Put a racewalker like me
in running shoes and you give me the freedom to move. Instead of focusing
on each step, each technically challenging racewalking step, I can soar.
I can dance. Suddenly there's time to think, dream and see the world
around me. And there are fewer places more beautiful and scenic than
the Pacific Crest Trail as it winds its way up to the base of Mt. Hood
in Oregon. The PCT – a national treasure worthy of Fort Knox security
– dips from dense forested evergreens to open, rocky crags that
rise above the glistening blue reflection of sky in Timothy Lake and
back to creek-fed meadows of bear grass and lupine.
The chance to travel to
some of the most amazing places in the world has been one of the best
rewards of being an international racewalker. The courses themselves,
however, are predictably dull: 2km loops on flat asphalt; repeat 25
times to complete 50km. Run the Mt. Hood PCT Ultramarathon and the course
itself is the reward. To be completely immersed in a green world of
forests, meadows, mountains, and soft dirt trails is so rejuvenating
that miles pass with such ease that it becomes hard to believe that
it is a 'race' or an 'endurance contest.' It is joy. It is freedom.
Going into the July 29 PCT
50km trail run, I was unsure of what to expect. I've racewalked more
than twenty 50km races, but I had only done one other long trail run
and I had used my racewalk training to prepare. It was also on a much
hillier course that demanded some 'racewalk' hiking on the steep hills.
The PCT is never steep enough that you have to walk. It's a very run-able
course. So I prepared by logging a 20-mile run on the dusty trails near
the Sweetwater reservoir. I ran mile repeats on the Footlocker Cross
Country course in Balboa Park and even trekked up to Mt. Laguna to run
on the southern California end of the PCT as it winds around Lake Laguna
at nearly 6000 feet. I felt that I was as ready as I could be and even
entertained thoughts of going after the course record of 3:52:06 that
had been set three years ago. When I arrive in Portland, though, I talked
to people who were familiar with the course. One guy in particular,
a 2:30 marathon runner, had really crashed when he had gone after the
record the year before. He struggled to finish nearly 20 minutes off
the pace.
On the morning of the race,
the weather was perfect: cool and overcast. Several friends from my
college cross-country team, including my twin brother, had gathered
for the trail run and it felt like a race. So I went for it.
For the first four miles,
my brother ran with me at the front as we chased after a fleet-footed
Mexican runner, Eugenio, who was trying out the trails after running
a 2:47 marathon on the roads a month earlier. By eight miles, my brother
and Eugenio had both decided the pace was too fast as we started to
climb out of the low meadows surrounding Timothy Lake. I ran solo from
there, dancing through a lupine meadow at ten miles and across a clear-cut
ridge at mile twelve, down to the highway 26 crossing and the aid station
before climbing to the turn-around at 15.5 miles. I covered the first
half in 1:51:20, well under the 1:56:00 I needed to break the record.
Now, I just needed to survive the return trip on the out-and-back course.
On the downhill, my quads
began to tighten up and my ‘dance’ slowly turned from a
high-stepping swing to a country two-step to a geriatric, assisted-living
shuffle. At the 25-mile mark my legs lost any spring they had left.
I was in survival mode, drinking as much Hydralyte as I could, taking
PowerGels every 15 minutes and hoping it was enough. Somehow I was able
to keep my pace under 9:00 per mile and finished in 3:44:08, a full
eight minutes under the old record. As exhilarating as it was to win
and break the record, the best feeling was sitting down, getting a massage,
and cheering on my friends as they finished. And as much as I love to
run, it was also nice knowing that I didn’t have to run another
step for a while. Much like racewalking a 50km, it felt great to be
done.
(published in California
Track and Running News, June/July 2006)
Report from IAAF World Racewalk
Cup, May 13-14, 2006, La Coruña, Spain
What do you pack for the
IAAF World Racewalk Cup? If you’re racing 50 kilometers, you have
to bring everything you might possibly need for a four hour race: Power
Gels and Hydralyte for the aid station, USA racing singlet and shorts,
New Balance shoes, socks, sunglasses… the list keeps growing and
your checked bags keep getting heavier. What about workout clothes,
dress clothes for the post-race festivities, and rain gear for the damp
climate in the north of Spain? There’s a mountain of gear to bring
just so that you can feel prepared.
Then there’s Dave
McGovern. This year he brought over 30 pairs of training shoes for his
racewalking friends from Ghana. And I jammed at least 12 pairs of extra
sneakers into my bags for Ecuadorian friends that raced in the 20km
and junior 10km events. There’s something about the World Cup
that brings out the best in people, on and off the course.
