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Posts tagged ‘paula radcliffe’

Apr 3

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A 10 Year Record

This April marks the 10th Anniversary of Paula Radcliffe’s marathon world record. 10 years ago, in the London Marathon, Radcliffe ran 26.2 miles in 2:15:25. Even to this day, the next closest time is three minutes slower. Last Thursday an article came out, stating that Radcliffe fears she’ll never race again. I remember in 2004 watching Radcliffe drop out of the Olympic marathon and I almost cried with her. It was heartbreaking. But through her many injuries, Radcliffe has some amazing accomplishments. She has two world records, the 10K and marathon, along with a few other world bests (but they are unratifiable). Even if she never races again, she is amazing.

Here is her marathon finish in 2003:

Happy Trails and Happy Running,

Tracie

Recovery/Running Update: I ran an easy 3 miles this morning through Microsoft’s campus. Tomorrow I am meeting one of my running friends for a run through Seattle and I am really looking forward to it. :)

Aug 3

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Peak Performance in Women Runners

My cousin is in town for a wedding and we have been having a lot of good running conversations today.  One that I found particularly interesting was about a recent article she had read discussing peak performance in women marathoners.  She had read that women runners peak later in life because over the years, they build more confidence.  After quite a few Google searches, I was unable to find the article, but I did find some other interesting facts.

The average age of the 2008 elite women’s field for the New York City Marathon was 33.

The winner of the 2008 Women’s Olympic Marathon was 38 years old. Sammy Wanjiru was 21 when he won the 2008 Men’s Olympic marathon.

Kara Goucher is 34 and Shalane Flanagan is 31.  Desiree Davila is 29.

Paula Radcliffe who was planning to run the London Olympic Marathon until she had to drop out, is 38 years old.

“The physical peak for most humans, in most sports, is between 25 and 35 years of age; during this peak period, the well-conditioned athlete can create a confluence of muscular strength, peak cardiovascular and oxygen transport, speed and reaction time, and mental capabilities (including the ability to deal with competitive pressures), all bound together by a desire to succeed.”

“For sports  in which strength (both muscular strength and bone density), oxygen uptake, and cardiovascular efficiency are vital to success, the aging process may be slowed, though never halted or reversed. Since 1950, the average age of world champion distance runners in the 3-mi (5,000 m) races through to the 26-mi marathons (42.2 km) ranges between 28 and 32 years of age. From this peak of ability, runners will continue to perform at levels close to their personal best into their late 30s and early 40s; performance then declines at a rate of approximately 2% per year through age 80.”

There is a lot of information out there regarding when runners peak, and in particular when women runners peak.  I am 29 years old and after 11 years of attempting this running thing, I finally feel like I am becoming a smarter and better runner.  Although I will never be where Kara Goucher is at the age of 34, I am hoping that I will continue to get better and faster. Whether it be because of more confidence or better physical abilities, I hope my best running years are yet to come.

Happy Trails and Happy Running,

Tracie

Jul 31

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Freya Murray

I hope you all are enjoying the Olympics as much as I am.  I am particularly getting excited about the track and field events, which begin on Friday and the women’s marathon on Sunday.  For those of you on the east coast, the marathon will start at 6:00 am EST (11:00 am in London).  It seems Davila is still questionable.  Sunday Hanson Brooks put on their Facebook page she would be dropping out of the race only to have to quickly take that statement down.  Davila responded to that news with a tweet:  ”Wow, news to me! Just finished with team doctor, taking it day to day. Will do anything I can to get to the start.”  I guess you can call that a lack of communication between coach and athlete.  It seems unlikely that there will be an alternate to replace her if she does decide to drop out. The 4th place finisher at the trials, Amy Hastings, will be running 10,000 meters so I’m pretty sure the marathon is not on her to-do list.  I’m still crossing my fingers Davila makes it to the start line.  She is such an amazing runner to watch.

Although there will be no alternate for Davila if she decides to drop out, Radcliffe is being replaced by Freya Murray.  I had never heard of Murray so I decided to learn a little more about the Scots woman. She is 28 years old and was the second British woman to finish the London Marathon back in April.  Her 2:28 finish in London was actually her first marathon and was fast enough to earn her a spot as an alternate in the Olympics.  Murray also competes in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters and other than running, she works as a structural engineer.  She has also won the Scottish Athletics National Cross Country title for six of the past seven years.  How did she find out she would be competing in London? Radcliffe sent her a text message while she was out grocery shopping.  I wonder if she put those groceries right back on the shelf and then headed straight home to pack…

Murray will be joining Claire Hallissey, who ran the London Marathon in 2:27:93, an impressive nine minutes faster than her first marathon back in 2010.  I can only imagine the sadness Radcliffe is experiencing, but I’m certain Hallissey and Murray will do all they can to represent their country well.  Sunday morning can’t come soon enough.

 

Claire Hallissey, New York City Marathon, 2010
Photo Source: Randy Le’Moine, Wikimedia Commons

 

Happy Trails and Happy Running,

Tracie

Jul 29

3 Comments

Paula Radcliffe

Ever since I read that Desiree Davila and Meb Keflezighi were suffering from injuries and were questionable about running the marathon, I’ve been checking the news every morning for an update.  So far it seems both runners are still planning to run, although they have a few more days to make a decision.  Davila has been struggling with a hip flexor tendon injury and Keflezighi strained a muscle during the Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon back in June.

My heart was very sad this morning when I read that Paula Radcliffe would be dropping out of the August 5th race due to a foot injury.  She is considered by many to be the greatest female distance runner and holds the world record for the marathon with a time of 2:15:25.

Paula Radcliffe:

“I have been through the mill emotionally and physically the past three weeks, cried more tears than ever, vented more frustration and at the same time calmly tried every direction and avenue available to heal myself,” Radcliffe said in a statement. “As desperate as I was to be part of the amazing experience of the London Olympics, I don’t want to be there below my best.”

I remember watching the 2004 Olympics in Athens and when she dropped out, I cried with her.  How hard it must be to dedicate practically your entire adult life to something only to not have it work out the way you were hoping in the end.  But even if she never gets the Olympic finish she has worked so hard for, she still has quite a few accomplishments to her name.  Other than being the female world record holder in the marathon, she has won the London Marathon three times, the New York City Marathon twice, and the Chicago Marathon once.  In addition, she has won the Half Marathon World Championship three times and holds the world record in the 10,000 meters.  I can only imagine how hard of a decision this was for her, but I still admire her for all that she has accomplished.  She has had an amazing running career, and who knows that the future holds.  I wish her the best and hope that she finds peace with this decision.

One more week to go until the women’s marathon… I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Desiree and Meb!

Paula Radcliffe, Photo by Ed Costello, Wikimedia Commons

Happy Trails and Happy Running,

Tracie

 

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