2008 Olympian Ryan Hall (Mammoth Lakes, CA) won the USA 7 Mile Championship this morning at the Quad City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, IA.  The race was run during heavy rainfall and thunderstorms which prohibited the runners from going after the course record.  Hall, running in his first race since his 4th place finish at the Boston Marathon this past April, ran a conservative first 3 and 1/2 miles before attacking the last half of the race, crossing the finish line with a winning time of :32.55.  Hall will now begin his training for the Chicago Marathon (10/10/10) as he looks to set the American record on the fast, flat course, run through the Windy City.  He will run the Rock and Roll Philadelphia 1/2 Marathon on September 19 as a tune-up for Chicago.
 

Marathon day is always a surreal experience for me. Years of preparation go into building up for a marathon and for the last six months it has been the goal driving every training run for everyday (I only missed one day of training and took Christmas off). As I was sitting on the bus taking me out to what now feels like my second home, Hopkington, I was reminding myself to live in the moment and savor every minute of the experience, and that I did.

Yesterday I made many memories that will last a lifetime. I love jogging to the starting line because we go through the middle of the masses to get to the front and they are pumped. I felt like I was leading them into battle as I high fived frenzied crowd and gave a few yells of enthusiasm. Then we all waited together for those long moments before the gun fired.

This year the plan was to run free and to run full of joy. I wanted to have the freedom to go in and out of the lead and the freedom to run my own race. I was also focused on really enjoying the race and letting as much joy flow out of me as possible. I always run my best when I am having fun and living with joy is the good life. Now, a day later, I feel that I accomplished these two goals.

So here is my play by play of the race in each 5k. I felt good in the first 5k, taking the lead and running 4:50 pace as comfortably as possible. Knowing the course and how I felt weeks ago running 4:50 pace I was able to hit my splits very closely. I knew that if I could maintain 4:50 pace I would have an excellent shot of winning the race. As it played out I would have only ended up on the podium but who would have known that anyone would be in 2:05 shape on the tough course that Boston is. I remember in the first 5k a guy on the side of the road yelling encouragement at me and then tacking on to the end of it, “but don’t lead the whole way.” I just laughed to myself and continued to “be me” out there.

I continued to lead comfortable through the second 5k. This year I felt much more comfortable and confident in the lead. We continued to stay on 4:50 pace. Things were working out just as I had hoped and I felt like I had a good chance at staying at 4:50 pace.

Somewhere after 10k the first move of the race was made. As I checked my Garmin and saw that we were already running plenty fast I decided to stick to my game plan and made the conscious decision to let the pack go. My confidence remained high and I made a point to take in the amazing crowd along the course and the surroundings that I have grown to love over the past three weeks.

By the 15k mark I had caught back up to the lead pack that was continuing to get smaller and smaller. Instead of settling in the pack I passed on the far right hand side of the road and kept the pace constant. I was glad to rejoin the leaders and my neighbor and teammate Meb.

When we hit the screaming girls at Wellesley the energy was so high I couldn’t help myself but to give them back something so I cupped my ears around my ears to encourage an even higher decibel level of screaming. The noise was off the hook! Last year the first move was made at Wellesley so I wasn’t able to enjoy it like I had hoped. I was almost surprised when the pack was content to let me lead through Wellesley and enjoy the energy.

We charged on toward the half way mark and I continued to lead through a split of around 63:27. I was impressed with our split. We were right on schedule but there was still a large pack. Shortly after half way another hard move was made by Merga and this time there was less of a conscious decision on my part not to go with the move. This time my body was telling me that if I went any faster I was going to suffer in the hills of Newton and would risk the chances of a blow up. I continued to stay close to my 4:50 a mile target as the pack through down some impressive splits.

When we hit the hills the pack was still in sight but then they hit some very impressive splits and were soon out of sight. The hills felt tough but the crowd support was amazing. I ran past the Bentley Track Team as they chanted my name. Sara and I stayed in Waltham and had met the team one day on the track. They had picked the perfect spot to cheer from, as I was desperate for any energy I could get.

When we hit the graveyard mile guys were starting to come back and I had worked my way up to sixth place. I still couldn’t see the leaders, which was surprising me as I had felt like my splits through Newton were still very good. Off in the distance I could see Meb and another runner coming back. I was disappointed that it looked like an American would not win again this year but I was still optimistic that you never know what will happen in those dramatic last 10k. The crowd at BC was crazy as usual.

The last 10k was all a blur. I passed a Kenyan coming down the graveyard mile and then caught Meb just before mile 25. At this point I didn’t care too much about my splits. I was just trying to turn it over as fast as I could. My hamstrings were on fire. Everything hurt but I tried to enjoy the moment as best I could despite the pain. Running has taught me how to enjoy even the not so pleasant moments.

