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Chris Solinsky BreakingAR for 10,000 meters in26:59.6, May 1, 2010,Palo, Alto, CA

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c o n t e n t s & P u b l i s h e r ’s N o t e

The 2010 outdoor season is opening with a bang! It’s early June, and we already have threenew U.S. records! On May 1, 2010, Chris Solinsky was to run his first 10,000m on the track—the Kim

McDonald 10,000 at Stanford’s Payton Jordan Invitational. Solinsky’s coach gave him thisadvice, “stay close, and then win the race.” Coach Jerry Schumacher thought Solinsky was inshape to run about 27:20; just before the race, Chris joked that he might break 27 minutes.

The focus of the race was on Galen Rupp, who was shooting for Meb Keflezighi’s Amer-ican record of 27:13.98, set at this same meet in 2001. Two pacemakers led Rupp through 5kin 13:34. By 6k, the rabbits had dropped out, leaving Rupp and four others in the lead pack.One of them was Solinsky, who was battling through some stomach pain. Rupp pushed thepace for the next 3,000 meters. Then, with 900m to go, Solinsky burst into the lead and imme-diately took control, running 1:56 for the final 800 meters, and winning in a new AR of26:59.60. Rupp finished fourth in 27:10.74, also breaking the AR. Solinsky became the firstnon-African to break 27 minutes.

On May 30, in Cottbus, Germany, Chaunte Howard-Lowe was entered in the high jump.Short of a warmup, Chaunte started at 1.88m, and cleared all the heights on her first attempt,until she hit 2.03m, which took two tries and tied the AR of 6-7 3/4 of Louise Ritter, set wayback in 1988! The bar was moved to 2.04m (6-8 1/4), and on her third attempt Chaunte Howard-Lowe had her name on the AR high jump record. Less than four days earlier, Lowe had defeat-ed Blanka Vlasic, the world indoor and outdoor champion.

Then on June 4, in Oslo, Norway, the Bislett games again delivered some fantastic com-petitions, especially the 5,000 meters. First lap in 59, 800 meters in 2:03, mile in 4:06, and2,000 meters in 5:09—this was going to be a fast race! Tucked in the lead pack were ChrisSolinsky and Bernard Lagat. The pace continued, with two miles hit in 8:22, and 4,600 metersin 11:59! Lagat swung wide, and with 80 meters to go, Imane Merga, Tariku Bekele, and Lagatwere in an all out sprint, with Solinsky right behind. Lagat ended up third in 12.54.12, break-ing Dathan Ritzenhein’s less-than-a-year-old AR of 12:56.27. Solinsky, sixth in 12:56.66,again made history, becoming the first non-African to break 27 minutes for 10,000 metersand 13 minutes for 5,000 meters. Solinsky will have another crack at the 5,000 AR at theNike Pre meet, while Lagat will go in the mile.

At American Track & Field, we want to help your coaching resonate with your teams.And if some of them get good enough to be ranked in Track & Field News, all the better! Inthis issue, you will find a tremendous piece by James Templeton, Bernard Lagat’smanager, on what makes Lagat tick, John Godina on keys to the shot put, plus your guide tosummer racing shoes. Saucony has provided a twelve week summer training program, in printand digitally. Have your runners sign up for our daily Saucony XC 2010 training program,at www.twitter.com/americantf. ASICS is providing a 12 week training log and Nike has pro-vided a poster of Chris Solinsky and Allyson Felix. We hope that you enjoy!

P.S. — Watch for our XC Yearbook in August 2010! And do not forget to follow us at www.american-trackandfield.com, www.twitter.com/americantf and on runblogrun.com!

Larry Eder, Publisher

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In loving memory of Violet Robertson, 1913–2003

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American Track & Field (ISSN 1098-64640) is produced,published and owned by Shooting Star Media, Inc., POBox 67, Ft. Atkinson, Wisconsin 53538-0067, ChristineJohnson, President, Larry Eder, Vice President. Copyright 2010 by Shooting Star Media, Inc. All RightsReserved. Publisher assumes no liability for matter print-ed, and assumes no liability or responsibility for contentof paid advertising and reserves the right to reject paidadvertising. Opinions expressed are those of the authorsand not necessarily those of the Publisher. No part of thispublication may be reproduced or stored in any form with-out written permission of the Publisher.

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Publisher recommends, as with all fitness and healthissues, you consult with your physician before institutingany changes in your fitness program.

6 Starting Blocks

10 Track Construction

30 Exit

12 To Throw Farther Bend Your Knees,

16 ATF Talks with James Templeton

28 Best Racing Shoes Summer 2010

C A M E R A A T H L E T I C A : S A L U T E S C H A U N T E H O W A R D - L O W E

Chaunte Howard-Love,2010 Ostrava Track Meet

Jiro Mochizuki, www.photorun.NET

W hen Meb Keflezighibroke Mark Nenow’s 15-year-old U.S. 10,000

record in 2001, he didn’t expect it tolast nine years. When Chris Solinskyran 26:59.60 on May 2 to breakKeflezighi’s record (on the very sameStanford University track) the newlyminted ex-recordholder followed upwith a congratulatory text messageand phone call.

“Phenomenal,” Keflezighi said ofSolinsky. But Keflezighi doesn’texpect the current record to last long.“Too many good guys,” he said.

The descent of the record fromNenow’s 27:20.56 in 1986 toKeflezighi’s 27:13.98 in 2001 toSolinsky’s sub-27 coincides withincreasing U.S. depth at the distance.Keflezighi considers there are at leastsix other U.S. runners—himself,Galen Rupp, Dathan Ritzenhein,Abdi Abdirahman, Bernard Lagat,Matt Tegenkamp—who are threats togo sub-27. Not that long ago, sub-28sby Americans were a rarity.

Solinsky broke ground on manyfronts. The race was his 10,000 debut.“It was just hold on for dear life, andwhatever happens, happens,” he said.“It definitely surprised me. I jokedaround that I could be anywhere from26:55 to 28:00. Obviously, I felt likesaying 26:55 was a joke, but there wasa little bit in the back of my headthinking that I could possibly be seri-ous. But obviously everything wouldhave to go perfectly. And it kind of did.

“I had nothing to lose. I thinkthat helped, because there were pointsin the race when it was quick and I’mquestioning, ‘This is suicide, running

63s and 64s in the middle of a 10K.’But in the back of the head, I’m like,‘I’ve got nothing to lose. I’m justgoing to go after it. If I blow up, thenso be it. But if I stick on it and amable to hang on, it’ll be a pretty darngood result.’”

He also was the first non-Africanto break 27 and the biggest runner at 6feet 3/4 inch and 161 pounds to do so.