A distinct camaraderie exists
at the World Cup that is rarely found at other track and field events.
Perhaps because it’s walkers-only, there is a special kinship
between fellow athletes. Sometime it is expressed in the small details:
everyone in the hotel restaurant gravitates towards the pasta dishes,
cleaning out bowl after bowl of spaghetti and tomato sauce. People go
to bed at 10pm knowing that a race or workout awaits in the morning.
Other times, there are more expansive gestures like those of US walker
Dave McGovern who brought bags of shoes to give to those less fortunate.
At a World Cup several years
ago, McGovern met and befriended a few walkers from Ghana. Their country
had no history of racewalking and they needed any help they could get.
McGovern became their coach, sent them training plans and his own how-to
book, and shared his years of experience. Before this trip, he asked
the US racewalking community to share, too; shoes and clothes, to be
precise. And the US responded with bags full of supplies for the ill-equipped
walkers. Sadly, problems with visas and travel documents kept the full
contingent of Ghanaian walkers from arriving. Only one walker who is
studying in Barcelona was able to make it to La Coruña. He couldn’t
take all the supplies with him, so McGovern shared with the Ecuadorians.
I had brought several pairs of shoes, boxes of Power Gels and some PowerBars
for them and they could always use more. Cuenca, Ecuador is home to
Jefferson Perez, Olympic and World racewalk champion, and the country
loves its racewalkers–they issued a stamp in 1996 for Perez when
he won the Olympic gold medal and this year issued a commemorative coin
with his image. They just don’t make racing shoes for him, yet.
Every two years, teams from
the best racewalking countries clash for the title of world’s
greatest racewalking nation at the IAAF World Racewalk Cup. On May 13
and 14 in the town of La Coruña on the northwest coast of Spain,
an inspired Spanish team defended their home turf with vigor. Displaying
both depth and individual talent, Spain won the men’s 20km and
50km team titles and the men’s individual 20km with Francisco
Fernandez’s dominant performance. The Russians, pre-race favorites,
got some revenge with a win on the women’s side over China and
Belarus and individual honors in the men’s 50km going to Denis
Nizhegorodov. The real winners, though, were the spectators and athletes
involved in this amazing event.
As Mike Kazmierczak, US
Junior 10km team member, noted with amazement the day before the racing
started, “There are more people watching us workout today than
usually watch us at a race in the US.” That’s the power
of the World Cup. It’s not just another race. It is racewalking’s
version of the New York City Marathon: sidewalks lined with screaming
fans, the best endurance athletes in the world battling it out and you’re
right there in the thick of it.
The US brought an experienced
team to Spain in the three senior races with the most notable performance
coming from Kevin Eastler in the men’s 20km. Eastler’s US-leading
1:22:48 is second in US World Cup history to Tim Lewis’ 1:22:27
from 1987. The time is also the only World Championships ‘A’
or ‘B’ standard to be achieved in 2006 giving Eastler a
distinct advantage leading up to the 2007 World T&F Championships
qualifying. Rounding out the scoring for the 13th place men’s
20km team were Tim Seaman (Chula Vista, CA) and John Nunn (Chula Vista,
CA). Neither walked season bests and both were plagued by injuries before
and during the event. Ben Shorey and Matt Boyles were young guns who
finished fourth and fifth among the Americans.
In the women’s 20km,
veterans ruled the day. Teresa Vail, making her seventh World Cup appearance,
led the squad to a 9th place finish with Joanne Dow and Jolene Moore
filling the other scoring positions. Dow walked her fastest World Cup
20km in her fourth consecutive appearance in the event. Deb Huberty
was the fourth US finisher with Amber Antonia dropping out with a sprained
ankle.
Ray Sharp and I led the
charge in the men’s 50km with Theron Kissinger, Mark Green and
Dave McGovern filling out the US team. Sharp’s early pace put
him in top half of the field and well under four hour pace while I began
more cautiously. By 25km, Sharp had begun to pay the price for his early
pacesetting and we reversed positions. I escort the US team in for a
10th place team title with a 42nd place finish in 4:16:06. Sharp and
Kissinger completed the scoring. Mark Green, fourth US finisher, toppled
the U.S. 50-54 Age-Group Record in the 50km by over 25 minutes.
Heather Buletti and Roberto
Vergara put their marks on the junior races by walking personal best
times at their first World Racewalk Cup. All of the juniors gained valuable
international racing experience and learned a great deal from the senior
athletes in the process.
