SchererSpeed.com - Official Site of Nike 800m Runner Matt Scherer http://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=137 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:41 +0000 ross@runnerspace.com (Ross) 60 SchererSpeed.com - Official Site of Nike 800m Runner Matt Scherer http://www.runnerspace.com/members/images/42/6569.jpg http://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=137 News - 2009 Results - IAAF World Championships in Athletics IAAF World Championships in Athletics 2009 Official Site

Local Organizing Committee Site - Berlin

2009 Results 

Click here for complete Golden League, Super Grand Prix, Grand Prix, Permit coverage

IAAF Coverage


Results will be placed below....

Daily HTML Results

Day 1    
Day 4    
Day 7
Day 2 Day 5 Day 8
Day 3 Day 6 Day 9


Day 1 Results - Photos - Videos

15/08 10:05 M Shot Put Qualification Startlist Results .
15/08 10:10 W 100 Metres Hurdles Heptathlon Startlist Results Summary
15/08 10:50 W 3000 Metres Steeplechase Heats Startlist Results .
15/08 11:00 W Triple Jump Qualification Startlist Results .
15/08 11:20 W High Jump Heptathlon Startlist Results Summary
15/08 11:40 M 100 Metres Heats Startlist Results .
15/08 12:00 M Hammer Throw Qualification Startlist Results .
15/08 13:00 M 20 Kilometres Race Walk Final Startlist Results .
15/08 13:05 W 400 Metres Heats Startlist Results .
15/08 13:20 M Hammer Throw Qualification Startlist Results .
15/08 18:15 M 1500 Metres   
Heats Startlist Results .
15/08 18:20 W Shot Put Heptathlon Startlist Results Summary
15/08 18:50 M 100 Metres Quarter-Final Startlist Results .
15/08 19:00 W Pole Vault Qualification Startlist Results .
15/08 19:25 W 10,000 Metres Final Startlist Results .
15/08 20:15 M Shot Put Final Startlist Results .
15/08 20:20 M 400 Metres Hurdles          
Heats Startlist Results .
15/08 21:10 W 200 Metres Heptathlon Startlist Results Summary

 

Day 2

16/08 10:05 W Shot Put Qualification Startlist Results .
16/08 10:10 W 800 Metres Heats Startlist Results .
16/08 10:45 W Javelin Throw Qualification Startlist Results .
16/08 11:00 M 3000 Metres Steeplechase Heats Startlist Results .
16/08 11:35 W Long Jump Heptathlon Startlist Results Summary
16/08 11:55 W 100 Metres Heats Startlist Results .
16/08 12:00 W 20 Kilometres Race Walk Final Startlist Results .
16/08 12:15 W Javelin Throw Qualification Startlist Results .
16/08 18:05 W Javelin Throw Heptathlon Startlist Results Summary
16/08 18:35 W 100 Metres Quarter-Final Startlist Results .
16/08 19:00 M Triple Jump Qualification Startlist Results .
16/08 19:10 M 100 Metres Semi-Final Startlist Results .
16/08 19:25 W Javelin Throw Heptathlon Startlist Results Summary
16/08 19:40 W 400 Metres Semi-Final Startlist Results .
16/08 20:15 M 400 Metres Hurdles          
Semi-Final Startlist Results .
16/08 20:20 W Shot Put Final Startlist Results .
16/08 20:50 W 800 Metres Heptathlon Startlist Results Summary
16/08 21:35 M 100 Metres Final Startlist Results .


Day 3

 

17/08 18:05 M Hammer Throw Final Startlist Results .
17/08 18:15 W 400 Metres Hurdles Heats Startlist Results .
17/08 18:45 W Pole Vault Final Startlist Results .
17/08 19:05 W 100 Metres Semi-Final Startlist Results .
17/08 19:30 W 800 Metres Semi-Final Startlist Results .
17/08 20:00 W Triple Jump Final Startlist Results .
17/08 20:10 M 1500 Metres Semi-Final Startlist Results .
17/08 20:30 W 3000 Metres Steeplechase Final Startlist Results .
17/08 20:50 M 10,000 Metres Final Startlist Results .
17/08 21:35 W 100 Metres Final Startlist Results


Day 4

Morning session
18/08 10:05 M 200 Metres Heats Startlist Results .
18/08 10:05 M Discus Throw Qualification Startlist Results .
18/08 10:20 W High Jump Qualification Startlist Results .
18/08 11:05 M 400 Metres Heats Startlist Results .
18/08 11:35 M Discus Throw Qualification Startlist Results .
18/08 12:05 W 1500 Metres                    
Heats Startlist Results .
Afternoon session
18/08 18:05 M Triple Jump Final Startlist Results .
18/08 18:10 W 100 Metres Hurdles Heats Startlist Results .
18/08 18:55 M 200 Metres Quarter-Final Startlist Results .
18/08 19:25 W Javelin Throw Final Startlist Results .
18/08 19:35 W 400 Metres Final Startlist Results .
18/08 19:50 M 3000 Metres Steeplechase Final Startlist Results .
18/08 20:15 W 400 Metres Hurdles Semi-Final Startlist Results .
18/08 20:50 M 400 Metres Hurdles Final Startlist Results

