2011 One Mile Road Race Championship

RunMinnesota Writer Patrick O'Regan filed this report from the One Mile Championship race on Thursday, May 12, 2011

The USA 1 Mile Road Championship races were again run this year on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. For a fan of running, it was a thrilling evening of entertainment. Wave after wave of runners – friends and family, corporate, team circuit, masters – thundered down the Mall past cheering hordes from starting line to finish. The last races were the highlights – the women’s and men’s USA 1 Mile Road Championships.

With $4,000 going to the men’s and women’s winners and the chance of a $10,000 bonus to the first male breaking 4:00 and the first female breaking 4:32, the championship races, in money, as well as prestige, attracted some of the best milers in the country. David Torrence had won the race the past two years, setting the course record (3:59.3) in 2009. He ran 4:04 last year.

As an added attraction, Ryan Hall, one of the best marathoners in the world, stepped way down to the mile for the first time in five years for this race.

* * * * * *

I attended the pre-race press conference in the Millennium Hotel on the Mall. (I might note that I happened to sit next to Ryan and Sara Hall during the preliminary lunch. Sara Hall is one of the best women milers in the country. Ryan Hall is coming off the fastest marathon ever run by an American – 2:04:58 at Boston. He also holds the American record in the half marathon. He is taller than I would have thought and very thin. He agreed with my assessment that Americans are coming close to winning major marathons. Desiree Devila was 2^nd at Boston by two seconds. As Ryan Hall had said in the paper, “We are knocking at the door.” I asked him if he had changed his training for this race. He said he had – more track work. But, he added, he does a lot of interval training for marathons. “Do you run repeat 200’s in training for a marathon?” I asked. “Yes,” he said, “more volume, though.”)

Virginia Brophy Achman graciously hosted the press conference, ably handling the introductions of the panels of men and women runners. The women’s panel included:

Sara Hall

4:31.50 mile

4:08.99 1500

Amy Mortimer

4:32.90 mile

4:06.55 1500

Gabriele Anderson

4:31.05 mile

4:12.06 1500

Gabriele Anderson, a member of Team USA Minnesota, is a University of Minnesota alumnus and a graduate of Perham High School in Perham, Minnesota, some 60 miles east of Fargo-Moorhead.

The men’s panel included:

David Torrence

3:54.47 mile

3:34.25 1500

Aaron Braun

1:52 800 m

7:50.11 3000 m

Ryan Hall

4:05.50 mile

3:42.70 1500

All the speakers are wonderfully friendly and engaging. These people love to run.

* * * * * *

After the press conference, I interviewed one of the women runners – Lindsey Allen. Lindsey is a 24-year-old graduate of Stanford (Biology degree). She has been a professional runner for three years, having turned pro right after graduation. She runs for Team USA Arizona, under Coach Greg McMillan. Lindsey’s 5000 m time is an outstanding 15:48.97, but her specialty is the 3000 m steeplechase. Her PR of 9:40.83 in that race ranks her as the 10^th fastest American steeplechaser ever.

When did you start running?

I started running in 5th grade, but I only began running seriously when I got to high school.

Did you run the mile in high school?

Yes. I ran 4:48. That’s still my PR. My specialty is the steeplechase. I’ve run 9:40.

(This is by far the best steeplechase PR among the women in the field.)

Did you run the mile at Stanford?

Sometimes, indoors. But the high school PR is still my PR.

Did you make the NCAA finals in the steeplechase?

Yes. I ran in the finals twice. As a senior, I was 4^th in the steeplechase.

Describe a typical day of hard training.

We (Team USA Arizona) show up at the track at 8:30 in the morning. We’ll do a lot of fast tempo runs and repeats. If we do repeat 400’s, we’ll run 8 to 20 of them at 65 to 80 seconds. Once a week we do a long run of 12 to 18 miles.

Do you have a favorite track workout?

I like the repeat 400’s.

