Run S.M.A.R.T. Helps Out @ Ten Miler

Run S.M.A.R.T. Project Coach, Ben Koch, makes a Run S.M.A.R.T. T-shirt debut at the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler in D.C. The event boasted a new women's world record for the distance of ten miles, as it was a beautiful day to do so. We will be sure to see a greater number of Run S.M.A.R.T. Project logo's next year at the event as the project continues to grow!

Run S.M.A.R.T Athlete Places 6th at Nissan Xterra East Championship

Brian Astell has once again bettered his previous personal best finish by placing 6th at the Nissan Xterra East Championship. Athletes from around the county competed in the pro level event and Brian once again rose to the occasion by putting forth a very strong effort. Previous to this event Brian was ranked 11th in the nation, this finish will undoubtedly better that ranking.

I had the opportunity to travel up to Richmond with Brian to watch the race and was amazed by the toughness these athletes display. The race consisted of a 1 kilometer swim (o.6 miles) in the James River, followed by a 20 mile mountain bike ride and finished with a 10k (6.2 mile) trail run. All sections of the course were covered with man's and nature's finest obstacles, including logs, rocks (boulders in some cases), stairs (about 20 stories worth altogether), a ladder and a few I am surely forgetting. Brian started off with his best swim to date, followed by a tough mountain bike ride where he passed several compeditors. Ending with the run section, Brian held his place well and though 5th was a bit too far out to catch, there was no chance he was going to be overtaken by any other competitor.

I spoke with Brian this morning and he said, "It took me until I woke up this morning to realize what I have accomplished. I bridged the gap." I want to congratulate Brian on this one more time by saying, "nice work and there will be many more of these days to come."

-Coach Vince

Check out the results online, when they are posted, at http://www.xterraplanet.com/races/race.cfm?race_id=357

Run S.M.A.R.T. Athlete Wins Again in Staten Island

Terry Ballou kept her winning streak alive in the Al Ronaldson Memorial 5k this past weekend in Staten Island. Terry ran 19:32, besting the next female competitor by almost 20 seconds. It was a very positive effort considering the second half of the course is mostly up hill and it was a brutal day of 90 degree heat. More importantly, it was also about a 20 second improvement from her performance at this race last year. It's always great to see progress like that.

You can view the results here on Staten Island Runner's results page.

Run S.M.A.R.T. in TimeOut Magazine

If you get a chance, check out the blurb in the new issue of TimeOut New York magazine. They gave us a nice shout out in the Chill Out section. It's the June 8th-14th issue with Rufus Wainwright on the cover. It came at a great time, as New York Road Runners released the lotto winners for the upcoming ING NYC Marathon on the same day. We hope to help as many runners as we can to reach their goals in the marathon.

Run S.M.A.R.T. Athlete Victorious in Staten Island

On a blazing hot and humid Memorial Day, Terry Ballou cruised to a first place finish in the Staten Island Advance Memorial Day 4 Miler. Terry clocked in at 24:37 (6:10 per mile), one second off of her PR. She was 20 seconds ahead of the 2nd place female finisher.

You can view the race results here. The Staten Island Advance has a nice article on Terry and the race here.

Considering the conditions and the type of training Terry is doing right now...one second off her PR was pretty impressive. She is currently in her build-up phase for the ING New York City Marathon this November. We wish her luck and continued success towards her goals for New York.

Way to go Terry!

Coach R

Latest Tip

Just added a new "Tip of the Week" on the site. This one comes from Pete Pfitzinger, M.S. Pete is a two-time Olympic Marathoner. The article is about the importance of "Listening to your Body," which you can view here.

Pete is a science guy and approaches many of his athletes based on the test results he discovers in his New Zealand training lab. Pete's training advice is usually very elite and that's why I loved this article. It's about stepping back and not being afraid to take a day off here and there. Sometimes it's more important to take a days rest than to make sure you got in X many miles in for the week.

Think long term...it always pays off in the end.

Coach R