• AIMs certified marathon on a good, largely flat, course
• a race in which the priority is helping runners achieve their goals, rather than a money grabbing commercially driven event designed to get entries from the masses
• a short, cheap flight away
• no jet lag or multiple time zones
• good climate
• easy to get a start
• no stress at the start line, or difficulties lining up with athletes of similar ability
• chance to have your own drinks at every drink station, whether you are an elite or back of the packer
• a popular race for Boston, Comrades, World Cup and Commonwealth Games qualifying attempts 

1. Chief Minister- Jon Stanhope, stanhope@act.gov.au
2. Leader of the Opposition- Zed Seselia, seselja@parliament.act.gov.au
3. The Canberra Times editors.assistant@canberratimes.com.au

Running the Tongariro Crossing, on New Zealand’s north island wasn’t exactly what I would have imagined I would be doing in the first week of January.  Running over the challenging and still-active volcano less than 12 hours after finishing the New Zealand 10,000m championships was perhaps even less imaginable.  But there I was, chugging away, camera in pocket, combining two things - running and travelling - into the same seemingly incompatible space and time.

 

Travelling and holidaying can be a tricky thing for an athlete.  On holidays with non-athlete friends I have often wondered how it would be possible to maintain a training programme.  There‘s only so much pounding up and down the same old stretch of road outside the hotel at silly times in the morning you can take.  So it is easy to feel that there is never a good time to get away and holidays have to be squeezed into that tiny window of opportunity between seasons when training is less important.

 

If you‘re like me and still want to see the world then check out www.kiwirun.com.  This group, set up and led by former sub 4 minute miler Steve Willis (Nick’s brother), organises running tours around the scenic island’s of New Zealand.  Whilst travelling round the country and visiting points of interest, running would remain the focus.  There would also be knowledgeable locals running with the group who could point out the best trails and routes.  It seemed like a perfect solution to the holiday problem.

 

I signed up immediately for the Janaury 2010 tour which started in Auckland on 28^th December and finished on the 11^th January 2010.  This was the fledgling tour organised by Steve and his family. There is another planned for Summer 2010 and hopefully more in the pipeline.

 

Tailored specifically for running there were a number of optional races available including the afore mentioned 10,000m.  There were also opportunities to do your own sessions, including track work, or to simply join in with whatever run was scheduled for that day.  The Kiwi run team could not be more obliging in making sure that your training needs were catered for, driving different groups to different training venues where necessary.  There was also one other very important person on the trip - Craig, the tour physical therapist ,who provided massage, stretching and core sessions and just general advice throughout the tour. 

 

The tour also provided an opportunity to experience a bit of Kiwi running history. Distance coach legend Arthur Lydiard set all his athletes, including the likes of Olympic Medallists Bill Baillie and Barry Magee, the Waitarua run every Sunday.  Early on in the tour we were given the opportunity to tackle all (or part) of the circuit - which is a very hilly 17 mile loop around Auckland.  Starting at the Lynndale Harriers Athletic Club House (or Lydiard’s house for those wanting to do the historic 22mile option), the route ascends to Waiaturua point.   Running up possibly one of the longest and steepest hills I may have ever tackled, I confess to wondering briefly whether or not I was cut out for this running malarky.  But by the time we had run all the way back down the other side, soaked up the great weather and heard plenty of Barry and Bill’s stories about running, world records and the Olympics, it was all forgotten.  You were just inspired.

 

It’s not all about the running though.  Once the training is done, and good amounts of delicious food has been consumed, it’s then time to choose from the selection of suggested activities - or to simply do your own thing.  I’m not at all adventurous so steered clear of the luging or white water rafting options, but for us less thrill seeking types there’s plenty else to do, be it soaking in a natural hot pool, visiting a traditional Maori village or going to one of the many great beaches and trying a surf. 

 

It was a great holiday but I never felt that maintaining training was difficult or monotonous. Running enhanced the trip and gave you the opportunity to see things that you might not on a normal holiday.

