Ryan Hall's Blog, page 292

Jared Ward Takes Winding Road to U.S. Olympic Trials

Ward competing at the Houston Half Marathon in 2015. Photo: PhotoRun.net

It’s a little recruiting trick that Ed Eyestone pulls out on occasion. Little did he know that it may come full circle, 10 years later.

In 2006, Eyestone, the cross country coach at BYU, went to Kaysville, Utah, for an in-home visit with a state-champion runner named Jared Ward. As Eyestone came into the house, Ward right away noticed the bling on the coach’s finger.

“This ring,” Ward says, “that had the Olympic rings on it.”

“I don’t pull it out often,” Eyestone says with a laugh.

Eyestone was a 1988 and 1992 Olympic marathoner with a résumé that puts him among the greatest marathoners in U.S. history.

The ring wasn’t the deciding factor in Ward eventually choosing BYU, but the choice to follow Eyestone was indisputably the right one for him. A decade later, Ward is now trying to get an Olympic berth of his own in the marathon—and Eyestone is still coaching him.

“It’s nice, and like I say, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” says Eyestone, 54. “We’ve had some success working together.”

Ward’s rise to the short list of contenders in the Feb. 13 U.S. Olympic Trials is far from ordinary. He committed to BYU, but before enrolling he went to Pittsburgh for two years on a Mormon mission, where he barely did any running and actually gained 20 pounds. But the time away from running taught Ward a lot that helps him to this day.

“There are very few people that are excited to get into a big conversation about deity on their doorstep,” says Ward, 27. “It’s certainly a trying experience in terms of stamina and emotional resiliency. I feel like I really grew up in those two years. Anything that I lost (with not running) at the time I think was gained in other life lessons that I learned. It gave me a lot of perspective.”

Ward then enrolled at BYU and quickly flourished under Eyestone’s watch. But he soon made headlines for being ruled ineligible by the NCAA due to his participation in a fun run between his mission and enrollment at BYU. Expected to lose the 2013 cross country season as a result, Ward instead ran the Chicago Marathon that fall, finishing in a very respectable 2:16:17.

Soon after, though, the NCAA reversed their ruling and reinstated Ward’s college eligibility. So he ran the NCAA cross country championships a month after the Chicago Marathon and still earned All-America honors with a 36th-place finish, helping the Cougars finish fourth.

Which brings us to 2015, when Ward really broke out as an elite distance runner. At the L.A. Marathon last March (which served as the U.S. marathon championships), Ward finished third overall in 2:12:56 (a new PR by 64 seconds) and first among Americans, claiming the national title. He followed it up with U.S. championship wins in the 20K and 25K as well, capturing the 2015 USA Running Circuit title alongside Molly Huddle’s women’s title.

In the middle of all that, Ward finished his masters degree in statistics (with a thesis on pacing strategies in the marathon) and continued to raise his two children in Provo, Utah, with wife Erica. Oh yeah, and he teaches a couple of statistics classes at BYU.

So, yes, overall an unusual ascent for Ward. But make no mistake—he’s a true contender at the Olympic Trials marathon, and his training for the Feb. 13 race has gone as good as he could have hoped.

“Things have gone really well in this buildup,” says Ward, who’s sponsored by Saucony and GLUKOS. “I’d say this (buildup) screamed consistent all the way through. It’s been a very healthy block of mileage and training. We’re trying to capitalize on things that worked well last year going into L.A. and add things where we can in other areas. I feel good. I’m excited.”

The Olympic Trials race will be his fourth marathon, and the first three progressed two minutes from one to the next—2:16:17 in Chicago to 2:14:10 at Twin Cities in 2014 to the 2:12:56 in hot weather in L.A.—and if he continues that progression, he’ll find himself close to his coach’s PR of 2:10:59. For now, Ward owns the 15th fastest marathon time in the trials field. But Eyestone is confident that a repeat performance like his 2015 L.A. Marathon result would be enough to put Ward on the Olympic team.

