Running Is My Passion / I'm Running The Boston Marathon In The Memory Of My Friend John Kelley: October 2010

A Complete Change In My Life And My Running

It's been three years since I posted an update on myself and what's going on in my life. Oh how time has a way of changing everything from both an emotional and physical standpoint. It all began on September 17th 2006. I was living in Westerly at the time and just beginning to get my life back together after leaving home and commencing to run again. On that particular sunday evening, I returned to my car to see three text messages, please call. Not knowing whom it may be I called. To my amazement it was the lost love of my life Joanne Marie Guindon. I had prior to this call, tried to find and contact her. It took two years to finally find her on the classmates.com website. We spoke for over an hour and from that point on my life completely changed.

I had battled drug addiction, left my family to try and locate Joanne Marie, and always through it all tried to run, but always had a setback due to injury after injury. We remained in contact for over a year and a half before finally realizing that we needed to see each other. We did, and that's all it took. The love was so real and genuine that we just wanted to be together for the remainder of our lives. Joanne visited here on many occasions, as I visited San Fransisco during the month of March in 2008. On Joanne's final visit here in June of 09, on the 17th I asked her to finally marry me down at Crescent Beach on top of the hill over looking the ocean. Thank god she said yes. Just a few months later on September 28th I flew out to SFO to pick my baby, Dolce & Gabby for the return flight home and too finally begin our lives together. We lived at Crescent Beach in a seasonal rental, and now reside in Norwich, Ct in an old victorian home, and we love it. The poodles are great and I just love my Joanne Marie so much.

As for my running, Ummmmmmmmmm it's been one problem after another. I started training in a very good way in 01/10. Everything was going well until we moved too Norwich and on July 5th I pulled my meniscus from my right inner knee and subsequently had surgery on 09/28. I have come out of it in a very good way. I can't count the number of surgeries that I have had on my body due to running injuries or other aliments. But I've had enough, and now all I desire is one more marathon. I have no idea as to where and when. But this is too be determined by my recovery period and when I'm able to train in the right manner. It's great to have the runners mindset, but what's more important is that I'm back with my long lost love Joanne Marie. And hopefully after being separated from her for over 27 years, we will finally be married and have our love last forever and ever.

Their is much in this blog, from old time running to present. For me it's all about the history of running and the past. The names of Pre, Shorter, Burfoot, Kelley & Kelley, Rodgers, Salazar have never been surpassed when it comes to the level at which they competed. The sport has changed so much over the years. And as John Kelley and I discussed just yesterday, it's all about technology and this nut whom seems to think that running barefoot preserves injury and lengthens a runners career. I'm just happy and fortunate that I competed during the running boom, where a 2:30 marathon in Boston barely got you into the top 200. With todays times a 2:30 will place you in the top 50 of Boston, or for that right any major marathon in this country. Yes, the sport of running has changed, and it's now forward for me in trying too compete in another marathon in 2011.

This is Kell in front of his store. What a great man and person. If all individual were like him, this world would be perfect. It's amazing to me the bond that Joanne and him have developed. She just loves him to death. Maybe more than me, ha ha.

Their is no better to be associated within the running community than Mr. Kelley. His mannerism and approach is so pragmatic and reasonable. He taught me so much during my racing years.

I will always remember the Boston Marathon 83. I had a terrible race and felt lousy the complete race. As I turned left to proceed down towards the finish line, I lost my footing from fatigue and whatever. Who came around the corner while I was down on the ground, good old Kell. He just looked down and said " what the hell are you doing down there " We still get a good laugh when we reminisce old running stories, such as this one.

What Running Means To Mean

Running isn't just about putting one foot in front of another. It's about the feeling of accomplishment, satisfaction, euphoria and personal contentment. I love the feeling of the leaves beneath my feet on the trails during the fall months. There is no other feeling of having my size nine shoe hit the snow packed pavement and it feeling like running on a carpet.

I've run in the best areas of the country, up mountains and along the beach side. Boulder mountain and Mt. Washington have totally different characters; but in all it's about running the mountains- either up the Mt. Washington Road or weaving through the trails of Boulder Mountain.

My Jo always asks," Why, why do you continue to do this to yourself when your always getting injured/ The reply is very simple and easy: It is because of the peace and relaxation that it provides me, along with physical shape that I'm able to attain at my young age of 54.

One of the most peaceful runs I enjoy are the Saturday evening runs after a morning long run. It's no more that twenty to thirty minutes long, but it's what it provides me in ridding my body of the build up of lactic acid from the long run. I prefer these runs on a golf course; with my shoes off and having the feeling of fresh cut grass, with a touch of dew on the short green fairways under my feet.

Running all began for me during the summer of 1969. I was hanging out with friends in the neighborhood, and some how someone said that I couldn't run the block a certain amount of times. Well I clearly remember running 12 laps of which is approximately 3 miles. That's all I needed in order to get hooked on this incredible individual sport. Amby Burfoot, the prior year had won the Boston Marathon, and everyone started calling me Brose. The named held and to this day Tim Smith, the greatest Norwich runner ever still calls me Brose. Entering my freshman year at NFA, I showed up for the first practice on a thursday evening at the NFA track. I was overwhelmed, due to the shear number of runners and the greatness of the varsity team. My experience through high school was up and down. I had an excellent freshman and senior year, with the in between years being mediocre and comprised of playing other sports such as golf and tennis. Once out of high school I finally made the decision to make running my sport because I felt it was my best chance of excelling in the sporting arena. I clearly remember after my college freshman year really being intrigued by the marathon. The year was the winter of 1974 as I headed up to Middletown, Ct with Tim Smith, Geno Mcmerriman, Larry Rice and myself to attempt in qualifying for my first Boston Marathon. The result was great as I indeed qualified in the time of 3:03. A month and a half later it was up to Boston with my mom, sister and Carol Ann. They dropped me off in Hopkinton and I was well on my way to running the worlds greatest marathon. I was in awe prior to the race, in seeing both John Kelley's, Amby Burfoot and the masses of runners competing on this beautiful sunny day. I remember Tim Smith saying to me just prior to the run, Brose run within yourself and don't get caught up in the excitement of the crowds. Wow was he right. The crowds were simply amazing as I trudged along at a sub 3 hour pace. That's all I wanted to achieve in my first attempt on this historical course. I remember turing the corner at the bottom of the Newton Hills at the fire station. Coming down Commonwealth and turning right onto Hereford St my heart was pumping and I had all this energy that I felt I could have used up during the race. Just before turning left and going down to the finish line at the Pru I saw my mom, sister and Carol Ann screaming at me. I was so happy and proud that I had accomplished my goal of running sub 3 in an actual time of 2:58.26. What a feeling that was driving back home knowing that I had just run the Boston Marathon and completed it. My success in this race goes to Tim Smith whom had helped and guided me through the process of training for this event.

I was now hooked on running the marathon, and wanted another one soon there after. My ability to excel and run at a higher level didn't occur until after my college career at Johnson & Wales in Providence, R.I. I was now hooked up with one of Eastern, Ct greatest runners, Wayne Jacob. He then introduced me tho his friends Kim Murphy, Steve Lamb, Jim Suarez and Walt Blanker, and of most John J Kelley. Now hanging and running with this great group of former Fitch runners I started to bloom and my race times began to drop. I remember one evening while at the Kelley household speaking with Kell and him telling me to always be humble in your accomplishments and always strive to be the best you can. From that moment on I was inspired to become the best runner I possibly could. He advised me on many different types of workouts, and every sunday Kell always went with the group of guys for our typical 20 miler. It was one sunday 5 weeks before Boston in 78 that I was determined to run 50 miles in one day. I went on my 20 milers with the guys early in the morning. Then during the afternoon and evening hours I went each time for a 15 miler, for a total of 50 miles for the day. That evening, I obviously was tired, but my legs felt ok. I knew from this workout that running Boston in just a few weeks at a high level was very possible for me. And it happen. I was well on my way to a sub 2:30 until the 24th mile where my legs just gave out. I struggled in from there for a 2:30.56 time. Yes, I was very pleased and happy, but also knew that there was so much room for improvement. My recovery after this race went well. Kell spoke to me after this race and told me that I had the ability to run a 2:25 and that I needed to be smart in my training and racing. I ran many great races that summer and fall season. Rose Arts was always a disaster, but Manchester was always my race. My season in 78 ended with a very good Manchester where I ran 24:47 and a 3rd place finish at the Glastonbury Santa Run.

Steve Prefontaine Quotes

“You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.”

“How does a kid from Coos Bay, with one leg longer than the other win races? All my life people have been telling me, 'Your too small Pre', 'Your not fast enough Pre', 'Give up your foolish dream Steve'. But they forgot something, I HAVE TO WIN.”

“Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative.”

“A lot of people run to see who's the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts.”

May 29-30, 1975

Pre died in the early morning hours of Friday May 30, 1975. We raced at Hawyard Field the previous Thursday evening. To the left is Pre talking to me before the 800m. Pre ran 5000m in what turned out to be his final race. Pre died about 6 hours after this picture was taken.

[from Tom Jordan's book] "Against the unbearableness of Steve Prefontaine's death, it is comforting to know that virtually everyone he cared about was close to him on the last night of his life."

His last race over, Pre took several victory laps, saying thanks to the people of Eugene. At one point, he stopped and talked with his family who had come from Coos Bay to watch the meet. After signing autographs, he went to the apartment of his friends Mark Feig and Steve Bence to shower.

Later, Pre stopped by the Oregon awards banquet and talked to Bill Dellinger about his training. After a brief visit, he and his girlfriend, Nancy Allman {Pre was dating Nancy instead of Mary at the time of his death}, left for a party being held by Geoff Hollister up at his house to celebrate the end of the Finnish tour.

First, however, Pre made his ritual stop at the Paddock for congratulations and a few beers. Then he went to the party about 10:00 p.m.

Shorter, Moore, and the Finns were there. Pre's parents were there. Walt McClure, too. Pre was happy and relieved that the tour was over. According to some of the guests there, he drank about six beers in the two hours he remained at the party.

At 12:15 a.m., Pre left with Nancy and Frank. "We all three got into the MG and drove down to the UO ticket office where Nancy had left her car and let her off," Shorter told Jerry Uhrhammer of the Eugene Register-Guard. "Then he drove me home."

Shorter was staying with the Ken Moores at their home on one of the hills encircling Eugene. He and Pre sat in the car for a few minutes, discussing what their stand would be on the AAU moratorium. Both agreed that they would not duck the meet, but would run their specialties all-out, and then take on the AAU. With that, Shorter got out of the car, and Pre drove on down the hill.

What exactly happened at the bottom of Skyline Boulevard is open to question. It was a road Pre had run along hundreds of times in his years in Eugene. As it approaches the intersection with Birch Lane, there is a sharp curve. Although there was no indication of excessive speed, Pre's 1973 MGB crossed the center line, went over the curb and hit one wall of the natural rock that lines either side of the street. His car flipped over, pinning him underneath. The MG was equipped with a roll bar, but Pre was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident. He apparently did not die instantly, but suffocated from the impact and weight of the car on his chest.

There were skid marks for 40 feet from the wall, indicating that he had slammed on the brakes after losing control of the car. Why he lost control is unknown.

Moments after the accident, another car, also an MG, came on the scene. The occupant, seeing someone pinned under the overturned auto, apparently panicked and sped off to get his father, a doctor. By the time neighbors had alerted the police and they arrived at the accident, there was no longer a pulse. Pre was dead.

