Nationals Weekend

For many high level cross country athletes, this weekend was the weekend they have been training all season for. The Foot Locker Nationals, USATF Junior Olympic Nationals, and USATF Club Nationals all took place on December 13th. 

Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals was held at Balboa Park in San Diego, California. The girls 5K race was won by senior, Anna Rohrer from Mishawaka, Indiana with a time of 17:13. She also won this race as a sophomore in 2012. She was injured for the 2013 cross country season with a stress fracture in her foot. Anna Rohrer made history as a two-time champion joining Jordan Hasay, Erin Keogh, Melody Fairchild, and Erin Sullivan. The best placement by a local runner was the 5th place finish by Hannah Debalsi from Westport, Connecticut. 

Grant Fisher was the winner of the boys Foot Locker Nationals 5K race with a time of 15:03. The senior from Grand Blanc High School was among a field on all Juniors and Seniors. He now joins Edward Cheserek, Lukas Verzbicas, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Abdrizak Mohamud as two-time Foot Locker winners. The best placement by a local runner was by Alex Ostberg from Darien, Connecticut who placed 9th. 

The USATF National Cross Country Junior Olympics was held at Whispering Pines Golf Course in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Many girls from New England medaled at this event. The best local placement was by Caroline Fischer of Granite State Flash who placed 2nd in the 11-12 year old 3K race with a time of 10:24. Her early placement led her team to capture a 4th place title. In the 15-16 girls 5K race, Claire Hanlon of Sentinel Striders placed 18th with a time of 18:33. Stephanie Mattson also of the Sentinel Striders had the best local placement in the 17-18 division with a 15th place finish with a time of 19:32 over the 5K course. 

New England boys also finished well at the National Junior Olympics. Sean Kay of the North Shore Striders placed 12th in the 11-12 age division with a 3K time of 10:10. In the 13-14 age division, Sam Toolin of the Sentinel Striders placed 5th out of 405 runners with a time of 12:58 over the 4K course. The Sentinel Striders placed 3rd as a team in the 17-18 age division led by the 11th place finish of Adan Petti. 

The USATF National Club Cross Country Championships was held at Goodman Campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Boston Athletic Association women won this event beating 43 other teams. They were led by Sarah Pagano who placed 6th with a time of 19:40 over the 6K course. Following her were 9th and 10th placements by Juliet Bottorff and Elaina Balouris and 19th, 20th, and 22nd placements by Jennifer Rhines, Emily Lipari, and Katie Matthews. 

The Boston Athletic Association men got 2nd at the National Club Championships. Zap Fitness Reebok finished first as a team over the 72 other teams competing. Dan Lowry led them finishing 15th with a time of 19:50 over the 10K course. Other top 30 placements were by Ethan Shaw, Eric Ashe, and Brian Harvey. 

The Timeline of Jenny Simpson

Jenny Simpson is the most decorated female athlete in the 1500 meter race in athletics history. Jenny attended Oviedo High School in Florida. While there she was a five time state champion in track and a three time state champion in cross country.

Jenny Simpson went on to attend the University of Colorado. In 2006, she won the NCAA Outdoor Championship in the steeplechase with a time of 9:53. 

In 2007, she won the USATF Outdoor Championships in the steeplechase. Jenny also placed seventh at the IAAF World Outdoor Championship and the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the steeplechase. 

While still attending the University of Colorado, Jenny Simpson made her first Olympic team. She placed third in the steeplechase at the 2008 US Trials to qualify her for the Olympics. In the Olympic finals, she placed ninth and set a new American Record with a time of 9:22. 

Jenny Simpson had a very impressive year in 2009. She set new NCAA indoor records in the mile, 3000 meter, and 5000 meter. She also set new outdoor records in the 1500 meter, 5000 meter, and 3000 meter steeplechase. At the 2009 World Championships, she placed fifth in the steeplechase and topped her own American Record with a new one of 9:12. Jenny won the 2009 Prefontaine Classic in the 1500 meter with a time of 3:59.9. Jenny became the United States Champion in the steeplechase. She won the Bowerman Award which is awarded to college track and field's athlete of the year. Jenny was favored to with the NCAA Cross Country Championship but after leading the first two miles, she suddenly felt light headed and collapsed. That led her to placing 163rd.  

After graduating from the University of Colorado, in 2010 she sign a multi-year endorsement with New Balance. She changed her coach from Mark Weltmore, the University of Colorado's coach to Air Force Academy Coach, Juli Benson. She had to take most of 2010 off due to a stress fracture in her right femur. 

2011 was a strong year for Jenny Simpson. At the USA Indoor Championship she won both the mile and the 3000 meter. She went onto winning the World Championships in the 1500 meter with a time of 4:05. Jenny became the first American women to win the 1500 meter since the win in 1983 by Mary Decker. 

Jenny Simpson qualified for the 2012 Olympics after placing third at the US Olympic Trials in the 1500 meter. At the Olympics, she qualified for the semifinal, but not the final. She then returned to her old coach, Mark Weltmore. 

