Youth Runner Magazine July-August 2017 by Gosportz Media, LLC

ASK COACH TYSON ABOUT RACE DAY JITTERS

GET THE LATEST @ YOUTHRUNNER.COM YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 1

YOUTH RUNNING™ | YOUTH TRACK & FIELD™ | YOUTH XC™

1 | JULY/AUGUST 2017

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 1

YR MOMENTS ELBOWS ARE FLYING They said track wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a contact sport but sometimes legs get tangled up and the elbows start flying. Happened in the 13-14 Boys 200m at the SoCal Association Championships.

SMOTHERMAN IMAGES 2 | JULY/AUGUST 2017

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 3

YR contents: july-august 2017

READY.SET.GO

Vol. 22 issue 3

barefoot runner has 29 world records

daniel skandera 8

PHOTO BY Kyle peters

FEATURE

CHECK IT OUT

ANNALISA SABATINO

TRAINING

16-17 instagram FAN SHOTS

18-19 MEET HIGHLIGHTS 20

keeping up with the yr bloggers, editors, & featured athletes

24-26

ASK COACH tyson KID EVENTS

22 kid events 27 submit an athlete

TRACKTOWN

2-3 YRMOMENTS

Letter from editor ian

7 YR BLOGGERs

14-15 POSTER

coming up

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 5

yr guest

editor

VOL. 22 ISSUE 3 | july/august 2017 Publisher/Editor Dan Kesterson Editor at Large Ian Kesterson

LETTER FROM THE

EDITOR

Hey Team! Welcome back for another round of Youth Runner. But most importantly-– welcome to SUMMER! Maybe you’re still going strong and charging your way to Nationals (way to go!) or maybe you’ve hung up your track spikes for the year and are ready for some serious rest and relaxation (phew!) Either way, let’s raise our popsicles up in the air for the funnest of all seasons. I don’t know where you live, but here at Youth Runner Headquarters in Oregon, summer comes in hot! One day it’s cloudy and you’re working out in the rain then all the sudden the sun comes out and days last forever and all the fun stuff happens. Jumping in the lake after a long run, campfires, shorts, sunset at 9:00, No school. It’s a time where a cold afternoon smoothie never tasted so good and you don’t even mind the mosquito bites (well, at least not the first few.) I remember one summer back in high school we got the cross country team together and went camping on a lake near Mt. Hood, Oregon. I’m not sure if we had any plan– the season didn’t

EDITOR'S NOTES

Check out the Q&A with legendary distance coach Pat Tyson.

6 | JULY/AUGUST 2017

start for another month– but we had an awesome view, a ton of tasty food to eat, and miles and miles of trails to explore. Over the next three days we adventured along trails, dove in the lake a hundred times, probably wore the same t-shirt the whole time, relaxed, made new friends, fueled up on cookies and hot dogs, sweat enough to fill a tub, and had a blast. One day we went out for a quick run to a point on the lake we could see from our site. We got there, felt good, then just kept going. Before we knew it, we’d run around the whole lake, a casual 15 miles and by far the most I’d ever run at a time. This is why we moved our YR camp up to the Mt. Hood wilderness this year. On August 13th-17th, we’re going to explore some scenic trails, eat well, tell stories, and get stoked for life and the upcoming season. Don’t consider this a training camp. I can’t say there will be a single PR breaking magic workout. But that’s not what summer is about. Summer is a time for building goof-off base miles and having fun. This year we have legendary coach, Pat Tyson, dishing out wisdom and telling stories, along with a team of other running experts to help cross country runners through their season. I’m packing up the marshmallows, splitting the firewood, and picking out the one t-shirt I’ll wear for the trip right now. Ok. I’ll bring two. Enjoy the summer, team! Ian Kesterson

