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World Champions To Watch At The New Balance 5th Avenue Mile

The 2017 New Balance 5th Avenue Mile on Sunday, Sept. 10, is sure to leave every running fan on the edge of their seats. Why? Well, the stacked field is the main reason, with 11 countries representing—including four medalists and 17 finalists from August’s IAAF World Championships—and both defending champions set to return.

Stretching 20 blocks down Manhattan’s most famous thoroughfare, the race will feature 23 heats throughout the day, featuring Emma Coburn, Courtney Frerichs, Jenny Simpson (returning in search of her record-extending sixth title for this race) and Filip Ingebrigtsten, all who had podium finishes at the World Championships.

RELATED: Kipyegon Prevails Over Simpson In Close Women’s 1500m

“I’m excited to be returning to the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile for the chance to claim a sixth victory,” Simpson said via press release. “It’s an honor to win each time because it’s never easily done. The simplicity of the race, a straight mile, combined with the level of talent the event draws, makes it the most deserving road mile in the world to be broadcast live on NBC. I am so grateful to NYRR and NBC for bringing the best of running to the widest audience possible.”

Additionally, Team USA member Eric Jenkins will look to become the first men’s repeat victor in the event since 1998.

“I’m really looking forward to coming back to New York to defend my 5th Avenue Mile title,” shared Eric Jenkins, 2016 New Balance 5th Avenue Mile champion, via press release. “Winning last year’s race got the ball rolling for me on one of my most successful years of competition yet. This race means a lot to me. New York Road Runners always features top-notch competition, so I’m going to need to bring it if I want to walk away with another victory.”

Additional notables competing in the professional athlete field include Kenya’s Edward Cheserek, New Zealand’s three-time Olympian Nick Willis, USA’s Team New Balance Olympian Brenda Martinez and Spain’s Team New Balance Olympian Adel Mechaal.

The 37th running of the world’s most iconic road race will be aired live on NBC at 1:30 p.m. ET and streamed via authentication on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App, as well as with a subscription to NBC Sports Gold’s “Track and Field Pass.” The broadcast will feature live coverage of the men’s and women’s professional athlete races, in addition to a recap of the rest of the day’s heats.

RELATED: New NYRR RUNCENTER Is Home Away From Home For Runners

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New HOKA ONE ONE Video Series Celebrates Women Athletes

This week, HOKA ONE ONE launched their ‘Women Who Fly’ campaign, which highlights three inspiring women athletes in the running community. By sharing their stories, the brand is hoping to help other athletes overcome their own sets of challenges through the sport.

“We want to dive deep into our runners’ thoughts and motivations, determining what drives them and how it shapes their perspective on life,” said Wendy Yang, President of HOKA and of the Performance Lifestyle Brands at Deckers in a press release. “All of our subjects experienced a life-changing event, but running has allowed them to overcome these challenges, work through them and come out stronger. We hope to inspire all women, regardless of how much they run. We believe all women can fly over the earth.”

RELATED: Meet The Women Who Started The Mother Runner Movement

The films were directed by Joris Debeij, an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker who has shot commercials for Apple and JetBlue, and has had work highlighted at SXSW, Sundance Film Festival and the New York Times.

Check out the three videos below:

Devon Yanko, HOKA-sponsored athlete and ultrarunner who used running to escape from abuse at a young age.

Catra Corbett, a trail runner who used running to overcome addiction.

Shirin Gerami, an Iranian triathlete who is embracing her culture and not letting it hinder her performance.

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10 Thoughts A Runner Has During A Half Marathon

When running my goal race, the Urban Cow Half Marathon, I was focused on trying to smash my PR. However, while I was concentrating on my race, I had some amusing thoughts along the course. These are what I consider to be my top 10 thoughts during my race.

1. I hope that I don’t start out too quickly. I always start out too quickly. Should I start with the 2:00:00 group or the 1:55:00 group? Damn brain, stop it!

2. Here we go, only 3,000 people in front of me. I should get to the start line before the first person finishes. Maybe not.

3. Alright, one mile in. I sure hope the crowd thins out soon so I can start passing people. I feel like I’m shuffling to get out of a movie theater.

4. What is up with that guy’s form? He is kicking his butt with each stride. That will hurt tomorrow.

5. Way to go, Mr. Police Officer. You just let a car onto the race course, and the driver is going in the wrong direction. You could do something, or just stand there drinking your coffee. I wouldn’t want you to have to move.

6. There is a woman with fake boobs, and she’s caressing them. Not plastic surgery—these were a Halloween costume, I hope. Did I really just see that, or am I getting heat stroke and hallucinating?

7. That fart was way louder than I thought it was going to be. I hope there isn’t anyone behind me. Oh crap, there’s a group of people right there. Should I apologize or just run faster? Run faster, it is.

8. There is the “half-mile to go” sign, time to go. A quarter-mile later. Another “half-mile to go” sign? WTF. Okay, who is messing with me? I already started pushing harder. Funny, guys.

