Blog

By Shannon Rowbury I am currently in Albuquerque for a month of altitude training with John Cook, my coach, as well as my teammates David Torrence and the athletes of the Austin Track Club. I’ve heard that it takes about 10 days to feel normal at altitude, and I would definitely say that has been the case for me. My first few runs were pretty pathetic, as I huffed and puffed running 7:30 pace. Now, fortunately, I seem to be functioning rather normally again. That is, until I have to do 1000m or longer intervals...then of course I fee...

By Garrett Heath I’ve been a little banged up with some Achilles issues recently and have been spending a fair amount of time on the stationary bike trainer. Since a person can only endure so many hours of just staring at the same spot on the wall or ground, I’ve resorted to occasionally reading some magazines to distract myself while I ride. The other day I came across this article in Outside magazine about some new drugs that researchers in San Diego, California had discovered. Although they were still in the process of testing o...

By Al Berrin Stay healthy! Sounds like a easy enough proposition. All you have to do is get the correct mixture of good workouts, proper rest and recovery and presto, you have great performances.  The problem comes because so many athletes (and their coaches) try to get as close to peak performance as possible, without stepping over the line into the injury or overtraining.  What separates those who make it through the season injury free and those whose season is cut short? Successful athletes seem to be able to come closer to the re...

By Blake Russell Well, I guess you could say the Boston Marathon got the better of me on Monday. My coach had been saying for years that he was not sure if it was a good course for me given all the downhill, but I talked him into it. In hind site I should have listened to his instincts and run a course that played to my strengths rather than my weaknesses.  We drove the course on Thursday, and I admit I was a little shocked at the really steep start and rolling downhill for the first 7 miles. We had a good plan of running conservative the ...

By Mark Matusak “And it’s Nike with Nike right on her heels as they come around the final curve in 4x400m relay, the final event of the day. We have a great race here ladies and gentleman, bring ‘em home! Down the stretch they battle, Nike takes the lead, but Nike is fighting back now, and its Nike!” Winning time: Not that impressive. Hurray, Nike won, in a pedestrian time. Really captivating stuff. Now picture instead that race being a battle between Good and Evil (which side you represent depends on your perspective&md...

By Francis Gadayan Although the minimalist shoe movement is relatively new, the idea of minimalist running has been around for quite some time. For years, these runners have believed the most efficient way to run is to be as close to barefoot as possible. The theory is that instead of externally bracing one’s foot with support, the most efficient manner of running is to strengthen one’s foot from within. Although there is still no specific definition for a minimalist running shoe, the basic idea is that the shoe should be light, dur...

By Shannon Rowbury May is National Running Month and Dick's Sporting Goods has decided to make a commercial to celebrate the sport. Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of spending the day with Kristen and Frank (of Dick's Sporting Goods) and the crew of Producers Video, as we filmed the commercial in Austin. Me and Van, the the "runner/Dick's employee" on set. Notice the "sweat" on our arms and face, created with Baby Oil & a squirt bottle.  I was really excited when I got the call from my agent, Dan Lilot, not only because t...

By Peter Gilmore Eleven years ago I graduated from U.C. Berkeley and decided that I wanted to be an Olympian, and a professional runner. I gave every ounce of energy to those goals and succeeded in making a career out of my hobby, but fell short of my Olympic dream. A long series of injuries has kept me from doing the work I know it takes to succeed, so regrettably, I’m throwing in the towel and moving on to new challenges. My running heroes have always been the soul runners, who love running for nothing more than the feeling of the wind ...

By Tim Bayley Last weekend, I traveled to Austin, Texas, to attend the inaugural Manzano Mile, organized and directed by Olympian and friend, Leo Manzano. The Manzano Mile was a big success. With over 500 attendees, the event featured a live band, age group mile competitions, corporate relays and even a celebrity appearance by 2011 Miss Texas USA. All proceeds raised money for Leo’s nonprofit foundation to support running programs in underprivileged communities. My good friend, Antonio Miramonte (former CSU Chico runn...

By Tom Kloos Those who know me well know my love for Suzy, my 1985 Volkswagon Vanagon that served as transportation, roof, and companion for many years and many miles. One of the classic “Suzy stories” culminated with “engine surgery” on the side of Interstate 5 sometime around midnight, while heading up the Grapevine with my high school runners on our way back from training camp in Tahoe. With the genius of one of my athletes, a stripped Coke can, duct tape, and a salvaged hose clamp, kept an overheating engine from &l...