WOMEN’S NIKE AIR SPAN+ 5

Trialer: I am female who runs approximately 10 miles per week on a variety of surfaces (road, treadmill, trails, etc.)

What three features are most important for you in a running shoe?
1)    arch support
2)    breathability
3)    lightweight

What were your initial thoughts after trying it on? Too tight? Too loose? Just right? The forefoot fit is a little bit wide, but not really an issue. The length seems to run true to size, while the heel fit is great- just the right fit and support for my heel. The overall fit is truly awesome! I often get blisters in shoes because of my low arches – after several runs, these shoes are still going strong for me, supporting and fitting in the right places to make my runs actually enjoyable.

What did you think of the fit and feel after your first run? After several runs? My first run went off without a hitch – I did 4 miles on the road and the shoes felt like an extension of my foot – completely natural.  Several runs later, I still adore the fit and continue not to notice the shoes – they feel like a great compliment to my feet when I run.

Is the cushioning adequate? In the right places? The cushioning is good – not too much that it feels squishy, but it’s comfortable.

What about stability? Did the shoe provide enough? Too much? The shoes are stable and supportive.  I think the shoes could have a little bit more support, though the shoe does a good job of not going overboard on the foot bridge.

What is your favorite feature of the shoe? The support and that it works well for my low arches / imperfect feet.

Is there something you would change about it? More support and better colors would be nice.

How does it compare to the shoe you normally run in? It’s very comparable to my other shoes, but actually more lightweight which gives my run that much more of a push.

Would you recommend this shoe to a fellow runner or friend? Definitely, I love them!

Buy the Women’s Nike Air Span+ 5 at NikeStore.com.

WOMEN’S NIKE AIR ZOOM ELITE+ 4

Trialer: I am female and run approximately 15 miles per week, mainly on the street and paved running paths.

What three features are most important for you in a running shoe? 

Cushioning, perfect fit (shoe hugs foot), lightweight.

What were your initial thoughts after trying it on? My initial thought was that the shoe was nice and light, and had support and cushioning without adding weight. However, I also felt that the shoe was a bit tight/stiff in the forefoot. I would have liked it to feel more flexible. In general, I thought the shoe felt a little hard. Still, the shoe is very proportional, and my size generally fits right in all places.



What did you think of the fit and feel after your first run? After several runs? After the first few runs, the shoe did become more flexible, which helped because I was initially concerned about that. The fit and feel is still right. The shoe had a ‘bouncey’ feel, which I like.

Is the cushioning adequate? In the right places? 
In terms of support, the shoe has a good amount of support, but it does feel slightly hard to me.

What about stability? 
The shoe provides a good amount of support. I pronate just a bit, and this was a perfect amount of support for me.

What is your favorite feature of the shoe? 
 
How lightweight it is.

Is there something you would change about it?  I would prefer the shoe to feel a bit more soft/cushy.

How does it compare to the shoe you normally run in? The shoes I normally run in are heavier and feel as though they have more cushion throughout the shoe.

Would you recommend this shoe to a fellow runner or friend? 



I would definitely recommend the shoe, and point out that the shoe will become more flexible, and mold to your foot after a few runs.

Find out more about the Women’s Nike Air Zoom Elite+ 4 on NikeStore.com.

MEN’S NIKE SHOX EXPERIENCE+

Trialer: I am male and run approximately 15 miles per week, mainly on the road.

What three features are most important for you in a running shoe?
1.    Comfort
2.    Plus Enabled
3.    Look

What were your initial thoughts after trying it on? I was surprised at how well they fit. I have a year-old pair of 10½ Shox that don’t fit nearly as well. Forefoot fit is excellent, length is perfect, I can’t complain about the heel fit and as for overall fit, I have to say ‘well done’.

What did you think of the fit and feel after your first run? After several runs? The fit to my foot felt really good. My knees, on the other hand, hurt a little bit. I’m going to give a non-Shox variety of shoe a try.

Is the cushioning adequate? In the right places? So far as I know, yes.

What about stability? Did the shoe provide enough? Too much? To my foot, yes. I’m not so sure about my knees.

What is your favorite feature of the shoe? The way they look.

Is there something you would change about it?  No.