“I was definitely bigger than youshould probably be as a distance run-ner,” Solinsky said. “My teammatesalways make fun of me for being afatty and stuff, and the first thing theysaid after the race was, ‘That’s proba-bly a fatty world record.’ I’m used toit. At least in the training group, it’s injest. It’s okay. To quote my dad, ‘Noone ever told a bumblebee he wasn’tscientifically supposed to be able tofly.’ That’s the mentality I’ve had. Andit’s almost been a blessing, because it’sallowed me to be durable, being big-ger and sturdier.”

Solinsky is part of the Nike train-ing group in Portland under coachJerry Schumacher, who also coachedhim at Wisconsin, where Solinskywon five NCAA titles. Solinskyalways has liked piling on the miles,even back in high school when he wasthe national cross country champ in2002 against a field that includedGalen Rupp (27:10.74), Tim Nelson(27:31.56) and Bobby Curtis(27:33.38), all of whom were also inSolinsky’s Stanford 10,000.

“Last year, I was able to put in 20to 30-something weeks of over 100miles,” said Solinsky, who covered thelast 800 in an impressive 1:56. “It alljust stockpiled. Right now, I’m in the

best shape of my life, but I really hopeto keep building on that. I don’t wantto rest on my laurels with this 10,000.I want to keep pushing the envelopeand keep logging the miles, becausewhat we’re doing now isn't just forthis year. It’s for 2011 and 2012.

“The biggest thing that’s clickedis being able to run a faster tempo[run] for a longer time. In college, thelongest we would do any kind oftempo or rhythm run would be 10miles, and now we’ve pushed it to 18.I just think pushing the envelope hasallowed us to get so much stronger.Moving out here to Portland has madeit way easier to be able to log higher-quality, consistent mileage in winter,and that has been a huge key for us.”

Solinsky’s next objective was tobreak 13 minutes for the 5,000, whichhe did on June 4 in Oslo. He finishedsixth in 12:56.66, just missing DathanRitzenhein’s 5,000 AR of 12:56.27. Ofcourse, also in that race was BernardLagat, who did break Ritzenhein’s ARwith a 12:54.12 clocking.

Now Solinsky has his eyes on aneven faster 5,000, at the PrefontaineClassic in Eugene on July 3. He’d liketo beat Lagat’s new AR.

“We’re going to be in that race,”Solinsky says, “with the same inten-tions as the Stanford 10,000: just get inthere and be competing. I really hopewe have a pace that is sub-13.”

Lagat is scheduled to run the mileat Pre, but both the fast-improvingRupp and Solinsky’s Oregon TrackClub training partner, MattTegenkamp, who has run 12:58.56,are entered in the Pre 5,000.

Starting Blocks

Photo: Andrew McClanahan, www.photorun.NET

Continued on page 8

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In the past two years, LaShawn Merritt has ascended tosupremacy in the 400, ending the reign of Jeremy Wariner.Now the career of Merritt, the 2008 Olympic and ’09world champ, is in jeopardy due to a positive drug test.

Though Merritt contends the infractions were inad-vertent, he has accepted a provisional suspension and facesa two-year ban for positive tests for banned performance-enhancing drugs including DHEA, a testosterone precursorthat is available over the counter but is banned by mostsports organizations including the international track feder-ation and International Olympic Committee. Merritt waspositive three times in October and December of last yearplus January of this year.

The result triggered a rebuke from USATF CEO DougLogan: “For Mr. Merritt to claim inadvertent use of abanned substance due to the ingestion of over-the-countersupplements brings shame to himself and his teammates.Thanks to his selfish actions, he has done damage to ourefforts to fight the plague of performance-enhancing drugsin our sport.”

Merritt has hired an excellent lawyer, Howard Jacobs,who has won notable cases, including some against supple-ment companies that manufactured contaminated productsand had to compensate athletes.

In an e-mail to The Washington Post, Jacobs wrote that“the totality of the results make it clear to those with a suf-ficient scientific knowledge … that it was caused by DHEA

consumption.”However, Merritt has a problem with sporting author-

ities because of the policy of strict liability—an athlete isresponsible for any substances in his or her body no matterwhat the cause.

Merritt has a story about the cause, according to pub-lished reports. His excuse is that the positive tests are aresult of his taking ExtenZe, a penile enlargement productthat is sold over the counter and is a NASCAR sponsor. Theproduct lists DHEA and pregnenolone, a steroid, as ingre-dients.

Merritt issued a statement: “As an athlete, and strongadvocate of fair competition; I have worked very hard topush myself to the outer limits of my physical abilities with-out any performance enhancement drugs. I’ve always prid-ed myself on doing what’s right, and will continue to do so.

“To know that I’ve tested positive as a result of prod-uct that I used for personal reasons is extremely difficult towrap my hands around. I hope my sponsors, family, friendsand the sport itself will forgive me for making such a fool-ish, immature and egotistical mistake. Any penalty that Imay receive for my action will not overshadow the embar-rassment and humiliation that I feel inside.

“I am deeply sorry and hope that other athletes whotake these types of over-the-counter products will be evenmore cautious and read the fine print, because if it can hap-pen to me, it could happen to you.”

A Merritt Suspension

Allyson Felix has made some major changes for the 2010season. The sprinter has changed agents from RenaldoNehemiah of Octagon to her older brother Wes, a formersprinter at Southern California, and switched shoe compa-nies from adidas to Nike.

Felix, who has three world titles and two Olympic sil-ver medals at 200, will also be contesting more 400s thisyear than previously, experimenting in a non-internationalchampionship year to decide if she might want to attempta 200–400 double at the 2011 worlds and/or 2012Olympics.

“The 400 definitely makes your 200 a better race, andI’ve always run the 400 to get strength at the end of my200-meter race,” Felix said. “I haven’t decided about a dou-ble yet. Depending on how this year goes, I’ll make thedecision.”

Felix could have several meetings against SanyaRichards, the U.S. recordholder and 400 world champ.

“I’m sure we’ll be facing each other multiple times, inboth the 400 and 200,” Felix said. “I’m looking forward tothe rivalry. I think it’ll bring out the best in us.”

Felix Makes Changes

Photo: Victah, www.photorun.NET

Not that many athletes had to be persuaded, but Australian researchers announced in a May report that human GrowthHormone could help lower a 100 time by 0.4 seconds, enough to turn an also-ran into a champion.

In the study out of Sydney’s Garvan Institute that appeared in Annals of Internal Medicine and was funded by theWorld Anti-Doping Agency, athletes taking a daily injection for eight weeks improved their 100 times by about 4.5%.hGH is naturally produced by the pituitary gland, has been synthesized and is authorized to treat dwarfism. Researcherssaid its effects can double when combined with testosterone.