Day 5
Morning session
19/08 10:05 M 100 Metres Decathlon Startlist Results Summary
19/08 10:10 W Discus Throw Qualification Startlist Results .
19/08 10:45 W 5000 Metres Heats Startlist Results .
19/08 11:10 M High Jump Qualification Startlist Results .
19/08 11:15 M Long Jump Decathlon Startlist Results Summary
19/08 11:35 M 110 Metres Hurdles Heats Startlist Results .
19/08 11:40 W Discus Throw Qualification Startlist Results .
19/08 13:00 M Shot Put Decathlon Startlist Results Summary
Afternoon session
19/08 18:05 M High Jump Decathlon Startlist Results Summary
19/08 18:15 M 400 Metres Semi-Final Startlist Results .
19/08 18:45 W 100 Metres Hurdles Semi-Final Startlist Results .
19/08 19:25 M 200 Metres Semi-Final Startlist Results .
19/08 19:45 W 200 Metres Heats Startlist Results .
19/08 20:10 M Discus Throw Final Startlist Results .
19/08 20:25 M 1500 Metres Final Startlist Results .
19/08 21:15 W 100 Metres Hurdles Final Startlist Results .
19/08 21:35 W 800 Metres Final Startlist Results .
19/08 21:45 M 400 Metres Decathlon Startlist .

Day 6

Morning session
20/08 10:05 M 110 Metres Hurdles Decathlon Startlist Results Summary
20/08 10:10 M Pole Vault Qualification Startlist Results .
20/08 11:10 M Discus Throw Decathlon Startlist Results Summary
20/08 11:45 M 800 Metres Heats Startlist Results .
20/08 12:30 M Discus Throw Decathlon Startlist Results Summary
Afternoon session
20/08 14:15 W Hammer Throw Qualification Startlist Results .
20/08 14:25 M Pole Vault Decathlon Startlist Results Summary
20/08 15:30 W Hammer Throw Qualification Startlist Results .
20/08 18:10 M Long Jump Qualification Startlist Results .
20/08 18:15 M 110 Metres Hurdles Semi-Final Startlist Results .
20/08 18:30 M Javelin Throw Decathlon Startlist Results Summary
20/08 18:55 M 5000 Metres Heats Startlist Results .
20/08 19:10 W High Jump Final Startlist Results .
20/08 19:30 M Javelin Throw Decathlon Startlist Results Summary
20/08 19:50 W 200 Metres Semi-Final Startlist Results .
20/08 20:15 W 400 Metres Hurdles Final Startlist Results .
20/08 20:35 M 200 Metres Final Startlist Results .
20/08 20:55 M 110 Metres Hurdles Final Startlist Results .
20/08 22:00 M 1500 Metres Decathlon Startlist Results Summary

Day 7
21/08 09:10 M 50 Kilometres Race Walk Final Startlist Results .
Afternoon session
21/08 16:15 M Javelin Throw Qualification Startlist Results .
21/08 18:00 W Long Jump Qualification Startlist Results .
21/08 18:15 M Javelin Throw Qualification Startlist Results .
21/08 20:10 M 4x100 Metres Relay Heats Startlist Results .
21/08 20:15 M High Jump Final Startlist . .
21/08 20:40 W 1500 Metres Semi-Final Startlist Results .
21/08 21:10 M 800 Metres Semi-Final Startlist Results .
21/08 21:15 W Discus Throw Final Startlist . .
21/08 21:40 W 200 Metres Final Startlist Results .
21/08 22:00 M 400 Metres Final Startlist Results

Day 8

Morning session
22/08 11:45 M Marathon Final Startlist Results Worldcup

Marathon Route Map
Afternoon session
22/08 18:05 M Long Jump Final Startlist Results .
22/08 18:10 W 4x100 Metres Relay Heats Startlist Results Summary
22/08 18:15 M Pole Vault Final Startlist Results .
22/08 18:55 M 4x400 Metres Relay Heats Startlist Results Summary
22/08 19:30 W Hammer Throw Final Startlist Results .
22/08 19:35 W 5000 Metres Final Startlist Results .
22/08 20:00 W 4x100 Metres Relay Final Startlist Results .
22/08 20:15 W 4x400 Metres Relay Heats Startlist Results Summary
22/08 20:50 M 4x100 Metres Relay Final Startlist Results


