Avid U.K. trail runner Robert Brown stands trial this week for murdering his wife with a claw hammer last October and burying her in his backyard. Sorry, I should correct that - although he admits to killing her with a hammer, he is pleading "not guilty" to murder. Not sure how that works, but there you go. I've always thought trail runners are do-it-yourself kind of people that make the most of nature, but YOWZA.

(Robert Brown, photo courtesy of Daily Telegraph)

If you've raced trail runs in the last decade, you've probably met Robert. He was a British Airways pilot, and was known to show up regularly at US races in his flight schedule in LA and San Francisco. I raced with Robert in 2004 at the Castle Rock 10-miler (soon to be a distant memory since this park is slated to close in September due to California budget cuts) and in Malibu as well, impressed with his speed and charming 007 vibe. In fact, he was the one that introduced me to Inov-8 shoes! I was surprised when the press contacted me about his case, but I guess it just shows you can only learn so much about a person on the trails.

Charlie Engle, Robert Brown...Ack! I'm turning into the gossip rag of trail running.

SD

Check out this story from the Sun Star:

21-year-old Aivan Villalon was the last to enter the Labor Day: Coast to Coast Run 65k, and could only do so after the town mayor picked up his travel expenses and entry fee. He then used the pre-race dinner for his only meal that day, slept in a cardboard box across the street from the start, and ran the race in his 3-year-old broken shoes.

He won the 65k race in 6:22.

Wow! That's the last time I complain about my hotel room the night before a race. ;-)

SD

NPR ran a great story this week entitled "Put Those Shoes On: Running Won't Kill Your Knees", citing recent studies that show that running may actually be beneficial to your knees. Some quotes:

"In one study, Swedish researchers found that exercise, including jogging, may even be beneficial. Felson describes how researchers took one group of people at risk of osteoarthritis and had them engage in exercise, including jogging. The other group didn't exercise. After imaging the joints of the participants in both study groups, they found that the biochemistry of cartilage actually appeared to improve in those participants who were running. Felson says that suggests that "running is actually healthy for the joint."

"...if you have a relatively normal knee and you're jogging five to six times a week at a moderate pace, then there's every reason to believe that your joints will remain healthy."

 An audio of the article is also available. Check it out!

- SD

This weekend, this blog had an abnormal spike in traffic for a 7-year-old post called "Understanding the Runner's High", something I had written when reading about early research that linked the runner's high to the endocannabinoid system (rather than the oft-quoted source of endorphins). It turns out that the New York Times ran an article this weekend with some updated findings.

 The article is an interesting read. I found the following quote particularly fascinating:

"But perhaps the most telling experiment was published last year by researchers in France who had bred mice with no functioning endocannabinoid receptors. Mice usually love to run, but the genetically modified animals, given free access to running wheels, ran about half as much as usual. Although the full intricacies of the endocannabinoid system’s role in motivating and rewarding exercise is not yet understood, it seems obvious, the researchers say, that the cannabinoid-deprived mice were not getting some necessary internal message. Typically, the endocannabinoid system “is well known to impact onto central reward networks,” the authors write. Without it, exercise seemed to provide less buzz, and the animals didn’t indulge as much."

Man, it sucks to be that mouse! But it's intriguing that a fundamental love of running could be genetically built into all of us. I've been feeling rather mouse-like on my treadmill lately and smiling the whole time. ;-)

The NY Times had a great article yesterday called "How To Push Past the Pain, As Champions Do", with a little insight on those spit-coated elites and how far they push themselves. My favorite quote:

“Mental tenacity — and the ability to manage and even thrive on and push through pain — is a key segregator between the mortals and immortals in running,” Ms. [Mary] Wittenberg said.

In that case, every 100-miler I know is immortal! ;-)

Here's another good quote:

“We have towels at marathon finish to wipe away the spit on the winners’ faces,” she said. “Our creative team sometimes has to airbrush it off race photos that we want to use for ad campaigns.”


Yummy!

- SD

Kevin Helliker from the Wall St Journal wrote a funny article about dudes who enter all-women races in order to win or meet girls. Really? Isn't the booing at the finish line a sign that this plan maybe isn't the best?

Please, gentlemen. Don't be THAT GUY.

- SD

Interlopers Run Amok: Guys Crash Road Races for Women
They Come in First, Are Dissed at Finish; For Meeting Fit Females, 'It's Hard to Beat'

Jonathan Mederos set a personal record in Disney's Princess Half Marathon last year, winning first place with a time of 1:16:17.