The growth hormone doses were below those that athletes are reported to use and were taken for a shorter time thanusual. “The drug’s effects on performance might be greater than shown in this study, and its side effects might be moreserious,” said Ken Ho, Garvan’s head of pituitary research and a co-author of the study.

An excess of growth hormone may lead to a syndrome known as acromegaly, or gigantism, that can cause disfigure-ment of the face, enlargement of the heart and joints, and premature death. Long-term hGH abuse may also cause dia-betes.

A blood test for hGH was introduced at the 2004 Olympics in Athens but has not been used widely since then. Theonly positive came in February against an English rugby league player. Experts have said that progress on a urine test forhGH has stalled.

Credibility for hGH Ban

• Patricia Rico, a long-time administrator and advocate forwomen in the sport, died May 2 at age 76. A competitorin the discus at the 1960 Olympic Trials, Rico played anactive role in the sport for more than 50 years, best knownas an activist, administrator and president of USA Track &Field from 1996–2000.

As president, she inherited and helped USATF weather afinancial crisis in which a $3.5 million debt was paid offby 2003. Rico worked tirelessly (and successfully) toincrease the number of women’s events in the Olympic pro-gram, and she served on several international Team USAstaffs.

Her passing prompted statements from many administra-tors and former athletes.

USATF president Stephanie Hightower: “Her advocacy forwomen’s equality, and her unwillingness to accept the sta-tus quo, paved the way for athletes and administrators likemyself. She was involved in every facet of the sport, and itis hard to imagine USATF without her.”

USATF CEO Doug Logan: “Pat was without a doubt oneof the pivotal figures in establishing USATF as the soundand strong organization it is today. She was tough as nails,but also warm and kind. She cared so passionately aboutall the causes she championed, not out of self-interest butout of service to this great sport. We all owe her a huge debtof gratitude and are tremendously saddened to lose her.”

Rico was the only person to sit on the initial board of direc-tors of the organization from its inception, as The Athlet-ics Congress, in 1979 until the board was restructured inlate 2008.

She served as an official in many meets in the Metropoli-tan AAU, TAC and USATF arenas, and worked as an assis-

tant meet director with her late husband Heliodoro Ricoat the U.S. indoor championships from 1979–1995. HelioRico, also a long-time activist in the sport, died in 2006.

To journalists, she was also perhaps the most accessibleAAU/TAC/USATF official of the past 50 years, a personwho said what she meant and meant what she said.

• Haile Gebrselassie, 37, whoholds the marathon worldrecord at 2:03:59, doesn’tthink his record-setting daysare over. The two-timeOlympic 10,000 championbelieves he can run 2:02 for26.2 miles. “There are goodrunners around. Imagine, a2:05 in the Boston Marathon,but I think I am the candidateto break it again.

Geb may run 2:02, but notthis year. After consideringmaking his fall marathonBerlin, where he has set twoworld records, or Chicago,another flat, fast course, he announced he will run in NewYork on November 7. It’s another huge coup for New YorkRoad Runners president Mary Wittenberg.

• It turns out that marathoners Kara Goucher of the United States and Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain havemore in common than training with each other in Portland, OR during the winter and early spring. They’reboth pregnant, Goucher with her first child, and Radcliffewith her second, and both babies are due on the same day,September 29. How about that!

Bell Lap

s ta r t i n g b l o c k s

Photo: Victah, www.photorun.NET

t r a c k c o n s t r u c t i o n

Indoor Track of the Year

A22-year-old college fieldhouse that needs updating? Well, let’s justsay a lot has changed since it was built. After all, standards are dif-ferent, rules have undergone considerable revisions and, natural-

ly, the technology has advanced.Obviously, the update is needed. Now comes the hard part: Can the

entire renovation job be done during the college’s four-week winterbreak?

That was the challenge facing Kiefer Specialty Flooring, Inc. ofLindenhurst, Illinois. Central College needed a total overhaul of itsKuyper Fieldhouse, and the Pella, Iowa-based institution had the tight-est of deadlines.

“We had a timeline of December 15th to January 13th,” writesBrion Rittenberry of Kiefer. “Bearing in mind the Christmas holiday, thiswas a very aggressive timeline.”

The facility and the college that owned it also had a few specific lim-itations, including financial reservations.

“The owner had an existing prefabricated surface,” notesRittenberry. “Due to budget and time constraints, the owner did notwish to remove the existing surface. This presented several problems.There were significant areas that were loose, and the existing surface hadto be properly prepared to assure adhesion of the new surface.”

It required considerable ingenuity on Kiefer’s part. Rittenberryrecalls, “We had to pull back all loose areas to allow the concrete sub-strate to dry properly. Large fans were brought in to help facilitate thedrying process. Once the concrete substrate had dried, we sandblasted allexposed areas to remove all dried adhesive from the substrate. We re-glued all loose areas with a special waterproof epoxy adhesive. Once theloose areas had been repaired, we had to prep the existing surface withriding belt sanders. Once this was accomplished, the entire floor wasscrubbed to remove dirt and dust. We then adhered the new pre-fabri-cated surface to the old, using a special polyurethane adhesive. Lastly, thesurface was striped to adhere to the NCAA’s regulations.”

2009 Indoor Track of the Year, American Sports Builders AssociationCentral College, Kuyper FieldhousePella, Iowa

Specialty Contractor: Kiefer Specialty Flooring, Inc.;Architect/Engineer: Central College; General Contrac-tor: Central College; Suppliers: Mondo USA; Govern-ing body: NCAA

The 54,000-square-foot facility, a steel frame building withcinderblock walls and a forced air ventilation system, now has a200-meter track that meets governing body standards. The six-lane track has an eight-lane sprint straightaway. There’s onechute and a common finish. The track surface is vulcanized rub-ber, dark grey in color, with light grey and red accents. There arepractice areas for field events, including long jump, triple jumpand high jump, as well as shot put.

The finished facility has retractable basketball nets (a totalof five basketball courts, meaning 10 nets) as well as movablebleachers that can be used during events. Drop-down nettingholds balls and other equipment to keep athletes and spectatorssafe.

For all the facility’s advantages, though, Rittenberry is stillproudest of meeting the school’s tight turnaround—less than amonth from start to finish. “We achieved this deadline,” henotes. “Normally, this timeline is needed just for a new installa-tion. We achieved the timeline doing all the prep work as well.”