One of my visions for the Boston Marathon was to enjoy the final run down Boylston. In my minds eye I had always pictured myself winning the marathon but as I prepared my heart before the race I had decided I would celebrate my run and the fact that God is good all the time in both victory and defeat so when I hit Boylston street I let my joy out and started airplaning through the street. It wasn’t until a fan on the side of the road pointed up the street to a faint yellow jersey still 100 meters down the road that I had mistaken for one of the women elite runners and yelled “Go get Merga” that I realized I had a chance to get on the podium. I put my head down and drove with my arms as hard as I could. I felt like I was in one of my many bad dreams where I am trying to sprint and moving in slow motion. With 100 meters to go it was becoming apparent that I was going to run out of real estate.

Looking back on the 2010 Boston marathon I am in a paradoxical state of content yet still hungry for breakthrough. Having the bar raised to a 2:05 on the Boston marathon makes me want to taste that same breakthrough for myself; especially considering the winner this year was 5th here last year. I rejoice whenever there is breakthrough because it helps pave the way for my breakthrough. Another spring in Boston and another great experience, yet I am hungrier than ever for a victory on these roads. As one of my favorite Bible verses says, “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.” The sun rose on April 20th and so did I as I laced up my ASICS and headed out the door for yet another run full of joy, hope, and life.

Irvine, CA (April 19, 2010) - Olympic marathoner and ASICS athlete Ryan Hall finished in fourth place with a time of 2:08:41, the fastest time an American has run on the Boston course since 1994, in his second attempt at running the Boston Marathon. Hall finished third (2:09:40) at the 2009 Boston Marathon.

In the coldest start in 12 years, the temperature hovered at 50 degrees with lightly scattered clouds and a strong headwind for the 114th Boston Marathon.  Two Americans, Ryan Hall and Meb Keflezighi, had high hopes of placing in the top three and breaking the American record set by Greg Meyer in 1983. While they placed fourth and fifth respectively, it was the first time two Americans have finished in the top five since 2006. The race was won by Kenyan Robert Cheruiyot in a course record time of 2:05:52, 82 seconds faster than the course record set in 2006.

Like the previous year, Hall set the pace from the start leading the pack at a moderate pace until the 15k mark. Deribe Merga, last year's winner, made the first move to break up the lead pack and quickly dropped Hall by 14 seconds. Right before mile 11, Hall made his way back to the front of the lead pack and by mile 12 he was back in the race. At mile 13, as he passed Wesley College, Hall put his hand to his ear to signify “I want to hear more screaming!” Cheriyout and Merga made it a two man race at mile 16 as they broke away from the group and Hall dropped back to 7th place before eventually passing fellow American Meb Keflezighi at Mile 24 to finish in fourth place, just two seconds behind the third-place winner, Deribe Merga(2:08:39). Hall will be donating his $25,000 prize earnings to The STEPS Foundation, the non-profit organization he co-founded with his wife with the goal of ending poverty.

Yesterday, Hall's wife Sara took second place in the BAA Elite Mile (4:43.7). The conditions were poor and dangerous due to the wet and windy weather. Sara ran a cautious race and was unable to make up ground on the last lap finishing less than a second behind the winner, Morgan Uceny (4:43).

Hall, sponsored by ASICS since 2005, currently holds the record for the fastest Olympic Men's Marathon Trial (2:09:02) in 2008 and the second-fastest marathon time ever by an American (2:06.17) with his fifth place finish at the 2008 London Marathon. Hall will run his second World Marathon Majors of 2010, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, on October 10, 2010.

ASICS Corporation, with more than 60 years of footwear manufacturing experience, offers a full line of performance-driven athletic shoes and technical active sports apparel and accessories.  For more information, please visit www.asics.com.

With one week to go before Marathon Monday the challenging aspects of training shift from the physical to the mental. Anyone who has run a marathon knows how long (mentally) that last week can be. All the physical training is done. The only physical benefits to be gained come from resting and eating well over the next week. Crushing last minute workouts has no place in these final days. However, there is still time to prepare the heart.

As Sara and I were sitting and chatting before my last 90 minute run yesterday (Monday) morning, we were talking about the heart that I want to have during my race. A heart that is free from all worries, completely trusting God's goodness, connected to Him. Sara reminded me of another good word we received months earlier: "Run the race like you can’t fail." I knew as soon as the words trickled from her mouth they were exactly what I needed for this moment.

So often there is the temptation to over think race strategy. We want to have an exact race plan that will be carried out exactly how we have visualized it. It's not that planning is bad, one should be prepared for whatever lies ahead, however there comes a point where we are over analyzing and putting more confidence in having to execute the perfect race strategy then trusting in our ability to respond to whatever is thrown our way. Freedom, in terms of a free-flowing race strategy, can be scary. It's scary because we have to let go of control. However, the benefits of freedom are great. It allows flexibility, an open mind, an open vision, an open heart to whatever the day may hold. It gives us the opportunity to receive the moment to the fullest whether or not it is the perfect race day or pouring rain. I encourage you to let go and run free and run like you can't fail!

