Eastbay Invite

My lastest meet was Eastbay Invite in Stevens Point at UW-Stevens Point on Feb. 18th, where I ran the 5K & 3K a double again after I ran the double the week before at UW-Platteville Invite.

The first event was the 5K at 10:30. The time is important cause I had more down time between races. I got to the line and thought like I did in the 5K the week before that I was going to last in the race and that I wouldn't get sub-20 minutes. I also, thought that that pr of 19:52 was a fluke, but as the race was going on I felt fast and I was getting passed and lapped but I held off one guy for about 2 laps from lapping me. After the race I heard from one of the coacheds that he was 19:45 and that would have been a pr for me but I thought they were talking about their runner that was in the race. So I had to wait for the result to find out what my time was cause I was in Section 2 and there was Section 1 to be run about an hour to an hour and half later. After Section 1 of the 5K was done I quickly made to over to see what the results were and I got sub-20 mins agains and I was jumping up and down cause I got a 7 seconds pr of 11:45.
The second event was the 3K again and it was run at 4:54 so I had a lot of down time not last last week at UW-Platteville Invite. I only had 3 hours and this time I had 6 hours in between race. I got to the line and thought here we goagin and I will be last place again but I saw the guy who I passed & lapped in the 5K & 3K at UW-Platteville Meet was in the race so I was a little bit more happy. I passed the guys in the race and beat by 16 seconds but I didn't get a time that I wanted but I think it was cause I was a little hurt and cause I had just ran my second race of the day, a hard double to boot. I got a time of 11:30.

This week is a big race for me cause I only am running the 3K at Illinois Club Relays but the place that I am running it at is BIG TIME. I am running at University of Illinois, this is totally BIG TIME

UW-Platteville Invite

On Feb. 11th I ran the 5K & 3K at UW-Platteville aka Nike Invite. You might be think why did I run the 3K & 5K at the same meet well I run both the 3K & 5K at UW-Platteville Invite every year.

The first event was the 5K and was thinking as I was the starting line here we go again I will be last place and I will be in the 20 mintues. Then as I was running the race I lap seem to get faster and faster, in my mind. Another thing happened in the race that I passed someone in the race and during the race I lapped the same guy. As I was passing & lapping the guy I thought to myself I might have a chance to get a pr and get sub-20 mins. At the end of the race I was so happy cause I did get sub-20 minutes and a pr. My time was 19:52. I was one of my best races cause a week before at Pointer Invite in Stevens Point I got a time of 20:40 in the 5K

The second race of the day for me was 3K and I saw the same guy that I passed and lapped in the 5K in this race and I feel better about this race but I didn't get the time and pr I wanted. What was funny is that the number I got was 11 and we had to wear our race numbers on our left chest and side of our hip so the number was the time I really want 11:11 and it would have been a 8 second pr, but I got a time of 11:32. The guys that was in the 5K I passed but I almost lapoped him but I was finishing the race and he was on the last lap of the 3K race.

All in all I thought it was a great two race at UW-Platteville Invite

UW-Whitewater Tri Invite

This weird to blog about a track meet that I didn't run and that when to go watch. The UW-Whitewater Tri Invite was a meet that I went and watch and din't run cause I was running the next day in the 3K & 5K at UW-Platteville Invite, which I will blog about in my next blog. Driving to the meet was an adventure in it self. The reason I say this is cause I was driving to UW-Whitewater College in a little snow storm thought the country side with a lot of winding roads. The teams that were at the meet was Stevens Point, Oshkosh & Whitewater. There was to be a four team to mak it a Quad Invite but La Crosse went to St. Mary's Invite Track Meet. It was interesting for me going to a track meet and just watching cause I wanted to run in a race and knew I couldn't cause I had to run the next day at Platteville. When I got there the Oshkosh guys team had something for me from Nick Newcomer & I was thinking another signed singlet or I don't know what. It was Nick Newcomer's old warm-up Oshkosh jacket from him and that was so cool of Nick. to do that for me. I way of race that happened that day there were some great race like the Men's 3K, Women's 3K, Men's 800, Men' mile, but the race of the night was Women's 800. The reason I say that is cause there was a facility record in the race by Christy Cazzola with a time 2:09.80. The meet was great

