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• What makes Bernard Lagat Tick?

• Tyson Gay Keeps Rolling!

• Chris Solinsky, David Oliver,Morgan Uceny, Chaunte Howard Lowe

and many more!

Volume 15, Number 3, Fall 2010

WE KNOW

BECAUSE WE RUN

WE KNOW

BECAUSE WE RUN

• FALL 2010 • atf-athlete.com• FALL 2010 • atf-athlete.com

Athletes Only is produced, published and owned by Shooting Star

Media, Inc., PO Box 67, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0067; 920.563.5551

phone; 920.563.7298 fax; Christine Johnson, President; Larry Eder, Vice

President. Publisher assumes no liability for matter printed. Publisher

assumes no responsibility or liability for content of paid advertising and

reserves the right to reject paid advertising. Opinions expressed are

those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Publisher. Copy-

right © 2010 by Shooting Star Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part

of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written per-

mission of the Publisher. Athletes Only is not related to or endorsed

by any other entity or corporation with a similar name and is solely owned

by Shooting Star Media, Inc. Publisher recommends, as with all fitness

and health issues, you consult with your physician before instituting any

changes in your fitness program.

• FALL 2010 • atf-athlete.comPublisher’s Comments

On Friday night, Aug. 12, I was sitting in

the Crystal Palace in East Croydon, near

London. It was the first night of the AVIVA

London Grand Prix, the only two-day

track meet that’s part of the Samsung

Diamond League.

The Samsung Diamond League is a 14-event series of track

meets around the world. This was the cooperative effort of

athletes, agents, meet managers, meet sponsors and the

IAAF. Their goal, in this, the first year of the Samsung Diamond

League, was to highlight and celebrate the best aspects of

our sport.

The meets were held all over the world. Many of the sport’s

big stars competed in the various meets, which were televised

via cable, local television, and also on the web. I watched the

meets on Universalsports.com and also on Russian television.

While I couldn’t understand all of the Russian sportscasters,

the coverage was great, so I got to watch all of the races!

On our cover, you see Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt. They ran

against each other once, on Aug. 6, in Stockholm at the DN

Galen meeting. Tyson got out well, but Usain started a bit bet-

ter. About midrace, Tyson matched Usain Bolt’s strides, as

both great athletes gave it their all on that day. Tyson went into

another gear at about 60 meters and by 70 meters, Usain was

having a tough time staying up. Usain, the world recordholder

at 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay was having A bad day on

the track! Tyson Gay powered away and won in 9.84 to

Usain’s 9.99. Both athletes showed class afterward by con-

gratulating each other.

The following Friday, I was in London, in the cold, damp Lon-

don air, wondering what Tyson Gay could run, with Walter Dix

in the race. Walter beat Tyson at the Nike Pre. Well, Tyson took

off and just did not stop. Walter Dix was with him at about 50,

then cramped badly, and Tyson flew to the finish, running 9.78!

I can’t wait until next summer, when Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay,

Asafa Powell and who-knows-who-else will line up in Daegu,

Korea for the World Championships to see who’s the fastest

sprinter in the world. Should be fun!

Larry Eder

Publisher, Athletes [email protected]

twitter: @runblogrun

www.atf.athlete.com

608.239.3785

ON THE COVER:

Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt

CONTENTS

4

James Templeton: What makes Bernard Lagat tick?

Tyson Gay: Gay Keeps on Rolling by Dick Patrick

Morgan Uceny, The RBR Interview

Kara Patterson: A Perfect Dayby Vicki Oddi/USATF

LoLo Jones, The RBR Interview

The Deep thoughts of James Carney, The RBR interview

The RN 2010 Fall Shoe Review]by Cregg Weinmann

Andrew Wheating: Andy's Excellent Adventure by Larry Eder

Wallace Spearmon: His Races Are Won by AO staff

Chris Solinsky: Lessons learned, by AO staff

Chaunte Howard Lowe, Two American Records, by AO staff

David Oliver: Oliver Twist, by Dick Patrick

The RN Cross Country Shoe Review, Fall 2010by Cregg Weinmann

Molly Huddle: "2011 will be a whole lot better!"by Elliot Denmann

PhotoRun.Net

• FALL 2010 • atf-athlete.com• FALL 2010 • atf-athlete.com5

Athletes Only Talks With Bernard Lagat’s Agent.

JAMES TEMPLETON

James Templeton is the agent/manager of Bernard Lagat and a smallgroup of world-class athletes, many of them Kenyans. Born in Australia,and now working out of Tubigen, Germany, Templeton has been Lagat’sagent since 1997, and has developed a close personal relationship withLagat and his coach, James Li. AO publisher Lorenzo “The Magnificent”Eder quizzed Templeton after their paths crossed while attending the 2010London Marathon.

AO: Why do Kenyan runners excel?

The huge wave of incredible middle-and long-distance runners emergingfrom Kenya is not a fluke. These athletes benefit from great physiology:pure lean muscle mass and well-developed heart and lungs. Not every-one from the Rift Valley can run; however, there are seemingly thou-sands who can!

The young people are tough and willing to work hard for an oppor-tunity. In fact it seems that too many are working too hard too early; thesuccessful ones are generally following good programs with a good bal-ance of work and rest However, there are too many young athletes run-ning hard three times a day. That is just too much, and certainly notbeneficial over the longer term — even if their bodies can withstand itin the short term.

AO: The recent success of American runners seems to showthat focused hard work pays off.

People have always been working hard. However, I think there is nowmuch thought going into the structure of training, and there is great ben-efit from the professional groups specifically devoted to elite running.

The groups of Alberto Salazar, Jerry Schumacher and TerrenceMahon (plus the smaller group of John Cook) are highly professional,and their training is from all accounts very good and thorough. I thinktheir focus on elite performance and what is required to be world-classis very important in their recent success.

AO: In your opinion, what general precepts should young American runners, ages 14–19, use in training?

The long-term development of aerobic capacity is very important, andyoung athletes can begin that process. You don’t just jump into highmileage at the age of 19 at college; I think the foundations take years todevelop. I think more effort should be put into running relaxed and fastover varying distances, keeping under control and improving year byyear. Young people must enjoy their sport if they are to be motivated andwilling to train over a long period.

I think it’s a mistake to train the young too intensely. While the great-est immediate benefit in young athletes comes from more intense inter-vals, over the longer term this is unsustainable and, I think,counterproductive.

Movement is very important; crucial even ... you see very fewragged elite runners, very few who overstride, etc. It is important to runefficiently and this can be worked on during the teen years.

PhotoRun.Net

[INTERVIEW]AO: What would you advise American coaches about long-term development of US distance runners?

I would advise them to reduce the intensity of intervals and thenumber of interval sessions, to increase the aerobic content andto work on form. The concentration should be always on runningfast and relaxed. Never straining. While still good work, it shouldremain enjoyable and enticing and perhaps good fun to be work-ing with a group. If it becomes too much of a chore or young run-ners become burnt out, you will lose them.

AO: You manage Bernard Lagat. How did he get involved in sport?

Bernard (or Kip, as we call him) came from a family of runners.His father was a 6-mile runner and his older sister Mary was inparticular an inspiration. As a young athlete she ran in the Bris-bane Commonwealth Games of 1982 (when Kip was 8) and thenhad some success later as a road runner. She was an inspirationto him and offered a tremendous amount of encouragement.

Interestingly, Kip was a good young runner, however, not animmediate champion; he laughs at how Daniel Komen used tobeat him in schools races. However he persevered over theyears, and that has been such an important factor. He was a 1500-meter finalist at the 1996 Kenyan Olympic Trials, and then hebenefited greatly from going to Washington State University inAugust that year. That, of course is where he started his greatrelationship with Coach Li. After a year and a bit to settle in, heran 3:34 in Europe in 1998 and then 3:30 the following year. Hehas incredible will-to-win; tremendous ambition, and is not afraidof setting goals and going after them.

AO: What was his training like then?

In the early days in the village it was fairly rudimentary, youwould say—basically getting up early in the morning to run.When studies permitted, a second run or some sort of basic in-tervals.

AO: How did his training change when he went to Washington State?

Well, it obviously became far more structured. Coach Li instilledin him the importance of good planning and good, consistentwork. From the earliest days, Li was insistent that Kip had a longand great career ahead of him. His body has proven very durable(that 2–3 weeks of Achilles soreness before Beijing is the onlyreal injury I can think of in the 13 years I have known him).

It is all about good work over good periods; not too much in-tensity of track work but a lot of good hard running and tempowork in the hills.

AO: Tell us about Osaka.

Osaka was an incredible thrill, of course. From a personal per-spective, I think the highlight of my management career since Istarted in 1997. Kip had some stomach issues during May andJune in particular, and he had two poor races early in July in Parisand Gateshead. He was of course concerned; however, it cametogether so nicely for him over the last month or so.

The 10 days before he left for Osaka he looked fantastic. Thelast session before he left his summer base in Tubingen, Ger-many, he did four sets of 400 (at 1500 pace), float 200 in 30 sec-onds, then a fast yet relaxed 200. He did 55–56 seconds, then 25,and it was all so ridiculously comfortable! It was how he looked;

he could have run seconds faster. Going to Osaka, I knew hewould be tough to beat in the 1500; I wasn’t sure how much theoppressive conditions would take out of him by the time of thefifth race (the 5000 final). However, I’ve always thought he’s verytough to beat in championship 5000s.

AO: Tell us about Beijing?

Beijing was bitterly disappointing for Kip and for us all. Honestly,he was in the shape of his life that year; everything had gone per-fectly (he won, I think, his first nine races of the year ... and wonthem all quite comfortably) until he hobbled back from a steadytraining run in Tubingen 7–8 days after the Trials.

He only missed 3–4 days training in total, but for nearlythree weeks it was a constant battle of treatmen. In reality, duringthat time he was “going for a run” rather than really training. Wetried to make the most of it; however, he lost a bit of rhythm andbalance. It was desperately disappointing for Kip to miss the 1500final. He pulled himself together and looked fantastic in the 5000heats the night after the 1500 (which made me wonder had therhythm come back, and what might he have achieved the nightbefore?) but the day before the 5000 final he got a “throatthing”(by the end of the Olympic fortnight there are many bugsgoing through the village) and was far less than 100% health forthe final. Bekele ran a great race, and Kip would give it every-thing he had, but with three laps to go he was running on empty.

AO: What about Berlin?

It’s hard to be disappointed with two medals; however, Berlin was in the end just a little frustrating. He didn’t have a great run in the 1500 semi; didn’t have his customaryrhythm/turnover ... and, I think was just a fraction lacking in con-fidence for the final, which cost him on the backstraight whenhe hesitated with 250 to go. He was feeling great all race (youcould tell the first 100 that his turnover was back) but hesitatedand before he knew it was boxed and out of the running. He flewhome (with a great sidestep in the straight) to get third, but heknew immediately that he could have won that day. But that’show it goes, of course. The 5000 was a great achievement really,given the deep cut in his ankle in the heats. It required fourstitches and was very painful. But Kip is nothing if not tough andwe all know how close he came to beating Bekele in the final.You can never complain about two medals, but just can’t helpfeeling what might have been!