Contributing Writers & Bloggers Ciara Martinez, Pat Tyson, Bob Williams, Matt Walsh, Zane Fodge, Faith Martinez, Ethan Vargas, Espen Lehnst, Mick Grant, Cregg Wienmann, Taitum Schaap, Michael Bergmann, Brody Hudson, Lauren Elgee Art Director Sean Kesterson Contributing Designer Scott Scoggin CONTRIBUTING Photographers Klotz Images, Kyle Peters, Sam Gehrke, Smotherman Images, PSImages, Eric Ward, Photo Run, Dingo Images, Rebecca Joelsen, Shoe Addicts, Instagrammers, Fans, Rachelle Clinton, Josh Phillips. Sierra Cotton Website-Digital-Video Sean Kesterson THANKS TO: Mt. Tam, Running Trails, Angelina Buswell, Loren Elgee, Alex Rudd, Kate Johnson, Meyer Freeman our friends over at Blue Goose, Diggity Dog Productions, and volunteers everywhere, ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIPS dank@youthrunner.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES US One Year: Print $14.95 Digital $9.95 Subscribe at www.youthrunner.com Download the app at all app stores PUBLISHED BY: Youth Runner Magazine is a registered trademark of GoSportz Media LLC. Published 5 times a year by GoSportz Media, LLC Copyright 2017 all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission. Editorial contributions are welcome, submit queries to editor@Youthrunner.com. Gosportz Media LLC and it’s publisher assumes no liability for the content or opinion of it’s writers or advertisers and reserves the right to reject any advertising at it’s own discretion. Youth Runner recommends that you consult with your coach and your physician on any changes with your training, fitness and health issues.

YOUTH RUNNER

BLOGGERS brody's Favorites

Running Shoes

App

Brody Hudson Age 14 Ultimate Speed Academy TC

Brody Hudson:

yr blogger & Distance Runner Hello fellow runners, My name is Brody I have been running middle distance since I was eight years old. When I was twelve I won a bronze medal in the 3000m at the 2015 AAU Nationals in Virginia Beach. I was on my way to qualifying for AAU again in June of 2016 when my right hip starting hurting really bad. I had a broken hip growth plate which basically ended my season. They put me on crutches and I was not allowed to walk on my leg, move my hip or even go to the pool to relax all summer long. Rehab started in the fall and required a lot of patience at first and then a lot of agony as I slowly worked my legs and hip back into shape. After three months, I was finally able get on a treadmill. From there I was on my way back,

slowly running more distance and faster each week on the treadmill and then back on the track. I started the season strong this year with PRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in all my races and just last week I qualified again for the AAU Junior Olympic Games winning gold in the 800m, 1500m, 3000m and the 4x800m as anchor! What a difference a year can make, from crutches to Gold medals! Injuries happen even to the best of runners and the way back means a lot of hard work and not giving up. Thankfully, I have recovered fully and feel even stronger now than ever! My goal is to be on the podium in all my races at the Jr. Olympics this year. I am ready to give it everything I got.

what are brody's

Food

Color

Athlete

favorites?

Color - Purple Pre Race Meal - Two Eggos Breakfast Cereal - Lucky Charms Running Shoes - Nike Pegasus App - Snapchat NBA Player - Kobe Bryant Role Model â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Leo Manzano

Tag photos #youthrunner

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 7

2 | MAY/JUNE 2017

KYLE PETERS YR first noticed Daniel when he set the new 6-year old world record in the 5k. We were thinking this would be a one time lucky race for Daniel and that was it. But then we saw his decisive wins at USATF Jr. Olympic Track & XC Nationals and we knew this kid was for real. Daniels interview in Albuquerque was also the best of the meet & we became a fan. Daniel holds two national titles for the 1500m & for Cross Country and the USATF 7-8 national 1500m record. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re probably wondering what makes Daniel run so fast. Is it competing with his brothers or a special smoothie before a big race. This is what we found out.

