Kenyan and Ethiopia split the pot today at the World XC Championships in Amman, Jordan.
Kenya came away with:
Junior Men's Team Title (Wins team title over Ethiopia by 2 points)
Senior Women's Idividual and Team Titles
Senior Men's Team Title (Kenya wins over Ethiopia on a tie-breaker)
Ethiopia took home:
Junior Women's Individual and Team Titles (Ehtiopia wins over Kenya on a tie-breaker)
Junior Men's Individual Title
Senior Men's Individual Title
So, no real clear, dominant team between these two countries (but, they clearly dominate over the rest of the world).
The men's race of the day appeared to be the men's senior race. Kenya wanted desperately to bring the individual title back home (they've had great champions such as John Ngugi and Paul Tergat over the years). With 800 to go there was a pack of 12 to 15 as they approached the uphill finish. And, in the end, Ethiopia kept hold of the individual title as Gebre Gebremariam pulled out a 2 second win over Moses Kipsop of Uganda.
On the US side, the junior men and women both scored 5th place finishes, as did the senior women. The individual performance of the day came from German Fernandez (the super-frosh from Oklahoma State) as he pulled off an 11th place finish, in spite of a stress reaction in his foot.
Full results can be found at http://www.iaaf.org/.
The Muddy Buzzard
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Ricardi Kicks Off The Outdoor Season
Josh Ricardi hit the "cinders" with an early season Steeplechase at Stanford last night. The Gardiner native (and the last of the "Running Ricardi" kids) is finishing up his eligibility at Idaho State.
The good news - He was part of the fast heat, he finished 12th out of 17 and had a solid time of 9:07.32.
The bad news - He missed the Regional qualifying time by 0.32 seconds (9:07.00 is the qualifying time).
But, John is a champion competitor; and, I predict he is going to get the regional qualifier and then ultimately make it on to NCAA Nationals.
The good news - He was part of the fast heat, he finished 12th out of 17 and had a solid time of 9:07.32.
The bad news - He missed the Regional qualifying time by 0.32 seconds (9:07.00 is the qualifying time).
But, John is a champion competitor; and, I predict he is going to get the regional qualifier and then ultimately make it on to NCAA Nationals.
Friday, March 27, 2009
A Big Boy (and Girl Weekend0
There's some hot action on the big stage this weekend.
First up - tonight at Stanford is some hot track racing. It's an early season meet; but, the Stanford track almost always host some fast distance times (even in March). Check out results here: http://www.sml1.com/recordtiming/stanford/invite09/
Second - and the real gem of the weekend is the World Cross Country Championships in Amman, Jordan. This is where the best distance runners in the world come to do battle. Funny thing though - it always seems like the best Americans find some lame excuse for not going. Usually the excuse is something along the lines of "Well, I'm focusing on getting ready for track season. I want to be ready for the World Championships". Isn't it funny that the top Ethiopians, Kenyans, Qataris, Tanzanian, Europeans, Ugandans, etc. all seem to be able to show up, race World XC, and still be sharp and ready for the summer track season. And what about the Americans - they skip the XC meet to "get ready for track" - funny how that hasn't translated into lots of international success?!?!
At any rate, there will be good coverage of the meet in a few locations. The official site with full results, splits, stories, etc. will be at www.iaaf.org. www.letsrun.com is always a good source of information. Robert Johnson (one of the co-founders of LetsRun.com) is on site in Amman and is posting updates to the site. And, you'll be able to watch on-deman coverage of the races at www.universalsports.com
On the local scene - not much going on this weekend. There is the Buttercup Run in Arlee (likely to attract at least a few Missoula area folks); and, to the best of my knowledge, that's pretty much it. Not much (especially after all the offerings in the alst two weeks); but, we have to take what we can get.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails.
First up - tonight at Stanford is some hot track racing. It's an early season meet; but, the Stanford track almost always host some fast distance times (even in March). Check out results here: http://www.sml1.com/recordtiming/stanford/invite09/
Second - and the real gem of the weekend is the World Cross Country Championships in Amman, Jordan. This is where the best distance runners in the world come to do battle. Funny thing though - it always seems like the best Americans find some lame excuse for not going. Usually the excuse is something along the lines of "Well, I'm focusing on getting ready for track season. I want to be ready for the World Championships". Isn't it funny that the top Ethiopians, Kenyans, Qataris, Tanzanian, Europeans, Ugandans, etc. all seem to be able to show up, race World XC, and still be sharp and ready for the summer track season. And what about the Americans - they skip the XC meet to "get ready for track" - funny how that hasn't translated into lots of international success?!?!
At any rate, there will be good coverage of the meet in a few locations. The official site with full results, splits, stories, etc. will be at www.iaaf.org. www.letsrun.com is always a good source of information. Robert Johnson (one of the co-founders of LetsRun.com) is on site in Amman and is posting updates to the site. And, you'll be able to watch on-deman coverage of the races at www.universalsports.com
On the local scene - not much going on this weekend. There is the Buttercup Run in Arlee (likely to attract at least a few Missoula area folks); and, to the best of my knowledge, that's pretty much it. Not much (especially after all the offerings in the alst two weeks); but, we have to take what we can get.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Wheat Montana 5K
The Wheat Montana 5K was held in Missoula earlier this morning. On a calm, overcast and crisp day - a pretty sizeable group of runners took off from the Wheat Montana store on South Reserve Street.
The big prize for the race (overall male and female winners) were hotel accommodations in Spokane for Bloomsday. With that type of prize booty, you'd think that the race would have attracted a full slate of top end competition. Well, as it turned out that wasn't the case. Jimmy Grant and Meghan Lerch pretty much walked away with the room reservations.