AO: Is Bernard focusing on the 5000 now?

Most likely he will plan to run only 5000 in Daegu 2011 and Lon-don 2012. That doesn’t mean he won’t run 1500s any more (assome have interpreted); however, he and Li have slightly restruc-tured training more in favour of the longer work.

Coming back from Doha and the World Indoors, well, I’mnot often surprised by Kip ... but let me say I was very, very im-pressed with his shape! I should just say he looks very good.This will be an interesting year; it’s nice to have a year without amajor championship as the focus and Kip has made no secretthat it would be great to get the U.S. records at 3000 and 5000.He was so impressed with Dathan’s great run [the 5000 AR] inZurich; really, he was thrilled for Dathan. But it has given him achallenge and he would like to have a go at running very fast.Possibly 12:52 or even 12:50.

Of course, there are not many races you can attempt this andthey need to go according to plan with the weather and pacing,etc. Also there is Bob Kennedy’s long-standing 3000 record of


[INTERVIEW]7:30.84. It’s interesting that Kennedy came eigth in that race! In-credible. I don’t think Kip will be coming eigth in a 3000 and stillgetting the record. It’s a good run but I’m sure it’s within his ca-pabilities also.

Those fast runs would be good this year. People are perhapsthinking of Kip as perhaps mainly a fast finisher these days ...that’s not really the case. He’s run as fast as he’s needed to runto win in recent years ... and without Hicham and Haile (and evenBekele) chasing fast times with good pacing there have been lessopportunities for the fast times. With Kip it’s all been about thecompetition and the wins. OK, this year we’re also thinking moreof times because of these records ... and that will be fun.

AO: Tell us about Bernard and his coach?

Bernard has been very fortuitous to have landed with Coach Liall those years ago. It’s nearly 15 years now they’ve been workingtogether ... and of course they know each other so well. Kip hasthe utmost confidence in James Li and that is so important; socrucial for an athlete–coach relationship. Li is a clever man andtotally committed to his coaching and to Kip.

And to expand the point, Kip and I are close of course also... and so are Li and I. I think it works very well. And not to beunderstated or underestimated is the influence of Gladys, Kip’swife. She’s been great for Kip. I think the four of us work to-gether very well; I think that Kip has a pretty good support net-work and that is very good for an athlete.

AO: The 5000m indoor AR was a great race for Bernard.How did he feel about it?

He felt good; he knew he had a good chance to get the U.S.record and it was something he wanted to do. It was a good race;he led, I think, nine of the laps and then good that Galen put inthat good burst with a KM to go. He and coach Li felt he couldhave run 13:05 or something like that if he needed to. I saw PaulKoech run 13:02.95 in Düsseldorf the week before; I can’t see

him, getting away from Kip nor outsprinting him so I think hemight have done something like that in that race. Certainly inDoha you get the feeling his shape is pretty special.

AO: How did you get involved in sport?

I’ve always been involved insport; played most sportsgrowing up; was a battling800m runner (attempting un-successfully to run under1:50) and am still a keen golferand cricketer in Australia. Istill run to keep fit; actually mytwo personal running high-lights the last 10 years were(1) a hard hour run with SebCoe and Ian Stewart in Viennaat Euro Indoors in 2002 (I hadbroken my big toe playingcricket a month or so beforeso was a bit short on fitness ...but the pace was quite highand I went to the wall ratherthan drop back and face thederision of Ian!) and (2) withKip in Brussels 2001 – the morning he ran 3:26 with Hicham. Weran together for 30 minutes; he was just clipping along lookingso incredibly relaxed. I told him I hadn’t seen him look so goodall year. He gave a wry smile and said he felt great and was goingto have a real go at Hicham in the 1500 that night. He did – buthis 3:26.34 came up just a fraction short!

Note: On June 4th, Bernard Lagat broke the 5000m AR with his12:54.12. On September 3rd in Reieti, Bernard Lagat ran 7:29.00for 3000m, antother AR.


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James Templeton and Bernard Lagat


PhotoRun.Net

Give Tyson Gay credit. He hasn’t let the ascendancy of Usain Boltaffect his approach to sprinting. Gay keeps right on giving hisbest, and it paid off in August. It might well pay off again in De-cember with a No. 1 world ranking from Track & Field News. First,Gay beat Bolt in a 100 in Stockholm, getting out of the blocksfirst, hanging on and winning in 9.84 to Bolt’s 9.97.“Usain is not in his best shape,” Gay acknowledged. “He and I

both know he can run a lot faster. He has had his problems withinjury and my knee was bothering me. But I’m happy with thewin. He is a legend and it’s very important to beat him. It meanssomething for the excitement of the sport. But I did not beat himrunning 9.5. I beat him running 9.8.”Bolt’s loss, in his slowest time ever in a 100 final, was enough

for him to end his season due to a sore back. But Gay kept onkeeping on. He followed Stockholm with an impressive year-lead-ing 100 of 9.78 on Aug. 15 in London against a slight headwindduring chilly and rainy conditions.“ The last few weeks have beenreally great,” said Gay, who ran 9.79 to win in Brussels afterStockholm. “I wasn’t expecting to go that fast in these conditionsbut I knew I was in good shape and was going to go fast. I thinkthere’s more to come. It’s great to be on top of the world. That’simportant to me. I wasn’t necessarily sending a message to Asafaand Usain, I was just running my own race.” Bolt’s managementissued this statement: “Usain Bolt was examined [Aug. 9] by Dr.Hans Müller-Wohlfahrt in Munich who found a problem in his lowerback. He has a tightness that restricts his ability to generatepower in his stride, and continuing to race in this condition couldrisk injury to his hamstrings or calf muscles. With a view to hisfuture career we believe further treatment to loosen his back fol-lowed by a period of rest will be in his best interest. We are de-lighted to report that the MRI scan on his Achilles tendon showedthat it has now completely healed.” Bolt ends his season withbests of 9.82 in the 100, a year-leading 19.56 in the 200 and a43.58 4x400 relay leg he recorded in March.You have to wonder what Bolt might do if he gives training pri-

ority over his night clubbing. “I always said 2010 would be aneasy season for me, so if anyone is to beat me it would be thisseason,” Bolt said. “The hard training starts in October. The firstMonday of October I will be out there working hard, as there willbe the World Championships to look forward to.” You also haveto wonder what Gay might do if his surgically repaired groin getsback to 100%. Even though he’s not 100%, Gay thought after hisLondon 9.78 that he could improve his PR of 9.69 set last year inShanghai. “I think so, in those conditions,” Gay said. “My startwas on point and normally that’s the worst part of my race. Mytime in London was a lot more impressive than Shanghai, [which]was not technically good.”

Tyson GayGay Keeps on Rolling, by Dick Patrick


PhotoRun.Net

RunBlogRun.com: What’s your first memory of organizedrunning?MU: 7th grade cross country.

RBR: What do you remember about your first race? MU I don't remember my first race specifically, but a lot ofmy junior high races were run boys and girls together, so ofcourse one of my earliest and fondest memories is of beat-ing all of the boys.

RBR: Tell us about your running in high school. MU: I started off running longer distances and cross coun-try, but eventually quit XC to focus on basketball which ledme to race shorter events like the 400/800 on the track. Iwas part of several relay teams that were top 8 finishers atstate and I also won the 800m state title my junior year.

RBR: What was your transition from high school to collegelike?MU: Difficult. Track was never my No. 1 priority in highschool, so having it be such a major part of my life in col-lege required a lot more commitment than I was used to.My freshman year was a tough lesson as I didn't even makethe Varsity squad. Over the summer I was determined to getback on track and to be more responsible for myself, andthe very next season I made indoor NCAAs in the 800m.

RBR: When you first went professional, what surprised youabout the difference between college and pro running? MU: The first year I felt like a fish out of water because itwas an entirely new crowd of competitors and I was runningfor myself, with no team or coach traveling to every meetwith me. I felt grateful to be a part of a training groupwith women who had been competing at the professionallevel which provided a lot of useful guidance. The actualcompetitive side wasn't that different.

RBR: What would you tell high school girls about keys tosuccess in high school? MU: Enjoy what you are doing. Track and XC are sportswhere you mainly have yourself to rely on which can seemlike a lot of pressure at times. Loving what you do makesyou work harder and able to enjoy your successes evenmore.

RBR: What was your biggest mistake in running in college? MU: My entire freshmen year would have seemed like agiant mistake if I hadn't learned from it, but I did and Ithink having that experience was very humbling and mademe a more committed runner (my freshman year being thatI didn't make varsity and wasn't even coming close to myhigh school PRs).

RBR: What would you tell high school girls about the tran-sition to college?MU: It's difficult, but being a part of teams and clubsin high school gives you great time management skillswhich are key in college! It's important just to stay fo-cused on why you are in college and what you want toaccomplish there.

RBR:What’s difference between coaching now and in college?MU: For the first time in my professional career I have aprofessional coach. We have a group of about 11 athletes,but Terrence [Mahon] does a great job in giving each ofus the individual attention we need. Other than therunning aspect, Terrence has taught me a lot aboutthe extras, like therapy, drills and exercises that willgive us that edge.

RBR: You train at Mammoth. Why? MU: Mostly because the group is here. I basi-cally followed my good friend Anna Pierce outhere because of the success she had and Iwanted to take my running to the next level.It's been an interesting experiencetraining at altitude, but all of thelung burn and hard work paysoff back at sea level.

RBR: Tell us about your ex-periences in 2009 WorldChamps Trials & 2008Olympic Trials?MU: World Champs Trialswas basically a test of de-termination for me be-cause I was coming offinjury and wasn't in verygood shape. The OlympicTrials on the other handjust showed me that I hada lot of untapped potential.I wasn't confident enough inmy abilities but got a taste ofwhat I was capable of when Iplaced 6th and 4th in the 800m and1500m, respectively. Now with the work Ihave been doing I know that I will be break-ing and setting a lot of personal records.

RBR: Tell us about the Boston Mile.MU: The Boston Mile was one of the funnestraces I have done. Road races have a verydifferent and fun atmosphere to them. I was-n't interested in running a good time be-cause the weather conditions were alreadypretty lousy and there are a lot of tight turns,so I just sat in second place for most of therace and then pushed to the front with about300m to go and ended up with the win.

RBR: What is your favorite race, 800 meters or1500 meters?MU: The 800 meters is still my favorite event,but I'm slowly becoming more and more excitedabout the 1500.

RBR: What do you love about the sport?MU: I've learned to love the individual aspect of thesport. I am completely accountable for the work that I putin and for the results of it which are extremely satisfying.