 

If you’re looking for nightclubs, parties or else a quiet and sedate holiday,  this tour may not be your cup of tea.  If, however, you want to combine seeing an amazing country, meeting some great people and doing the thing you love most, you can’t do much better than Kiwi run.

It's been a while since my last blog but lets go over what's been happening throughout the indoor season so far!

First was the "Dual Meet". As mentioned in my last blog this meet is just between Ohio State and Michigan. Unfortunately we lost.... but there was still some great racing by the boys in blue. I competed in the mile along with Brendon and senior team member Tony Nali to finish in second place with a 4.37 (last 600m in 1.21). Later i came back to run the 800m and finished second to last in 1.57. Not feeling to great after the plane ride back to the states from NZ but still pretty happy with how the legs held up.

Next was a home meet and i ran the 3km to finish 5th in 8.25. Terefe (representing Eastern Michigan) competed in this race and from memory ran a 8.21. It was great to have another Kiwi rival! Can't say i was too happy with this race but at the end of the day you have to accept the shape that you are in and work on improving.

The following weekend we went to Kentucky and i ran the mile. The body was feeling much better after adjusting and i was quite excited for this race. I finished 5th again in 4.08 and was fairly happy with this result as its the fastest i have run since 2007. Team member Brandon Fellows won in 4.06 which was an awesome result and it looks like he will be anchoring our DMR (distance medley relay) when it comes to the "Big Ten" meet. Brendon also ran the mile in 4.12. We were both quite sick so that probably took a toll on our performances.

Next i was to compete in the 800m at Notre Dame. I couldn't believe the depth of talent at this meet. I ran 1.52.4 for 5th place in my heat but finished something like 20th overall. I already knew that racing is of a whole new standard over here in the US but that really made it sink in. After that complete ass kicking i realized that i would have to step up my game and now have a lot more motivation to train harder and come to meets better prepared. We had good performances from the guys all round but as a team we are looking to improve a great deal by the time it comes to the "Big Ten" meet.

Last weekend we went to Grand Valley. This meet was a lot more encouraging for the team and we came home with much better times under our belts. In the mile I ran a 4.04 which equates roughly to my pb over 1500m so i was very happy to be back to where i once was a few years ago. The next day 7 from our team ran the 3000m. We had 4 guys run under 8.10. The best of us was Sean Macnamera in 8.04 and then Brendon in 8.08. I was next in 8.09 closely followed by Bobby April in 8.09 also. Our coach Ron Warhurst was quite happy with the performances and on the bus ride back you could tell there was a much better atmosphere from leaving this meet compared to previous weeks.

In two weeks time we will compete in our conference the "Big Ten" meet. With how we rank at the moment we aren't looking to come away winning the meet but i know i can speak for everyone when i say we have every intention of doing so. Every meet our runners have improved and if we continue this trend then we should have just as much chance as other schools to come away with the victory. The mile is most likely to be a tactical race so qualifying for nats is not really the aim for this meet, the following weekend at Notre Dame will be our last chance to do so. The best thing about racing at this level is that is pushes you to be the best you can. These next few weeks are going to be very interesting as Ron peaks us to be at our best ability. So far i feel as though i have gone into meets at about 80 percent so now as the heavy training load decreases it will be interesting to see just what our team has to show!

Well the weekend has been and gone and I'm back from Iowa and my 5km. 

The race was not what we expected and was a far cry from the year before. 
The field was deep on paper, and i was ranked 9th with my 14.23 from last year. 
Everything was magic up till around 3000m. I hit around 8.31-ish and was feeling
good just sitting in the pack following the train. Unfortunately the leaders then fell
to pieces and the pace dropped big time. I found myself moving from around 10th to
4th in the matter of a couple of laps and was pretty much in no mans land. I lost a lot
of time in that 4th km and although i pulled together a solid last 800, I finished 4th 
in 14:24.49. 