9. The road is 20 feet wide. Does your group really have to take up all 20 feet? This isn’t red rover!

10. Did that 10-year-old really beat me by 25 minutes? He did break the world record for his age at around 1:31:00, so I guess that is okay.

For more from Brian Goldman, visit Running Without Injuries.

RELATED: The 10 Weirdest Things We have Ever Seen On A Run

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5 Things To Consider About Running And Willpower

Every runner—and even their coaches—have days where they just don’t want to run. When that happens it is easy to shrug it off as not being motivated; however, that may not actually be the issue.

Terry Chiplin, founder of Active at Altitude and the athlete-focused mental training app activacuity, explains that willpower “can make the difference between consistently making good decisions that support your training regimen and help you achieve your goals—or it can leave you stuck in a rut or plateau that you can’t seem to find a way out of.”

RELATED: 8 Tips To Stay Motivated Throughout The Year

After looking through research on the subject, Chiplin actually found out that we may be looking at willpower and its relation to our running all wrong.

Here are a few things to consider the next time you feel unmotivated—and what to do about it with your new outlook.

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How To Set Up Your Weekly Mileage For Smarter Running

There’s always a lot of attention paid to a runner’s weekly mileage. And for good reason: your total mileage, or volume, is one of the best indicators of success in the sport of running.

Quite simply, the more you run, the more endurance you’ll have. With higher endurance, you’ll have the capacity to run harder and for longer.

We’ve already covered a more nuanced way of how to build your mileage (it’s not the 10% percent rule). Once you’ve planned your season and know your goals and races, the question becomes: how should that mileage be structured?

No matter if you run 20 or 50 miles per week, you’ll need to pattern those runs appropriately or risk a running injury or (best case scenario), stagnating progress.

The runners who are doubling their mileage in just a month or just running the same distance every week are training the hard way. They’ll never achieve as much as they could with a more strategic way of running their mileage.

First, let’s discuss some underlying principles that govern how weekly mileage should be broken down into daily totals.

Timeless Mileage Principles to Remember

These principles or “rules” dictate how the weekly mileage total is broken up into daily mileage numbers. So even if you’re an advanced runner covering 10 miles per day, these still apply. As well as those only running 10 miles per week!

1. Be sure to spread the work around.

The week is seven days long so your effort should be about even throughout the week. Many runners will front- or back-load their week with miles, resulting in a majority of miles being run in just a two or three-day period. For example, they might run 20 miles during the first three days of the week and only 10 miles over the last four days. This extreme swing of effort dramatically increases the injury risk!

2. Space the hardest days evenly apart.

If you run a long run and a faster session once each per week, it’s more effective to maintain 2-3 days of easy running between these challenging workouts.

Rather than spacing them just a day apart (for example, a workout on Thursday and a long run on Saturday—leaving four easy days until the next workout), it’s best to schedule them with about equal recovery. A Tuesday/Saturday schedule works great for a faster workout and a long run.

3. Be sure to maintain the pillar workouts in your training.

These pillar workouts are a faster workout, a long run, and a medium-long run. The medium-long run is simply the second longest day of the week and can also correspond with the faster workout. This helps keep your easy days easier and your hard days easier.

Now, let’s see how these principles look in real life.

RELATED: The Real Benefit Of Easy Days

Weekly Mileage Examples

Below are weekly mileage schedules that illustrate how a weekly total is broken down into individual days. Note that the only thing in these schedules is mileage for simplicity—there are no strength exercises, faster workouts, or cross-training.

20 Miles Per Week

Monday: 4 miles
Tuesday: REST
Wednesday: 5 miles
Thursday: 3 miles
Friday: REST
Saturday: 8 miles
Sunday: REST

 

30 Miles Per Week

Monday: REST
Tuesday: 5 miles
Wednesday: 7 miles
Thursday: 5 miles
Friday: REST
Saturday: 10 miles
Sunday: 3 miles

 

40 Miles Per Week

Monday: REST
Tuesday: 6 miles
Wednesday: 10 miles
Thursday: 5 miles
Friday: REST
Saturday: 14 miles
Sunday: 5 miles

 

50 Miles Per Week

Monday: 8 miles
Tuesday: 5 miles
Wednesday: 9 miles
Thursday: 5 miles
Friday: REST
Saturday: 16 miles
Sunday: 7 miles

 

Of course, there are many ways to structure your mileage! This is not meant to be definitive, but is an example of sound planning that will reduce your injury risk and maximize your performances. Because with smarter training, runners usually deliver faster race times!

RELATED: 5 Things The Most Successful Runners Do Every Day

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Photos From America’s Finest City Half Marathon In San Diego

On Sunday, more than 6,100 elite and recreational runners from 46 states and 19 countries participated in the 40th edition of the America’s Finest City Half Marathon and AFC 5K in San Diego. The 13.1-mile course starts at the historic Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma and then travels along the scenic San Diego Bay before winding through the downtown area and finishing near the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park.

Out of the 6,100 participants, three men: David Parker (67), Gordy Adsit (63), and Jerry Albert (80) have run all 40 editions of the AFC Half. It was also Parker’s 100th half-marathon finish.

