TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More! - TheFinalSprint.com is the Premier Destination for Track & Field, Marathon, Cross Country, Olympic and Road Racing Enthusiasts.

Click Here for TFS's Track & Field Coverage from the 2008 Beijing Olympics!

Lead Stories: Saturday, September 6, 2008

Dathan Ritzenhein: The Not-So-Casual Life Of A Professional Runner
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #4)

Posted April 22nd, 2008 at 7:30 PM by Dathan Ritzenhein

Section: 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!

This week I went looking to trade in our truck for a more eco-friendly, family-friendly vehicle. While I thought I found something I liked, it wasn’t quite what my wife had in mind. Apparently a coupe isn’t as practical as a sedan when kids are involved. While we were there I was asked my occupation by the salesman. I always hesitate when answering this question because responding with “professional runner” isn’t a typical, run-of-the-mill occupation. Even here in Eugene, track town, USA, I still get odd looks and unusual responses to that answer. Such as, “You run for fun? What kind of job is that?” or “Wow! You must have a lot of time on your hands if all you do is run!” Well, I thought I would answer that response first by saying, I’m actually very busy, and secondly I will give a common play-by-play of my daily life.
Read the rest of this entry »

12 comments, add yours | Permalink

Dathan Ritzenhein: Keeping That Competitive Edge
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #3)

Posted April 8th, 2008 at 11:45 AM by Dathan Ritzenhein

Section: Elite Athlete Blogs, Dathan Ritzenhein

Well, my break is officially over, and I’m back in the swing of things. Being an athlete I find myself extremely competitive. I’m especially competitive when I’m not running, but not by choice, it’s just who I am. I think it’s because I’m not outside seeing people, running my old routes, and challenging against myself and the clock in workouts.

During this break I found myself competing against my wife in many things. Luckily she didn’t want to divorce me after this latest break. We have this little game on my phone, bubble breaker that we compete against each other to see who can get the best score.
Read the rest of this entry »

7 comments, add yours | Permalink

Lemoncello Carries British Hopes into World Cross

Posted March 28th, 2008 at 7:07 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Cross Country, Track & Field

andrew lemoncello british distance and cross country runner It’s not often that a major world championship comes to Great Britain, seemingly a prime opportunity for the host country’s best athlete’s to shine. However, only a handful of Britain’s best have answered the call to run for Queen and country, and an athlete with an American father and a Scottish mother who works part-time at a restaurant in Flagstaff, Ariz., will be the U.K.’s top man when the gun sounds for the senior men’s 12 km race here on Sunday afternoon.

Andrew Lemoncello, a talented steeplechaser who starred at Florida State University and won the ACC indoor titles at 3000m and 5000m last year, is excited to compete in Holyrood Park. Rooming with Irishman Martin Fagan in high altitude Flagstaff where he is coached by American Greg McMillan, Lemoncello has come through a snowy winter with some solid training under his belt.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Dathan Ritzenhein: Putting Things Into Perspective
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #2)

Posted March 25th, 2008 at 9:30 AM by Dathan Ritzenhein

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Elite Athlete Blogs, Dathan Ritzenhein

Hayward Field is finally complete and track season has officially started in Eugene! Yesterday my wife, daughter and I spent the afternoon watching the Oregon Preview meet. It was a great day. It was warm and sunny and just so nice to sit in the sun and watch instead of competing. It still amazes me at how much the community of Eugene, Oregon supports track and field. No where else would you find 5,000 fans who turn out for a season opener track meet. I cannot wait to see what the rest of the season brings. If this is the turn-out for the preview meet, having the trials here will be unforgettable. It will probably be like the Prefontaine Classic for 10 days straight.

With the trials just around the corner, the town is full of enthusiasm and pride. It really has made me look forward to having the Olympic Trials here in Eugene. Not only did the track get an update, the entire town seems to be sprucing things up as well. The trails are being groomed, new woodchips are being spread, and roads are being resurfaced. We live only a half mile from the Rexius Trail and every day it seems that more and more people are out running or walking on it.
Read the rest of this entry »

10 comments, add yours | Permalink

TFS News Briefs: 3/24/08

Posted March 24th, 2008 at 12:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Cross Country, Track & Field, Olympics, TFS News Briefs