Ward is a little more reserved about his chances, but is eager to see how it all plays out.

“It’s always hard to say, depending on weather and spur-of-the-moment decisions from some runners,” Ward says. “I think there’s certainly a talented debuting crowd, and then veterans who have done it a bunch of times, and then you have a few guys like me who have run a couple of marathons and are trying to make it to that next level.

“I see the race going out to an early, honest pace and then being a war of attrition. But it’s hard to say. You never know what the other guys are thinking. “

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Molly Huddle, Ben True to Run 2016 NYC Half

Molly Huddle and Ben True after winning the 2015 B.A.A. 5K. Photo: Scott Draper.

The NYC Half on March 20 will feature two prominent American runners leading the field—Molly Huddle and Ben True.

Huddle will be defending her title after tying the course record (1:08:31) last year, becoming the first American winner in the 10-year history of the race. In addition to her NYC Half win, she won six national titles in 2015—5K, 10K, 12K, 10-mile and 20K on the roads, and the 10,000m on the track.

Huddle is aiming for a spot on her second Olympic team this year, after qualifying in 2012 in the 5,000m.

“The strong field will be challenging, but I hope to start off the Olympic year on a high note, and to return to New York City for a few more races along the road to Rio!” Huddle said in a release.

True, 30, is coming off a breakout year in 2015. He set the U.S. 5K road mark at the B.A.A. 5K, won the Healthy Kidney 10K in New York, and finished fifth in the 5,000m at the IAAF World Championships. It will be his first half marathon.

“I am very excited to run my first half marathon in the Big Apple,” True said. “New York City was great to me last year, and here’s to hoping the trend continues!”

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Father Sets World Record, Wins Half Marathon Pushing Stroller

Photo: Bill Baumeyer/Bayou City Half Marathon Series.

Calum Neff had his sights set on a Guinness World Record soon after his second daughter, Holland, was born.

With Holland about to celebrate her first birthday, Calum pulled it off Saturday. He won the Katy Half Marathon in Texas in a time of 1:11:27, which is believed to be a world record for a half marathon pushing a stroller.

The previous record, according to the Guinness World Records website, was set in 2013 by Travis Boyd and his 1-year-old daughter in 1:13:50.

Neff, 31, will have to submit the evidence to Guinness to get the record verified, and there’s plenty of proof—his stroller was set up with a GoPro, he Periscoped almost the entire race, and he has the Strava data to prove it, too. He ran with a Thule Glide, noting that “Guinness rules say it must be a stock commercially available push stroller, no modifications.”

Neff is an operations manager for an oilfield service company, and with his wife Julie has a 3-year-old daughter, Alessandra, along with almost-1-year-old Holland (who was technically the real winner of the race, right?). He ran collegiately for the University of Houston and according to Strava has PRs of 1:08 in the half marathon and 2:22 in the marathon. He’s also run several ultras and competes at shorter distances, as well. He is sponsored by Altra.

“The stroller gives mom a break and gets my girls outside which they love,” Neff said. “I wanted to show that being a Dad and running competitively can both happen, and to promote people to get out with their kids.”

RELATED: A Jogging Stroller Unlike Any You’ve Seen

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Photos: Flatirons Running New Balance Run Hub Grand Opening Party

Henry Guzman and Sarah Rebick inside the new Flatirons Running New Balance Run Hub store in Boulder, Colo. Photo: Brian Metzler

The Flatirons Running New Balance Run Hub shops officially opened in January in a unique store-within-a-store concept at Flatirons Running Company in Boulder, Colo. Here’s a glance inside the 7,800-square-foot store located at the south end of town and some scenes from the Feb. 6 star-studded grand opening party.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

The New Balance portion of the expanded shoe wall.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

Henry Guzman and Sarah Rebick inside the new Flatirons Running New Balance Run Hub store in Boulder, Colo. Photo: Brian Metzler

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

The store's casual sitting area is adjacent to a complimentary coffee bar.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

