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OUT OF THE FOG, HUDDLE & BRUCE WIN INAUGURAL BAY AREA CROSS CHALLENGE

OUT OF THE FOG, HUDDLE & BRUCE WIN INAUGURAL BAY AREA CROSS CHALLENGE By Sam Grotewold (c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, used with permission SAN FRANCISCO (16-Jan) -- Under a blanket of typical San Francisco fog that faded throughout the morning but never completely went away, American 5000-meter record-holder Molly Huddle and Ben Bruce of the Oregon Track Club won the women's and men's races, respectively, at the Bay Area Cross Challenge, a new event organized by the Bay Area Track Club and sponsored by New York Road Runners. The event gave athletes a tune-up opportunity before the USA Cross Country Championships on February 5 in San Diego. Huddle, who has been training in the warmth of Arizona since the beginning of 2011, seized the lead in the opening strides and ran alone on her three circuits of the 2 km loop around Golden Gate Park's Polo Fields, winning the 6-K race in 19:19. For Huddle, whose 19th place finish helped Team USA to the bronze medal at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, the meet was a perfect opportunity to test her fitness before the USA Championships in three weeks' time. "I wanted to get a race in around now, and this was an easy trip from where I'm training [in Tucson]," said Huddle who lives in Providence, R.I. "I think the USA Championships will be a little faster, so I still have some sharpening to do. Following Huddle were reigning USA indoor 3000-meter champion Renee Baillie (19:31) and 2008 Olympian Magdalena Lewy Boulet (19:32). Lewy Boulet, who lives in nearby Oakland, is a member of the Bay Area Track Club was also part of the meet organizing committee. In contrast to Huddle's relatively easy victory, the men's 8 km race was only decided in the final centimeters. Steeplechaser Jon Pierce, who attended college at nearby Stanford University and now trains with the Mammoth Track Club under coach Terrence Mahon, led the race through halfway before beginning to fade. The lead was quickly assumed by three-time World Cross Country team member Max King, with Bruce and his Oregon Track Club teammate Kevin Chelimo. Although Bruce had a one-step lead when the group disappeared from view on the ultimate lap, the trio turned onto the 300 meter finish straight side-by-side, with no indication of who might win. Sprinting at top speed through a particularly muddy patch 200 meters from the finish, Chelimo inched ahead of his rivals, but King and Bruce quickly pulled even. It was not until the final three meters that Bruce edged ahead just enough to be given the win after a lengthy review of the finish line photo. All three athletes were given the same finishing time of 23:12, and Bruce's margin of victory over runner-up Chelimo was .07 seconds. Like Huddle, he picked up $2,000 for winning the race, part of a $9,000 total prize money purse. Bruce, who didn't know he had won until well after he had crossed the finish line, was motivated by a similar experience that didn't go his way a few months ago. "I thought I had it won at the USA 5-K Championships last fall, and [Robert Cheseret] got by me in the last 10 meters, so I just wanted to keep driving and not celebrate until I hit the tape," the steeplechaser said. A San Diego native, Bruce will look to qualify for his second consecutive World Cross Country Championships team in his hometown next month. Nobody was more satisfied after the meet than 2009 World Championships 1500-meter bronze medallist Shannon Rowbury, who along with three-time USA Champion David Torrence and 2000 Olympian Bolota Asmerom led the organization of the event. "We knew it was going to be a lot of work going into organizing this meet, but I've been really amazed by the energy, talent and work ethic of my teammates at the Bay Area Track Club in putting this meet on," she said. Rowbury, who ran many cross country races on this same Golden Gate Park circuit during her high school career, is still in early training mode for her 2011 track season and did not compete. The meet recorded 109 total finishers in the junior, women's and men's races. ENDS

