Blog
by Tom Kloos The Bay Area Track Club swung into full gear with the last weekend of April, with athletes representing at four meets across the country. Setting a high bar and a fast tempo, Garrett Heath won his first USA title, taking the road mile in Des Moines (video). Shannon Rowbury also trekked to the Midwest for a pair of races, following up the road mile (video) with the Drake Relays “London Rematch” (video) 1500. Farther East, David Torrence and Taylor Bryson lined up f...
by Garrett Heath It’s hard to feel fit and in shape if you can’t manage to climb a few flights of stairs without getting out of breath. Unfortunately, that’s exactly how I’ve felt every morning over the last three weeks as I’ve gotten up to walk to breakfast in Colorado Springs (~6200ft) and found myself struggling at the top of the stairs on the way back. Not really a confidence builder for being able to run a fast 5k in couple weeks. Luckily, the running seems to be acclimating much better than...
by Taylor Bryson Staring at my self in the mirror I took a chunk of army green zinc and roughly swiped it across my cheek. Suited up in a bright red bikini with camo-print painted on my face and backpack in hand, I was ready for battle. The Monster Mile was what it was called: an iconic event where one would run a mile on soft sand and swim a mile in the ocean. The Newport Beach Junior Lifeguards put it on; which was an 10 week program that involved training kids basic lifeg...
Dear High School Runner Girl, I would like to start by saying that some of my fondest memories of high school came from my time spent on the track team. The comradery of a team is something you will find no place else. The people you meet now can potentially end up being some of your best friends for life. When you are out there everyday, working hard with your teammates, take a second to soak it all in. Before you know it, it will be over -- you will be off and graduated. &nb...
by Kara DeWalt Hey there, I’m Kara DeWalt - BATC’s newest steeple chaser. I hail from the great state of Montana where I graduated from the University of Montana in 2011. Berkeley has been my home-base since January. Currently, I am with the BATC contingent in San Luis Potosi, Mexico for altitude training. This being my first blog, I must admit that it has been looming over me. Ominously. Creative writing isn’t a faculty I have worked to develop; majoring in human biology and microbiology didn’t ex...
by David Torrence So here I am, sitting in Mexico, trying to figure out what to write. My last post was about battling a pesky injury, and going back to some old school treatment to get things right. Since then, a lot has been happening...and instead of just picking one topic, I thought I might as well just go into a bunch of random things. Let's begin. So some of you may have seen my last video about my speed camp in Florida with my coach John Cook. Since then, I have been diligently working on form and correct sprinting mechan...
In Honor of Oscar Season: Striving For Perfection. In Dramatic Fashion… by Chelsea Reilly When my parents arrived at their first parent-teacher conference, my Mom and Dad were immediately informed by my 1st grade teacher that I was a little bit high strung. By the 6th grade I was voted “most dramatic” in the yearbook superlatives. My college coach nicknamed me “A plus plus,” as he argues that my behavior exceeded the appropriate intensity levels of the standard A-type personality. And my favorit...
by Pablo Solares Last week I had to go to Mexico City for an appointment, so Shannon and I decided make a trip out of it. This is our second time going to DF while training, and just as last time, we left hoping to stay for a few more days. Differently from last year’s trip when we drove, this time we took the bus. Now, don’t let the word “bus” mislead. Aside from saving myself for driving 4+ hours under the sun, having to deal with traffic, and saving money from an almost mandatory “multa” in D.F. (Cops like...
by Shannon Rowbury I have written once before about ways to minimize the negative effects of travel. That post included tips about “Dealing with the Plane,” “Minimizing Jet Lag,” and “Finding a Track or Trails.” To see that post, check out the link from my blog: Travel Tips from the Road Since I made that post almost 3 years ago now (yikes...where does time go!) and since I am currently en route to Mexico for 7 weeks of altitude training, I thought I would add some more tips from my time on the ro...
by Tom Kloos I am inspired by their courage and am humbled by their faith. I do not know if they fully grasp the Herculean nature of their task, but like Tom Bombadil of another tale, I hope to help them along the way in their adventuresome journey. Chelsea Reilly, Taylor Bryson, Brett Zorich, Lyndsay Harper, and Kara DeWalt: these young, aspiring professional track athletes are all in their first year or two out of the NCAA ranks, and have made the commitment to further...