The reception he got was far from his personal best, though. "When I crossed the finish line, the announcers were silent, and I got downcast looks from the crowd," says Mr. Mederos, a 25-year-old high-school philosophy teacher in Miami.

That's what a guy gets for winning a women's race. As Rick Cordes took last year's Nike Women's Half Marathon, he slunk across the finish line, with a finger pressed to his lips, beseeching silence after having been heckled throughout the race.

"Maybe I shouldn't have been so competitive in a race that I would have been slaughtered in if it were an all-men's field," says Mr. Cordes, a 48-year-old California real-estate broker, in an email. He was one of nearly 700 men among more than 12,700 women in the Nike Half Marathon.

[cut]

Men can register for these races, as footnotes on the event websites note. Technically allowing guys to run avoids legal spats, pleases charity sponsors whose fund-raisers are often male and engenders a magnanimous spirit. But these races tolerate rather than welcome male participants.

[cut]

We suggest men only do the race in support of a woman or charity," says the website of this week's Nashville Women's Half Marathon. "If he is looking to win a race, get an award or [set a personal record], we would be happy to suggest some other events in the local area that would be better suited for those goals."

[cut]

While male participation in the Nike Half Marathon has risen steadily over the years, the number of men running Disney's Princess Half Marathon jumped to 423 this year from 196 in the debut. Men remained vastly outnumbered, with nearly 11,000 women running this year.

[cut]

Other men see a target-rich environment. "If you want to meet fit young women, it's hard to beat," says Maj. Christopher Sopko, a 31-year-old pilot in the Ohio Air National Guard.

Although men are loath to admit it, one appeal women's races have for them is the shot at a better finish. Men who ran in the middle of a pack of guys can finish near the top of a field teeming with women.

[cut]

To see the full story, go here.

Why Trainers Say, 'Slow Down'

By KEVIN HELLIKER

When his running coach implored him to take rest days, Bill Carr didn't listen. Slated to run a 100-mile ultramarathon this month, the 36-year-old cranked up his workouts over the summer, running more and harder miles than his coach recommended.

Running coach Julie Fingar guides Bill Carr, who ran too much and injured his ankle, in drills at a Twin Rocks trail near Folsom Lake in Granite Bay, Calif.

"I wanted to make sure that I got to the event fully prepared," he says. But Mr. Carr won't get to the 100-miler at all. Last month, his ankle sustained an over-use injury during a workout, sidelining the Rancho Cordova, Calif., project manager for a vision-benefits company.

"Type A personalities will increase their training load until something backfires," says Julie Fingar, Mr. Carr's running coach, who says her biggest challenge is convincing her clients to take an adequate amount of rest. "In their minds, taking rest means they're not working hard enough."

Today, says Mr. Carr: "I'm taking Julie's advice and starting to cross train."

Roughly 10% of athletes preparing for an endurance event are training too hard, estimates Jack Raglin, director of graduate studies at the Indiana University's department of kinesiology. Research in the field has shown that injury rates rise as runners increase their weekly mileage. Besides injury, excessive training can contribute to or cause major depression, loss of sleep, anorexia and sometimes death.

"The overtrained athlete is so fried by race time that he either performs very poorly or can't perform at all," says Dr. Raglin, who specializes in overtraining problems.

A more-is-better mentality permeates the endurance-exercise culture. Novice runners in particular tend to think that finishing a marathon requires no end of training. In fact, however, under-training is rare. After all, more than 95% of marathon starters reach the finish line.

Statistically, the harder line to reach is the start line. Of the tens of thousands of Americans who pay as much as $180 to register for marathons, as many as 25% fail to make it to the race. Injury, illness and loss of motivation as a result of overtraining are major reasons for this.

Coach Julie Fingar guides Bill Carr on abdominal exercises to break up the pounding intensity of running.

But moderation is a hard message to promote among runners determined to reach extremes. For such athletes, no matter how conclusively science may prove the value of rest and recovery, the culture of endurance sports lionizes those who seemingly never rest.

"In running circles, there is huge pressure to do big mileage, to do the big training, to do the biggest races," says Sandra Ross, a 47-year-old runner in Auburn, Calif.