This area offers apparel selections from Jenny Simpson, one of the world's top middle-distance runners who happens to live and train in Boulder.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

Image boards inside the store feature local runners and local trails.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

A vintage baggage cart made from reclaimed wood serves as a coffee table in the sitting area.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

The look and feel of the store extends to some of the smallest details.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

Some of the Flatirons Running branded gear sold at the shop.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

Flatirons Running still sells running shoes, gear and apparel from dozens of other brands on the other side of the store. A seamless shoe wall with more than 100 different shoes helps blend the two sides of the shop.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

Owner R.L. Smith, here working on custom insoles in the InStep workshop located in the center of the store.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

The store has a Strava leaderboard affiliated with the New Balance Run Club.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

A view of the new signage on the night of the grand opening party.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

One of the highlights of the grand opening party was a New Balance-themed fashion and dance show.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

A DJ cranked some tasty beats and caterers served up food and drinks.

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

1993 world champion marathoner Mark Plaatjes and 2011 world champions 1,500-meter runner Jenny Simpson

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

Tricia Vieth and Alex Wolf-Root

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

Henry Guzman and four-time U.S. steeplechase champion Emma Coburn

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

1980 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon runner-up Benji Durden

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

New Balance marketing executive and 2000 NCAA cross country champion Keith Kelly and noted running author Michael Sandrock

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

Two-time U.S. Olympian Jenny Simpson

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

Jason Simpson, Henry Guzman, Jenny Simpson, Andrew Letherby

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Flatirons New Balance Run Hub

New Balance sales rep and 2:11 marathoner Andrew Letherby checks out the goods

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Two of Flatirons owners Henry Guzman and Tricia Vieth

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Sneak Peek: U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon Gear

Here’s a glance at what some of the elite runners will be wearing in the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon on Feb. 13 in Los Angeles. (We’ll continue to update this as the race draws near and several other brands will be unveiling race-day apparel and gear, including the super-secret new Nike racing flat that Galen Rupp will wear.)

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Skechers Go Meb Speed 3 2016

This is the shoe that Meb Keflezighi and Kara Goucher will wear in the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. The 2016 version of the GoMeb Speed 3 will hit stores this spring for $110, but it won't be available in this color scheme to consumers.

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Skechers GoMeb Speed 3 2016

Here's another glance at the shoes that will be worn by Meb Keflezighi and Kara Goucher. It features a new flat-knit seamless upper.

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Brooks Hyperion

This new long-distance racing flat will be on the feet of most Brooks athletes in the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, including Ryan Vail and Desi Linden. It has a 10mm heel-toe offset and includes Brooks' BioMoGo DNA midsole material.

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Brooks Hyperion

Here's another look at the new Brooks Hyperion, including one of the women's colors. This shoe will replace the T7 Racer in the Brooks lineup when it hits stores in late spring with a $130 price tag.

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Oiselle Racing Kit

This is the red, white and blue Oiselle racing kit Kara Goucher will wear as she tries to make her third Olympic team.

Hoka One One Tracer

Here's a shot of the Hoka One One Tracer racing flats that Team NAZ Elite runners will wear. This pair belongs to Ben Bruce, complete with the names of his two young sons on the interior. The Tracer, which has a 4mm heel-toe offset, will become available this spring for $130.

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Reebok One Racer

These are the patriotic shoes that ZAP Fitness runner Tyler Pennel is expected to wear in the race.

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Brooks Elite Kit

Here's a look at the super-light racing kit Brooks runner Ryan Vail will wear. The shorts are made from a quick-drying DriLayer fabric, while the singlet has a body-mapped moisture-wicking design and flat, bonded seams to eliminate chafing.

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Brooks Elite Kit

Here is the Hansons-Brooks version of the Brooks Elite Kit.