February 12, 2006
USATF 50km National
Championships, Clermont, FL
Wow! What an amazing
race that was! I've been doing 50kms for a long time now, but that was
one of the more exciting finishes that I've been in. Of course, winning
makes it especially memorable for me. Wow!
Where to begin....perhaps
at 5:00am on Sunday morning when my alarm 'woke' me from a fitful sleep.
No matter how relaxed or confident, it's always difficult to sleep the
night before a 50km: too many butterflies circling the bedposts, I guess.
I stayed with some of the other walkers in a vacation home, arranged
by Dave McGovern (thanks, Dave!), just a few miles south of the race
course.
We drove up in the
pre-dawn darkness searching for a good, upbeat radio station to get
us pumped up. The mood was anxious inside the car and eerie outside.
Lake Louisa State Park, where the 2.5km course lies, is nestled into
the rolling hills of central Florida prairie and swamplands (hills in
Florida? yep, we found them). The start/finish area sits at lake level,
surrounded by tall, ominous trees draped in spanish moss and shadows.
When we arrived, the wind was driving hard over the prairie and down
into the boggy lowlands, whipping thin branches and tall, swamp grasses
into a frenzy. Bitter cold wind, darkness and the steady thump of a
generator greeted us in the parking lot. The only light came from a
floodlight race organizer Don DeNoon had set up near the start. Walkers
were warming up, dipping in and out of the floodlight and headlights
of arriving vehicles, disappearing again into the murky shadows. Greetings
were mumbled and torn away by the wind. Nervously, people arranged bottles
on the aid station tables, checked that their numbers were pinned on
well, and waited until the last minute to take off sweat clothes, opting
to leave on gloves, hats and long-sleeve shirts for at least the first
few laps.
The race was underway
when the sun's glow lightened the sky enough to see clearly. Winding
through the park's circuitous parking lot and access roads, John Nunn
led the field into the first loop followed closely by Canadians Tim
Berrett (only planning on walking a tough 35km workout) and Rachel Lavellee
(a Junior athlete last year who was dipping her toes into the 20km waters
for only the third time but hoping to meet Canada's World Racewalk Cup
qualifying time of 1:40:00). A few 15km walkers came next with Ray Sharp
and me walking together behind them. Lorretta Schuellein trailed with
Theron Kissinger, Ed Parrot, Steve Quirke, Dave McGovern, Mark Green,
and the rest of the field in tow.
By the end of the
first loop, Nunn, Berrett, and Lavellee were forming a pack while Sharp
and I were a good 30-40 seconds back. At the 3km mark, Sharp and I exchanged
some pleasantries and he acclerated away from me where he would stay
until much later in the race. Schuellein and Kissinger, walking by themselves
now, were strung out between me and a pack that included Parrot and
Quirke with McGovern and Green somewhere in the mix. Lavellee passed
through 20km just under 1:40 with a new personal record and the #3 all-time
Canadian women's 20km time. Schuellein also finished 20km in a new PR.
Now it was just 50km
walkers battling it out over the winding course. Little would change
until around 25km when both Parrot and Quirke bowed out of the race.
At 30km, Nunn had a heady lead over Sharp who was a good 3-4 minutes
ahead of me. Berrett had accelerated and was having a super workout.
The sun had battled out to warm the walkers some, but the wind was still
pushing the walkers east to the turnaround and standing them up short
as they fought back to the start/finish area. Clouds rolled through
occassionally; cars, vans, trucks and RVs, too, as the course was not
closed to through traffic. People coming out to fish for bass or identify
central Florida fauna got an eyeful of national-class racewalkers, and
a few earfuls, too, as they drove too quickly or closely past some walkers.
I had some excitement early in the race as a deer bolted at top speed
across the road just fifteen feet in front of me. I think the judge
who was standing nearby yelling "Deer, deer, deer!" was more
startled than I.
Coming into this
race, I knew that I wasn't prepared to race the entire 50km distance
and that I would have to pick and choose when I made any strong surges.
So I planned on waiting until when most people start to suffer: waiting
patiently until the 35km mark, and then seeing how I felt. Thankfully
I had been able to conserve enough energy early on that when I got to
35km, I felt strong. Nunn, who jumped out to a large, early lead with
Berrett was still several minutes ahead of me but beginning to struggle
with the distance. Sharp was nearly a kilometer in front of me, too.