Irvine, Calif. (April 9, 2010) – ASICS elite Olympic marathoners Ryan Hall and Deena Kastor have announced the fall stops on their 2010 World Marathon Majors circuit. Hall will run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 10, 2010, and Kastor will run the ING New York City Marathon on November 7, 2010. Hall and Kastor will each run two of the five World Marathon Majors (Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York) this year. Hall will also run the Boston Marathon on April 19, and Kastor will run the Virgin London Marathon on April 25.

This will be Hall’s first effort at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Known for its flat, fast course, he will attempt to lower the 2:05:38 American record set by Khalid Khannouchi in 2002. Hall currently holds the record for the fastest Olympic Men’s Marathon Trial (2:09:02) in 2008 and the second-fastest marathon time ever by an American (2:06.17) with his fifth place finish at the 2008 London Marathon. For this year’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Hall will also expand his Hall Steps Foundation running team to 100 runners. The team will run to raise funds for the non-profit organization he co-founded with his wife with the goal of ending poverty.

This will be 2004 Olympic marathon bronze medalist Kastor’s fourth appearance at the ING New York City Marathon. Considered one of the United States’ top female long distance runners of the past decade, she competed at her first ING New York City Marathon in 2001 where she set the then American debut record of 2:26:58. She set a personal best and a new American record winning the 2006 Flora London Marathon in 2:19:36, and hopes to continue her success. In its 41 years, the ING New York City Marathon continues to be the leader among marathons around the world.

Fans can learn more and follow blogs from both Hall and Kastor.

I woke up on Easter morning and opened up a book I have been reading called "Possessing Joy," by Steve Backlund. The title of the chapter that I was beginning was called "Destination Disease," which went on to talk all about how our joy cannot be dependant upon reaching our destination. With the Boston Marathon just around the corner it was a timely word. I find myself easily drifting off thinking about how I would feel after winning the Boston Marathon. Not that it is a bad thing to dream about achieving a life goal, but the joy in achieving the goal should only add to the complete joy I should experience everyday.

An hour later I headed out to church for our Easter Sunday service. The pastor gave a very similar message to what I had just read. He spoke about being living in the moment and how Jesus' death and resurrection tore the veil between man and God and gave every man opportunity to enter into His presence whenever they desire. Entering into the presence of God is the key to being in the moment and getting the most out of each moment. What a great reminder of my goal for, not only the Boston Marathon, but for every training run, and ideally, every moment of life: to share each moment with God by being aware and entering into His presence. Happy Easter!

I love my job. However, like any job, there are aspects of the job that are less-fun than others. For me, less-fun means packing. I always forget how much work it takes to pack-up for a marathon till the time arrives. I tried to be smart this time around and started filling my gigantic ASICS rolling bag a week before I was to leave for Mammoth. I started throwing in stuff: my Garmin Nuvi to navigate Boston, 8 new ASICS water bottles for each of the elite athlete stations set out every 5k, Cytomax powder, Muscle Milk, two pairs of fresh ASICS training shoes, two pairs of fresh ASICS HyperSpeeds (one to train in till the race and one for the race), one pair of Onitsuka Tiger casual shoes, a foam roller, a stretch rope, a tiger tail massage stick, casual Oakleys, racing Oakleys (flak jackets). I had practically filled my bag with gear before I had even put in one article of clothing.

Last year I thought I had done a masterful job of packing, only to realize just days before the Boston Marathon, I had forgotten my uniform. I was sweating telling my athlete rep I had forgotten the one thing besides my racing shoes that was absolutely essential, but being a former track star he understood and had one brought out for me ASAP. This year I also didn’t bring my uniform, but I didn’t forget it this time. Weird, right? Actually, ASICS is custom designing a uniform for me to race the Boston Marathon in and will have it shipped direct to me. It was nice to not have to worry about forgetting it this time around. Getting a customized uniform always adds a little something extra for me to look forward to on race day.

As I write, Sara and I are less than two hours from Boston. The flight got off to a shaky start with a two-hour delay because our plane was “overweight” by 297 lbs. Travel problems usually precede good races for me so I welcomed the delay. Before I set the American Record in the half marathon I slid off the road and got snowed in at Big Bear and had to resort to a last minute flight to Houston. Before the Olympic Trials we had to change all our travel plans because of all the crazy fires in Southern California, then I got a “disorderly conduct” ticket for urinating in the forest at Yosemite on the drive to San Francisco, and then there was an earthquake the morning we flew to New York. Before the 2008 London Marathon, where I ran 2:06:17, we had a 6-hour delay due to plane malfunctions. I was so tired and worked up by the end of the delay that I told Sara, “It's all over. All that hard work for nothing.” Since then I have gotten more flexible with my travel and learned to roll with the punches. So, as long as we get to Boston sometime tonight, I’ll be happy.