An autopsy performed the next day showed that the level of alcohol in Pre's blood was 0.16 percent, above the Oregon legal limit of 0.10 percent. Perhaps his driving wa impaired enough that he simply misjudged the curve and his approach speed. Perhaps, as one policeman speculated, he was reaching for his cassette tape of John Denver's "Back Home Again" and took his eyes off the road. Perhaps he failed to make the turn for an altogether different reason.

The result is the same.

Flags at half-mast, the scoreboard clock ticking away, and silence. Absolute silence. Eugene was saying good-bye to Steve Prefontaine. At the end of the ceremony, the crowd stood, applauding the time on the clock - 12:36.2 - a time Pre once said he would be satisfied with in the three mile. photo by Don Chadez.

My reason for placing the Prefontaine and Shorter photo's together is that Pre's final race came against Frank. They ran the 5,000 meters and Pre won at the legendary Hayward Field track.

A good athlete always mentally replays a competition over and over, even in victory, to see what might be done to improve the performance the next time.
Frank Shorter

For the novice runner, I'd say to give yourself at least 2 months of consistently running several times a week at a conversational pace before deciding whether you want to stick with it. Consistency is the most important aspect of training at this point.
Frank Shorter

I admire runners older than I - they are now my heroes. I want to be like them as I grow older.
Frank Shorter

The marathon is all about energy management. I had planned to run it like a track race with strategic surges to blow up my competitors by putting them into oxygen debt, so that is the way I prepared.
Frank Shorter

Yes, winning the gold medal was undoubtedly the biggest day of my career - mostly because I won the way I had prepared to run it. It was a totally satisfying experience.
Frank Shorter

You don't run 26 miles at five minutes a mile on good looks and a secret recipe.
Frank Shorter

Mrs. Kelley was simply the best. She never ran a mile in her life, but she knew more about the sport than the common runner. She had the heart of gold and she loved everyone whom ever touched her heart. Her and Mr. Kelley were so good to me as a person and the development of my running career. There was always food and great conversation at her kitchen table. God those were the days when it comes to be part of a great running community. I never once called her Jess or Jessie. I don't know why but I assume it all comes from the respect and love I had for this beautiful woman. I miss and love you Mrs. Kelley.

Well first off this part of this blog has nothing to do with feeling sorry for myself due to all the medical problems that I have endured. It all began in 04/79 just two days before the running of the Boston Marathon. I at that time was in great shape coming off a great fall and early spring of training and racing in early 1979. On this particular saturday night I was returning home to my apartment after attending my friend Jack Thompsons wedding. I was heading home early since I was to leave the next day for the race on Patriots Day. On the way back up the hill near Washington Park I was in a severe car accident of which I remember very little. In the hospital for three months I sustained many injuries including both legs and femur bones broken, left hip broken, left arm broken of which was pinned back together, all my fingers broken, both ankels broken , jaw broken and my upper top teeth gone. Prior to being released from the hospital my doctor informed me that I would never be able to run again due to my severe hip injury. Well we all know runners tick to a different beat and I was not about to take no for an answer. Then again on Super Bowl sunday 1986 I was again in another serious car accident. Returning from a weekend of X-country skiing with Fran and my cousin Tim I was rearended and sustained 2 fractures in the neck at c5 and c6. I was released from Hartford Hospital that night and returned home with severe headaches. The following day while staying home from work I obtained a phone call from the hospital stating that they had made a mistake and that I indeed had the fractures in my neck. To make a long story short all healed and again I moved forward. Yes I commenced running again but could never attain the level of fitness that I had hoped for due to my limitations and right ankle problems. Yes I ran well at times but it was hard but I continued to try and attain some consistency with my training but never was able to put together a full year of injury free running. Then with all that had happen with the car accident I had 5 hernia surgeries with every subsequent surgery due to me being foolish and boneheaded with my commencing of running and working out to early. Then finally in 1990 I had the final hernia surgery of which I had both sides meshed back together, so now I have a bionic stomach with meshing holding me intact.
Yes I always tried to again to resume running but if it wasn't one thing it was another in regards to something else happening. Then in the spring of 1998 my left knee began to bother me, in which I had it operated on that summer. Then all hell broke loose with my life. When I was released from the hospital I was put on a medication called Ultram. At the time it was classified as a non-narcotic and was to have no dependency affects. Well I now no better. It ruined my life and made my life with wife Carol and chikdren Chris & Sarah a living hell. I was so caught up in the sickness of this drug that I could care less about anything else. And yes I also tried to resume running & training as well as worked through this maze of sickness. Back then I always knew there was a problem but continued to function just enough to get by with my fast debilitating life style. It ruined me as well as everyone whom cared for and loved me. But its a sickness hard to explain to someone whom has not experienced. Well through this I had 2 more surgeries on the knee of which were not successful at all. I was frustrated as hell and sick of the whirlwind lifestyle I was leading. I had tried an inpatient detox program but quite obviously I was not ready to stop the madness. Again I tried another program at the Mountainside Treatment Center and although I went back to the druging and lying to all the program did indeed provide me with much information and guidence of which I am every thankful for now. I also hooked up with a great therapist named Julie Longton and she was a saint whom also provided me many tools and help with much support and hard love through all these difficult and trying times. But yes I continued to use and abuse myself and then one day in 05/2004 I awoke and said enough is enough. At that time I was not taking the drug as I had previously when I would take 8-10 a day. At this time it was around 3-4 per day so I suffered some and went through only a few days of withdrawl but I had hit rock bottom and was determined to pick myself back up and get myself back together. Times with Carol were hard. I put her through hell, and this is not something she deserved because she is a sweet loving person . And my relationship with my children also suffered, but again I was determined to mend, heal and move forward in a positive manner. The damage I caused to my family, my mom, sister and yes my dad whom has sinced passed. The sad part about my dad was that he never knew since my mom chose not to tell him since he was ill with his stroke and difficulties with everyday living.
The day of getting my life back was 05/22/2004 - I had had it with that shitty drug Ultram and it was done. I then on 07/04/2004 moved away from home and moved in with my sister Cindy whom I am ever so thankful for. She gave me a place to live and provided me much support and love. Well yes I tried to commence running again in 09/2004 but again the left knee acted up. I then found a great surgeon named Dr. Hutchens whom operated on my knee in early 2005. Again I resumed running and it lasted just two months before it again acted up to the point where it was hard to walk. I made an appointment with him the second week of 09/2005 and was told that I had very few options. One was never run again and endure the pain, another was total knee replacment of which I would never run again and the third was a replacment of the meniscus through a cadaver. Well for me it was a no brainer since I wanted to RUN. I went in to the hospital on 11/22/2005 and had the surgery completed. Talk about hell and swelling and the pain was intolerable. I was taking pain meds since I had no choice but it was controlled and I had no problem with it. After surgery I worked and worked with my PT to get the knee back so I could again run again. My doctor thought I was crazy but he knew my desire to lace up the shoes again was not going to be taken from me easily. As he has stated to me many times " you are running on a time bomb waiting to blow ". If it does it does but I am a smarter in regards to listening to my body and when to take it easy.
Now when I commenced this quest on 06/01 I had to learn how to run all over again. A complete workout consisted of 100 meters at a time. It took I month just to get to a point where I could run 2 miles. Fast forward to now - I have missed just 4 days of running since the beginning and do double workouts at least 2x per week. The majority of my running is completed in a controlled enviornment on the track. Yes it gets boring but its better than the alternative. It provides much cushion for the knee and yes I do run on the road but in a limited manner. I run by time and not miles @ 8:30 -9:00 minute miles. I have done very limited speed but will commence soon doing T running to develop strength and speed. My left knee will never be right or 100%. I have a continued problem with my left quad which breaks down very often. I must continue to do my exercises and light weight lifting to keep it strong. If I can get it to 95% strength it would benefit my so much but at this point and time its maybe 85%. I run with a very slight limp due to the limited strength in the leg but it will improve with time.
So here I am today running and just thankful that I am able to do so. I know I have limited physical abilities but I will never use that as an excuse. I will push forward and continue to improve. It will take at least a full year of training and racing before I see much of a benefit. I would love to be able to run a 5k averaging 6:10 per mile but only time will tell. Its all up to my physical growth and staying healthy. I have the desire and determination and again am just fortunate to be putting one foot in front of the other.
As for the drug addiction I must call my old therapist Julie and thank her for all she did for me. Its funny and I keep saying this and told Julie on many occassions. You could put a bottle of Percoset and Ultram in front of me. I would throw the bottle of Percs away but eat the Ultram. No reason why but its part of the attraction to the devilish drug that I had. I must always keep in mind that its one day at a time and I am only one pill away from it starting all over again. But I have my life back and everything else if beginning to fall back into place. I have a lovely granddaughter in baby Hailey. Shes the apple of my eye. Carol is my friend and how and why she still supports me is beyond belief. Chris & Sarah I get along very well with. Chris has changed so much for the good and now has a wonderful girlfriend in Tiffany. Sarah I say was born to be a mother. She is so great with Hailey but as for her getting married to Nate, she has no interest in that. They are both young but they will learn with life experiences.
I will now move forward and continue to strive for my goal of running the Las Vega Marathon. I will be there god given. But if not it will never be because I did not try. Life and running is all about putting your best foot forward and doing the best you can. In life its about treating people the way you want to be treated. With running its all about determination and for me now I must also include patience.

Bill Rodger's Quotes

My Jock Story

The day began very early in the morning during the month of February. I was picked up by Tim Smith in his old VW with Geno Mcmerriam and Larry Rich. We headed to Hopkinton, Mass. in a raging blizzard to run the Silver Lake Dodge 20 miler. All I can say that it was down right horrible and awful. I obviously wasn't ready for these type of condition because I was cold from the onset and 15 miles in I had no alternative but to stop. The only special touch from the actual run was passing old John A Kelley just about a quarter mile into the race. It certainly was inspiring passing the greatest legend when it comes to marathon running.

Now to Jock. It was well after the race and I was adamant in obtaining my application for the Boston Marathon. The awards ceremony was complete and I was hunting down Jock for this glorious piece of paper. Finally I located him in the car dealership near the finish line. I approached him and asked, " Mr. Semple can I please have an application for the Boston Marathon ". In his old and gruff manner his reply was, with his hand gesturing, get out of here, he stated don't bother me your too young to run my race. To my recuse was my friend Tim Smith whom knew Jock very well. He told Jock I was indeed 18 years of age, and finally I had my application in hand. Fast forward to 1978, it was after the race and I approached Jock and thanked him for allowing me too run in his race. I then asked him if he remembered my confrontation with him five years prior at the Silver Lake Dodge Race. To my amazement his reply was yes. He then asked me how I had fared today and I replied Mr. Semple I ran 2:30.56. He pated me on the shoulder and said in his Scottish accent, great job son. That was my final contact with this great runner and organizer of this great race. Quite obviously we all know what Jock is well known for, in his encounter with Kathrine Switzer during the running of the 1967 edition of Boston. Kathrine ran the race in an unofficial manner and Jock located her on the course and proceeded to jump off the press vehicle and try to remove her number. He was unable to accomplish this due to her husband being by her side and other intervening. It was obviously all Jock.

FOLLOWING IS A PHOTO OF JOCK & KATHRINE

John Joseph Kelley (born December 24, 1930 in Norwich, Connecticut, United States was the winner of the 1957 Boston Marathon and the marathon at the 1959 Pan American Games,[1] and a member of two United States Olympic Marathon teams. He is often dubbed John "The Younger" to avoid confusion with John A. "Johnny" Kelley "The Elder", the similarly-named winner of the 1935 and 1945 Boston Marathons. (Contrary to popular belief, these two John Kelleys are not related.)

