On world records and pace setters

  Last week a New York Times reporter asked what I thought of a new rule the IAAF Track and Field Committee passed stating that women’s records were only going to be allowed from races with women’s only fields, not mixed starts where women run with men.
   This decision means that Britain’s Paula Radcliffe is still the world record holder with a 2 hour, 17 minute, 25 second marathon run in a women’s only start. Her earlier time of 2:15:42 is no longer the world record since she had male pacemakers, but is the “world best.” Likewise, Deena Kastor is no longer the American record holder with her 2:19:36 set in London since she also had male pacemakers. The “new” American record is now Joan Benoit's 2:24:52 set in the 1984 Olympics, which was a women’s only race. She has a personal best of 2:21:21. Retroactively changing records for reasons other than for the use of performance enhancing drugs just seems wrong to me.
  As we talked for a few minutes, I began to realize it is a confusing situation. Pace setters, also known as "rabbits,"  have been used as long as I can remember. Even Roger Bannister, the first man to break the 4-minute mile barrier, used a rabbit to help ensure he was on pace. Nobody will argue that a pacemaker doesn’t help. It’s similar to race car driving. The rabbit can shield you from the wind and ensure you are running at the right speed. In a marathon, running with a pacemaker can  help keep you relaxed mentally.
 If you watch one of the high-level marathons on television like Chicago or London they almost always have three or four male pacemakers for the elite men. The elite women, however, are at a distinct disadvantage now that they are hovering around that 2:20 range. If you are a women who is good enough to pace that time, then you are too good to be a pacemaker. To put Radcliffe's former 2:15:25 world record into perspective, she had to go through the half marathon around 1:07:30. My New Zealand friend and fellow-Reebok runner Kim Smith just ran the fastest half-marathon on U.S. soil in Philadelphia with her time of 1:07:11 or 5:08 mile pace. It’s no wonder Radcliffe needed male pacemakers because only three or four women in the entire world could run that pace through the half. Absolutely mind-boggling.
  If you ask Bob Sevene, my coach who also coached Benoit, he would say the sport is in trouble of losing fans and pacemakers have something to do with that. When you turn on a track meet or a major road race, all you hear is talk of breaking American records or world records. Of course, records are meant to be broken, and it’s exciting when it all comes together, but I think it is just as exciting to watch a an actual race verses a time trial. The Boston Marathon has not had pacemakers for years and if you watched that race this year, it was as suspenseful as they come. When you bring great athletes together, great things usually happen. That day, American Desiree Davila was on fire and made it one of the most exciting Boston Marathons in years, narrowly missing the win.
  I think in the end I am against male pacers simply because women tend to abuse them. They run with training partners, boyfriends or husbands which does provide an unfair advantage. I had one instance struggling through the last windy 10k of a marathon in Chicago when another American came blowing by me. She was neatly tucked in behind her male training partner. Getting passed by one spot was the difference between a $10,000 payout and getting nothing at all. As it worked out, I had run almost the entire race alone.
  But I also don’t think the super-elite women should be punished because they are too fast. Maybe there needs to be more emphasis on finding elite women capable of pacing to a world-record. Maybe it is a bit of feminism oozing out, but I think we can do our own pacing, thank you very much. Perhaps we should re-evaluate pacing in general. Ultimately, I am a fan of just racing, and one thing is for sure, there will be no pacemakers in the Olympic Trials marathon this January.

World record or world best?

In this week's column, Blake weighs in on the IAAF acknowledging only those women's world records set in all-women competitions. Performances achieved in mixed fields would instead be referred to only as a "world best." The ruling brings the use of male pace setters into focus. 
  " I also don’t think the super-elite women should be punished because they are too fast. Maybe there needs to be more emphasis on finding elite women capable of pacing to a world-record. Maybe it is a bit of feminism oozing out, but I think we can do our own pacing, thank you very much. Perhaps we should re-evaluate pacing in general. Ultimately, I am a fan of just racing, and one thing is for sure, there will be no pacemakers in the Olympic Trials marathon this January."
  Read more in Thursday's Monterey County Herald.