But I had decided that the race would start for me at 35km and I went
after them. By 40km, Sharp had moved past Nunn but both were visibly
slowing. I caught Nunn and set my sights on Sharp. At 44km, I surged
past Sharp, exchanging more pleasantries about how La Coruna, Spain
awaited us, and held on for the last 6km.
Sharp finished next
in a new PR that was, to his delight, just a few seconds faster than
Gary Westerfield's 50km PR from decades ago. Nunn was pulled off the
course by the judges for bent knee violations after having gone more
than 40km. Kissinger struggled towards the end, but nothing like he
had in 2005, and he finished third. A solid and consistent Mark Green
was unable to overtake McGovern and had to settle for fifth behind Dave
"I've got a hernia" McGovern in fourth. The top five walkers
(me, Ray Sharp, Theron Kissinger, Dave McGovern, and Mark Green) qualified
to represent the US at the IAAF World Racewalk Cup to be held in May
in the city of La Coruna in northwest Spain.
Winning the 50km
was great and I was briefly elated at the finish line. But like most
50km races, the satisfaction of simply finishing the distance and the
relief at having survived, outweighed any other emotions. Of course,
I was happy for my own performance, but I also felt bad for those who
were unable to get through the race, especially John who I've seen working
so hard to prepare for this race.
The 50km is such
an incredible test. You take the first step, throwing your whole body,
mind and spirit into the crucible of thirty-one grueling miles, and
then another step and another. No matter how well prepared, at some
point in the race you begin to fatigue. You end up coming face to face
with innumerable and crushing doubts. Can I get through another lap
at this pace? Will my hamstring hold up for the surge up this hill?
Will the blisters on my feet burst on this turn-around or the next?
It can be relentless if you don't find a way to cope, to deal with the
voices, to shut it all out and concentrate on something else. The easiest
way is to realize, and quickly, that you chose this path. It may be
a path of suffering, but it's your path. It's not like regular suffering,
either, that you can shirk or avoid by taking a break and stepping away
from it. This is suffering that you have stepped into like a cold shower,
knowing that it will sting but embracing it nonetheless. It's a strong
mind that gets through a 50km. A strong body helps, and a strong spirit,
too.
To all those who
raced, I congratulate you for facing the 50km demon. To all those you
finished, I commend you for staring him down and overcoming the distance.
For those who didn't get through, remember that you gave it your best
effort and that next time, you will come out on top.
And a big THANK YOU
to all the great volunteers and judges and organizers who made the 50km
possible this year. Thanks!
Results Men 50K Race
Walk
=======================================================================
Name Age
Club/Sponsor Final Time
=======================================================================
1 Dunn, Philip
34 New Balance 4:17.18
2 Sharp, Ray 42
VCR 4:21.06
3 Kissinger, Theron 35 New Balance
4:36.42
4 McGovern, Dave 40 VCR 4:39.01
5 Green, Mark
50 Unattached 4:39.44
6 Bartholomew, Micha 25 Walk Usa 4:57.53
7 Soucheck, John 40 Shore
AC 5:00.03
8 Yanes, Juan 65
Unattached 5:14.03
9 Walker, Max
59 Unattached 5:14.32
10 Logan, Bruce Edwar 41 Unattached 5:36.41
11 Whatley, Ian 46
VCR 5:49.00
12 Finch, Bernie 66
Unattached 8:04.24
-- 82 Vayo, Bill 41
Walk Usa DNF
-- 76 Parrot, Edward 35 Florida AC ÝDNF
-- 93 Jasionowski, Leon 61 Pegasas DNF
-- 87 Berrett, Tim 41 Canada
DNF
-- 52 Carver, Robert 49 Central Florida DNF
-- 91 Litt, Erik 37
Shore AC Ý DQ
-- 88 Nunn, John 28
Unattached DQ
-- 95 McCullough, Stephe 44 Unattached DQ
-- 72 Quirke, Stephen 25 Unattached DQ
-- 75 Pecinovsky, Steve 51 Var DQ
January 22, 2006
Rose Bowl 10 Miler,
Pasadena, CA
It is rare that a
racewalker gets treated like a celebrity, or at least gets a small dose
of that '15 minutes of fame' that Warhol promised each and every one
of us. This weekend was an exception. At the Rose Bowl 10 miler, I felt
like Michael Jordan – without the soaring, gravity-defying slam-dunking
loss of contact, of course. The incredibly supportive and enthusiastic
walking community of Southern California was so welcoming and appreciative
of even my most humble racing efforts. It was great! So, thank you to
all the walkers who braved some chilly weather and hosted a great event.
