Running Times, Online

5/31/08

Dear Readers,

I write you today about something we all deal with on daily basis day but it can change our running in an instant.

During my lunch run two days ago, one of my training partners twisted his ankle so bad he had to stop the run and walk back to his car. His ankle is the size of a softball and black and blue.

He is not going to be running for a while and his fitness was really coming around and he was running with great enjoyment and strength.

We were not doing anything crazy just running on the same route that we normally run on. Maybe a tad slower than our typical pace but definitely not racing each other and snap, everything changed.

That is the way our sport is, so tenuous and fragile but that is what makes it great also because every run is a treat and sometimes during heavy training I fail to realize just how lucky I am to be able to run at all.

Anyhow, my training partner should be back next week and just in time as I enjoy his company and will miss his constant banter during our runs.

I have a big June coming up and will try to remember just how fortunate I am to be able to compete with races all around the country starting this weekend locally with three (3) shorter races and then moving to the “USA Trail Marathon Championships” in Deadwood, South Dakota.

I follow that up with trip to Mount Washington for the “Mount Washington Road Race” and end the month with the “Western States Endurance Run”.

I am really looking forward to chance to test myself against the best athletes in country and world at these events and will be excited to see how it goes.

Thank you for the interest and hope you all are excited about your running at the moment too.

Best Regards,
Michael Wardian

I am pleased with my progress over the last two weeks. I am training and racing at full-speed now. Tempo runs and fast-pace training have been no problem during my recovery. Though, I have found that explosive push-offs sprints have been much more difficult due to tenderness.

On May 17th, I travelled to the University of North Carolina to race in an 800m at the Nike Elite Meet. I was less than satisfied with my 2:12.8 second-place performance (Results Here). Though, my splits were good up until 600 meters. There were just four women in the race. The meet was lightly attended. I came through the 200m in a conservative 30 seconds. I ran 61 seconds for 400m. At the 600m mark I came through at 1:31; it was there that things fell apart. There was a steady breeze into the finish where I struggled to the line for second place. Not a blazing time, but I certainly needed the effort.

On Sunday, May 25th, I raced a group of masters women and one youngster in the 200m at the Potomac Valley all-comers meet in Langley, Virginia. My time was 26.8 for third-place. The youngster was first. I was reminded of my brief high school days as a sprinter. I even used starting blocks! I ran the race in order to help my friend an fellow masters runner, Charmaine Roberts, who was attempting to improve her qualifying time for the Masters Exhibition 200m that is to be held at the Olympic Trials on July 5th. Charmaine successfully improved her time finishing second in 26.2! I was pleased with my performance. My speed is improving nicely.

This Saturday I will give it another shot at improving my 800m time for the Olympic Trials. I am now at number seventeen on the list: http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/OlympicTrials-TF/entry/status.asp#women. Only the top 30 women make the cut to race at the Trials in the 800m. I am travelling to Indianapolis to run in the American Milers Club High Performance Series track meet. The race will include individuals with posted elite times that are trying to run fast in hopes of qualifying for the Olympic Trials: http://www.indianainvaders.com/americanmilersclub/amc_instructions.asp. The current postings are not updated. Apparently the website is having some difficulties. The race will be run in the evening under the lights. Wish me luck!

5/20/08

Dear Readers,

Hope all is well on your ends and this post finds you well and healthy.

I have had a busy couple of weeks since the last post, running some superb local events as follows:

1) 5/10/08- Battle of the Boulevards 10K in Arlington, VA — Time: 32:43

2) 5/17/08- Germantown 5 Miler –Time: 25:25

I was fourth (4th) in both races and appreciated getting the chance to mix it up with some of the local talent and see where I stand at the moment with my fitness.

I am always amazed by how many excellent athletes and events we have in the Washington, DC area and I try to remind myself that all runners are not as lucky as we are.

The Washington, DC area also has an immense network of multipurpose trails with miles of miles of trails spanning much of the area, allowing me and other runners/biker/hikers/walkers the chance to get outside and explore our communities.

I also enjoy running with my training partners through Washington, DC along the National Mall, what a cool thing it is to be running and look up and see the Washington Monument and then look over and see the White House with the Capitol in the distance.

We are definitely lucky and I try not to overlook the beauty of it as I am clicking off the miles and chatting with my training partners.

Anyhow, all is well with me and I am excited about the beginning of the summer as I have some big races coming up and look forward to challenging myself at each and every event.

I hope you have a great day and thank you for your interest.

Best Regards,
Michael Wardian

Ps. The USA 100K team website is almost completed and I will post a link to same as soon as website is up and running.

I caught the flu last week just six days before I was scheduled to race in the Medtronic TC 1-Mile road race.  On Saturday, May 3rd, I had a 101 degree temperature.   My doctor prescribed Tamiflu, an antiviral medication.  By Sunday I was able to run again; the Tamiflu worked!