Career Summary

An excellent competitive runner during his high school years at Bulkeley School in New London, Connecticut, Kelley began racing in marathons during his college years. From 1950 to 1954, he attended Boston University, a Massachusetts school located about a mile from the Boston Marathon finish line. While at Boston University, he would excel in team races and would run his first two Boston Marathons, in 1953 and 1954. He finished fifth in the 1953 race before following up with a 7th place finish the next year. After graduation from college, Kelley would finish 2nd in the 1956 Boston Marathon and made his way onto the U.S. Olympic Marathon team which competed in Melbourne, Australia during the same year. He would go on to win the Boston Marathon outright in 1957 while setting a new course record on the remeasured course. After his win at Boston, Kelley would win several other marathons including eight consecutive wins of the Yonkers Marathon in Yonkers, New York.^[1] As a result of his record setting performance at Yonkers in 1960, he again found his way onto the U.S. Olympic Marathon team and competed in the 1960 Olympics in Rome. He placed 21st and 19th in the Melbourne and Rome Olympic marathons respectively.

John J. Kelley's Boston Marathons

1953 2:28:19 5th

1954 2:28:51 7th

1956 2:14:33 2nd

1957 2:20:05 1st

1958 2:30:51 2nd

1959 2:23:43 2nd

1960 DNF

1961 2:23:54 2nd

1962 2:28:37 4th

1963 2:21:09 2nd

1964 2:27:23 7th

1965 2:25:23 14th

1967 2:25:25 12th

1968 2:37:03 15th

1969 2:31:36 22nd

1970 2:36:50 63rd

1971 2:44:10 96th

1972 2:40:05 79th

1973 2:41:13 66th

1974 2:32:18 78th

1975 2:34:11 169th

1976 2:46:43 154th

1977 2:46:26 353rd

1980 2:55:45

1982 2:55:50

1983 2:55:30

1984 2:58:35

1986 3:01:40

1987 3:08:46

1988 3:28:53

1989 3:46:50

1992 4:07:32

Trivia

John J. Kelley is the only runner to ever win both the Boston Marathon and Mount Washington Road Race, which he won in 1961. He made the ascent in one hour and 8 minutes 54 seconds, nearly seven minutes faster than the winning times in the three previous years the race had been held, 1936-1938.

Life Beyond Running

After the pinnacle of his career as a runner, he went onto a successful career as high school running coach. At Fitch High School in Groton, Connecticut, Kelley coached Amby Burfoot, winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon. In addition to coaching, Kelley would find work over the years as a newspaper columnist, free lance writer, cab driver and running wear store co-owner. John Kelley married Jacintha C. Braga in 1953, and has three children, Julia, Kathleen, and Eileen.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

It's Halloween Night And The Goblins Are Out

It's a scary and frightful evening here in Norwich, Ct.

It being Halloween, I thought it would be fitting to have my run transverse through the oldest cemetery in Norwich. I ran by the burial site of Benedict Arnold's mom and the tomb of Samuel Huntington. I love the trail in the meadows and hopefully I will be able to trot the trails in Mohegan Park.
Today I just put one foot in front of the other for a total running time of 35:56. This week, if feeling ok I will bump up my running time by 2:00 per run, to around 37:00 minutes per workout.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

For My First Saturday Run / I Enjoyed It

I really enjoyed the fact that I could go for a run and not worry about anything hurting. Their was a football game at NFA, so running at the track was not happening. I just wanted to get a feel for the road and feel the crusty leaves beneath my feet. Their was not much effort in this run other than going the furthest in time too date. It was cool and breezy, but very nice today.
Total running time today was 44:30

Friday, October 29, 2010

It's My Typical Friday Run

Easy, easy ,easy. As long as I feel good tomorrow I'm going to try a 40:00 minute run. It's been a month since my surgery and my knee feels great. Absolutely no pain associated with the injury, and now my achilles feels fine. I'm going to start doing more road running and see how it feels. I'm very optimistic at this point and time, and hopefully I can run without the worry that something is going to happen.
The weather changed so dramatically from yesterdays warm and muggy mess. My fall / winter attire was out tonight. Personally I prefer this kind of weather. It's so refreshing and clean.
Total running time was 9:07

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Another Humid And Yucky Day

Above logo is of my new GPS tracking and running program

Had the day off so I ran in the early afternoon and did my usual run up to the NFA track and back. My legs are a tad tired, but no doubt I'm moving forward with the progress of my fitness level. I tried a new GPS program called Run Keeper. This seems to be the most accurate of all that I have tried.
Total running time was 34:31.
If my baby runs later on, I may go with her to help her along with her confidence.
No run for Joanne. She is still feeling sick with a cold. We went for a nice walk.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Very Warm And Humid For Late October

Boy oh boy has it ever been humid. The only benefit from the humidity is that I'm losing the weight that I put on due to my knee injury. I felt good this evening and tried to calibrate my watch at the track. I have no idea if its correct or not. I will do the same 800 meters and see how the watch calibrates it.
Total running time tonight was 34:28

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

This Posting Is For Yesterday And Today

I did not have time to post last night due to being so tired from the change of going back to work and running at night. Both yesterday and tonight's run went very well. Tonight I did not run on the field turf as I did yesterday. I ran on the track and then ran home from there.
Yesterdays running time was 30:07
Todays running time 31:53
On to tomorrow and lets keep going.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Back To Work Tomorrow, And On A High Note

The above photo is a true inspiration to all whom have ever run any long distance race. Dick and his son Rick are well known in the marathon and triathlon arena.

My run today was very good. Ran with Joanne up to the track and did our thing there. My runs to date have been very very easy and today was no exception. My runs beginning tomorrow will now be during the evening hours due to my return to work from knee surgery. It's now been just 3 weeks since surgery and my knee has absolutely no ill affects.
My total run time today was 27:53

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Another Good Day For My Achilles

I ran from home up to the track, then ran on the NFA field turf. My knee feels great and my achilles was fine. I am apprehensive in pushing my calf since I do not want to pull it again. I will continue to run in this manner until I feel that the achilles is strong enough to run with more intensity and on the road.
Total running time 23:48

Friday, October 22, 2010

It's Friday And I'm Happy

Another smiley day for my run. I was very hesitant with this run, since I just didn't want to pull my achilles again. I ran on the field turf at the NFA track. I actually reversed my run and ran the opposite direction to take the stress and pressure off the side of my calf and achilles. The first two laps seem to put pressure on the inside of my achilles when I went around the corners. Reversing the run seemed to work, as it didn't bother me at all.
Total GPS running time was 23:12. I can add another two minutes because I turned the watch off by mistake during the run.
I'm going to continue with these type runs. I just don't feel comfortable with the roads yet. I need to make sure that my calf and achilles can handle the roads.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

My Second Post Of The Day / My Workout Posting

I can now add another huge smiley at the top of todays posting. After my doctors appointment this morning I was very much looking forward to a run. But, with my achilles soreness I was very concerned with what I'd actually be able to do today.
Joanne and I ran from home up to the NFA track. With a Freshmen Football game going on, we were not able to run on the track. So we walked across the street to Chelsea Parade, and ran on the grass. To my surprise, I had no soreness, and it just felt great to run pain free.
Joanne is seeing much improvement in her running. In just a few weeks she will be running 2-3 miles a day.
My total run was 25:11

My Doctors Appointment Went Very Well

Well it's return to work time for me. It's been nearly four months since I last worked on the floor. I cant believe that I'm truly looking forward to my return. Dr. Giachetto was very happy with my progress. He said I should be at full strength running in 3-6 weeks.
I explained to him the soreness that I have developed in my lower calf, upper achilles. He said that I need to stretch, stretch this soreness out. He said it could be also from me compensating when I was limping from my meniscus tears. Ummmmmm makes sense. We will see. I will post later with my attempt at running with Joanne at the track this evening.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Not What I Expected, BUT, Still Not Where I Want To Be

Started out with a very slight jog from home and up to the track. My achilles never felt like it was going to pull, but, I was also not going to give it the opportunity to do so. Once I got to the track, I started ever so slowly with a retro run. Ouch Ouch it hurt right away. I immediately stopped and began to walk and do some stretching. Once it felt like I could put one foot in front of the other, I began trotting on the astroturf and did 100 yards and walked. It began to feel better and I resumed by running laps around in outside turf of the football field. I stopped twice to rest my achilles and stretch. In most likely hood, I ran maybe 2 miles total.
Let's see where this brings me. Only time will tell. I'm going to place a smiley at the top of this post, with the hope that it's not followed by a frown.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Went For A Walk And A Tad Of Running

Great characterature of Amby Burfoot

Walked up to the NFA track and did just a little running. I changed out my shoes and put a double heel lift in the right shoe. Once up to the track I did some retro running on the astro turf of 100 yards each. I also did some stretching of which seemed to help in this strain on my calf and achilles.
So So frustrating to be in this situation. I spoke to Jennifer downstairs whom informed me that she is a personal trainer. She told me to do certain exercises to help with this issue.
I will try again tomorrow and take it from there.

Monday, October 18, 2010

It Happen Again / Shit Shit

The above shoe is the old Oregon Waffle. During it's time it was a great racing shoe

Sometimes I wonder why I continue to run, because the frustration always seems too come at the wrong time. It happen again with my calf. I was on my 5th lap at the track, and out of no where my calf again pulled. I stopped immediately and am hoping that this is only a temporary setup. Here I have surgery on my knee just 3 weeks ago, and this is a non issue. The knee feels great. I just have to get through this rough spot with my calf. I truly thought that I had this behind me.

Let's see what tomorrow brings. Total running time 15:57

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Just A Perfect Day To Run

The photo above is of John J Kelley while at Boston University

Today was absolutely beautiful, with no wind and just a tad cool. I ran a 1/4 mile longer and did the same workout as yesterday. My calf felt better today than yesterday. My thinking right now is to do the same workout tomorrow and take it from there.
Hard to imagine right now that my goal is to run a marathon, but I will get there. Joanne also ran with me today.
My total run was 22:28.7

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Very Much To My Amazement !!!

All I can say is YEY YEY. Joanne and I went for our run on Jo's first day of training for her half marathon. My complete intention was to run to the track with Jo, then see what happens. Once there I again did my stretching then started out with the mindset of maybe a another half mile. I ran on the fat outer lane to keep the stress off my calf, then also ran on the grass when I could. This gives my foot a different placement of which I want at this point. By doing this it gives the muscles in my calf a different feel every time my foot hits the ground. If I were to run on an even ground the muscles in my sore calf would have the same placement every time I plant my foot. This possibly could further hinder my calf.
To my amazement I felt great. Very minimal pain in my calf, and my knee is a non issue. I ran more than a 1 1/2 miles with a complete total of 2 miles.
Lets see what tomorrow brings. I think this calf issue may be behind me.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Felt A Little Better Today

Ran a total of approximately 1 mile. Also did some retro running on the backside of the NFA track. My calf felt ok for about 3/4 of the run, then it began to tighten up. So I'm hoping that this is considered progress. I will test it again tomorrow..