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 3

YR: Hi Daniel, tell us how you got started in running? Daniel: I saw my family running, so I wanted to join them. Does all of your family run? Yes. How many brothers or sisters do you have? I have 6 brothers and 4 sisters. What was the first race you were in and what do you remember most about it? The first race I really remember is the Shor-Sheppard Classic USATF Track Meet. I ran the 1500m. I was 5 years old and ran in the 8-and under age group. I got 3rd. I tied my 100m PR in the first 100m. My time was 6:28. How did you discover the world records and what was your first one? My brother, Nehemiah, was running really well, and we were curious how good he was doing. We found the international age group world records list, and thought it would be fun to start shooting for them. My first world record was the 1500m for 5 years olds. It has since been beaten by Tamrat Gavenas. Were you trying for it or were you surprised that you got it? I was trying for it. When you're in the middle of a race what are you thinking about? What is going through your mind? I am thinking about whether or not my splits are on, hoping they are on. I am praying that God would help me to run well.

Tara Jumps for a win at So. Cal Association Meet

Sometimes, if the track is too hot, I wear shoes. We do some workouts on nice grass, barefoot. What do you do for training this time of the year leading up to nationals? I do short-break interval workouts, fartlek, easy runs, drills, core workouts and yoga. What are your goals for nationals? I want to win and get the 9-year old world record. How about school, is there one subject that you really like or are especially good at? I'm probably best at math, but I also write a lot of essays. What advice do you have for other young athletes that would like to go fast and break records? Stay focused and be willing to put the time needed into it. Never give up. DANIELS 29 RECORDS: Age 5: Mile: 6:33

Do you visualize or dream about a race ahead of time, or plan a strategy? Or do you just take off when the gun goes off and race? I plan a ton! I think about each race TONS before running it! Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your best or favorite race experience so far? My favorite race experience was winning USATF Cross Country Nationals in New Mexico, 2015. I felt great and I liked the course a lot. Has there been a race that didn't go so well for you? If so how did you shake it off? I've had several races that didn't go

so well. I just say to myself, "I'll never do that again. The next time I'll come back even stronger and better." I've noticed you run track barefoot, what gave the idea and why do you run barefoot? I saw my older siblings running barefoot when I was little, and I wanted to be like them. We run barefoot, because in the long run, running barefoot can be healthier for the rest of your body. Your foot strike is different every time when you run barefoot, which is easier on the rest of your body. Do you run the road races barefoot also?

I only run barefoot on the track. YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 5

photo by rachelle clinton 12 | JULY/AUGUST 2017

YOUTH RUNNER

GIRL RUNNERS my actual workout will vary from doing sprints and distance and hills. Then I do a mile cool down. What was your most exciting race ever?

photo by rachelle clinton

ANNALISA SABATINO

TRACK & FIELD, CROSS COUNTRY ATHLETE OF THE YEAR STARLETS TRACK CLUB, STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK

Anna runs the 100m, 200m, and 400m. In the fall she competes in cross country. Her favorite event though is the 100-meter dash! Favorite athlete is sprinter Allison Felix and her role model is older cousin Dee Dee. She loves writing and says that, “Once she starts it’s hard to stop.” YR: Most recently at the AAU District Qualifiers you were first in the 100m and second in the 200m and 400m. What are your

goals for the rest of the season?

My best race ever was the 400-meter finals at The Colgate Games. Usually it's just my parents and sister that go to my track meets but for the finals my cousins and aunt came. I had so many people to cheer me on and it was also everyone's first time to see me run. I was really nervous because in one of the preliminary meets I was DQ (disqualified) because I cut in before I was supposed to in the 400m. In fact my whole heat was DQ. In Colgate there's a point system and because I was DQ one week, I received no points for that week. In the finals I knew I just had to get out there run my best race and leave the past behind. It was a mistake and I learned from it. I did just that and I won first place! I ran a PR of 1:14 and I got a trophy and a $1,000 scholarship! What is your advice for other track girls? Train hard and believe in yourself. What do you think about before a big race? Before a big race I try to not over think things too much. I know I train really hard and so I just tell myself I will do great.

Anna's ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

My goal for the summer track season is to get under 1:10 for the 400m. I run 1:12 now. Hopefully I can place for the 400m but if I don't I hope I will run my best race and hit a PR.

New York USATF Cross Country Athlete of the Year 8-Under

Can you tell other Youth Runners what your practices look like this time of the year?

