Arrived in Osaka last night and have settled in to the New Otani hotel next to Osaka Castle for Sunday’s women’s marathon. Catching up on some recent news articles on our athletes. Here is the first, a RunnersFeed interview with Patrick Rizzo (Mizuno) shortly after he became the proud owner of a shiny new marathon PB in Houston. Click here.
Patrick Rizzo
Adriana Nelson Tabbed in Latest Track & Field News with Shot at US Olympic Team
Adriana in action in this year's NYC Half-Marathon (Photo courtesy of PhotoRun, Inc. All rights reserved)
In the new January 2012 issue of Track and Field News, Adriana Nelson (ASICS) is among the US women pegged by writer Sieg Lindstrom with a good possibility to make the US Olympic Marathon team in the January 14th trials race in Houston. Lindstrom writes: “There’s a fledgling quintet, each with a realistic shot to win: Davila, Flanagan, Goucher, Hastings, Nelson…The 31-year-old Nelson (nee Pirtea) has gained expedited release from her native Romania to represent the U.S. She lost the ’07 Chicago by just 3 seconds in her debut. The UTEP alum has had good big-race finishes since: 3rd Rotterdam ’09, 6th Berlin ’10, 7th Osaka ’11.”
[Adriana also was 10th in London ’08 in her 2:28:52 PB.]
Six athletes represented by Boulder Wave will compete in the US marathon trials. On the women’s side in addition to Adriana, we will have Meghan Peyton (Team USA Minnesota). On the men’s side will be Patrick Rizzo (Mizuno), Justin Young, Josh Moen (Team USA Minnesota/Mizuno), and Kenyon Neuman (Team Alchemy). Meghan and Kenyon will be making their marathon debuts.
Runners World On-Line Interview with Patrick Rizzo
Runners World interview with Patrick Rizzo (Mizuno) on his recent pacemaking at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and the upcoming Pan American Games Marathon, where he will represent the United States.
Quick Snapshot of the Weekend: Kayoko 3rd in Chicago; Lidia, Nuta 1-2 in Denver; Irvette Wins in Joburg
Very good day for our group yesterday. In her first race since signing with Boulder Wave this summer, and her first-ever road race outside Japan, Kayoko Fukushi (Wacoal/adidas) took 3rd place in a huge 18-minute PB at the Chicago Marathon. She was trying the sub-2:20 with Liliya Shobukova and they came through the half together in 69:25; but Kayoko had a lot of “bowel problems” in the second half and had a tough run. Nevertheless 2:24:38 and 3rd place in a World Marathon Majors is a great run. This also gives her a huge boost mentally going into the Japanese Olympic marathon trials, and she will likely race either Osaka in January or Nagoya in March to try to make the team. Patrick Rizzo (Mizuno) did a spectacular job of pacing the lead women’s group through 20 miles (i.e. Liliya Shobukova’s spectacular 2:18:20), afterwards praised heartily by the coaches of both Kayoko and Liliya. This was Patrick’s final long run day (he ended up with 26 miles for the day) as he preps to represent the United States at the Pan American Games Marathon on October 30th.
Lidia Simon (ASICS) and Nuta Olaru (ASICS) went 1-2 at the 5400 ft (1650m) altitude Rock n Roll Denver Half-Marathon. Lidia took the win in 74:54 and departs for Japan later this week where she will race the new Osaka Marathon on October 30th. Nuta was right behind in 75:16, with plans herself for a late-Autumn marathon. Interesting note that Adriana Nelson’s sister-in-law, Brianna Nelson, who recently qualified for the US Olymopic Marathon Trials, took 3rd in Denver.
I drank valerian, motherwort, but it did not help. And then she advised me https://ambienpro.com those pills.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, Irvette van Blerk (adidas) took the final Spar 10K title race of the season in 34:22. The Joburg course was also at altitude (5740 ft/1750m) with hills thrown in the boot. Irvette’s next race will likely be the Great South Run 10 mile in the UK at the end of this month.
Patrick Rizzo on US Team for Pan Am Games
Patrick Rizzo (Mizuno) was officially announced this week as part of the USA team for the 2011 Pan-American Games. The Games will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico, from October 14th – 30th. Patrick will represent the United States in the men’s marathon on October 30th, starting at 8:30 a.m. local time. Click here for the USATF press release announcing the full team, and here for the full track and field timetable.
Patrick will tune-up for Guadalajara by racing the USA 10 Mile Championships in Minneapolis on October 2nd.
Click here for the link to the Guadalajara 2011 English-language website.