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Ran Just A Tad Today

I wore different shoes today with a heel lift to diminish the effects of my sore calf muscle. I did some retro running as well, and am hoping that this subsides rather soon. Only time will tell, but I'm optomistic.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

No Run Today

Greg Meyer 1982 Boston Marathon Winner / 2:09.00

Today I took off due to my slight right calf problem. It's something that I've encountered before and I know exactly what too do and expect. I need a day or two, then some retro running on the track, then I will be again off running and training again. I will post tomorrow on my blog an update on my calf situation.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Oh Well Not Everyday Can Be Good

I was feeling good on this run until my actual third lap on the NFA track. My right lower calf began to cramp up and I immediately stopped knowing fully that I could pull it and have a much larger problem. This has occurred in the past when I have taken a lengthy time off from running. I need to take tomorrow off and just run on the trackwith some retro running thrown in. This method has always seemed too work with this particular problem in the past.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Joanne Marie Shocks Me With Her Wishes

My baby today informed me that she wants to run in the Hartford Half Marathon next year. Their is no doubt that she can accomplish this goal. I will help in any way that I can in order for her to achieve in this event.

Today Was A Basic Carbon Copy Of Yesterday

Ran basically the same workout as yesterday with the exception of an additional two laps once I arrived at the track. The run was about 24 minutes in length with two, two minute breaks. I also did some stretching once I got to the back side of the NFA track.

My knee is feeling pretty good with no pain associated with the injury prior to surgery. It's a tad swollen with very minimal pain. It still is very difficult to kneel or bend my knee completely.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

A Little Bit Of The Road and Track

Ran from home up to the NFA track. Stopped on the backside of the track too do a bit of stretching. Then I was off for another 4 laps, then a two minute walk. I then ran the track again and left on the front side of the track and proceeded back down Broadway too home. Total amount of running was about 21 minutes.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Such A Very Special Day With Mr. Kelley

Joanne and I went to Kelley's Pace today too visit with Mr. Kell. He's such a great person, and we just love to chat with and be in his presence. I wanted to buy the new Nike GPS watch and Kell was so funny in trying to talk me out of buying it because he had no idea how it worked. Ha Ha. I found a great picture of Kell and the Finns from the 1956 Boston Marathon where he placed 2nd. He signed it for both Joanne and myself. God, he's such a great person and we love him very much.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Same As Yesterday

Again went to the NFA track and did the same type of run as yesterday. 2x800 with a 200 meter walk in between each 800. It doesn't sound like much, but considering how long it's been since surgery and what I've endured, this is great. I will take any type of run at this point and time.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Ummmmmmm This Feels Good

Ran today at the NFA track. I walked up from our home and did 2 x 800 meters Actually it was a tad more because I ran in the outside lane. I also did some retro running on the back side of the track. It felt so good to be doing this and I'm just hoping that all the injuries and medical concerns that I have endured are now finally behind me. The knee felt great other than being sore from the surgery. What do I expect being only eight days out from surgery. I will see how I feel tomorrow, and if my knee feels ok, I will again do the same workout.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Dr. Appointment With Dr. Giacchetto

He was very encouraged with my progress. He did say that I may have a honeymoon period in feeling better that expected. He wants too see me in two weeks and then just there after I will return to work full time. He did say that he was quite surprised too see when he went inside my knee that there were multiple tears of my right knee meniscus. But he did show me the photos that were taken of this procedure, and stated that I should be just fine in a few weeks. This makes me happy because I want to start in with a training and rehab plan that will propel me to full time running again.
I am so thankful for all Dr. Giacchetto has done for me. I am also appreciative of my baby Joanne's support and encouragement. I know this has been hard on her for a few reasons, but I assured her that I'm still very much in love with my only true love.
I'm going to post my meniscus photos and attach them to this posting.
All in all, I am very happy with my progress up to this point. It's been only seven days since my surgery, and I never thought I'd be at this point in my healing and rehab. Ummmmmmmmmm I like this.

Joanne came home and we took the poodles out for a walk. We both ran for a bit and it felt good. I wanted to do a complete lap around the NFA track but there was a field hockey match. So I improvised and did some running on the street. Tomorrow I will go to the track.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Six Days After Surgery

Went for a walk up to the NFA track. Walked the track and then got on the football field to do some very slight running. I ran the 120 yards on the straightaway with retro running for my right quad. I did four laps and it felt just great to move in another manner than just walking. My doctor's appointment is on wednesday afternoon.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Four Days After Surgery

Yes Yes, I did run this evening. I went to the meadows with my baby, Dolce and Gabby. I ran on the grass in increments of 100 yards and it felt great to do so. Of course its sore from the surgery, BUT, the discomfort for the meniscus tear was not evident. I move forward and continue to rehab my knee.

The photo of my knee is 4 days after surgery, and just after my little jaunt in the meadows

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My Running Page

PR's for my running career:

1 Mile 4:42
2 Mile 9:45
3 Mile 15:27 Danielson Springtime Festival 1977

4.78 Miles 24:43 1978 Manchester Road Race
5 Mile 25:52 Old Saybrook Road Race 1978
10K 32:29 Hartford Arch Run 1982
10 Miles 53:55 Glastonbury River Run 1977
Marathon 2:30.56 Boston Marathon 1978

When it comes to whom has had the greatest impact on my running it's none other than 1957 Boston Marathon winner John Kelley and his lovely wife the departed Jess. I'll never forget the day just some 2 years ago while visiting with Kell at the store. I asked him if he had any posters of him winning the 57 Boston, and he asked why. I then explained I would love to frame it to hang on my wall. Kell then proceeded to the back of the store and returned with the 57 original photo framed of him winning Boston. He looked at him and said Billy your a great friend and Jess and I would love for you to have this. It's now hanging on my wall and gives me daily inspiration as I have again commenced training for another marathon. Thanks Kell your the best, and Mrs. Kell I have no idea how you put up with all our shit when we were kids and hanging out at the old Kell house. If the walls could talk we would all be in trouble.

Bowerman’s speech on the meaning of running

“Men of Oregon, I invite you to become students of your events. Running, one might say, is basically an absurd past-time upon which to be exhausting ourselves. But if you can find meaning, in the kind of running you have to do to stay on this team, chances are you will be able to find meaning in another absurd past-time: life.”
- Bill Bowerman

"God determines how fast you're going to run; I can only help with the mechanics."

"A teacher is never too smart to learn from his pupils. But while runners differ, basic principles never change. So it's a matter of fitting your current practices to fit the event and the individual. See, what's good for you might not be worth a darn for the next guy."

"If you have a body, you are an athlete."

"The greatest improvement is made by the man who works most intelligently."

"Don't give anything away. Never make it easy for the guys you are trying to beat."

"The athlete makes himself, the coach doesn't make the athlete."

"You don't run at the mouth, you run on the track."

John J. Kelley Quotes

We runners are all a little nutty, but we're good people who just want to enjoy our healthy, primitive challenge. Others may not understand running, but we do, and we cherish it. That's our only message.
- John J. Kelley

"Marathoning is just another form of insanity." -- John J. Kelly, winner of the 1957 Boston Marathon

A two-time Olympian, "Johnny" Kelley was a five-time second-place finisher in the Boston Marathon but it was his lone victory in 1957 that many say marked the beginning of putting American distance runners on the map, and also, perhaps, the Boston Marathon itself. According to the Boston race’s chief architect Jock Semple: "It was a long road from our marathons in the 1930's to [Frank] Shorter’s Olympic win in 1972, but I look at Johnny’s 1957 Boston run as the pivotal event for the American marathon. I see 1957 as the halfway point."

But Kelley was more than just one race. He was the U.S. National Marathon Champion eight straight times, from 1956 to 1963, when it was held in Yonkers, New York. As a schoolboy in New London, Connecticut, he was named top schoolboy miler in the country after running a 4:21.8 mile in 1950. But when he went off to college, he found that the coaches put you where they needed the points, and right from the start Kelley began stretching out his distances. As a freshman at Boston University he went undefeated in seven cross-country meets, setting records on five different courses. He competed in the marathon in both the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 and in Rome in 1960. In 1959 he won the Pan American Games Marathon.

"Young John should be given more credit for creating a line of college runners in America that starts with himself and goes right up through Buddy Edelen to Amby Burfoot, Kenny Moore, Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Craig Virgin and all the rest yet to come," said Semple in his book Just Call Me Jock. "Before Johnny there was none of that. There were only us plodders."

Billy Mills who won the 10,000 meter race at the 1964 Oylmpic games in Tokyo, Japan. He earned a gold medal in what has been called one of the greatest upsets in Olympic History

Billy Mills’ 28:24.4 was an Olympic record and was the first time that he had ever gone sub-29. Both Ron Clarke and Mills continued on to run the marathon during the ’64 Olympics, finishing in 9th and 14th, respectively, with Mills’ finishing the marathon in 2:22:55.4.

Born June 30, 1938 in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, Billy Mills is an Oglala Sioux Indian whose given Native-American name is Loves His Country. Although an outstanding long distance runner, Mills' accomplishment at the 1964 Summer Olympic games in Tokyo, Japan stands as one of the most shocking upsets in modern sports.

Mills grew up on an Oglala Sioux Indian reservation and was orphaned at the age of 12. He first became involved with distance running while attending the Haskell Institute, an Indian school in the city of Lawrence, Kansas. He had taken up running as part of a rigorous training program to become a boxer. However, he abandoned boxing in favor of running. His talent and hard work made him a natural at several distance events.

Mills entered the Univesity of Kansas in the late 1950s and proceeded to improve upon the times he had posted at the Haskell Institute. He was a 1958 and 1959 All-American in cross country while at Kansas. In 1960, Mills won the individual title in the Big Eight Conference's cross countrytournament. The following year, Mills was the conference champion in the two-mile race with a time just over nine minutes. The Kansas team, filled with gifted track and field athletes, won the 1959 and 1960 NCAA outdoor national championships.

Mills went on to become a marine lieutenant and briefly abandoned running for a time. He concentrated on military life, but the lure of running pulled him back into the fray. While serving in the Marine Corps, he returned to racing, posting times that were good enough to qualify him for the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.

Mills was one of three Kansas track legends at the games that year. Discus thrower Alfred A. Oerter, already a two-time gold medalist in the event, would win his third in Tokyo. Also in Japan was a slim 17 year old high schooler runner named Jim Ryun. Running in the first of his three Olympic games, Ryun would later set a world record in the mile.

Mills was entered in the 10,000 meter run, a race which no American had ever won in an Olympics. He was far from a high profile entrant. Many of the media hardly focused on the fact that he was even in the race. The lion's share of the attention was going to Australia's Ron Clarke, who at that time held the world record in the event. Tunisia's Mohammad Gammoudi also received much press as he was expected to be the chief rival of Clarke for the gold.

Each entrant had to qualify for the finals through a set of preliminary races. Mills' qualifying time was twenty nine minutes and ten seconds. Ron Clarke's time was nearly a minute faster. Such a performance gave Mills little hope of contending.

The race began on a wet track. Mills kept pace with the pack for the first several laps. With the final lap of the race just ahead, a pack of runners slowed Mills down slightly. He eventually worked his way back to the leaders during the final lap. Just before the final turn, he was still keeping pace with Clarke and Gammoudi, who by now had forced him to the outside of the running pack.

In the last 100 meters of the race, Mills surprisingly found a huge burst of energy and sprinted past his two surprised competitors. He held the lead as Clarke and Gammoudi fought unsuccessfully to catch Mills. Noticing the amazing events transpiring before him, one commentator began screaming on television "Oh my God, look at Mills! He's gonna win!"

Mills later said that he kept telling himself over and over that he could win. He broke the tape with a new Olympic record time of 28 minutes and 24 seconds. His last lap time had been a scathing 59.8 seconds, and his overall time was nearly a minute faster than his personal best time in the event.

A stunned crowd could not believe their eyes. Mills' notoriety was so low that a news person ran up to him after the race and said "Who are you?"

After the Olympics, Mills went on to set several other records in distance running before retiring from competition. In 1965, he set an outdoor world record in the six mile run, along with U.S. records in the 10,000 meter and three mile races. He remains active in native American causes today. The 1984 movie "Running Brave" was based on his victory.