Day 9

Morning session
23/08 11:15 W Marathon Final Startlist Results Worldcup

Marathon Route Map
Afternoon session
23/08 16:15 W Long Jump Final Startlist Results .
23/08 16:20 M Javelin Throw Final Startlist Results .
23/08 16:25 M 5000 Metres Final Startlist Results .
23/08 17:00 W 1500 Metres Final Startlist Results .
23/08 17:25 M 800 Metres Final Startlist Results .
23/08 17:50 W 4x400 Metres Relay Final Startlist Results .
23/08 18:15 M 4x400 Metres Relay Final Startlist Results
]]> Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:44:08 +0000 Photo - Stonehenge 2009 ]]> Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:38:41 +0000 Photo - Stonehenge 2009 ]]> Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:38:38 +0000 Photo - Sky at Dusk at Stonehenge ]]> Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:38:35 +0000 Photo - Me at Stonehenge ]]> Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:38:32 +0000 Photo - Stonehenge 2009 ]]> Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:04:26 +0000 Photo - Stonehenge 2009 ]]> Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:04:23 +0000 Photo - Stonehenge 2009 ]]> Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:04:21 +0000 Photo - Stonehenge 2009 ]]> Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:04:18 +0000 Blog - Europe Tour Finale - Matt Scherer - 7/31/09 Since my last blog after Lignano, Italy I was doing alot of traveling and racing and just never got around to writing a blog so this one will probably be a little longer as I try to recap everything from the past couple weeks. Go here for videos and results of all of my races.

Belgium
My next two meets were in Liege and Heusden. After running well in Italy I was anxious to get back on the track making the small adjustments I thought would take me to a 1:46 low. There was a slight snag in the travel when Geena Gall's and my luggage got lost. Of course I just had a carry-on but it was just a touch over the 10kg weight limit so I had to check it. We had a short layover in Rome before landing in Brussels and the bags never made it onto our second flight. But that side story doesn't get much more interesting as the bags arrived at our hotel the next day.

But as far as the race goes, we had a pace maker that was supposed to pace for 600 meters going through the 400 in 50.5 - 51.0 so I wanted to get out right behind him and see what I could do. At the gun I got out well and positioned myself into second right behind the pacer exactly where I wanted to be. About halfway down the backstretch I started to notice that the pacer was working ridiculously hard just to get to the front. At the 200 mark he was in an all out sprint...and slowing down. I didn't want to run a slow tactical race so on the curve I moved past the pacer. As soon as I came up on him he started to break down completely and ended up stepping off the track before the 300 mark. Probably the worst pacer I've had in one of my races. So now I was in the lead, which ended up not being a good thing for me as I started over striding trying to stay as relaxed as possible. I came through in 51.5 and things started to move when we got to the backstretch. When it was time to kick with 200 to go I realized that 300 meters of over striding had completely zapped my legs and I was out of gas. I finished a ways back at 1:49. So not a good race for me and sort of a waste of a good opportunity.

Three days later I raced at Heusden. Heusden has been one of those tracks for alot of people where they just run fast. Alot of people have had PR's on it and it is where Alan Webb ran his 1:43 a couple years back. I was in the B section but we still had a pacer that was supposed to go out in 51.0. I think we ended up going out in 53 something but this time I just tucked myself in 3rd place. Off of a slow pace like that people usually just start to sprint with 300 left. I was in second after the pacer stepped off at 500 and then made a decisive move with 250 to go and I took the lead. I kept pressing through the curve and into the homestretch. I ended up getting passed by one guy but still finished very well with a 2nd place 1:48.1. It was probably my best race for going out in 53 so there were definitely some positives from it. And another plus was that I ended up placing 8th overall including the A race, which put me in the prize money.

Finland
After the two Belgium meets I changed my schedule and decided to go run my next two races in Joensuu and Lapinlahti, Finland. I ran both of those meets last year so I knew what to expect. It took the better part of a day to take a train to Brussels, fly to Riga, Latvia, change planes to Helsinki, and then a 3-4 hour train ride to Joensuu. I got in around 8pm and was to race the next evening.

The race did not have a pacer and from a slow first 100 I took the lead off the break. This time I was much more prepared to lead and tried to focus on keeping my stride frequency up while still staying patient and relaxed. We all got around to 250 to go when things started to pick up. There was a guy in the race from South Africa, and he was moving on the outside while my teammate, Kevin Hicks, was moving just to my outside. When we were all abreast, the SA guy completely just moved down on Kevin and he got shot back to 5th. By then we were headed into the curve and the guy tries to do the same thing to me. I battled with him with elbows and body contact as he was trying to get on the rail. Eventually I squeezed past him but got tripped and almost went down. It was everything I could do to not fall. I got onto the homestretch and tried to kick but after the 100m physical battle I didn't have a strong kick left. Kevin actually ended up coming back and winning the race in 1:48. I was not far back at 1:49. I wasn't happy with that race at all. I feel like I was positioned well and would have had a 1:47 race if I hadn't had to waste so much energy trying to stay upright and on the track. But that's racing, that happens sometimes and you have to deal with it. In hindsight I should have just given the SA guy a hard solid bump at the first sign that he was going to be a problem. I'm usually always the biggest guy in the race and shouldn't be afraid to be the aggressor.