On a course that was proably closer to 5.15 or 5.2 kilometers (closer to 3.2 miles), Jimmy ran a very solid 16:37 (Probably worth a 16:00 +- at a true 5K). He was at least :30 clear by the mile and just continue to pull away from there. Your's truly was a little under 2:00 back in 2nd (and 1st Masters) in 18:30. John Cuddy was 3rd in 19:28.
Meg was not only 1st women, she was 4th overall (and relatively close to 3rd overall) in 19:46. With a sub-18:00 5K PR, this was a pretty comfortable day for Meg. Much like Jimmy, her primary goal was to secure a free night in Spokane.
I was pretty happy with the race. My mile splits were pretty even (5:37, 5:43, 5:41) (And, in looking at the course on USATF Map Your Route, they seemed to have been set at pretty accurate locations). And, I felt most controlled. But, my overall speed and turnover still aren't there. Every week it get's a little better; and, I know that I need to be patient. But damnit, I don't want to be patient. I want to be back to full speed. Ah, the American Way - Instant Gratification.
At any rate, if anyone does the Big Sky HS fund raise race tomorrow morning, let me know how it goes.
The Muddy Buzzard.
The big prize for the race (overall male and female winners) were hotel accommodations in Spokane for Bloomsday. With that type of prize booty, you'd think that the race would have attracted a full slate of top end competition. Well, as it turned out that wasn't the case. Jimmy Grant and Meghan Lerch pretty much walked away with the room reservations.
On a course that was proably closer to 5.15 or 5.2 kilometers (closer to 3.2 miles), Jimmy ran a very solid 16:37 (Probably worth a 16:00 +- at a true 5K). He was at least :30 clear by the mile and just continue to pull away from there. Your's truly was a little under 2:00 back in 2nd (and 1st Masters) in 18:30. John Cuddy was 3rd in 19:28.
Meg was not only 1st women, she was 4th overall (and relatively close to 3rd overall) in 19:46. With a sub-18:00 5K PR, this was a pretty comfortable day for Meg. Much like Jimmy, her primary goal was to secure a free night in Spokane.
I was pretty happy with the race. My mile splits were pretty even (5:37, 5:43, 5:41) (And, in looking at the course on USATF Map Your Route, they seemed to have been set at pretty accurate locations). And, I felt most controlled. But, my overall speed and turnover still aren't there. Every week it get's a little better; and, I know that I need to be patient. But damnit, I don't want to be patient. I want to be back to full speed. Ah, the American Way - Instant Gratification.
At any rate, if anyone does the Big Sky HS fund raise race tomorrow morning, let me know how it goes.
The Muddy Buzzard.
AOH Results Are Up
The results are up from the AOH race. Times weren't quite what they have been in the past due to a solid headwind. (Which is a rarity for this race -usually a tailwind is the name of the game in this race!!!)
The 3-mile winners were Jennifer Burke in 18:53 and Thomas Jodoin in 14:41. The second two males were both masters (Ray Hunt in 15:09 (40-49) and the indominatble Ray Matteson (50-59 age group) in 16:14).
The 6-mile winners were Eon Hunt's mom (Nicole) in 36:20 (4th overall). The men's race was won by Brian Wieck of Helena (trading in the roads for the trails in honor of St. Pat's day) in 33:08. He was followed by Masters runner Marvin Speece of Butte in 34:12.
Check out a great write up on the race (courtesy of Rapid Ray H ?????) and the full results at http://www.buttespissandmoanrunners.com/Butte%20Races/AOH%20Run/Results/2009%20Results.pdf
The 3-mile winners were Jennifer Burke in 18:53 and Thomas Jodoin in 14:41. The second two males were both masters (Ray Hunt in 15:09 (40-49) and the indominatble Ray Matteson (50-59 age group) in 16:14).
The 6-mile winners were Eon Hunt's mom (Nicole) in 36:20 (4th overall). The men's race was won by Brian Wieck of Helena (trading in the roads for the trails in honor of St. Pat's day) in 33:08. He was followed by Masters runner Marvin Speece of Butte in 34:12.
Check out a great write up on the race (courtesy of Rapid Ray H ?????) and the full results at http://www.buttespissandmoanrunners.com/Butte%20Races/AOH%20Run/Results/2009%20Results.pdf
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
More Results From the Green Weekend
The Shamrock Run in Billings did get out there results; and, the Gazette even had a nice little write up in the local news section. The story can be found at http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/03/16/news/local/27-shamrock.txt
I'm not 100% certain; but, if you look closely at the picture attached to the story, I believe that the woman in the white singlet and green shorts is Amber Watson. Amber is a member of the Rocky Mountain XC team and ran in the NAIA national championships this past fall and was 2nd overall on the women's side. The overall women's winner was Sarah Graves in 19:03.
No suprise, Alan King won the mens's race. Running alone and on a blustery day, Alan timed 16:43. Stephen Kosnar turned in a solid masters time of 17:43. Results can be found at http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/03/16/sports/local/97-yoursports.txt
I would expect that full results will ulitmately be put up at www.rimrunners.org.
Finally, still no results posted from the AOH race in Anaconda. They should ultimately get posted at http://buttespissandmoanrunners.com/ If they get posted in the near future, I'll try to hit the highlights of the run.
Not quite so much activity this weekend; and, what there is will be pretty much centered around Missoula. There is the Wheat Montana 5K on Saturday and the Spring Run Off 5K is on Sunday. Both races have race day registration - so, if you are looking to hit the roads for some faster running this weekend - head west young man, head west.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails
The Muddy Buzzard
I'm not 100% certain; but, if you look closely at the picture attached to the story, I believe that the woman in the white singlet and green shorts is Amber Watson. Amber is a member of the Rocky Mountain XC team and ran in the NAIA national championships this past fall and was 2nd overall on the women's side. The overall women's winner was Sarah Graves in 19:03.