How does it compare to the shoe you normally run in? It’s the same shoe I started running in.

Would you recommend this shoe to a fellow runner or friend? Because of the knee issue, no, but this could be due to a pronation issue.

Check out the Men’s Nike Shox Experience+ on NikeStore.com.

WOMEN’S NIKE AIR ZOOM STRUCTURE TRIAX+ 11

Trialer: I am a female who runs approximately 35-40 miles per week, mainly on roads and soft trails.

What three features are most important for you in a running shoe? Stability, complete comfort, durability.

What were your initial thoughts after trying it on? The shoe felt wonderful. Snug, but not too tight and soooo light! I loved it from the outset.

What did you think of the fit and feel after your first run? After several runs? After my first run, I was astonished at how light the shoe felt, but also how much stability it offered. I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant though; I was afraid the lightweight aspect would end up causing an injury. After several runs however, I was hooked. The shoe seemed to “form” to my foot and offer cushioning and stability in all the right places.

Is the cushioning adequate? In the right places? 
The cushioning feels fantastic. Not too much, not too little…just right!

What about stability? Stability is really important to me, so this was the thing I was most critical of, yet no complaints here! Perfect.

What is your favorite feature of the shoe? Soooo light, yet great stability.

Is there something you would change about it? Not really.

How does it compare to the shoe you normally run in? The shoes I normally run in are much heavier/bulkier.

Would you recommend this shoe to a fellow runner or friend? I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this shoe to a runner looking for a lightweight shoe with excellent stability.

Learn more about the Women’s Air Zoom Structure Triax+ 11 at NikeStore.com.

MEN’S NIKE AIR ZOOM SKYLON

Trialer: I am male who runs approximately 12-15 miles per week, mainly on the road.

What three features are most important for you in a running shoe? Cushioning, lightweight, support.

What were your initial thoughts after trying it on? I thought the forefoot fit, the length and the heel fit were all good. Overall, I thought the shoe was comfy. It had that “like a glove” fit right out of the box. My feet never had to adjust, and I never felt a difference between brand new and broken-in.

What did you think of the fit and feel after your first run? After several runs? After my first run, they felt really supportive and structured, a definite upgrade from my previous running shoes. While light, they still feel meaty enough to provide proper support even for longer distances.

After several runs, the above is still true, except that I noted some physical ailments while training that may/not be attributed to the shoes. My left hip became tender after 5K or more as well as the lateral portions of my knees. Oddly enough, my previous running shoes never gave me these ailments. Could have more to do with the fit or the terrain than the actual architecture or craftsmanship of the shoe itself.

Is the cushioning adequate? In the right places? Cushioning felt really substantial. After running 5 miles+, though, I noticed that the cushioning directly under the balls of my feet felt somewhat swollen and was a little uncomfortable. The padding seemed to slightly dig into the balls of my feet, but never enough to keep me from running.

What about stability? Did the shoe provide enough? Too much? The shoes were stable without being restrictive. The balance of stability to the extremely flexible “Free”-style running sole was a great mix for me.

What is your favorite feature of the shoe? Probably the balance between the stability and flexibility of the sole, as mentioned above.

Is there something you would change about it? The issue with perhaps too much cushioning in the footbed at the balls of the feet could be resolved to increase comfort for longer distances.

How does it compare to the shoe you normally run in? Provides a lot more support, added weight in the right places, increased comfort, and has a more organic fit. Less style than my other pair of running shoes, but where it loses in fashion it gains in performance.

Would you recommend this shoe to a fellow runner or friend? Yes, though I would suggest that he/she make sure to get a proper fit and test them out for a few miles to see if the same hip/knee problems developed. I expect those ailments for me had more to do with more training and/or the terrain, but I would caution a friend of these problems as they caused me days of soreness after 10K runs.

Check out the Men’s Nike Air Zoom Skylon on NikeStore.com.

Do you have additional questions about Nike running shoes? Ask an expert here!

PHILADELPHIA, PA: CITY SPORTS

In The City of Brotherly Love, the common denominator is community. The neighborhood you live in, where you work, the bar you drink in, your favorite park, etc. Some communities are small. Some are large. Some are obscure. Some are mainstream.