In addition to school administrators and athletes, someoneelse is impressed with the facility—the American Sports BuildersAssociation (ASBA), which named the Kuyper Fieldhouse itsIndoor Track of the Year for 2009. The award was presented atthe Association’s recent Technical Meeting, held in Savannah,Georgia. (The ASBA is the national organization for builders andsuppliers of materials for athletic facilities. It presents its annualawards to recognize outstanding sports facility construction.)

Note: The American Sports Builders Association (ASBA) is a nonprof-it association helping designers, builders, owners, operators and usersunderstand quality construction of many sports facilities, includingtrack and field. The ASBA sponsors informative meetings and publish-es newsletters, books and technical construction guidelines for athleticfacilities, including running tracks and sports fields. Available at nocharge is a listing of all publications offered by the Association, as wellas the ASBA’s Membership Directory. Info: 866-501-ASBA (2722) orwww.sportsbuilders.org.

t r a c k c o n s t r u c t i o n

Kuyper Fieldhouse at Central College, located in Pella, Iowa, was 22 yearsold and in need of updates. The existing prefabricated surface needed atotal replacement -- without being removed. The entire scope of work alsohad to take place over the college's winter break, and be completed in timefor students' return to the campus.

The completed project, housed inside a 54,000 square foot steel framebuilding with cinderblock walls and a forced air ventilation system, nowhas a 200-meter track that adheres to NCAA standards. The six-lane trackas an eight-lane sprint. There is one chute and a common finish. The tracksurface is vulcanized rubber, dark grey in color, with light grey and redaccents. There are practice areas for field events, including long jump,triple jump and high jump, as well as shot put.

Photo: Kiefer Specialty Flooring, Inc. of Lindenhurst, IL

TThe overused expression, “time is running out,” wasnever more accurate.

When Texas Tech University wanted its running trackdemolished and rebuilt, it had a specific deadline in mind: theschool had to be ready to host the 2009 Big 12Championships. That meant administrators needed not only acompetition-level track facility, but field events to match.

New Mexico-based builder Robert Cohen Co., LLC tookthe design/build job. The scope of work included design andconstruction of a unique layout whereby the track infield con-tained four pole vault runways, four long jump/triple jumprunways and eight sprint lanes for the 100m and 110m dashand hurdles. In addition, throwing events (two shot puts, twohammer throws, two discus and two javelin areas) were locat-ed at a dedicated throwing area at a separate location.

"Time constraints were critical to prepare for the Big 12meet," wrote Robert L. Cohen. "Unusually severe weatherimpeded our progress. We worked seven days a week for a por-tion of the project. Extremely flat conditions in Lubbock,where the project was located, made drainage difficult. Gradesinside the oval were super-critical to achieve desired drainage."

The track was built to NCAA standards with a red vul-canized rubber surface, beige exchange zones and beige sprintlanes. The track had eight lanes on the oval, plus eight sprintlanes. A concrete header curb was built flush with the asphalt,with a raised aluminum curb on lane 1. Existing surface drainswere utilized in the project.

Absolute attention was paid to the grading of the project.Inclination of the oval in the running direction was 0%, whilethe lateral inclination was 6%. Long jump and triple jumpevents, as well as the pole vault area, were constructed to sim-ilar grading standards. Hammer, shot put, discus and javelin,which were located at areas removed from the oval, used spe-cific landing areas well, tailored to each event.

"Our goal was to bring to life the vision of Texas Techhead track coach Wes Kittley," wrote Cohen. "Wes believesthat throws constitute a hazard to runners, particularly duringpractice, and should be located away from the track oval. Inaddition, he wanted to showcase his jumpers and sprintersinside the oval for the enjoyment of the spectators. We wereasked to furnish construction and design and constructionservices to make this possible. Although it looks simple, thecomplex grading requirements of the runways, sprint lanesand 'D' zones conflict, and required critically precise execu-tion to pull it off."

Not only was the project completed on May 15, 2009, intime for the Big 12 Championships, but it received its ownhonor: being named the Outdoor Track of the Year by theAmerican Sports Builders Association (ASBA). The award waspresented at the Association's recent Technical Meeting, heldin Savannah, Georgia. (ASBA is the national organization forbuilders and suppliers of materials for athletic facilities. It pres-ents its annual awards to recognize outstanding sports facilityconstruction).

Photo: Robert Cohen Co., LLC, Albuquerque, NM

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Outdoor Track of the Year

2009 Outdoor Track of the Year, American Sports Builders AssociationTexas Tech University Track—Lubbock, Texas

Architect/Engineer: Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer & Associates, Inc.; Specialty Contractor: Mondo America, Inc.; Suppliers: UCS Equip-ment, Mondo America, Inc.; SportsEdge; Subcontractors: LubbockMasonry, West Texas Paving, Amco Electric, Bear Lake Enterprises;Governing body: NCAA

Texas Tech University needed its existing running track (shown above)demolished and rebuilt so that it would be ready for the school to host the2009 Big 12 Championships. It also needed new field events.

The completed project was comprehensive, complex and creatively laid-out, according to builders. The vision for the project belonged to TexasTech head track coach Wes Kittley, whose opinion it was that that throwingevents constituted a hazard to runners, particularly during practice, andshould be located away from the track oval. In addition, Kittley wanted toshowcase his jumpers and sprinters inside the oval for the enjoyment ofthe spectators.

In the pantheon of technicalchanges to a spin shot putter’s or adiscus thrower’s form, by far the

simplest fix with the largest return hasto be the simple act of bending theknees.

Almost every athlete who comesto train at the World Throws Centerneeds this adjustment to his or hertechnique, and every athlete who cor-rects the problem inevitably gets a newpersonal best.

Although it’s an easy correction,simply thinking of bending the kneesmay be an over-simplification. That’sbecause you have to know how andwhen to bend those knees. Otherwise,the result can be a disjointed effortthat, at best, does nothing to add tothe throw and, at worst, interrupts themomentum of the throw and detractsfrom the throwing distance.

The how of bending the knees isa two-parter. Part one is positional,and the body position can quite sim-ply be described as a Front SquatPosition. This refers to the position ofthe back and hips as the knees bend.The athlete should keep the hips frompushing too far back and letting thechest drop too far down. In a frontsquat the athlete holds a barbell on thefront of the shoulders and squats

down—usually to parallel. Becausethe bar is on the front of the bodyrather than the back as in the regularsquat, the athlete must keep the hipsunder the bar and the chest up as bestas possible to prevent the bar fromfalling off the shoulders. This is theposition we seek when bending theknees in the throw.

The second part of how to bendthe knees is determining the degree towhich the athlete should bend theknees. How deep of a front squat dowe need? The cryptic truth is thateveryone is different. More particular-ly, everyone’s strength levels are differ-ent.