For the 5th time in about 15 days I race - my last of the season in Lapinlahti, Finland. Now I can finally start to feel all of the traveling, racing, and stress of the season weighing on me. So I decided to run as conservative as possible and make sure I finish well. I got out well but still stayed near the back of the pack, just chillin. I was in last with 200 to go and made a strong move to the finish. I passed 4 or 5 guys but finished 6th. I probably should have moved a little earlier or been in a bit better position before the kick but it was a good finish so I was happy with it.

After Finland I returned to London to the OTC apartment where most of the other guys were. The trip getting back is a pretty good story. One of the things I like to do in Europe when I'm not training or running is getting around or to where I'm going completely on my own. I like trying to figure out public transit or train routes to get somewhere the cheapest I can. So for my return to London, I was scheduled to get into Stansted airport at 11:55pm. This airport is also about a hour drive from downtown London and the OTC apartment is probably a 40 min drive on the other side of the city center. So it would be a challenge for me to make it back at all, not to mention trying to do it in the middle of the night.

Our bags took forever to come into baggage claim so I ended up walking out of the terminal at 1am to start my journey. Of course when I know I'll be in this kind of a situation I never research ahead of time about the best way to get there. I always just assume that it will work its way out eventually, and I knew I had plenty of time. At the worst I wanted to make it back to the apartment by 10am. I caught a break because the first thing I saw for public transit was the last train for the night headed into London city center. I hopped on that and 50 min later I was downtown. There was a bus station right outside so I hopped on a bus that was headed in the general direction of Teddington (SW). I get off a stop where I knew I could get on the tube because once in that system it is really easy to get close to Kinston or Teddington. But my first piece of bad luck is that the tube doesn't start running until like 5 in the morning.

I start walking back to a place I can get back on the bus and luckily the bus runs every 15 minutes. Now at 2:30 am as I'm waiting there this very nice $80,000+ Audi is driving by and slows down in front of me. I can see that there are two guys in it. The car then drives off but makes a u-turn in the middle of the street about a half a block down. They come back and again slow down in front of me (about 30-40 feet away) but this time they stop. Then one of the guys gets out of the car and starts walking toward my side of the street. At the same time there is some other guy already walking my direction on the sidewalk. This guy stops to engage me in conversation as the guy from the car walks past me to an ATM behind me. The sidewalk guy asks me if I live around here or know the area. I quickly tell him I don't while I'm trying to keep the two guys and the car in my range of vision. Luckily the guy accepts my answer and just keeps on walking. So I feel a little safer now that I know I can just take off running if I need to and I'm not in the middle of everyone. I watch the ATM guy very closely to see if he's going to make a move to mug me or something. But he gets his cash and jogs back to the car and they take off. My bus comes a few minutes later and I'm out of a potentially bad situation.

That was the exciting part of the journey by far. The rest just involves me hopping around different buses trying to get to a place I've seen before so I can walk to the apartment. Finally, as its approaching 5:30 am, I recognize where I am and start walking in the direction of the apartment. I get there 20 min later and crawl into bed about 6 am.

Now I've just been hanging around, trying not to run too often or eat too much. We've been playing alot of hearts games and rummy. We have even resorted to a game of go fish yesterday. Most of the guys are starting to leave back to the states now so there are fewer and fewer. Will Leer, Russell Brown, Nick Symmonds, Sally Kipyego, Lauren Fleshman, and Ben Bruce are still here for now. I will be around for a bit longer until I head to Iceland to vacation around for a week and then head home to Eugene in mid August, just in time to watch the world championships in Berlin.