On the elite side, Boniface Kongin of Kenya was first across the finish line, winning the half marathon in 1:03:25, just two seconds ahead of runner-up, Kenyan Dominic Korir. Kenyan Diana Kipyokei led the women’s race wire-to-wire, capturing the women’s crown in 1:11:02, more than a minute over defending champion and countrywomen Jane Kibii (1:12:20).

Photos: Rich Cruse

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Emotional Film Follows Gabe Grunewald’s Track Season While Battling Cancer

Brooks has released an emotional new documentary about professional runner Gabriele Grunewald’s fourth battle with cancer. “GABE” follows Grunewald as she tries to qualify for USA Track and Field Championships while also figuring out the best course of treatment for her disease.

In fall of 2016, Grunewald underwent surgery to remove a large tumor from her liver. This was her third time fighting Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, a rare form of cancer. Although the surgery went well, Grunewald was unfortunately not cancer-free for long. A post-op scan this past March revealed many small tumors had once again formed on the liver.

Despite her diagnosis, Grunewald made the decision to keep chasing her dreams. The short film features interviews with Grunewald’s husband, coach, friend and competitors. Each one highlights the relentless enthusiasm she has for life and the positivity she brings to running.

“Sometimes I think we’re too quick to give up on the things that we love and the things that make us feel alive when something is going wrong in our lives,” says Grunewald in the film. “But I just really feel strongly that we have to hold on to them.”

Brooks is screening “GABE’ at various running stores around the country. Find out if your local store is on their list, as well as how to donate to Grunewald’s medical fund.

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Shalane Flanagan Upgraded To Silver Medal From 2008 Olympics

Photo: USATF

Photo: USATF

Shalane Flangan has been upgraded to a silver medal for her performance in the 10,000 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Flanagan was originally third behind Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia and  Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey. However, Abeylegesse was disqualified in March after testing positive for a banned substance.

The United States Olympic Committee and USA Track & Field received official notification about the medal upgrade from the International Olympic Committee. Flanagan received the medal at her home in Portland, Ore., on Monday.

“Receiving my proper medal and having the record books changed is a dream come true,” Flanagan said in a statement. “I greatly appreciate the USOC’s efforts to host a more formal medal ceremony in my honor, but with my coach and my family, I have decided to forego that option and instead celebrate in private. This news, and receiving my medal, are all that I need to feel incredibly fulfilled and happy. I’m honored and proud to officially be the 2008 10,000-meter silver medalist.”

Flanagan is a four-time Olympian, most recently placing 6th in the marathon at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She holds American records in the 10K and 15K road race, as well as the indoor 3000 and 5000 meters. With her silver medal upgrade, Flanagan is now the top-placing American woman in history in the Olympic 10,000m. Lynn Jennings won bronze in the 1992 Olympics.

“Shalane has set the highest standard for American athletes for more than a decade,” USATF CEO Max Siegel said. “Her fierce competitiveness and athletic accomplishments are matched by her integrity, professionalism and her care for our sport as a whole. USATF congratulates Shalane on her richly deserved Olympic silver medal.”

RELATED: What Shalane Flanagan Can’t Run Without

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Michael Wardian Completes 100-Miler and Marathon In One Weekend

When it comes to breaking extreme records in running, Michael Wardian is the guy to do it. Earlier this year he broke the World Marathon Challenge (7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days) time record—averaging a 2:45:56 per marathon—and last year he broke the Guinness World Record for fastest marathon in an Elvis costume in 2:38:04 at Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas. And this past weekend, he just added another insane record to his collection. He raced both Colorado’s Leadville Trail 100, one of the toughest 100-milers in the U.S., and Pikes Peak Marathon, a grueling mountain marathon ascent, back-to-back with only 6 hours of rest between the two.

The Leadville 100 started at 4 a.m. on Aug. 19, in which Wardian finished in 20 hours, 18 minutes and 57 seconds in 10th place overall. In an Instagram post of the results, he describes his run, “I had altitude and bathroom issues (14 times) but kept fighting and digging and fought back to earn 10th place.”

The Leadville 100 miler did not disappoint. Wow

Usain Bolt Tweets (Then Deletes) MRI Of Hamstring Tear

After the final race of his career ended in injury, Usain Bolt took to Twitter to defend himself against critics. During the 4×100-meter relay at the IAAF World Championships, Bolt suffered an injury that took him down during the final leg (as seen in the video below at the 6:30-mark).

After facing claims that he was not actually injured, Bolt took to Twitter to share his MRI as proof, in a series of tweets that have since been deleted—but were screenshot via various sources, including FloTrack.

FloTrack reports he also tweeted, “I don’t usually release my medical report to the public but sadly I have sat and listened to people questioning if I was really injured.” He also thanked fans for their support before deleting the posts hours later.

Last week the news broke that Bolt would fulfill his dream of playing for Manchester United in a charity soccer game, however, with this injury, The Daily Mail has said he will no longer play.

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