But more than the car you drive, the clothes you wear or the way you speak, your communities are what define who you are and what you’re about in Philadelphia. This city is about authenticity, and community is something you can’t fake.

Through the Nike+ Human Race, Philadelphia now has a new community. Sixty-four runners from different parts of the city, different socioeconomic groups and different races gathered together on a beautiful Sunday morning to run ten kilometers together in the spirit of social change through sport.

The runners began to gather at City Sports in Center City Philadelphia around 9 a.m. Many wore their red Human Race tees and others wore the black Starbucks version. There were smiles and familiar faces, as most of the runners had attended at least one of the seven training runs held at City Sports leading up to race day. Additionally, City Sports employees were out in full force to run, as they had been throughout the training run series. Even a few Finish Line sales associates from stores across the area showed up to run, adding to the small group of new faces.

Also in attendance were members and volunteers from Philadelphia’s homeless running club, Back On My Feet (www.backonmyfeet.org). The members that run with this organization are homeless men and women from the city who are using running as a means to improve their lives. We partnered with Back On My Feet as a way to bring the themes of the Human Race closer to home. It was a natural fit.

The energy was palpable as I stood in front of the large group of runners outside City Sports and gave a rundown of the course. The local CBS affiliate was on hand, as was a Nike-commissioned photographer. Both were filming the event and reminding us all that we were part of something bigger than simply a run through downtown Philly. Runners all over the world were running for a cause on this day and we were part of it.

“This has been awesome,” said Frank, a regular at the training runs, before we started the race. “I’m really glad you guys have put all this together!” He later asked me how he could get involved with Back On My Feet.

We all lined up at the “starting line” (a Human Race “Start” sign taped to a light post) and then, with some whoops and shouts from the group, we simply started running. No gun, no pomp and circumstance. Just simple and straightforward, like Philly.

The course was a pure “out-and-back” which led us straight up Walnut Street to the Walnut Street Bridge. Once at the bridge, the runners carefully took a stairway down to the Schuylkill River path and ran straight toward the iconic Philadelphia Art Museum and Fairmount Park. Once runners hit the halfway point, about two kilometers past the famed Boathouse Row, they were instructed to turn around by two City Sports employees and a Human Race sign with the words “Turn Around” written in dry erase pen. Again, nice and straightforward.

Upon returning to City Sports, runners were greeted with Starbucks iced coffee and water. There were smiles, laughs and a ton of cheers and applause for the runners coming in as we stood outside, caught our collective breath and basked in the collective runners’ high.

“That was the first time I’ve run more than two miles in I can’t tell you how long,” said one winded, middle-aged woman. “It felt great though!”

After the last runner came in, everyone gathered inside City Sports for a final prize raffle. The raffle had become a tradition at each training run and the runners had grown to look forward to it. The grand prize was a full Nike+ iPod experience featuring an iPod nano, a Nike+ Sport Kit and Nike+ ready footwear. This was won by one of Back On My Feet’s homeless runners, which garnered cheers from the crowd.

“We’ve got to keep doing the runs,” said a regular training run attendee, echoing a common sentiment among the group. “There aren’t any run clubs like this in Center City and there needs to be.”

DES MOINES, IA: SHEEL’S

Let me start out by saying the race was a success.  The weather was a perfect sunny day, we had plenty of volunteers, and the race went on without a hitch. All the runners were in a great mood and we received many thanks from a lot of the runners.   

In total we had 131 runners run on Sunday morning! What a success!

Top finishers (each received a Nike+ Sportband):

Male – 36:20 Eric Osterhouse,
Female – 43:44 Janelle Heusinger,
Youngest Finisher – Wick Cunningham 13 yrs. old, 44:07

Congrats Des Moines runners!

BOSTON, MA: CITY SPORTS

How did the City Sports Run Where You Are event in Boston go? Read on!

Runners were excited to be participating in the biggest race ever!!! There was a total of 117 runners that attended and participated in the Boston RWYA event beginning at City Sports and finishing at Niketown Boston

Favorite quotes from the day:

“If these shoes are as good to me as the have been during these runs, you have a Nike wearer for life” – Emily Glick

“I just have to thank you and Nike for making running fun for me again. I ran when I was in high school and college, I graduated and then it kind of feel apart. But now I look forward to at least a weekly run thanks to my buddy Doug who dragged me down here” – Jason Green

“Over the last 6 weeks, I’ve been going to the training runs and I feel like it really helped me get ready for this weekends run. I’m now looking forward to competing in my next 10K, but I know it won’t be anything like this” – Anna Ammelismo

The Nike+ van was on hand displaying the latest footwear and tech equipment as well as trialing shoes for anyone interested in possibly purchasing footwear.