Aug 31, 2021

WITH SON RECOVERED, GOUCHER FOCUSED ON NYC HALF-MARATHON

WITH SON RECOVERED, GOUCHER FOCUSED ON NYC HALF-MARATHON By David Monti (c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission (20-Jan) -- What was supposed to be a stress-free return to competition last weekend for 2007 world 10,000m bronze medallist Kara Goucher, turned into an exhausting ordeal after her son, Colton, had to be hospitalized and receive emergency treatment. "He had started to have a large mass on his face," Goucher told reporters on a conference call yesterday hosted by the New York Road Runners just three days after she finished second at the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon in Phoenix. "We took him to a specialist who said it looked like a tumor." That doctor wanted to operate immediately, Goucher said. But an MRI revealed that Colton, who was born last September, had an abscess which doctors were able to drain then treat with antibiotics. "It turned out to be a staph infection in his lymph node," Goucher explained. She continued: "In the end, it ended up being the best of the worst. He's perfectly healthy and he's doing great. He's been amazing. He's totally recovered." Goucher, 32, who lives in Portland, Ore. with husband Adam, feels recovered, too. Spending days in the hospital with Colton wasn't the best preparation for a race, her first since finishing 10th at the IAAF World Championships marathon in Berlin in August, 2009. She had hoped to run in the 72-minute range in Phoenix, but hardly slept in the days leading up to the event. Her coach, three-time New York City Marathon champion Alberto Salazar, told her not to worry about her time. "When, with what happened during the week, I told her two or three days before that she should just go out conservative," Salazar said. "I told her she'd be exhausted." He added: "She ran exactly where I thought she would." And that wasn't a bad thing, Salazar said. Goucher, who announced yesterday that she would compete in the New York City Half-Marathon on Sunday, March 20, as part of her preparation for April's Boston Marathon, had already completed six 100-mile (161-kilometer) weeks of training, her highest mileage block of marathon training, ever. Salazar said that last week's crisis had not set her back. "I feel her base is well on it's way to be established better than it every has," Salazar said. Prior to last Sunday's defeat, Goucher had never lost in a half-marathon. After winning her bronze medal in Osaka in 2007, Salazar brought her to the Great North Run in New Castle, England, a month later to see what she could do at the half-marathon distance. In a shocking upset, Goucher romped to the fastest time ever by an American, 1:06:57, on the slightly aided point-to-point course, beating Paula Radcliffe by nearly a minute. Since then she's won the Lisbon Half-Marathon (1:08:30) and Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Marathon (1:08:05), both in 2009. She wasn't happy about surrendering her winning streak last Sunday in Phoenix when Mexico's Madai Perez beat her by over two minutes. "You know, I lost by two minutes and I don't like it," Goucher said. "I hate to lose." But the race helped Goucher re-learn her race routine, and how it would need to be modified now that she has to travel with a Colton. She's also been getting advice from her friend Paula Radcliffe who had her second child, Raphael, last September. The two speak on the phone frequently, Goucher said, and should talk even more now that Radcliffe is in New Mexico for training. "It's nice to talk to her," Goucher explained. "She knows what I'm going through more than anybody else. She's encouraged me... to just keep at it." Goucher was the first athlete race director Mary Wittenberg announced for the New York City Half-Marathon, the richest half-marathon in the United States with a $100,000 prize money purse. The former University of Colorado Buffalo said that she picked the race in New York because she knew that it would be extremely competitive and would provide a serious fitness test four weeks before Boston. Goucher said that choosing the New York City Half-Marathon for her Boston tune-up was a "no brainer." "It just seems like a great run-up for a spring marathon," Goucher said. "I knew that New York would really get great competition. I really needed to be pushed and run against the best women runners in the world." She continued: "It was just the perfect choice." Wittenberg, a former rower and the 1987 Marine Corps Marathon champion, was clearly thrilled to have Goucher back in New York. Wittenberg had recruited Goucher for her marathon debut in New York when Goucher set the USA debut record of 2:25:53, still her personal best. Paula Radcliffe, who beat Goucher that day and successfully defended her title, had won the 2007 ING New York City Marathon less than ten months after giving birth to her first child, Isla. "In New York City we love comeback stories," Wittenberg said. ENDS