Pointer Invite

On Feb. 4, 2012 I ran the 5K at Pointer Invite and it wasn't one of my best race cause I got a time of 20:44. I think that my head wasn't in the race but I want to get sub 20-mins in the race cause UW-Stevens Point's indoor track is my favorite indoor track. During my section, the slow section of the 5K, something happened that doesn't happen to me in a race. Usally people in a race pass me in a race and I am usally the last guy to finish the race but I pass someone in the 5K race. I was pretty happy about that cause I knew that my training was going amazing and that I would get sub-20 minute  in the 5K that I wanted but that wasn't the case cause I got a time of 20:44. Also, after the race I found something out about the racer that I passed that the guys dropped out of the race. The reason I say that is I thought that he would tery he hardest to try to run faster and maybe pass me but them the brakes. On to the next race.

Carthage Invite

Last Friday Jan. 27th, I had my third indoor track at Carthage Invite. I ran the 3K at Carthage Invite. The 3K was the second event of the night right after the DMR, Distance Medly Relay. The 3K was afun race for that night cause I run for Greater Milwaukee Track Club, GMTC, & coach at Carroll University and got to run against two of my distance runners from Carroll Univeristy that I coach, Mark Hackett & Chris Behling & my GMTC club member James Strauss. Before the race I had a friend rivaly with Mark Hackett cause our seed time were close to each other. During the race I was last place like always but I felt like I was running better than I ever had and I thought to myself I might get a new pr in the 3K. Also, during the race as Mark Hackett was lapping my in the 3K he slap me on the butt and wasn't eccepting that I was just focus on the race. During the home straight away I saw that the time clock said 11:09 & I thought I am getting a pr and I could maybe get a 4 second pr of a time of 11:16 some I tried to push myself to get that 11:16 but I already was pushing myself to the limit and I didn't get a 11:16 but I did get a pr of 11:19. It was a one second pr but a pr none the less. Also, during the race I was surprised by Jay Sparks, who I help assitant coach at Carroll University was timing me and yell out my split every lap cause usally I have to count how many lap left I have and don't really know what my time is cause my GMTC coach usally doesn't time me in the 3K and/or 5K. I am so proud of my pr that I am hoping that I will get another pr this week at UW-Stevens Point Invite in the 5K

UW-Whitewater Invite

This past Saturday I had my second indoor track meet of the year, UW-Whitewater Invite at UW-Whitewater. I ran in two events the 3K & the 5K. When the week started out the 5k was to be at the start of the meet and the 3K at the end of the meet, but as the week rolled along there become two sections of the 3K for both the men and the women became an event at the start of the meet. The meet start out with section 2 of the 3K for the women and then the men, where I got a time of 11:42. I thought I would be faster in the 3K but my legs knew that I still had to run the 5K in less then an hour. I race at 10:45 am for the 3K. Then it was the Distance Medley Relay (DMR) and then it was the 5K, women were up first then I the men were up in 5K at 12:05. My heat of the 5K was to be at 11:45 but the DMR took longer so I got about a little more time to rest. During the 5K I just wanted to get a good time knowing that I just ran the 3K about an hour earlier. In the 5K I want to have a fast time so I tried to race fast but then that happened I was still to get a little dizzy, if I start to get dizzy I know that I might have a seziure and I did want that so I backed off a little bit. During the 5K I wanted to fin the middle ground between going to fast and going to slow and I couldn't find that middle ground so in the race I though to myself if I am just faster then 21 minutes I will be happy and I got a time of 20:27. I am think about ran the 3K & 5K in two more indoor track meet and I hope that I don't have to run the 3K & 5K within an hour of each other. My next meet is Carhage Invite where I will be running the 3K and helping coach/time Carroll Distance Runners in the 5K, Mile, 800, & women's 3K

The 21st Interview: Kenyon Neuman Interview

21 is my lucky number and the 21st Interview is a lucky interview and it is about Keyon Neuman

1. How did you get started in running?
I got started in running during my freshman year of high school. I was really frustrated that I didn't make the Varsity soccer team and I ran a 5-mile race with my dad and did pretty well. My dad and the XC coaches at my high school convinced me to run and so I did XC and soccer. I got 2nd in my first race and was the top guy on our team. That success really got me invested in it and I decided I would focus on running as opposed to soccer.