To date, no other American has won a gold medal in the 10,000 meters.

Dathan Ritzenhein (born December 30, 1982 in Grand Rapids, Michigan) is an American long-distance runner. He held the American record in the 5,000 metres (12:56.27) from 2009–10, when it was broken by Bernard Lagat.^[1] He is a three-time national cross country champion with wins at the USA Cross Country Championships in 2005, 2008 and 2010.

Ritzenhein was a standout runner at Rockford High School in Michigan and the University of Colorado at Boulder. He was part of the stellar high school class of 2001 that also produced American mile record holder Alan Webb and American half-marathon record holder Ryan Hall. Ritzenhein competes professionally for Nike and is coached by Alberto Salazar.

High school

Ritzenhein ("Ritz") emerged as a cult figure among high school track fans during his junior and senior years at Rockford High School, especially since he graduated from high school in the same year as Alan Webb and Ryan Hall, America's other budding distance prodigies. He set numerous state and national high school records during this time, notably in the 3200m race (8:41.10) and in the 5000m (13:44.70). He won back-to-back regional (Midwest) and national titles in the Foot Locker high school championship races in the fall of 1999 and 2000. There was major build-up to the 2000 championships due to the impending clash between Ritz, Webb, and Hall. Ritz scored a resounding victory over Webb and Hall in Orlando, Florida, running the 5k course in 14:35. Perhaps more impressive, the previous year he claimed an unexpected national title while setting the course record in 14:29. As a senior in high school he set the Michigan high school 5k record of 14:10 at state finals; second place was 15:05. His final cross country race in high school was at the IAAF junior world championships in Ostend Belgium where he won a bronze medal to become only the second American runner to ever medal in the race along with American distance great Bob Kennedy.

College

Ritzenhein began to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder in the fall of 2001 to major in history and compete intercollegiately in cross country and track. During his first cross country season he finished in fourth place at the NCAA Cross Country Championships with a time of 29:11. His finish along with the second place finish of teammate Jorge Torres helped lead Colorado to the team title. The following spring he competed in the 5000 m race at the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships, finishing again in fourth place with a 14:01.02. His 5000 personal record during that season was 13:27.77. Stress fractures caused him to decide to redshirt his sophomore year in both cross country and track. In the fall of 2003, Ritzenhein once again competed in cross country. He won the Big 12 title, and then outkicked Ryan Hall of Stanford to win the NCAA Cross Country Championships individual title. His winning time was 29:14.1. In the spring of 2004 Ritzenhein ran a 27:38.50 in his debut at 10,000 m at Stanford to set the American-born collegiate record in the event. The next day he won the 5000 m at the Big 12 Outdoor Conference Championships. Ritzenhein concluded his collegiate season by placing second to Robert Cheseret of Arizona in the 5000 m at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Ritzenhein harbored hopes of competing in theOlympic Games at the end of the summer in Athens, but shortly after the NCAA meet he developed a stress fracture in his foot. He limped through the Olympic Trials in the 10,000 m, finishing last, but was able to make the team because the two other athletes with Olympic qualifying times did not go to Athens, Bob Kennedy having dropped out of the Olympic Trials race with an Achilles tendon injury and Meb Keflezighi choosing to focus solely on the marathon. Ritzenhein ran the Olympic 10,000 m, but dropped out mid-race due to pain caused by his stress fracture. Shortly after the Olympics he decided to forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility in order to run professionally. At this time he changed coaches from Mark Wetmore to Brad Hudson.

Post-collegiate/professional

Ritzenhein began his professional career on December 31, 2004 when he finished 3rd in a 10 km road race in Italy. In January 2005 he won the prestigious Belfast International cross country race, and seemed to be in great form. Ritzenhein won the U.S. Cross Country Championships in the 12 km for his first senior national title. Before the World Cross Country Championships expectations were high and some prognosticators even predicted a top 10 finish, but Ritzenhein faded after going out with the leaders and ended up placing 62nd. Ritzenhein's 2005 track season began with a 13:22.23 5000m personal record and a 7:43.95 3000m. In a much anticipated 2 mile race that included high school rival Alan Webb, Ritzenhein ran 8:23.45, which was a solid performance, but was overshadowed by Webb's 8:11.48 for the American record. A few days before the U.S. Outdoor Track Championships Ritzenhein injured a nerve on his foot while kicking around a soccer ball bare foot with his dog. This injury effectively ended his season.

On February 19, 2006, Ritzenhein faltered in the USATF national cross-country championships at Van Cortlandt Park. Leading with Hall and Jorge Torres for several circuits of the 12K course, he dropped off badly near the end as Ryan Hall ran away from the field. Ritzenhein finished nearly a minute behind Hall and finished fourth in the race. He qualified for the team but appeared to be hurting badly after the race, leading some to question his fitness heading into the IAAF World Cross-Country Championships April 1–2. Ritzenhein was diagnosed withwalking pneumonia after the USATF national cross-country championships and forfeited his spot on the US team.

He again competed against Alan Webb in a 10,000 meter race at the Cardinal Invitational at Stanford University on April 30, 2006. Prior to the race Webb and Ritzenhein agreed to alternate leading the race for the first 24 laps. The last lap would be "every man for himself." Webb's mid-distance background allowed him to outkick Ritzenhein for the win, 27:34.72 to 27:35.65, a personal best for both runners. In the 5000 m at the U.S. Outdoor Track Championships Ritzenhein finished 3rd behind Bernard Lagat and Matt Tegenkamp. Ritzenhein's time of 13:16.61 was a personal record. He then went to Europe and ran two 5000 m races. He won his first race in Switzerland, and then ran respectably in an elite field in Rome.

Ritzenhein made his Marathon debut in the 2006 ING New York City Marathon, finishing in 11th place with a time of 2:14:01.^[2]

Ritzenhein finished second (2:11:07) in the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials which automatically placed Dathan on Team USA for the Beijing Olympics.^[3]

In the 2008 Olympic Marathon, Ritzenhein was the first American Runner to cross the finish line, finishing 9th with a time of 2:11:59. His teammate, Ryan Hall, finished just behind him in 10th place.^[4]

In January 2009, Ritzenhein placed 2nd at the U.S. Half Marathon Championship. Three months later, he set a personal best at the 2009 London Marathon, finishing 11th in 2:10:00.

In May 2009, Ritzenhein and longtime coach Brad Hudson parted ways. He moved from Eugene to Portland, Oregon in order to train with Alberto Salazar's Nike Oregon Project.^[5]

On August 17, 2009, Ritzenhein placed 6th in the 10,000 metres at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany. He set a personal best of 27:22.28 in that race.^[6]

Just eleven days later at the Weltklasse Meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, Ritzenhein placed 3rd in the 5,000 metres, setting a new American record with a time of 12:56.27. He became just the third American to run under 13 minutes in the 5,000, as well as the third fastest non-African of all time in that event behind Dieter Baumann and Craig Mottram.^[7]^[8]

At the World Half Marathon Championships, in Birmingham, Ritzenhein placed third with a time of 60:00. That time is the second fastest American time ever just behind Ryan Hall's 59:43. Ritzenhein finished just one second behind the second place finisher.^[9] With his 1 minute and 25 second personal best time, Dathan became the first American to go home with a medal from these World Championships.^[10]

Mebrahtom "Meb" Keflezighi (pronounced /ˈmɛb kəˈflɛzɡi/; Ge'ez: መብራህቶም ክፍልእዝጊ mebrāhtōm kifl'igzī), born May 5, 1975 in Asmara, Eritrea is an American athlete specializing in long distance running. He and his family were refugees from Eritrea via Italy to the United States, when he was age 12.^[1] He began running while in an American Junior High School in San Diego, going on to win both the 1600 meters and 3200 meters at the CIF California State Championships in 1994 for San Diego High School.^[2]^[3]

The distinction of Meb's homegrown American running history differentiated him from other African-born elite athletes, such as Bernard Lagat, whose change of domicile and citizenship had been for largely competitive reasons.^[4] Keflezighi became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1998, the same year in which he graduated from UCLA. While at UCLA Meb received numerous All-American awards and other accolades.^[1] He won four NCAA championships during the 1996-97 season, including the cross-country title, the 10,000 meters outdoors and the 5,000 meters indoors and outdoors titles in track.^[5]

He is a three-time national champion in cross country running, having won the USA Cross Country Championships in 2001, 2002 and 2009.^[6]

In the 2004 Summer Olympics, Keflezighi finished second in the men's marathon, winning a silver medal in a personal season's best time of 2 hours, 11 minutes and 29 seconds. Keflezighi finished 42 seconds ahead of Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima, who was leading the marathon until he was pushed off the course by protester Cornelius Horan.^[7] This was the first medal won by an American man in the Olympic marathon since Frank Shorter won the gold in the 1972 Olympics and took the silver medal in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.^[1]^[7]

His fastest times for some standard distances are 3:42.29 for 1,500 meters, set in 1998; 13:11.77 for 5,000 meters, set in 2000; 27:13.98 for 10,000 meters, set in 2001 (an American record which stood until 2010)^[8]; and 2:09:15 for the marathon, set in 2009 at the New York City Marathon.

In 2007, Keflezighi suffered from dehydration and broke his hip during the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon trials in Central Park. He finished in eighth place and did not qualify for the team. During the race, his friend and training partner Ryan Shay died of a heart attack.^[9]

He won the 2009 New York City Marathon, setting a personal best of 2:09:15. Keflezighi was the first American to win the marathon since 1982.^[10]

On April 19, 2010 Keflezighi ran his third fastest time of 2:09:26 while finishing 5th in the 114th Boston Marathon, despite training at half his usual mileage with a knee injury. He ran with the leaders for much of the race before slowing at the finish.^[11] He ran the San Jose Half Marathon as part of his preparation towards a New York title defense and he comfortably won by a margin of three minutes, finishing in 1:01:45.^[12]

Keflezighi lives and trains in Mammoth Lakes, California, and is a member of the Mammoth Track Club.^[13]

Meb Keflezighi

Meb Keflezighi at the 2009 London Marathon Personal information Date of birth 5 May 1975 (age 35) Place of birth Asmara, Eritrea Residence Mammoth Lakes, California Height 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m) Weight 127 pounds (58 kg) Website http://www.runmeb.com Sport Country

United States Event(s) Marathon, 10000 m College/university team UCLA Bruins Club Mammoth Track Club Coached by Bob Larsen Achievements and titles Worlds 2001, 10000 m 23rd
2003, 10000 m, 16th National finals NCAA cross-country
NCAA 10,000 m (outdoors)
NCAA 5,000 m (indoors)
NCAA 5,000 m (outdoors) Olympics 2000 10000 m, 12th,
2004 Marathon

Silver Personal best(s) Marathon: 2:09:15,
10000 m: 27:13.98

Men's Athletics
Competitor for United States
Olympic Games
Silver	2004 Athens	Marathon

Ryan Hall (born October 14, 1982 in Big Bear Lake, California) is an American long distance runner. He won the marathon at the 2008 United States Olympic Trials and placed tenth in the Olympic marathon in Beijing. He also holds the U.S. record in the half marathon with a time of 59:43, becoming the first U.S. runner to break the one hour barrier in the event.

[hide]

[edit]High school

Hall came on to the running scene as a high school junior. He graduated from high school in the same year as Dathan Ritzenhein and Alan Webb, behind whom he finished in the 2000 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships.