Pretty disappointed to be honest as i am in much better shape than that - just wasn't
the race we thought it would be. I have been training very much on the strength side
of things as outdoors is the priority but believed (and still do) that I could run 14.10 and
qualify for WUXC. I would love to have another crack but the qualifying period was
essentially just indoor season and had too be at sea-level, which meant I only had one
real chance over 5000m - while the 10'000 standard (30.30) was never going to be an
option as they certainly don't run that indoors anymore!!! I'm glad I had a crack though
and have made it clear I am still available for selection as Canada is just up the road
and I believe I can be very competitive at that meet. 

Finally have a week off from racing this week as I had raced the past 4 weekends in a row.
I'm also feeling a lot better than last week as I was starting to feel quite run down before
traveling. The plan now is Conference next weekend where I will be running the 5km/3km
double - 6 days after that we will be traveling to the Ben Brown Invite in Fullerton, CA to
open up the outdoor season. At that meet last year I ran 14.23 to win the B race, this year
I will be hanging close to the front in the A race. That race will essentially dictate what happens
for the rest of the season. If I can run 14.0X I will likely have a good enough time to make it 
to the National Qualifying Meet, so will have a lot of options in terms of training and racing for
the rest of the season. Tentative schedule after that is Stanford and Mt.Sac. 

Not much more from me - just looking forward to some more solid training and Conference! 

d-wal. 

Well this weekend is what I have been training for since break - the 5000m at Iowa State. 
Since my last entry things have continued to go pretty well.

What we took from Nebraska is that I am strong but needed to get the wheels turning 
a bit quicker. Rather than get into specific speed work we thought we'd enter in some 
shorter races to sharpen up. The mile at Airforce went pretty well - it went out very slow
(1:09) but gradually picked up. At half way I took the lead and got moving, closing the 
last 400 in 60.01. The converted time wasn't blazing (4:12/13 if I remember right) but 
you don't go to 7000ft to run blazing times, yet to close that fast up there I was pretty
excited about my fitness - I don't think even Carl Jackson has closed that fast up there
in a mile. After the race we were outside for a 20' tempo which felt harder than the race
itself!! It was a good day of training and nice to get another win. 

Training since that mile has been ok - not great, I was a little tired in out "michigan" workout
the following tuesday. I still hit the splits but wasn't as relaxed as the week before. That 
weekend I travelled to New Mexico for another mile. I felt great in the warm-up but didn't
feel great in the race. I ended up with another 4.12. I am in much better shape than that
but it just wasn't my day and the training we have been doing though has been 100% 
focussed on the 5km. For the last 2 weeks Tuesday has been a michigan, and Thursday
90', so to still be able to run a couple of half-decent miles is pretty good. 

This week I was still a little tired. Tuesday was 4x800 @ goal race pace - the times were
fine I was just a little fatigued still so I took Weds completely off - my first unscheduled 
day off in a long time!!! It was well needed as I have been fighting off a bit of a cold that
has been going around (both the people I live with were sick in the last two weeks!) which
is probably why I haven't felt 100% in training in the last week or so. Today was a lot better
though and I'm confident I will be ready, rested, and ready to go on Sat. Shit, if Galen Rupp
can run 13.14 after being sick surely I can run a minute slower!!! 

We leave tomorrow at 5.15am which is a kick in the nuts but its nice to finally be flying - the 
8hr bus trips back and forth to New Mexico suck pretty bad. 

d-wal

Hey Kiwis...Holly here. So we are now back into the track season. Lucy is red-shirting indoors but may run unattached later in the season.  As for me...training went really well during the Christmas holidays back in New Zealand (such good weather to train in compared to some of my team mates facing the snow in Ireland and over here). I got some 70+ mile weeks in, with some good track workouts. It was great to be back on the track!

So after a month at home we returned to the cold. With being a little jet-lagged for a few days, sleep wasn't the best, but that was expected. Lucy and I also just moved into a cottage off campus so it has been fun setting up our first little home. Great place to relax when we have time. 