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Ultrarunners Chase Wolverines in Citizen Conservation Project

A conservation group founded by National Geographic Emerging Explorer Gregg Treinish has recruited ultrarunners to help search for wolverines that have returned to the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah. The wolverines, once thought to have disappeared from the area due to overhunting and trapping, were caught on a wilderness camera trap in 2014, suggesting their historical return. In order to confirm this significant sighting, Treinish sought out and trained 30 ultrarunners, because of their natural skill to trek through rough and remote terrain, to volunteer as citizen scientists in setting out camera traps at 34 stations. The task involves running loops of roughly 25 miles in the wilderness over six weekends from May to September, in which the ultrarunners—some from the local trail community and a few professionals—would change each camera’s memory card and battery, and freshen the bait.

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Elite Marathoner Prevents Apparent Suicide Attempt During Run

Photo: PhotoRun.net

Elite runner Adriana Nelson was out for an easy 4-mile run on Thursday evening in Folsom, Calif., when she came across a man she sensed needed immediate help.

Nelson lives in Boulder, Colo., but has been training for the Feb. 13 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles with Deena Kastor and the ASICS Mammoth Track Club in California since November.

As she set out for her second run on Thursday, Nelson said she was compelled to take a slightly different route. She said she was enjoying the beauty of the trail she was on but was suddenly startled when she came across a figure sitting on the edge of a retaining wall. As she slowly approached him, she said it appeared to be putting a noose around his neck.

“I saw he had a rope around his neck and looked like he was ready to jump,” she said. “I am not sure how I had the courage to do this, but I ran over to him and asked if everything was OK, and he responded he was not OK.

“I told him, ‘Hey, whoa, whoa, wait … let’s talk.’ I’m here for you right now at this moment. I don’t care if I need to stop my run and that I don’t know you. You’re more important to me than anything right now. I told him, ‘You’re OK, let’s just take walk and talk about it.'”

Nelson, 36, said she asked him to remove the rope from around his neck. While talking to the man, she found out he is 26 years old and has been struggling to support his family without a job for the past few months. After he agreed to remove the rope, Nelson said she grabbed his arm and walked him away from the area. Talking to him the entire time, she walked him 2 miles back to her car and then gave him a ride back to his car.

She said she assured him that everyone struggles in life, but it’s never as bad as any one moment might feel. She related the difficulties she experienced when she moved to the U.S. from her native Romania to attend college and didn’t speak very much English. She was frustrated, homesick and alone but managed to succeed by immersing herself in her education and her running career.

She said she talked to him for about an hour—trying to encourage him to see the positive aspects of his life and offer encouragement to go forward. She assured him that people care about him and that there are ways to get help. She gave him an embracing hug and told him to contact her if he wanted to talk again.

“I told him that no matter what, you just can’t give up,” Nelson said. “I told him life is hard, but you have to keep forging ahead. I really hope he contacts me again because I want to help him. All last night, I kept wondering if I did everything I could, and I hope I did.

“Am I his guardian angel? Maybe, yes. I felt like Superman at that moment. I just hope I had an impact on his life and that he can see that people care for him. No matter who you are or what you’re going through, people care.”

Nelson said she doesn’t know how she did what she did during the middle of her run, but said she just reacted and immediately wanted to help him. She said she initially talked for more than 15 minutes before he said much of anything.

“It was not an easy moment at all … I was picturing the worst to happen right in front of me. He said he was about to jump,” she said. “One thing that surprised me was what he said to me ‘I never have been able to talk so deeply with someone in my entire life…’ I felt very sad but very grateful to be there that moment. He left and I went home overwhelmed with emotion.”

She called her husband, Jeremy Nelson, back in Boulder, after the incident, and also talked to her mom, who has been visiting her in California.

“She was really freaked out about it and concerned for him,” Jeremy said. “I’m glad she was there and was able to help him out.”

Two hours later, Nelson said she returned to the scene and cut the rope that was attached at one end to a metal post.

“I just wanted to make sure that bad thing wasn’t there any more,” she said.