No suprise, Alan King won the mens's race. Running alone and on a blustery day, Alan timed 16:43. Stephen Kosnar turned in a solid masters time of 17:43. Results can be found at http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/03/16/sports/local/97-yoursports.txt
I would expect that full results will ulitmately be put up at www.rimrunners.org.
Finally, still no results posted from the AOH race in Anaconda. They should ultimately get posted at http://buttespissandmoanrunners.com/ If they get posted in the near future, I'll try to hit the highlights of the run.
Not quite so much activity this weekend; and, what there is will be pretty much centered around Missoula. There is the Wheat Montana 5K on Saturday and the Spring Run Off 5K is on Sunday. Both races have race day registration - so, if you are looking to hit the roads for some faster running this weekend - head west young man, head west.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails
The Muddy Buzzard
Mr. Spotlight
Alan King has hit the big time. At least in southwest central lower Billings :-)
Seriously - there is a monthly Magic City Magazine that is produced by the Billings Gazette. In the March 2009 edition, local masters runner Stephen Kosar did a great profile on Alan, especially as it relates to his work as coach of the Rocky Mountain XC squad.
Given Stephen's knowledge of the sport, the article is a much better insight into our sport than what you see in most local media coverage.
Alan is well deserving of the accolades. He is committed to and passionate about the sport. Beyond his individual accomplishments as one of the outstanding open runners in the Nortwhest, he also regularly gives back to the sport in many ways. He's clearly one of the shining stars of the new generations of runners.
To view the article, check out the Rocky Mountain Running King story at http://www.magiccitymagazine.com/
As an added bonus, if you read the article closely, you'll see reference to a couple of the "old-timers" of the sport.
The Muddy Buzzard.
Seriously - there is a monthly Magic City Magazine that is produced by the Billings Gazette. In the March 2009 edition, local masters runner Stephen Kosar did a great profile on Alan, especially as it relates to his work as coach of the Rocky Mountain XC squad.
Given Stephen's knowledge of the sport, the article is a much better insight into our sport than what you see in most local media coverage.
Alan is well deserving of the accolades. He is committed to and passionate about the sport. Beyond his individual accomplishments as one of the outstanding open runners in the Nortwhest, he also regularly gives back to the sport in many ways. He's clearly one of the shining stars of the new generations of runners.
To view the article, check out the Rocky Mountain Running King story at http://www.magiccitymagazine.com/
As an added bonus, if you read the article closely, you'll see reference to a couple of the "old-timers" of the sport.
The Muddy Buzzard.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Missoula St. Pat's
Did get a copy of the results from the group in Missoula. Courtney Babcock got the overall win ahead of local master stud John Herring.
Courtney Babcock 17:49.0
John Herring 18:12.0
Dani Shahan 18:29.0
Adam Beston 18:41.0
John Cudy 18:52.0
Tim Peterson 19:39.0
Diane Cummings 20:01.0
Vicky Pounds 20:01.0
Jeff Crouch 20:02.0
Bruce Torlington 20:17.0
Good to see Dani Shahan back on the roads and running pretty well.
With 250 + runners, Missoula and Bozeman continue to be the leaders in regularly attracting big fields to their events.
If anyone is really interested in the full results, let me know and I would be happy to send you the full excel spreadsheet that I received.
The Muddy Buzzard
Courtney Babcock 17:49.0
John Herring 18:12.0
Dani Shahan 18:29.0
Adam Beston 18:41.0
John Cudy 18:52.0
Tim Peterson 19:39.0
Diane Cummings 20:01.0
Vicky Pounds 20:01.0
Jeff Crouch 20:02.0
Bruce Torlington 20:17.0
Good to see Dani Shahan back on the roads and running pretty well.
With 250 + runners, Missoula and Bozeman continue to be the leaders in regularly attracting big fields to their events.
If anyone is really interested in the full results, let me know and I would be happy to send you the full excel spreadsheet that I received.
The Muddy Buzzard
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Runnin' In The 2009 Season
So, the first big busy weekend of the 2009 running and racing season is in the books. It started with 5 races on Saturday (Polson's March Meltdown, Anaconda's AOH St. Patrick's Day Race, Great Falls' St. Patrick's Day Dash and the Run to the Pub in Bozeman) and finished with 3 races on Sunday (St. Patrick's Fun Run in Missoula, Sanders County Cancer Network Fun Run in Plains, and Billings' Shamrock Run).
I'll start off the reports with the Polson race, since I was able to attend that event personally. It was a crisp morning on the south shores of Flathead Lake - in spite of that, approximately 125 people showed up to take part in this Polson Running event. There was a 5K and a 10K, with the vast majority of the participants running and walking the shorter event.
At the start, the front end pretty quickly broke up to 3 runners. Myself in the 5K, Thomas Everett (Missoula Hellgate grad, current freshman at South Dakota Tech) and Matt Seeley (long-time tri-stud now living in Polson) in the 10K. Matt and Thomas were pretty even at the 5K turnaround point and led me by about 25 meters.
From the turnaround, I was pretty much alone for the rest of the 5K, just having to weave through the traffic of the runners and walkers that were still on their way out. I was a bit surprised to hit the finish at 16:34. Although I'm starting to get fit, there was no way that I was ready to run that fast yet at 5K. In talking to Matt later, he relayed that the turnaround point was set probably 150 to 200 meters short (making the course a total of 300 to 400 meters short). Although I would have loved for the distance to be closer to a full 3-miles, Matt's estimates made more sense. So, I'll take the win; but, was disappointed to not be able to check my true fitness level on an accurate course.