2. What do you tell people that don't get our sport of distance running?
I try to help people who don't understand running through just conveying what I feel when I run. I tell them why I like it and why they might like it too. Running isn't for everyone, but I think many people who find it hard and boring at the start can learn to love running once they do it for a few months, build some fitness and begin to feel the effect of endorphins and a sense of accomplishment. I don't know if I've met anyone who doesn't like to feeling they have after running. I find that people mostly don't like the effort, stress and/or pain of running while they're doing it at first.

3. What are you current PR's?
1500 m - 3:45
5,000 m - 13:40
10,000 m - 29:07
Half-Marathon - 64:50
Marathon - 2:22
 
4. How different is Professional Distance Running Then College Running, for you?
For me, running post-collegiately is very unique. My situation isn't very common. I wouldn't call myself a professional runner as I don't currently make a living through running. I work a full time job and try to train like a professional in the best way that I can. I'm very busy between work, running, some high school coaching and finding time to be social.

Running now is different from college in many ways (mostly in that I haven't had a team to train with, until recently when I joined Brad Hudson's group in Boulder). I also don't have many of the resources I had in college (travel funding, PT, Medical help, etc).

In many ways, it's the same. I'm very busy. I have responsibilities beyond just running. I have to perform at work as I did in school. Fitting the pieces of work/school and training together is difficult sometimes but worthwhile.  
5. Who are your favorite professional and/or college distance runner(s) past and/or present & why?
You know, I just like what all of the American distance runners are doing collectively right now. I don't like one runner more than any others unless I've had some positive or negative personal experience with someone. For the most part, runners are very friendly and humble people. The running community in our country is very easy going and approachable. I do like to cheer for my fellow buffs like Billy Nelson, Brent Vaughn, Dathan Ritzenhein, Jenny Barringer, Sarah Vaughn, Sarah Slattery, Steve Slattery, etc. I also love watching the current guys on the CU team. I love training and racing with the guys in our group and I love seeing them run well too. Fernando Cabada, James Carney and Patrick Rizzo all had inspiring performances at the US Olympic Trials last week and Tyler McCandless and I should be able to put together some solid marathon performances very soon. As I said though, most distance runners are very friendly, approachable humble people and I tend to like just about everyone I meet at any type of run or event.

A few of my past favorites are: Wilson Kipketer, Seb Coe, Peter Snell, Steve Jones and Zola Budd. I've had the opportunity to go on a few runs and have a couple meals with Zola. She is an incredibly smart, humble and friendly person. The times she ran barefoot are unbelievable as well! I don't know if many people are aware of what her barefoot PR's are...

6. Best or Worst thing about being a distance running?
Best thing about being a distance runner: Staying in shape and being able to eat a lot of calories

Worst thing about being a distance runner: Couldn't really say, I like everything about it. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices, which is good, but every once in a while running can get in the way of something you'd like to do.

7. Your Favorite Moment of your distance running career?
 Probably winning the Big 12 10k, taking 2nd in the Big 12 5k and winning the meet overall as a men's team at CU as a Junior. This meet was at home in Boulder and everyone showed up. We ended up winning and I believe we scored 91 points in the distance events alone. It was a great experience that I don't think any of the athletes or coaches who were part of that team will ever forget.
8. Goals for 2012?
I'd like to run closer to what I feel my potential is in the 1500 or mile, the steeple, the 5k and the 10k. I'd like to compete at the trials in Eugene in either the steeple, 5k or 10k. I'd also like to run another marathon on pace through the entirety of the distance. I was on about 2:13:30 pace through 21 miles at the Olympic Trials and then I really blew up over the last 3 miles. I really didn't feel that the 2:22 I ran was indicative of my ability. Mostly it was a fitness and fueling issue. I think I needed more calories in my bottles (or maybe I should have had a couple gels). I also was injured in the month of November and ran about 4 or 5 times that month. I'd like to toe the line in some good marathon shape...