Aug 31, 2021

Texas A&M v. LSU Dual Preview

It may still be early in the season, but don’t expect the Aggies and the Tigers to hold anything back when they face each other on January 22, keeping their longstanding rivalry fresh. In the preseason rankings, LSU took the second and third spots for the men and women, respectively; Texas A&M is ranked second for the women, and third for the men. The meet, set to take place at what will be the sit of this year’s NCAA Championship (Gilliam Stadium), will be highlighted by the sprints and jumping events, as both teams feature tremendous depth, as well as a fair amount of top-ranked individuals. On the men’s side, LSU will pit three NCAA runners up from last years indoor and outdoor seasons (Josh Dominguez in the pole vault, Zedric Thomas in the triple jump, and Barrett Nugent in the 60m hurdles) against 2010 NCAA 60m runner-up Gerald Phiri, and an insane crew of quarter milers, led by Tabarie Henry. Hurdler Wayne Davis will also look to step up in the hurdles to challenge Barrett Nugent, after overcoming an injury that kept him off the track for the 2010 indoor and outdoor seasons. The 800m will be a crucial distance event. The women’s battle looks to be equally close. 200m runner-up, and top returning 200m and 100m athlete for Division 1 women, Jeneba Tarmoh, will be joined by All-Americans Andrea Sutherland and Jessica Beard, last year’s Big-12 Champion, to face All-Americans Brittani Carter (HJ), Melissa Ogbourne (LJ), Kenyanna Wilson (60m), and Rachel Laurent (PV). Looking ahead, the 1600m relays are shaping up to be the highlight of the day, as they are so incredibly evenly matched. Flotrack will be on hand to bring you coverage of all of the action. Here is some additional info from aggieathletics.com: Texas A&M currently has collegiate leading marks in four events - 200 (Gerald Phiri, 2087), 200 (Jessica Beard, 23.25), 800 (Joey Roberts, 1:49.47) and the men's 4 x 400 (3:06.49 - Bryan Miller, Demetrius Pinder, Tabarie Henry, Tran Howell). The Aggies also lead the Big 12 in 10 events. In addition to the four collegiate leaders they also have conference leaders in the 60 (Prezel Hardy, Jr., 6.68), 60 (Jeneba Tarmoh, 7.33), 60 hurdles (Wayne Davis II, 7.85), 60 hurdles (Gabby Mayo, 8.27), 400 (Ibukun Mayungbe, 54.41) and the women's 4 x 400 (3:36.15 - LaKeidra Stewart, Ibukun Mayungbe, Brittany Machacek, Andrea Sutherland). LSU currently has a pair of collegiate leaders in the men's 60 (Horatio Williams, 6.61) and long jump (Zedric Thomas, 26-3.75). The Tigers also lead seven events in the SEC, which includes 60 hurdles (Barrett Nugent, 7.83), 60 hurdles (Tenaya Jones, 8.38), high jump (Brittani Carter, 6-0 ½), pole vault (Josh Dominguez and Marcus McGehee, 17-3), and long jump (Jennifer Clayton, 20-4 ¼). This weekend's dual meet scoring format awards points to the top two finishers for each team in running and field events and awards points for one relay per school in the 4 x 400 and distance medley relay. Event points are awarded on a 5-3-2-1 format and 5-3 in relays. With 159 points on offer, the first team to reach 80 points will claim the dual meet win. Heat Sheets | Flotrack Coverage

Aug 31, 2021

Master Run Coach - Interactive Lydiard Coaching

Aug 31, 2021

Ok....Time For Some Core by Danny Mackey M.S.