In the 10K, Matt steadily pulled away from Thomas over the last 3/4's of the race. Although they didn't have results up before everyone left, I believe that Matt's time was in the mid-34 range. Pretty solid run. Especially for a guy who is facing some serious aerodynamic problems with the Grizzly Adam's beard that he is sporting this winter !!!!! :-) Thomas rolled in pretty soon after Matt; and, I would guess he was in the 36's. Ultimately, I would expect that they would have results up on the Polson Running site at http://www.polsonrunning.com/
Also in the morning was the Run To The Pub 10K and Half-Marathon in Bozemn. These were both point to point courses that started SW of Bozeman and finished near Bogert Park just off Main Street in Bozeman. Bozeman continued to show it's ability to host big, popular races with a total of 745 runners finishing (183 in 1/2 Marathon (90 women, 93 men) and 562 in 10K (340 women, 222 men)).
In the 1/2 Marathon, Rye Palen and Jenny Newton of Missoula continue to run strong this spring. After solid 2nd and 3rd places finishes at Snow Joke, Rye came home the champion today in 1:27:32 with Jenny in 3rd at 1:30:16. Sandwiched between the two Run Wild Missoula teammates was Claire Anderson of Bozeman in 1:29:43. The women's master's title went to Heather Lucero of Great Falls (5th overall women) in 1:33:50.
On the men's side, the top 4 were Todd Brinkley of Great Falls (1:17:49), Jeff Beal of Lee, NH (1:18:09.7), Tim Dumas of Bozeman (1st Master) (1:18:11.1) and Scott Sneddon of Billings (2nd Master)(1:18:11.8). Super close race - only 22 seconds separating the top 4 and only 2 seconds between 2nd and 4th. And, the master's race was decided by less than a second. It must have been an amazing race to be part of.
In the 10K, the women were led by a Heidi Fry (36:15), Holly Walker (37:16) and Ann Sorenson (1st Master)(37:27). Kelly Fulton led the men home in 31:29 with the next 3 places taken by Jesse Berwald (32:55), Ned Miller (33:03) and Dewey Peacock (33:28). The 1st Master was Mark Slater (48) (8th overall) in 35:18.
In speaking to Kelly, he felt that the 10K may have been a bit short. Although both courses were aided by a net downhill, he thought that the finish was a bit shorter than last year's event. And, the times would seem to bear this out. Kelly is reasonably fit; but, he didn't realistically think that he was set for a sub 31:30. And, having 3 women under 37:30 is pretty unusual for any Montana race, not to mention one in mid-March. Regardless, the competition at this race was super. Between the competition and the free pint of beer at the finish - this is definitely a race to consider in future years.
Full results can be found at http://www.perfect-timing.org/results/2009/runtothepub/index.html
Also on the agenda yesterday was the St. Pat's Run (4-Mile) in Great Falls - which, in part, is a fundraiser for the UGF track and XC teams. In a field of 48 runners, the top 5 finishers were:
1. Ian Blair M 23:16
2. Moses Leavens M 23:40
3. Chris Tippett M 24:51 Update courtesy of Ray Hunt - By my mistake, I overlooked the fact that Chris appears to have been the 1st Masters runner). Congrats to Chris. (TMB)
4. Chris Fraser M 25:02
5. Bob Bolland M 25:16 (Top Master??) (Looks like Bobby B is getting his legs back under him after a few years of injury issues).
Lis Buss was the first female in 29:32
Results can be found at:
http://www.ugf.edu/Portals/1/PDF/Athletics%20PDF/2009SaintPatricksDayDashResults.pdf
The AOH race results haven't been posted yet; but, I expect that you'll be able to find them in the next day or so at http://www.buttespissandmoanrunners.com/
I also expect that you'll be able to find results from the Billings Rim Runners Shamrock Run at http://www.rimrunners.org/ within a few days. Looks like it was a warm but breezy afternoon in Billings. Will be curious to see what kind of a day Alan King had at his hometown St. Pat's race.
At the Sanders County Cancer Network Run for Fun, it was a small affair with only 8 runners in the timed 6-miler. But, they were led by Jacob Naegeli of Thompson Falls. Jacob was an all-state XC runner with the Thompson Falls Bluehawks (including as part of the team that won the 2007 state championship). He was home on the first day of Spring Break (getting home at 2:00 a.m. Saturday night/Sunday morning) from Earlham College (Indiana) (where he was the top XC runner on the DIII team as a freshman). As part of a 12-mile day, he threw in a controlled 37:41 on a course that included some decent climbs and snow covered/icy footing on about 800 meters of the course.
The only race that I'm not sure of where to find results was the St. Pat's Run in Missoula. If I can find anything out, I'll be sure to post her or to find a link to a website.
So, a big weekend. It's exciting to have the racing season back in swing.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails.
The Muddy Buzzard.
I'll start off the reports with the Polson race, since I was able to attend that event personally. It was a crisp morning on the south shores of Flathead Lake - in spite of that, approximately 125 people showed up to take part in this Polson Running event. There was a 5K and a 10K, with the vast majority of the participants running and walking the shorter event.
At the start, the front end pretty quickly broke up to 3 runners. Myself in the 5K, Thomas Everett (Missoula Hellgate grad, current freshman at South Dakota Tech) and Matt Seeley (long-time tri-stud now living in Polson) in the 10K. Matt and Thomas were pretty even at the 5K turnaround point and led me by about 25 meters.
From the turnaround, I was pretty much alone for the rest of the 5K, just having to weave through the traffic of the runners and walkers that were still on their way out. I was a bit surprised to hit the finish at 16:34. Although I'm starting to get fit, there was no way that I was ready to run that fast yet at 5K. In talking to Matt later, he relayed that the turnaround point was set probably 150 to 200 meters short (making the course a total of 300 to 400 meters short). Although I would have loved for the distance to be closer to a full 3-miles, Matt's estimates made more sense. So, I'll take the win; but, was disappointed to not be able to check my true fitness level on an accurate course.