The effort to create a deep kneebend in exchange for power in thethrow depends on the ability of theathlete to find the depth and movepowerfully from that position to fullleg extension. This is why throwers liftweights. To the uninitiated, it wouldappear the athlete lifts weights toimpart power to the implement. Inreality, the athlete lifts weights to finddeep positions for long powerfulmovements and to move the bodypowerfully with the shot put or discusbeing an incidentally acceleratedobject.

The key is making the body movehard, fast and balanced, and an athletecan’t do this on straight legs—in anysport.

The when of bending the knees ispretty simple. The athlete wants theknees bent at their deepest when bothfeet are on the ground—both in therear of the circle as the throw beginsand when landing in the power posi-tion. When the athlete lands in thepower position the knee bend willalmost never be as deep as it is in theback of the ring, but the athlete

should strive, and usually has to strive,for that starting depth just to getenough knee bend to be effective atthe front of the circle.

The other thing to note is thatthe knees are at their deepest in thepower position when landing. Theathlete should not land with both feetand then sink to find knee bend. Oncethe left foot lands in the power posi-tion is the time to extend the legs hardand throw. Whatever depth the athletehas achieved on the descent to thepower position is all he or she will get.Bending the knees post-landing onlyinterrupts the throw and dissipatespower.

Once an athlete gets comfortablebending the knees and learns to drivehard from this athletic position, awhole world of possibilities opens up.Long leg drive creates power, length-ens the throwing motion and can addto hip–shoulder separation. The kneebend also creates a rising and fallingrhythm that can relax the athlete andcreate a stretch reflex in the leg mus-cles that increases power output.

All in all, it’s hard to find a singletechnical modification that has morepotential for positive outcomes thanlearning to bend the knees and drivethe legs to extension. This is truly asecret of the pros that everyone canmaster and almost always leads to per-sonal records.

John Godina is a three-time WorldChampion and two-time Olympic medal-ist in the shot put and the best shot put-discus combination thrower in history. Hefounded and operates the John GodinaWorld Throws Center at Athletes’Performance in Phoenix, Arizona.www.worldthrowscenter.com, www.ath-letesperformance.com (480) 449-9000.

t r a i n i n g

To Throw Farther Bend Your Knees!

You’ll see this a lot—but the knees aren’t bent nearlyenough.

BACK OF THE CIRCLE

STAND THROW

Good knee bend. When the athlete extends, the shot willhave more power behind it.

You’ll see this a lot, too – but you can do better Now that’s a knee bend! And it will generate maximumpower for you.

James Templeton is the agent/manager for Bernard Lagat and a small group of world-classathletes, many of them Kenyans. Born in Australia and now working out of Tubigen,Germany, Templeton has been Lagat’s agent since 1997, and has developed a close personalrelationship with Lagat and his coach James Li. ATF publisher Larry Eder quizzedTempleton after their paths crossed while attending the 2010 London Marathon.

ATF: Why do Kenyan runners excel?Templeton: The huge wave of incredible middle- and long-distance runners emergingfrom Kenya is not a fluke. These athletes benefit from great physiology: pure lean mus-cle mass and well-developed heart and lungs. Not everyone from the Rift Valley can run;however, there are seemingly thousands who can!

The young people are tough and willing to work hard for an opportunity. In fact, itseems that too many are working too hard too early. The successful ones are generally fol-lowing good programs with a good balance of work and rest. However, there are toomany young athletes running hard three times a day. That is just too much, and certainlynot beneficial over the longer term—even if their bodies can withstand it in the shortterm.

ATF: The recent success of American runners seems to show that focused hardwork pays off.Templeton: People have always been working hard. However, I think there is now muchthought going into the structure of training, and there is great benefit from the profes-sional groups specifically devoted to elite running.

The groups of Alberto Salazar, Jerry Schumacher and Terrence Mahon (plus thesmaller group of John Cook) are highly professional, and their training is from allaccounts very good and thorough. I think their focus on elite performance and what isrequired to be world class are very important in their recent success.

ATF: In your opinion, what general precepts should young American runners, 14 to19, use in training?Templeton: The long-term development of aerobic capacity is very important, andyoung athletes can begin that process. You don’t just jump into high mileage at the ageof 19 at college. I think the foundations take years to develop. I think more effort shouldbe put into running relaxed and fast over varying distances, keeping under control andimproving year by year. Young people must enjoy their sport if they are to be motivatedand willing to train over a long period.

I think it’s a mistake to train the young too intensely. While the greatest immediatebenefit in young athletes comes from more intense intervals, over the longer term this isunsustainable, and I think, counter-productive.

Movement is very important, crucial even. You see very few ragged elite runners,very few who overstride, etc. It’s important to run efficiently, and this can be worked onduring the teen years.

ATF: What would you advise American coaches about long-term development ofU.S. distance runners?Templeton: I would advise them to reduce the intensity of intervals and the number ofinterval sessions, to increase the aerobic content and to work on form. The concentra-

American Track & Field Talks With Bernard Lagat’s Agent ...

James Templeton

Photo: Jiro Mochizuki, www.photorun.NET

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Flash! June 4, 2010-Bernard Lagat runs 12:54.12

for new American Record,at Oslo/Bislett!

tion should be always on running fast and relaxed. Neverstraining. While still good work, it should remain enjoyableand enticing and perhaps good fun to be working with agroup. If it becomes too much of a chore, young runnersbecome burnt out and you will lose them.

ATF: You manage Bernard Lagat. How did he getinvolved in sport?Templeton: Bernard (or Kip as we call him) came from afamily of runners. His father was a 6-mile runner and hisolder sister, Mary, was in particular an inspiration. As ayoung athlete she ran in the Brisbane CommonwealthGames of 1982 (when Kip was eight) and then had somesuccess later as a roadrunner. She was an inspiration to himand offered a tremendous amount of encouragement.

Interestingly, Kip was a good young runner, however,not an immediate champion. He laughs at how DanielKomen used to beat him in school races. However, he per-severed over the years, and that has been such an importantfactor. He was a 1500 meter finalist at the 1996 KenyanOlympic Trials, and then he benefited greatly from going toWashington State University in August that year. That, ofcourse, is where he started his great relationship with coachLi. After a year and a bit to settle in, he ran 3:34 in Europein 1998 and then 3:30 the following year. He has incrediblewill-to-win, tremendous ambition, and is not afraid of set-ting goals and going after them.

ATF: What was his training like then?Templeton: In the early days in the village it was fairly rudi-mentary you would say, basically getting up early in themorning to run. When studies permitted, a second run orsome sort of basic intervals.