Morgan UcenyThe Interview, by Larry Eder



PhotoRun.Net

Kara Patterson had won the last two consecutive javelin nationalchampionships. However, although the U.S. has had some tremendouswomen javelin throwers (Babe Didrikson, Kate “the Great” Schmidt,Karin Smith, Kim Kreiner, to name a few). Kara Patterson was not ahousehold name. At the 2010 USATF Outdoor Champs, the final event of the Visa

Championship series, and on her last throw, Kara unleashed a bomb-her throw of 66.67 meters/218-8 added 8 feet 1 inch to the previousAR of 64.19/210-7 set in 2007 by Kim Kreiner.Her series had portended a great throw: in the second round, Kara

threw 62.61 meters, or 205-5, and in the fifth round, 62.80 meters,or 206-0. The new AR gave Patterson some global prestige as well:her AR made her the 13th best performer of All Time!Kara Patterson provided the following quotes in the mixed zone,

right after her event, on her perfect day!

On her perfect day and record throw:

“I'm really happy. It's my best series ever. Four throws over 200 feetis pretty exciting and this whole season has been a lot about consis-tency because I'm really focused on always being able to throw thatA standard and know that I can make a final at World Championshipsand Olympics. So I'm very happy with how I did today."

On her record throw, which was her final one:

“Well, I've never had the clap start for me in a competition—like whathappens in the long jump. And Karlee McQuillen of Penn State got thegirls started and then the crowd got into it and I threw the Americanrecord. So the little extra energy, I guess, was good."

On throwing into the head wind:

“As javelin throwers you always have to be conscious that a head windmeans you have to keep the tip down a little and throw

straight into it. For women's javelin, that can reallyhelp you. I mean Hayward always has a little head

wind and last year for USA's, it was kind of the samething. It was a screaming head wind and if you hit it just

right, then it kind of takes it and lifts it up. I was told the wind dieddown a little bit as I started my approach on my sixth throw, so maybethat helped me out. I'm not really sure."

Kara PattersonA Perfect Day! by Larry Eder, Quotes courtesy of Vicki Oddi/USATF


RunBlogRun.com: How has preparation for this year compared to the last few?LoLo Jones: My preparation for this year is the same as it is for every year. The only thing I dodifferent is change goals. This year I put a lot of emphasis on Indoors, because it was the onlymajor championship of the year for me. After I broke the American record indoor, I added agoal of trying to break the record outdoor.

RBR: How many training sessions do have in an average week?LJ: I train 6 days a week. I get Sundays off. I don't do double workouts. Thank goodnessCoach Shaver doesn't do that. I'm so not a morning person!

RBR: Once you're in season, say while in Europe, what's your workout schedule betweenmeets?LJ: I love being in season, because it gives me a a break from the tough workouts backhome. Coach Shaver wants [my] legs to be rested for the races so the workouts are prettyeasy. A lot of shake outs, a few hurdles. No sprints over a 50. The key to this is I run a lot.I usually have two races a week. On rare occasions, I've had four races in a week! I rely onmy races to keep me in shape. When I have meets in Europe, I usually get 2days off a week. So I love that added bonus.

RBR: Would you take us through your pre-race warmup routine?LJ: Jog 6 minutes, then stretch 5 minutes. Then sprint and drillsfor 20 minutes. Then, hurdle drills for 10 minutes. Then, spikesprints for 10 minutes. Then, starts over hurdles for next 20 min-utes. The last 15 minutes, I rest and check in for race.

RBR: Is that replicated on track workout days?LJ: Yes. Coach Shaver will have competition workout on twopractice sessions of the week. Competition warmup increasesas our workouts get easier.

RBR: Besides the physical warmup, is there a checklist ofsorts, any series of things you do to get mentally preparedto race?LJ: Not a checklist. I just try to encourage myself withpositive thoughts. Whether that is positive sayings,Bible verses or telling myself little sayings like You cando this [or] You will have a good start.

RBR: What would you consider to be the single mostimportant element of your training? Why?LJ: Learn. If I go through the motions, I will notimprove. I have practices where I act like I'm lin-ing up at the Olympic finals. A good quote I liveby is Practice doesn't make perfect but perfectpractice makes perfect.

RBR: Knowing what you know now, what would yougo back and change in your training in high school and college?LJ: I would watch more professional and college meets. The only race I everremember watching on TV was the Atlanta Olympics. Now, kids have access to theInternet and can view races around the world for free. It's a great tool to study and wish Iwould've had it growing up.

RBR: What specific training advice do have for young hurdlers?LJ: For young hurdlers, I would just tell them to look up races of pro athletes.

LoLo JonesThe Interview, by Larry Eder

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James CarneyThe Deep Thoughts of James Carney! by Larry EderJames Carney runs a lot of miles each week. He has run 27:43 for 10,000 meters and 2:15.50 forthe marathon. He’s one of those guys who could make the jump in one major meet. He’s lookingfor the perfect race, a race where his training, his spirit and his focus win out. We thought you’dlike to see what it’s like near the top. James was fourth in the US 10,000m champs in June 2009.

RunBlogRun.com How did you getinvolved in the sport?James Carney: I initially got intorunning as a way to condition forwrestling. As skinny as I am, I stillhad to be very conscious of myweight in order to make sure I couldmake my weigh-in.

RBR: Did you like cross countrybest at first, or track?JC: That's tough to say. I loved XCmostly because running in October isone fine month to run in Pennsylva-

nia. However, I had marginally more success in track and everyone loves doing things at whichthey are successful.

RBR: What was biggest mistake you made in high school running?JC: Not believing in myself and not truly committing myself to the sport until late in my highschool career.

RBR: Tell us about your college running.JC: I first attended Millersville University and slowly developed throughout the years until fi-nally as a senior I took my 5000 meter time all the way down to 14:00 and my 10,000 downto 29:15. Today that wouldn't mean much but 10 years ago that meant you were one of thetop guys in college. This gave me hope to keep following the sport and seeing how good Icould get. I was fortunate enough to have great coaching in Keith White—someone who ispassionate about the sport and my running career. It's invaluable having that kind of support.Millersville was a good collegiate choice since it eased me into the collegiate system withoutbeing thrown into a big-time program. After I graduated, I ran for Penn State while attendinggraduate school.

RBR: Biggest mistake in college running?JC: My biggest mistake in college running is the same mistake I make today. I try to do toomuch and overtrain. Training to my max is a double-edged sword. It has gotten me to where Iam now, but sometimes it can be almost detrimental. Finding that balance between overtrainingand optimal training is very difficult.

RBR: Tell us about your high school and college coaches. Different relationships as you gotolder?JC: Well my high school cross country/track coach was also my wrestling coach (Bob Weaver).He's a great guy and a real fitness freak. His motto is "I will never ask you to do something intraining that I'm not willing to personally do." That really helps on the high school level tomotivate kids. Collegiately, I ran for Keith White at Millersville and Harry Groves at Penn State.Keith and Harry have completely different coaching styles. Keith is really about developmentand nurturing the talent he gets at the small school. Keith and I had a coach–athlete relation-ship when I entered college and as my college career ended it had blossomed more into a friendrelationship that we still enjoy today. Harry was more of an "old school" coach. He had us run-ning hard all the time with high mileage ... It was no-nonsense and a tough transition, but inthe end it was a necessary transition that got me to the next level. ... Currently, I'm in betweencoaches and writing my own schedule.

RBR: What’s it like being a professional runner?JC: I always tell people it's stressful and not stressful at the same time. On a day-to-day basis,there’s a fair amount of downtime to rest between sessions so that's relaxing, but when it'stime to perform, you better perform. Running is truly a dog-eat-dog world and if you aren't ontop of your game, someone is going to take your spot.

RBR: What’s your training like? Fall? Build-up? Sharpening?JC: In general, my build-up consists of a ton of drills, circuits, core, and mileage. As I buildtoward competition, I back off the drills, circuits, and core while my mileage stays fairly high.I feel really flat if I back off too much.

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The 759 was designed for the body in motion, unleashing your inner animal. So lace up a pair, scope out your target and let your spirit run wild.

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James Carney

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Each season, the overall direction of the footwear industry is revealed in trends. For more than four years,we’ve reported that companies have been lightening up many of their shoes and this continues. The growing

influence of minimalism and “barefoot” running, in conjunction with improved technologies and formulationsof components and refined design, has resulted in more shoes with less structure, lighter weight, and fewermotion-controlling features. Our racing shoe reviews have always looked at shoes that feature the least amountof support, weight, or inihibiting features, but this trend extends deeper than ever into the training shoe cate-gory. A number of high-mileage shoes have also benefitted from this trend, slimming down without compromis-ing their protective cushioning. And there is a shrinking but significant offering of heavier models that cater torunners who need extra cushioning or even more significant structure to counteract overpronation.

Geometry is another significant trend in the design of running shoes. Attention is being focused on more criti-cal midsole shaping, the flare (depth and shape) of flex grooves, the size and positioning of crashpads, and theratio between heel and forefoot heights. Along with these considerations, designers and development teams arecarefully considering the material of each of these elements, appraising their rebound and dampening effects,in addition to their durability and comfort. The results of this focus on geometry can be seen in two types ofofferings: highly engineered models and spare, simplified designs.

These two trends are refining the way that running shoes perform when you take them out on a run, making iteasier than ever to find a shoe perfectly suited to your biomechanical and situational needs.

—Cregg Weinmann, Running Network Footwear Reviewer

In the spring of 1991, it was my great good fortune to meet Emil Zatopek, winner of three Goldsat the 1952 Olympics (5000m, 10,000m, marathon) and two medals in 1948 (Gold in the10,000m and Silver in the 5000m). I was in awe.

After Emil served as our honorary assistant coach at the Ed Adams Invitational in Salinas, mycoaching partner Joe Mangan and I drove him to Carmel, California so he could see the beau-ty of Big Sur. During the drive, there was a twinkle in his eyes as he told us about his friendlyrivalry with Alain Mimoun, who finished second to him in numerous European and Olympicchampionships. It wasn’t until 1956, when Emil had injured himself training for the marathon,that Mimoun was victorious over Emil, and then he waited at the finish line as Zatopek finishedan honorable sixth place.

When I asked Emil how he got started running, he told me that he had needed a new pair ofboots and that was the prize for winning a local 5K race. So in the cold winter of 1944, Zatopekran his first race, won, and was given a new pair of boots—a necessary item in the cold, snowywinter in occupied Czechoslovakia.

The right footwear is a necessary item for all runners, no matter what their level. At theRunning Network LLC, we’re committed to making that search easier for you with this 2010Fall Shoe Review. You don’t have to win a race to get a great shoe—you simply need to visityour local running specialty store and try on a variety of shoes until you find the perfect onefor you. Best wishes!

