Lap 108: Sponsored by Next Best Run
Two-time US Olympian Kim Conley and track and field coach Drew Wartenburg have announced the official launch of Next Best Run, a comprehensive coaching service for runners of all backgrounds and abilities.
Kim and Drew will initially be joined by professional runner and coach Lauren Hagans as well as long-time high school and collegiate coach Devin Elizondo. The coaching team at Next Best Run will begin accepting new athletes immediately to develop personalized plans based on each runner's current fitness and goals.
To celebrate the launch, Kim and Drew are hosting a meet and greet and shakeout run in New York City. Runners of all abilities are invited to join them April 13, 2023 at 6:30pm at the Grand Army Plaza on the southeast corner of Central Park.
More information on the New York event, coaches, and coaching services can be found at NextBestRun.com
The Lap Count’s Mailbag - Vol 1. 📬
What’s up you running nerds? We’re in an intermission of sorts in the world of racing. Most professionals have gone back into hibernation to find some fitness, collegians are trying to get their hips realigned after a hard-fought, heavily-banked indoor season, and high schoolers are just beginning to outkick each other on the final interval of a 10 x 400m workout on the outdoor oval. Rather than trying to create content out of thin air by over-analyzing some early-season results, I thought we’d mix things up and open up the inbox to some reader questions. Let’s see what y’all are asking!
Q: We are only ten months away from the US Olympic Marathon Trials. Who are you picking right now?
I hate being asked to do this right before Boston and London, which would obviously be great indicators to help guide my predictions. I also hate the fact that someone is going to be like, ‘hey Kyle, why didn’t you pick me?’ or will then use this as some sort of bulletin board material.
Like what the hell do I know? I thought I was going to make the Olympics. You’re probably better off if I don’t pick you! My confidence level is extremely low on pulling off the trifecta, but for the guys, I am going to go with:
Conner Mantz — Ran 2:08:16 in his Chicago debut and like, wasn’t happy?
Scott Fauble — Mr. Consistency (and also in our group chat so I have to…)
Futsum Zienasellassie — That sub-15 from 35k to 40k has my attention
(Notes: Health seems to be an issue for Rupp, and I would love to see True finally make the team at 38. Who knows though, maybe Abdi makes his sixth team?)
The women’s picture isn’t much more clear, largely due to the fact that from top to bottom, US women’s marathoning has never been better. That said, here’s my knee jerk prediction:
Emily Sisson — Would you bet against the American record holder?
Aliphine Tuliamuk — The defending champion… and her run in NYC off an abbreviated build-up says good things
Keira D’Amato — This will be the biggest running-themed Disney movie since McFarland, USA
(Notes: Wait, if you asked me if Emma Bates or Betsy Saina is making the team then I am saying ‘100%, yes’ so the math isn’t mathing for me. It’s not ideal that Keira and Emily both scratched from the London Marathon, but they’re back running.)
Q: It seems like a weekly occurrence to hear about another athlete being popped for cheating. Do you think that the top Americans are doping?
A: As I noted in last week’s newsletter, I am an eternal optimist and I think it is impossible to continue to enjoy the sport any other way. With that said, most American-based fans should feel pretty good about the cleanliness of their favorite follows on Instagram. Most athletes that come through the NCAA system leave with a college degree and have – globally speaking – high earning potential in whatever career comes next.
What that means is running isn’t their only ticket to a materially comfortable life. If you listened to Zane Robertson discuss the reasons why he turned to EPO, then you’ll know it was out of desperation and a lack of paychecks. That’s not to say you can’t have a college degree and cheat. Hell, I ‘m sure plenty of professionals got their college degrees thanks to a little cheating along the way. But it does help mitigate the urgency to cheat.
Listen to the guys on Coffee Club talk about what supplements they take: their knowledge doesn’t exactly scream, ‘these fellas are running a pharmacy!’
Look, I am not completely naive. There are surely some people who are doing things they’re not supposed to. But as a rule, people suck at keeping secrets, and nobody in this sport is ever more than two degrees of separation away from anyone else, so I believe any accusations of systematic doping circles to be largely exaggerated. Much more common is good old fashioned TUE abuse…
Q: If there was a modern recreation of The Real Maine, what five runners would you want to be part of the cast?
Do I need to start out by explaining what The Real Maine was? First off, the most interesting reality show/documentary about college kids training for the summer should involve some combination of men and women. Some version of this existed during the summer of 2020 in Boulder – or was that more like Lord of the Flies?