I have just had my first indoor race this week in Boston, at the BU Terrier Invitational. I ran the 3000m, placed 5th in a time of 9.28. I was pleased with the result, being my first race back. I went into the race with a open mind, knowing I was fit, so I just went out there and raced. The race had pretty even splits, a bit pushy with arms out, but overall it was a good race. I felt strong and back home on the track. Just have to mention how cold it has been here though...we were warming up and cooling down outside in around -15 degree temperatures. Have been freezing all weekend! That's what you get over this side of the world at this time of the year. 

The goal for this indoor season for me is to focus on the 5000m...it is now just finding the right race to run in that will be competitive and fast. Will update you soon.

So great seeing all of the outdoor track race results in NZ...keep it up!
Enjoy the summer and all your training...will blog again next month with more indoor news!

God Bless,
Holly van Dalen

 Ok so check this out: I am currently on a bus in the middle of nowhere but have wireless

Well since cross finished a few changes were made, and things quickly turned 
around for me after a pretty disappointing end to the Fall. 

We tried a few things in cross that didn't work out, but nonetheless it was still great
hard training and we learnt a lot. After a week off of no running I slowly built up so
that after 4 weeks I was at full miles again - about 90. Its been very basic stuff but has
got me fit very quick. Basic outline was something like this:

Mon: Easy 60' 
Tues: Tempo (b/w 20-30mins @ Heart-rate) + Easy 30'
Weds: 90' medium. 
Thurs: Easy 70'
Fri: Fartlek (Varied b/w 1min, 3min, and 5min efforts) + Easy 30'
Sat: Easy 60' + Easy 30'
Sun: 1:45' over hills. 

Throw in with that some core work a few days a week as well as some 150's for basic
speed on Monday and Thursdays and I am currently very fit. So far we have done very
little on the track, only about 3 sessions so far. One of which was 6x800 @ 5km goal pace
(14.10) with 1min rest which went very, very well. I am finishing sessions feeling good and
having a lot more in the tank which is why I am still able to hold the miles at 90/week. I will
be around that all indoors except for 3 weeks for more important races. 

The goal this season is just flat-out to run 14.10 to qualify for World Uni XC. With the season
not very long I'll have one really good shot at hitting that time at Iowa state on Feb 13. Running
indoors is obviously a bit slower than outdoors, so the chance to run on a larger track will
probably be my best shot at qualifying. If I wasn't trying to make this team, I would likely
just be focussing on the 3km but it is important for me to have a crack and my coach has 
been right behind it. 

Plan is to run a 5km this weekend at Nebraska. Goal there is basically to see where
we are at. I'll plan to get through 3km at 8.40 and then if I'm feeling good I'll try and
pick it up. A few hours later I'll run a 1km for a bit of a workout. Week after is one off in
terms of racing, but on Feb 5 I'll be racing a mile at New Mexico, followed the week
after by the 5km at Iowa State. 

So along with Conference, that will be the plan for indoors. I am really looking forward
to the season. It's night and day in terms of how I am feeling now compared with cross. 
I'm training well but feeling fresh - not buggered all the time. Despite some average 
weather we have a decent little indoor facility to train on. 150m indoor track so plenty
of turns but nice to be able to get the work done when outdoors is not an option. 

Good luck to the others competing indoors this season and to those on the track at home. 

d-wal

So cross-country is all done and dusted! Not the best finish for the boys in blue but after a week off we are back on our feet and are looking ahead to the indoor season.