Larry EderPresident, Running Network LLC

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American Track & Fieldwww.american-trackandfield.com

Athletes Onlywww.atf-athlete.com

Athletics (Canada)www.otfa.ca

Austin Fitwww.austinfitmagazine.com

California Track & Running Newswww.caltrack.com

Club Runningwww.rrca.org/clubrunning

Coaching Athletics Quarterly www.coachingathleticsq.com

Colorado Runnerwww.coloradorunnermag.com

Get Active!www.getactivemagazine.com

Greater Long Island Running Club’s Footnoteswww.glirc.org

Latinos Corriendowww.latinoscorriendo.com

MarathonGuide.comwww.marathonguide.com

Michigan Runnerwww.michiganrunner.net

Missouri Runner & Triathletewww.morunandtri.com

Running Journal & Racing Southwww.running.net

RunMinnesotawww.runmdra.org

RunOhiowww.runohio.com

Track & Field Newswww.trackandfieldnews.com

USATF’s Fast Forwardwww.usatf.org

USATF–New England’s Exchange Zonewww.usatfne.org

The Winged Footwww.nyac.org

The Winged Mwww.themac.com

Youth Runnerwww.youthrunner.com

Reviewer:: Cregg Weinmann ProjectCoordinator/Editor: Christine JohnsonDesigner: Kristen Cerer Proofreader: MargSumner, Red Ink Editorial Services ShoePhotography: Daniel Saldaña, CreggWeinmann Advertising Sales: RunningNetwork LLC, Larry Eder, President,608.239.3785, [email protected]: Larry Eder, 608.239.3785 Website: www.runningnetwork.com For a Media Kit, please visit our website.

This 2010 Fall Shoe Review is produced independent-ly by Running Network LLC for its partner publica-tions. All shoes reviewed were tested by experienced,competitive runners who were matched to the biome-chanical purpose of each shoe model.

Copyright © 2010 by Running Network LLC. AllRights Reserved. No part of this publication may bestored, copied, or reprinted without prior written per-mission of Running Network LLC.

Running Network LLC and its partner publicationssuggest that, as with all fitness activities, you meetwith a healthcare professional before beginning orchanging your fitness regimen.

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To runners, “Boston” means the Boston Marathon; the adiZero Boston also takes its name from that race. Taking a page fromthe minimalist’s design book, it nestles into the adiZero line, the pure performance range of adidas running. The upper is a thin,open mesh with an internal framework of soft, synthetic suede supports and external overlays at heel and toe. A thin layer offoam at the ankle collar and in the tongue only where the laces tie provides just enough padding to secure the shoe comfort-ably without adding unnecessary weight. The midsole is a resilient chunk of EVA with a surprisingly low-profile feel. The heelis a combination of the effective ForMotion cassette and a substantial crashpad to manage the touchdown. It’s mated to a fore-foot of flexible adiPrene+. The result is an effective performance shoe that withstands the demands of high-mileage training.

“Well cushioned, even for daily training. Not bad in the weight department; light enough for faster running. I’ve been very pleased with theperformance.”

Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics to very mild overpronation • Sizes: Men 6.5–13,14,15; Women5–12 • Weight: Men 11.5 oz. (size 11); Women 9.7 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, adiPrene Strobelboard (heel)

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The original Summon was a yeoman-like neutral shoe that generated a rather neutral response. The Summon 2 looks to changethat with some upgrades and a price reduction. The upper uses a more open mesh—an improvement, to be sure—though it’sjust a bit spare on the ankle collar foam. The fit is secure and overlays are well-placed; in fact, the medial side is shored up,especially at the first metatarsal head, though the tradeoff is that it’s not very bunion-friendly. The midsole is the new BioS-257,Brooks’ reliable foam made eco-friendly without compromising performance. In fact, it’s more responsive than the original for-mulation. The contouring of the foam gives the shoe a much-improved transition through the footstrike and a lower profileappearance. Runners looking for a lightweight, neutral, high-mileage shoe may be well-served by the Summon, honored as ourBest Value.

“Fit well with good support. Very good cushioning, nice responsive toe-off. Pretty light for a high mileage trainer, though a bit heavy for aperformance shoe. A good running shoe, plain and simple.”

Updates the Summon • Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics • Sizes: Men 7–13,14,15; Women 6–12• Weight: Men 11.6 oz. (size 11); Women 9.9 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, BioS-257 Strobel board

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The Blade-Light advances the concept behind the UltraNatural Run series, but with a little more heft. Surprisingly lightweight,its appearance may cause concern about handling heavy mileage, but its performance confirms that it can take just about what-ever you’re willing to throw at it. It’s very neutral—there’s no extra support in the shoe—and it provides plenty of cushion andgreat flexibility. The upper features a supportive saddle that keeps the foot centered over the midsole, which is a generous slabof molded EVA that has excellent flexibility. The outersole is minimal (largely exposed EVA) but with carbon rubber in the high-wear areas and a forefoot insert of blown rubber and Superfoam assisting the toe-off. What you get is much more than you seeat first look—so much so, that the Blade-Light earned honors as our Best New Shoe.

“These worked great for me, no matter what kind of running, but especially fast running.”

Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics • Sizes: Men 7–13,14; Women 5–11,12 • Weight: Men 10.5 oz.(size 11); Women 8.9 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, Superfoam Strobel board

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The Precision has had a faithful audience through 10 updates and the Precision 11 may be the best yet. The upper is light-weight and the open mesh breathes well. The newly designed eyestay connects to three separate internal straps to cinch theupper where it needs to conform to the foot. A soft, sueded liner wraps the ankle and instep and an Ortholite innersole addscushioning and comfort. The midsole is AP+, providing a much-improved ride to the shoe that’s further enhanced by an artic-ulated version of the Wave Plate, a re-beveling of the heel, and an additional deflection zone in the midfoot to accommodate avariety of footstrikes and gaits. The outersole has more flex grooves to improve flexibility while maintaining durability in thehigh-wear areas thanks to the carbon rubber. The performance is perfect for fast running—tempo, speedwork, even some longraces—yet durable enough for day-to-day use for the biomechanically efficient, earning it honors as our Best Renovation.

“They fit snug mid-foot and have ample toe room. They feel comfortable and have good cushioning for their light weight.”

Updates the Wave Precision 10 • Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics • Sizes: Men 7–13,14; Women6–11 • Weight: Men 11.0 oz. (size 11); Women 9.3 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted

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The New Balance approach to updates has always been conservative. The overall changes to the 759 appear minor when lookedat individually, but in combination, they’re enough to nudge the shoe into the Performance range. The consistent execution, fit,and ride have been little altered, but each of these areas benefits from the industry-wide trend of trimming weight from a shoewherever it reasonably can. The upper is a wide open mesh outer layer with a fine mesh lining. The overlays have beenredesigned, cleverly anchoring the foot to the midsole in a few strategic places while freeing it in the forefoot, providing sup-port while saving weight. The midsole is still ACTEVA Lite with the same basic N-ERGY set-up in the heel, though minor alter-ations to the components do improve the transition. The outersole is a bit more flexible and maintains the blown rubber fore-foot/carbon rubber heel that has worked well in this series. Runners will find the 759 to be a consistent and protective high-mileage trainer, which happens to weigh less than one might expect.

“I liked the shoe and the neutral colors. I noticed that NB did not use the ‘crinkly’ laces that tend to stay tied so well. The upper materialsare very breathable to help keep my feet dry and cool. They wore well, but the cushioning was about average.”

Updates the 758 • Recommended for: low- to medium-arched feet with neutral biomechanics • Sizes: Men 7–13,14,15 (D,2E,4E); Women6–12,13 (2A,B,D) • Weight: Men 11.7 oz. (size 11); Women 9.9 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted,polyurethane Strobel board

BEST VALUEFALL 2010

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The Pegasus has been updated more than twice as many times as the next-longest model series in this review. That’s a lot ofwork poured into a shoe that continues to reflect the best in materials and know-how. The biggest story of #27 is its weight: It’salmost 5% lighter than last season. The light weight, however, doesn’t undermine its ability to handle the mileage demandedby serious runners. The upper features a routine airmesh with an effective saddle design that secures the midfoot and lines upthe foot over the midsole. The midsole features Cushlon for the first time (replacing the stalwart Phylon). Although there’s abump in price, it matches the bump in value. The outersole—waffle-fill in the forefoot and BRS 1000 in the heel—has excel-lent durability with traction to match. The sum of these parts adds up to one of the best versions yet of the Pegasus.

“They seemed a little snug [on] the first few runs, but I think now I would say they are supportive. The shoes have a lightweight bounce tothem. Very impressed with these shoes—good durability, fit, and cushion.”

Updates the Pegasus+ 26 • Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics • Sizes: Men 6–13,14,15; Women5–12 • Weight: Men 11.8 oz. (size 11); Women 10.0 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, EVA Strobel board

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The Kinvara is the most innovative shoe Saucony has produced this year, and it may well influence its line for some time tocome. The philosophy of “less is more” is on full display here. The upper is a gossamer-like, fine mesh over an open meshliner; the combination is both protective and breathable. Instead of a full ankle collar, twin ovals of memory foam guard eachside of the Achilles tendon and provide both secure fit and comfort. The midsole is a new EVA compound with more rubber forincreased resilience. An insert of ProGrid Lite in the heel smoothes the touch-down and a tweak to the heel/forefoot ratios—lowering the heel a bit with a generous forefoot—actually improves the overall cushioning as well as provides a more naturalbiomechanical position. Its combination of innovations and its feather-like weight earned the Kinvara honors as our Best Shoein the Performance category.

“Nice, secure fit. No slipping in heel even though it has little structure. Light as a feather, surprising how well they work for daily training.Any reservations I may have had about how light they were have been dispelled by their performance on the road.”

Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics • Sizes: Men 4–13,14,15,16,17; Women 5–12 • Weight: Men 7.7oz. (size 11); Women 6.7 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted

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Its light weight places the Ultra Kane squarely in the Performance category, but make no mistake about it: This is a full-featuredmotion stabilizing shoe. The upper takes a cue from their racer, the Ultra Speed, using compression fabric for a skin-tight fitthat flexes just enough to give support while still allowing the foot to move. The midsole is a beefed-up layer of full-length Z-bound over a high-quality EVA. These dual-density inserts sit on top of each other separated by a carbon shank and work as aunit to stabilize overpronation. The outersole—carbon rubber in the high-wear areas with blown rubber in the lateral forefoot—is segmented and pared back to save weight, while providing traction, flexibility, and comfort. Overall, the Ultra Kane bringsstability, cushioning, and performance to runners and triathletes serious about their run.

“Very snug, comfortable, and supportive. Pretty doggone light, especially for the stability and support. Great shoe, I have to say. No realdrawbacks for me.”

Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics to very mild overpronation • Sizes: Men 6–14,15,16; Women6–11 • Weight: Men 10.7 oz. (size 11); Women 9.9 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, EVA Strobel board

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The Cumulus fills an important role in ASICS’ impressive line of neutral shoes and Round 12 provides the expected quality andcushioning. A larger heel Gel component increases resiliency, and minor changes to the midsole sculpting and outersoleadjustments add stability while refining the transition from heelstrike to toe-off. The ride is much the same as before, just moredialed in. The upper is a nice, open mesh and employs HF-welded supports in the open areas and the logo stripes extend backtoward the top of the heel. Other overlays have been reduced or eliminated in areas that are now better supported by the alter-nate methods. The height of the ankle collar has been lowered to reduce possible irritation but the remaining memory foamconforms well. The interior has a plusher feel and forefoot cushioning has been upgraded by changing the 3⁄4-length SolyteStrobel board to full-length. These modifications and additions result in a better shoe, which is welcome news to Cumulus fans.