ATF: How did his training change when he went toWashington State?Templeton: Well, it obviously became far more structured.Coach Li instilled in him the importance of good planningand good, consistent work. From the earliest days, Li wasinsistent that Kip had a long and great career ahead of him.His body has proven very durable (that two to three weeksof Achilles soreness before Beijing is the only real injury Ican think of in the 13 years I have known him).

It’s all about good work over good periods; not toomuch intensity of track work but a lot of good hard run-ning and tempo work in the hills.

ATF: Tell us about Osaka.Templeton: Osaka was an incredible thrill, of course; froma personal perspective, I think the highlight of my manage-ment career since I started in 1997. Kip had some stomachissues during May and June in particular, and he had twopoor races early in July in Paris and Gateshead. He was ofcourse concerned; however, it came together so nicely forhim over the last month or so.

The 10 days before he left for Osaka he looked fantas-tic; the last session before he left his summer base in

Tubingen, Germany, he did four sets of 400 (at 1500 pace);float 200 in 30 seconds then a fast yet relaxed 200. He did55–56 seconds then 25 and it was all so ridiculously com-fortable! It was how he looked; he could have run secondsfaster. Going to Osaka I knew he would be tough to beat inthe 1500; I wasn’t sure how much theoppressive conditions would take outof him by the time of the fifth race(the 5000 final). However, I’vealways thought he’s very tough tobeat in championship 5000s.

ATF: Tell us about Beijing.Templeton: Beijing was bitterlydisappointing for Kip, and for usall. Honestly, he was in the shapeof his life that year. Everythinghad gone perfectly (he won, Ithink, his first nine races of theyear and won them all quitecomfortably) until he hobbledback from a steady trainingrun in Tubingen seven toeight days after the Trials.

He only missed three to four days training in total; butfor nearly three weeks it was a constant battle of treatment.In reality during that time he was “going for a run” ratherthan really training. We tried to make the most of it; how-ever, he lost a bit of rhythm and balance. It was desperate-ly disappointing for Kip to miss the 1500 final. He pulledhimself together and looked fantastic in the 5000 heats thenight after the 1500 (which made me wonder had therhythm come back and what might he have achieved thenight before?) but the day before the 5000 final he got a“throat thing” (by the end of the Olympic fortnight thereare many bugs going through the village) and was far lessthan 100% healthy for the final. Bekele ran a great race andKip … would give it everything he had but with three lapsto go he was running on empty.

ATF: What about Berlin?Templeton: It’s hard to be disappointed with two medals;however, Berlin was, in the end, just a little frustrating. Hedidn’t have a great run in the 1500 semi; didn’t have his cus-tomary rhythm/turnover. And I think [he] was just a frac-tion lacking in confidence for the final, which cost him onthe backstraight when he hesitated with 250 to go. He wasfeeling great all race (you could tell the first 100 that histurnover was back) but hesitated and before he knew it wasboxed and out of the running. He flew home (with a greatsidestep in the straight) to get third, but he knew immedi-ately that he could have won that day. But that’s how itgoes, of course. The 5000 was a great achievement reallygiven the deep cut in his ankle in the heats. It required fourstitches and was very painful. But Kip is nothing if nottough and we all know how close he came to beating Bekelein the final. You can never complain about two medals, butjust can’t help feeling “what if ” might have been!

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Photo: Victah, www.photorun.NET

Lagat andhis coachJames Li

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ATF: Is Bernard focusing on the 5000 now?Templeton: Most likely he will plan to run only 5000 inDaegu 2011 and London 2012. That doesn’t mean hewon’t run 1500s any more (as some have interpreted); how-ever, he and Li have slightly restructured training more infavor of the longer work.

Coming back from Doha and the World Indoors, well,I’m not often surprised by Kip, but let me say I was very,very impressed with his shape! I should just say he looksvery good. This will be an interesting year; it’s nice to havea year without a major championship as the focus and Kiphas made no secret that it would be great to get the U.S.records at 3000 and 5000. He was so impressed withDathan’s great run (the 5000 AR) in Zurich. Really, he wasthrilled for Dathan, but it has given him a challenge and hewould like to have a go at running very fast. Possibly 12:52or even 12:50.

Of course, there aren’t many races you can attempt thisand they need to go according to plan with the weather andpacing, etc. Also, there is Bob Kennedy’s long-standing3000 record of 7:30.84. It’s interesting that Kennedy cameeighth in that race! Incredible. I don’t think Kip will becoming eighth in a 3000 and still getting the record. It’s agood run but I’m sure it’s within his capabilities also.

Those fast runs would be good this year. People areperhaps thinking of Kip as mainly a fast finisher these days.That’s not really the case. He’s run as fast as he’s needed torun to win in recent years. And without Hicham and Haile(and even Bekele) chasing fast times with good pacing therehave been less opportunities for the fast times. With Kip,it’s all been about the competition and the wins. OK, thisyear we’re also thinking more of times because of theserecords … and that will be fun.

ATF: Tell us about Bernard and his coach.Templeton: Bernard has been very fortuitous to have land-ed with coach Li all those years ago. It’s nearly 15 years nowthey’ve been working together, and of course, they knoweach other so well. Kip has the utmost confidence in JamesLi and that is so important, so crucial for an athlete–coachrelationship. Li is a clever man and totally committed to hiscoaching and to Kip.

And to expand the point, Kip and I are close, ofcourse, and so are Li and I. I think it works very well. Andnot to be understated or underestimated is the influence ofGladys, Kip’s wife. She’s been great for Kip. I think the fourof us work together very well. I think that Kip has a prettygood support network, and that is very good for an athlete.

ATF: The 5000m indoor AR was a great race for Bernard.How did he feel about it?Templeton: He felt good. He knew he had a good chanceto get the U.S. record and it was something he wanted todo. It was a good race. He led, I think, nine of the laps andthen [it was] good that Galen put in that good burst witha kilometer to go. He and coach Li felt he could have run13:05 or something like that if he needed to. I saw PaulKoech run 13:02.95 in Düsseldorf the week before; I can’tsee him getting away from Kip nor outsprinting him so Ithink he might have done something like that in that race.Certainly in Doha you get the feeling his shape is prettyspecial.

ATF: How did you get involved in sport?Templeton: I’ve always been involved in sport; played mostsports growing up; was a battling 800m runner (attemptingunsuccessfully to run under 1:50) and am still a keen golferand cricketer in Australia. I still run to keep fit. Actually,

Photo: Jiro Mochizuki, www.photorun.NET

Continued on page 27.

