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.
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As he sets out on his quest for double Olympic gold this summer, Bernard Lagat will have plenty of supporters. Among them is the man whose achievement he’ll be hoping to emulate in Beijing: world record holder and reigning double Olympic champion Hicham El Guerrouj.
“Bernard proved in Osaka, thanks to determination and passion, that he can do it,” El Guerrouj, the finest middle distance runner of his generation, said of his long-time rival, last fall.
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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!
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.
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Despite protests of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, President George W. Bush recently stated that there will not be a boycott from the United States. According to CNN, Bush believes the Olympics “should be about the athletes and not necessarily about politics.”
Former U.S. Olympian Gerry Lindgren, 62, agrees. He thinks China will benefit from hosting the Games.
“I think they need to leave politics out of it,” he said. “China has made some great strides forward in the last few years.”
Lindgren recalls backlash of the 1980 U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics. He did not plan to compete in Moscow, but he knew how disappointed the U.S. team was to miss out on the Olympic experience. Lindgren said he was upset with former President Jimmy Carter’s decision and said the Olympics should have been “the only avenue in the world that wasn’t political.”
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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!
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.
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Ethiopian distance running star Haile Gebrselassie says he may compete over the marathon at the 29th Beijing Olympics if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) makes changes to the event’s venue and starting time.
On Monday, the world marathon record holder and former double Olympic 10000m champion announced that he will not take part in this year’s Olympic marathon citing Beijing’s pollution and fearing the aggravation of his own exercise-induced asthma.
But speaking on Wednesday, the 34-year old said, “I do not want to rule anything out at this point. This decision is not about Haile. It is about all athletes who will be competing. Our safety has to be protected.”
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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 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.
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Hi, this is my blog in TFS’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Bookmark http://kateoneill.thefinalsprint.com/ and check back every other Monday for my latest entry as I strive for the 2008 Summer Olympics!
In terms of energy conservation, I like to think that I’m fairly good to the environment. My reality came crashing down on me this morning when I blew a fuse while using both a microwave oven and a panini press at the same time. It took me a second to realize what I had done and then I felt horrified that I was using that much energy just to make lunch for my boyfriend and me.
I felt guilty about it until going for my second run and listening to a “Science Friday” podcast. (“Science Friday” is weekly discussion of the latest news in science, technology, health, and the environment on National Public Radio. Read the rest of this entry »
Hi, this is my blog in TFS’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Bookmark http://kateoneill.thefinalsprint.com/ and check back every other Monday for my latest entry as I strive for the 2008 Summer Olympics!
My coach Terrence Mahon loves to psychoanalyze his athletes. He wants to find out what inspires us, what gives us confidence, and what events have made us into the people that we are today. I thought he had me completely figured out, but today he surprised me with another insight.
Anyone who has spent any time around me quickly learns that I often launch into random stories during long car trips or recovery runs. (Ian Dobson and Mike McKeeman accuse me of making most of the stories up, or grossly exaggerating them, but I swear that 99.999% of everything is true.)
We’ve had a lot of snow in Mammoth this year (19 feet, 7 inches to be exact, which is already 4 inches more than the 2006-2007 season) so we have had to drive down the mountain about a half hour every day to escape the conditions.
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Hi, this is my blog in TFS’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Bookmark http://kateoneill.thefinalsprint.com/ and check back every other Monday for my latest entry as I strive for the 2008 Summer Olympics!
First off, I’d like to thank Adam Jacobs and The Final Sprint for inviting me to take part in this new feature of their website. This is an exciting year for track and field in the US. I think we are going to see amazing performances all year long as we all strive to improve our PRs and make a name for ourselves on the world scene.
The inspirational finishes of the men’s Olympic Marathon Trials in November has set a high standard for the rest of us to reach. In 2004, the US was not able to send a full squad in the men’s 5,000 meters, the women’s 1500 meters, or the women’s 10,000 meters to Athens. That certainly is not going to happen this year. A number of people already have met the standards in every event and many more are preparing to make 2008 into a breakout season. The new rule allowing one person with a “B” standard to qualify for the time will make the Olympic Trials even more exciting as no one can assume that a spot on the team is secure. (Sounds a little bit like the current presidential primary season…)
As we head into the Olympic Trials, new running websites like thefinalsprint.com are adding to the momentum through blogs, podcasts, and footage of races that would not have been taped until the last few years.
For my introductory entry, I’ll give a brief sketch of my life as a runner.
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