1st Place 2k at the USATF XC Association Championships

For practice I usually do a mile warm up, then I do drills, stretches and then

1st Place in Colgate Games 400m.

2nd Place 2k at the USATF XC Regional Championships

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 13

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS DREAM MILE FRESHMAN RULE LEXY HALLADAY A FRESHMAN FROM IDAHO DOVE THROUGH THE FINISH LINE TO WIN THE ADIDAS GIRLS DREAM MILE IN 4:41.80

PHOTO RUN

14 | JULY/AUGUST 2017

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 15

instagram

fanpage

KIDS RULE THE WORLD! We just showcase them! Here are some of YOUR best shots this season! Wanna see your own photos in these pages? It's easy! All you have to do is hashtag #youthrunner when you post to Instagram!

16 | JULY/AUGUST 2017

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 17

MEET HIGHLIGHTS PORTLAND TRACK FESTIVAL The Middle School Boys Mile & the Girls 1500m included Matti Erickson from B.C. and Julia Smith from Seattle. Grace Ping, below, set a new world record in the 5k for 13 year olds. Photos by Klotz Images

Column 1

18 | MARCH/APRIL 2016

CIF The “Best of California” come together for their high school state competition. Tara Davis competed in her last high school meet here. 18 | JULY/AUGUST 2017

Photos by Smotherman Images

PREFONTAINE CLASSIC

Named after Steve Prefontaine this meet is mostly for elite, professional athletes but if they find a fast high school athlete they try to work them in. This year 16-year-old Jakob Ingebritsen from Norway was invited and became the youngest ever to break the 4-minute mile in 3:58.07. Photo by Photo Run

adidas DREAM MILE This is another invitation only elite high school competition. This year it was held in Boston. Photos by Photo Run

BROOKS PR INVITATIONAL

If you're fast and one of the best high school athletes in the country you may be lucky enough to get a “Golden Ticket” and an invitation to compete at this elite meet. Photos by Klotz Images

I RUN FOR LIFE KIDS ONLY 3K Around 1,000 kids K-6 took off from Central Park in Doylestown, PA. The program includes 25 elementary schools in the area and so far the kids have logged in more than 300,000 miles. Photos by Michael Gladysz

We’ve seen

some huge races in post season such as freshman Lexy Halladay’s incredible win in the adidas Girls Dream Mile. For everyone getting ready for nationals we hope to see you out there. Otherwise find yourself a 5k fun run or a triathlon and prepare for the cross country season ahead.

KEEPING UP WITH

YR ATHLETES, BLOGGERS, & EDITORS WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO LOOK BACK AND SEE WHAT SOME OF THE ATHLETES THAT APPEARED IN YR ARE DOING THIS SEASON.

JONAH GOREVIC Featured Athlete We first met Jonah in 2014 after his first age group world record in the mile. Since then he has set 2 more mile records: 11-year old in 4:51.85, and 12-year old in 4:43.20. Over the winter this year he ran in the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in Washington DC in 1:01:09. Jonah is currently running for the varsity team as an 8th grader at Hackley School where, during this past XC season he ran in the NYSAIS (New York State Association of Independent Schools) Championship, and finished 10th. Way to Go Jonah!

Photo by Klotz Images

JOE WASKOM On the Cover Sept-October 2016

HANNA CUNLIFFE

Joe finished up his sophomore track season with a 4th place finish in the 1600m at the Washingon State Track & Field Championship in 4:17.17. Earlier in the season he got a PR of 2:10.18 in the 800m and at the Jesuit Twilight Mile a PR of 4:18.13. Watch for more great performances from Joe!

20 | JULY/AUGUST 2017

Featured Athlete

Photo by Klotz Images

We had many stories about Hannah as a middle school & high school athlete where she often competed against college runners. She just finished an incredible season as a sprinter at the University of Oregon where the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team won the NCAA Championships. Younger Photo is from 11 or 12 years old.