TFS News Briefs

Kenyan Athletes To Restore Country’s Tarnished Image?
Athletes on the world stage, like it or not, are often ambassadors for their nations. It looks like it’s up to the diminutive distance runners of Kenya this time. An article om allafrica.com states that Joseph Ebuya and crew have the “extra burden of restoring the country’s soiled image” at the upcoming IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Read more at: [All Africa]

Speaking of Great Kenyan Runners…
Is Margaret Wangari, who made her first Kenyan world cross-country team last week ahead of even the great Vivian Cheruiyot, the next Kenyan world beater? She certainly seems to have the right attitude, saying that ” As part of the team, I expect to perform well” at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland on March 30th.
Read more at: [Standard, Kenya]

IOC President: Olympic Marathon Bigger Than Haile
IOC President Jacques Rogge was doing some major PR today for the Olympic movement, saying not only that “the Games are far stronger than the individual” (translation: Haile Gebrselassie’s withdrawal doesn’t diminish the Beijing Olympic Marathon. Yeah, right!), but that awarding the 2008 Games to China was a good idea in the first place.
Read more at: [Canadian Press][Reuters]
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Dathan Ritzenhein: XC Champs, Alter-G & Olympic Training
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #1)

Posted March 12th, 2008 at 10:30 AM by Dathan Ritzenhein

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Cross Country, Track & Field, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Dathan Ritzenhein

This past month has reinforced in me that hard work, dedication, and focus can really pay off. I wouldn’t say that leading up to the US Cross Country Championships I was 100% confident going into the race. My ultimate goal was to just make the team. For the past four weeks my training log resembled something of a rollercoaster. The highs and lows were dictated by the training my leg would allow.

After returning from a cross country race in Edinburgh, Scotland a few weeks ago, I noticed a slight pain in my IT band and lateral quad. At first it was minimal, and I was able to train through it with not problems, but after a grueling week of traveling it began to hinder my training. Fortunately, I had the Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill on which to supplement most of my training.
Read the rest of this entry »

3 comments, add yours | Permalink

TFS News Briefs: 3/10/08

Posted March 10th, 2008 at 12:30 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Cross Country, Track & Field, TFS News Briefs

TFS News Briefs
USA Reigns Supreme in World Championships Medal Count
Team USA, even with many of its top athletes not in attendance, still took away a total of 13 medals, more than any other nation at the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championships held in Valencia, Spain from March 7-9, 2008. These included 5 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze. Russia was a close second with 12 medals, including 5 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze.
Read more at: [IAAF]

IHT Dismisses Worlds As “For Connoisseurs Only”
An article in the International Herald Tribune dismissed the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships as being “for connoisseurs only.” With The US contingent being “B Team USA” and still winning the meet, the writer probably has a point. Imagine if Wariner, Gay, Felix, Richards, Webb and Tegenkamp had been there.
Read more at: [IHT]

Mottram Focused On Edinburgh
After a disappointing 5th-place finish at the world indoors, Aussie Craig Mottram is now focused on redeeming himself at the World Cross-Country Championships to be held later this month in Edinburgh, Scotland. Mottram’s coach, Nic Bideau, said that “the focus is the cross-country. I mean he hadn’t done the preparation for a race like that, which was a sprint home.”
Read more at: [Melbourne Herald Sun]
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Podcast 88: KATHY BUTLER on the 2007 Chicago Marathon

Posted October 4th, 2007 at 3:45 PM by Adam Jacobs

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

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years BR Sportswear is closing out their line of high -quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

Episode 88 of TheFinalSprint.com Podcast, the most listened to running podcast in North America, features my interview with former University of Wisconsin star KATHY BUTLER (who now competes for Great Britain) just days before she competes in the 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.

In the interview, Kathy talks about bouncing back from a DNF at last April’s Flora London Marathon, the keys to her success at Sunday’s Chicago Marathon, qualifying for the Beijing Olympics, and which events she’ll focus on in 2008.

Download the podcast to hear Kathy discuss these topics, as well as admiring the work ethic of runners like Bob Kennedy, wanting to compete in the 2008 World XC Champs in her hometown of Edinburgh, and how moving between America, Canada, and Great Britain has helped her to feel at “home” when racing in different countries, but also made her yearn for stability when she decides to eventually retire.

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: Kathy Butler
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 12.9 MB | Length: 18:49 MIN

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years Bill Rodgers Sportswear is closing out their line of high-quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!