by Larry Eder
Kara Goucher ran quite well on Friday night! Her mile race, run during a strong mileage week, showed that she is on track. Her Sunday 18 miler will be her reward for her strong victory! The crowd treated Kara like the local runner she is!
After the Millrose Games, my crowd was prone to analysis. The event was slow, the crowd was good, why did any women distance runners lift their knees? Well, let me try and answer some of those queries.
Moving MIllrose to the beginning of the season is tough for all. I was completely shocked at how well Steve Hooker jumped, even though he has had few real jumps in recent workouts. Terrance Trammel running so fast in the hurdles shows that his recovery is nearly there, and not that he is really focusing on indoors. The indoor season is a short one in the US: Millrose, Reebok Boston, Tyson and the Indoor Nationals. A couple dozen small meetings in Europe, and the European Indoors in Torino, and the season is over.
But, and thank God, realism has taken over on the indoor circuit. Meets that have good sponsors, modest size facilities, good fields with some standouts and local promotions are the way to go! The key is great TV, either digital or cable, to give the global fan a chance to see the meets. I predict, within three years, that we should be able to download onto our phone, any major meeting globally, and then watch it off our phone, computer screen or large screen at home. Then, truly, track will be back.
Andrews wins the prep mile, photo courtesy of Photorun.net
I love this kid, Robbie Andrews! Watching him run the prep mile, one thought of some of the best milers of the past twenty to thirty years. He controlled his emotions, stayed out of trouble and ran a 57 second last lap to destroy the field! When asked on ESPN2 how he felt about the slow pace, Andrews noted, ” I was licking my chops!”. Enough said.
The Nike Indoor moves to Reggie Lewis Center this year and Jim Spier and team were in attendance at the meet. The NSSF has developed the Nike Indoor, Outdoor, Great America XC and helped in developing the NXN events–some of the most important innovations in our sport! Keep up the good work!
Indoor track & field continues to grow. 135,000 preps will race indoors this year, the majority centered in Boston-Reggie Lewis Center, NYC-the Armory and mostly Eastern cities. Indoors is fun, intimate and gives track kids a chance to feel like they are very close with the fans-indoor track is like basketball for track kids.
Kara Goucher’s win shows that Kara is on her way to strong fitness for the Boston marathon course and her upcoming battle there in April 2009. Goucher was ranked at 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters and the marathon. Goucher trains like Frank Shorter used to suggest, “marathoners need to race like two milers and train like marathoners.”
Again, a great opening weekend to the elite indoor season! Also congratulations for Doug Logans’ strong statement at the Natural food and supplement convention several weeks ago. Logan blasted supplement makers for their lack of quality and other issues. Several walked out during the talk. (Read the piece on Logan’s blog at www.usatf.org).
Numbers at Millrose were best in three years, and this was in a terrible economy! Great races, great stories, Lagat and number seven, Lagat introduced in Gardens on Wednesday night as celebrity–all helped fill up the Gardens for a most spectacular and unique event!
See you on the roads and tracks!
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