It also can be difficult for runners to know when they are training too hard. One red flag, sports-medicine specialists say, is an intensifying obsession with performance. Exercise, after all, is supposed to be stress-reducing, and amateur competitions by definition are recreational. Yet marathon fields are populated with runners who are visibly stressed out about whether they'll set a personal record or win their age group.

To head off overtraining, some coaches urge athletes to remain alert for the point at which greater doses of exercise cease to produce improvement.

"The body responds beautifully to the right schedule of training stresses," Lynn Bjorklund, who in 1981 set the still-standing female course record for the Pikes Peak Marathon, wrote in an email. "However, too much stress and not enough nutrition or recovery pushes your body toward injury and illness. You need to stay in that zone of just enough, and that takes a very high tuned and honest appraisal of yourself."

Ms. Ross, the California runner, says that for years she would suffer injuries while training for marathons. To help pace herself, Ms. Ross hired Ms. Fingar, the running coach, who enforced rest days, cross-training and trail-running as a lower-impact alternative to pavement.

The discipline paid off, and this summer Ms. Ross completed a 100-mile race. That accomplishment wouldn't have been possible if she hadn't resisted the impulse to match the weekly mileage of her younger running partners, she says. "If I ran as much as they do I'd be faster. But as an older runner I need more rest, and I also have a child, a husband and a career," says Ms. Ross, who works as an environmental consultant.

Overtraining can contribute to exercise-related anorexia, a potentially fatal syndrome that strikes nearly half of all women in so-called lean sports such as running, according to a book published this year, "Eating Disorders in Sport."

"I was diligent about cutting down the calories and increasing my workout schedule. The pounds fell away and it seemed to result in better racing," recalls Ms. Bjorklund, who says that soon after setting a Pikes Peak Marathon record she entered a hospital near death from anorexia.

"It is easy to think that if a little is good, more should be better. After a period of time, however, I would always crash and be forced to cut back," the 53-year-old wrote in an email.

Ms. Fingar, the running coach, says that early in her athletic career she was prone to overtraining and exercise-related anorexia. As a result she says she studies her clients and friends for signs of chronic fatigue, depression, compulsive training or privation. "It can be really destructive," the 35-year-old says. "When someone becomes addicted in a non-healthy manner, all other things suffer—work, family, friends and of course their performance."

Ms. Fingar says she tries to set an example for her clients. She refrains from aerobic exercise one day a week. Often, if she listens to her body instead of her mind, "I'll realize that I'm tired and I'll take another day," she says.

When training for an ultramarathon, Ms. Fingar runs about 70 miles a week, far fewer than the 100 miles that many other ultramarathoners log weekly. But unlike some other runners she is rigorous about cross-training weekly in the pool, on a bicycle and in yoga and Pilates studios. She says this training offers a break from the monotony and physical pounding of running, and provides flexibility, enhanced aerobic fitness and a strengthening of core muscles.

"Especially with trail running and endurance events, you need upper-body and core strength to ascend and descend the hills," she says.

The Mail Tribune has a great profile article on Ashland, OR's Tim Olson, the recent winner of the 2010 Where's Waldo 100k (with a screaming fast 9 hrs 25 minutes). Tim talks about how he got into ultrarunning, how it helps him as a massage therapist, his personal philosophy, and competing in the upcoming Pine-to-Palm 100-miler. Plus it's got one of the best in-race profile photos I have ever seen (above). ;-)

Favorite quote:

"A huge key in life, why I love to run and massage, is to bring me into the
present moment. There's nothing beside the present moment," says Olson. "When
you're aware of what's going on and you're not concerned with the past or the
future, you're just in that moment, and you're able to do amazing things."

Read the rest here!

- SD

Severe rain and fog forced organizers of the 2010 Ultra Trail de Mont Blanc to cancel the full event, choosing to instead race a 100km version the following day. British runners Jez Bragg (10:30:37) and Lizzy Hawker (11:47:30) won that event which traced the Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix course. Fellow North Face athlete Mike Wolfe followed Bragg by 7 minutes. The Grough has a press recap.