Ok….Time For Some Core By Danny Mackey M.S.   If you are on any sort of team, “ok…time for some core” is a common phrase you will hear. But this is a relatively new training method.  Ten to 15 years ago the use of core work by runners was typically left to the professional athletes. The reason is the professionals where the only people that had the time to do the extra work that might help their performance. When college, high school or recreational distance runners were to do any auxiliary training after a run it usually entailed joining the throwers in the weight room. Weights are not a bad thing. All you have to do is look at Flotrack’s WOW with Haile Gebrselassie (http://www.flotrack.org/videos/speaker/1555-haile-gebrselassie/363222-haile-geb-wow-nyc-prep) to see that lifting weights is still a relevant tool to improving performance. In addition, there are years and years of research that support weight training regardless of whether or not you are a 100M runner or a marathoner. Yet, interest in core stability strength training has increased dramatically, sometimes in lieu of other activities. So, how does core training factor into the equation?  To be clear, let’s define core exercises. Core exercises include dynamic weight training, medicine ball training, and balance training. One reason this has become so popular is because trainers feel core training leads to greater over-all strength, a reduction in injuries, and more efficient mechanics by enhancing neuromuscular pathways (1). Further, some researchers suggest athletes’ would experience better coordination of synergistic and stabilizer muscles in the rectus abdominis and external obliques (2). Other research shows us that running on unstable conditions leads to reduced force output, reduced agonist muscle activation and increased antagonist activity (3). Even so, how does this relate to running? To get the framework to understand how our core functions while running, think about this way: if you had to run a 5k, imagine doing it on an uneven, loose-gravel cross country course and then imagine doing it on a Mondo track. Now there are the obvious disadvantages to the cross country course like low energy return on the soft surface, loss of traction and the mental difficulty of getting into a rhythm because the terrain is undulating.   We do not need science to tell us that it is a lot harder to run a 5 minute mile on that uneven lose gravel road than it is on a track. We know this intuitively. But there are very subtle changes in our mechanics going on we are not necessarily conscious of while running. Ultimately we want to run as if we were on a perfect Mondo track regardless of the surface. Now let’s explore how this can happen from a scientific (physiological, etc.) perspective. Core focuses on our stability muscles. If those are stronger we will be more stable during the stance phase of our gait cycle. Thus, our propulsive forces will be higher and we will have more consistent movement control. In other words, we will run faster. (Keep in mind that I am intentionally oversimplifying this example in that I am not considering the metabolic variables. Trust me, I wish it was this simple!). Ignoring race times, core training significantly improves core strength compared to conventional ab work and strength training (4). This is one reason why physical therapists now integrate core training methods into most musculoskeletal injury rehabilitation protocols. If you are coming off an injury, doing these exercises is another way to stay healthy. The injury prevention aspect to core training is also logical. Through biomechanical research we know that “too high” or “too low” horizontal and vertical ground reaction forces are associated with overuse injuires (5). Typically, at initial heel strike we are between 1.6-2.3 times our body weight.   If our ground reaction forces are too low at initial heel strike, then we have to make up for it elsewhere in our gait cycle and increase the forces put on our midfoot or forefoot. If they are too high, we might see a nasty overuse injury pop up, like “shin splints,” for example. By simply being more balanced and strong through our core we may help keep ground reaction forces in this healthy, “normal” range.   Research also suggests that in order to see an effect of core training we need to look at the frequency of sessions. Many studies that had the subject perform core sessions 2 times a week did not show much of an increase in performance. The research suggests 3 to 4 workouts a week will greatly improve the likelihood of seeing the benefits on the track (4).  It is important to note that I did not find research studies using “highly trained” athletes as subjects. I think there are confounding variables in training and genetics of a 21 min 5ker running 40 miles a week versus a 14 min 5ker running 100 miles a week. Thus, if you are training at a high level it might very well be worth the time to do core work 2 times per week because of all the other auxiliary work you are doing may complement the core exercises. As with any training, keep in mind that everyone is different. Listen to the coaches and trainers that work with you daily. They will be the best judge regarding your individual response potential. Now it is time for some core!