“Very secure fit, with plenty of padding—maybe more than needed. These have been reliably well-cushioned since the beginning, and Iappreciate the ride they provide. They are a bit heavy, but that trade-off seems necessary for the cushioning.”

Updates the Gel-Cumulus 11 • Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics • Sizes: Men 6–13,14,15 (D),7–13,14,15 (2E,4E); Women 5–13 (2A,B), 6–13 (D) • Weight: Men 13.5 oz. (size 11); Women 11.1 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved •Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, Solyte Strobel board

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The flagship of ASICS’ neutral shoes isn’t what it used to be—it’s better. A men’s size 11 is 5% lighter than last year, the biggestweight loss (0.9 ounces!) among the slimmed-down mid-weight shoes in this review. The upper has retained the stretchy mesh,Biomorphic Fit panels, and asymmetrical lacing, but the individual eyelets have been separated into what ASICS calls DiscreteEyelet Construction to conform to the contours of the foot, improving the fit. The memory foam in the ankle collar has beenupgraded in quality and the collar height is lower to reduce the possibility of irritation. The midline flex grooves on the under-side of the midsole and as well as those in the outersole have been opened to allow the foot to follow a more natural path inits gait—put simply, the shoe flexes better with the foot. The plush ride, weight savings, and outstanding fit earned the Nimbus12 our Best Shoe award in the Neutral category.

“I am new to running, but these shoes really give me the desire to run farther than before. I have never worn any shoes more comfortablethan these.”

Updates the Gel-Nimbus 11 • Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics • Sizes: Men 6–14,15,16 (D),7–14,15,16 (2E,4E); Women 5–13 (B), 6-13 (2A,D) • Weight: Men 12.6 oz. (size 11); Women 10.6 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved •Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, Solyte Strobel board

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The Ghost has evolved on its way to joining the hot-selling Adrenaline GTS as part of Brooks’ Go 2 Series. The upper is a wideopen mesh over a smaller mesh inner layer that moves moisture away and ventilates the foot. The pattern used for the upperhas changed a bit and those nips and tucks result in a better fit over the foot’s contours. The shoe has gained some weight, afair tradeoff for better cushioning and a plusher interior. The biggest improvement is the move to Brooks’ sprung last, which isused in the Glycerin and a few other styles. The profile of the forefoot sweeps up, providing a better transition and more ener-getic toe-off. The midsole is BioMoGo with its durable responsive ride and great flexibility. The HPR outersole and blown rub-ber forefoot are familiar and provide the expected performance: good traction, durability, and a little cushioning for your highmileage. Runners looking for responsive cushioning and durability in a mid-priced, neutral shoe should consider the Ghost.

“These shoes fit great. I have found them to be the shoe I have been reaching for when heading out for tempo runs, or this morning’s 1200s.My feet are happy even after 15 miles in them.”

Updates the Ghost 2 • Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics • Sizes: Men 7–13,14,15 (B,D,2E); Women 5–12(2A,B,D) • Weight: Men 12.4 oz. (size 11); Women 10.6 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, S-257 Strobel board

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The Aztrec was an excellent entry-level, neutral trainer that’s now ready to play with the big boys, thanks to some excellentupdating by Reebok. It’ll cost you an additional five bucks, but it’s money well spent. The upper has upgraded foam, improvedtailoring, and a redesigned tongue, all improving fit and comfort. The injection-molded EVA midsole gets some help from theDMX Foam Strobel board, which is now full-length, and the ride is more responsive and quick instead of somewhat spongy asit was before. The flex grooves have been reworked and newly configured DMPRTEK provides its measure of cushion, as wellas durable traction. The heel has a slightly larger outersole pod to improve medial stability, while the lateral side works withthe crashpad to keep the foot from drifting inward. Here, design and execution were accomplished with value remaining frontand center in the designers’ vision.

“This shoe is light, stable, with the right amount of cushioning, [at] a decent price. What’s not to like?”

Updates the Premier Aztrec • Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics • Sizes: Men 6.5–13,14; Women5–12 • Weight: Men 12.7 oz. (size 11); Women 10.8 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, DMX FoamStrobel board

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The Verona has gone through three iterations, each punctuated by methodical improvement. Though not intended for overpronators, the geometry of the midsole is now more forgiving of the efficiency breakdown that can occur with fatigue.There’s a lateral Shear unit, TPU arches that give a bit on impact and direct the foot from the lateral side, while a convex-shapedmedial midsole prevents the foot from rolling inward. The segmented outersole, flex grooves, and lateral crashpad provideadditional guidance to the foot for improved biomechanical efficiency, while the DMPRTEK outersole offers durable traction anda bit of extra cushioning. In concert, these changes provide a responsive, cushioned ride. The upper employs a stretch meshthat’s a bit more open for coolness and moving moisture. The tongue has been reshaped and softer lining materials used. TheKinetic Fit Panels are now combined with a SmoothFit interior to improve step-in comfort, even with barefoot use. The midfootis supported by the saddle created from the Vector stripes. The result is a responsive, mid-weight, mid-priced success story.

“They felt good from the first time I put them on. There’s a lot of padding around the collar. The toe box has a good amount of wiggle roomfor the tootsies. I felt like I was running (dare I say?) barefoot inside my socks and shoes.”

Updates the Premier Verona KFS 2 • Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics • Sizes: Men 6.5–13,14;Women 5–11,12 • Weight: Men 12.4 oz. (size 11); Women 10.6 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, DMXFoam Strobel board

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A bit bulkier than last year, the Ride now offers a plusher ride as the midsole features a larger lateral crashpad and forefootinsert. The midsole compound and ProGrid in the heel are durable and provide cushion without mushiness. The upper has asmaller percentage covered with overlays, favoring HF-welded supports in the interior of the forefoot, with fewer spots thatmight irritate. The fit is secure where necessary and there’s no slipping in the heel, thanks to memory foam in the collar. A mois-ture-wicking lining prevents the problems associated with wetness. The outersole has newly configured flex grooves, and whatappears to be a more substantial shank (though this is difficult to ascertain due to the nature and placement of the device) whichhelps keep the foot lined up through the footstrike. The durable carbon rubber heel and the blown rubber forefoot contributetheir well-known strengths to the layers of cushioning, providing a plush ride to the Ride.

“Quite a bit of cushioning, evenly distributed. They felt a bit heavy but they’re protective, I’ll say that much for them. They did a good job.”

Updates the ProGrid Ride 2 • Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics • Sizes: Men 6.5–13,14,15; Women5–12 • Weight: Men 13.1 oz. (size 11); Women 10.9 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, HRC Strobel board

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Though the name doesn’t indicate it, the Stable Ride is an update to last year’s model. What else is the same, you ask? Themidsole components—including Karhu’s Fulcrum, here in the stability version—and the outersole are essentially the same.There are always tweaks, especially in updated shoes, but they’ve left the cushy ride and good transition unaltered. The upperhas several improvements, primarily for better fit and comfort. The ankle collar and inside heel area have been smoothed outand combine with exterior heel overlays to offer better support. The logo stripes have been scaled down slightly, and thin, indi-vidual HF-welded straps now secure the midfoot to the eyestay to provide support while conforming to the foot. The open fore-foot has been maintained, allowing the foot to spread comfortably. The weight is up slightly, but the stable, cushioned ride andsecure fit may be just what you’re looking for.

“Fit well from toes to ankles. Good stability and cushiness, but the heel felt a little tippy and took some getting used to.”

Updates the Stable Ride • Recommended for: low- to medium-high–arched feet with mild to moderate overpronation • Sizes: Men 8–13,14;Women 6–11 • Weight: Men 13.8 oz. (size 11); Women 11.2 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted

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ASICS Congratulates Kara Patterson on Setting a New AR in the Javelin Throw

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The Alchemy continues to be Mizuno’s most consistent motion stabilizing shoe. The midsole now features the AP+ foam for-mulation, adding noticeable responsiveness. The forefoot area of the midsole unit has been slightly broadened for better sta-bility and the midsole sculpting allows better articulation with both the ground and the Wave plate. The medial forefoot flexgrooves in the outersole have been greatly reduced without inhibiting the transition from heel to toe and the outersole has beeneven more differentiated by gender: The women’s lateral forefoot is more flexible, while the men’s is a bit stiffer, accommodat-ing average weight differences. New overlays supporting the eyestay wrap the foot better, while the top lateral eyelet is hingedfor better customization. The interior sports a new sueded material made even more comfortable by the memory foam ankle col-lar. The stability, cushioning, and comfort features make the Alchemy 10 Mizuno’s motion stabilizing MVP.

“It has a very nice balance of padding and ‘feel’ of the road. My foot feels well protected. After 100 miles, these shoes look and feel brandnew. I am pleased to notice that the dark gray collar (lining) around the ankle is a bit more durable than I have seen on most running shoes.”

Updates the Wave Alchemy 9 • Recommended for: low- to medium-arched feet with moderate overpronation • Sizes: Men 7–13,14,15,16 (D,2E);Women 6–12 (AA,B) • Weight: Men 13.9 oz. (size 11); Women 11.2 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted

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The 1226 is New Balance’s most performance-oriented motion stabilizing shoe and it updates the 1225 with some reshapingto improve support and secure the midfoot. Cushioning has been optimized by modifying the rubbery heel crashpad, and the1225’s three small rubbery inserts are now a single, dual-winged unit in the lateral midfoot that acts as a crashpad under thefifth metatarsal. Stability has been dialed in with adjustments to the Stability Web shank support, as well as a new iteration ofStabilicore that’s thicker where the forces are greatest and a bit thinner where they’re less. The outersole has been completelyreworked: Flex grooves have been repositioned and there’s a bit more blown rubber in the forefoot that’s die-cut to allow goodflexibility. The fit has also been refined with webbing loops running the length of the eyestay that we found to secure the foot abit better. The result is a stable, well-supported, well-cushioned shoe.

“Initial fit is comfortable and snug. It seems that these have a nicer and softer feel with some ‘squish.’ Remarkably, these don’t have thesame clunky feel that I’ve experienced in previous New Balance stability shoes. It’s a good, comfortable shoe.”