NIK TOOCHECK

Featured Athlete

You may remember about the boy who ran seven marathons on seven continents. That was Nik. Most would call that the top of the mountain but Nik decided to continue running for good and teamed up with a charity that supports people with vision problems. To raise money for his charity 14-year old Nik ran fifty marathons in fifty states along with his dad. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to see what Nik will take on next.

Photo by Klotz Images

BRANDON MILLER Featured Athlete Last year Brandon was the superstar at the AAU Junior Olympic Games with his record of 4:02.09 in the 1500m and a new record in the 800m of 1:53.23. As a freshman this year Brandon hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t slowed down. At the Brooks PR Invitational he took 3rd in 1:51.91. He has his sights on another national record at AAU in August. Good Luck Brandon!

AMY ELOISE-NEALE Guest Editor & Featured Amy was already a rising star when she was Guest Editor back in middle school. She had an incredible high school career at Glacier near Seattle, Washington that included competing at the World XC Championships. This spring while running for the University of Washington Amy won the 5000m at the Stanford Invitational with a PR of 15:39.30 and was 4th in the 1500m at the NCAA Championships with a PR of 4:11.00. Photo by Klotz Images

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 21

TRACKTOWN YOUTH LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS By Loren Elgee

On Saturday, June 10th, over 450 athletes participated in the TrackTown Youth League Championship Meet at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Each participant qualified at a regional meet. Stand out performances include eight-year-old Esperansa Morales, whose 5:25.70 1500 meter time was within 10 seconds of the national record for her age group. Brandon Desalla, Kameron Rague, and Katelyn Bucholz displayed potential as future decathletes and heptathletes by standing on the podium for three events each and eight-year-old Hunter Hurl also deserves congratulations as the only athlete to compete in all five events!

josh philips & sierra cotton

22 | JULY/AUGUST 2017

ASK COACH TYSON ABOUT RACE DAY JITTERS E 80 0 M ET ER R RU N N IN G TH ST RA TE GI ES FO

TI P S FO R B O O S TI N G MAY-J UN E 20 17

YO U R S P E E D

$4 .95

PRI L 2017 $4. 95

LEGENDA COACH RY PAT TY ANSWERSSON

EEPING UP ITH THE OUTH RUNNER BLOGGERS

DISTANCE QUESTIONS

AIDAN PUFFE

8TH GRADER

G N I P E C A R G

XAVIER SIM

SPRINTING

S ORLD RECORD IS BUSTING W THR UNN ER. COM GET THE LAT EST

@ YOU

YOUTHRUNN

UT H RU NN ING ™

K & FIE LD ™ | YO UT H TR AC

TOWARDS A NOT

| YO UT H XC ™

WORLD RECORD BREAKER

PSON

HER NATIO NAL TITLE

1 ER.COM |

YO UT H RU NN 17-MAY-J

UNE.indd 1@ YOUTHRUNNER.COM GET THE LATEST

IN G™ | YO

GE T TH E LA TE ST @ YO

UT H TR AC K

& FI EL D™

| YO UT H XC

™

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 1

YOUTH RUNNING™ | YOUTH TRACK & FIELD™ | YOUTH XC™

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE ON THE COVER OF YOUTH RUNNER MAGAZINE? TO BE CONSIDERED HERE IS WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO DO.

SEND US PHOTOS OF YOURSELF LIST YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF IN A SHORT VIDEO

This could include academic, sports, volunteer.

SUBMIT TO EDITOR@YOUTHRUNNER.COM

IT’S ALSO OK TO NOMINATE AN ATHLETE #YRCOVER #YOUTHRUNNER

DETAILS AT YOUTHRUNNER.COM 23

UT HR UN NE R.C

YOUTHR

UNNER.C

OM |

ask a

coach

everette henderson

COACH TYSON ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

RACE DAY JITTERS, STAYING IN THE ZONE, AND SUMMER MILEAGE Pat Tyson is a coach at Gonzaga University and was one of the winningest high school coaches ever while at Mead HS in Spokane, Washington. Coach Tyson went to University of Oregon and was a roommate with Steve Prefontaine. You may also have seen his book " Coaching Cross Country Successfully" by Human Kinetics.

