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.
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 »
Sara Hall: Success in London for Ryan, Now On To Mt. Sac (Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #7)
Posted April 18th, 2008 at 4:00 PM by Sara Hall
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Sara Hall
Welcome to the official blog of U.S. middle-distance runner Sara Hall. Sara’s list of running accolades include being a former NCAA All- American at Stanford, the 2006 USA 5K road champion, and the 2006 champion at the Continental Fifth Avenue Mile. Check back every other Friday for her latest entry at http://sarahall.thefinalsprint.com/
It’s over. I am definitely running a little lighter these days now that London is behind us, successfully completed! There is so much buildup going into marathons, especially for Ryan since he usually doesn’t race too much leading up to it. Just one shot, make or break, all that training and dreaming coming down to one day.
This year, Ryan seemed a lot less nervous than last year and at the Trials, which helped me stay relaxed too. I take Ryan’s races very personally, because we are a team- whether playing Poker with our teammates (much to the frustration of Ian [Dobson] frustration) or cheering each other on in workouts, we are “Team Hall” and try to do it together and support each other to the point where his races seem like my races, his victories my victories, and his failures mine as well. The Bible puts it well when it says, “a man shall leave his father and mother, be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh”. Since we’ve been married, I definitely feel like we are “one”, so it was great to be able to be there the whole trip to London and experience it all together!
Read the rest of this entry »
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
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.
Read the rest of this entry »
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
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.
Read the rest of this entry »
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
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.
Read the rest of this entry »
Nick Symmonds: World Indoor Championships 2008
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #8)
Posted March 11th, 2008 at 4:30 PM by Nick Symmonds
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Elite Athlete Blogs, Nick Symmonds
Welcome to the official blog of elite American middle-distance runner Nick Symmonds. Make sure to check every other Monday at http://nicksymmonds.thefinalsprint.com/ for Nick’s latest entry! For more information about Nick, also please visit: www.nicksymmonds.com
I am currently sitting in a cafe in Oviedo, a small city in the north of Spain and I’m thinking I have the best job in the world. I get paid to travel to many foreign places doing what I love to do. Well, usually I love this job, but sometimes it challenges me with the most difficult experiences. I ran into a new challenge this past weekend in Valencia, Spain at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
After passing through the prelims and semi-finals with relative ease, I found myself preparing to race in my first World finals. I was about to compete against five of the fastest people on this planet. The prospect had me excited to say the least and I had no idea what to expect. Though this was my first final on the World level, I have been in many championship races. They are, especially in the 800m, impossible to predict.
I assumed that it would go out at a modest pace and eventually slow down leaving things perfectly set-up for me to unleash a 200m kick that would surely result in a top three finish … No such luck.
Read the rest of this entry »
TFS Book Review: “Fun on Foot in America’s Cities”
Posted December 10th, 2006 at 11:00 AM by Jenna Sumara
Section: Motivation, Books, Special Features, TFS Reviews
This book provides a simple, straightforward overview of running, walking and jogging trails in 14 major US cities (including New York, Boston, Washington, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis).
In some ways it’s a fitness book that reads more like a guide book than anything else. This book is targeted not only for those who live in the cities covered, but also for travelers and business men/women as well.
It breaks down the routes by criteria such as comfort, safety and attractions.
Read the rest of this entry »
Who had the more impressive Boston Marathon debut?
Recent Comments
Page 2 Articles
The Final Sprint
On March 15, 2010
SDrunner said:
Great review, I wrote one on the Ironman Road Trainer HRM, which is similar to this one, without the...