In the 10K, Matt steadily pulled away from Thomas over the last 3/4's of the race. Although they didn't have results up before everyone left, I believe that Matt's time was in the mid-34 range. Pretty solid run. Especially for a guy who is facing some serious aerodynamic problems with the Grizzly Adam's beard that he is sporting this winter !!!!! :-) Thomas rolled in pretty soon after Matt; and, I would guess he was in the 36's. Ultimately, I would expect that they would have results up on the Polson Running site at http://www.polsonrunning.com/
Also in the morning was the Run To The Pub 10K and Half-Marathon in Bozemn. These were both point to point courses that started SW of Bozeman and finished near Bogert Park just off Main Street in Bozeman. Bozeman continued to show it's ability to host big, popular races with a total of 745 runners finishing (183 in 1/2 Marathon (90 women, 93 men) and 562 in 10K (340 women, 222 men)).
In the 1/2 Marathon, Rye Palen and Jenny Newton of Missoula continue to run strong this spring. After solid 2nd and 3rd places finishes at Snow Joke, Rye came home the champion today in 1:27:32 with Jenny in 3rd at 1:30:16. Sandwiched between the two Run Wild Missoula teammates was Claire Anderson of Bozeman in 1:29:43. The women's master's title went to Heather Lucero of Great Falls (5th overall women) in 1:33:50.
On the men's side, the top 4 were Todd Brinkley of Great Falls (1:17:49), Jeff Beal of Lee, NH (1:18:09.7), Tim Dumas of Bozeman (1st Master) (1:18:11.1) and Scott Sneddon of Billings (2nd Master)(1:18:11.8). Super close race - only 22 seconds separating the top 4 and only 2 seconds between 2nd and 4th. And, the master's race was decided by less than a second. It must have been an amazing race to be part of.
In the 10K, the women were led by a Heidi Fry (36:15), Holly Walker (37:16) and Ann Sorenson (1st Master)(37:27). Kelly Fulton led the men home in 31:29 with the next 3 places taken by Jesse Berwald (32:55), Ned Miller (33:03) and Dewey Peacock (33:28). The 1st Master was Mark Slater (48) (8th overall) in 35:18.
In speaking to Kelly, he felt that the 10K may have been a bit short. Although both courses were aided by a net downhill, he thought that the finish was a bit shorter than last year's event. And, the times would seem to bear this out. Kelly is reasonably fit; but, he didn't realistically think that he was set for a sub 31:30. And, having 3 women under 37:30 is pretty unusual for any Montana race, not to mention one in mid-March. Regardless, the competition at this race was super. Between the competition and the free pint of beer at the finish - this is definitely a race to consider in future years.
Full results can be found at http://www.perfect-timing.org/results/2009/runtothepub/index.html
Also on the agenda yesterday was the St. Pat's Run (4-Mile) in Great Falls - which, in part, is a fundraiser for the UGF track and XC teams. In a field of 48 runners, the top 5 finishers were:
1. Ian Blair M 23:16
2. Moses Leavens M 23:40
3. Chris Tippett M 24:51 Update courtesy of Ray Hunt - By my mistake, I overlooked the fact that Chris appears to have been the 1st Masters runner). Congrats to Chris. (TMB)
4. Chris Fraser M 25:02
5. Bob Bolland M 25:16 (Top Master??) (Looks like Bobby B is getting his legs back under him after a few years of injury issues).
Lis Buss was the first female in 29:32
Results can be found at:
http://www.ugf.edu/Portals/1/PDF/Athletics%20PDF/2009SaintPatricksDayDashResults.pdf
The AOH race results haven't been posted yet; but, I expect that you'll be able to find them in the next day or so at http://www.buttespissandmoanrunners.com/
I also expect that you'll be able to find results from the Billings Rim Runners Shamrock Run at http://www.rimrunners.org/ within a few days. Looks like it was a warm but breezy afternoon in Billings. Will be curious to see what kind of a day Alan King had at his hometown St. Pat's race.
At the Sanders County Cancer Network Run for Fun, it was a small affair with only 8 runners in the timed 6-miler. But, they were led by Jacob Naegeli of Thompson Falls. Jacob was an all-state XC runner with the Thompson Falls Bluehawks (including as part of the team that won the 2007 state championship). He was home on the first day of Spring Break (getting home at 2:00 a.m. Saturday night/Sunday morning) from Earlham College (Indiana) (where he was the top XC runner on the DIII team as a freshman). As part of a 12-mile day, he threw in a controlled 37:41 on a course that included some decent climbs and snow covered/icy footing on about 800 meters of the course.
The only race that I'm not sure of where to find results was the St. Pat's Run in Missoula. If I can find anything out, I'll be sure to post her or to find a link to a website.
So, a big weekend. It's exciting to have the racing season back in swing.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails.
The Muddy Buzzard.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Still Got Some Wheels
Yesterday, went for a run with Tim Brooker. A lot of you know Tim as Anders' dad. And, many of you know him as the happy, friendly and helpful guy who sells you shoes at the Runner's Edge in Missoula.
But, many of you don't know that Tim is a stud runner in his own right.
Last fall, on limited training, Tim ran a 3:28 at the ING New York Marathon - at 58 years old.
Well, he is getting ready to run the Boston Marathon in a few weeks. He has had some solid training; much of it with the Run Wild Missoula Boston Marathon training group. They've had a solid, well planned program and it seems to be working.
Our run yesterday was 12 miles and took us up a pretty solid climb for several miles; much of it on packed snow. Tim ran strong and steady the entire climb. Not a sign of struggle or weakness. Then, coming back, the pace just kept picking up.