Photo: Jiro Mochizuki, www.photorun.NET

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my two personal running highlights the last 10 years were(1) a hard hour run with Seb Coe and Ian Stewart inVienna at Euro Indoors in 2002 (I had broken my big toeplaying cricket a month or so before so was a bit short onfitness, but the pace was quite high and I went “to the wall”rather than drop back and face the derision of Ian!) and (2)with Kip in Brussels 2001—the morning he ran 3:26 with

Hicham. We ran together for 30 minutes; he was just clip-ping along looking so incredibly relaxed. I told him I had-n’t seen him look so good all year. He gave a wry smile andsaid he felt great and was going to have a real go at Hichamin the 1500 that night. He did, but his 3:26.34 came upjust a fraction short!

Photo: Victah, www.photorun.NET Photo: Victah, www.photorun.NET

Merga, Lagat and Bekele, 2010 Oslo Diamond League

Continued from page 18.

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Best Racing Shoes Summer 2010

Our annual review of new and newly updated racers looks at eight models that trade training shoe protection forspeed. As a general guideline, we’ve noted the recommended distance range for the various shoes to assist you inmaking your racing shoe choices. We define efficient strikers as runners who are very light on their feet and gen-

erally land on their forefoot. Heavy strikers land heavily on the heel and/or carry a few extra pounds of body weight.Because biomechanics and racing distances differ, it may be necessary for you to purchase more than one racer. Just makesure that whatever shoes you choose accommodate your foot shape, footstrike, and foot motion.

ASICS Gel Hyperspeed 4 $75The fourth round of the Hyperspeed main-

tains the focus of the original: value,protection, and performance.

The shoe gives spe-cific care to its

most essential com-ponents and

improves where it canon previous versions. Unchanged

are the generous SpEVA midsole and the MagicSole outersole, which is well-ventilated and hasrice husks added to the forefoot rubber com-

pound to improve traction in wet conditions. The fitis that of a great racer—a snug heel and roomier fore-

foot—thanks to a more closely woven mesh and more effective sta-bilizing overlays, a synthetic suede support under the ASICS stripeson the lateral side, and a closed mesh panel on the medial side.The fit, flexibility, and overall cushioning are its claims to fame,

while the attractive price provides extra value. It should come as nosurprise that the Hyperspeed earned our Best Racing Shoe award.

Sizes: men 4–13,14 (unisex) Weight: 7.3 oz. (men’s 11) Shape: semi-curved Fit: snug heel, wide forefoot For: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics Range: efficient runners - up to a marathon; heavy strikers - up to 20K or a bit beyond

Brooks Green Silence $100The Green Silence is Brooks’ first new rac-ing shoe in a decade. The shoe demon-

strates that perform-ance and sus-tainability arecompatible;many of the

components aremade from recycled plastics

and the shoe is built with water-based adhesives and uses soy-based inks. The new midsole geometry provides flexibility and

cushioning, with just enough outersole for traction and durability.The upper is open mesh with a nicely cushioned tongue that

opens only on the lateral side in order to provide extra medialsupport. The shoes have a unique appearance, as the contrastingred and yellow colors are transposed, so the shoes aren’t identi-

cal, and the midsole of the right is red, while the left is yellow. Thecurved shape favors the higher-arched feet, however the roomyforefoot may allow enough wiggle room for lower-arched feet to

find an acceptable fit.

Sizes: men 4–12,13,14 (unisex) Weight: 8.0 oz. (men’s 11) Shape: semi-curved to curved Fit: snug heel, wide forefoot For: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics

Range: efficient runners - up to a marathon; heavy strikers - up to 20K or just beyond

Karhu Racer Fulcrum-Ride $115The Racer Fulcrum-Ride is the first of the cur-

rent crop of Karhu Fulcrum shoedesigns dedicated to top-end per-

formance. The upper is a veryopen air mesh, close-

fitting for supportand with a sad-dle of closed

mesh cinching themidfoot. The midsole is low

profile, with the fulcrum adjusted to the lowered geometry. The out-ersole is a matrix of tiny polyurethane Ts layered over a spongy,cushioned foam. Larger Ts in the medial heel and lateral forefoot

assist in the transition as the fulcrum rocks the foot forward for toe-off. The ride is responsive, with a nicely cushioned feeling—in partfrom the polyurethane innersole—and with very good flexibility inthe forefoot. Its range makes the Fulcrum-Ride a good choice fortempo runs and speedwork, as its durability and weight exceed

that of many of the racing shoes.

Sizes: men 8–14; women 6–11 Weight: 8.2 oz. (men’s 11); 6.1 oz. (women’s 8) Shape: semi-curved Fit: snug heel, wide forefoot For: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral

biomechanics to very mild overpronation Range: efficient runners - up to a marathon; heavy strikers - up to 25K or just beyond

K-Swiss K-Ruuz $85The swiftest member of the K-Swiss running

family features the same serious focusas the rest of the line. It also fea-

tures a few triathlon-inspired touches:laces with link-sausage-like

texture to staytied, drainage

through the shank, andperforations at the toe and heel for air flow (which K-Swiss calls its“FlowCool System”). The upper is open mesh with HF-welded mid-

foot overlays. The midsole is very low profile with a Superfoamcrash pad and Strobel board for cushioning. There’s a small medi-

al post for stability, which is especially useful in a racer sincefatigue usually results in reduced biomechanical efficiency (youknow, your form breaks down as you near the end of a race).

Overall, the K-Ruuz is an excellent racer for the speedy, but it’s solightweight that it’s better suited to shorter races.

Sizes: men 8–12,13,14; women 5.5–10,11 Weight: 6.0 oz. (men’s 11); 4.6 oz. (women’s 8)Shape: semi-curved Fit: snug heel, close-fitting forefoot For: medium- to high-arched feet with

neutral biomechanics to very mild overpronation Range: efficient runners - up to 35K orbeyond; heavy strikers - up to 15K

SUMMER 2010

BEST SHOERacing

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Saucony Fastwitch 4 $85Round four of the Fastwitch is well-defined: it’s a light, stable, versa-

tile racing shoe. The upperfeatures evenmore of the

openairmesh of

version 3, car-rying it onto the

tongue which has a plush, sueded lining. The overlays have beenpared back and repositioned with no noticeable change in weight.

The lightweight midsole formulation remains unchanged, alongwith the flexible segmented forefoot that’s ventilated for breathabili-

ty. The midfoot is well supported by an effectively-placed shankand moderate medial second density—also unchanged from ver-sion 3. The good news is that the Fastwitch continues to deliver

speedy performance for a variety of runners and uses.