How do you see the mile as a race? Is more about speed? Or stamina? Or conserving energy?

The mile is a speed race, not so much stamina. On the road it changes, though, and stamina is more of a factor. Then you can go out hard and hold on.

In the Olympic 1500 finals in Barcelona (’92), the men basically jogged the first two laps…

They were all thinking they had great speed, so they were not going to push the pace.

Yes. How would you handle that kind of race?

If the pace was real slow, I might push the pace… If it was my race (the steeplechase)… I’d go to the front and try to stay there. I wouldn’t be afraid to set a fast tempo… In the US, though – not at Worlds…

What are your running plans?

Well, this summer is the World Championships. The (Olympic) Trials are in 2012.

* * * * * *

David Torrence won the men’s race for the third consecutive time. Finishing in 3:58.4, he picked up the $10,000 bonus for going under 4:00. Craig Miller was second in 4:01.1 and Aaron Braun third in 4:01.9.

In the women’s race, Sara Hall won in 4:31.5, also taking home the $10,000 bonus. Heather Kampf was second in 4:35.9 and Gabriele Anderson third in 4:37.5.

Goals

You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures. ~Charles C. Noble

Year of the 27s: 2011 Ron Daws 25 Km

With another new layout from the wily mind of founder and race director, Jeff Winter — this time not from Shady Oak Road construction, but rather plowed snow covering its sidewalks — the 32^nd version of this unique spring distance tune-up produced history with two 27-year-old athletes leading the way. of the 27s: 2011 Ron Daws 25 Km

With another new layout from the wily mind of founder and race director, Jeff Winter — this time not from Shady Oak Road construction, but rather plowed snow covering its sidewalks — the 32nd version of this unique spring distance tune-up produced history with two 27-year-old athletes leading the way.

For the first time in records and the mental recall of all, Jennifer Houck with her elite feet stepped high for the first female finisher ever to nail a top overall spot in the Ron Daws 25 Km. She commanded second with a 1:32:57, and also placed with the one percent of finishers since 1984 to complete the distance in less than six-minute miles, too. Her abilities on hills came in handy as this new layout, one that Winter may just continue to use, is full of them.

Aaron Beaber snuck to the front — leading some to ask, “Who’s that?” — leading the entire distance with a commanding overall win in 1:30:14. Determination showed in his face as he steadfastly focused on each step, out by himself while pushing to the tape, this year on the Shady Oak Road sidewalk in front of the race’s headquarters, Cross of Glory church. A member of the Collegeville USATF Team, Beaber was joined by teammates Caleb Buecksler, Mike Mack and Steve Christopher in the event.

Beaber has a long history of racing in the region, and is a perennial competitor in fall’s City of Lakes 25 Km, finishing in the top ten three of the last four years, winning his group and capturing two seconds in those years. When not on the roads, Beaber co-authors U of M engineering papers with subjects like A new multiscale computational method that is capable of predicting solute strengthening of alloys without adjustable parameters . . . under NASA grants.

Plenty of rolling flat lands and only the first leg of the legendary “Puke’s Peak” comprised this year’s version, but as Winter said post-event, “It may be the variety of hills and climbs may make this the better test.”

The course follows its traditional Pioneer Rd route from the church start, cutting through the quiet Carleton residential twists to land on Baker and, further, the traditional left onto Rowland. Passing the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church, Rowland cuts off to the right at Bren (formerly part of the course, the last two humps of the towering toss-ups of the Bren climb now deleted). Running over the Crosstown (“That highway wasn’t here when we ran back here in the ‘60s,” Winter said talking about the group including Daws who trained here) and snakes to the circle back with a new twist: a sharp left up the steep residential Cherokee Trail W, right on Old Shady Oak, connecting with aid station No. 1 right at the corner on Rowland.

