Hi, this is my blog in TFS’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Bookmark kateoneill.thefinalsprint.com and check back every other Monday for my latest entry as I strive for the 2008 Summer Olympics!
Happy belated Mother’s Day! On Sunday I went to a bookstore for story hour with my boyfriend and his mother. I had seen that the author of a book called Delta & Dawn: Mother & Baby Whales’ Journey would be coming to read aloud. The book tells the true story of two humpback whales that wandered into the Sacramento River last year. Humpback whales spend their winters off the coast of Mexico where they give birth and then travel along the coast up to Northern California for feeding during the warmer months. Somehow this duo got separated from the other whales and swam under the Golden Gate Bridge. Having lost their bearings, they continued swimming further up the Sacramento River toward the state capital.
This story hour was of course intended for children, but the event had caught my eye when I was looking at the bookstore’s list of visiting authors. My parents took me on whale watching boat trips when I was younger and the whaling industry had an enormous impact on the area in which I grew up. (Plus a whale played a very important role in a Seinfeld episode involving a golf ball, a little lie, and a walk on the beach. Seinfeld fans know what I’m talking about. All others should really rent the series DVD.)
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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.
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[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and select “save as”)[RSS] Add The Final Sprint Podcast RSS feed to your RSS reader to have the show delivered to you
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 +
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2000 Olympic gold medalist Maurice Greene is among the celebrity athletes making an appearance in a newly published book by Todd Gallagher, Andy Roddick Beat Me With A Frying Pan.
The book is one man’s mission to settle, once and for all, some fifty different sports debates, no matter how ridiculous. Gallagher gets answers from A-list names in every major sport, from Greene to LeBron James to Jason Giambi to Mike Tyson, and many others.
In the chapter, “What kind of a handicap would it take to beat an Olympic sprinter?” Gallagher’s editor takes on Greene in a footrace. The hitch: the editor gets a more than 30-meter head start and runs more than half the 100-meter race on a moving walkway.
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“The Marine Corps Marathon, A Running Tradition” is a new book which captures the history of the Marine Corps Marathon through the individual stories of previous runners.
Written by George Banker, the race historian, the book is “written from the heart and by those who have a personal connection to the race,” according to promotional material received at the Race Results Weekly office.
The book is available directly from the publisher, Meyer & Meyer Sportverlag at this link:
http://www.m-m-sports.com/shop.php?r=1,4&object_id=3256
With all of the triple-digit thermometer readings all over the country this week, it’s hard to believe that Cross-Country season is right around the corner. If you haven’t been building your base all summer, it might be too late for you to challenge the best runners in your area for the lead in those upcoming early-season races (they’ve been at it all summer long); but – as long as you begin training immediately – it might not be too late for you to be competitive in those end-of-season district races.
If you need some training tips and inspiration, perhaps the best book ever written about high school cross country – not only for coaches, but for runners and fans, too – is Coaching Cross Country Successfully by Joe Newton with Joe Henderson. Newton is a legendary cross country coach from Elmhurst, Illinois, where he led the long green line from York High School to 20 national and 25 state cross country titles. Whether you’re a middle school or high school coach or runner, this book is the blueprint for coaching, and running on, a winning cross country team.
For more information about Coach Newton: [Sports Illustrated]
You can buy the book here: [Amazon]
Episode 66 of The Final Sprint Podcast features the second and final installment of a two-part, in-depth interview with the legendary female running pioneer and passionate Lydiard protégé LORRAINE MOLLER. (Click here to listen to part 1 of this interview featured in Episode 65).
Lorraine began an unprecedented, 28-year international career by running barefoot in her native New Zealand. At the age of 41, she concluded her running her career with her fourth Olympic marathon, becoming the only woman in the world to have completed each of the first four Olympic marathons for women. Her multitude of other accomplishments include the longest debut winning marathon streak in history, a Boston Marathon title, and an Olympic bronze medal.