Over the last couple of miles, Tim was "smellig home"; and, the pace just kept dropping. Over the last kilometer, we were probably down around 6:30 pace. Pretty solid for the finish of a mid-week 12-miler.
Like I said, pretty studly. I think Tim is ready to roll at Boston and stands a good chance to place pretty highly in his age group.
Keep your eyes out for the results on Patriots day to see how well Tim does in Beantown.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails.
The Muddy Buzzard.
But, many of you don't know that Tim is a stud runner in his own right.
Last fall, on limited training, Tim ran a 3:28 at the ING New York Marathon - at 58 years old.
Well, he is getting ready to run the Boston Marathon in a few weeks. He has had some solid training; much of it with the Run Wild Missoula Boston Marathon training group. They've had a solid, well planned program and it seems to be working.
Our run yesterday was 12 miles and took us up a pretty solid climb for several miles; much of it on packed snow. Tim ran strong and steady the entire climb. Not a sign of struggle or weakness. Then, coming back, the pace just kept picking up.
Over the last couple of miles, Tim was "smellig home"; and, the pace just kept dropping. Over the last kilometer, we were probably down around 6:30 pace. Pretty solid for the finish of a mid-week 12-miler.
Like I said, pretty studly. I think Tim is ready to roll at Boston and stands a good chance to place pretty highly in his age group.
Keep your eyes out for the results on Patriots day to see how well Tim does in Beantown.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails.
The Muddy Buzzard.
Not Quite Enough Lives
Last Father's Day, my wife and daughter gave me a gift of two "outside" cats (they were little kittens at the time) to help with controlling the mice and pack rats around the house.
Being around the time of the Olympic Trials, I named one of them Hayward (in honor of the U of O track and field complex - Hayward Field - the mecca of US Track & Field - the centerpiece of Track Town USA).
The other I named Tiger. In recognition of Tiger Woods - who won the US Open that weekend in dramatic fashion - with the bum knee and everything.
Last summer, as a young kitten, Tiger was bitten by a rattlesnake. He was about 90% paralyzed. But, my daughter nursed him back to health and he survived the ordeal. Those that made it to Camp Vermillion last July will remember the two kitty's as our unofficial camp mascots. (I brought them to camp since Tiger had been bitten just during the middle of that week and he was still recovering from the effects of the venom.)
Lately, the cats had been prowling a bit. In fact, Tiger had taken to making a daily trip to my mother-in-laws (about a one mile round trip through the woods and over a few hils and ravines) to court her female inside cat. They've also taken to fighting amongst themselves and getting a bit uppity. So, we figured it was time to take them in and get the old snip-snip.
One of the things that we found out when we took Tiger in for his rattlesnake bite was that he only had one testicle. Well, turns out he had two - but; one of them had just not descended. So, it became fairly major surgery for the vet to find it and remove it. That was another week long recovery. But, he bounced back from that as well.
We had been hoping that after his recovery and with a reduced testosterone level that he would quit trekking to my mother in laws. But no - on his second day back outside he was heading right back to her house. Generally he would take off in the late afternoon and show up after dark. A few nights he wouldn't show up by the time we went to bed. But, he would still show up by morning.
It was always a bit nerve wracking - there's no shortage of coyotes, owls, eagles, hawks or other predators around the properties. Yeah, I know that they are outside "barn" cats. But, you still get attached to them.
Well, last night Tiger didn't make it home. And, he was nowhere to be found this morning.
This afternoon, I was taking my ATV over to my in-laws' place. Somehting caught my eye up on the side hill. It was a piece of windblown debris. As I went over to pick it up, I saw a dead bighorn sheep at the bottom of a rock outcrop. (The sheep were all over the place this past week; and, quite a few were out on the highway licking salt off the road surface.) I suspect the young ram was hit by a car and made it over to the outcrop to die. He was a pretty fresh kill; and, he had been getting eaten on.
Well, I happend to look up above the outcrop and there was Tiger, laying dead on his side. As I checked him out, he had been bitten on the head and it looked like he died of head trauma. I suspect he suprised a coyote that had been eating on the sheep and came out on the loseing end of the fight. He had obviously used up the last of his lives.
We buried him on the hillside and put up a little cairn as a memorial.
Like I said - a barn cat; but, still was attached. So, here's to Tiger. Farewell little buddy.
The Muddy Buzzard.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
A Whole Lotta Green
Next weekend (March 14th & 15th) is a big weekend in the Big Sky Running Scene. With the first days of Spring just around the corner, the road racing season kicks off in a big way this year. We have no fewer than 7 (and possibly more) events around the state.
On Saturday, the weekend kicks off with the AOH St. Patrick's Day Race in Anaconda (possibly the granddaddy of the St. Patrick's Day runs - I remember doing this run during my college years in the early 1980's), the St. Patrick's Day Dash in Great Falls (a fund-raiser for the UGF XC and track teams), the Run To The Pub in Bozeman and the March Meltdown in Polson.
Sunday sees the Shamrock Run in Billings (the annual membership run of the Yellowstone Rim Runners), The St. Paddy's Day 5K in Missoula and the River Road Run in Plains (a fund-raiser for the Sanders County Cancer Network).
It's great that we have these opportunities in the State. But, from a racing perspective, it really creates a situation where the talent pool at any of the races becomes diluted. The race that is super fast and has the history of being quite competitive is the AOH Race in Anaconda. The 6-mile race is a net downhill with a prevailing tailwind. There have been some screaming fast times on this course over the last 25+ years. Check out the race history on the web site of Butte's Piss and Moan Runners - http://www.buttespissandmoanrunners.com
I would love to hang out at the Run for the Pub in Bozeman. Sounds like a lot of fun.