Top results (full results here):

1 Jez BRAGG 10:30:37 Royaume-Uni
2 Mike WOLFE 10:37:38 Etats-Unis
3 Zigor ITURRIETA 10:49:18 Espagne
4 Julien CHORIER 10:53:45 France
5 Cyril COINTRE 10:56:41 France
5 Patrick BOHARD 10:56:41 France
5 Thomas SAINT 10:56:41 France
5 Antoine GUILLON 10:56:41 France
5 Jerome CHALLIER 10:56:41 France
10 Pascal BLANC 11:08:56 France
11 Dawa SHERPA 11:14:19 Népal
11 Kenichi YAMAMOTO 11:14:19 Japon
13 Bernhard HUG 11:19:24 Suisse
14 Bastien BRAVAIS 11:27:37 France
15 Vincent DELEBARRE 11:29:03 France
16 Arnau JULIA 11:35:17 Espagne
17 Karl MELTZER 11:40:28 Etats-Unis
18 Samuel BONAUDO 11:45:37 France
19 Lizzy HAWKER 11:47:30 Royaume-Uni
20 Bruno BOTTOLLIER 11:53:04 France

PORTLAND, Ore., March 1, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Columbia Sportswear Company (Nasdaq:COLM), a global leader in active outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment, announced today the appointment of Topher Gaylord as president of its wholly owned subsidiary Mountain Hardwear, Inc. As president of Mountain Hardwear, Inc., Gaylord will be responsible for product creation, global sales and marketing of Mountain Hardwear-brand apparel, accessories & equipment, and for global sales and marketing of Montrail-brand trail-running footwear. He will report to Mick McCormick, Columbia Sportswear's executive vice president of global sales and marketing and will relocate to Mountain Hardwear's Richmond, California headquarters, replacing Kirk Richardson who has served as interim president since November 2009.

Gaylord, 40, brings 20 years of executive experience and personal passion in the outdoor industry. He joined The North Face in 1993, rising to serve as managing director of the company's EMEA region from 2000 to 2005 and as president of VF Corporation's Outdoor & Action Sports International brands, including The North Face, Vans, Reef and Jansport, from 2006 through September 2008. Gaylord has served as president of 7 For All Mankind within VF's Contemporary Brands coalition since October 2008.
"Topher is one of those rare individuals who knows what it takes to build performance-based global brands," said Tim Boyle, president and CEO of Columbia Sportswear. "We believe our Mountain Hardwear and Montrail brands, with combined 2009 sales of approximately $110 million, will benefit greatly from Topher's leadership, knowledge, and global experience."

Over the course of his career, Gaylord has been responsible for all aspects of brand positioning and management, product design, merchandising and development, marketing, sales, establishment of multiple go-to-market business models around the world, including wholesale, direct-to-consumer, distributor, and licensing, as well as the successful integration of numerous acquired brands. He has extensive experience working in multi-cultural environments in Europe, Asia and North America, building strong business relationships that have resulted in sustained, profitable growth.

"I am energized by the opportunity to lead Mountain Hardwear," said Gaylord.   "As a dedicated ultra runner and outdoor athlete, I have always admired Mountain Hardwear and Montrail products and appreciate the authenticity and integrity with which each brand has pursued its passion to serve the high-performance needs of outdoor athletes and consumers. I believe both brands offer rich possibilities for growth as we capitalize on their global potential."

Interim president Kirk Richardson will assist with Gaylord's integration and then return to Portland, Oregon to resume his prior position as Columbia Sportswear's general manager of footwear merchandising. "We are indebted to Kirk for serving as interim president at Mountain Hardwear and look forward to welcoming him back to Columbia," said Boyle.

About Columbia Sportswear Company
Columbia Sportswear Company is a global leader in the design, sourcing, marketing and distribution of active outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment. Founded in 1938 in Portland, Oregon, Columbia products are sold in more than 100 countries and have earned an international reputation for innovation, quality and performance. Columbia products feature innovative technologies and designs that protect outdoor enthusiasts from the elements, increase comfort, and make outdoor activities more enjoyable. In addition to the Columbia brand, Columbia Sportswear Company also owns outdoor brands Mountain Hardwear®, Sorel®, Montrail®, and Pacific Trail®. To learn more, please visit the company's websites at www.columbia.com, www.mountainhardwear.com, www.sorel.com, and www.montrail.com. 

About Mountain Hardwear:
Mountain Hardwear, Inc. makes cutting edge mountaineering and outdoor equipment, apparel and accessories for ultimate performance in extreme conditions. Established in 1993 by a group of outdoor industry veterans, Mountain Hardwear is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company based in Richmond, Calif. Mountain Hardwear distributes its products through specialty outdoor and sporting goods retailers throughout the United States and over 40 countries worldwide. Mountain Hardwear has won numerous product and customer service awards since its inception, reflecting the company's commitment and passion toward innovation. It's our relentless drive to create the absolute best that makes us who we are. Mountain Hardwear. PERFORMANCE ELEVATED™. www.mountainhardwear.com

Michele Wallace from the San Diego News wrote a fun article about Mike and Kim Rouse, a couple who (somehow) gets along while training for ultras, Ironmans, and even the Ultraman. I love their quotes about each other - it's truly a match made in heaven!