Updates the 1225 • Recommended for: low- to medium-arched feet with moderate to maximum overpronation • Sizes: Men 7–13,14,15,16(B,D,2E,4E); Women 6–12 (AA,B,D) • Weight: Men 13.8 oz. (size 11); Women 11.5 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobelslip-lasted, polyurethane Strobel board

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The Nike Lunar shoes have been a work in progress, leapfrogging innovation with minor modifications and adjustments. TheLunarGlide+ 2 takes the platform and philosophy of the original and refines the final product. The upper has been tailored for abetter fit and a new configuration of Flywire in the midfoot provides support that holds the foot securely so it doesn’t slide aroundinside the open forefoot, a weakness of the initial round. The midsole and ride will be familiar as the Lunarlon foam and compo-nents have been retained in their original form. The outersole is essentially unchanged, providing a good combination of trac-tion and durability. The improvements to the upper, the continued great ride, and the welcome price freeze all contribute to earn-ing the LunarGlide+ 2 honors as our Best Shoe in the Motion Stabilizing category.

“Love the way they fit—nice and smooth, and hug your foot and arch. Super light, springy feeling while I run, but they still have plenty ofcushion and support. The stability of the shoes is good. They cinch up around my foot nicely and hold it in place quite well.”

Updates the LunarGlide+ • Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics to moderate overpronation • Sizes:Men 6–13,14,15; Women 5–12 • Weight: Men 12.2 oz. (size 11); Women 9.9 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, EVA Strobel board

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The new IsoShift debuts Pearl Izumi’s new technology called the Graduated Guidance System. This is the most efficient mid-sole geometry that Pearl Izumi has used in a motion stabilizing shoe to date. It keeps the weight down by using a cradle of sec-ond density EVA foam to assist the foot through the gait cycle. The shoe affords plenty of stability with good cushioning thathas a bouncy response. The upper has the seam-free construction the brand is known for, along with HF-welded overlaysadding a touch of support at the top and bottom edges of the eyestay, and sturdier synthetic overlays in the heel and toe. A newoutersole configuration of carbon rubber provides durability and traction. If Pearl Izumi has been a satisfying choice for yourtraining, the IsoShift should be a quality performer for you.

“Fit well; it really secured my foot. Decent cushion, better after a few break-in miles. The stability was about as good as Pearl Izumi hasdone, and it feels a lot lighter.”

Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with very mild to moderate overpronation • Sizes: Men 7–13,14; Women 5–11,12 • Weight:Men 12.6 oz. (size 11); Women 10.4 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, EVA Strobel board

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For Puma, the Vectana ushered in a return to a traditional approach to motion stabilizing shoes and Version 2 irons out somebugs while refining its strengths. The fit has been adjusted, in part by tailoring, in part by the rake of the heel, and the shoenow fits true to size (the original ran about a half-size small). The upper—from the stretchy mesh to the memory foam anklecollar—is still very plush, while supportively securing the foot over the midsole. The cushioning is first-rate, thanks to a com-bination of components: mostly EVA and a blend of rubber, but the DuoCell unit in the heel contributes, as do the Ortholiteinnersole and ldCell Strobel board. The M2D (medial second density) extends farther from the arch toward the heel for betterstability. The outersole has increased decoupling in the heel to slow overpronation and more segmentation in the forefoot toprovide better flexibility for toe-off. The net effect is a plush, stable, high-mileage training shoe.

“Love them. My foot is healing and I upped my miles in these shoes—I liked the stability they provided. I put about 150 miles on theseand they still are wearing really well.”

Updates the Vectana • Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with mild to moderate overpronation • Sizes: Men 7.5–13,14; Women5.5–12 • Weight: Men 14.0 oz. (size 11); Women 11.6 oz. (size 8) • Shape: semi-curved • Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, ld Cell Strobelboard

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PhotoRun.Net

Andrew Wheating has only been in our sport for6 years! He has to thank his high school soccercoach, Scrib Fauver, who, amazed that Andrewcould run a 5-minute mile in conditioning, sug-gested cross country. Andrew wasn’t sure, as hewas getting razzed about going out for the sportof cross country in his junior year. In 2005, atthe USATF Junior Cross Country Champs, Andrewwon, in 14:54.01 over the 5000 meter course.Andrew ran unattached his senior year in high

school, Kimball Union Academy, in Norwich, Ver-mont, as his school didn’t have a track team.Still, in 2006, Wheating ran 3:54.28 for the 1500meters, taking 8th in the USA Junior Champs.So, by the time Andrew finished high school, hehad run two cross country seasons and one trackseason—soccer had been his sport. His 1500mbest made him the fourth-best high schooler in

the country!Jeff Johnson, the guy who dreamed upthe name Nike in his sleep, and gave

Andrew WheatingAndrew's European Vacation, by Larry Eder


that name to Nike founder Phil Knight for his little shoe company, is also avery good track coach. Jeff Johnson found out about Andrew from the highschool soccer coach, encouraged Oregon track mentor Vinn Lananna to bringWheating to Oregon. Vinn made Wheating a Duck, and the rest, is, well, trackhistory.In his first season as a Duck, Andrew ran 1:50.17 for 800 meters, 3:45.17

for 1500 meters and 14:55.28 for 5,000 meters. He was ranked 7th in the 1500meters in the U.S.Vinn Lananna, in discussing Andrew to Sports Illustrated writer Tim Leydon,

noted that "Andrew has a huge aerobic capacity." In Lananna speak, thatmeans, Vinn built the guy up from running 30 minutes at a time to being ableto run over 8000m and 10,000m cross country courses in 2007 (he had redshirted his freshman cross country season).In his sophomore year, Andrew moved up from 7th at the NCAA 800 meter

final to 2nd, running a superb 1:46.23! In the semis of the Olympic Trials, An-drew ran 1:45.32, then, in the final, he chased down all but Nick Symmonds,who won the Olympic Trials. Wheating, with 15,000 screaming Duck fanspushing him down the final straight, ran 1:45.03! With Christian Smithin third, it was an all Oregon 800 meter team. Andrew told the press then,"The first thing I saw was that Nick was first, I was second and Christianwas 3rd … give me a couple of minutes and I'll probably shoot up out ofthis chair and scream, 'I made it!’"In his junior and senior years, Wheating made his presence known in

collegiate competition, winning the NCAA title at 800 meters in 2009and 2010. In 2010, Andrew won both the 800 meters and the 1500 metersat the NCAA, becoming the first man in NCAA Division 1 to complete thatdouble since fellow Oregon Duck Joaquim Cruz won both in 1984. (Cruzwon the 800 meters in 1984 Olympics.)But is was the summer of 2010 where Andrew showed his stuff. At the

Nike Pre Classic, on July 3, Andrew ran 3:51.74 for the mile, setting anew school record (held by, you guessed it, Joaquim Cruz, in 3:53.00)!Wheating, at 6 foot 5 inches (1.95m) and 175 lbs. (79 kg) is a big guy,with a huge aerobic capacity, a killer kick and, most important, Andrewlikes to race!On July 22, in Monaco, Andrew Wheating finished 4th in the 1500 me-

ters, running 3:30.90. He was finally racing with the big boys, and allfour broke the world leading mark, up to that day of 3:31.92. This washis personal best by 7 seconds. The time also made Wheating the 4thfastest mark in U.S. History!Aug. 13 found Andrew at the AVIVA London GP, a two-day meeting on

the Samsung Diamond League tour. Wheating was running the 800 metersagainst Abubaker Kaki, the Sudanese superstar who found the hard-charg-ing giant American too close for comfort. Wheating ran a personal bestfor the 800 meters of 1:44.56, taking 2nd in that race!After that, Andrew called it a season and went home to Norwich, Ver-

mont. If you get a chance, read the piece by Tim Leydon in the Sept. 20issue of Sports Illustrated on Andrew, it’s a tremendous article.But, Andy, as his friends call him, is human. In the SI story, Lananna

speaks of a workout Wheating did before he left for Europe: 400-400-300,5 minutes rest between each, in 50.0, 50.2 and 36.0. Lananna knew thatAndrew would run fast, Wheating was just trying not puke.Over in Europe, Andy ran a 500 meters-300 meters-200 meters. Wheat-

ing hit the 500 meters in 1:04, the 300 meters in 36 something and a200 meters in 23 flat!How good is Andrew Wheating? The guy can run you down with a slow

early pace, and can accelerate off a fast pace. Ignore the times, win races,get a few medals for the bureau. Wheating has the tools to race globallyat 800 meters to 1500 meters. Next summer, between Wheating and Sym-monds, the AR of 1:42.60 is gone. But, with Wheating, Manzano, Lomongand a returning Webb, a fascinating 1500 m team.The problem for American distance and middle distance runners in the

past has been a lack of racing experience against the big boys and girls,a training regimen that didn’t have them ready to roll when the champsor big meets come, and the lack of an innate understanding of racing.1976 Olympic Gold medalist John Walker once said that in the Olympic

final, time means nothing, it’s who gets across the line first. In 1992, a

racing-savvy Spaniard, Fermin Cacho, ran a 50.5 last lapfrom a near dead stop and was able to hold Morcelli off,and take the Gold for the 1500 meters.For a competitor to win in the talent-laden World and

Olympic champs, first, one has to get into the final,something many in the U.S. forgot in the 90s. Then, onehad to have enough in the tank to race, and if one wasa half-lap behind, a killer kick meant nothing. Wheatinghas the aerobic capacity, the leg speed, but most of all,the desire. Andrew Wheating Wants to win, he likes towin, and he is pretty comfortable with that!I have always been amazed with the athletes Vinn

Lananna and his team develop. Andrew Wheating isgoing to be one of the great ones. It sure will be funwatching him race in 2011.

23


Wallace Spearmon Jr. didn’t really start out as a sprinter. At Fayetteville (Arkansas) HighSchool, Wallace played football and basketball for 2 years. On the football team, Wallaceplayed wide receiver.Then, track & field and Wallace met, and well, he was pretty good. Wallace earned all

state honors in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 meters. He was also a pretty darngood jumper! In the long jump Wallace went 23-5, or 7.14m. In the high jump, Wallacecleared 1.98m, or 6-6, and in the triple jump, Wallace Spearmon Jr. hopped, skippedand jumped his way to 13.94m, or 45-9. Oh, and besides that, Wallace ran the 4x100meter relay and 4x400 meter relay for Fayetteville High School. Oh, and I also forgotto tell you, Wallace competed in the decathlon and the 300 meter hurdles. “Ireally liked the jumps and the hurdles,” Wallace told Athletes Only last spring. Wallace has a pretty good gene pool in track & field. His father, Wallace

Spearmon Sr., was a member of Arkansas’ first championship track team in1984. Spearmon Sr. also has Bronze medals at the 200 meters in the 1986Goodwill Games and 1987 Pan-Am Games. So, Wallace Spearmon Jr. went to Arkansas and was coached by the same

coach who coached his father, the iconic John McDonnell. Coach McDonnellconvinced the all-over-the-boards Wallace Jr. to trust the coach and focuson the sprints. “I knew Coach from when I was a kid and my father wasworking out with him,” noted Wallace Jr. As a freshman, Wallace Jr. finished 8th in the 2004 NCAA Indoor 200

meters, in 20.93, and was “devastated.” But he came back and won theNCAA Outdoor 200 meter title, becoming the first Razorback in history towin the Outdoor 200 title—and he did it as a freshman! In his sophomore year, 2005, Wallace broke the American indoor

record for the 200 meters twice in one season. Winning the NCAA 200meter title, Wallace put the AR down to 20.10. He’d run 20.21 in thesemifinals, and came roaring back in the final, running 20.10, and break-ing the 5-year-old AR of 20.26, held by Shawn Crawford and John Capel!On June 25, 2005, Wallace Jr. defended his 200 meter title at the NCAAOutdoors, winning in 19.91 then, a world leading time. He made WorldChamps team, taking the Silver medal over 200 meters in Helsinki, Finland aspart of a U.S. sweep of spots 1–4! Wallace went pro after that and gave up his college eligibility, running for Nike. In