Coach Pat Tyson

These are just some of questions that Coach Tyson answered at the YR Coaching Crowdcasts.

QUESTION FROM SARAH: I’ve got a problem getting jitters at the start line. It’s to the point of throwing up on the side of the track. What can I do to get a grip on it?

COACH TYSON:

I was that way Sarah, and my roommate in college, Prefontaine, told me to, “chill-out!” That’s obviously easier said than done. I learned how to relax. He taught me how to relax. Just listen to music, try and block out what’s going on, and stay in your zone, something you can practice at any age. So, I would just try not to think too much. Try to focus on what is going well in your workouts so you have confidence from what you’ve done in your workouts. Don’t focus on your competitors, focus on you and staying relaxed. Practice this in practice. You can overcome it, it just takes a little time. Sometimes I read books like the Prefontaine book or inspirational books about athletes and how they’ve overcome their fear. What do they do to stay in the zone, stay relaxed, to not make to big of a deal out of it? Prefontaine was really good on race day at just keeping busy, not sitting there getting too pumped too early. He was a master of knowing when to turn it on and when to turn it off. And when you go to bed, let’s just say you 24 | JLUY/AUGUST 2017

go to bed and you’re stirring up all night. I used to do that. I trained myself to not think before I go to bed. Not to think about the race, not think about tests, things like that. Over time, you can begin to conquer that fear. Good luck with that. It’s not easy but you can work on it and try to chill out and relax and think about other things.

QUESTION FROM ALERO:

I’m 13, I run for school and private club. On my school team I do great. My best time in the 100 meters is 12.97 seconds. When I attend my private club meets I run a 13.05-13.20 seconds. How do I mentally condition my mind to focus? Last year I ran a 12.70 second, at the age of 12. I think I get intimidated and lose focus. I feel the other runners. How do I keep focus? Please help. We are having our championship meet this weekend.

COACH TYSON:

Well, you’re 13. You’re a young athlete but I don’t think it really matters what age you are to keep focus. I call it, “Being in the zone.” It’s a skill you can train. It’s something you practice, in practice. They always say, “Perfect practice focus creates perfect focus.” So,

I think you need to work on it during practice then when you get into a meet it’s already part of who you are. I know it sounds pretty simple, easier said than done, but it’s something you can do. I think sometimes if you listen to some really good music it can help you stay in the zone. Music that gets you motivated when you’re warming up. Again, practice these things so when you get to the meet you’re calloused to the situation, okay.

QUESTION FROM BRENT: I’m 13, and going to high school this fall. I just ran a 5:31 mile in track. What mileage should I be running this summer to get ready for my high school team?

COACH TYSON:

So Brent, here’s what I would do. I would contact that high school coach and hopefully that high school coach has a plan of action for you. Sounds like you’re going to be a freshman. I would contact the coach, see what their plan of action is, and let that coach give you what they expect mileage should be. I don’t want to do that for you. Your 5:31, 1600 meter shows that you are a prospect. I could see you, if you have a good program going for you in high school dropping that baby under 5 minutes when you’re a freshman, okay. Good luck to you Brent!

QUESTION FROM JOE: I’m 13 and run a 5k in 19:25, which is a 6:15 minute pace. I can do three times 1600 meters at a 6:00 minute pace with a 3:33 rest. I do my easy runs at 9:00 minute pace. Are they too slow or too fast? They seem just perfect to me, not too fast and not too slow. I average 40 miles a week with a 13-mile-long run. I have been training like this for 6 months.

smotherman images

COACH TYSON:

Well Joe, you’re 13. I don’t know if you’re in the 7th or 8th grade. You’ve got a good thing going here as long as you love what you’re doing. That is my theme for young guys and young gals. Learn the love and as you progress hopefully you’ll have the desire and excitement to keep getting better every year. Make it fun. If you’re a little competitive there is nothing wrong with that. But you told me this, you told me it feels really good right now to run 9:00 minute flat pace on your easy runs. Yeah, perfect, keep that up! I know Cheserek from Oregon and a lot of runners who are really, really elite and a lot of their recovery runs are not super-fast so they can ace their interval days. They can ace that 1600 meters three times at a 6:00 minutes flat pace with a 3:33 recovery. So you have a good thing going for you Joe. You’re young. Let’s just keep growing with the sport and right now I like where you are, okay.