With a 2:28:52 PR from the 2008 London Marathon and several solid months of training under the guidance of Andrew Kastor recently, Nelson, who became a U.S. citizen in 2011, figures to be a contender in the Olympic Trials race next Saturday on the streets of downtown Los Angeles. She and three-time U.S. Olympian Deena Kastor spent most of the winter running about 120 miles per week in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., but Nelson recently relocated to lower altitude in Folsom to finish up her training.

Nelson won the 2013 U.S. half marathon championships in 1:11:19 and, most recently, placed second in the 2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon (1:12:08) in October. She and her husband started and operate Roll Recovery, a Boulder company that makes a variety of recovery tools for athletes.

Nelson was offered a spot on the 2012 Romanian Olympic team in the marathon, but she turned it down with the intent on competing for a spot on the U.S. team. However, an injury kept her from running in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Houston.

“This was one of the craziest things I’ve experienced in my life,” Nelson said. “And it’s a reminder to me that people need help sometimes. And if anyone ever feels this way, please go and seek help.”

If you know someone who is battling severe depression or is considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255.

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Roll Recovery Offers To Reimburse Entry Fees For Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifiers

Photo: PhotoRun.net

Roll Recovery, a Boulder, Colo.-based company that builds recovery tools for runners and other athletes, is offering to reimburse Olympic Trials Marathon qualifiers the $30 entry fee required to enter the Feb. 13 race in Los Angeles. Founder Jeremy Nelson, whose wife, Adriana Nelson, and sister-in-law, Brianne Nelson, will both be competing in the Trials, said in a release on the company’s website that it struck him as odd that Trials qualifiers running for a chance to represent their country at the Olympic Games should have to pay an entry fee.

“Roll Recovery is a small company dedicated to the athletes it serves,” the company wrote on its website. “We are offering to reimburse the entry fee or provide a $30.00 credit on our website (rollrecovery.com) for any athlete competing in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. If you are competing and reading this, please send an email to runnersupport@rollrecovery.com and we will respond with instructions on how to be reimbursed.”

Jill Geer, Chief Public Affairs Officer for USA Track & Field, says the $30 entry fee helps cover administrative costs. “All Olympic Trials (including Track & Field) have the fee,” Geer wrote in an email. “All entrants pay the fee.”

The event, which will be broadcast live on NBC at 10 a.m. PST on Saturday, is being hosted by USA Track & Field and is supported by numerous corporate sponsors. There is $600,000 in total prize money, split evenly amongst the top-10 finishers in both the men’s and women’s races. Winners will take home $80,000 each, while the 10th place finisher in each race will claim $7,000.

“Extending sponsorships, hosting premiere events in mass media markets and gaining broadcasting partners is great for the sport, but shouldn’t some of that success be extended to the athletes competing?” questioned Nelson. “After all, isn’t it them we’re watching?”

According to USATF’s Official Athlete Manual for the Olympic Trials Marathon, men who have hit the “A” qualifying standard of 2:15:00 or faster for the marathon or women who have run 2:37:00 or faster are eligible for a “hospitality package” that includes reimbursement for travel and transportation to and within Los Angeles, along with accommodations and meals for three days and nights. “B” standard qualifiers—men who have run between 2:15:01 and 2:19:00 for the marathon, or 1:05:00 or faster for the half marathon; and women who have run between 2:37:01 to 2:45:00 for the marathon or 1:15:00 or faster for the half marathon are eligible to enter the 2016 Olympic Team Trials but do not receive reimbursement for travel, lodging or meals.

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VIDEO: Kara Goucher’s Journey to the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon

In this new video produced by Oiselle, Kara Goucher talks about her running inspirations and her resurgence as one of the top contenders in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon on Feb. 13 in Los Angeles.

RELATED: Kara Goucher Has Her Eyes On the Prize

PHOTOS: Kara Goucher’s Career Highlights

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Out There: My First Winter as a Runner

Columnist Susan Lacke is experiencing her first winter as a runner—and it’s the worst.