Runners loved the free Nike+ workout iTunes card as well as the skins for the iPod Nano, Classic and Shuffle. Runners also loved the race shirts that were provided, and several stated that they were possibly framing the shirts to commemorate their event.

Snacks and smoothies were provided by HealthWorks, a local health club suited and geared towards women.

The first runner finished was a Niketown Run Club regular and the winner of a gift card and Nike+ SportBand

PEORIA, IL: RUNNING CENTRAL

Nearly 100 participants showed up for the free, certified, chip-timed Nike+ Human Race 10K hosted at Running Central’s location, 700 W. Main St. in Peoria, IL.

The race was timed professionally by IPICO Timing, allowing participants to take part in the race, even if they did not own a Sportband or Sportkit.

The race began at 8 am on 8/31/2008 and wound through the West Bluff neighborhood of Peoria.

Prizes were given to the top three finishers in four categories (Overall Men, Overall Womens, Masters Men and Masters Women). An impressive winning time was turned in by Trent Hoerr (31:09, 5:01 per mile pace)

A terrific post-race party for participants concluded the outstanding event. We are already looking forward to next year!

MIAMI, FL: Mr. R’s Sports

The Nike+ Human Race 10K in Miami, Florida started at 7am at Mr. R’s Sports. 80 runners toed the line, including 65 Miami locals and 15 participants visiting from all reaches of the globe. The race featured a gorgeous course along the beach (raved about by many!), ending at Mr. R’s Sports.

Nike+ Human Race tees were given to all runners. Post-race, participants enjoyed food and drinks compliments of Starbucks and a raffle featuring two pairs of shoes, 2 SportBands, an iPod nano and an one month membership to Equinox. To stretch and soothe the runners tired limbs, massage was provided by Equinox.

A few participants shared a little about their Nike+ Human Race experience.

Name: Fernanda Pend
, Age: 28
, Address: Recently moved from Brazil to Miami Beach

Fernanda just moved to Miami Beach from Brazil to be with her new husband. She was supposed to be running the Nike+ Human Race with her father in Brazil on 8.31.08, but since she moved a week ago, it was impossible. She ran with us on South Beach because she still wanted to say she ran the event with her father whom she misses dearly.  Now she can say she ran it “virtually” with him through NikePlus!

“Nike has always been my favorite brand in the context of sports. [The] energy and charisma, noticed in the last Sunday, reflect what I think about Nike. I hope they see what a great work [Nike] did and do everyday.  Also, I take this opportunity to thank Nike to promote an event of great proportion and so allowing me to participate”

Names: Lisa & Friend, 
Age: 30+, 
Address: Washington, DC & Baltimore, MD

These ladies happened to be on vacation for the weekend in South Beach. They were not going to run the Human Race because they weren’t in a “physical” race city but when they saw the window at MR. R’s Sports on Lincoln Road they thought, “why not run it here?”  They had a great experience at the event and walked away feeling like they were part of something bigger and still ran against their friends who were running the NYC Human Race.

Names: Unknown, Age: 30+, Address: Lisbon, Spain & Milan, Italy

These guys were in South Beach on vacation and saw the Mr. R’s Human Race window. They were going to run on their own on 8.31.08 so they could run against their friends in Europe but decided to run with us at our Mr. R’s Sports RWYA location.  They had a great time and were happy to run with the group.

PALM BEACH, FL: NIKE AT THE GARDENS

On 8.31.08 in Palm Beach, Florida, 65 runners gathered at the Nike at The Gardens to participate in the world’s largest 10K! The event was a resounding success with a well-marked course, plentiful water stations and a finisher tape to mark a well-earned 10K finish.

All finishers received official finisher certificates as well as bagels, fruit, muffins, OJ and coffee from Greenwise Publix. A raffle was also held and included prizes such as socks, sweatbands, Nike+ Human Race bags, SportBands and a watch.