Maybe CITIUS should rent a house in Maine this summer…
[Editor’s note: If that Once a Runner sequel is any indication, then there are dozens of running fans hungry for content about sexy topics like REGRET, INJURIES, and AGING. If you’d like to see The Real Maine 2: The Realer Maine, please email Kyle to let him know. The premise is this: it’s starring the original cast plus wives and children; everyone takes one day of PTO so instead of a summer it’s a long weekend; it’s a luxurious AirBNB full of mid-century modern furniture and it’s in Connecticut because Maine is too annoying to get to; there’s lots of grousing about super shoes and how the humidity is making their Haglund’s surgery scar tissue throb; and half of the gang laces up for a six-mile run while the other crams in a Subaru to make an 11:00 am tee time.]
Q: How did you land such a hot wife? And what role does running play in your marriage?
Well, honey anonymous reader, I actually met my wife in Maine that summer. Had you asked me twelve years ago if I wanted to marry a runner, it probably wouldn’t have been that important to me. But what did 20-year-old Kyle know? It’s certainly made traveling together a lot easier and the “sacrifices” I have made in life have never been brought into doubt. Patricia is actually the reason I started this newsletter – she was quite adamant about me continuing to be involved in the sport, especially if I wasn’t going to work full-time in it.
Q: I didn’t see CITIUS cover the World Athletics council meeting and the updates to the transgender and DSD rules. Why is that?
If you have no context, then you can see the press release here.
But have you read the comments on any posts discussing the changes? It’s a dumpster fire. This is a super polarizing topic and I don’t like the way it is being discussed. And that’s not a stance on the actual rules – that’s on having a sense of humanity and recognizing that lives are impacted beyond the sport. Regardless of how you feel about the science or potential fairness, transphobic rhetoric is dangerous.
Q: What’s your five-man roster for a pickup game of basketball using only the Olympic and World Champion 1500m medalists since London?
Please don’t cancel me for picking all guys. I searched the depths of the Internet trying to find some evidence that Sifan Hassan and Faith Kipyegon have played basketball, but I couldn’t find anything.
PG: Matt Centrowitz — Probably won’t pass much, but trash talk is important
SG: Nick Willis — I am pretty sure he’s the only guy on this team who could actually shoot
SF: Asbel Kiprop — There is no drug testing in the NBA, right?
PF: Filip Ingebrigtsen — Wikipedia has him listed at 6’2 (before super shoes)
C: Josh Kerr — I don’t want the skinny 3000m version though
Q: Can we talk about the 44-year-old woman who OTQ’d yesterday? Do you think females are more likely to continue running late into their careers compared to men?
I think this is a reference to Roberta Groner ,who is actually 45 and ran 1:11:28 this weekend at Project 13.1 to set an age group record in the half marathon. While this is under the qualifying standard of 1:12, she actually already had a qualifier, so less fuss has been made about her earning her spot on the starting line in Orlando. Which is a shame, because Groner is incredible. She took basically all of her 20s off from running (maybe that’s a contributor to her longevity?), now has three kids, and is a nurse, yet still finished 6th at the 2019 World Championships marathon. There is definitely a trend for elite women continuing to run much later, but I can’t speak to any biological factors in the comparative aging process except. Anecdotally, I will say that my body is currently falling apart and I can’t imagine it improving over the next ten years.
Q: Could you give some insight on how far a weekly long run should be? Specifically for teenagers.
The standard rule that gets thrown around is 20% of your weekly mileage. But there is quite a range of what’s necessary depending on your event and time of year. Reflecting on my own career, there was definitely no need for me to become obsessed with always having to go two hours. I was a psychopath and many far more accomplished milers rarely go above 14 during the season. It’s very person-dependent. The best guidance I could give is as far as you can get on Sunday without negatively impacting Tuesday’s workout
Q: How do you decide if it’s a good idea to use a sock to clean up your mess in the middle of a run?
You perform a cost-benefit analysis. First off, if I am in a new environment outside of the northeast (where I have grown familiar with the flora after a lifetime of occasionally…uh…making use of it) then I am not taking any risks. Also, gloves go before socks. But ultimately, once the pain, potential for public shame, and deteriorating performance becomes too great, then you take the L and accept your blister. Fortunately, cotton is biodegradable. But I’d still recommend picking up some litter on your way home to ease your eco guilt.
Q: Which NCAA outdoor collegiate records are in trouble this season?