Hall was the California state cross country champion during his junior and senior seasons at Big Bear High School. He finished third at the Foot Locker Nationals in Orlando during his senior season, also set the Mt. SAC course record in 2000.[1] In track, he was the National Scholastic mile champion in his junior season at 4:06.15,[2] and was the California state champion in the 1600 meters during his senior season with a state record time of 4:02.62,[3] and won the state title during his junior season in the two-mile at 8:55.12. [4] Hall competed at the Peregrine Systems U.S. Open at Stanford in the 1500 meters, running 3:42.70, and at the 2001 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

[edit]College

Ryan Hall's college career at Stanford University started with injuries that held him back from the promise he showed in high school. In 2001, Hall won the Murray Keating Invitational in his college debut and finished 76th at the NCAA Championships in cross country. He red-shirted the 2002 track season. In his sophomore year of cross country, he won the Stanford Invitational and the Notre Dame Invitational. He was named first team all Pac-10 and earned All-American honors with his 37th place finish at the NCAA Championships. He followed this up with a 3:43.37 1500m best his freshman year of track in 2003. The highlight of his collegiate cross country career came in his junior year in 2003. He was named the Pac-10 Cross Country Athlete of the Year after leading Stanford to the NCAA Championship by finishing 2nd to Colorado's Dathan Ritzenhein. His 2004 track season was cut short due to injury but he did record a best of 13:45 in the 5000, which began Hall's change in distance from the 1500. He came back from injury to finish 26th at the NCAA Championships in 2004 to once again earn All-American status. The breakout that everybody expected from Hall since high school took place in the 2005 track season. He earned his first ever individual NCAA Championship by winning the 5000 meters in 13:22.32, finishing less than a second ahead of his teammate Ian Dobson in a race where those two runners dominated the race. He graduated from Stanford with a BA in Sociology.

[edit]Professional

On the way to placing 3rd in the 2009 Boston Marathon. At halfway point in Wellesley Square.

Hall has been sponsored by Asics since 2005.^[1] His coach is Terrence Mahon, a former runner at Villanova University.^[2] In 2006 he won his first national title in the 12K cross-country championships, winning by 27 seconds.

On September 16, 2006, Hall won the Great Cow Harbor 10K in Northport, New York, setting a new course record of 28:22.^[3] Hall's road-running success continued when he broke the U.S. 20k record on October 8, 2006, running 57:54, 48 seconds faster than the previous record run by Abdi Abdirahman in 2005.^[4]

On January 14, 2007, Hall won the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon in a time of 59:43,^[5] the 62nd best performance of all time at the distance. The performance also broke the previous North American record of 1:00:55, set by Mark Curp on September 15, 1985, in Philadelphia.

On April 22, 2007, Hall placed 7th in the Flora London Marathon. His time of 2:08:24 was the fastest marathon debut by any American, and the fastest marathon ever run by an U.S.-born citizen.^[6]

On November 3, 2007, Hall won the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon in a Trials-record 2:09:02^[7] in New York City, New York. With this win, he, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Brian Sell qualified to run the marathon at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.^[8]

On April 13, 2008, Hall placed 5th in the Flora London Marathon. Hall, 25, competing in only his third marathon, finished in 2:06:17^[9]. The only American to run faster is Morocco-born Khalid Khannouchi, who in 2002 ran 2:05:38 in London and 2:05:56 in Chicago.^[10]

Hall was featured on the cover of the September 2008 Runner's World magazine and talks about his "run for glory" in the marathon in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.^[11] On August 24, 2008, Hall was the second American to cross the finish line the 2008 Men's Olympic Marathon, placing 10th with a time of 2:12:33. He ran at a much more conservative pace than the lead pack did, and gradually moved from 21st place at the 15k mark up to 10th at the 40 km mark. His teammates Dathan Ritzenhein and Brian Sell finished 9th and 22nd respectively.

Hall was chosen as the 2008 Road Runner of the Year in the Open Male division by the Road Runners Club of America.^[12]

On April 20, 2009, Hall participated in the 2009 Boston Marathon, finishing third overall in 2:09:40 behind Deriba Merga of Ethiopia and Daniel Rono of Kenya. Merga and Rono finished with times of 2:08:42 and 2:09:32, respectively.^[13] He returned to the race in 2010, but only managed fourth place, although his time of 2:08:41 was the fastest ever by an American at Boston.^[14]

[edit]Achievement chronology

2000 - 3rd place at Foot Locker National High School Cross Country Championships
2003 - 2nd-place at NCAA Cross-Country Championships
2005 - NCAA 5000m champion
2005 - 3rd-place at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 5000m
2006 - 1st place at the USA Cross Country Championships (12K)
2006 - U.S. Half Marathon Champion
2006 - 1st place, Great Cow Harbor 10K (Northport, NY); course-record time of 28:22 shattered previous mark of 28:44 set by Jeff Jacobs in 1991
2006 - U.S. 20K Record Holder (57:54). Inaugural IAAF World Road Running Championships in Debrecen, Hungary.
2007 - U.S. Half Marathon Record Holder (59:43). Aramco Houston Half Marathon in Houston, Texas.
2007 - 2:08:24 at the London Marathon in London, United Kingdom.
2007 - 1st Place, 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon (2:09:02) in New York City, United States
2008 - 5th Place. 2008 Flora London Marathon (2:06:17) in London, United Kingdom
2008 - 10th Place. 2008 Marathon - Summer Olympics (2:12:33) in Beijing, China
2009 - 1st Place. 2009 15K - Publix Super Markets Gasparilla Distance Classics Race (43:26) in Tampa Bay, United States
2009 - 3rd Place. 2009 Boston Marathon (2:09:40) in Boston, United States
2009 - 3rd Place. 2009 NYC Half-Marathon (1:02:35) in New York City, United States
2009 - 1st Place. 2009 ING Philadelphia Distance Run Half-Marathon (1:01:52) in Philadelphia, United States
2009 - 4th Place. 2009 ING NYC Marathon (2:10:36)
2010 - 4th Place. 2010 Boston Marathon (2:08:40)
2010 - 1st Place. 2010 USA 7 Mile Championship (32:55)

[edit]Personal Best Times

Event	Time	Place	Date
1500 m	3:42.70	Stanford, California, U.S.	June 9, 2001
5,000 m	13:16.03	Carson, California, U.S.	May 24, 2005
10,000 m	28:07.93	Palo Alto, California, U.S.	March 31, 2007
15,000 m	43:26	Tampa Bay, Florida, U.S.	February 28, 2009
Half-Marathon	59:43	Houston, Texas, U.S.	January 14, 2007
Marathon	2:06:17	London, England	April 13, 2008

About Hayward Field

At the heart of Eugene’s successful bid for the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials, Hayward Field looms as one of the world's most famous track and field venues.

In 2010, Track Town USA welcomed the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the 10th time since 1962 – the most of any venue in modern history. It's also the only facility to ever host three consecutive U.S. Olympic Trials (1972, 1976, 1980), while six U.S. Championships have graced the storied venue, including recent events in 1999, 2001 and 2009.

The centerpiece of 'Track Town, USA', Hayward Field attracts athletes, coaches and fans from thousands of miles away because of its renowned crowds well-versed in the sport and ready to roar in approval. Hayward Field's historic, covered grandstands are equally beloved, and comparable to many famous European venues. The 'Carnegie Hall' for American track and field plays host annually to the nation's finest single-day track and field contest, the Prefontaine Classic, which features the top mix of national and international talent on American soil each year.

The University of Oregon’s fabled track and field-only facility is named for the first of several legendary coaches, Bill Hayward, who guided the University of Oregon’s men’s team from 1904-1947.

Hayward Field was initially constructed for football in 1919. Two years later, a six-lane cinder track was installed and a full schedule of track events were transferred from Kincaid Field on the opposite edge of campus. The facility was utilized for both sports until the opening of Autzen Stadium in 1967.

The stadium (current capacity: 10,500) has undergone significant improvements in modern history, including a new track surface, permanent lights, a video board and newly configured infield.

The Genesis of Oregon Track and Field

The birth of track and field on the UO campus dates back to 1895. The student body (then numbering 353) built a quarter-mile dirt track at Kincaid Field, now the site of 13th Avenue and Kincaid Street, to practice for their annual field day, held in conjunction with commencement exercises. In 1900, the Ducks started competing in dual meets against regional universities and opponents and sported a 13-3 record in their first nine years – including an undefeated stretch from 1906-09. The first upgrade to the Kincaid track came in 1904 when it was covered partially to facilitate inclement-weather practice and competition. By 1912 the sport had started to outgrow the facility, and the university started to explore other possibilities.

The Origin of Hayward Field

Although collegiate sports went on hiatus temporarily in 1917 because of the first World War, a full schedule of meets returned in 1919 – the same year Hayward Field was built for football. Two years later, a six-lane cinder track bordering the football playing field was installed for $10,000, including a 220-yard straightway on the east end of the track. Bleachers were transferred from Kincaid Field, and in 1925, the wooden east grandstand was added. In 1928, the students paid to cover the bleachers on the north end that remained until 1950.

The Transition to Track-Only

With the construction of Autzen Stadium for football in 1967, Hayward Field became a track-only venue. One of the stadium’s most famous former features was its south end bleachers that obscured nearly a quarter of the track. Oregon runners and eventual Olympians Otis Davis and Wade Bell were famed for trailing the field as they disappeared behind the bleachers, only to emerge into daylight with a commanding lead. The cinder track lasted until 1970 when the facility received its first all-weather surface. Five years later, the west grandstands were completely rebuilt to their current layout.

This is where I aspire to be sometime very soon. I have run in many different races throughout the country and in Bermuda. But nothing compares to the start and finish of the Boston Marathon. Right now I'm thinking of Wellesley College and all the young women whom line both sides of the road and turn the road into a funnel like atmosphere. Heartbreak Hill. I'm remembering now my race in 78 when I rounded the corner at the Newton Fire House and saw my friend Walt Blanker. He was screaming, "your with Duggan, your with Charlie Duggan". Charlie was a great runner from Connecticut whom went to Hartford Public High School. It's such a race of character and dignity and only the best can compete in it. I want to be there and I will. All races have there own creativity and success. But Boston is Boston and no other race will ever compare or surpass it.

Ryan Shay Tribute: Notre Dame Mourns The Death Of A Champion (includes photo series)

Former Notre Dame standout left his mark throughout the sport of track and field.

Nine-time All-American Ryan Shay made an unprecedented jump to elite marathon status during his post-Notre Dame career before dying tragically at the Olympic trials (photo courtesy of the BIG EAST).

Nov. 4, 2007

By Pete LaFleur

Former Notre Dame standout distance runner Ryan Shay - who helped revolutionize the sport of marathon running in recent years - died suddenly on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 3, while competing at the 2008 U.S. Olympic marathon trials in New York City. Shay had been a nine-time All-American and also was an Academic All-America honoree at Notre Dame before making an impressive transition to the marathon distance, immediately following his graduation in 2002.

(Note: a series of photos now have been added to this release.)

"Ryan was here just last week at our practice, before he headed out to New York for the trials," says Joe Piane, who recently embarked on his 33rd season as head coach of the Notre Dame men's cross country team and the school's track-and-field programs. "All the kids on the current team know who he is - he's an inspiration to them."

Joe Piane (right) joined Ryan Shay on the field during a 2001 Notre Dame home football game, as Shay was recognized by 80,000-plus fans for his NCAA championship in the 10,000 meters during the previous spring season (photo by Mike Bennett).

"I can't imagine what Ryan's family is going through right now. As a father myself, I shared this news with my young son. He had become very close with Ryan over the years and he is devastated, as is everyone who knew Ryan. He had been running extremely well and training great. He was a picture of health."