]]> Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:03:40 +0000 Video - Mens 800 A - Savo Games - Lapinlahti, Finland ]]> Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:49:07 +0000 Video - Matt Scherer Interview - KBC Night of Athletics - Heusden, Belgium 2009 ]]> Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:32:39 +0000 Video - Mens 800 B Section - KBC Night of Athletics - Heusden, Belgium 2009 ]]> Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:24:33 +0000 Video - Matt Scherer / Geena Gall Interview - Liege, Belgium ]]> Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:29:17 +0000 Video - Mens 800 - Liege, Belgium 2009 ]]> Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:17:31 +0000 Blog - Lignano, Italy Race/Meet Recap After 4 consecutive nights of up and down sleeping I think I finally will be able to get into a normal routine here in Belgium. Those 4 nights of sleep went like this: 11, 2.5, 12, 3.5. Last night I did the normal 8-9 hours and now that I won't be flying or having to get up at 4am to catch a train or plane I should be able to sleep normal for a couple weeks. But I've been dealing with the up and down sleep pretty well. I have to if I want to continue running well. That's one of the things about competing in Europe on this type of circuit. You have to roll with things and continually stay positive and upbeat. The minute you let it get to you, let it start weighing you down, your level of performance will suffer too. And when I say 'this type of European circuit' I mean what a majority of American athletes compete in. Not the upper 10% that are good enough to get into the super grand prix's and pick and choose their meets. Most don't get to do that and end up going from meet to meet at the will of convenient travel itineraries and connections.

So on to the meet. I opened up my European tour with a solid performance in Lignano, Italy. My body felt great warming up and the pace maker was scheduled to go through in 50.5 which is perfect for me. There were several good runners in the race including Brandon Shaw, Christian Smith, and Tom Chamney of Ireland. The pace went out in 50.9 and we rolled through the 600 at an equally solid pace. I went out behind the pacer and then led from 500 to 600 when Chamney took the lead. Coming off the curve Christian Smith went by and we finished in that order. So 3rd place with a 1:46.86, my 4th fastest time of me career and by far my fastest race in Europe. I felt strong all the way through and was very happy with my strategy and tactics. Often times the first race in Europe is a little off from all the traveling so if that holds true to me I believe I can get a new PR in the coming weeks. in my next races I would like to maybe get out a little bit fast and finish just a little bit stronger and I'll have a 1:45.5 or better for sure. I am now in Belgium in Liege where I'll be running on Wednesday followed by a race in Heusden, Belgium on Saturday.

Check out the RACE VIDEO here

The rest of the meet:

MENS 100M
Asafa Powell was in this race as he and several other Jamaicans are using it as their Europe base. Powell got out well from the blocks but looked about 95% effort through his drive phase. With 40 to go you could clearly see him start easing up and with 5m to go he COMPLETELY shut down, coming to a WALK just a few steps past the finish line. Of course running this way, the entire field caught back up to him and everyone crossed in a blanket finish. He ended up 3rd with a 10.42. There were even some boos from fans in response to his effort. Trell Kimmons took the win in 10.25.

MENS 400M
Rumors made it through the hotel the day before the meet that Jeremy Wariner wanted a shake out race before getting into his normal European tour and was a late add to the field. Wariner got out fast, making up the stagger of two lanes in about 120 meters and looked to keep the pace through the 200 mark before starting to let up and cruising to a 45.74 win. Although he won by just a half second, the win was never in doubt. He looked very comfortable and was barely even breathing hard afterwards.

WOMENS 800M
A good field with Geena Gall, Morgan Uceny, and Nicole Edwards. The pace was supposed to be 57 for the first 400 and I think it was a little slower than that. Gall was out right behind the pacer looking comfortable. At 600 the pacer looked as though she slowed to stop but didn't get off the track very quickly. The two runners directly behind her also slowed visibly and Yus Santiusti Caballero of Italy who was on Gall's shoulder easily took over the lead. Gall battled back down the homestretch getting the win by .03 at the line in a personal best of 2:00.44. Uceny was 3rd in 2:02.03

WOMENS 100M HURDLES
A pretty straight forward race with Lolo Jones out well and no one challenging. She got the win in 12.92 and Andrea Bliss of Jamaica was second in 13.18.

I did not see the other races so can't give very good recaps of them past looking at results. I have just a few of the races on video and the links are below.

VIDEO: Mens 800m

VIDEO: Womens 100m Hurdles

VIDEO: Womens 800m

FULL RESULTS

]]> Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:29:40 +0000 Blog - London Arrival - Matt Scherer Blog 7/9/09 Right now I am sitting in my London flat chilling out after doing a short second run with Will Leer. Bushy Park is right outside my door and is terrific for running. I'm not sure on its size but is 7-8 miles around the outside and there are dozens of different paths in between. It seems like a popular place to walk dogs and was surprised to see herds of deer roaming around. They seem pretty tame and let you get with a few feet of them.

I arrived yesterday afternoon (local time) after what was one of my better transatlantic trips. My flight itinerary went Eugene to Denver and then Denver to London Heathrow. I can barely get anywhere in the US in two flights out of Eugene but had no problem getting to England. I'm not even sure how long the second flight was. I watched Duplicity (an ok movie) and then was lights out until about 45 min before landing. I was traveling with my coach, Mark Rowland, and Nick Symmonds. Will was arriving an hour before us so we met up with him after customs and rented a car to drive to our flats.

