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Lead Stories: Friday, May 16, 2008

Josh Cox: Miracles 50
and A Boy Named Sue
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #8)

Posted May 1st, 2008 at 4:00 PM by Josh Cox

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Elite Athlete Blogs, Josh Cox

Welcome to the official blog of U.S. marathon runner Josh Cox. Every other Wednesday visit http://joshcox.thefinalsprint.com for Cox’s latest blog entry and for more information, also please visit: www.joshcox.com

“I believe in miracles.
I believe in a better world for me and you.
Oh, I believe in miracles.
I believe in a better world for me and you.”
-The Ramones,
I Believe in Miracles

“Son, this world is rough
And if a man’s gonna make it, he’s gotta be tough
And I know I wouldn’t be there to help you along.
So I give ya that name and I said good-bye
I knew you’d have to get tough or die
And it’s that name that helped to make you strong.”
- A Boy Named Sue
(A song written by Shel Silverstein made famous by Johnny Cash. A song about a dad who names his son Sue and leaves - the son vows to exact his revenge for his awful name. He finds his dad, fights him, his dad gets up, smiles, and explains why he named him Sue. )

“The secret of man’s being is not only to live but to have something to live for.”
-Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Russian literary giant & Casino fiend

Somewhere around 41 miles, in the high hills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains the race came undone. I could no longer run; a humbling experience for a self-assured 22-year-old college senior who, several hours earlier, had thought running a 50-mile race was a good idea. For the first time in my life I wished I were jogging – oh the horror – anything but the “J-word.” But alas, I was doing the S-word. Shuffling. Shuffling is what we runner’s do, we bypass the jog and enter straight into the shuffle. It’s part of the unwritten code – run slow, shuffle, but never, ever jog.
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Podcast 112: Two-Time Spartathlon Champion & Premier Ultramarathon Runner SCOTT JUREK

Posted January 7th, 2008 at 7:15 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts, Trail / Ultra

Episode 112 of TheFinalSprint.com Podcast, the most listened to running podcast in North America, features my interview with America’s dominating ultramarathon runner and premier vegan athlete SCOTT JUREK.

In the interview Scott evaluates his historic 2007 season, including a course record despite an ankle injury at the Hardrock 100 and his second-consecutive victory at the legendary Spartathlon.

Download the podcast to hear Scott discuss these topics, as well as, his 2008 racing plans, the mental aspects of successful ultra-running, pain perception and tolerance for endurance athletes, Sri Chimnoy’s Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, his volunteer work and passion for the sport, potential post-athletic career plans, and much more!

Listen In
[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and select “save as”)

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Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Scott Jurek
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 22.4 MB | Length: 32:38 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!

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TFS Shoe Review: New Balance MR790 Trail Running Shoes

Posted January 6th, 2008 at 11:00 AM by Paul Petersen

Section: Gear & Apparel, Running Shoes, Product Reviews, Special Features, TFS Reviews

Product: New Balance MR790
Price: $80.00
Shoe Type: Lightweight Trail / Racing
Fit: Half a size small
Weight: 7.9 oz
Pronation Factor: Neutral
Best for: Lighter runners with access to softer surfaces

Many trails near my home in northern Utah are steep, rocky, and foreboding, requiring heavy tank-like trail running shoes that can withstand the punishment of the terrain — and protect my feet as well. Many of these dedicated trail running shoes weigh up to a pound apiece in order to offer high levels of support and protection.

However, there are times in my trail running when I don’t quite need that level of stability and “armor”, but rather, I want speed and agility. In other words, I want a lightweight trail shoe, the trail equivalent to a road racing flat.

Fortunately, New Balance has come through with this wish, with their MR790 model trail shoe. At a feather-light 7.9 ounces, this trail shoe is lighter than my road-racing flats! But how will they perform on a trail?

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Janicki, Sakurai Win IAU Trail World Challenge 50 Mile

Posted December 11th, 2007 at 12:07 PM by Jeremy Sussman

Section: News & Results, Trail / Ultra

This year’s Sunmart 50 mile event served as the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) Trail World Challenge. Runners representing twelve IAU federations ran side-by-side with the Open field to vie for the overall championship. The men’s winner Jaroslaw Janicki hails from Poland and broke the tape in 6 hours, 7 minutes and 46 seconds. The women’s winner, Norimi Sakurai from Japan, clocked in at 6:34:58 at the 18th Texas Trail Endurance Runs on Saturday.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: TrailFit.com

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USATF announces 2007 Mountain/Ultra/Trail
Running Awards

Posted November 30th, 2007 at 10:00 AM by Jamal Walker

Section: News & Results, Trail / Ultra

The Mountain Ultra Trail (MUT) Council of long distance running has chosen the 2007 USATF Mountain Runners of the Year, Ultrarunners of the Year, and Contributor of the Year. The following will receive their awards at the annual USATF National Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii on Saturday, December 1 at an awards breakfast.