EVERYONE COMPLETED THE WHOLE 6.2 MILES and the entire group of 65 participants waited for everyone to finish.

Runners traveled from various cities including Orlando and Port Saint Lucie, Boca, and Gainesville.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ: ROAD RUNNER SPORTS

I attended Road Runner Sports in North Brunswick for their Run Where You Are event. It was a small event with just eight runners, but it was an outstanding event nonetheless. The morning began with a breakfast, a small clinic on Nike shoes, and the opportunity for gait analysis by the RRS staff. It was a great success with the new runners really enjoying the small education on running. One of the runners, Mike said, “I really enjoyed the gait analysis, I never knew so much went into running shoes.” The event itself, the Nike+ Human Race 10K was more of a group run experience than a race as we all ran about 8 minute pace and finished just under 50 minutes for the 6.2 miles. The group enjoyed the conversation and relaxed pace of the run. Tom said, “It was great talking about running and the Games in Beijing during the run, it helped time past much quicker.” Overall the whole experience proved to be a winning effort and fun was had by all.

Here’s a little more on some of the individuals who participated:

Mike, 33, married, resident of North Brunswick, NJ

Q: How did you get started running?
A: “I started running about a year ago because my wife told me to lose weight. It took some time but I really started to enjoy running, and I lost a few pounds along the way.”

Q: So how much do you run now?
A; “I have been running 5-6 days a week, I do a race here and there but never anything over 10k.”

Q: How did you get involved in the Human Race?
A: “I run with the Nike+ sport kit and was on the nikeplus website one day when it came up. It seemed like a great idea so I signed up and got to training.”

Q: How have you enjoyed the event today?
A: “It has been great and fun. I really enjoyed the gait analysis, I never knew so much went into shoes.”

Tom, 38, married, resident of West Windsor, NJ

Q: How did you get involved in the Human Race?
A: “I found out about it in the store here where they were giving out the race bibs one day.”

Q: Have you enjoyed the event today?
A; “I have, it has been a fun experience, it is always nice to get a refresher on what the stores have to offer. It beats going to the Internet any day.”

Q: How long have you been running for?
A: “I have been running for many years. I probably could run faster than I do but I enjoy the comfortable pace. I did my first marathon in DC a couple years ago and hope to do another one soon.”

This month’s featured race is the Hamptons Marathon and Half-Marathon. Named one of the top ten races to run in 2008, by Runner’s World, the second annual Hamptons Marathon and Half-Marathon will be held on Saturday, September 27th. Both courses are USATF certified. In preparation for the races, training runs are held every Sunday at 8:00am at Gubbins Running Ahead in East Hampton, NY. With only a few weeks before race day, the remaining training runs will cover certain sections of the actual course for runners to become familiar with both layout and elevation. As always, there will be NIKE pacers leading the runs at various paces while answering any questions you may have about running the marathon or half-marathon.

For more information about upcoming races and training runs, click the September Calendar.

MEN’S 100M
Bronze: Walter Dix, 9.91s

MEN’S 110M HURDLES
Silver: David Payne, 13.17s
Bronze: David Oliver, 13.18s

MEN’S 200M
Silver: Shawn Crawford, 19.96s
Bronze: Walter Dix, 19.98s

MEN’S 400M
GOLD: LaShawn Merritt, 43.75s
Bronze: David Neville, 44.80s

WOMEN’S 400M
Bronze: Sanya Richards, 49.93s

MEN’S 400M HURDLES
GOLD: Angelo Taylor, 47.25s
Silver: Kerron Clemet, 47.98
Bronze: Bershawn Jackson, 48.06

WOMEN’S 400M HURDLES
Silver: Sheena Tosta, 53.70s

MEN’S 4×400M RELAY
Gold, USA (including LaShawn Merritt, Angelo Taylor and David Neville), 2:55.39

WOMEN’S 4×400M RELAY
Gold, USA (including Sanya Richards), 3:18.54

WOMEN’S 1500M
7th: Shannon Rowbury, 4:03.58

WOMEN’S 5000M
9th: Kara Goucher, 15:49.39
10th: Shalane Flanagan, 15:50.80

MEN’S 5000M
9th: Bernard Lagat, 13:26.89

WOMEN’S 10,000M
Bronze: Shalane Flanagan, 30:22.22 (American record)
10th: Kara Goucher, 30:55.16 (Personal best)