Along the way we were about to enter a round-a-bout when we look to our right and see a city bus driving into the guard rail up over the curb and onto the sidewalk. I was a little confused at first but the we saw the driver was slumped against the window and not conscious at all. Another guy was running to the door and got it open to stop the bus. If he had been going faster we would have been the first car to get hit as we were right in front of it. As we were getting out of the way we could see them getting the driver out of the seat and his arm was twitching pretty violently so we think it must have been a seizure. Hope the poor guy is ok.

After getting the keys to our flats the first thing we did was get groceries. We all have mini kitchens in our flats so will prepare alot of our own food while we're here. At the checkout the guy in front of me forgot his credit card after he paid so the cashier asked me to run him down. He was half a block down by the time I got to him. So less than two hours in London and I've had to be on my toes.

Today we checked out the track at St Mary's, our primary training location and saw Jemma Simpson for the first time in 5 or 6 weeks. i'll just get to do one workout there tomorrow before I head to Lignano, Italy for my first race on Sunday. Most of OTC will be staying here in the same place. I already mentioned Nick and WIll. Geena Gall is also here and the two of us are both going to the Lignano meet and then on to Belgium for a couple races. Early next week several of the other guys will come in. Not sure who but I think 4-5 of them.

I guess we are actually staying in Teddington and Kingston is close by as well. There are several cafes, shops and restaurants around too so definitely some places to see. Hopefully I'll be able to get into downtown and see some of the more tourist type stuff at some point.

I'll have my next blog after I race in Lignano and with any luck, I'll have a video of it too.

]]> Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:33:55 +0000 News - OTC Elite Prepares For USA Championships At Hayward Field - OTCElite.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  June 22, 2009

OTC Elite Prepares For USA Championships At Hayward Field

Eugene, Oregon – After a successful spring of racing and training the Oregon Track Club Elite is looking forward to the beginning of its championship season this week at the USATF Outdoor Championships.  The championships, which are being held at OTC’s home track at Hayward Field, begin on Thursday, June 25th and continue through the weekend concluding on Sunday, June 28th.

OTC Elite has qualified nearly its entire roster for the four day event.  OTC Elite participants include entrants in the men’s 800 meters, 1,500 meters, 3,000 meter steeplechase, as well as the men’s and women’s 5,000 meters.

Men’s 800 Meters:
-Nick Symmonds – 2008 Olympic Trials Champion, 1:44.10 personal best set at the Olympic Trials.  This year Nick won the highly competitive Pre Classic in a seasons best of 1:45.86.
-Brandon Shaw – 2008 Olympic Trials semi-finalist.  Season best of 1:46.45 at the Pre-Pre meet.
Matt Scherer – 2008 Olympic Trials semi-finalist.  Season best of 1:46.53 at the Harry Jerome Classic.
-Kevin Hicks – Season best of 1:46.97 at the Harry Jerome Classic.
-Mark Wieczorek – 2009 USATF Indoor 800 meter runner-up.  Season best of 1:47.11 at the Nike Mile.

Men’s 1,500 Meters:
-Will Leer – Fourth place at 2008 Olympic Trials in the 1,500 meters.  Season best of 3:39.69 at the Adidas Track Classic.
-Stephen Pifer – Season best of 3:40.28 at the Harry Jerome Classic.
-Russell Brown – The USATF Championships will be Russell’s outdoor open debut.  Split 4:05 on OTC Elite’s 4xMile team at the Oregon Twilight.

Men’s 3,000 Meter Steeplechase:
-Ben Bruce – Fastest American in the event this year with lifetime PR of 8:26.08.
-Billy Nelson – 2008 Olympian in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.  Season best of 8:35.90 at the Prefontaine Classic
-Tom Brooks – Season best of 8:41.97 at the Payton Jordan Invitational.

Men’s 5,000 Meters:
-Stephen Pifer – Season best of 13:33.69 at the Payton Jordan Invitational.
-Ryan Bak – Season best of 13:55.72 at the Payton Jordan Invitational.

Women’s 5,000 Meters:
-Lauren Fleshman – The USATF Championships will be Lauren’s 2009 debut.  In 2008 Lauren joined the prestigious club of American women to break 15:00.00 for 5,000 meters.

For results from the USATF Outdoor Championships visit USATF’s website at:  www.usatf.org and can be viewed live on www.tracktown.net.  Saturday’s events can be seen on ESPN from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m., PST, and Sunday on NBC from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.  For more information on the OTC Elite and to follow the rest of the team’s season in Europe visit the team’s website at www.OTCelite.com.