Margaret Ditchburn
and I drove up early from San Diego to make sure we got in enough time
to pick up our race numbers and warm up before the race. As we warmed
up, many of the other racewalkers thanked us for coming and let us know
how glad they were that we decided to race. I just hoped that it would
be a good race as part of my 50km Nationals preparations. I didn't know
how good it would be until I saw Dave McGovern in the parking lot. He
was in town for one of his famous weekend racewalk clinics, so I now
had some good competition.
Dave and I walked
side by side for the first small loop and two large 5km loops. We chatted
some, dodged the usual Rose Bowl walking and running groups, and generally
enjoyed the first 11kms of the walk. It felt more like a glorified workout:
training with race numbers on. With just under 5km to go, I decided
to push the pace on the one big uphill and see if Dave was ready to
really get down to some racing business. He must have been distracted
by the water bottle I handed him, because he missed the move and ended
up about a minute back by the finish line. We both walked negative splits
for each of the three big loops and had a great workout/race. Margaret
won the women's race by walking negative splits and maintaining excellent
technique throughout. She was the women's winner of the much-coveted
"Style Award." At first I thought it was for the best dressed
walker. Then it was announced that I had won the men's Style Award and
I realized there must have been some other criteria than dressing well
or looking good.
Before Sunday's race,
I had never competed in the Rose Bowl 10 miler. Two years ago I came
up with my friends Sean Albert and Al Heppner to race but I was slightly
injured and didn't race. I did get to hang out the evening before the
race with Margaret, Sean, and Coach Pena, eat some pizza and laugh until
our stomachs hurt. And during the race the next morning, I got to see
Al and Sean battle it out for the title with Al winning the overall
and style awards. It was just a few weeks before the 2004 Olympic Trials
50km Trials and the tragedy of Al's suicide shortly afterwards. This
weekend, my thoughts naturally turned to Al quite a bit as I raced and
as I looked around and remembered the weekend that we had shared two
years ago. It makes me really sad sometimes, but I also know that the
people who cheered me on today remember Al with fondness. They remember
the Al that was incredibly competitive and also incredibly generous
with his time and attention. He succeeded in being friends with almost
everyone he met. Whenever I mention Al's name today, the first reaction
I get from people is a big smile, maybe even a laugh, and then they
remember that he isn't with us anymore and they often catch themselves
and frown or sigh. Don't. Keep smiling and laughing when you think of
Al. He always wanted people around him to be happy. So even though we
miss him, make an effort to be as competitive and as happy as we remember
him to have been.
Next year when I
race the Rose Bowl 10 mile, I'll make an effort to go as fast as Al
did two years ago.
January 15, 2006
USATF 30km Nationals
and South Bay People's Walk 5km, Chula Vista, CA
I've been involved
in so many different racewalking events that the memory lines from one
to the next begin to blur. Who won that race, what was the weather like?
One a few truly memorable races stand out. Even though I wasn't racing,
I will have to add this 30km race to the list.
Being the event organizer
for a National Championship or a community fitness walk, or both at
the same time, is a lot of work. But as an athlete who has raced the
30km before, it makes it easier to anticipate the needs of those out
on the course. By all reports, the athletes got what they came for:
a well-run event, fast times, a good race course, and the comraderie
of friends and competitors. As event organizer, I also got what I wanted:
lots of happy racers and a handful of American records.
Congratulations to
Kevin Eastler who set a new American record for 30km, besting Curt Clausen's
record from a few years ago. Congratulations to Ray Sharp who broke
his age-group American record, easily. And congratulations to Mark Green
who broke his own dad's 25km record (that should make for some tense
moments around the Thanksgiving table this year) and also broke the
long-standing 30km record in his age-group. Congrats to the women's
winner Deb Huberty for a solid performance, and to Jolene Moore who
walked under the IAAF 'B' time standard as in now the only US Track
and Field athlete to have met any of the time standards for next year's
IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Osaka, Japan. Nicely done
January 1, 2006
D.C. Road Runners
5km Resolution Run, Arlington, VA
The beginning of
a new year. A breath of fresh air. A new place, a new beginning. Or,
more cryptically, as T.S. Eliot said: " What we call the beginning
is often the end/And to make and end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from." So, here's to the end of 2005
and the beginning of 2006, and all the adventures that await.
This year I wanted
to start off with good intentions and see where they led me. After having
walked a decent 5km in the cold of Northern Virginia in borrowed shoes
on an uneven, unjudged course against runners who just don't like to
get passed by a racewalker, I feel pretty good. It's a good beginning.
And a good ending, too.