Sizes: men 7–13,14; women 5–12 Weight: 7.2 oz. (men’s 11); 5.4 oz. (women’s 8) Shape: semi-curved Fit: snug heel, roomy forefoot For: medium- to high-arched feet

with neutral biomechanics to mild overpronation Range: efficient runners - up to a marathon;heavy strikers - up to 20K or just beyond

Nike Zoom Streak XC 2 $70The Zoom XC may be the most versatile

of the competition shoes thatbear the Swoosh. A hybrid

of sorts, it drawsfrom a numberof models. Theupper is very

open mesh with amidfoot band of synthetic

suede to shore up the fit (you may have seen it in Nike’s steeple-chase model). The midsole is a new foam formulation calledCushlon LT, a lightweight version of the resilient foam in the

Bowerman line. The outersole is a mini-waffle pattern, a tip of thehat to its use for cross country, as well as on the track and the

roads. The low profile, great fit, and light feel are enhanced by thebargain price; in fact, it could be called the bargain champion ofthis review. The Zoom Streak XC 2 is well placed in the versatilitydepartment, working almost equally well on the track, roads, and

cross country.

Sizes: men 4–13,14,15 (unisex) Weight: 6.0 oz. (men’s 11) Shape: semi-curved Fit: snug heel, close forefoot For: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics

Range: efficient runners - up to 25K; heavy strikers - up to 15K or just beyond

Zoot Ultra Speed $110 Zoot has established its place in the

triathlon market and has fans on the run-ning side, as well. The Ultra Speed is a

new shoe that complements theUltra Race, the Zoot long

distance rac-ing shoe.

The triathlonfeatures include

lining throughout forbarefoot use, lace-free for quick

entry, and vents for drainage and the additional benefit of cooling.The upper is TekSheen, a two-way stretch compression fabric whichprovides an excellent fit as long as you have a curved foot, sincethe monosock construction is difficult to fit on low- arched and/or

high-volume feet. The shank is carbon fiber and offers good torsion-al rigidity and rolls well to toe-off. The midsole is a low-profile Z

Bound/EVA blend that nicely combines resiliency and cushioning,and effectively splits the fine line between speed and protection.

Sizes: men 8–12,13,14; women 6–11 Weight: 6.9 oz. (men’s 11); 6.5 oz. (women’s 8)Shape: semi-curved to curved Fit: snug heel, close-fitting forefoot For: medium- to high-arched

feet with neutral biomechanics Range: efficient runners - up to 35K or beyond; heavy strikers - up to 15K, possibly beyond

Scott T2C $110 Scott’s entry into the U.S. market affordsracers more quality footwear choices.

The T2C is one of two Scottshoes specifically devel-

oped for triathlonracing. The T2Cis the more tradi-tional of the two,

with laces and a typicalmesh upper, in this case with

sublimated graphics and welded overlays that offer good supportand comfort, even when worn barefoot. Vents around the midsole

perimeter and a mesh Strobel board and perforated innersole allowdrainage, as well as a measure of cooling—important for bothtriathlons and road racing. The geometry of the shoe revolves

around a slightly convex bottom (“Ergologic Ride”), which allowsthe foot to roll through the transition smoothly, regardless of foot-strike. The generous slab of EVA and rubbery inserts at heel and

toe are responsive and protective, giving the T2C a lengthier rangefor competition—even better than most other shoes of the same

weight. The outersole features high-traction synthetic rubber backedwith fabric, common but effective for road racing shoes.

Sizes: men 7–13,14; women 5–12 Weight: 7.0 oz. (men’s 11); 5.2 oz. (women’s 8) Shape: semi-curved Fit: snug heel, roomy forefoot For: medium- to high-arched feet with neutralbiomechanics Range: efficient runners - up to a marathon; heavy strikers - up to 25K or beyond

CREGG WEINMANN is footwear and running products reviewer for Running Network LLC. He can be reached via e-mail at shuz2run@lightspeed.net.Copyright © 2010 by Running Network LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be stored, copied, or reprinted without prior written permission

of Running Network LLC. Reprinted here with permission.

FIRST was the appointment of a USATF “Director of Coaching.” Who knewwe needed one?

THEN came the gutting of the Coaches Education program—a programcreated and run entirely by coaches without any help from USATF for most of its25 years—a program which educated more than 20,000 American high school andcollege coaches—a program which visibly raised the level of U.S track and fieldcoaching, and U.S.performances—in short, the most successful initiative inUSATF’s history.

Earlier this year, most of the distinguished coaches who led Coaching Ed for thepast decade suddenly resigned because of changes which were being made in Indianapolis. Said USATF, “We’ll get new coach-instructors who will be just asgood.” We’re still waiting to be told who they are.

NOW comes USATF’s Coaches Registry, which more than one well-known coachhas called, “Blackmail.” That’s not our word, but it was spoken by coaches knownand respected in our sport.

Blackmail, because if you don’t sign up, you can’t get a coach accreditation forUSATF Championships. Which means you can’t get into the practice and warmupareas to work with your athletes in the important days and hours before they compete.No matter how good a coach you are.

One well-know coach, a former Olympic medalist and world champion, said, “Idon’t like it at all, but I signed up because my athletes need me and expect me tobe there.”

There several other equally repellent “privileges” not available to non-registeredcoaches, but the issue of greatest concern is the coach accreditation for the Championships.

Sam Seemes, who leads the U.S. Track and Cross-Country Coaches of America,reports that most of the comments he has received about Coaches Registry wereunfavorable. The day after USATF announced the program, Seemes and USTCCCA president Curtis Frye send a message to members which included thefollowing:

“USTFCCCA Members should know that the USTFCCCA neither supportsthe Coaches Registry program, nor did we develop the program. We are disappointed that USATF implied in their press release that the USTFCCCA wassupportive of the Coaches Registry program they have established. Furthermore,we disagree with the statement that the USATF Coaches Registry ‘will identify andacknowledge the coaches who represent the profession’s highest standards.’ “

USATF CEO Doug Logan said, “No group is more important to the development of our athletes than coaches.” He certainly has a strange way of showing it. One wonders why USTCCA wasn’t informed of Coaches Registry beforeit was announced, and why USTCCA wasn’t asked to participate in developing aprogram specifically involving its membership?

Just as bad was USATF’s timing. Here is a new program, affecting the professional lives and status of more than 30,000 coaches, and you announce it atthe most important time of the year, when coaches at every level are deeply involvedin championship-level competition., and you give them five weeks. That may belegal, but it is certainly not fair to the coaches.

In politics, that’s called an ultimatum. And it is usually followed by a war.

— James Dunaway

HAS USATF DECLARED WAR ON U.S. COACHES?