Contact:
Rob Vermillion
Rob.otcelite@gmail.com

 

###

]]> Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:29:35 +0000 Blog - 10 Keys to Being a Good Pace Maker / Rabbit 10 Keys to Being a Good Pace Maker / Rabbit

On Sunday I am the pace setter for the 800m at the Prefontaine Classic. The field is arguably one of the best group of 800m runners ever assembled on US soil. Below are my 10 Keys to Pacing a Ridiculous 800m Field. Hopefully this will help out runners of all events that are going to or are thinking about pacing a race.

1. Don't forget your spikes. Running fast and in the front wearing your trainers will only turn out bad. You'll feel like you're running in sand on the beach before its over. It will also make your feet look huge compared to the other runners.

2. Check the meet schedule the night before the race. Sometimes things change and event staff will be worried most with the athletes that are competing before they think of the pace setter. So it's best to check on this yourself. Being late to the start line or missing the race all together is not good for your career.

3. Don't lean across the line at your stopping point. Not only will this look awkward but studies show that 15% of time runners that lean/lunge across the line fall. If you fall as a pacer you will definitely be trampled by everyone behind you. That can get very ugly ... and bloody.

4. Get off the track quickly. Remember that other runners are right behind you the whole time. So don't slow down in lane one, or lane two for that matter. When your job is done move so far out of the paths of runners so that the only possible way you'd get in the way would be on the winner's victory lap out in lane 8.

5. Keep to the time. Just do your job and run the pace. If the pace is 60 sec laps, don't go out in 56 and come back in 64. For one, that makes the real runners look bad, and two, you're not helping anyone. Also people may start referring to you as Kevin Elliott..

6. Keep your eyes forward and pay attention. We all know you could go farther and you feel comfortable with the pace. So don't showboat like you are winning or try to make it look extra easy by waving to your girlfriend while you're rounding the curve. Again, that can only end badly with a fall or pissing off the meet director.

7. Look presentable. Yeah, you aren't out there to set a personal best or try to beat people but you will still be the face of the race for a while. If the meet is on TV your face will most likely be front and center. So shave your face, shampoo your hair, wear your race makeup (for girls), or do whatever you need to look presentable. Who knows, you may start getting fan mail.

8. Don't put your hands on your knees or lay down on the track after you pull out. If you didn't notice, everyone else in the race ran just as hard as you and kept going farther. In fact, the race is still going on so act like it didn't hurt. Stay upright, sign some autographs, and pretend like you aren't breathing hard. This will help you get more pacing duties and even more fan mail.

9. Be prepared not to be thanked. Everyone in the race is there to win and only one can. So there may only be one happy person after the race and he/she may be giving media interviews afterwards. That leaves a bunch of other runners meandering around the post-race tent, most of which probably could find something you did wrong that hurt their race. If you want a pat on the back, call your mom afterwards.

10. Don't finish the race. If you do it may be your last pacing job ever. Stick to the plan.

]]> Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:05:12 +0000 Blog - Puerto Rico Trip - 5/22/09 Last weekend I was fortunate enough to spend the weekend in the Carribbean in Ponce (pronounced Ponse-say) in Puerto Rico. The meet hotel was a Hilton resort, golf course, and casino, definitely a vacation destination hotel. It was sort of out by itself on what had to be at least 60 acres of land so I didn't get to do much outside of that area. But the hotel was right on the coast so there was almost no need to go anywhere else.

The day before the meet I went to the stadium to get credentials and do my pre meet workout. In the van on the way over was Dwain Chambers; he seems like a nice guy. I did the first half of my pre-meet in the rain. The difference is that this was 75-degree rain, not Oregon's 40-degree rain. So it wasn't too bad. It's very humid here too. I can definitely tell I'm in the tropics. The scenery and landscape here are amazing too. Looking one way I can see the sea and the other the mountains on the inner part of the island. I can see why people vacation and honeymoon to the Caribbean.

That night I had the hotel seafood buffet. It was pretty amazing. They had alot of different kinds of fresh seafood. The crab was probably the best. There was also whole fried snapper... it was definitely whole, eyes and all. I should have taken a picture of that. I also had probably some of the best clam chowder too. Clams and muscles deserve an honorable mention as well.

Ponce, Puerto RicoThe weather on the day of the race was perfect. We ran at 8:45pm so the wind had died down and the humidity was very low. They had tried to find us a rabbit but by the time the race came around we learned that there wasn't one. And partially for that reason, the raace wend out in a pedestrian 52.5 for the first lap. I was in the middle of the pack so was probably about 53.0 for my first lap. Then I started a string of stupid mistakes. I started picking it up around the first curve of the second lap. That is ok but I probalby moved a little too hard from getting panicked about the slow pace. Then with 300m to go I let myself get sucked into a couple people's moves. I am usually not strong enough to start kicking with 300m to go. This race was no different. At the 200m mark I thought I still felt pretty good and made my real move to try and catch Jonathon Johnson, who was 5-6 meters in front of me. Again, not a good idea when it is my third move in a 200m span. I should have kept my pace and kicked with 120m to go. But I didn't and because of that I started running out of gas with 30 meters left and got passed a few meters before the line for a 3rd place finish.

