The best (in my opinion) fotos from 2008.

Here is the best running Foto:

Here is the best non-running related Foto:

Corrected 12/26/08

Today starts the best of 2008 series. I’ll start by looking at the best race number I posted.  This is completely subjective with no real criteria! I think the TC 1 Mile wins the prize this year!

Do you have a cool number? Send it to me.

There were some great performances on the national stage this year.  Many are viewable at Flocast and the Running Network has compiled a list of its Top 10 Best Moments for 2007. 

It should be no surprise that Ryan Hall dominates the list with three performances (flotrack):

#5 Hall Shatters Long-Standing U.S. Record at Aramco Houston Half Marathon
Ryan Hall of Big Bear Lake, Calif. started the year off with a “bang” as the Team Running USA athlete shattered the long-standing U.S. half-marathon record with his scintillating and solo 59:43 at Houston on January 14. Hall’s Splits: 5K – 14:05, 10K – 28:21, 15K – 42:21, 10 miles – 45:33 and 20K – 57:06

#4 Hall Sets U.S. Marathon Debut Record at Flora London
On April 22, at the Flora London Marathon, against a top international field, Ryan Hall ran like a veteran to finish 7th in an impressive 2:08:24 to set the U.S. marathon debut record. The old record was 2:09:41 by Alberto Salazar (New York City 1980) and Alan Culpepper (Chicago 2002). Hall now is the second fastest U.S. marathoner all-time – behind only Khalid Khannouchi.

#1 Hall Sets U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials Record for Beijing Berth
With seeming ease, Ryan Hall, 25, floated over the 5-loop Central Park course to become Olympic Marathon Trials champion on November 3. His awe-inspiring 2:09:02 performance set a Trials and USA Championship record and against one of the best U.S. marathon fields assembled, it was the largest men’s Trials victory margin ever: 2 minutes, 5 seconds. On the challenging course, the Team Running USA athlete produced a huge negative split: 1:06:17 (first half) vs. 1:02:45 (second half), 3 minutes, 32 seconds, and the first sub-2:10 at the Trials and USA Championship.

From 5K to 35K, Hall ran each successive 5K faster than the previous one. His progression went: 5K – 16:51, 10K – 15:35, 15K – 15:26, 20K – 15:12, 25K – 15:05, 30K – 14:48 and 35K – 14:28. His final 5K – where he celebrated the last 400 meters – was 14:57.

#1 was actually a tie between Hall’s Marathon Trials race and a Women’s 10K Medal at the World Championships in Japan by Kara Goucher.  Goucher was also listed multiple times with 2 Top Ten Performances (flotrack):

#7 Goucher Beats Radcliffe, Runs Fastest U.S. Half-Marathon at Great North
At the BUPA Great North Run in late September, Kara Goucher beat marathon great Paula Radcliffe, 1:06:57 to 1:07:53, and in the process, the Portland, Ore. resident ran – on the point-to-point, downhill course – the fastest half-marathon time ever by a U.S. woman.

#1 – TIE Goucher Earns First U.S. 10,000m Medal at World Championships
At the World Championships in Osaka, Japan in late August, Kara Goucher, 29, ran a smart race under challenging conditions – warm and humid weather as well as pushing and shoving in a tight, large pack – to earn a surprise bronze medal in the 10,000 meters. Over the final laps, Goucher battled Briton’s Jo Pavey and New Zealand’s Kim Smith and the three-time NCAA champion at Colorado produced the best kick and a less-than-two-second edge over Pavey, 32:02.05 to 32:03.81, for the coveted hardware and a spot on the podium. Goucher’s medal was the first for the U.S. at the distance in eleven World Championships. Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia defended her world title with a 31:55.41 clocking.

I also feel that Alan Webb’s American Record-breaking performance in the mile at the Atletiek Vlaanderenmeet in Brasschaa, Belgium is of note.  It was a good year for American distance running. 

What do you think of their Top Ten Picks?

 Workout Summary

The last time I worked out was Friday.  I biked 9.4 miles at the gym, using the endurance function which is really just a big hill that slowly takes up the whole workout! This was a 30 minute workout.  I hope you had an excellent Christmas!