Backtracking all of those downhills, now up, one does have the fun of two big runs down Rowland, exactly the half-marathon distance at its bottom on the second loop. A bit further, runners zip right on Jorissen, the quietest and most secluded section of the layout, then connects with its traditional route on Dominick. A left leads in one mile to the big split: to the left, start the second loop; to the right, one half-mile to the finish line. Both are covered by aid station No. 2 manned by Heidi Keller Miler, her children crew offering plenty of encouragement especially as Houck zoomed by.

A St. Scholastica grad, Houck gave all a peek of her 2011 Boston form (third American woman, 2010) and plans for the 2012 Houston Olympic Marathon Trials while racing the hills and roads of Hopkins — Minnesota, that is, not Boston. Perhaps it is only fitting she competed this day as a Houston prelude, working to earn one of those top slots out of more than 100 qualified, leading to the Olympics just as Ron Daws did in the qualifying requirement’s first year, 1968.

With her smiling, pleasant demeanor, high stepping with perfect form to this day’s history, she has an opportunity to use her skill and some Dawsion strategy to capture a berth in that tiny three-person field.

Buecksler, 28, racing out of Columbia Heights, captured third overall with his 1:35 double-0 clock, followed by Brian Davenport, 36, at 1:36:12. Nick Engster, 36, finished 1:36:12. First master was tenth overall, Paul Brown, 53 in 1:42 on the dot. Second woman, Iron Man finisher, Thea Fleming, 27, crossed the line at 1:47:01.

A record number of entrants pushed the stated maximum of the field; Winter said, “The roads can only accommodate no more than 200.” Yet the beautiful day pushed some to miss the race much like rain might, but they missed much, much more: A throwback, this event celebrates running without theatrics except for those on the roads, today starring Aaron Beaber and Jennifer Houck.

Courtesy of Snowshoe Magazine. Senior Editor, Phillip Gary Smith also writes for Midwest Events and a different kind of racing: Radioactive DragRacing News. He recently released his second book, HARMONIZING: Keys to Living in the Song of Life, at www.ultrasuperior.com

For the first time in records and the mental recall of all, Jennifer Houck with her elite feet stepped high for the first female finisher ever to nail a top overall spot in the Ron Daws 25 Km. She commanded second with a 1:32:57, and also placed with the one percent of finishers since 1984 to complete the distance in less than six-minute miles, too. Her abilities on hills came in handy as this new layout, one that Winter may just continue to use, is full of them.

Thanksaron Beaber snuck to the front — leading some to ask, “Who’s that?” —leading the entire distance with a commanding overall win in 1:30:14. Determination showed in his face as he steadfastly focused on each step, out by himself while pushing to the tape, this year on the Shady Oak Road sidewalk in front of the race’s headquarters, Cross of Glory church. A member of the Collegeville USATF Team, Beaber was joined by teammates Caleb Buecksler, Mike Mack and Steve Christopher in the event.

