Tag Archive | track and field
My first Orienteering Run!
On Sunday I was going to meet my friend Helen for a run, she said noon. I said, I’ll confirm later. I wasn’t sure how late I’d be going to sleep on Saturday and how crappy-feeling or late I’d wake up on Sunday. Luckily, I woke up early, finished the 20 last questions (of 200) of the Track and Field test and I was ready and wide awake by noon!
Helen’s not just fun and fast, but also takes great pictures!
Mission Accomplished: I am a Certified Track and Field Coach! Now what?
Two weekends ago I attended the Track and Field 21.5 hours certification course. Over the past week I was determined to read the material before I started with the online test. The test was 200 questions… One coach on twitter told me he did it in 3 hours… hm… the instructors had warned us that some questions were tricky.
By Friday, coming back to the city from a ridiculous Thanksgiving OverEatingFest, I decided to tackle it anyway, I had read nothing and if I waited, I’d never get around to it. I wasn’t 100% sure about some of the topics, mostly the jumps and the throws, but jumped (ha) right into it.
They were really tricky, the wording was unstable to say the least. I had to reread a few of them outloud! 200 questions. 80% had to be right. So I’d be fine with getting just 160 right… it took me a while, NOT 3 hours. Basically big chunks of Friday, Saturday AND Sunday. I am sure you’re doubting my brains right now… I might have been a bit overparanoid with the trickiness and English not being my native language…
Then, I was done, press “Grade my Exam”, closed my eyes, and:
Congratulations on successfully completing the USA Track & Field Level 1 Coaching Education program!
ehem… that’s just 5 wrong answers in 200! Quite happy with that! These were the topics on the course and exam:
Topic Philosophy, Ethics, and Risk Management Psychology Physiology Biomechanics Training Theory Biomotor Training for the Speed and Power Events The Sprint Events The Hurdle Events The Relay Events The Jumping Events The Throwing Events The Endurance Events The Racewalking Events
Well, there went two weekends! As for my coaching future, there’ll be some updates soon. As for my own training, I am now really going to pour over some of the new physiology and training theory I learned (and all the interesting stuff they give us access to online!!!) and create all my workouts for the first half of next year. The decision is made: I am going to focus on the half marathon again, as I did this year. No Spring marathon for me, again. And, what I did this year worked, but that doesn’t mean it’ll work next year. Workouts will be adjusted based on goals, pace, fitness level, etc. As soon as it’s all ready, I’ll share, I promise! Here we go.
Mission Accomplished: I am a Certified Track and Field Coach! Now what?
FITTEST
This is really hard for me to write, acknowledge and also say outloud, but here it goes. I hope it doesn’t sound horrible. But I think I have to say it. Outloud.
USA Track and Field Coaching Certification (Or what I did this past weekend)
I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while. And.. you know, I’ve not just been running for a while, but I read A LOT of running books and running publications. I was expecting to be bored, and know most of it, and also hoping I would know most of it, and ALSO hoping I didn’t. You know?
USA Track and Field Coaching Certification (Or what I did this past weekend)
Adidas Grand Prix, Icahn Stadium
Last Friday I had a very busy day at work where I didn’t even remember to eat, even when I was racing a 10K the day after… and I get an email from the boyfriend “want to go to a track meet tomorrow?”. He was working too so brevity and lack of details is expected and normal.
My thought process always goes something like this my life is busy and chaotic already that whatever it is I PROBABLY rather sleep. Still, despite my better judgement I always end up saying yes to a lot of stuff. Crazy, I know, It’s just that NYC is pretty fun…
I was getting up early Saturday to race, then I was coaching, then we’d have to stretch, eat, all that and be ready very early Sunday (4:30 am) for a 5K he wanted to place in.
So I replied “let’s decide tomorrow”.
As soon as I saw the ticket on Saturday, I screamed. It is the freaking Adidas Grand Prix!!! NOT just some track meet!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OK, we’re SO going.
After the 10K, going to Team in Training’s victory party, shower, no rest or stretching, coaching, I was ready for a BIG nap, Headed to Icahn’s stadium in Randalls Island instead…
OMG. SO much fun. This reinforces my (and Bieber’s) “Never Say Never” life motto.
Kip, or Bernard Lagat as everyone seems to like to call him, doing his victory lap. I missed a bit of the race but he is always phenomenal!
Then the women’s 800!
Men 400, ooops, missed the race,I blinked… but here is the winner
And the women’s 200. DON’T BLINK!!!
the men’s 100
Then my favorite event, the Women’s 5000. AAAHHH
Scream with me, will you??!?!?!
And… we breathe…
I still had to eat (had two powerbars during the races), stretch, recover a little and get ready for an early/busy/exciting Sunday. But just like the Bieber, remember, Never Say Never.
One exception: I’ll NEVER be as fast as these people. Needed to get that out of the way to avoid some more dissapointment.
NYRR’s Club Night & Runners of the Year
ME! Just kidding, OBVIOUSLY!