She's back

Blake's column will resume this week in the Monterey County Herald. It will run every other Thursday, rotating with "The Running Life," the excellent column by Mike Dove and Donald Buraglio.
  This week Blake talks about new regulations that will keep women's world records from being set in coed races:
  "If you watch one of the high-level marathons on TV like Chicago or London they almost always have three or four male pacemakers for the elite men. The elite women, however, are at a distinct disadvantage now that they are hovering around that 2 hour, 20-minute finishing time. If you are a women that is good enough to pace that time, then you are too good to be a pacemaker. To put Paula Radcliffe's former 2:15 world record into perspective, she had to go through the half marathon in a 1:07:30. My New Zealand friend and fellow-Reebok runner Kim Smith just ran the fastest half-marathon on U.S. soil at the Philladelphia Half with her time of 1 hour, 7 minutes, 11 seconds or 5:08 mile pace. It’s no wonder Paula needed male pacemakers because only three or four women in the entire world could run that pace through the half! Absolutely mind-boggling.

PG Triathlon Part II

After the Pacific Grove Triathlon, Jon and I had Quin at the park, and we ran into Alexis Smith, who took fourth in the race and is a friend of mine. She was packing up her car as her 1-year old, Gabriel, was napping. Understandably tired from a long day, she was ready for a nap herself, but we got to talk a few minutes. Her first comment was, “Everybody is so young.” We are both in the same boat, that dreaded word, “Veteran” seems to preface my name in most articles.  I read “Old Guard” the other day referring to myself and the other women on the last Olympic marathon team. Even the other day my coach was telling me how the young runners will be gunning for us “veterans.” It’s just the nature of the sport. I remember feeling pretty proud of myself when I beat an older established runner.

PG Triathlon, Part I

Recently Jon, Quin and I walked down to catch the Pacific Grove Triathlon. I was specifically interested in the Women’s Professional race at noon seeing that my friend and local Tri gal Alexis Smith was competing. Her little boy, Gabriel just turned 1, and we have commiserated on numerous occasions on the woes of getting back into shape after pregnancy, and much more. We both do most of our training on our own and both rely heavily on our parents for help with our little ones so we can train properly.

We managed to catch the start of the Triathlon and to see some of the bike portion. I was trying to catch Alexis on the bike while keeping an eye on Quin along Ocean View Boulevard. Unfortunately, he was more interested in running up and down the dirt stairs along the ocean than he was in the bike race. Sorry Alexis. I don’t know much about the triathlon, but Alexis got stuck in “no man’s land” meaning she was riding alone. I imagine it’s the same as running though, and not where you want to be on a windy day with no one around to help.  She held on for a solid fourth place finish with Gabriel there to greet her at the finish line. ... (more tomorrow)

Meanwhile, in New Orleans

Interesting story on Rachel Booth, another elite runner who is a mom and has had to wrestle with running in heat and humidity (that will happen when you move to New Orleans)

Hot running

Other than some lingering fog there is only one draw back to training in on the Monterey Peninsula — you get used to the mild weather. The weather in my past two races has been hot and humid. The first one was respectable, but my last race was a disaster. I got up at 5:30 a.m., three hours before the start to do a 10-minute run and some quick strides. As I exited the hotel I felt like I was stepping into an oven. It actually felt a little cooler when I started warming up for the race two hours later. I think I was a little deceived by the temperature.  I wound up having to drop out after six miles.

In any case, I learned the hard way that you can’t take heat acclimation for granted. I guess there was a reason we went to Beijing training camp three weeks before our events in the Olympics. But for these small races, I don’t have the time or the means to go acclimate like I did before the Olympics. Live and learn. I luckily do not have any more hot and humid races planned unless a freak warm spell hits the Houston Olympic Trials in January.

Hiatus

I am taking a little hiatus from writting and plan to resume in October. In the mean time, it is business as usual in the Russell household- running hard and playing hard. Quin came to my workout last weekend and helped Coach "Bev" time me in between throwing rocks and playing in the dirt. He even informed Coach Bev that the tree looked like a T Rex...and so it did.