On May 7th, dealing with some congestion and a slight cough, I stuffed my carry-on bag with tissues and flew to Minneapolis, Minnesota.   Elite Recruiter, David Smisek, had been communicating with me via-e-mail since March.  He was even more pleasant in-person.  Race Director, Brian Mastel, was generous with my travel and accommodations.  I figured that I desperately needed the competition.  The fact that the race was one mile and off of the track was a bonus since I was coming off an injury.

Thursday, May 8th, was race day.  The elite men and women gathered together in a grassy area near the start of the race.  The race was scheduled to begin at 7:53 PM.  I was pleasantly surprised when Carrie Tollefson, who is as friendly as she is beautiful,  approached me and asked, “How is your leg?”  I responded with a smile and said, “I don’t know.  I guess I’ll know in a few minutes.”

On the starting line there were just nine runners; seven elites and two elite masters.  Zofia Wieciorkowska, a forty-five-year old native of Poland would be my direct competition.  Zofia is a former elite open 400m/800m runner.   I had not lost a race to her thus far, but I knew this evening she was healthy and a tremendous competitor.

At the sound of the starting horn the ladies shot off the line and immediately opened up a gap on me.  Even Zofia was amongst the pack when I made a brief scan of the entire field ahead of me.  The course began with a slight decline for about 150m then inclined for 100m.  At the sharp left turn I noticed Zofia beginning to get distanced from the pack.  By the first quarter mile I was even with Zofia.  I made a special attempt to conserve my energy at this point in the race because I was aware that the remaining three quarters of the race would be a gradual up hill to the finish.  At the second sharp left turn I surged ahead of Zofia, but I knew she was close behind me.  As I passed the half-way point I saw the clock read “2:26″.  My pace was the least of my concerns.  I had 800m remaining in a race with Zofia stalking me.  My lungs were giving me all they had.  I faintly heard a man read off my 3/4 split; all my brain could decipher was the number nine.  I was hurting pretty bad at this point.  I could feel my legs no longer lifting.  Ahead of me in the distance was an African runner who had fallen way-off the pack.  The crowd support was wonderful.  I think I even heard my name cheered a few times; though I may have been hallucinating.  As I approached the finish I was just praying that Zofia would not gather her former 400m speed and walk by me; I would not have been able to respond.

I finished in 5:14 as the first place master. http://www.mtcmarathon.org/OneMile/Results.cfm. Though my time was not spectacular I was pleased with my performance.  My injured leg was back to form and soon my body would be rid of the flu.  I would gladly run this race again.  The Race Organizers were all professional and friendly.  Compared to all of the many mile road races that I have run in the last 25-years the Medtronic TC 1-Mile was one of the best I have ever experienced.

5/8/08

Dear Readers,

Sorry for the delay posting something.

I like all of you have been busy running around and have not made the time to put something interesting together for you to read.

I have been busy with an issue concerning the United States of America 100K World Team and the fifteen (15) team members (6 men, 6 women and 3 support staff) that are traveling to Tuscania, Italy to compete against the best Ultra Marathon teams around the World (i.e, the Russians, Japanese, French, Spanish, etc…) on November 8, 2008.

I did not know until last week but each team member gets very limited support to make the trip so we (the 100K team members) have banned together to seek support for trip and to allow each team member the ability to focus on their training and not trying to find upwards of $2,500 to finance the travel, lodging, transportation, food, etc.. for the event.

Howard Nippert, one of the best USA ultra marathon runners of all time and a member of the 2008 USA 100K team has prepared the following and I wanted to include it with my post because it is precise and outlines our plight quite well and also includes a way for people to act should they feel the desire to do so:

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The USA 100 Km National Team will be traveling to the 2008 International Association of Ultra Runners (IAU) 100Km World Cup competition in Tuscania, Italy on November 8. The IAU 100Km World Cup is the most prestigious ultra marathon race in the world and serves as the 100Km world championship race.

For more details, see: http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/IAU100kmWorldCup/

American runners must meet strict qualification criteria to make the National Team.
However, USA Track and Field does not provide financial support for the team members who will represent the United States at the World Cup competition. Each of the 15 team members (6 men, 6 women, 3 support staff) must pay their own way, and the cost per member can be up to $2500.

If you would like to help support the USA 100 Km National Team, you can make a charitable donation to:

Fund for National Ultra Running Teams, Inc.
P.O. Box 1807
Madison, WI 53701-1807

Any amount is welcome. Your tax free donation will aid in defraying the cost that these team members bear while representing the United States at the world championship of ultra marathons.

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In addition, we (the USA 100K) World Team are working on putting up a web site should you feel the urge to donate on-line. The website is not up yet but I will post the web address as soon as same is completed and functioning properly.

I know that together we can find the resources to help the USA 100K World Team make trip successfully and I appreciate your consideration of this situation.

Thanks for allowing me a venue for my thoughts and what I have been working on at present.

Talk to you all soon.

Cheers,
Mike