2013 led Jenny Simpson to winning the USATF Outdoor 5000 meter race with a time of 15:33. She won a silver medal at the 2013 World Championships in the 1500 meter race with a time of 4:02. Jenny went on to winning the 5th Avenue Mile. 

In 2014, Jenny Simpson got runner up in the Boston New Balance Indoor Grad Prix two mile race. Jenny finished this race a lap early thinking that she was done, causing her to place second. If this mistake had not been made she definitely would have set a US Indoor best in the two mile. A week later, at the US Cross Country Championship she placed second. In the 2014 US Outdoor Track and Field Championships she placed first in the 1500 meter race. In July,  Jenny became the third fastest American female runner in the 1500 meter finishing the Diamond League race with a time of 3:57. Jenny Simpson also defended her 5th Avenue Mile title by winning that race again. She also recently won the Jackie Joyner-Kersee athlete of the year award. Jenny Simpson is the first athlete announced to be running in the 2015 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, where she is hoping for a better result than last year's race. 

The Luck of the Irish?

The Bishop Feehan girls cross country team has had a spectacular season. The girls have placed as a team at many of the major meets. Starting off the season, the team placed first at the MSTCA Baystate Invitational at Franklin Park. They had six strong athletes finish in the top 20. The first place finisher from Bishop Feehan placed third with a time of 19:37.

Bishop Feehan girls also made a statement at the Twilight Invitational. In the freshman race, the team placed fourth with the top finisher, Lauren Magill placing 30th with a time of 13:39 for a 3K. The Sophomore girls placed first with five athletes placing in the top 25. The junior varsity squad had three athletes place in the top 10, leading the team to a second overall placement. Finishing off the night, the division one varsity girls placed first with the top placements being 11th, 20th, 25th, and 26th.

While attending the MSTCA Coaches Invitational, Coach Bob L'Homme decided to rest his top six girls. In the Junior-Senior division one race, Colleen Donahue lead the girls to place fourth as a team with a time of 19:49. While with three placements in the top twenty, the Sophomore girls placed first as a team led by Rebecca Rodriguez. Lauren Magill brought the freshman girls to a fourth placement as a team by running a 12:40 3K.

The Bishop Feehan girls team captured their 10th consecutive state win in the MIAA Division 3 Race. They had five girls place in the top 20 with their top finisher, Abigail Long, placing third with a time of 18:37.  They had all of their seven girls in under 19:50.

The girls finished off their season placing second at the MIAA All-State meet. The division one race brought in Abigail Long in 21st place with a time of 19:20 followed by Jackie Cutillo placing 25th followed by Meg Carmody.

Some questions that I have been wondering this season, how does Bishop Feehan get privileged year after year with a strong varsity team? Is it just luck? Is it because they are a school known to have good athletics, and people want to send their kids there? After the Bishop Feehan girls ran at the MIAA Division 3 race I saw about four of the girls with bags of ice, each either icing their hips, knees, or ankles. I have also been wondering, did they have injuries that they were told to push through just so Bishop Feehan could get their 10th consecutive state win? 

                                             Mary Cain

Mary Cain is a well known name in the world of running. She was the 2014 World Junior Champion in the 3,000 meter race, and is the youngest athlete to ever represent the United States at a World Championship meet when she competed in the 2013 World Championships. While she was still attending Bronxville High School, she competed in the U.S. Olympics trials in the 800 meter where she placed 18th. Mary Cain's is Alberto Salazar who is also the coach of gold and silver medalist in the 10,000 meter at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Mo Farah and Galen Rupp. Mary Cain made the decision to skip running collegiate and she went pro at age 17. She now runs professionally for the Nike Oregon Project, and is a freshman at the University of Portland.

Mary Cain holds many national records in high school running. In outdoor track, she has the U.S. National high school record in the 800, 1500, 3000, and 5000 meter races. She also holds the National and Junior record in the 1500 meter for indoor and outdoor track. She shares the same record with the mile and 2 mile races.

Mary Cain's Personal Bests:
Outdoor:                              Indoor:
800 meter- 1:59.51              1000 meter- 2:35.8
1500 meter- 4:04.62            1500 meter- 4:06.63
3000 meter- 8:58.48            Mile- 4:24.11
5000 meter- 15:45.46          2 Mile- 9:38.68

So far this year, Mary Cain has taken home many national titles. She won the Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 1,500 meter. Mary also won the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, California with a time of 4:06.34 in the 1500 meter race. Mary Cain got awarded the U.S. Junior Outdoor title when she ran the 3,000 meter in Eugene, Oregon. That race qualified her for the World Junior Championships that she also got first in.

I got to talk to Mary Cain at the CVS 5k after she placed 6th in the USATF 5K championships. This was her debut at running a 5,000 meter road race. She described the race as, "It was a great learning experience. But it is kind of disappointing because I am in the best shape of my life and I know that I could run a 4 minutes like right now, today, on the track. The problem is, I just haven't shown that yet." Mary Cain said that her attitude is, "I don't care what other people see. I know what I know and that is all that matters." Mary Cain has been such an inspiration to young runners, and it will be fun to see where her running career takes her. 