You can read the whole article here.

Laura Landro at the Wall Street Journal ran a HUGE article on the hidden benefits of exercise in the Personal Journal section. Some of the more interesting stats include:

* People who exercise regularly heal from colds 20-30% faster.


* People who walked briskly for 45 minutes, 5 days a week for 12-15 weeks reduced their number of sick days by 25-50%. 


* 36% of US adults didn't engage in ANY leisure activities in 2008. Can this be true?


*  Exercise can lower the risk of stroke by 27%, diabetes by 50%, high-blood pressure by 40%, risk of recurring breast cancer by 50%, colon cancer by 60%, Alzheimer's disease by 40%, etc., etc.


* Physical activity reduces erosion of telomeres, which essentially is an anti-aging effect at the cellular level.

The list goes on and on. There is also a great article about Dr. Paul Williams and his effort to dramatically increase the recommended exercise standards, and the push back received from the health community about saying such an increase will basically discourage existing couch potatoes to begin. Classic.

Definitely worth a read.

- SD

This just in:

Greg Crowther won the JFK50 today in 5:50:13, just 45 seconds ahead of 2nd place Michael Arnstein. Both get a slot to Western States as part of their prize! Devon Crosby-Helms set a new Women's course record of 6:29:21 for her win (1oth overall), while the indefatigable Meghan Arbogast got 2nd (6:56:05). You can get the rest of the results here:

1, Gregory Crowther 36M		5:50:13
2, Michael Arnstein 32M		5:50:58
3, Matt Woods 30M		5:54:10
4, Hal Koerner 33M		6:05:02
5, Chad Ricklefs 42M		6:06:51
6, Matthew Lavine 35M		6:08:17
7, Oz Pearlman 37M		6:09:39
8, Ben Ingram 32M		6:21:45
9, Jon Lawler 46M		6:24:20
10, Devon Crosby-Helms 27F		6:29:21
11, Scott Jurek 36M		6:31:12
12, Josh Brimhall 34M		6:32:13
13, Andrew Mason 37M		6:34:36
14, David James 31M		6:36:00
15, Timothy Smith 38M		6:44:08
16, Kyle Cashin 39M		6:44:55
17, Vladimir Banas 40M		6:46:22
18, Jeffry Buechler 35M		6:47:40
19, Ian Torrence 37M		6:48:14
20, Bradley Adams 31M		6:49:40
21, Mark Cucuzzella 43M		6:54:06
22, Lucas Marsak 30M		6:54:55
23, Meghan Arbogast 48F		6:56:05
24, Mike Vance 46M		6:59:10
25, Annette Bednosky 42F		7:02:52

Good Luck JFK Runners!


Good luck to the 1,000+ entrants tackling the JFK50 today. We'll be rooting for you!

Sounds like a packed elite field, according to this great article from the Herald-Mail. Devon Crosby-Helms and Meghan Arbogast will take on Annette Bednosky, while the Men's field is ridiculous:

*Hal Koerner, 2x Western States winner.

* Scott Jurek, 7x Western States winner.

*Bob Adams, 29, of Knoxville, Tenn.

*Michael Arnstein, 32, of New York City

*Josh Brimhall, 34, of Henderson, Nev.

*Jason Bryant, 37, of Elkin, N.C.

*Greg Crowther, 36, of Seattle

*Wynn Davis, 28, of River Falls, Wis.

*David James, 31, of Somers, N.Y.

*Matt Lavine, 35, of Crystal Lake, Ill.

*Chad Ricklefs, 42, of Boulder, Colo.

*Jim Sweeney, 28, of Albany, N.Y.

*Ian Torrence, 37, of Ashland, Ore.