2006, Wallace took his 200 meters into new territory, running 19.65 in Daegu, Korea andwaking more than a few people up about this guy’s talent. Oh, and yes, Wallace won hisfirst USA Outdoor title at 200 meters, in 19.90. In 2007, Wallace took the Bronze at the World Championships in Osaka. In 2008, Wal-

lace was originally given the Bronze over 200 meters, but was disqualified for running onthe lane line. “It happened, I had to move on,” noted Wallace to us about the experience.In truth, it was a life lesson, and Wallace takes those to heart. In 2009, Wallace took the Bronze medal in the 200 meters, at the World Champs in

Berlin, giving him three World Championship medals in three World Championships. Spearmon gets some publicity for hanging around with Usain Bolt. Bolt and Spearmon

get along both on and off the track. In 2010, Wallace Spearmon took on a new footwear sponsor, Saucony and he won the

U.S. outdoor over 200 meters, as well as taking 4th in the 100 meters. His best race ofthe year was his run in Brussels, where he caught Yohan Blake with his best time of theyear, 19.79, also giving him the Samsung Diamond League diamond over 200 meters thisseason! What sets Wallace off? He is built to run 200 meters. A slow starter, Wallace comes

alive as he senses the turn and uses all of that pent-up energy. In Brussels, Wallace camealive with 50 meters to go and just flew past the field, catching Johan Blake at the finish! How good is Wallace Spearmon Jr.? Remember, he was the last guy to beat Usain Bolt

over 200 meters! Wallace Spearmon Jr. is as good as he wants to be. Watch him in 2011!

Wallace Spearman Jr.By Larry Eder

PhotoRun.Net


PhotoRun.Net

Thirty years ago, in the pages of Runner's World, Brooks Johnson wrote a piece aboutwhy American distance runners were getting beat. They could not stay up with theleaders, and when it came to kicking, they could not engage.

Lots of hard questions later, a whole new generation of coaches, track clubsand athletes, we are getting some of the answers. From Kim McDonald with BobKennedy, to Jerry Schumacher with Matt Tegenkamp, Chris Solinsky and Shalane Flana-

gan, to Alberto Salazar with Galen Rupp, Kara Goucher and Amy Begley, to Ter-rence Mahon with Deena Kastor, Anna Pierce and Morgan Uceny, to JohnCook with Leonel Manzano and too many others to mention. The torchis being passed. Groups like Zap Fitness, Brooks Hansons, and TeamMinnesota are key to our success. Long-term relationships like coachLarsen and Meb Keflezighi are key to athletes growing and coacheslearning more about their athletes. Those are the building blocks tothe U.S. being successful once again over middle and long distances.

While I was interviewing Brooks last weekend, he paid Al-berto Salazar a huge compliment. Brooks Johnson said that whatmade Alberto such a strong coach is that he encourages his ath-letes to do the things he did not do to be a better runner: plyo,swimming, bounding, stretching.

Kara Goucher told the assembled media in 2007, after herBronze medal at 10,000 meters she was convinced that shehad done everything she could to prepare for Osaka, so shecould just focus on the race. Deep thoughts.Think that the U.S. isn't influencing other teams? Look at

the success of UK Athletics Endurance group, with Mo Farahand Chris Thompson going 1–2 in Barcelona. Farah ran a brutally

fast last 1000 meters, in 2:25.44, and Thompson literally battled down the final50 meters to earn his Silver. Ian Stewart, UK endurance mentor, preaches hardwork, attitude and focus. Coaches like Mark Rowland (for Chris Thompson) em-brace that theme.

In speaking to Chris Solinsky the night after his glorious AR at 10,000meters, I found a tired but thougthful young man. Chris noted that he wasn’tsure where he would be racing in 2011, 2012. He spoke of plans through2016–2020. He was enthused. Chris also gave credit to his coach, Jerry Schu-macher, who coached Chris, Matt Tegenkamp, Simon Bairu, Evan Jager and TimNelson while they were mere Wisconsin Badgers!

In speaking with Jerry at the adidas Grand Prix, it was evident thathe could transfer his enthusiasm to his athletes. The goal for Chris Solinsky nowis to race, and learn how to race at this global level. The student is learning quitewell, I would say.What a wonderful conundrum to have, running 26:59.96 for 10,000 meters to

start the season, and sub 13 minutes three times at 5000 meters to end his season.Solinsky is learning to race at the highest levels of our sport. I’m always of the sortthat athletes should race at distance where they have speed advantage, and for Solin-sky, 10,000 meters may be it. But, it also seems to me that Chris Solinsky will run muchfaster, and entertain track fans for a couple Olympiads to come!

In the well-respected blog the Science of Sports, its May 10, 2010 column com-plimented Chris Solinsky on being the biggest guy to break 27 minutes and 13 minutesfor that matter. Chris Solinsky is 3 cm taller than Paul Tergat and at 161 lbs, has a fewpounds on Kenenisa Bekele (119) and Haile Gebreselassie (123).

Chris Solinsky is an anomaly, but that’s good. He’s challenged the status quoof little guys running middle distances and distances. Between Chris and Andrew Wheat-ing, we hope that some big guys and big gals give our great sport a try.

Chris finished his season in Rieti, Italy with a new personal best at 3000 meters(7:34.32). He twittered the next day from the Rome airport that he was going to reallyenjoy his off season! Good training, Chris. See you in 2011!

Chris Solinsky's Excellent Adventure, by Larry Eder

Chris Solinsky


PhotoRun.Net

Chaunte Howard Lowe Sets AR!

Chaunte Howard Lowe has been on a roll in 2010! At the U.S.Indoor Champs in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the bar fell offthe standards after she had cleared an apparent AR. In midMarch, Chaunte Howard Lowe medalled in Doha, Qatar at theWorld Indoor Champs.On Wednesday, May 27, at the Ostrava meeting, the 49th

Golden Spike, Chaunte Howard Lowe defeated Blanka Vlasic,1.92m for Lowe and 1.88m for Vlasic. On Sunday, May 30, 2010,in the Leisitzer 21st Cottbus International Athletics meeting,Chaunte Howard Lowe warmed up into the high jump, startingat the opening of 1.87m and taking two jumps to clear 2.03/6-7.75 to tie Louise Ritter's AR from 1988. On the third and finalattempt at 2.04m, or 6-8.25, Chaunte Howard Lowe had herown record! Chaunte had broken the 22-year-old record ofLouise Ritter!Chaunte waited less than a month to break her own Ameri-

can record, and it was the fans at the USA Outdoor who wereable to see her skills this time.Chaunte Howard Lowe entertained a loyal crowd of fans in

Des Moines by making 12 attempts and clearing nine times!She cleared 1.84m, 1.88m on the first attempt. 1.94 metersgave Chaunte a bit of a struggle, taking three attempts for herto clear. At 1.97 meters, Chaunte cleared on her first attempt,as she did at 2.01m, and 2.03.By this time, the crowd was getting excited. On Chaunte's

first attempt at 2.05m, she was just not close. On the secondattempt, she got over the bar, but knocked it down with theback of her leg. On the third attempt, she cleared 2.05m/6-8.75, for her second American record in a month!On taking her award, Chaunte thanked the crowd and said

the following: "I did some research on Louise Ritter, who wasthe last one to hold the American record. She has somethingthat I did not—an Olympic medal. I would like to win anOlympic medal for my country and myself! And I am very happyto have set this record in the United States in front of myAmerican fans."The rest of the summer, Chaunte Howard Lowe and Blanka

Vlasic dueled across most of Europe. The women's high jump isa very popular event, but Howard Lowe is giving Vlasic a per-son to focus on. In the future, we see more ARs for ChaunteHoward Lowe.

Chaunte Howard LoweTwo American Records! by Larry Eder


PhotoRun.Net

David Oliver looks like the next world recordholder in the110 hurdles. The Howard University grad (class of ’04) hasreached a new level this season, recording, as of Sept. 1,the five fastest times of the year, seven of the top eightand nine of the top 12. Oliver has broken 13 seconds fourtimes this year, led by his 12.89 in July in Paris. That timeis 0.02 off the world record of12.87, set by Cuba’s DayronRobles in 2008 (0.02 seconds isabout 8 inches).But the 28-year-old Oliver

says his first priority is not theworld record: “I focus on win-ning, not running fast times,”he told the English newspaperThe Observer. “If you win therace, you get to do the victorylap. If you told me I could havea world record or Olympic GoldI’d take the Olympic Gold everytime.” He cites former worldrecordholder Colin Jackson ofBritain, who has slipped to fifthon the all-time list followingOliver’s performances this year.“Now Colin is just the topBritish [and European] record-holder,” said Oliver. “I wonder ifhe would have rather won an Olympic Gold medal. I wonderlooking back what he would prefer to have now that he’sfifth on the all-time list. I bet he’d rather take Olympic Gold.That can never be taken from you.” Oliver, whose last col-legiate track season came in 2004, has been somewhat ofa late bloomer.He credits some tough early years as a pro with helping

him develop mentally and physically. In response to ques-tions from the British press, he thinks England’s fundingsystem “promotes mediocrity” instead of excellence. Hisearly pro years included having to work a job at the shoechain, FinishLine, to make ends meet. “I had won the BerlinGolden League [meet]; I’d won some other meets,” Oliversaid. “I was ranked No. 6 or 7 in the world, and I workedfive or six hours a day [in the store]. I didn’t like thatlifestyle, so I had to do something to change it.” He recallsEnglish hurdler Andy Turner asking him: “How come youhave to go to work? You ran 13.2.” “I was like: ‘Yeah, I’man American who ran 13.2, I don’t have no contracts ornothing. They don't pay me for running 13.2.’ I had to goto work to make money. That’s why Americans always dobetter, because we don’t reward mediocrity. If I was a Eu-ropean running 13.2 they’d probably be trying to get methe world or something. As an American you run 13.2 andyou’re just one of a bunch of people.”