The following arrangements for Shay have been announced: Visitation - Mortensen Funeral Home in Central Lake, Mich. (Central Lake Chapel), Friday, Nov. 9 (5:00-8:00 p.m.) and Saturday, Nov. 10 (noon-8:00 p.m.), details at www.mortensenfuneralhomes.com; Funeral (Sunday, Nov. 11) - Harvest Barn Church in East Jordan, Mich., visitation from 1:00-2:00 p.m., service at 2:00 p.m. ... Memorials - Contributions to The Ryan Shay Memorial Fund may be sent to 5873 Leisure Lane, East Jordan, MI 49727 ... Hotel Reservations - bereavement rates are available at Shanty Creek Resort (231-533-8621).

The 28-year-old Shay - who was married earlier this year to former Stanford elite distance runner Alicia Craig - became the first Notre Dame student-athlete ever to be a seven-time All-American and later pushed that total to nine, during the 2002 NCAA track competition. That accomplishment was eclipsed last spring, when fellow distance runner Molly Huddle earned the 10th All-America finish of her Notre Dame career. Shay's teammate and former roommate Luke Watson nearly had matched his record in 2003, as Watson finished his own Notre Dame career as an eight-time All-American in various distance races.

"The hardest thing to do as a coach was hold Ryan back," says Piane. "He also was a great leader and team captain. He would not stand for anyone else on the team running poorly.

"There was more to Ryan than just his running ability and competitiveness. He was a great leader and a tremendous student, as an Academic All-American. He was the whole package."

Shay's nine All-America honors included four in the outdoor 10,000 meters, two in the indoor 5K, two in cross country, and one in the outdoor 5K. The Central Lake, Mich., native returned for a fifth year of eligibility in 2001-02, after previously missing one cross country season (in 2000) and one track season ('98) due to injuries. He still holds Notre Dame records in two events - the outdoor 10,000 meters (28:25) and indoor 5K (13:46) - while his Notre Dame record in the outdoor 5K was broken by Watson in 2003 (13:38; since broken by Kurt Benninger's 13:33 in 2005). Shay graduated from Notre Dame in 2002 with a 3.21 cumulative grade-point average, as a double major in economics and computer applications.

His postgraduate training had included ramping up to the marathon distance, more than four times the length of a 10K. Shay won the 2003 U.S. Marathon race - becoming that event's youngest champion in 30 years - and was among the favorites heading into the 2004 Olympic trials, before being slowed by a hamstring strain and finishing 23rd at that race in Birmingham, Ala. (2:19:20).. He also recently had won U.S. titles in the 15K ('05), 20K ('04) and half-marathon ('03, '04) races.

Shay was the fifth-oldest of eight children who all became competitive distance runners. His parents Joe and Susan had no background in running before their children took up the sport - but the Shay parents now are the cross country and track-and-field coaches at their hometown Central Lake High School.

Ryan Shay's first-place finish in the 2001 NCAA 10,000-meter race represented Notre Dame's first national championship in an outdoor track-and-field event in nearly 50 years (photo by NCAA photos).

A moment of silence was observed for Shay before Notre Dame athletic events on campus this weekend, including the football game versus Navy. Six years earlier, Shay was honored on the field at Notre Dame Stadium during a 2001 Irish football game - as more than 80,000 fans applauded in recognition of his NCAA 10K championship that had been won during the previous spring season.

Huddle and Watson - a two-time Academic All-American who also was a standout racer in the mile - fashioned their own stellar careers as members of the Notre Dame cross country and track-and-field teams, but neither of them ever won an NCAA individual title. Such was the accomplishment for Shay at the 2001 NCAA 10,000-meter race, when he torched the competition to win in a time of 29:05 (more than 20 seconds ahead of the runner-up, Murray Link of Arkansas). He became Notre Dame's first NCAA track-and-field champion since 1972, when Tom McMahon won the NCAA 55-meter indoor high hurdles.

One had to go all the way back to 1956 - when Aubrey Lewis won the 400-meter hurdles - to find Notre Dame's previous NCAA champion at the outdoor meet. Lewis won his NCAA title 23 years before Shay was born (March 6, 1979, in Ann Arbor, Mich.).

"Leading up to the 2001 NCAA 10,000-meter race, we knew that Ryan would be one of the top contenders and frankly thought he had what it took to win the race," recalls Piane. "He took the lead after the first lap and then led for the final 24 laps. He just dominated the field that day and won going away. He was tenacious."

To put Shay's NCAA title into further perspective, his championship is one of only eight in Notre Dame history (the first since 1944) to come during an NCAA running event and five of those NCAA titles came at the shorter distances of 600 yards, one mile or two miles (3). The only previous Notre Dame competitors ever to win an NCAA title in an event longer than two miles were Greg Rice (in 1938) and Oliver Hunter (in 1942) at the NCAA cross country meet, which was a four-mile race (2,500 meters) during that era.

Notre Dame's only other NCAA champions in running events have been Charles Judge in the 1926 mile, Rice in the 1937 and '39 NCAA two-mile races, Frank Martin in the 1944 two-mile, and Rick Wohlhuter in the 600-yard race at the 1970 NCAAs. Rice's stellar career included receiving the Sullivan Award, as the nation's premier amateur athlete.

Shay fittingly had grown up idolizing runner Steve Prefontaine, a native of the pacific Northwest who ran collegiately at the University of Oregon. So when he learned that the 2001 NCAA outdoor meet was going to held in Eugene, Ore. - on the track where Prefontaine gained his fame - Shay gained an extra dose of motivation.

Shay was in the front of an early pack during the 2001 NCAA 10K - but he soon pushed the pace and went on to win by a 20-second margin (photo by NCAA photos).

"If I was going to win, that's where I wanted to do it," recalled Shay, who even had a series of articles about Prefontaine taped to his bedroom walls.

Shay, who entered the 2001 NCAA 10-K race as the #4 seed, made a bold move early in that elite race. After sitting back through the first lap, he decided to take the initiative by picking up the pace.

"I told myself that it was going to be a 10-K race from the start," Shay later said. "Anybody who wanted to go out slow, this wasn't going to be the race for them. I've learned from experience not to be content to sit back and take it slow. So I kind of forced the issue."

By the time Shay reached the halfway mark, the race had become a two-man battle between himself and Link. With three laps to go, Shay's lead was so large that only a fall could prevent his historic championship-winning performance. But top seed Keith Kelly of Providence College, the reigning NCAA cross country champion, had developed a reputation for being a strong closer who could erase seemingly insurmountable leads

"I kept waiting to hear his footsteps, but they never came," said Shay, who finished a whopping 46 seconds ahead of the favored Kelly.

Shay left his own footsteps on the sport of marathon racing, after making the rare jump from being a premier collegiate distance runner to becoming one of the nation's top competitors at the grueling 26-mile distance.

"Ryan was one of the first guys who came straight out of college and said, `I want to run a great marathon.' Some who have gone from college running to the marathon did not excel on the track during their college career like Ryan did," says Watson, who currently serves as a member of the cross country and track-and-field coaching staffs at Notre Dame.

"During Ryan's first season as a professional, he won the U.S. Marathon. For a newcomer to make that quick of a jump from college to being an elite marathoner was revolutionary. Now people are doing it more regularly, including Ryan Hall [who concluded his career at Stanford in 2005 and won Saturday's 2007 Olympic marathon qualifier]. If not for Ryan Shay, I don't think it would have been as easy for others to make the jump from running 10-Ks to marathons."

Hall - who never had run a marathon before April of this year - followed Shay's lead in making the quick transition to the longer distance. Hall's eighth-place finish at that first marathon (in London, versus an elite field) produced the fastest marathon debut ever by an American.

Shay and Hall recently had been training partners near Hall's college stomping grounds in Woodside, Calif. (near Palo Alto). But the Shay-Hall connection has yet another layer, as their wives - both Olympic hopefuls in the 10,000 meters - were teammates at Stanford and are close friends. Just four months ago, Sara (Bei) Hall served as a bridesmaid at Ryan and Alicia Shay's wedding in Jackson Hole, Wyo. - and the two couples went on a "fun run" through Central Park last Friday, the day before the Olympic trials.

Shay's quick transition from being an elite college distance runner to emering as one of the nation's top young marathoners made him a revolutionary in the world of competititve running.

Hall did not hear of Shay's death until he had crossed the finish line as the champion of the Olympic trials. "That just cut me straight to the heart," said Hall, who now is dedicating his race at the Olympics to Shay. "It makes you forget what you just did.

"[Ryan was] a workhorse," Hall added. "Nobody ran harder than him. He had a lot of passion. I'll be thinking of him when I'm out there training. He was inspiring to be around."

For those not familiar with the demands required for running different distances, making the shift from 10-K races to marathons provides a significant shock to the system. Individuals - like Shay - who can excel at both distances are few and far between.

"In 10-K races, you have to battle lactic acid buildup over a significant time. But in marathons, it's totally different because your body is running out of fuel," explains Watson. "You aren't getting that `quick burn' like you would in sprints, weightlifting or 10-Ks. Instead, you are fighting your body, which does not want to continue. But Ryan was able to make that transition and did so with great success."

Shay's decision to pursue the marathon route sent him on an initial cross-country drive from his native northern Michigan to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the town of Mammoth Springs, Calif. It was there that he trained under legendary coach Joe Vigil while running alongside Olympians such as Meb Keflezighi (the 2004 Olympic silver medalist) Nick Rogers, Deena Drossin Kastor ('04 Olympic bronze), Jen Rhines and Amy Rudolph. Former marathon all-stars Terrence Mahon and Peter DeLaCerd, plus 5K/10K specialist Matt Downin, also were among the assembled talent that was brought together during the fall of 2002 by the association that was known then as Team Running USA Southern California.

The experience in Mammoth Springs was conveyed by Shay in an online journal. Proclaiming that he was taking his "good old fashioned Midwest values and work ethic" and looking to "plant them in new soil," Shay settled in at the high-elevation, oxygen-deprived environment. It did not take long for Vigil's coaching methods to make an impact on the bright-eyed marathon newcomer.

"I was absolutely impressed with his ability to motivate and his abundant knowledge of the science, physiology and philosophy of the sport," said Shay, in the online journal. "Coach Vigil possesses the tough-love mentality that I was looking for in a coach."

Shay 's time of 2:14:58 was good for a third-place finish in the 2006 Twin Cities Marathon (photo by Getty Images).

Shay also received valuable mentoring from the other members of that training group and soon he was running in his first 26-mile race, at the 2002 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. One year later, Shay ran to victory at the USATF National Championship Marathon in Birmingham, Ala., breaking the tape in a time of 2:14:29. His seven career marathon finishes included three others in the same time range, among them a ninth-place finish in the 2004 New York City Marathon (2:14:08) and a third-place showing in the 2006 Twin Cities Marathon (2:14:58). Keflezighi was the only American to finish higher than Shay at the 2004 NYC Marathon.

One year later in New York, Shay had a disappointing 18th-place finish. But it was there that he met Craig, a former two-time NCAA champion in the 10,000 meters who also set the NCAA 10-K record (32:19) during her Stanford career. The future husband and wife began dating a few months later. "They hit it off right away," says Sara Hall. "They were inseparable."