                     Molly Huddle: an Inspiring Athlete

Molly Huddle, the winner of the CVS 5K four times in a row, a competitor in the 2012 Olympics, and also an idol of mine. Molly Huddle is the two-time USA Outdoor 5,000 meter champion, has the Notre-Dame record of nine All-American honors, and holds the American record in the 5,000 meter with a time of 14:44. Molly went to Elmira Notre Dame High School in Elmira, New York. There she played soccer, basketball, and ran outdoor track her Junior year. She did not run cross country until her senior year because her school did not have a cross country team. She wanted to run cross country to improve her track times, so her father coached her one person team. Molly Huddle was undefeated in her regular season and went on to placing fourth at the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships. She was also a very successful track runner, she won the Nike Indoor classic, Adidas Outdoor Championships. In the outdoor two mile, Molly Huddle made a national high school record with a time of 10:01, and she holds the New York outdoor 3,000 meter record with a time of 9:21. Molly Huddle went to college at the University of Norte Dame and there she went on to tying the Notre Dame record of nine All-American honors.

Molly is an amazing athlete, and person. I got the honor of escorting Molly Huddle to the podium after her fourth victory in the CVS 5K. After she finished the race, Molly was in no a rush to the podium, she waited to congratulate the women that came in after her. Molly Huddle was really nice and relaxed, she even joked to Jordan Hassey about another fast woman they ran against saying, "Is she even American?!" Molly Huddle showed me that Olympian athletes can be as easy to talk to as your very best friend.


Molly Huddle even let me ask her a few questions on the way to the podium. Molly told me that she started running in fifth or sixth grade, but she started taking running more seriously in high school. Her most memorable race was, "My American record in the 5,000 meters. It was a surprise for me. It was in my favorite city, Brussels, Belgium." Molly Huddle also says that her upcoming goal is, "I would like to run the 10K at world's, and make the Olympic team, and maybe even run a marathon." Molly Huddle's coach is Ray Traecy, coach of the Providence Friars cross country and track and field. I would like to go to Providence college one day, and hopefully become as good as a runner as Molly is.

                   Top 5 Most Common Running Injuries

1. Runner's Knee

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, or more commonly known as Runner's Knee is a common overuse injury in running. It has many different causes, but it happens when your kneecap is out of line. You start to feel pain around the knee when the cartilage on your kneecap wears down. Runner's Knee happens during or after long runs, or while going down hills or stairs. When you first get this injury the best thing to do is ice it. Then you need to work on strengthening your weak hip and glute muscles. Kiniseology tape should be used if your kneecap does not track right. Strengthening your quads and glutes will help keep your knee tracking properly. 

2. Achilles Tendinitis

Achilles Tendinitis is an injury that is caused when runners greatly increase their training, it puts the Achilles tendon under a lot of stress and causes it to tighten. The Achilles tendon is what connects your calf muscle to the back of your heel. It will tighten and become inflamed when a lot of stress is put on it, and that will create pain and stiffness to your Achilles tendon. This injury is not one to run through, to get it better the best thing to do is ice it as often as possible. Achilles Tendinitis needs a lot of rest and calf stretching. To prevent this injury from coming back you should develop strong calves which will protect the Achilles.

3. Shinsplints

Shin Splints are a typical overuse injury that is caused when you rapidly increase the distance of your running schedule. If you have Shinsplints, little tears will appear in the muscles around your Tibia and it will create an achy pain. Another reason you might be getting this injury is if you are wearing the wrong shoe type, or have really worn down your pair of running shoes. The best way to get rid of this injury is to rest and ice. To relieve pain and speed up the healing process use Kinesiology tape to tape your shin. If you are looking to avoid this injury you should increase your mileage slowly and wear the right shoes for your feet. 

4. Plantar Fasciitis 

Plantar Fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fascia which is the tissue at the bottom of your feet that connects your heel to your toes. It is caused when you overstretch or overuse the fascia and it tears which causes it to become inflamed. It is a common injury with runners with very high or low arches. When you get Plantar Fasciitis it feels like a bruise or ache along the bottom of your heel, and some may even describe it as a stabbing pain. Running through this injury will only delay the healing process so the best thing to do to heal it is to take a complete rest. You should also use a frozen water bottle and roll your foot over it, and use a foam roller to loosen your calves. To prevent this injury from coming back you should get shoes that fit your foot type and stretch the plantar fascia. 

5. IT Band Syndrome

Iliobial (IT) Band Syndrome is an overuse injury that causes pain on the outside of your knee. It is caused when the IT band tightens and rubs against either your hipbone or the outer part of your knee and creates inflammation. It is common in runners that have a leg-length discrepancy or have weak hips and glutes. The best thing to do if you get this injury is to rest for 1 to 2 days and take it easy for the rest of the week. You should stretch and foam roll your IT band and strengthen your hips and glutes. To prevent this injury from coming back, continue to do the strengthening, foam rolling, and stretching.