Rickey Gates, 26, Boulder, CO, (Pictured)is the mountain runner of the year. This is the first time Gates has received this award. He had a stellar year winning the USA Mountain Champs and USA Trail (10km) Champs on back-to-back weekends in June, and made his second consecutive Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: TrailFit.com

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Elite Endurance Athletes Brace for The North Face Endurance Challenge Championship

Posted November 25th, 2007 at 10:25 AM by Jamal Walker

Section: News & Results, Trail / Ultra

The North Face Endurance Challenge, a four-region, nationwide running event for outdoor athletes seeking to explore their personal limits, culminates in grand fashion on the Pacific shores north of San Francisco on December 1, 2007. The event, which offers distances of 10K, Half Marathon, 50K, and 50 Miles, is also the series’ championship event, where 50-mile participants will compete for the largest prize purse in trail ultrarunning. The male and female winners will each receive $10,000.

Many of the world’s most elite endurance runners have registered for the event in hopes of going home with the big prize. The entrant list is highlighted by several members of The North Face Endurance Team as well as many other legends of the sport that have never competed toe-to-toe.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: TrailFit.com

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Sunmart Texas Trail Endurance Runs to Host
IAU Trail World Challenge

Posted November 16th, 2007 at 12:30 PM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results, Trail / Ultra

The 18th Sunmart Texas Trail Endurance Runs, scheduled for Saturday, December 8 in Huntsville State Park, will host the 2007 IAU Trail World Challenge for the 50 Miler and the 50K events. In 2006, Sunmart was given a tryout as the IAU Trail World Challenge and overwhelmingly satisfied the criteria for hosting an IAU (International Association of Ultramarathoners) event.

The 50 mile race and 50 kilometer event are expected to attract over 1,000 ultra-marathoners from more than 40 states and 14 countries. The 50 mile route is comprised of four 12.5 mile loops through the park’s extensive trail network. The 50K route covers a two loop course. The 50 mile event begins at 7:00am, with the 50K race set to start at 7:30am at Huntsville State Park, which is 60 miles north of Houston. A prize purse will be awarded in both the 50 Miler and the 50K.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: TrailFit.com

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Vincente, Csomor Win XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Run 10K in Maui, Hawaii

Posted October 29th, 2007 at 8:10 PM by Bart Moylan

Section: News & Results, Trail / Ultra

At the blast of a cannon, 355 trail runners from 14 different countries and 30 U.S. states took off for the XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Run on Saturday. With a backdrop of bright blue skies and palm trees swaying in the balmy breeze, this trail run is the kickoff event for a weekend of XTERRA adventures.

Competitors chose from two off-road courses, a 10K or a 5K - each serving up a plateful of Mother Nature’s finest ingredients including loose gravel and lava rocks, soft sand and humid temperatures.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: TrailFit.com

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TFS News Briefs: 10/23/07

Posted October 23rd, 2007 at 4:20 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Motivation, Books, Track & Field, Olympics, TFS News Briefs, Trail / Ultra, Masters

New Running Books To Be Released Soon
There’s a few new books about running that you’ll want to keep an eye on. Ronnie Delaney: Staying the Distance an autobiography by the legendary Irish miler who won gold at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and was the 7th man to break 4:00 for the mile. Also, be sure to check out The Marathon Des Sables, Seven Days in the Sahara: Enduring the Toughest Footrace On Earth by Mark Hines. Read more at: [Wikipedia]. Look for more soon-to-be-published running books at: [Amazon]

Southern CA Wildfires Affecting Some Masters Runners
Masters runners, along with some 300,000 San Diego County residents, are being evacuated due to the raging wildfires that extend from Malibu to the Mexican border. Stay updated at: [MastersTrack.com]

London Wants To Be Known as Public Transportation Games
The Olympic Delivery Authority of the 2012 Olympic Games in London want theirs to be known as the Public Transportation Games. Day 7 of the 2012 Olympic Games in London will see some 800,000 fans converge on London’s transportation system to watch the opening day of track and field. Read more at: [USA Today]
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American Odyssey Relay Planned for Spring 2009

Posted October 23rd, 2007 at 3:41 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Trail / Ultra

People Burning Fat Productions has announced its latest relay run, the American Odyssey Relay Run Adventure, which will occur in the Washington D.C. area. The approximately 200-mile course will traverse Civil War battlefields and other historic locations. The event kicks off in Gettysburg, Pa. before weaving through Maryland and finishing near the Mall in Washington, D.C.

“Like our other relays, the American Odyssey will be a first-class destination event that attracts visitors from around the country and the world,” said Eric Lerude, president of People Burning Fat Productions. “This is our most ambitious effort to date, with an extraordinarily scenic course that showcases many attractions and historical points of interest.”

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: TrailFit.com

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