The Herald-Mail also did a wonderful six-part series interviewing runners from various walks of life tackling the JFK50. It's a great read, and includes some fun photos and video clips with the interviewees:

Part 1 - Couple to finish 3rd JFK together
Part 2 - For Kitchen, JFK is grueling and special
Part 3 - Midshipman to compete in her first ultra at JFK
Part 4 - Greencastle man goes for finish #5
Part 5 - Rhoderick takes JFK in stride
Part 6 - JFK is a family affair for the Louderbacks

Be sure to leave a comment on their great pre-coverage of the event. I would love to see more. You can also check out Tom Sperduto's blog for some awesome pictures (it's always nice to have professional photographers running the event; the photo above is from his blog). Have a great run, everyone!

- SD

Kami Semick added a 50k world championship onto her 100k world championship this year, with Michael Wardian getting the bronze for the US. A great showing! Congratulations, both of you.

MEDIA ALERT – November 3, 2009

Kami Semick Wins, Michael Wardian Takes Third, At The IAU 50K World Trophy 2009
Gibraltar, Spain, set the stage for The North Face athletes to take top honors in 50K race

The North Face athlete Kami Semick took first place, women, in the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) 50K World Trophy 2009, in Gibraltar, Spain. She won with a time of 3:29:48. The North Face teammate, Michael Wardian, took third place, men, with a time of 3:00:56, just 41 seconds behind the second place winner. This is the first time running the race for both.

Held on a slow, rolling 8K loop, the course boasted many sharp turns and a handful of steep hills, forcing runners to slow down in places. Conditions were hot and humid at 77° F with 86 percent humidity. The race started at 2.30PM, smack in the middle of the afternoon heat.

“The conditions were difficult and the course was challenging, but I felt relaxed and strong through most of the race,” Semick said. “I focused on running for place instead of time because of the challenging conditions.”

Semick took the women’s lead at around the 10K mark and continued to build a steady lead by more than eight minutes. Wardian led the men’s close competition for most of the race, and despite being passed at the 43K and the 47K, he was able to lock in his pace and secure his best finish ever for an international competition and representing the United States.

“I am so pleased with the effort and winning a Bronze Medal,” Wardian said. “I have some work to do to improve and come back with a Gold Medal next time for the USA—I can't wait to get back training and look forward to competing again in the near future.”

The IAU 50k World Trophy is an invitation-only event. Athletes qualify through races held throughout the world.


For more information on the IAU 50K World Cup, check out www.iau.org.tw

For additional information on Kami Semick, Michael Wardian and The North Face, head to www.thenorthface.com

I know Leor Pantilat said his winning times at Way Too Cool 50k and Skyline to the Sea 50k were partially attributed to being laid off. Looks like he's not the only one! the Wall St Journal had an interesting article today about the correlation between the down economy and increased marathon participation. Full article here.

Fast Times for Jobless Runners

As Unemployed Amp Up Their Training, Marathon Results and Participation Rise

By REED ALBERGOTTI

Longtime runner Ray Gobis posted a 3:09 at the Boston Marathon in April—his personal best. The cause wasn’t a new training technique or the perfect weather. It was because Mr. Gobis got laid off.

“Other people might go into a cocoon or something. Me, I’ve done the opposite,” says the 47-year-old Mr. Gobis, who lost his job in November as director of operations for a printing company. With his new-found leisure time, he has amped up his regimen to 60 miles a week and joined a competitive running group.

Americans might be poorer, but they certainly aren’t slower. With the economy in the doldrums, more people are discovering that without those 12-hour workdays, they’re able to pursue fitness goals like never before. Marathons, triathlons and road races are filling up in record time.

Some evidence suggests that laid-off marathon runners are actually helping push up the level of competition within their age groups. Olympic-level competition could even go up because more elite athletes coming out of college are opting to pursue their athletic goals rather than look for work in a dismal job market.

The effect on races around the country is difficult to quantify. But by one benchmark, marathoners have gotten faster. Athlinks.com, a Web site that tracks millions of race results, says 2009 has seen marathon times improve in nearly every age category. Using the 2010 Boston Marathon qualifying times as a baseline, the site looked at marathon results to see how many runners would qualify today based on previous races. The conclusion: This year alone, 4.6% of marathoners have run times that would make them eligible for Boston—a 39% increase over 2008.

Curiously, performance times in the past six years peaked in 2006, then slipped in 2007 and 2008. Troy Busot, who runs Athlinks, says that could be because the job market was bad enough in 2007 and 2008 that people had less time to train and were under more stress. “I think quality started to drop when people were like, ‘Uh oh,’ and had a little bit of anxiety,” says Mr. Busot.

