TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More!

Lead Stories: Friday, September 5, 2008

Cornell and LetsRun.com’s Robert “Rojo” Johnson

Posted June 25th, 2008 at 12:00 PM by Stephanie Lowe

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Cross Country, Track & Field, Olympics, Interviews, College

The 2008 American Milers Club High Performance Series wrapped up last Saturday, June 14, mostly without a hitch. The weather in Indianapolis was perfect, the crowd was enthusiastic and the races were stacked with talented athletes.

Among the outstanding performances was Anna Willard’s personal record of 4:06.26 in the 1500-meter run. In the men’s 1500-meter run, Steve Sherer also set a personal best with a 3:36.81 that barely beat Andy McClary’s 3:36.91.

The main attraction of the night, however, was Alan Webb in the 800-meter run. When word got out earlier in the week that he would race, fans expected to see him redeem himself for his sub par 1500-meter performance at the June 8 Prefontaine Classic. Instead, Webb placed fifth with a time of 1:47.41, far from his 1:43.84 personal best. With the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials just days away, what do these races mean for Webb’s chance to make the team? Will the number-one 1500 and 800-meter runner in the nation not go to the Beijing Olympics? While many of Webb’s fans remain optimistic, others are concerned.
Read the rest of this entry »

3 comments, add yours | Permalink

Podcast 107: CHRIS LEAR: Author of Running with the Buffaloes [Part 2 of 2]

Posted December 3rd, 2007 at 5:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

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

Episode 107 of The Final Sprint Podcast features the second 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.

In Part Two, Lear talks about being a “trackie,” a “running geek for life,” and marrying his profession with his favorite sport. He discusses his future goals of getting involved with the business end of the sport of Track & Field, taking on a significant leadership role, perhaps following in the footsteps of Craig A. Masback, President of USATF, the governing body of American Track & Field.

Ethics, both in the sport of Track & Field and in business, is discussed. Lear touches on how collegiate runners tend to have the highest GPA’s of all sports and how they play a unique role in that college graduates – compared to athletes in the third world – have more to lose by doping. He also discusses the unique running heroes he emulated while he was growing up.

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: Chris Lear
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 13.5 MB | Length: 19:41 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!

Read the rest of this entry »

One comment, add yours | Permalink

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
[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 +

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

5 comments, add yours | Permalink

Book Review: “Running with the Buffaloes” by Chris Lear

Posted July 16th, 2007 at 9:00 AM by Paul Petersen

Section: News & Results, Motivation, Books, Cross Country, Track & Field, Special Features, TFS Reviews

running with the buffaloes book cover Have you ever wondered what it’s like to run for an NCAA cross country powerhouse? Have you ever wanted an inside look into the minds and workouts of a D-I national contender? “Running with the Buffaloes: A Season Inside with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and the University of Colorado Men’s Cross-Country Team“, by Chris Lear, brings all of those perspectives, and much much more.

“Running with the Buffaloes” chronicles the 1998 Colorado University cross country season, day-by-day, workout -by-workout, race-by-race. The book takes you through the intense three-month season via an easy-to-read narrative that flows smoothly amidst team activities. Each day of the season fills its own short chapter, which not only makes the book consumable for people with short attention spans (like me), but also makes it hard to put down!
Read the rest of this entry »

3 comments, add yours | Permalink