So, this all happened last night so I am sure there’ll be a bit more pics and stuff around soon, but wanted to put it up before I forgot all about it by tomorrow! In case you have no idea what this is…
Luckily, I had been involved in the Selection Committee and it was quite fun (blogged about the data-super-fun here). Here are the basic rules…
Anyway, there was not much for me to do last night other than have a good time: THE perfect assignment!! Here is the NYRR page where you can see all the info, awards winners and all that juicy stuff.
Everyone who’s anyone was there. It was quite fun, so much so, that I barely paid any attention to the show and the awards giving (I missed most of it actually!)… ALSO, I knew who would be winning everything… so…! It’s so cool to catch up with all this fabulousness when we’re not all out of breath and sweaty-gross! And you knew there’d be pictures coming right… some fun ones made it into the NYRR’s Photo Gallery… so… yeah..
The one in the middle on the top row, is my team, Dashing Whippets, picking up the Best Men’s Team, B Division, I am in the picture in them bottom too.
So, I am sure there’ll be lots more pics (and stories!!) up everywhere soon but had to share! Luckily, I get to be in the Committee next year too. YEY NYRR!! And, Congrats to all Awards Winners!!
My Dear V
My Dear VO2 max,
I am onto you. I am coming for you.
I know how this works. It’s a slow process to get you just where I need you to be. Right where things work perfectly and everything seems effortlessly and natural. Right when I feel like everything I do is perfect and I am flying. Flying through the Air. Like Electricity.
I know there’s all these protocols to get there, conventions, and rules. I know, I am aware, I am not ignoring them. And because I wasn’t working on it for almost 6 months, you got offended and left me here. I get it. I’d be upset too. I just really had no interest in any one else while I was injured, you know: cross-training is not for me!!
But I am here, and I want us to be in this together; we need to make it work. I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll do my hill sprints. I might even say yes to speedwork; but you have to be there to catch me if I am going that route. Okay? Are you with me? I am ready to come back and put all my effort in there so I can make you peak. My body is completely ready and willing to bend to your will. You can’t say no.
Happy Valentine’s Day Everybody!
(a day late, but what’s new!??! Too crazy yesterday!)
Millrose Games. All of it. Up Close.
You might know that the Millrose Games used to be hosted at Madison Square Garden since 1914. This year they got moved to The Armory, an amazing track in Washington Heights, that also holds the National Track & Field Hall of Fame. It’s really a gorgeous place and wherever you sit, you’re way closer to the action than we used to be at Madison Square Garden so, naturally, I love the change!
The thing is, even though seating was quite close… I never made it to my seats! I was saying hello to some NYRR friends and then just ended sticking around there and watching from the main floor. Standing up, for the whole time, yes, but look how close I was…
This was the scene behind (and on top of) me:
Everyone was there. Everyone. I spotted my friend Robert, who now works for RW, in the middle of the track, snapping pictures (sorry R, you’re quite unmissable!), and found pretty much everyone else walking past at some point or another. You know, like a birthday party or marathon week or something. It was so much fun to see all these different races, and I found myself taking pictures but also shooting video of their form, and watching it over and over in slowmo as soon as they stopped. Yeah, racing p0rn. I’ll upload some videos soon and share if you guys are interested!
Not sure what race this picture is from, but I love it:
I am sure you all heard what happened already and you can watch all the races here, but I’ll share some my pictures, of course! I took a ton so had to pick and choose which ones to post, first some from the NYRR Wanamaker Women’s Metric Mile.
Because you always have to warm up for some things…
Jenny Simpson getting ready to blast the course!
Shannon “always ready to throw down!” Rowbury!
Fabulous, fabulous race. I breathe for a second, and soon enough, we get to watch Lagat (and Baddeley, Lalang and many others) run a fantastic New Balance Men’s 5000 Meter. I can’t lie, about this, I was having some issues standing up at that point. Being so close to the track is quite intense.
Then they did the dashes (IF only I could always get that foamed wall for my runs!!?!?!) which would leave anyone breathless; the hurdles, which really scare the crap out me (I’d be dead in a second!); the Sprint Medley Relays, which are so confusing to me as they switch pace in a millisecond and I struggle to adjust to the speed… and the Women’s 400 meter and 800 meter… Eh, what’s another word for intense? Whatever it is, read it in caps please.
By then, I was seriously exhausted. With just the NYRR Wanamaker Mile coming up, I felt like I needed to lay down and rest. It’s such a packed event, with so many amazing races that you can’t ever look away or relax to breathe. It was like I had had a few cups of coffee (and I don’t drink coffee) or watched a Bourne movie: hyper-tense-elated-attheedgeofyourseat excitement and exhaustion. And all I wanted was more legs turning over. Forever!
And then it’s there, finally, the NYRR Wanamaker Mile. They warm up, they run run around. Matt Centrowitz has the “be scared, I know exactly what I am doing. It’s on” look. He’s totally focused and it shows. I think I felt a bit of fear.
They go. I stop breathing again.
I am sorry for the blurriness. My camera had no idea these guys would be so fast and hadn’t had any coffee either.
Then it happens: I breathe. He did it and it was all we all had dreamed of and more. I really need to post the video of his legs doing the work, it’s pure art and it needs to be at the Met ASAP. Pure hot-running-art-on-fire. Even when walking he flies…
Remember to breathe, Elizabeth. Setting up a countdown calendar for next year already.
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