Then in late ’08 and into 2009, extensive layoffs gave runners more time to train and, in some cases, less stress. “I guess the ones who don’t have a job will get faster and the ones who are desperately clinging to a job will get slower,” he says.

Adding to the significance of the speedier marathon times is the fact that 2009 has seen a big jump in participation, up 5.1% this year, according to Athlinks. More participation means more beginners, and slower times. Simply speaking, times should be slowing down, not speeding up.

Participation in marathons and triathlons can be costly, too. The New York City Triathlon, which costs $225 to enter, filled up in 22 minutes this year, compared to eight hours last year.

“People need structure in their lives,” says John Korff, director of the race. “They can’t just sit around all day.”

Zach Goldman, a triathlete from San Diego, describes himself as “funemployed.” Mr. Goldman, who was recently laid off from his high-paying commercial real-estate job, says he has enough time to train nearly full time and enough money saved up to travel the world racing and figuring out what he wants to do with his life–which is probably not commercial real estate. “That wasn’t all that fulfilling,” he says. “I’d like to do something more meaningful with my life,” he says—ideally in a career that will allow him to train longer hours. Mr. Goldman is currently in Israel, competing in the Maccabi Games, an international competition for Jewish athletes.

Rob Vermillion, executive director of the Oregon Track Club Elite, which trains Olympic hopefuls, says elite track-and-field athletes coming out of college these days are more likely to pursue their athletic careers because the job market is so slow.

“The economy is so terrible that they might as well run,” he says. As a result, Mr. Vermillion says the team, which caps membership at 20 people, has had to cut world-class runners who would in all other years make the cut with no problem.

To Mr. Vermillion, the economy may be a good problem. Track events in the Oregon area have become much more competitive because of the economy, he says. “I would be willing to go out on a limb and say the overall quality nationwide has improved,” he says, “and naturally, increased competition increases performance.”

When Chris Bennett was training as a runner, living in Palo Alto, Calif., in 1999, he had to make a tough decision: Live the life of a pauper to continue training and have a shot at one day winning a gold medal, or go into business during the IPO craze of the late 1990s. “You were giving up millions in stock options to chase the Olympic dream,” says Mr. Bennett, who eventually gave up his running career for a big paycheck in finance. Nowadays, he says, the decision is a lot easier–young athletes should just go for it, he says. “You’re not giving up as much because the economy is so bad,” he says.

Of course the full effects of the economy on amateur athletics are still a bit murky. And if the hiring outlook improves, the high participation levels could be just a small blip on the radar screen.

But the changing economic landscape could forever alter the way Americans view recreational and competitive athletics, as more people discover the joys of training and competing.

IDEA Health and Fitness, a fitness-industry association, says average gym membership went up 18% this year, to 3,394 from 2,866 last year, at the group’s member clubs.

Even in Michigan, where the economy has been particularly harsh, a new business promoting multisport events is holding its own. Eva Solomon says she thought she was “an idiot” to leave her stable job as a grade-school teacher to start a company, EST Events, during the worst economic crisis in a generation. But she figured things like triathlons were “recession proof.”

The first event she and her business partner put on, the “She Rocks” women’s triathlon, nearly filled up, with more than 400 women participating.

“I was blown away when I got home from the race and within two hours, I was getting letters from people thanking me for asking them to pay $80 to swim, bike and run,” she says. For the company’s next event, Ms. Solomon is considering offering a discount for people who can prove they’ve been laid off in the past six months.

Claudia Becque was distraught when she was laid off in January. Then she ran a 2:44 marathon time, slashing 14 minutes off her previous personal record—and close to Olympic level.

She’s now employed as a clinical research specialist for a medical devices company in Chicago. But her month of rest, relaxation and hard training have gotten her thinking: Maybe she should stay unemployed. She’s considering moving to a part-time job with her company, and all her friends are pushing her to do it. “Claudia, this is a sign. You need to just run.”

Journalist Amy Wang wrote a nice story about ultrarunning for Canada's Chronicle Herald, showing that ultra finishes are up 20% in the last year. There are some good quotes worth reading (read it here):

Compared with the emotions involved in running a traditional marathon, Thomas Wong says, in which one feels a predictable cycle of pain and elation over the course of a few hours, a zen-like "nothing" overtakes his mind during an ultra. "Hope," he says, is the only "driving force."