When I signed up for an early spring marathon, I thought it’d be a good way to stay motivated through my first winter living in Salt Lake City. “It’ll be fun!” I reassured my husband when I surprised him with our paired marathon entries last fall. “I’m sure we won’t even notice the cold!”

“Have you ever even run outside in the wintertime?” Neil cast a wary glare. As someone who grew up in the Utah mountains, he was well aware of what was in store for the upcoming season.

“Of course!” I scoffed. “What do you think I’ve been doing for the last six winters?”

“Living in Phoenix,” Neil deadpanned, “where you whined and headed to the treadmill every time it dropped below 50 degrees.”

Despite my wet blanket of a husband, I entered winter training with gusto. There would be no treadmill for me! When the temperatures dipped, I enthusiastically pulled out my American Express card to purchase my very first pair of fleece tights. When I woke up to the first snowfall of the season, I giddily shook my husband awake and demanded we go for a run immediately.

That was three months ago. So much was different then. Namely, I could still feel my toes.

“So how do you like it in Salt Lake?” my friends from Phoenix ask. “You must love having a real winter, right?”

When this happens, I smile politely and debate whether I should pull down my pants to show the bruised butt sustained from slipping on an ice patch mid-tempo run.

Winter running, I’ve found, brings its own set of unique challenges to a sport that’s already challenging enough. Daylight is practically nonexistent, neighbors avoid shoveling their sidewalks, and no matter how long and how hot my post-run shower, I’m convinced I won’t fully regain sensation in my fingers and toes until July.

Last week, while in the midst of my long run, a car slid through an intersection and narrowly missed jumping onto my sidewalk. After taking to the trail system nearby, the park rangers warned of avalanche dangers. When I finally plodded into sight of my tantalizingly warm home three hours later, my neighbor stopped me to point out, with fascination, the icicles that had formed in my ponytail.

I’ve punched at freezing headwinds while unleashing a string of expletives. The limits of my groin muscles have been tested by black ice. I’ve hidden in the shelter of a bus stop to awkwardly massage a frozen gel out of its foil package. And I wish I could say I’m kidding about this, but I’ve discovered that running tights make my butt cheeks chafe. I didn’t even know that kind of chafing was possible.

These are the times when, as a runner, I wonder what the hell I’m doing. Is a spring marathon really worth the winter training? Should I maybe just go inside, put on some weight with a gallon of hot cocoa, and hibernate until Memorial Day? Winter running is the worst. The absolute worst.

These are just a few of the things that run through my mind when my friends ask me how I like living in a place with a “real” winter.

And I always say: “I like it.”

This is the absolute truth. I’m not saying it to be polite. I really do like winter running. Sometimes I even love winter running.

Despite the fact that winter is the absolute worst, I’ve laced up every single day. Instead of hitting the snooze button and staying in my nice, warm bed, I’ve consistently gotten up, donned my fleece tights, and ventured into the dark morning for a good old-fashioned butt chafing.

As a result, I’ve grown more as a runner in just a few winter months than I have in any full season. I’m tougher now—hardier, perhaps, is a better word. My list of excuses for skipping a workout has become all but obsolete. I feel more satisfaction for making it through a tough, slow slog through ankle-deep snow than I ever did after any fair-weather session in Phoenix. I’ve proven that—for better or for worse—I’m committed to running.

Is a spring marathon really worth the winter training? I won’t really know for certain until I cross the finish line in a few months. But yes, I think so. I hope so.

After all I’ve put my poor butt through, it damn well better be.

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About The Author:

Susan Lacke does 5Ks, Ironman Triathlons and everything in between to justify her love for cupcakes (yes, she eats that many). Susan lives and trains in Salt Lake City, Utah with three animals: A labrador, a cattle dog, and a freakishly tall triathlete husband. She claims to be of sound mind, though this has yet to be substantiated by a medical expert. Follow her on Twitter: @SusanLacke.

 

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