Records were falling like dominoes indoors, but that was partly due to the NCAA Championships being held at altitude. Well, outdoors is going to be in Austin, TX and the last time the meet was there it was a quick one. Here are my bets:
Julien Alfred takes down Sha’Carri Richardson’s 10.75 in the 100m
Britton Wilson breaks Athing Mu’s 49.57 in the 400m AND Sydney McLaughlin’s 52.75 over hurdles
Katelyn Tuohy crushes Jenny Barringer’s 15:07 5000m
Jasmine Moore leaps over Keturah Orji’s 14.71m triple jump
And I don’t think there will be many on the men’s side. Perhaps Kyle Garland improves his own decathlon and maybe Jaydon Hibbert in the triple jump?
Q: Given your level of talent, had you been born 75 years earlier what would your mile PR have been?
Taking this question to its most extreme interpretation, we’re looking at me entering the world in 1915, in Spain, where my grandfather is from. Being born in Europe during World War I probably isn’t ideal in most cases, but Spain was neutral so it could have been worse. Assuming I would have survived into my 20s and somehow made it out of the village of 560 people that my family hails from, then I’d be entering a wider world in which the mile WR was being traded off between a couple of Swedes. Gunder Hägg and Arne Andersson were the big shots during what would have been my peak years. They got it down from 4:06 to 4:01 in that time, training sporadically with a mixture of running through the snow, cross country skiing, and fartleks.
Those guys look fit as hell, and I would hardly consider myself a generational talent so I am going to give them the nod. Also, the spikes of yesteryear would not suit my sensitive feet – I can’t even take the trash out barefoot because walking on the driveway is a liability. All that said, I’ll give myself a 4:10 because I think a grown up Kyle could still kick my well-trained 17 year old ass, no matter the conditions.
Q: Has there ever been an effort to create a player's union in T&F? Do you think this would help efforts to reshape athletes’ rights, schedules, and pay?
The most recent real attempt was in 2012 and was driven by Rule 40, which limited athletes’ ability to mention their sponsors who are not also Olympic partners. Things have been loosened a bit, but for the most part, generation after generation of athletes have continued to protect their individual interests first and foremost. This isn’t unreasonable considering that the peak of most careers spans maybe two Olympic cycles. And most people don’t train their whole lives for one moment just to risk it all for a tweet and a nominal financial reward.
There are many problems with a lack of defining who is a professional and this is one of them. There is no league paying out salaries here, and the top stars aren’t going to pass on running Worlds. Although they’ll happily pass on many of the independently run Diamond Leagues for no moral reason! If anything, the athletes of individual sponsors should be forming unions, but:
They’re contractors
The stars won’t do it
American athletes get paid way more
The sponsors will just stop sponsoring
Q: Can you talk about running as a dad and how you are balancing life and running without the pressure? I saw you raced this weekend!
I am very content with my current relationship with running. It feels like something I get to do and don’t have to do. For example, this winter I took days off when it was miserable out and overall just deprioritized mileage. Previous rules that I had made up like, the ‘a run doesn’t count if it’s not at least four miles’ no longer apply, and that feels freeing. I have committed to the gym twice a week to lift weights again, which helps my clothing fit the way I prefer, and helps offset the increasing difficulty of being able to toss my daughter in the air.
I did jump in a half marathon this past weekend and I ran 69:00, which is more or less exactly what I was expecting. I’ve been running 30 miles per week for about four months now, and my hope was that a race would inspire me to start building that up again. It failed to do so in the lead-up though I have walked away with the urge to put some more races on my calendar this spring. I have fortunately suppressed my ego enough to enjoy being at races even if it means getting my ass kicked. The belief that I could run much faster if I wanted to without the burden of having to prove it is enough that I can sleep at night.
Q: If you were coming out of high school as a top recruit and could go run for any program in the nation, where would you go? And the same question, but as a professional?
Let me be clear: this is what I personally would do and not my pick for best coaches in the country, since that is largely subjective. The first time around I really wanted to go to the University of Virginia, and although I was offered a walk-on spot, I took it as a sign that the coaches didn’t really want me since there wasn’t a fraction of a scholarship attached. Instead, I went to Columbia where the coaches called me constantly, showed up to my house and races, and made it a point to show how committed they were to my joining the team. All that said, if I were 17 today and Vin Lananna demonstrated even the faintest interest in me then I would have no choice but to become Gary Martin’s teammate.