I don't really know what to make of indoor season. It seems like a huge inconvience in the sense that its pretty much two track seasons back to back but then again we do get to race the mile! The indoor mile is really going to be the main focus for me this season. Our first race is going to be the "Dual Meet" which is a traditional clash between The University of Michigan and Ohio State University. This meet is mid Jan and is the first crack at the mile so right now the goal is to be in good shape for that but also not be in too good of shape as its a long time untill nationals (which requires a sub 4min to qualify). This is going to be the hardest part of the indoor season for me. As pumped as i am to go out and train hard and race fast i know that there is only so much the body can handle. So while we are doing 3 workouts a week and going head to head with other great runners, at the same time i have to remain conservative and show my hand when the time counts. Not an easy task at all. It's becoming clearer every week how much of a thinking game this sport is and how only the smartest make it on the podium. Talent is becoming less important whereas composure is becoming vital. In saying that i think as a team we have a really good understanding of what we need to get done this season and also what we need to be cautious of.

For a while i believed the whole "Michigan winter" had been talked up. That is untill around 3 days ago. Running outdoors is not enjoyable in the snow. With tights, shorts, trackpants, 2 long sleeve tops, a jacket, gloves and beanie its still cold. Even on the 5mile tempo i hardly worked up a sweat because it was so cold. At the same time i secretly love it! There is something about being so miserable and battling the winds that gives you an adrenaline rush. So as miserable as it is i still can't deny that it is an addictive misery. It is certainly something you can't experience back home. I enjoy waking up in the morning for training and putting on my Michigan jacket, scarf and gloves and crunching my way through ice and snow to the indoor track. Its the small differences that makes this place so exciting. On a run the other day i jokingly asked "so when do the Yetis come out?", Brendon replied, " when softball practice is over". Definately one of the best one liners i have heard in a while, although i thought that comment was a bit rich after seeing the state of one of the water polo girls he has recently "befriended".

Hopefully the build up continues to go well. Last week i ran a 6.19 2400m indoor with Nick pacing so that was a good sign of the strength that ive accuired over the cross-country season. Between now and the Dual Meet i'll be doing a 3km in chch on the 9th of jan but other than that it is all about gettting fit and staying healthy! GO BLUE!

 

Yes, I know. We are all over the Liza Hunter-Galvan saga, as Kath and Kim would say, “over, O-V-A-H”. So, why did I fork out on a North and South, just to read Lorraine Moller’s article ? Because I remain puzzled by the unrelenting support Liza has had from the legends of our sport. I have a huge amount of respect for Moller as an athlete and a person. Her autobiography is one of the best books I have ever read, so thought, damn it, if her writing does not convince me, nothing will ! I sat down with the magazine, an Amstel Light, an open mind and.....

NO ! STILL DO NOT GET IT ! I just cannot fathom how Athletics NZ can be blamed for an adult, capable of making her own decisions, travelling to Mexico, purchasing EPO and shooting up in the bathroom. NZ does tend to have a blame culture, you do not need to look much further than Hone Harawira and his mates to see this. I just hope we never get an “it is not so bad to take drugs- it was the pressure that made me do it and everyone else is anyway” culture as well. I feel gutted for top marathoners such as Nina Rillstone who remain behind LHG on NZ’s all time list.

Since my last blog my tally of NZ Championship bronzes for 2009 has hit four. My partner has taken to calling me the Bronze Whaler. Evidently Golden Retrievers have more street cred’. I have been sitting on a tally of nine NZ titles since last century, much of that time away from the sport, but even so it would be quite nice to have a change of colour and crack double figures at some stage. It seemed pretty easy for Tiger last week.

The NZ Marathon Champs from Riverton to Invercargill provided some valuable experience over the distance and where else do you get a photo with the  Ranfurly Shield and a peck on the cheek from Dick Taylor ? It has left me itching to have a serious crack over the marathon distance after a really good, healthy, build up. The World Cross Country trial looms first however, in Trentham, late January, where I hope to add the seal to my “pre-selection”. Pre-selected athletes are expected to prove their fitness by finishing in the top six at the trial. World Cross is in Poland, in a place I cannot pronounce, Bydgoszcz, but wherever it is, it will require a lot of training, a lot of saving and some grovelling for more time off work. All well worth it.  It will be pretty cool if we can have strong kiwi contingent over there, and who knows what Kim Smith could do after mixing it up with the Africans last year.