I'll always have a soft spot for the Shamrock Run in Billings. For 17 years it was the race that I used to open my racing season.
Whatever race you choose this year, I hope that you run hard, run fast and have fun. And, let's all hope for decent weather next weekend.
As for the Buzzard - he'll be at the March Meltdown in Polson. All things being equal, he would have loved to have gone to Anaconda for the AOH race. But, family and travel committments will keep him a bit closer to home this year.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails.
The Muddy Buzzard
On Saturday, the weekend kicks off with the AOH St. Patrick's Day Race in Anaconda (possibly the granddaddy of the St. Patrick's Day runs - I remember doing this run during my college years in the early 1980's), the St. Patrick's Day Dash in Great Falls (a fund-raiser for the UGF XC and track teams), the Run To The Pub in Bozeman and the March Meltdown in Polson.
Sunday sees the Shamrock Run in Billings (the annual membership run of the Yellowstone Rim Runners), The St. Paddy's Day 5K in Missoula and the River Road Run in Plains (a fund-raiser for the Sanders County Cancer Network).
It's great that we have these opportunities in the State. But, from a racing perspective, it really creates a situation where the talent pool at any of the races becomes diluted. The race that is super fast and has the history of being quite competitive is the AOH Race in Anaconda. The 6-mile race is a net downhill with a prevailing tailwind. There have been some screaming fast times on this course over the last 25+ years. Check out the race history on the web site of Butte's Piss and Moan Runners - http://www.buttespissandmoanrunners.com
I would love to hang out at the Run for the Pub in Bozeman. Sounds like a lot of fun.
I'll always have a soft spot for the Shamrock Run in Billings. For 17 years it was the race that I used to open my racing season.
Whatever race you choose this year, I hope that you run hard, run fast and have fun. And, let's all hope for decent weather next weekend.
As for the Buzzard - he'll be at the March Meltdown in Polson. All things being equal, he would have loved to have gone to Anaconda for the AOH race. But, family and travel committments will keep him a bit closer to home this year.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails.
The Muddy Buzzard
Almost Normal
Well, this last week was almost normal. In many ways, it was a typical week in my training routine. I got in 56 miles, had a 14-miler on Sunday, a nice track workout with the Run Wild Missoula group on Tuesday, a nice 8-miler with Kelly Fulton on Wednesday, a strong 7-miler in Butte on Friday morning and a couple of days with core work and/or drills. Just like the good old days!!! And, my body seemed to hold up pretty well.
All in all, I was quite happy with the week.
But, there is one thing missing. My pace is note quite where I would like it to be. I'm still a bit slow in my paces across the board. Long runs, easy days, tempos, intervals, etc. At this point, I would say that I am about 30 seconds per mile off the pace I would like to be hitting.
But, I'm getting closer. And, every week seems to feel a bit better. I actually even have a run here and there where I feel - well, almost normal. And, after the long road back, it's nice to have a few of those runs now and then. I'm not going to lie. There was a time where I questioned whether or not I would even be albe to approach normal pace and mileage. While I'm not fully there yet, I'm getting close enough to be able to realistically think that I may even be able to race respectably again.
With the upcoming spring and summer season almost upon us, it won't be long before I know how far I've come and how far I've got to go. I'm looking forward to the challenge.
The Muddy Buzzard
All in all, I was quite happy with the week.
But, there is one thing missing. My pace is note quite where I would like it to be. I'm still a bit slow in my paces across the board. Long runs, easy days, tempos, intervals, etc. At this point, I would say that I am about 30 seconds per mile off the pace I would like to be hitting.
But, I'm getting closer. And, every week seems to feel a bit better. I actually even have a run here and there where I feel - well, almost normal. And, after the long road back, it's nice to have a few of those runs now and then. I'm not going to lie. There was a time where I questioned whether or not I would even be albe to approach normal pace and mileage. While I'm not fully there yet, I'm getting close enough to be able to realistically think that I may even be able to race respectably again.
With the upcoming spring and summer season almost upon us, it won't be long before I know how far I've come and how far I've got to go. I'm looking forward to the challenge.
The Muddy Buzzard
Last Chances
This was a big weekend for Last Chance meets as the college crowd chases qualifying marks for NCAA indoor nationals. One of the big last chance meets was at the University of Washington earlier today.
One of the people trying to get an automatic qualifier was Ellie Rudy of MSU. The two time defeding champion had a provisional mark - but, there were enough others ahead of her on the yearly performance list that she had to make the auto qualifying mark in order to be able to go and defend her title. Unfortunately, she "no-heighted" and won't be making the trip to the undercover championships.
But, there were quite a few of notable performance from other Montana athletes.
John Ricardi of Gardiner (Idaho State) won his heat of the 800 in 1:56:07, then came back later and was 5th in his heat of the mile in 4:10.62. Pretty impressive double.
Brett Winegar of Kalispell (Club Northwest) was 11th in the 5,000 in 14:55.
[ While not a Montanan - another performance of note was the Galen Rupp of the University of Oregon running his first ever sub-4:00 mile with a winning time of 3:57.86 ]
Full Results can be found at http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/c-track/stats/2008-2009/09lastchanceresults.html
The Muddy Buzzard
One of the people trying to get an automatic qualifier was Ellie Rudy of MSU. The two time defeding champion had a provisional mark - but, there were enough others ahead of her on the yearly performance list that she had to make the auto qualifying mark in order to be able to go and defend her title. Unfortunately, she "no-heighted" and won't be making the trip to the undercover championships.
But, there were quite a few of notable performance from other Montana athletes.
John Ricardi of Gardiner (Idaho State) won his heat of the 800 in 1:56:07, then came back later and was 5th in his heat of the mile in 4:10.62. Pretty impressive double.