MEN’S MARATHON
9th: Dathan Ritzenhein, 2:11:59
10th: Ryan Hall, 2:12:33

MEN’S DECATHLON
GOLD: Bryan Clay, 8,781 points

MEN’S SHOT PUT
Silver: Christian Cantwell, 21.09m

WOMEN’S DISCUS
GOLD: Stephanie Brown-Trafton, 64.74m

Check out some of the best moments from this year’s Pre Classic…and get inspired for next year’s event.

Did you like the music featured in the video? Check “When Water Comes to Life” and other music from Cloud Cult on iTunes.

Think you ran fast? Check out our top finishers:

Male
1. Brett Holts, 31:49
2. Arlen Baumann, 32:20
3. Joseph Hambrick, 33:07

Female
1. Danielle Quatrochi, 39:09
2. Deanna O’Neil, 39:48
3. Sarah Bridges, 43:19

Full results available by the end of the day 8/31 at www.nikeplus.com.

It was an exciting day in Portland as thousands of runners took to the streets in their red race day tee shirts. We were the first US city to run the 10K Race and we kicked it off with a bang!

We rocked it out to the tunes of Nada Surf here at Nike World Headquarters. Their hour-long set was an amazing and energetic finale to the Portland event.

Portland Trail Blazer center Greg Oden brought some energy to the start line when he showed up to greet runners and do a quick question and answer session before the race.

Can’t get enough of the Nike+ Human Race? Reserve your copy of the “The Nike+ Human Race: The Day the World Stopped to Run” – the riveting, full-color photo book that commemorates the largest running event in history. Go to www.nikeplusbook.com to order yours!

On August 16th, more than 100 members of the NIKE Central Park Track Club (CPTC) lined up for the Club Championships, a double point scoring race that tends to bring out the best of the best from all the running clubs. Prior to race day, CPTC Men’s Team (open A division) were ranked 1st while the CPTC Women’s Team were ranked 2nd (open A division). Each team placed 3rd in the competition, allowing the club’s overall standings to remain. There are only a handful of scoring opportunities left, meaning both teams are in prime position to win the overall club championship. With its rich history, winning is nothing new to the NIKE Central Park Track Club.

For over a decade, both teams have consistently placed in the top three of the NYRR open divisions, with the Women’s Team being the two-time defending champions (2006 & 2007). In addition, the CPTC Masters’ Men currently hold the longest club champion winning streak by capturing seven consecutive titles (from 1998–2005). Already in the 2008 running year, CPTC Women’s Team claimed the USATF Track & Field Championship with the Men’s Team placing second.

When asked to describe the accomplishments of the 2008 Central Park Track Club, Coach Tony Ruiz shared, “There is a list of superlative accomplishments thus far, with the Club Track Nationals leading the way. With our road running teams (open, masters, and seniors) all having a legitimate shot at winning the NYRRC team titles, there are reasons to be optimistic. In addition to the outstanding team success thus far, there are a number of individual accomplishments that should be highlighted such as Carl Dambkowski’s 15k win in Central Park followed by his sparkling 19:36 four-mile race; Val Barnwell’s 60 meter indoor record (50+) victory at World Championships and Aileen Conlon’s number one ranked four-mile road time in the USA.”

The secret to the overall success of the NIKE Central Park Track Club is quite simple: consistency, dedication, and commitment. Each athlete is responsible for his or her individual training: making sure to log enough miles throughout the week and sticking to an individual plan, yet due to CPTC’s structured practice schedule (Tuesday and Thursday nights), each runner has ability to gain insight and guidance from two expert coaches, Tony Ruiz and Devon Martin. These structured practices are the key to the diverse make-up of the NIKE Central Park Track Club.

Back in the early 80’s, CPTC would generally only meet on Thursday nights for what was considered ‘race night.’ With the general focus of the team being ultra-marathons and marathons, there was limited access to improve in shorter distances. It was former CPTC coach, George Wisniewski that changed the mentality of the team and formed CPTC into a balanced, diverse unit with athletes featured in cross-country, track and field, and road races. With a structured program, CPTC holds weekly practices incorporating speed workouts on the track and long runs on the weekends. Staying true to its history, CPTC still meets every Thursday gathering together at the Daniel Webster statue in Central Park at 7pm.