In part 2 of the interview, Lorraine talks about her upcoming autobiography “On the Wings of Mercury”, her decision to retire and her life since, coaching, the advent of the women’s marathon and the special relationship between herself and fellow women’s running pioneers: Kathrine Switzer, Grete Waitz, and Joan Benoit Samuelson.
Download the podcast to hear Lorraine discuss these topics, as well as, helping to create the Arthur Lydiard Foundation, her charity efforts and much more!
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[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and select “save as”)[RSS] Add The Final Sprint Podcast RSS feed to your RSS reader to have the show delivered to you
Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Lorraine Moller
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 13.9 MB
Length: 20:16
Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!
Episode 65 of The Final Sprint Podcast features the first installment of a two-part, in-depth interview with the legendary female running pioneer and passionate Lydiard protégé LORRAINE MOLLER.
(Note: Part two will be published on Friday in Episode 66).
Lorraine began an unprecedented, 28-year international career by running barefoot in her native New Zealand. At the age of 41, she concluded her running her career with her fourth Olympic marathon, becoming the only woman in the world to have completed each of the first four Olympic marathons for women. Her multitude of other accomplishments include the longest debut winning marathon streak in history, a Boston Marathon title, and an Olympic bronze medal.
In part 1 of the interview, Lorraine talks about the development and progression of her career, being driven by that “pioneering kiwi spirit”, the metamorphosis of female athletics, her bond with iconic running coach Arthur Lydiard, misconceptions about his training philosophies, and why her regimen so seamlessly prepared her for the marathon.
Download the podcast to hear Lorraine discuss these topics, as well as, the special meaning of being inducted to the Colorado Running Hall of Fame and her belief that running is a personal and spiritual journey that enabled her to develop the often under-appreciated, but yet crucial element to success in both athletics and in life: self-understanding and the mental framework of a champion.
Listen In
[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and select “save as”)[RSS] Add The Final Sprint Podcast RSS feed to your RSS reader to have the show delivered to you
Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Lorraine Moller
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 17.3 MB
Length: 25:15
Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!
Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to TFS. Also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.
Respected running coach Bob Glover addresses the “Masters Runner” specifically in his books, “The Runner’s Handbook” and “The Competitive Runner’s Handbook”. Both books are very extensive and excellent training guides.
“The Runner’s Handbook” was originally published in 1978 and updated in 1985 and 1996. I have the 1996 edition. It covers mostly fundamental stuff, but over a wide range of running and running-related topics and is mostly oriented to the basic beginning runner and those running primarily for fitness and recreation.
It touches very briefly on training for racing (60 pages) and an introduction to speed training (10 pages). It does include a “Masters Runner” chapter that is mostly oriented to the beginning masters runner, but has a lot of fundamental stuff that applies to masters runners of all levels.
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Thanks to everyone who entered the first of three “Real Food. Fast” Sweepstakes , presented by VEGA.
Wasn’t selected? … Don’t worry! … There are still two more chances to win so make sure you re-enter this week and next!
This week we’ll be giving away a prize pack (retail value = $170.90) that includes:
TO ENTER: All you have to do is comment on this post with an explanation of what you look for in a meal replacement (protein/carbohydrate shake, etc.) and why. If you already entered last week’s contest, you MUST RE-ENTER for a chance to win!
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March is beginning to fly by; hopefully signaling the end of bitter cold temperatures and snow storms.
It also means that our mileage is on the rise, spring marathons are drawing near and proper nutrition is more important than ever. However, with time at a premium it can be a real challenge to properly fuel our bodies.
That’s why we’ve teamed up with VEGA to keep you going strong with “Real Food. Fast” . During this three week sweepstakes you’ll have a chance each week to win high quality nutritional products and other items from Vega.
This week we’ll be giving away: a box of VEGA’s berry flavored Whole Food Energy Bars, the VEGA deluxe water bottle and a copy of IRONMAN triathlete (and VEGA formulator) Brendan Brazier’s book: “Thrive: A guide to optimal health & performance through plant-based whole foods” .
TO ENTER: All you have to do is comment on this post with an explanation of what you look for in an energy bar and why. Please remember to also enter your name and email address in the appropriate boxes.
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