Shay spent the fall of 2005 training in the Palo Alto area alongside a collection of young distance-running talent namely Ian Dobson, Ryan and Sarah Hall, Gabe Jennings, Lauren Fleshman, Kate and Laura O'Neil, Missy Buttry, and his future wife Alicia Craig. Shay and his bride-to-be briefly lived in Denver during early 2006 before deciding to settle in Flagstaff, Ariz. He spent the five months leading up to the trials training alongside top talent Abdi Abdirahman, who joined Shay in taking advantage of the 7,000-foot altitude, great running trails and the nearby High Altitude Training Center at Northern Arizona University. Shay maintained his steady progress and headed into the 2007 trials as a contender to make the three-man Olympic team.

"I thought [Saturday] would be his day," said Keflizighi, after receiving the tragic news of Shay's death. "[Ryan] had trained very, very hard to make a breakthrough. He'd lost a lot of weight and was ready to go. I really thought that today he was going to have a breakthrough, because he likes it when it's windy and cool. ... He was a great training partner but - more than that - he was a great friend"

According to Watson, Shay had been planning to make a return to 10-K racing in the near future.

"Ryan still was a great 10-K runner during the past few years," says Watson "In the spring of 2006, he ran a 10K at Stanford in 28:04. That's 22 seconds below the Notre Dame record he set and any time around 28 minutes is almost world-class. He always was driven by trying to run that race under 28 minutes.

"He could have been an Olympic-caliber runner in the 10,000 meters after graduating from Notre Dame, but - true to his character - he took the bigger challenge of making that the uncharted transition to the marathon. Ryan always had run on roads and was well-suited for the marathon, because he was a high-mileage and fast-pace runner every day. When training at altitude, Ryan had a great response. There never was an off-day for Ryan."

Shay recently had married former Stanford standout Alicia Craig, a 2008 Olympic hopeful in the 10,000 meters.

Ryan and Alicia Shay had emerged as one of the top couples in professional distance running, a close-knit community that still was coming to grips with Ryan's death when the NYC Marathon began earlier today. Just two months ago, the couple posted top times at the U.S. 20-K Championship in New Haven, Conn., with Alicia winning her race (1:06:56) while Ryan was fifth in the men's standings (1:01:21).

"I saw a soft side of [Ryan] with Alicia," said Sara Hall, in a recent interview. "You could just tell his love for her. That was a side I got to know more."

Watson likewise saw a positive impact on Shay following his marriage.

"I was very impressed and happy when Ryan found someone who was his equal intellectually," says Watson. "Alicia has great running talents as well, but she also wasn't afraid to debate things with Ryan. And he loved that. It brought out a great side of Ryan."

Shay also spoke of the couple's relationship in recent articles, saying, "Running is my career. It's 24/7. Every decision you make will affect your performance. It's hard to find someone who respects that, but Alicia and I are very supportive of each other."

Roommates Luke Watson (left) and Ryan Shay (right) were a formidable pair on the cross country trails during their Notre Dame careers (photo by Matt Cashore).

In the hours following Shay's death, Watson had the chance to talk to some of his roommate's former teammates and close friends. Several "classic Ryan Shay" stories were dredged up - and many of them had nothing to do with running.

Watson recalled one year when he made a fateful five-hour drive with Shay to his hometown in northern Michigan. Shay's "old, beat-up" Saturn S-10 broke down halfway through the voyage, stranding the teammates at midnight in a small, sleepy town.

"We were stuck in this town with nothing to do, waiting for Ryan's dad to come get us," remembers Watson. "So we went to this grocery store, which was the only place open, and bought some sandwiches and fireworks. We had to kill some time, so we had shopping-cart races in the parking lot and shot off fireworks while we waited.

"Some people who may not have known Ryan that well might assume that he would have flipped out in that situation. But he had a side of him away from running - he liked to relax and just have fun, to the point of being slaphappy. He made the best out of a frustrating situation - it was really cool to see that from him."

The former roommates recently had another meaningful adventure while offroading in Shay's new pickup, out in California. At one point, they came to an end of a road and faced what they thought was a small hill. Opting to make what appeared to be a 20-minute climb, Shay and Watson began traversing the slope.

"It didn't look that big, but it ended up being a lot higher than we thought," says Watson. "Near the top, we ended up face-climbing vertical rock walls - crazy and scary stuff. After an hour and a half, we were so proud to be on the top. We felt like we were the first people in history ever to get atop that mountain.

"Again, that was a typical moment for Ryan. He would tackle any challenge and end up getting it."

Shay's adventurous spirit extended to exploring the back roads during his time in Mammoth Springs, Calif.

Running typically is viewed as an individual sport, but Shay - through his actions - displayed the team aspect of cross country competition at the 2001 BIG EAST meet. Shay had entered that final season of eligibility as a favorite to win the NCAA cross country title, but his season was derailed by the combination of an early injury to his achilles tendon and a lingering illness. Shay accompanied the team to the BIG EAST Championship, held at historic Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y., but it seemed unlikely that he would be able to run in the race.

"When Ryan was injured and sick during that fall, those were some tough days around our apartment. For a while, he even was in one of those air-cast boots," recalls Watson. "He was barely able to walk, much less run. But he recovered from all that and ran at the BIG EAST meet - for nothing but the team.

"He had only been training for five days and knew that he would not be able to perform up to his own high standards. But he knew that he still could help the team, so he went out there on guts and a bum leg and helped us win the BIG EAST title. For me, that's classic Ryan Shay."

Shay was Notre Dame's fifth and final scorer that day, with his finish helping the Irish edge Villanova by a mere three points.

"Leading up to that BIG EAST meet, we wouldn't let him run on anything but flat ground," says Piane. "When it came time for the race, we left it up to him and he said, `I'm going to run.' Without him, we would not have won - he took one for the team."

Shay was granted an injury exemption for the ensuing NCAA Great Lakes Regional race but he returned to action with another courageous performance by placing sixth at the NCAA Championships, in Greenville, S.C. Running against what Watson calls "one of the best fields ever," Shay finished behind five legendary runners - Eastern Michigan's Boas Cheboiywo (a Kenyan national) and the Colorado duo of Jorge Torres (a World Championship participant) and Dathan Ritzenheim, plus Alistair Craig of Arkansas (a member of Ireland's Olympic team) and Watson.

Shay was a fierce competitor on the cross country trails whose strong devotion to the team produced a gutsy performance that helped the Irish win the 2001 BIG EAST title (photo by Matt Cashore).

The finish produced the second cross country All-America honor of Shay's career, along with his 12th-place finish in 1999. He also was a four-time All-American in the outdoor 10,000 meters - placing among the top-10 in 1999 (7th; 29:55), 2000 (7th; 30:54), '01 (1st; 29:05) and '02 (2nd; 28:32) - in addition to twice earning All-America honors in the indoor 5K, with matching times of 14:02 (good for 9th in '01 and 6th in '02).

One of Shay's more impressive All-America finishes may have come at the 2001 NCAAs in Eugene, two days after winning the 10-K race. It originally appeared that Shay would not run in the second race for which he had qualified (the 5K) - but Piane encouraged his star runner to sleep on it and leave his options open. Shay ultimately decided to run and set a goal of breaking Dan Garrett's 1988 school record (13:55). The pack adopted a slow pace early in the race and Shay shifted his focus to securing an All-America finish (typically top-8) - which he achieved (6th), in addition to the bonus of setting the school record (13:52).

Shay's stellar career included winning nine BIG EAST titles: cross country in 1999; two in the indoor 3,000 ('99, '02); two in the indoor 5K ('01, '02); the 2000 outdoor 5K; and the outdoor 10K every year from 2000-02. In the later stages of his career at Notre Dame, Shay earned a spot in the 10,000-meter trials for the 2000 Olympic Games and impressively finished 10th (first among collegians) in that qualifying race. Years earlier as a freshman, he ran with the U.S. contingent at the 1998 World Junior Cross Country Championship in Morrakeck, Morocco, finishing 20th in a time of 24:20 (best among any non-African in the field).

The Shay children grew up in the heart of Michigan and established themselves as a hardworking group of distance runners, with several of the older and younger siblings joining Ryan as collegiate athletes. Shay's pre-Notre Dame accomplishments included placing fourth in the 5-K race at the 1997 Junior Nationals (14:58), earning him an alternate spot for the Pan-Am Games that year.

Shay came to Notre Dame as one of the middle children in a family of eight distance-running siblings.

"Ryan was such a competitor. We used to joke that in Central Lake, they must have eaten rusty nails for breakfast, lunch and dinner," says Watson. "He just had an incredible strength of character and toughness - it was very admirable. You don't meet that type of person that often."

Shay's fellow Michigan native Brian Sell, who earned one of the spots on the 2007 Olympic marathon team, had a similar take on Shay's personal fortitude. "Ryan was from the East Jordan area and, in Michigan, all the manhole covers are made by East Jordan Ironworks," said Sell. "I always think of him every time I see one of those. He's a tough guy from a tough area."

When he first had the chance to qualify for the Olympic team (back in 2000), Shay couldn't help but daydream about competing on the Olympic level. "The chance of being able to represent not only Notre Dame, but the U.S., in the Olympic Games was a big rush for me," said Shay, following the 2000 trials. "It was kind of like a circus atmosphere."

Later in his college career, Shay reflected on his growth over the years as a member of the Irish cross country and track-and-field programs. "At Notre Dame, I learned how hard one must work to reach an elite level of running," he said. "I've learned the sacrifices that must be made to become a national champion. I wouldn't trade being a part of it here at Notre Dame for anything."

Shay posted his first of nine All-America honors with a 12th-place finish at the 1999 NCAA cross country meet (photo by Matt Cashore).

As Piane copes with the all-too-early loss of one of Notre Dame's all-time greats, he also will remember the "fire in the belly" that defined Shay's approach to running: "Ryan was the most tenacious competitor I ever had the honor to coach. If we ever needed to pick up a point in the standings or a win, we could turn to Ryan Shay and he would deliver. He didn't give anything away - that's for sure."

Watson - who says that the tragic news of Shay's death "came out of nowhere" and hit him "like a ton of bricks," was struck by Shay's competitive intensity the first time he saw him run, while visiting Notre Dame on his official recruiting trip.

"Ryan knew one thing: run very fast and very hard," says Watson. "After Notre Dame, he lived a very professional lifestyle: running twice a day, napping in the afternoon to recover, eating right. He did all the little things that you would expect from the consummate professional and made the most of his opportunities. He even was revolutionary in seeking sponsors beyond the basic shoe contract [Shay was sponsored by Saucony]. He had a deal with the EAS sports drink and had some other things in the works. He looked at things `outside the box,' as a business person, and again I think he will end up being a trendsetter in that regard."

Shay - who often appeared at ease in his races, despite the brisk pace - will be remembered for more than simply his running dominance and competitive drive.

Watson's prevailing thoughts about Shay continue to drift away from the tracks and trails. "Running was so important to Ryan that a lot of people don't realize he also was very interested in academics," says Watson "He loved to debate and talk philosophy, and he knew that Notre Dame was a place where he would be able to do that while being challenged academically.

"He also had a lot of qualities like he was one of your family members. He would do almost anything for you, like a brother. He had that strong personality, very opinionated and often stubborn. But, as part of that, he was so loyal and stood up for what he believed in. There were many times that he stood up for his teammates and his brothers. He would not back down from supporting the people he believed in."

Shay is survived by his wife Alicia, parents Joe and Susan, and his seven siblings: Jodie, Casey, Sarah, Amie, and younger brothers Nate (who also was a distance runner at Notre Dame), Elliott and Stephan

Results:	Time:
1. J.J. Kelley, Groton, CT	2:20:05
2. V. Karvonen, Finland	2:23:54
3. C. Lim, Korea	2:24:59
4. O. Manninen, Finland	2:25:19
5. S. Han, Korea	2:28:14