My time was 1:48.02, which to be honest, isn't good at all. I feel like I'm in 1:45 shape right now. But I can only do so much with a 53 first lap. So I didn't really care about the time, it is irrelevant. What was important was being in the race mentally and being competitive, which I was. What I wasn't happy with was my tactics. I've been beating myself up for the last several days for not racing smarter. But, you live and you learn and hopefully I learned and won't make that mistake again.

Check out some of the photos I took over the weekend here.

]]> Fri, 22 May 2009 13:48:01 +0000 Member - ross ]]> Sun, 10 May 2009 15:38:43 +0000 Member - Scott Joerger ]]> Wed, 06 May 2009 01:58:56 +0000 News - OTC Elite Has Strong Showing At Penn Relays - OTCElite.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 27, 2009

OTC Elite Has Strong Showing At Penn Relays

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – The Oregon Track Club Elite was well represented at the Penn Relays over the weekend.  OTC Elite team members Jemma Simpson and Matt Scherer raced in the USA vs. the World Relays, which highlighted the iconic meet’s Saturday schedule.

Simpson, a Great Britain native, anchored her home country’s Sprint Medley Relay to a fifth place finish.  Her 2:00.92 over 800 meters was an outstanding time for such an early season event.

In the men’s Distance Medley relay Matt Scherer gave the USA White Team a superb 800 meter split of 1:45.79.  Scherer’s relay time was inside of his open personal best of 1:46.11 set last year.  And while not officially a personal best, his performance reaffirms the hard work he has put in since last year.

To find out more about the OTC Elite visit the team’s website at www.OTCelite.com.

Contact:
Rob Vermillion
Rob.otcelite@gmail.com

 

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]]> Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:11:09 +0000 News - OTC Elite To Open Outdoor Season In Arizona - OTCElite.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 23, 3009

OTC Elite To Open Outdoor Season In Arizona

Eugene, Oregon – The Oregon Track Club Elite will open its 2009 outdoor season Friday and Saturday,  March 27-28, at the Arizona State Invitational in Tempe.  The team, which has been at training camp in Tucson, Arizona since early March, will use the ASU Invite as a tune-up meet before returning to Eugene.

This early season contest will allow several OTC Elite team members to race events in which they don’t normally compete.  Matt Scherer will drop down in distance to sprint the 400 meters—an event in which he was a PAC-10 Champion while at Oregon.  Distance specialists Tom Brooks and Stephen Pifer will attack the 800 / 1500 meter double, while teaming up with Brandon Shaw, Kevin Hicks and Mark Wieczorek in the 1500 meters.  Wieczorek is looking to test his strength after a successful indoor campaign that was capped off by a second place finish at the USA Indoor Championships.  Don Sage and Gabe Jennings will either race the 3,000 meters or pace the 5,000 meters, depending on the meet management’s final decision on which event will be contested.

For the OTC Elite women, British 800 meter Olympian, Jemma Simpson, will make her outdoor debut in two events with different strategies.  Simpson, whose personal best in the 800 is 1:59.17, will race the 1,500 meters and the 400 meters in order to maximize her training as she looks towards the summer.

Results from the Arizona State Invitational can be found on the Arizona State website at:  http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/asu-c-track-body.html.  For updates on OTC Elite visit the team website at www.OTCelite.com.

Contact:
Rob Vermillion
Rob.otcelite@gmail.com

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]]> Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:28:19 +0000 Member - Kristin ]]> Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:57:06 +0000 Member - Melinda ]]> Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:48:16 +0000 News - OTC Elite Set To Race At USA Indoor Championships - otcelite.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 23, 2009

OTC Elite Set To Race At USA Indoor Championships

Eugene, Oregon – The Oregon Track Club Elite will send three athletes to Boston this weekend to compete at the 2009 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships.  The meet will be held at the Reggie Lewis Center on the campus of Roxbury Community College on February 28th and March 1st.

OTC Elite will be represented in the Men’s 800 meters by Matt Scherer, the 2005 Pac 10 400 meter champion while at the University of Oregon, and Brandon Shaw, a 2008 Olympic Trials semifinalist.  Mark Wieczorek, who will be making his Championship debut for OTC Elite, is also competing in the 800 meters.

To follow OTC Elite this weekend in Boston results can be obtained at www.usatf.org.

Contact:
Rob Vermillion
Rob.otcelite@gmail.com

]]> Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:32:57 +0000 Member - empb28 ]]> Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:28:25 +0000