David OliverOliver Twist, by Dick Patrick

REVIEWS

Cross Country 2010 toes the starting line with something fresh—fresh air, fresh school year, and a fresh batch of spikes and flatsdesigned to dig into the terrain of the toughest courses around. Here we take our annual look at eight newly released or updatedcross country shoes for fall. All are low-profile models that skimp a bit on protection in favor of performance. Deciding whether you should go for traditional XC spikes or a spikeless model should be based on the racing surfaces you’ll

encounter during your season. Cross country spikes are slightly better than spikeless shoes at gripping muddy or soggy ground,but they are limited to use on all-natural courses and are not allowed for high school use in California. Spikeless models work al-most as well as spikes in the mud and in addition, they manage pavement, sidewalks, and rocky surfaces and work well on in-door or outdoor tracks. Finally, always try to get in a few speed sessions in your racing shoes before the actual race, since thelow profile of the shoe coupled with the intense effort of racing can be tough on your soft tissue if you haven’t prepared well.Okay, that’s out of the way, so it’s on to the shoes …

adidas XCSThe XCS is the update to the RLH from

a couple seasons back. TheXCS features thesame Traxion out-ersole of the RLHin both a six-spike

configuration and themore versatile spikeless version.

The upper is the same in each: a mini airmesh and a supportive,extended heel counter with a low-volume, foot-hugging fit. The mid-sole is low even for low-profile shoes and is molded EVA. The EVAprovides adequate cushioning on its own, and gets an assist fromthe Traxion lugs that supply not only traction, but some cushion (viadeflection). The close fit, deft touch of cushioning, and excellent

traction help the foot efficiently negotiate whatever the cross countrycourse puts between you and the finish line.

SPIKE/SPIKELESS $60 Sizes: men 7–13,14,15; women 5–12 Weight: (men’s 11) 8.3 oz. spike; 7.8 oz. spikeless;

(women’s 8) 7.5 oz. spike; 7.0 oz. spikeless Fit: snug throughout

ASICS Hyper XC &Hyper RocketgirlThis update retains the

same mid-sole/outer-sole in lastseason’s ver-

sion: low-profile,molded EVA and a high-

traction, lugged sole that, judging by the significant number ofrunners who wear them, are extremely effective. Changes havebeen implemented in the upper, particularly some upgrades tothe meshes which make them sturdier. The smooth and well-fin-ished interior is supportive and breathable. The extended heelcounter and added medial overlays deter picking up mud whileoffering better support this time around. Overall, the ASICS fit,gender specificity, traction, and quality deliver good value.

SPIKE $60/SPIKELESS $55 Sizes: men 4–13,14,15; women 5–11,12 Weight: (men’s 11) 9.2 oz. spike, 8.6 oz. spikeless; (women’s 8) 7.9 oz. spike; 7.3 oz. spikeless Fit: snug heel, close forefoot

Brooks Mach 12The Mach 12 marks the first significant

change in theseshoes since version5 way back in

2001. New are thelast (the foot model that

the shoe is built around) and thepattern of the upper. These changes align

the Mach 12 with the Wire, Brooks’ new distancespike, and give the shoe a bit lower profile. No-

ticeably more pronounced is the toe spring that pro-pels the foot forward. The fit has been improved by

adding webbing in the midfoot lacing to better cinch the shoearound the foot. The interior has a sueded ankle collar and arch

wrap that secure the foot comfortably—even if you run in them with-out socks. The cushioning is familiar: just enough for the varied ter-

rain, but not so much as to add extra weight. In fact, the newmidsole and upper shave almost 10% from a men’s size 11. It alladds up—fit, cushion, weight—to earn our Best Renovation award.

SPIKE/SPIKELESS $65 Sizes: men 5–12; women 5–12 Weight: (men’s 11) 7.6 oz. spike, 6.8 oz. spikeless;

(women’s 8) 6.7 oz. spike, 6.0 oz. spikeless Fit: snug heel, close forefoot

Mizuno Wave Kaze 6Five versions of the Kaze have inte-

grated the Wave technologywith a breathable, sup-

portive upper.And now wecan make thatsix. The Kaze6 maintains the

molded EVA midsole with themodified Wave plate designed for cross country. The lugged out-ersole is also carried over in both a 6-spike configuration and aspikeless version. The new upper features fewer overlays (elimi-nated to save weight and improve breathability) with a more

sheath-like fit (some runners may want to go up a half-size for amore comfortable fit). Runners familiar with the Kaze will find theperformance they expect, while those searching for traction,good cushioning, and a secure fit have one more possibility

in a racing shoe.

SPIKE/SPIKELESS $80 Sizes: men 7–13; women 6–11 Weight: (men’s 11) 8.9 oz. spike, 7.7 oz. spikeless;

(women’s 8) 7.8 oz. spike, 7.0 oz. spikeless Fit: snug heel, very snug forefoot

Cross Country ShoesFall 2010 by Cregg Weinmann

FALL 2010

BEST RENOVATION

Cross Country


Nike Zoom Waffle XC/RacerVII & Zoom Jana Star

XC/WaffleThe Waffle Racer

pioneered thetrack spike/racer/cross

country hybrid.Version VII upgrades a few

features while maintaining its most effec-tive components. The midsole/outersole is unchanged with a four-nibbed waffle tread and a co-molded shank that works equally on

tracks, hills, and dales. The upper’s no-sew technology enhancesthe support with a smooth interior and, though it gains a few

grams in the process, it’s a worthwhile trade-off as the full randand overlays reinforce the mesh throughout. The fit is un-

changed—it’s close—but with good curvature and snugness tomatch the racing foot. The matching lasts of the spiked (ZoomWaffle XC) and spikeless models, the gender specificity of the

Jana and Waffle Racer, and broadest cross country size range inthe industry offer runners and teams a wide variety of XC options.

SPIKE $55/SPIKELESS $45 Sizes: men 1–13,14,15; women 5–12 Weight: (men’s 11) 7.4 oz. spike, 6.8 oz. spikeless;

(women’s 8) 6.5 oz. spike, 5.9 oz. spikeless Fit: snug heel, close forefoot

New Balance 507The 507 picks up right where the 506 left off.

The midsole and outersole are carriedover. The same solid rubber,

lugged outersoleprovides durable

traction with a TPUplate for protection

and springy responsive-ness and molded EVA for a

measure of cushion on harder surfaces. The familiar story ofchanges to the upper here results in a more supportive midfoot sad-

dle. (It was previously just a couple straps from the eyestay to theheel counter.) Now the heel is locked down more securely and theforefoot is better supported with a full rand that also helps keep theelements out. The barefoot interior feel has even been improved alittle, as the closed mesh breathes well and synthetic suede on thetongue and low-cut ankle collar has a soft, non-irritating feel. And

the availability of men’s widths broadens its reach (no pun in-tended). The effect is a well-executed cross country performer.

SPIKE $60/SPIKELESS $50 Sizes: men 4–13,14,15 (D,2E widths); women 5.5–10,11 Weight: (men’s 11) 7.5 oz. spike,

6.8 oz. spikeless; (women’s 8) 6.7 oz. spike, 6.0 oz. spikeless Fit: snug heel, close forefoot

Saucony Shay XC 2Round two of the Shay XC features im-

proved tailoring and a neat way tocustomize the shoe.

The fit hasbeen tailored

to wrap thefoot more

snugly, especiallythrough the arch. The upper

has a sturdy rip-stop fabric on the sides of thevamp with an open stretch mesh on the tongue

down to the toes while wrapping the forefoot in-side the shoe. Overlays anchor the eyestay under the

midfoot/heel. In a nice touch, various colors of vinyl film can beinserted into the overlays to customize the shoe with your team

colors. The proven midsole and outersole carry over from roundone, providing good cushioning and outstanding traction. The

combination of fit, cushioning, and traction earned the Shay XC 2our award for Best Cross Country shoe.

SPIKE $75/SPIKELESS $70 Sizes: men 7–13,14; women 5–11,12 Weight: (men’s 11) 8.0 oz. spike, 7.1 oz. spikeless;

(women’s 8) 7.0 oz. spike, 6.2 oz. spikeless Fit: snug throughout

Puma Complete Haraka XCSHaraka is a Swahili word best

translated as “hurry,” whichaptly describes the

new CompleteHaraka XCS that’s

built on the strengthof Puma’s recent track

and cross country successes.The outersole is an aggressively lugged,

six-spiked configuration designed to maximize traction. The midsoleis a healthy slab of molded EVA that seems at home on the hard sur-faces without being too spongy off-road. The upper is a closed meshwith good breathability and a combination of welded overlays and

soft synthetic suede. The interior is cozy enough for bare feet, with avelour-lined tongue and innersole offering a plush feel. The perform-

ance says hurry, but the attention to detail didn’t cut any corners.

SPIKE/SPIKELESS $65 Sizes: men 7–12,13,14; women 5.5–12 Weight: (men’s 11) 7.6 oz. spike, 6.7 oz. spikeless;

(women’s 8) 6.6. oz. spike, 6.0 oz. spikeless Fit: snug heel, close forefoott

CREGG WEINMANN is footwear and running products reviewer for Running Network LLC. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected] © 2010 by Running Network LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be stored, copied, or reprinted

without prior written permission of Running Network LLC. Reprinted here with permission.

Cross Country Shoes Fall 2010 continued

REVIEWS

FALL 2010

BEST SHOECross Country



PhotoRun.Net

“This whole year has been like a dream,” said the 26-year-old Huddle,who now lives and trains in Providence, Rhode Island.

Her 2009 season was good—it included victories in the USA nationaltitle road races at 10K (32:02.6) and 7 miles (37:39)—but her 2010 cam-paign has been a whole lot better.

She opened with a PR 15:02 5000 meters at the Mount Sac Relays inApril and by late August dipped all the way down to 14:44.76 at the Di-amond League Van Damme Memorial Meet in Brussels.

That was American-record time on the track, erasing Shalane Flanagan’s2007 performance of 14:44.80, and was mightily impressive by U.S. stan-dards.

But all it got her was 10th place in a power-packed Van Damme fieldled by Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot (14:27.41), Ethiopia’s Sentayehu Ejigu(14:28.39) and Kenya’s Linet Chepkwemoi Masai (14:31.14) ... and 14thposition on the global year list.

“Brussels, that was a great learning experience for me, and so was theFifth Avenue Mile,” said Huddle, who is finally beginning to live up to allher potential after years of battling assorted injuries (stress fractures, le-sions, and more) and the coulda-woulda-shouldas of life and biggest-timeinternational athletics.

“The speed’s coming and so is the strength part,” said Huddle. “If Ican keep it all together, I know good things are going to happen.”

There’s just one more major happening on her 2010 racing calendar—the Tufts Health Plan/USA Women’s National 10K Road Championship inBoston on Columbus Day, Oct. 11.

Her overview: “2010's been a pretty good year for me. Then again, Iknow 2011 can be a whole lot better.”

Editor’s Note: Molly Huddle defended her U.S. title at Tuft’s on Oct.11th winning the U.S. 10k road title in 32:00!

Molly HuddleBy Elliot Denman


A M E R I CA N R ECO R DS

A R E H A R D TO CO M E BY

M O L LY H U D D L E

1 4 : 4 4.76 5 0 0 0 M

NEW AMERICAN RECORD

W E K N OW B ECAU S E

W E RU N .

SA

UC

ON

Y.C

OM

CONGRATULATIONS MOLLY!

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