At the professional ranks, it’s pretty clear that the OAC is the hot team at the moment and I think most aspiring professionals would jump at that opportunity if it presented itself. But I don’t know if I’d enjoy getting my ass kicked by Yared Nuguse every day and then having to find ways to rationalize how I am still capable of beating him. Plus, I am not an altitude guy. So I’d probably beg New Balance and Mark Coogan to give one more American guy a contract, then I’d move to the NYC suburb of Boston.
Q: If you were in charge of signing athletes at a shoe company, what current unsponsored professional runners would you offer a contract?
There is so much that goes into building out a brand’s “roster” that I’m going to hedge and say that my answer would depend on what gaps need to be filled. However, speaking in generalities, I think Valerie Constien should have “earned” herself a contract after winning a US 3000m title indoors, given that she is a 2020 Olympian in the steeplechase. And Trevor Bassitt is also top of mind since he is a World Championship medalist in the 400mH. Here’s hoping that him going from a DII University to one of the most elite training groups in the world means big things are on the horizon. Both of these athletes seem like safe bets. Or maybe I’d throw a curveball and use that money to pay an influencer to make some cringeworthy TikToks!
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Rapid Fire Highlights🔥
A couple of weeks after Elaine Thompson-Herah failed to break 60 seconds, Shericka Jackson flexed her range and ran 50.92 for 400m in Kingston, showing that there are many ways to win a global gold medal in the 200m.
Zach Panning (22:48) and Sarah Disanza (26:35) of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project won the Shamrock Shuffle 8K in Chicago. Stay tuned to the CITIUS YouTube channel for a new video about the group dropping real soon!
Paul Chelimo, the two-time Olympic medalist at 5000m, is no longer with Nike and has signed with Kiprun. Less familiar in the US, but a major force in Europe, the company is the running brand of the sports retailer Decathlon. Chelimo will be racing the Berlin Half Marathon on April 2nd, and his personal best of 1:02:19 from New York in 2019 should be under threat.
Camille Herron broke the record in the 48-hour run, which should be an illegal race distance if for no other reason than the fact that it was completed on a track. She covered over 270 miles, which seems far!
Leo and Lex Young ran 3:40.84 and 3:41.50 respectively for a 1500m at UCLA.
Kimberly Garcia broke the 35K World Record in the race walk in 2:37:44, which is 7:15/mile. I’m not sure if a rebrand would bolster the popularity of the event, but it could help to do away with the 20K/35K/50K distances and commit to doing the half and full marathon.
Bank of America will become the presenting sponsor of the Boston Marathon beginning in 2024. When presented with the contract, the CEO reportedly asked, ‘So where do I put my John Hancock?”
Toruń, Poland, has been named the host of the 2026 World Indoor Championships – that should be enough time for the local tourism board to print up some “Born Torún” t-shirts!
ESPN released a documentary called “LISTEN,” which investigates the 2018 murder of University of Utah track & field athlete Lauren McCluskey by her ex-boyfriend. You can watch it on ESPN+.
Tinman Elite is selling shirts to raise funds to support Reed Fischer’s wife, Christine, in her battle with breast cancer. They’re currently sold out, but should be restocking soon.
Stephanie Bruce and Ben Rosario have published a book about Bruce’s 12-week build-up into the New York Marathon, which at the time was supposed to be the last race of her career – it is called Follow Your Heart.
Following a weather delay, Annie Rodenfels took down a solid field over a hilly course to win the Northside Hospital Atlanta Women’s 5k in 15:44.
At the Raleigh Relays, Empire Elite’s Isaac Updike ran a world lead in the steeplechase, going 8:25.09, and Allie Hays of NC State ran 32:21.13 for the 10,000m, proving once again that the easiest way to get mentioned in The Lap Count is to be my friend or be my friends’ little sister.
Thanks so much to Next Best Run for sponsoring this week’s newsletter! There aren’t many two-time Olympians opening up their services to coach anyone, so definitely worth inquiring more. And thank you to all of the readers who submitted questions for this week’s mailbag — I am curious to know what you thought of it.
The Real Maine reminded me of an old 8-track video that used to play downstairs at the Bill Rodgers Running Center in Boston. If I recall, it was called "The Walnut Street Gang" and featured pretty much the same type of stuff about runners running and goofing around. Greg Meyer. Charlotte Lettuce. Tom Derderian. Yes, that Tom Derderian. Back when his hair was as dark as is the night. Greg had hair, too. And Patti Catalano mixing "supplements" in a blender and then sucking down that ugly mess.
After about 1990, no one could find that tape.
As always, loved this week's edition. Mail Time was a great idea!