Aug 31, 2021

ARCINIAGA, ROTHSTEIN IMPRESS AT HOUSTON MARATHON

ARCINIAGA, ROTHSTEIN IMPRESS AT HOUSTON MARATHON By David Monti (c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission. HOUSTON (30-Jan) -- Brett Gotcher turned heads here last year when he clocked 2:10:36 in his marathon debut at the Chevron Houston Marathon. Gotcher's success inspired coach Greg McMillan of Team USA Arizona to bring Gotcher, and six of his teammates, here this year to compete, each with their own goals. Hopes were highest for Gotcher, 26, but he struggled to finish, clocking 2:19:30 in sixth place. Irish Olympian Martin Fagan, 27, also coached by McMillan, failed to finish, hampered by an ankle injury he suffered just five days before the race. Gotcher tried to be philosophical. "It was a tough day at the office today," Gotcher lamented. "But, you know, I went for it. You know, it's the nature of our group." He added: "It was a whole lot of suffering out there that I'm going to remember and take with me next year into 2012. I'm not going to forget about this race, soon." Instead, Nick Arciniaga, 27, who came here to pace Gotcher and Fagan, and Stephanie Rothstein, also 27, who was on crutches with a back injury in 2009 and later found out that she suffered from celiac disease, led McMillan's team with impressive results. Arciniaga finished second in 2:11:30, and Rothstein finished third in 2:29:35. Both marks were personal best times, Rothstein's by over ten minutes. "We had some really great performances, certainly Nick and Stephanie," McMillan told Race Results Weekly in an exclusive interview. We had two of our debut athletes (Emily Harrison and Natasha Labeaud) get their Olympic Trials qualifying standards --that set them up for next year-- and then some rough ones as well." He continued: "Overall, I guess like the usual finish line when you bring seven or eight people... some people are going to have good days and some less good." Arciniaga's performance was the most surprising to McMillan, who called his athlete a "Steady-Eddy marathoner." Arciniaga had not done a full marathon training program, and had only planned to run 25 kilometers with Gotcher. McMillan gave Arciniaga permission to go to the finish line if he felt good, but the athlete tried to keep that out of his mind in the first half of the race. "I tried not to think about finishing until 25-K," Arciniaga told Race Results Weekly. "It's less pressure." Ticking off 4:55 miles (3:03 kilometers), Arciniaga led Gotcher through half-way in 1:04:17, then continued with him until 25 km at the same pace. At that point, Arciniaga decided to pull back because the pace was just a little too fast for him. "At 25-K I let Brett go," Arciniaga explained. "I was at my limit." He decided to run a couple of more miles to see how he felt. He said to himself that if the next mile was 5:20 he'd drop out. Instead, it was "exactly 5:05" and he still felt good. The following mile was similar, and he decided to keep going. Soon he would catch Gotcher. "I ended up bringing Brett back at mile 20," he said. Arciniaga soldiered on alone, catching the flagging Kenyan Wilfred Murgor with about 400 meters to go to pick up second place and $17,000 in prize money. Moreover, he now has recorded an Olympic Games qualifying performance on an IAAF-recognized course, which frees him to run this summer's IAAF World Championships in Daegu, Korea, before coming back here to run the USA Olympic Trials Marathon next January. "It's awesome," he said of having an Olympic Games qualifying mark. "If I decide to, I can do World's leading up to the Trials. It's a load off of my back." Rothstein, who finished second at the USA 20-K Championships in New Haven last September, gave McMillan less of a surprise. She ran much of the race with New Zealand Olympian Sean Wade, a popular Houstonian who helped draw cheers for her. She ignored the leading group of four Ethiopians and stuck with her race plan, to run cautiously in the first half. "We kind of had a conservative approach," Rothstein told the media. "We went through half in 75:30, and he was able to go 22, 23 (miles) with me, and from there said, 'Go get it girl!'" Rothstein ran the second half in 74:05, passed two of the Ethiopians, Belainesh Gebre and Selamie Getnet, to take second. She is now the #4-ranked American on the Olympic Trials qualifying list behind Desiree Davila (2:26:20), Magdalena Lewy Boulet (2:26:22), and Shalane Flanagan (2:28:40). Kara Goucher, who has just returned to competition from maternity leave, only has a half-marathon qualifying time so far. "Worlds can't really describe it," she said. "Dreams really became a reality today. So, I'm very pleased." So was Coach McMillan. "Stephanie's performance was not surprising, it was expected," he said. "We knew from the training that she would have a shot to break 2:30 if she felt good in the latter part of the race. I think she's one of the most talented women I've ever worked with. We hope that this is just the start for her now that she's figured out her celiac disease."

Aug 31, 2021

LAGAT TO MAKE TWO-MILE RECORD BID IN NEW YORK

LAGAT TO MAKE TWO-MILE RECORD BID IN NEW YORK By David Monti (c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, Used with permission Bernard Lagat has eight Wanamaker Mile titles, and has run in New York's Madison Square Garden ten times. But the 36 year-old two-time Olympic medallist from Tucson, Ariz., has never had a chance to show his speed on New York City's fastest track: the magnificent 200m banked Mondo oval at the New Balance Armory Track and Field Center in Upper Manhattan. Lagat has only used the track for pre-Millrose workouts. "It's fantastic," Lagat said of the Armory track on a media teleconference today. "I wished there was a track meet there I can come and run." On Saturday, February 12, Lagat will get his wish. In a joint effort between the New York Road Runners and the Armory Foundation, a special two-mile race will be held there called the NYRR Deuce Record Challenge in which Lagat will take a shot at Doug Padilla's American record of 8:15.02 set nearly 21 years ago at the Forum in Los Angeles. Remarkably, Padilla's time was set on a plywood track which required 11 laps to cover one mile. "It's going to be my first time running competitively at the Armory," Lagat said from his home in Tucson. "It's going to be my first-ever indoor two-mile race." Should Lagat break Padilla's mark, it will give him the "full set" of USA indoor distance records. Lagat is already the American indoor record holder for 1500m (3:33.34), the mile (3:49.89), 3000m (7:32.43) and 5000m (13:11.50). Lagat sees breaking Padilla's record as an important addition to his already bulging resume which includes four world titles, two indoors and two outdoors. "Any record is a measure of excellence of what you have done over the years," said Lagat. "I feel like I'm still strong." Padilla, now 54, who also joined today's conference call, wasn't even aware that his record, set at the old Los Angeles Times meeting, hadn't yet been broken until he received a phone call for an NYRR official last month. "Well, it's kind of fun," said Padilla who now works as a track and field administrator at Brigham Young University. "I didn't realize that I still had the record." He continued: "I'm kind of amazed to know that I still have it." Padilla, who was on his way to New York today with his Brigham Young team which will compete in the Armory this weekend, was nearly killed in 1996 when he was struck by a car while on a training run. His left leg was shattered and, according to a 2009 article in the Daily Herald newspaper, he's had 15 surgeries on that leg. He said today that he can run a little now, up to two miles. Lagat, who has never met Padilla, said that he was impressed with his record, given that it was run on such a small track. "That's actually moving on that track," Lagat commented. "You have to be in good shape, which I believe that I am." While the two-mile is rarely run at the professional level, it endures as a staple of high school track in the United States. The distance is run at both the indoor and outdoor high school championships, and college coaches keep close tabs on those two-mile times for recruiting purposes. The world record for the distance is 8:04.35 set by Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia in Birmingham, England, on February 16, 2008. Padilla's time is also the fastest-ever run in the United States, so Lagat would also set an all-comers record should he break it. According to New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg, Lagat will have two pacemakers: Robby Andrews of the University of Virginia, who will go 1200m, and Russell Brown of the Nike Oregon Track Club who will take Lagat through the mile in about 4:07, then try to hold on to 2000m. Wittenberg said that other athletes would join the race and be announced later.

