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.

Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 2008

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

New Post by Once A Runner Author John L. Parker, Jr.

Posted September 24th, 2007 at 8:12 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Motivation, Success Stories, Track & Field

John L. Parker, Jr., the acclaimed author of the cult-favorite track & field novel Once a Runner who recently suffered a life-threatening “severe cardiac event,” has finally recovered enough to actually be able to post a note on his CaringBridge website. After all these days of uncertainty, I’m sure he won’t mind if I post it in its entirety for the running community to read:

Hi everyone. This is a quick note from the actual JP, not a stand-in. I’ll have a lot more to say in coming days about this long strange journey I’ve been on, but I just wanted to pop on quickly to thank everyone who has commented on this web page or sent good wishes, prayers, or (what we used to call in the 60’s) good vibrations my way. I have read every single comment and many brought actual tears to my eyes.

Novelists try very hard to make hard fast connections with their readers and I have been aware over the years from the occasional note, letter or email that I had at least partially succeeded with *Once a Runner* years ago. But the comments and good wishes from readers on this web page and elsewhere have been just plain humbling.

Thanks to my brother Jerry, and my wonderful Catherine, for everything. In “everything,” I include–literally–my life.

Of all the notes on his guestbook, perhaps the most intriguing one was signed today by none other than the legendary Olympic gold medalist (and former Florida Track Club teammate) Frank Shorter. To read the note from Shorter and stay informed of the latest great news regarding JP’s continued recovery, you can visit his website: [CaringBridge]

4 comments, add yours | Permalink