Brett Winegar of Kalispell (Club Northwest) was 11th in the 5,000 in 14:55.
[ While not a Montanan - another performance of note was the Galen Rupp of the University of Oregon running his first ever sub-4:00 mile with a winning time of 3:57.86 ]
Full Results can be found at http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/c-track/stats/2008-2009/09lastchanceresults.html
The Muddy Buzzard
Monday, March 02, 2009
Snow Joke
UPDATE - 3/7/09:
The Cheetah Herders website has been updated and the 2009 results are up and posted. They can be found at http://www.cheetahherders.com/SJResults2009.html
The Muddy Buzzard
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For those of you who haven't been to Snow Joke before - shame on you! It's one of the classic Montana races (this was the 30th edition) and one that all serious Montana runners need to experience.
The course, in and of itself, isn't overly challenging. It's one loop around the lake at Seeley Lake, starting and finishing at the High School. The first 5 or 6 miles are on the highway running northwest out of Seeley. It's a bit rolling. Not severe; but, no completely flat either. Normally, the road is in pretty good shape and you can run pretty normal pace, rythm and effort for the first half of the race.
The challenge comes in the 2nd half of the race. It's a local gravel road that, more times than not, is covered in snow and/or ice. That's where your choice of footwear will make the difference. Regular racing flats are out of the question. Legend has it that in the '80's Branch Brady of Great Falls stashed a pair of spikes on the back half of the course and switch shoes mid race! When I last ran the race in 2004, I wore sheet metal screws in the bottoms of my shoes and they worked great. Of course, the road was a bit icy or very solid snow pack. If you have loose or soft/slushy snow, that 2nd half of the course will be a struggle.
The other challenge comes from the weather. In typical Montana fashion, the race start could be anywhere between -10 and +50.
I haven't heard official reports; but, I do know that it was very cold in Seeley in the early morning. But, it has been suggested that it warmed up a bit by race time. I also know that they got quite a bit of snow mid-week; but, haven't heard about the road condition. If anyone knows for sure, post it here.
As to the race - the overall winner was Jimmy Grant of Missoula in 1:16:16. Jimmy had a number of top finishes last year (Riverbank Run, Montana Cup); and, it looks like he has stayed fit over the winter.
The women's winner was Trisha Miller in 1:30:18. Trisha was 2nd in last year's Missoula Marathon 1/2 Marathon and the Riverbank Run Trifecta series.
Julie Gilchrist of Ovando was the master's women's winner at 1:35:10. Julie had a great year last year (2nd Master at Montana Cup, 3rd overall in Missoula Marathon 1/2 Marathon) and isn't showing any signs of slowing.
My vote for performane of the day comes from men's master's winner Kyle Strode. Kyle's time of 1:22:12 was solid; but, it comes just two weeks after running a 4:56.0 indoor mile to take 4th in the Montana Men's Master's Mile race in Bozeman. How many people do you know (especially old guys like Stroder :-) ) who can turn in top rate performances at the mile and the 1/2 Marathon in a span of two weeks!!! The training for the two events don't go hand in hand. Congrats Kyle.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails.
The Muddy Buzzard
The Cheetah Herders website has been updated and the 2009 results are up and posted. They can be found at http://www.cheetahherders.com/SJResults2009.html
The Muddy Buzzard
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For those of you who haven't been to Snow Joke before - shame on you! It's one of the classic Montana races (this was the 30th edition) and one that all serious Montana runners need to experience.
The course, in and of itself, isn't overly challenging. It's one loop around the lake at Seeley Lake, starting and finishing at the High School. The first 5 or 6 miles are on the highway running northwest out of Seeley. It's a bit rolling. Not severe; but, no completely flat either. Normally, the road is in pretty good shape and you can run pretty normal pace, rythm and effort for the first half of the race.
The challenge comes in the 2nd half of the race. It's a local gravel road that, more times than not, is covered in snow and/or ice. That's where your choice of footwear will make the difference. Regular racing flats are out of the question. Legend has it that in the '80's Branch Brady of Great Falls stashed a pair of spikes on the back half of the course and switch shoes mid race! When I last ran the race in 2004, I wore sheet metal screws in the bottoms of my shoes and they worked great. Of course, the road was a bit icy or very solid snow pack. If you have loose or soft/slushy snow, that 2nd half of the course will be a struggle.
The other challenge comes from the weather. In typical Montana fashion, the race start could be anywhere between -10 and +50.
I haven't heard official reports; but, I do know that it was very cold in Seeley in the early morning. But, it has been suggested that it warmed up a bit by race time. I also know that they got quite a bit of snow mid-week; but, haven't heard about the road condition. If anyone knows for sure, post it here.
As to the race - the overall winner was Jimmy Grant of Missoula in 1:16:16. Jimmy had a number of top finishes last year (Riverbank Run, Montana Cup); and, it looks like he has stayed fit over the winter.
The women's winner was Trisha Miller in 1:30:18. Trisha was 2nd in last year's Missoula Marathon 1/2 Marathon and the Riverbank Run Trifecta series.
Julie Gilchrist of Ovando was the master's women's winner at 1:35:10. Julie had a great year last year (2nd Master at Montana Cup, 3rd overall in Missoula Marathon 1/2 Marathon) and isn't showing any signs of slowing.
My vote for performane of the day comes from men's master's winner Kyle Strode. Kyle's time of 1:22:12 was solid; but, it comes just two weeks after running a 4:56.0 indoor mile to take 4th in the Montana Men's Master's Mile race in Bozeman. How many people do you know (especially old guys like Stroder :-) ) who can turn in top rate performances at the mile and the 1/2 Marathon in a span of two weeks!!! The training for the two events don't go hand in hand. Congrats Kyle.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails.
The Muddy Buzzard
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