Aug 31, 2021

FLANAGAN AND KOLL - PUSHING EACH OTHER TO THE TOP

FLANAGAN AND KOLL - PUSHING EACH OTHER TO THE TOP By Chris Lotsbom (c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, Used with permission (03-Feb) -- If there's one thing you can tell from talking with 2008 Olympic bronze medallist Shalane Flanagan, it's that she is excited, excited to toe the line on Saturday at the USA Cross Country Championships in San Diego's Mission Bay Park. Flanagan, 29, will be going for her third national cross country title in four years, having won the 2008 and 2010 8-km contests. But it's not just the thought of adding another national title that is making her giddy. It's the fact that this time she has a teammate right alongside that will make it extra special. A teammate who could beat her. Ever since Lisa Koll began training with Flanagan and coach Jerry Schumacher's Portland, Ore., based team in September of last year, the two have hit it off. "Lisa has been such a gift to me, personally, because I think we have been able to push ourselves to a level that we wouldn't have been able to otherwise," said Flanagan in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. "She's a great person and a great friend. I think we have a really nice future here together, and are going to make lots of teams." Koll has stepped right in and found her niche learning from Flanagan, who was part of the USA team that took home the bronze medal at last year's IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Training 100 to 110 miles a week, the duo have been pushing each other with their eyes set on finishing atop the podium, which would qualify them for the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain, on March 20. "I'm excited to go out and test where I'm at and try to make that U.S. team," said the 23 year-old Koll. "I've never been on a U.S. [national] team before, so this is pretty exciting for me. If I get to be part of the world team, that will be pretty special." Flanagan can tell Koll a little bit about what being on a national team is like. "Looking back to the whole year, [earning the bronze medal and being on the team] was definitely one of the highlights," said Flanagan. "As professional athletes, we get to share a lot of team experiences like that. I've always treasured my experiences in college, being part of a cross country team and so to have that opportunity last year, to do well, to have Magda [Lewy-Boulet] on the team and it meaning so much to her, we all came together and had a great effort. I am looking forward to that kind of special moment again this year." Coming off a tremendous outdoor track season where she won two NCAA outdoor titles and ran 31:18.07 for 10,000m, Koll has been able to build a strong base prior to racing cross country this year, something she was never able to do in college. "A lot of the reason why I never saw as much success in cross country as I did in track was because I just didn't have the opportunity to be running fast yet in cross country. I did a lot of base training in cross country that I think prepared me to run really well in track, but a lot of the time I wasn't really sharp in cross." But as much as the younger, less experienced Koll is learning from Flanagan, Flanagan is learning the same amount from Koll. "Some days I feel like Lisa is more experienced at this kind of work than I am," said Flanagan, laughing. "I call her the metronome. She is very skilled at what she does. And so I think it is an equal partnership, I don't know how much mentoring goes on to be honest." After a pause, Flanagan added, "More like I kind of annoy her and am a mom at times, telling her to hydrate and take ice baths and stuff like that."

Aug 31, 2021