We want to thank the newest member of our crew Chris Mammone for helping out on the camera shots. Let us know if there is anything you would like covered, we are in the process of putting together a "plank off" between The Burns, Westmania and a celebrity competitor. We also will be brining you our weekly picks for the Visa Championship Series and USATF's Pick and Win Fantasy Track Game.

We hope that you are all well and that you have a very happy Valentines Day with that special someone! We'll see you all soon!

So Who's Showing Up At The USA Cross Country Championships In San Diego?
The entries are still subject to change, but it's time to start mentioning who to expect at the open men's 12-K and women's 8-K on February 16. Those signed up for the men's race include Ryan Hall, Josh Rohatinsky, Anthony Famiglietti, James Carney, Jorge and Ed Torres, Andrew Carlson, Jason Lehmkuhle, Fasil Bizuneh, Steve Sundell, Ryan Warrenburg, Ed Moran, Fernando Cababa, Ryan Kirkpatrick, and Scott Bauhs. The current women's events include Shalane Flanagan, Lauren Fleshman, Lisa Galaviz, Katie McGregor, Sara Slattery, Blake Russell, Colleen De Reuck, Nicole Aish, Emily Brown, Serena Burla, Delilah DiCrescenzo, Cack Ferrell, Mandi Zemba, Amy Hastings, and Molly Huddle.

The race of the day proved to be the rare event of the 500 meters [video] as Illinois junior Gakologelwang Masheto set a new collegiate record with his winning time of 1:00.82.

Both TrackShark and Milesplit are covering this meet well!

For the past eight years his name has embellished the result lists of major international athletics events, no 800m final was complete without the athlete famed for his "sit-and-kick tactic", the 2004 Olympic Champion, Yuriy Borzakovskyi.

This unpredictable Russian athlete is set to headline this Friday at the European Athletics permitted International Athletics PSD Bank Meeting Dusseldorf 2008, in what will be something of an indicator of the 26-year-olds form for the World Indoor Championships in Valencia in March.

The 26-year-old Olympic Champion first demonstrated his middle distance skills by taking gold at the 1999 European Junior Championships, then quickly following this up with his first senior title at the European Indoor Championships in Ghent, Belgium in 2002. 

Borzakovskyi's devastating sprint finish defeated Nils Schumann of Germany, and it was this unusual race tactic of running close to the back until his final burst on the homestraight that made Borzakovskyi stand out and win medals.

By Alan Abrahamson, NBCOlympics.com

Born in Kenya, Bernard Lagat became an American citizen in 2004. Last year, racing at the world track and field championships in Osaka, Japan, he became the first man ever to win the 1,500-meter/5,000-meter middle-distance double at the world outdoor championships, and the first American to win a world championship medal of any kind in the 5,000m. He and his wife, Gladys, have one son, two-year-old Miika.

Q: So you defended your title in the 1,500 at the Norwich Union International meet in Glasgow, Scotland, last week. Are you simply running well – or running well for this point early in the season?

A: I think I'm running well. These are the first months of 2008. My training is going well. I'm in good shape. It's where I want to be.

The first feelings I have – when I run a race and feel good about it, that's what I look for.

Q: The obvious next question. Craig Mottram of Australia ran the fastest 3,000 meters ever on American soil Saturday night in Boston. Since the two of you are due to race Friday in the Wanamaker Mile, at the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden – did his performance catch your attention? Do you pay attention to your competitors?

A: I have to. That is my sport. That is where I have my passion, track and field. I always like to see other people run. I watched the race on television. But even before I watched him on TV, people had already told me, Craig Mottram had run a great race.

The Commonwealth bronze medallist from Sheffield has admitted that she has no intention of competing at the World Indoors Championships in Valencia next month, but will instead remain focussed on her Olympic ambitions later this year.

"I've had a really good winter training and now just want to come indoors to see how it has been going," said Ennis.

"I want to concentrate on just a few individual events to see how they're progressing and I was really pleased with how my hurdles and long jump went in Glasgow at the international match.

"Beijing keeps coming into my mind and my coach keeps saying stuff like 'think what the other athletes are doing right now' whenever I find getting motivated for training hard.

"You can't help the thought of the Olympics creeping into your head but I think it is import to put it to one side and go through the stages

Yo there!

It's The Burns and Westmania hitting you up on the blog this time to report our results from our "Musters" and "Busters" from the Millrose Games and USATF's Fantasy Track game!

Westmania: On my end, it was no surprise to see that I predicted extremely accurately. Not only did I tell you NOT to pick Lashinda Demus and Adam Nelson, figuring they were washed up, but they both managed to win their events! Talk about your all time backfires! I did bat a gentleman's .333 for the day, knowing that one of my picks had to come through, and it did in the form of Stacy Dragilia. Not that I was rooting against her, but she no heighted in the vault which was along the lines of my off the wall blind predictions in the first place!

The Burns: My "Musters" were delightful though as opposed to my co-pilot Westmania's picks. You may have recalled my surefire picks in the form of Lagat, KD Robinson, Amy Acuff and Jenn Stuczynski. I went 2 for 4 on my picks but amassed a terrific 36 of a possible 40 points with my four. Though i did have three picks pull out of their perspective races. Garrrrrr, pulling in a totall of 0 points.

Overall in the race for the title between the two of us the results are as follows:

After 1 Week:

The Burns (aquatards) - 95 Points

Westmania - 107 points

After 2 Weeks:

The Burns (aquatards) - 64 Points

Westmania - 92 Points

Season Totals:

Westmania - 199 Points, 48th Place

The Burns (aquatards) - 159 Points, 256th Place

Keep checking in with us when we have picks for the Tyson Invite in two weeks! Stay tuned and look for an upcoming video within the week.

-The Burns and Westmania

And check out this old school videos. Titled "The Birthing". The first video in a long line to come.