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 25

ASK A ask a

COACH coach

PHOTO smotherman images QUESTION FROM A PARENT: How much is too much for a 13-yearold female runner? Some coaches seem to think that if she is a gifted runner and has a good aerobic base, she should be able to run the mile, the two-mile, and the 800 meter in all meets (with meets averaging two times per week). I feel that one race a meet is enough. I do not want her to become burnt out before she reaches high school. Your opinion is greatly appreciated.

COACH TYSON:

That’s a great question Shar. I happen to believe in the concept of underracing, especially when you’re a young runner. I think you can run too many races. It’s like a horse. If a horse races too much they lose their edge too early or they lose their excitement. You’re going to need to have a discussion with the coach. I’m one of those that believe that maybe one race, maybe two at the most. I don’t know about twice a week, doing that. I’m a believer that less is better than more, okay.

QUESTION FROM JULIE: How often do you run workouts on the track versus other surfaces? 26 | JULY/AUGUST 2017

COACH TYSON: I like variety. In one of my earlier sessions we talked about the five Oregon principles. One of those is variation. Going to the track is not a bad thing maybe two or three times a week. Although everyone’s pattern is different, I like the Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday at the track. Then Monday, Wednesday, Friday on some trails, in some parks, and kind of mixing it up a little bit. So, not every day because it can get stale, you can get bored. You want to mix it up and have a little variety, okay. QUESTION FROM AN ATHLETE: Can you give a preview about what you’re going to talk about at the Youth Runner Middle School Camp?

COACH TYSON: I’m certainly going to give some motivational talks. We’ll talk about some of the teams I’ve coached and what they’ve done. They were the best teams in the country when they were in high school. The Mead High School teams were ranked #1 in the country. We’ll probably have a lot of questions and answers like what we’re doing right here in this session. A lot of kids like to know about Prefontaine and what he was like. So we’ll have some fun and I’ll let you guys help me out by asking some really good questions at camp.

Coach Bill Bowerman at Hayward Field.

submit an

athlete

KEEGAN SMITH

KEEGAN'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Ten year old Keegan plays on an AAU Basketball Team, likes to Snow Ski, is an NBA Rockets fan, and follows the Denver Broncos. He is also a pretty good runner. In May at The L.E.A.P. 5K in Knoxville Keegan ran 18:19 and was 7th overall. His average mile pace was 5:54. At the 14-Under Championships he won the 1500m. Keegan is now coached by Tony Cosey, a former Olympican. Besides running fast and watching the NBA Keegan also volunteers once a month at the “Bridge Ministry” where he helps to serve meals and coffee to the homeless.

2016 - National Champion 800m TFCUSA Indoor National Championships - Birmingham, AL 2016 - National Champion 1500m - AAU 14 Under Indoor National Championships - Ypsilanti, MI 2016 - State Champion - Tennessee State Cross Country Championships 2016 - National Champion - Cross Country Coaches National Youth Championships - Evansville, IN

2016 – 10-Year Old Champion - Foot Locker Cross Country Championships - South Region - Charlotte, NC 2017 - National Champion 1500m - TFCUSA Indoor National Championships - Birmingham, AL

YOUTH RUNNER TOP DOG OF THE MONTH TOP DOG OF THE MONTH

DISCUS, SHOT, TURBOJAV

800 METER RUNNER

Kendyll Dent, 7 Columbus, Ohio

Olivia Prescott, 12

Jayla Atkinson, 11

In Kendyll’s first year of running she brought home four medals and a best time of 3:05 in the 800m. She is also earned all A’s this year and is a member of the Columbus Panthers AAU TC.