Run at work, what the heck

A little public service announcement: On Friday, the Road Runners Club of America will promote the 6th Annual RUN@WORK Day nationwide. Company-based wellness programs, human resources departments, running clubs, running events, running shoe stores, and individuals nationwide are encouraged to plan fun runs and walks around the country with their employers. The goal of RUN@WORK Day, presented by the Road Runners Club of America, is to encourage adults to get 30-minutes of exercise each day, in accordance with the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, either before work, during lunch, or immediately following work. RUN@WORK Day also encourages companies to help employees schedule time for physical activity. Incorporating exercise into one’s daily routine can markedly improve one’s overall physical health. More information can be found at http://www.rrca.org/programs/run-at-work-day/.

New Haven wrap

Here's a wrapup of Monday's race from TMC News. Perhaps more insightful was this observation from Hartford Courant blogger Lori Riley: "It was overcast but very humid, which contributed to the slower times. Many of the elite runners had come down from altitude training recently and weren't used to the humid weather."

Blake from New Haven: Crossroads

Blake from the 20K U.S. Championships: "Dropped out before 6 miles. Kind of at a crossroad. Not sure if it was the heat and humidity or something else."

Back to school

With kids starting back to school, it has got me thinking about preschools for my little guy. Even though I would not want him to start until next year, I decided to check out a place last week. We stopped by around noon and found a small group finishing up lunch and playing. I confess, as I walked in and saw all the play stations and brightly colored little tables and chairs, I got a huge lump in my throat and my eyes started to water. My reaction to just thinking about preschool does not bode well for what will happen to me when we take Quin to college. Now I know why my dad would always hug me and tell me to come live at home, adding I can bring Jon.
As we stood in the doorway and talked to the teacher, a little boy came and took Quin’s hand and tried to entice him to come play. Being on the shy side, Quin clung to my leg, but curiosity finally got the best of him. By the time I got some information, Quin was having fun and not ready to leave. I feel good that in a year, I can see him in preschool and know that it will be a great social and learning experience for him. He will be ready, but will I?
I’ve mentioned in the past that my coach, Bob Sevene, works with a female runner in Pittsburgh who is a full-time, single mom. Her husband died unexpectedly while running due to an undiagnosed heart condition. She told him the other day that her three boys will finally all be in school, and she is looking forward to having mornings free to run and workout without having to keep an eye on them.
"Not that I don’t love them,” she said.
Sev, being a father of two, told her he understands completely.
I am sure every parent struggles with guilt from being away from their child because of their job. My job is running and preparing for the Olympic Trials. That has allowed me to spend a lot of time with Quin. But even a full-time parent needs some “me” time just to stay sane. At least when Quin is in school, I will have two or three guilt-free hours when I know he is learning and having fun.
For now, I will take advantage of every moment and spend as much time as possibly with him. I have had the same weekly running schedule for 15 years, but just recently changed my afternoon runs to different days to allow me to spend more time with Quin. It seems to be working because I feel less stressed. I know after my long workout mornings, I can just relax and do something fun with Quin in the afternoon rather than head out for another run.
This weekend I am traveling to Hartford, Conn. for the 20K USA Road Championships on Labor Day. I have not gone to a race without Quin since the World Cross-Country Championships in March. I am looking forward to being able to relax a little more and focus on the race. I might even pack a book! Even though my husband Jon is always in charge of Quin at my races, I still find it hard to turn off the Mom mode. Sev is always reminding me that races require focus and visualization. I have a feeling he told his Pittsburgh runner the same thing he told me the other day and the same thing a lot of moms need to hear, “It’s OK to do this for yourself.”

Bad start

Not off to a good start on my trip to New Haven for the 20K championship. Missed my connection in sfo due to fog. Taking a red-eye to JFK tonight then driving to New Haven. Good times. Quin asked when Mama was coming home and Jon said Monday. Quin replied, "I want Monday now!" missing my sweetie:( and my bed.

A look at the field

Here's a look at the field for the Stratton Faxon New Haven 20K, which Blake is running on Monday.

A Doonesbury Race

Here's a little about the race Blake's running in on Labor Day, but it's the logo I like best

Changing schedules

I have had the same weekly running schedule for 15 years, but just recently changed my afternoon runs to different days to allow me to spend more time with Quin. It seems to be working because I feel less stressed because I know after my long workout mornings, I can just relax and do something fun with Quin in the afternoon rather than head out for another run.