© Copyright – 2012 – Athletics Illustrated
Lydiard Basics
Arthur Lydiard of New Zealand was a pioneer in the sport of distance running. His coaching and his training principles were revolutionary during the 1950s and now are standard practice for most coaches today. For example, Greg McMillan of adidas McMillanElite - a post collegiate running program located in Flagstaff, Arizona – coaches almost exclusively by the Lydiard method.
Brett Gotcher, a McMillanElite marathon runner, ran the third fastest debut marathon by an American during the 2010 Houston Marathon with his 2:10:36 finishing time. More recently, Team McMillan won the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships December 11, 2011. They have won three of four years. The year they didn’t win, they did not enter a team.
Bazan Bay 5k – Two course records smashed
UPDATED: March 5th, 2012. 4:15 PM PST.
Sidney, BC – Sunday, March 4th 2012 – Two course records were smashed in a competitive race today at the Synergy Health Management Bazan Bay 5k road race in Sidney, British Columbia.
The new course was positively received by the athletes.
Canadian IAAF World Track and Field Championships competitor (1500m) Geoff Martinson raced to a new men’s course record with his improvement on Canadian Olympic triathlete Simon Whitfield’s record time of 14:36. Whitfield is an Olympic Gold and Silver medalist. Martinson’s time was 14:20 on a brand new, flat and fast course. He said, “it was a great course, perfect for a fast run given its flatness and the course being in a straight line.” Martinson is seeking a spot on the Olympic team in the 1500m distance.
Team McMillan set for U.S. 15k Championships – Gate River 15k
Christopher Kelsall March 1, 2012 1
Adidas-McMillanElite is entering a men’s team into the 24th running of the Gate River 15k, to compete for the Ten Broeck Team Cup competition as well as the US 15k Team Championships. The race will happen Saturday, March 10th in Jacksonville, Florida. McMillanElite are expecting to win for the second consecutive year. The team includes, Nick Arciniaga, Scott Smith, Danny Mercado and the team’s newest member Ben Bruce. The top three team finishers score using the team average time to determine the winner. The top team earns $10,000.
Greg McMillan said, “we are looking for another win this year. Last year (2011) we set the team course record with an average of 43:44”.
Lake Biwa for Wykes and Osaduik – Olympic Games Last Chance Qualifier
UPDATE: March 1st, 2012
Japan Running News latest Lake Biwa Marathon update
Canadian Marathon runners Dylan Wykes and Steve Osaduik, are preparing for their final opportunity to qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games Marathon by taking on the stacked (see men’s elite list below) Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon (or “Biwako,” as the race is known in Japan) on March 4, 2012.
Both Wykes and Osaduik ran the First Half Half Marathon in Vancouver, BC on February 12th. Wykes won handily in the time of 64:21, Osaduik finished second in 67:25, one week after winning the Huntington Beach Half Marathon, finishing in the time of 66:34. Asked if he was aiming for a marathon-pace effort and perhaps went a little fast Wykes said, “Yeah probably came out a tad richer than I’d like marathon pace to feel. But it’s all good. Feeling good and looking forward to three weeks from now.”
Dylan Wykes is all Action
Christopher Kelsall January 16, 2012 1
© Copyright – 2012 – Athletics Illustrated
Canadian marathon runner and London Olympic hopeful Dylan Wykes, is all action – he is less about conjecture and prefers the results to speak for themselves. For example, during his recent half-marathon result January 15th at the Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon in Tempe, Arizona, he raced alone from the start. He finished first overall in a near-personal best time of 1 hour, 2 minutes and 38 seconds, proving he can go it alone. When asked what his half marathon in Tempe indicates for his marathon prospects he said, “I can talk about it all day, but I’ve got to go out and actually do it before there is something worth talking about.”
The Power of the Foot
One of the most over-looked pieces of the training puzzle by runners that compete over a range of distances up to ultra-marathons is the strengthening of the foot and lower leg, as well as strengthening and flexibility of the ankle.
The foot, lower leg and ankle areas contribute much more to a runner’s racing and training performance than many coaches and athletes realize. There is an incredible amount of power that can be developed there, in a relatively short period of time. For those who haven’t yet added work to address this area, should benefit by doing so.
Simon Bairu – Chasing the Olympic Standard
Canadian 10,000m record holder Simon Bairu (27:23), will make his second attempt at challenging the marathon and the Olympic qualifying time of 2:11:29 when he races the Chevron Houston Marathon, Sunday January 15th, 2012 in Houston, Texas (he dropped out of NY). But qualifying is only part of the incentive to run well.
Steve Archdekin – Impossible is Nothing
Every single part of Steve Archdekin’s afflicted body hurts like hell. From his head to his toes, his knees, elbows, hips, ankles, shoulders, neck, his entire skeleton constantly aches. His face, skull, toes and nose are in a perpetual state of pain. Well except for his nose. “The only place on my body that doesn’t hurt is my nose; I have long since forgotten what it is like to simply not hurt.”