7th grader Olivia throws the Shot Put, Discus, & Turbo Jav. She is an AAU 2-time Silver Medalist, was 6th in Shot Put & ranked in top 10. Olivia is looking to finally strike gold this summer at the JO's in Michigan. Good Luck!

Jayla has a passion for running that is contagious with everyone around her. At AAU Indoor Nationals she won the 11-year old girls 800 meter race and is looking forward to qualifying for the Junior Olympic Games.

ARE YOU A yr-kid? Let us know what makes you a Youth Runner. Submit an Athlete at: youthrunner. com/events/ athlete/submit

Smotherman Images

AGE 10, SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL KNOXVILLE YOUTH ATHLETICS TRACK TEAM

2015 - State Champion - Tennessee State Cross Country Championships

READ THE FULL STORIES ABOUT THESE ATHLETES AT YOUTHRUNNER.COM YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 27

ELITE MIDDLE

SCHOOL

CAMP

August 13-17, 2O17 OPEN TO BOYS & GIRLS ENTERING 6TH-8TH GRADE THIS FALL for more details go to: youthrunnercamp.com

LIMITED SPACE MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETES Scholarships may be available email camp@youthrunner.com

PhotoS BY SAM GEHRKE

COMING UP! HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETS YOU’LL WANT TO ADD TO YOUR CALENDAR. FOR THE DETAILS AND REGISTRATION LINKS GO TO YOUTHRUNNER.COM

AAU JULY 7-9th PRIMARY NATIONALS, ORLANDO, FL JULY 8-9th WEST COAST AAU JUNIOR OLYMPIC GAMES, DOWNEY, CA JULY 9-15TH CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP, ORLANDO, FL JULY 20-23RD NORTHERN NATIONAL INVITATIONAL, DECATUR, IL JULY 29th – AUG 5TH AAU JUNIOR OLYMPIC GAMES, EMU, YPSILANTI, MI

YOUTH-USATF JULY 24-30TH USATF NATIONAL JUNIOR OLYMPICS, LAWRENCE, KS

YOUTH-USATF

FOR THE DETAILS AND REGISTRATION LINKS GO TO YOUTHRUNNER.COM

JULY 2nd FIRECRACKER 5K, NANTUCKET, MA JULY 4th AURORA FUN RUN, AURORA, OH JULY 4th CHILI CHASE 5K, PALO ALTO, CA JULY 4th TAHOE FIRECRACKER, INCLINE VILLAGE, NV. JULY 4th WATERMELON 5K, WINTER PARK, FL. JULY 8th SPARTAN KIDS, LAWRRENCEBERG, IN JULY 8th SPARTAN KIDS, PALMERTON, PA JULY 29th SPARTAN KIDS, BLACK MT., NC

INVITATIONALS JULY 1ST DELAWARE ELITE YOUTH INVITATIONAL, WILMINGTON, DE JULY 1ST RUNNING OF THE CANNONBALL, HIGHLAND SPRINGS, VA JULY 1ST EAGLES WINGS INVITATIONAL, BATON ROUGE, LA JULY 8TH CLEVELAND MUSTANGS INVITATIONAL LYNDHURST, OH JULY 15TH AURORA FLYERS INVITATIONAL, ROCKFORD, IL. JULY 15-16TH CALIFORNIA STATE GAMES, CHULA VISTA, CA JULY 15TH CLIFF WILEY TRACK CLASSIC, BALTIMORE, MD JULY 15TH ERNIE SIMS TRACK INVITATIONAL, TALLAHASSEE, FL JULY 15TH FRESHNO FLYERS T&F CLASSIC, FRESNO, CA JULY 15TH MOTOR CITY CLASSIC, OAK PARK, MI JULY 15TH PACIFIC NW CLASSIC, TACOMA, WA JULY 15TH QUEEN CITY INVITATIONAL, CINCINNATI, OH JULY 15TH UNITED STATES YOUTH GAMES, BIRMINGHAM, AL JULY 21-23RD RUSSELL E BLUNT EAST COAST INVITATIONAL, DURHAM, NC

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 29