"It’s kind of like a long walk in the woods," says Bodington, "except you’re running and you’re focused and you’re with a group of like-minded people"—and many are put on by volunteers. There are minimal crowds and no schwag bags. More often than not, trees outnumber bystanders. For its devotees, the ultra is a refreshing return to the basics.

Good stuff!

- SD

Read this in Men's Health, December, 2008 -

"You may finally have a legitimate reason to hug a tree. A hike in the woods can boost your immunity, say Japanese researchers. They found that men who walked through a forest for a total of 6 hours over 2 days eperienced a 46% spoke in their blood levels of natural killer cells, which are part of your body's SWAT team against invading viruses. Apparently, all trees release airborne chemicals called phytoncides that not only proptest their foliage from microbes, but also help to stimulate our own immunity systems."

There is also scientific studies showing that "forest bathing" (ie, taking a walk in the forest) boosts immune systems through the reduction of stress.

So if you're looking for another excuse to do a long run, just remember it's boosting your immune system! Good stuff.

- SD

[photo courtesy of Marc Soller]

I can't say that this is the wisest group of thieves out there - attacking someone who can run fast and has almost no possesions on them? From The Herald in Port Elizabeth, South Africa:

A COMPETITOR in the Algoa Bus Bay to Bay Challenge was stabbed and robbed in full view of horrified runners and spectators in Port Elizabeth‘s notorious Victoria Drive at the weekend.

Theresa Matthysen, 41, from Despatch, was stabbed three times in the back and robbed of her shoes and watch by two men while running the last leg of the 50km relay event on Saturday.

The attack on a stretch of a Walmer road in which numerous motorists have been stoned, has shocked race organisers, who now plan to change the route of the event next year.

“There was about 8km left of the race near the Walmer Township when I saw two guys coming towards me,” said Matthysen from St George‘s Hospital yesterday. “I tried to avoid them, but the one guy just grabbed me by the neck and I felt a funny feeling on my back.

“They dragged me off to the side of the road and grabbed my takkies, and the one struggled to get my watch off, so I helped him.”

Matthysen, who had just been passed the baton, said she was about 0,7km into the last leg of the relay race when the attack took place.

“It happened so fast. I thought they just punched me on my back. I only realised I was stabbed when two guys who saw it happening came to help me,” she said.

Yikes! Read more here and here...

SD

Sophie's first Halloween pumpkin. ;-)


Best of luck to all of you tackling the Mountain Masochist 50m, New York Marathon, or Helen Klein Classic this weekend. If not, here are a few stories you might like to read:

Going to Extremes: Ultra Athletes Embrace the Pain - "(Runners) do it for different reasons. It's more out of pathology than passion. Look at them, what are they running away from? It may not be healthy, but it may be what they have to do to be healthy."

Saratoga Man's Limits Go Beyond Marathons - "The most dangerous word in the English language is ego. It gets more people in trouble. Leave the ego at the starting line with your stopwatch."

Try Running An Ultra (radio/mp3) - "The state of unglued is kind of hallucinating maybe. A little delusional. Grumpy, really tired, want to go to sleep. You start craving some of your favorite foods that you know you can’t eat today until you’re done."

Heather Newman of the Detroit Free Press wrote a great article about ultrarunning for the local Dances with Dirt 50m/50k in Hell, MI last weekend. It features four profiles of runners who used ultras to come back from health issues and get a new perspective on life. A few of my favorite quotes:

"Because the events are a little smaller, you get to know people better," he said. "It's a whole 'nuther world. It's not about winning the race. You show up at an ultra, and people are laughing and patting each other on the back. You're taking a journey together."

And it's not just the events that keep her running. The long training days, timed around her job as a third and fourth-grade math and science teacher at Daycroft Montessori in Ann Arbor, Mich., keep her mind clear, too. "I use the parks as my Zen, my mental playground," she said. "I give my cares over to the world. It's entrancing when you get into the woods. You lose the moments. You lose the time. You're just out there."

"I think about everything. What my life is, and why I'm doing what I'm doing. Things kind of evaporate, and you're left with just the things that matter to you. You get very, very focused on just one thing at a time," Bourque said. "You have to pick and choose things to dream about at the finish line. I think about the kids with wheelchairs, and diseases and I just keep pushing myself for those that can't. I'm truly grateful to have a fully functioning body, and I want to push it as far as I can."

You can read the full article here.

BTW, the costumes for the Dances with Dirt Team competition are AWESOME. Check out the video below.



- SD