Friday, April 18, 2008

This Weekend’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon

Live Webcast & TV Broadcast Information For This Weekend’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon

Fans can watch Sunday’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon via a live webcast and also a televised highlight show.

The live webcast will begin on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. ET on NBCSports.com/marathon. NBC Sports commentator Al Trautwig and 10-time NCAA All-American Ed Eyestone will provide commentary for the wire-to-wire coverage.

Additionally, MSNBC will broadcast a one-hour highlights show on Sunday, April 27 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET, with analysis by Trautwig and Eyestone. The one-hour show will be the first episode in a series highlighting a number of Olympic Trials events leading up to the Beijing Olympic Games in August.

The Olympic Trials online and TV broadcasts are a joint production of USA Track & Field, the USOC, Boston Athletic Association, and NBC Sports.

For a list of entries visit http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/OlympicTrials-Marathon-Women/

Mary Coordt, Jen Pfeifer and Midori Sperandeo will be competing... the event is Sunday and television info is provided...

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Devil's Thumb Aid Station Crew Needed!

The 35th running of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run is fast approaching and I am recruiting volunteers to work at the Devil's Thumb aid station on Saturday June 28th. Devil’s Thumb is accessible by car and is located approximately 20 miles past Forest Hill.

The Western States Endurance Run starts at the base of Squaw Valley and climbs to the peak of Emigrant Pass where it winds through beautiful trails in the High Sierra and into deep forests along high mountain ridges. The trail then drops into “The Canyons” (Deadwood, El Dorado and Volcano) while passing through the old mining communities of Last Chance, Devil’s Thumb and Michigan Bluff. Once out of the canyons, most runners encounter night running along desolate trails adjacent the Middle Fork of the North Fork of the American River, crossing the river at Rucky Chucky and emerging twenty miles later at the edge of Auburn and the end of the adventure.

Devil’s Thumb (a.k.a. “The Thumb” “DT”) is one of the best aid stations to view the race due to the spectacular beauty, reasonable accessibility, and superb time of day to work. The Thumb is located on a ridge between two steep canyons (Deadwood and El Dorado) and is at the top of the steepest climb on the course. DT gets its name from a rock formation that looks like a huge thumb sticking out of a sheer canyon wall. The aid station is only one and one-half miles (1600 vertical feet) from the bottom of Deadwood Canyon, one of the most magnificent areas in the sierras. There are lush ferns growing next to fresh water springs flowing out of rocks in the bottom of the canyon. A swinging bridge crosses the river and the trails climb through incredible wild flowers and thick green forests heading back toward the old mining town of Last Chance. We are proud to have our aid station featured in an ad in the December 2006 issue of Runner’s World. Our famous Devil’s Kitchen is prominently shown.

Since the Devil’s Thumb aid station is midway through the race the first runners usually come in about noon and the last runners arrive about 6:30 p.m. Therefore, no one has to get up early or stay late to participate. We like to get volunteers at the station by about 10:00 and we are packed and close by 7:00 p.m. During that time you will be part of a party. The volunteers are friendly; the runners are marvelous to watch; and the scenery is spectacular.

Let me know if you are interested and I will give you more details. Please bring a spouse or friend(s) but animals and small children (probably under 10) have to stay home. Bring a tent and camp If you want to make a weekend of it. A few of us get to the Thumb early and run to Last Chance and back (nine miles) before we set up the aid station A shorter, much less strenuous, option is to run or walk to Deadwood cemetery and back along the top of the ridge.

You will receive a Western States T-shirt, enjoy a memorable day and get lots of thanks for your volunteer efforts. Please feel free to pass this email on to anyone you know who may want to join the fun. If you want to volunteer, send me an email with your name (and the names of those who will volunteer with you) along with your T-shirt sizes. I will forward the directions and further details to you a couple of weeks before the event.


Thanks,


Denis Zilaff

zilaffd@saccounty.net

875-3178 (work)

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Chips Fly at AR 50 & Nutrition Fuels

There were Chips a plenty at this past weekend's AR 50. Conditions were perfect and they turned out some impressive times and earned a wagon-load of PRs. First Chip and 2nd overall was Erik Skaden running 5:57 (PR) followed next by Mark Lantz earning 2nd Masters in 6:24. First female Chip appears to be Jamie Frink in 8:22 (PR), followed by Rena Schumann in 8:41.

Other finishers were Mark Murray (6:44 PR), Ed Randolph (6:53 PR), John Blue (7:18 PR), Andrew Schooley (7:25), Ray Sanchez (7:50), Grant Carboni (8:29), John Nichols (8:30), Amy Grafius (8:46), Ernest Takahashi (8:50), Barbara Ashe (9:37), Linda McFadden (9:49), Jose Rodarte (10:11 PR), Tony Lafferty (10:29), Barbara Elia (10:43), Jim Pfost (10:44), Herb Tanimoto (11:19), Becky Johnson Sabin (11:33), Ron Peck (11:51), Diane Vlach (12:13), Eric Ianacone (12:23), and the durable Gloria Takagishi in (12:41)

Nutrition Fuels 5 & 10K

I was remiss last week in not noting Mary Coordt's 1st female finish at the Nutrition Fuels 10K in 37:42. Other notable results were Barbara Miller and Doug Braasch driving up from Modesto to put their usual hurt on the local Super Seniors. Barbara was age group 1st in 48:43, and Doug was 3rd in 47:49.

In the 5K, Po Adams turned in an age group first in 41:16.

Great running, Chippers!