Great Running Articles available from Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated has just made its past issues available to read for free from its archives: http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

The SI archive includes a wealth of great running articles-- including contemporary coverage of Steve Prefontaine, Gerry Lindgren, and Bill Rodgers-- who made 2 Sports Illustrated covers after winning the New York (and Boston) marathons. There is also great coverage of the great milers and mile races. (Up until the 80's runners had a decent chance of making SI's cover). Besides the covers you can also view the photos that accompanied the articles. There is great coverage of the NCAA cross country championships, indoor track, the Olympics and Track and Field World Championshipships as well as major road races.

You may notice that Sports Illustrated was once a much more eclectic and literary magazine, featuring Faulkner, Hemingway and Olympian Kenny Moore and Hunter S Thompson among its writers.

It was also not that unusual to see show dogs and a wide variety of sports featured on the cover in the early years.

4th Browning Ross Bob Kupcha Race Features Deep Field

Dave Welsh (31) became the first repeat winner of the Browning Ross Bob Kupcha 5k run with a winning time of 16:53.

Patty Addis-Hudson of Clarksboro (21:49) edged out Erin McCarthy of Freehold (21:54) in the closest women's race finish yet. There were a record 170 particpants in the 5k run, kids fun run and 1 mile walk at Haddon Lake Park in Mt Ephraim, NJ-- the biggest turnout yet despite the cold weather and threat of snow (for the second year in a row). This years race fell on the earliest Easter Saturday (March 22) since 1913.
Last years overall womens winner Meghan McGowan of York Pa won the 19 and under category in a tight dual with All Tri-County Conference runner Taylor Mickle of Gloucester Catholic. David Siuta of LaSamie Wyoming won the male 19 and under category.

Ted Callinan, a former Gloucester Catholic runner for Browning Ross who finished 7th in the last years Broad Street Run in 49:41, captured the 30-39 age group.

Some other outstanding finishes included Norby Vondra (Pittsgrove) in the 50 and over category 19:46, Denise Vondra (Pittsgrove) 27:25 capturing first among the 50 and over women, and Tom Campo Sr.(Woodbury) winning the 60 and over category in 22:49.

The 5k course features 4 hills including a final finishing hill reminiscent of the uphill finish at the Marine Corps Marathon.

This years Age group winners and overall results are available at the Gloucester Catholic Cross Country website: http://home.comcast.net/~coachheath

Pictures of this years race will be posted on the blog this week.

Note: All kids received a trophy, shirt, "Easter seedling tree" and Chick Fil A meal certificate for free for competing.

2007 Gloucester Catholic Cross Country Team

The 2007 Gloucester Catholic Boys and Girls Cross Country Team had one of its strongest seasons ever in 2007.

The Girls were undefeated and were the Tri County Conference Diamond Division Champs.
The boys and girls team placed a school record 9 runners on the Tri County Conference All Conference Team:
First Team: Terence McPeak, Taylor Mickle, Shannon McGowan, Rachel Busarello, and Amanda Pegues.
Second Team: Joe Lafferty, Joe Usher and Liz Glassman.
Third Team: Pat McSparran.
The boys and girls teams also finished the season with a record 36 runners-- 18 boys and 18 girls.
Pictures: Top: The team relaxes after enjoying a personal tour of the Phillies Citizens Bank Park and after running around the Philadelphia Sports Complex for practice.
Middle: Team at Holmdel Park, site of New Jersey State Cross Country Meet
Bottom: Age Group winners at Thanksgiving Turkey Trot at Cooper River

Olympian Marcus O'Sullivan speaks to Gloucester Catholic Cross Country Team

Marcus O'Sullivan the head Villanova track and cross country coach spoke to the Gloucester Catholic Cross Country team recently in the beautiful new Boathouse facility at Cooper River.

O'Sullivan gave a moving and highly motivational talk to the team about his humble origins in Cork Ireland where he lived without indoor plumbing and his difficulties making his first hometown running team, progressing all the way to his world class runner status-- his four Olympic Games appearances for Ireland (in 800 and 1500 meters), 3 indoor 1500 World Championships and 101 sub four minute miles. Marcus concluded the talk with a film of his rousing 1987 1500 meter indoor world championship.

Marcus also set the indoor world record in the 1500 meters 3:35.4 in 1989 and still has the 4 x 1 mile relay world record (set with fellow Irish greats Ray Flynn, Eamonn Coghlan and Frank O'Mara) of 15:49.08 set in August 1985.

Marcus was the NCAA Cross Country coach of the year in 1998.

In Marcus' talk he reminded the team that all great accomplishments start with a dream.

He mentioned that he was the smallest runner on his team, and far from the best runner on his own team when he started, but he never gave up.

At the conclusion of the talk Marcus took questions from the team and their families.

Eat This, Not THAT!

"Eat This Not That!" by David Zinczenko is currently the hottest selling
nutrition book in the country and ranked #6 overall in Amazon's top ten sellers. The book has an interesting premise: Compare two foods available from restaurants and retail outlets and select one as "better" for you.
Although some of the comparisons and "winners" seem somewhat unscientific (eat Jelly Belly Jelly Beans at 150 empty calories, but not Peeps at 140 empty calories) the book is informative for runners for the data it provides on the calories and fat content of the foods we eat.
For example, Bob Evans Caramel Banana Pecan Cream stacked pancakes will "stack" you with 1540 calories and 77 grams of fat. Just the thing you need to "outsource" your stomach and blood supply to work on before a 5k race, right?
How about Pizza Uno Deep Dish pizza personal pizza with 2,310 calories and 162 grams of fat and 4,470 grams of sodium?-- it's the equivalent of 18 slices of Domino's Thin Crust cheese Pizza. Ugh!

And how about our poor kids favorite?-- Macaroni Grill's Double Macaroni 'n' Cheese has 1,210 calories and 62 grams of fat. They'd have to be pretty active to burn that off.

The book does provide alternatives to these foods. One surprising fact is that salads with certain dressings have more calories and fats than most sandwiches. For example, the On the Border Taco Salad with Beef weighs in with 102 grams of fat and 2,410 grams of sodium. It's no wonder you need a big drink to wash it down.

Delilah

"Hey Delilah"-- Was it one of your favorite songs last year, or did you change it every time it came on?
Either way, you couldn't miss this number one song by the Plain White T's.

But did you know the story behind the song? Delilah is a real person-- Delilah DiCrescenszo is a serious track athlete, a steeplechaser and cross country runner who ran for Columbia University and is presently trying to qualify for the Olympics while an assistant coach at Bryn Mawr College. Here is a clip from MSNBC that tells her story and the story of the song:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22799483/wid/18298287/

And here is an interview with Delilah conducted by Amby Burfoot of Runners World:

http://dailynews.runnersworld.com/2007/12/a-brief-chat--2.html