored By: Nike +

Long Live Running!
Nike Plus will improve the way you run. Get feedback from your iPod on pace, time, distance and calories burned.

Log into Nikeplus.com to track your progress,
set goals and challenge friends.

Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!

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Ryan Hall: Perseverance
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #1)

Posted January 18th, 2008 at 5:00 PM by Ryan Hall

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Ryan Hall

Welcome to the official blog of top U.S. distance runner Ryan Hall as he begins his quest for Olympic gold! Check back every other Friday for Ryan’s latest entry.

These past three weeks I have been shown what it means to persevere in the face of hard times. Sara and I arrived in Flagstaff on December 30th to stay with our friend, Alicia Shay, with the goal of helping her in whatever way we could through the recent loss of her husband. However, as is the case so often when we try and help others, we are the ones who get blessed from the experience. I guess this is why Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Alicia showed me what it means to get up every day and face her troubles with courage and strength. I am sure a lot of people are proud of how Alicia has endured this hard time. I am certainly very proud and inspired by her ability to just plain get up everyday and choose to live a life of joy, even though she certainly has the right to be bitter, angry and frustrated.

Perseverance is a trait that I have had to learn a lot about during my running career.
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Podcast 106: CHRIS LEAR, Author of Running with the Buffaloes [Part 1 of 2]

Posted December 1st, 2007 at 1:45 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Motivation, Books, Track & Field, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts, Drugs In Sports, College

Episode 106 of The Final Sprint Podcast, the most listened to running podcast in North America, features the first installment in a two-part series of interviews with CHRIS LEAR, author of the cult-favorite running books Running With the Buffaloes and Sub 4:00: Alan Webb and the Quest for the Fastest Mile. TheFinalSprint.com Assistant Editor Jimmie R. Markham joins us for the interview.

Lear, a 4:09 high-school miler and an All-American at Princeton, talks about his early running career, his post-collegiate career, his inspiration for writing his running books and his business career.

Now pursuing his MBA at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Lear also discusses how he has been approached about selling the movie rights to Running With the Buffaloes and how the book lends itself to the big screen.

Download the podcast to hear Lear discuss these topics, as well, as doping, American distance runners and their place in the world running scene, the grassroots level resurgence of American distance running, and his advice for young runners on how to succeed in both endeavors.

Listen In
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Hosts: Adam Jacobs, Jimmie Markham | Guest:Chris Lear
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 18.1 MB | Length: 26:25 MIN

Episode Sponsored By: Nike +

Long Live Running!
Nike Plus will improve the way you run. Get feedback from your iPod on pace, time, distance and calories burned.

Log into Nikeplus.com to track your progress, set goals and challenge friends.

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Movie Review: “Showdown”
Five Elite Distance Runners, One Dream

Posted August 22nd, 2007 at 2:35 PM by Lara Johnson

Section: Motivation, Movies, Special Features, TFS Reviews

I have long been intrigued and inspired by those runners who compose the elite category. What is it they possess? What is their training like? What is their motivation? And what happens when these top athletes compete in one grueling race?

In his new film, “Showdown: Five Elite Distance Runners, One Dream,” creator Peter Han uncovers some of these mysteries as he takes viewers on a journey from the living rooms and training runs of 5 elite distance runners to the finish line of the 2007 U.S. Cross Country Championships in Boulder, Colorado.

“Showdown” is a documentary-style film with cinematic appeal. Through personal interviews, race clips, photos, and commentaries, it narrates the preparations of 5 elite men of differing backgrounds: 2-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, 2-time Olympian Alan Culpepper, Olympic silver-medalist Meb Keflezighi, high school and university level champion Dathan Ritzenhein, and 10,000 meter champion Jorge Torres.
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