Thanks to Phillip Gary Smith for reporting on and running this race! racing in the region, and is a perennial competitor in fall’s City of Lakes 25 Km, finishing in the top ten three of the last four years, winning his group and capturing two seconds in those years. When not on the roads, Beaber co-authors U of M engineering papers with subjects like A new multiscale computational method that is capable of predicting solute strengthening of alloys without adjustable parameters . . . under NASA grants.ling flat lands and only the first leg of the legendary “Puke’s Peak” comprised this year’s version, but as Winter said post-event, “It may be the variety of hills and climbs may make this the better test.”h start, cutting through the quiet Carleton residential twists to land on Baker and, further, the traditional left onto Rowland. Passing the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church, Rowland cuts off to the right at Bren (formerly part of the course, the last two humps of the towering toss-ups of the Bren climb now deleted). Running over the Crosstown (“That highway wasn’t here when we ran back here in the ‘60s,” Winter said talking about the group including Daws who trained here) and snakes to the circle back with a new twist: a sharp left up the steep residential Cherokee Trail W, right on Old Shady Oak, connecting with aid station No. 1 right at the corner on Rowland.all of those downhills, now up, one does have the fun of two big runs down Rowland, exactly the half-marathon distance at its bottom on the second loop. A bit further, runners zip right on Jorissen, the quietest and most secluded section of the layout, then connects with its traditional route on Dominick. A left leads in one mile to the big split: to the left, start the second loop; to the right, one half-mile to the finish line. Both are covered by aid station No. 2 manned by Heidi Keller Miler, her children crew offering plenty of encouragement especially as Houck zoomed by.er 2011 Boston form (third American woman, 2010) and plans for the 2012 Houston Olympic Marathon Trials while racing the hills and roads of Hopkins — Minnesota, that is, not Boston. Perhaps it is only fitting she competed this day as a Houston prelude, working to earn one of those top slots out of more than 100 qualified, leading to the Olympics just as Ron Daws did in the qualifying requirement’s first year, 1968.With her smiling, pleasant demeanor, high stepping with perfect form to this day’s history, she has an opportunity to use her skill and some Dawsion strategy to capture a berth in that tiny three-person field. out of Columbia Heights, captured third overall with his 1:35 double-0 clock, followed by Brian Davenport, 36, at 1:36:12. Nick Engster, 36, finished 1:36:12. First master was tenth overall, Paul Brown, 53 in 1:42 on the dot. Second woman, Iron Man finisher, Thea Fleming, 27, crossed the line at 1:47:01.ushed the stated maximum of the field; Winter said, “The roads can only accommodate no more than 200.” Yet the beautiful day pushed some to miss the race much like rain might, but they missed much, much more: A throwback, this event celebrates running without theatrics except for those on the roads, today starring Aaron Beaber and Jennifer Houck.y of Snowshoe Magazine. Senior Editor, Phillip Gary Smith also writes for Midwest Events and a different kind of racing: Radioactive DragRacing News. He recently released his second book, HARMONIZING: Keys to Living in the Song of Life, at http://www.ultrasuperior.com/ MDRA Thanks Phillip Gary Smith for posting this race story!

"MY RUN" is coming to Theaters for a ONE-NIGHT-ONLY showing tonight!

Hey Friends, Tonight is the big day - “MY RUN” is coming to Movie Theaters Nationwide for a ONE-NIGHT-ONLY showing. See what’s possible when physical endurance and the will of the human spirit unite in this inspiring film! I’ll be there and hope you will be too. Tickets info is available at www.FathomEvents.com/MyRun.

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Calling All Humans

Just a reminder that first USATF Circuit Race is coming up (the Human Race, this weekend) and MDRA has a race team (in case you forgot).  What you need to know:

1. There are no dues (other than being a USATF member.  Click here to join.

2. The first race, The Human Race, is this Sunday.  Click here to register.  

3. The 2^nd race is the Get In Gear 10K on Saturday, April 30.

4. The ground rules for team membership are pretty simple.  If you can run one or more of the races that is great.  You cannot get kicked off of the team for non-participation.  

5. Questions?  Want to join the team?  Contact me at michael.d.nawrockiATgmailDOTcom

 I look forward to seeing all of you out at the races soon.

MDRA - Win Running Prizes

Runners and Marathoners… check this out. If you get your tickets this week for the “MY RUN” March 31st One Night Only showing that’s coming to Movie Theaters Nationwide, YOU will be entered to WIN lots of cool RUNNING prizes like a FREE pair of New RunTex RUNNING Shoes, race entries to any Spartan Race, 13.1 Marathon Series and other cool prizes. Go the MY RUN FB wall www.facebook.com/myrunmovie for more info.
MDRA - Win Running Prizes
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MDRA Women's Camp

MDRA Women's Running Camp is starting soon!

Wednesdays 6:00-7:30 pm

3 coaches/3 levels
Open to runners of all levels beginner to advanced


http://communityed.registration.edina.k12.mn.us/ (for more information or to register)

We hope to see you there!