“The key to our team’s overall success is having one track workout for VO2 maximum development and one solid tempo workout. These are basic guidelines but we stay true to form. We want to make sure that our athletes run at a more anaerobic level while working out on the track and build strength in the early part of the season. Eventually, we shift focus to running two track workouts – one consisting of longer intervals while the other consists of building on raw speed. It should also be noted that our sprinters have a completely different program. As you can see, based on our Club Track Nationals, we have a great range of diversity.”

With the conclusion of the Club Championships, CPTC now looks forward to the remaining four scoring races, one race being the NYC Marathon. With both the Men’s and Women’s team in great positions, the idea of having both teams claim NYRR Club Champion is not unrealistic. “The Men’s Team has never won an open division title so that would be extremely exciting while our Women’s Team is also looking to become three-time champions. Overall, we want to finish the season strong and perform well in the NYC Marathon,” states Coach Ruiz.

If you are interested in learning more about the NIKE Central Park Track Club or want to join, please visit www.centralparktc.org.

Inside Central Park Track Club Workouts:

According to Coach Ruiz, the following workouts are some of his favorites:
“During marathon season (NYC or Boston), I like to have my athletes run 2 x 4 mile loops in Central Park. The key is to have negative splits. I also like giving them the 2 x 2 mile workout, prior to peaking for short road races. In terms of track workouts, I like the ladder-style workout. The workout is simple: 400, 800, 1200, 1200, 800, & 400. Finally, when I am feeling like a hard run, I give them 12 x 400, in various styles depending on the focus on the evening. Overall, I like to make sure that my athletes get the most out of each workout. ”

1. Hay is in the Barn.
What you need to be honest about is that for the most part, “the hay is in the barn,” meaning that the work you’ve done up to this point is the key to you having fun and racing fast; all you need to do in these final days is maintain that fitness you’ve built over time and make sure that you’re properly rested, hydrated and fueled for the Human Race. 

2. Hard-Fun workouts not Killer-Hard workouts
While elite runners don’t do as dramatic of a tapper swimmers or triathletes the week of a race, it is important that you keep this week fairly easy, with only 1-2 workouts.  These workouts should not be the hardest of the summer, rather they should be Hard-Fun - just hard enough so that the last 5-10 minutes of the workout is challenging, yet 5-10 minutes later you should be feeling good, feeling recovered and thinking “this feeling is why I love running”.  Since the human race is on a Sunday the last hard session for most of you would be Wednesday (or Thursday at the latest, but Wednesday is a safer bet).   Also, in this final week don’t be afraid to make your easy days really easy.  In fact, many athletes will take a day off 48 hours prior to their race (but don’t take the day before the race off as you may feel sluggish on race day). 

3.  Go to the Well on 08.31.08
“Going to the Well” is a well worn colloquialism in running because is succinctly captures one of the foundational principles - you shouldn’t be running as hard in workouts as you hope to in the race because in a race you want to “Go to the Well” and run faster than you’ve ever run before.  Remember, the race on 08.31.08 is the day where you get to challenge your own limits of discomfort and effort so even though you’re likely feeling really good this week (due to easier easy days, more rest, etc.) make sure you don’t tap into this.

4.  Sleep and Hydrate.  Boring, but crucial.
I can’t stress this enough with the athletes I work with, proper sleep and proper hydration are critical to racing success, yet most people tend to be complacent about the amount of fluids they bring in and the hours of sleep they get.  You can make nice gains in both of these areas in just four to five days if you simply bring a water bottle with you to work and you find a way to get an extra hour of sleep in the coming nights.  While we all need to rest and hydrate throughout the year to sustain and support our training, you can literally make a performance gain in a few short days by taking care of yourself in these areas.

I hope these tips are helpful in these final days and I look forward to joining you on 08.31.08

Good Luck!

Jay

*Coach Jay’s advice is provided as general training information. Use at your own risk. Always consult with your own heath care provider for questions relating to your specific training and nutrition.