Today, July 3, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials start back up. Events will be aired throughout the entire holiday weekend. Here is the television schedule for the track and field events.
If you ever watch a sprinting event on television, you may hear the sportscasters reference the wind with phrases like "legal wind" or "too much wind". What does all of this mean?
Wind is an big deal in sprinting races like the 100m and 200m dash. Not only are these races run completely or primarily in one direction, but the margins of victory are also very narrow, being measured in hundredths of seconds. A mild wind, either helping or restricting the athletes, will be significant factor in their finishing times. Although all of the runners in a particular race face the same wind, runners competing at different times or at different places will face varying conditions. This becomes an issue if you want to keep track of say, the world record for an event. How do you compare a runner who ran with the wind to one who ran against the wind? To deal with this issue, some simple rules have been created to regulate wind-aided performances.
Applicable Events
The rules of wind assistance only apply to those track events which are short enough to be run in only one direction. These include:
60 meters
100 meters
200 meters
100/110 meter hurdles
Triple jump
Long jump
In other races, such as the 400m or 800m, the runners go completely around the track and will have the wind facing their fronts as well as backs, nullifying the wind's effects.
Wind Speed Limits
In these events, the maximum legal wind assistance is 2.0 meters per second. If the runners of a race receive more wind assistance than this, their times will not be eligible as collegiate, national, or world records. (In high school track events, the wind is usually not measured or considered.) During events like the heptathlon and decathlon, the rule is slightly different. The maximum allowable wind is 4.0 meters per second for any one event, but 2.0 meters per second on average across all applicable disciplines.
Terminology and Notation
Wind assistance is normally expressed in meters per second, either positive or negative. A positive measurement means that the wind is helping the runners and a negative measurement means that the runners had to work against the wind. So, for example, winds of -2.2m/s and +1.9m/s are legal, while a wind of +2.1m/s is too much assistance and considered illegal. The terms "tail wind" and "head wind" are also frequently used. A tail wind pushes the runners forward (+) while a head wind pushes the runners backwards (-).
Relevant Examples
On May 31, 2008, Usain Bolt ran a 100m time of 9.72 seconds with a +1.7m/s wind, officially breaking the 100 meter world record.
Just weeks after Usain Bolt broke the 100m world record, Tyson Gay, a 25-year-old from Kentucky, has run 100 meters even faster. Although Gay's finishing time was 9.68 seconds (0.04 seconds faster than Bolt), he has not officially set the world record because his effort was wind aided with a tail wind of 4.1m/s. In sprinting events, any tail wind over 2.0m/s nullifies an attempt at a world record.
Gay's time was booked today at the US Olympic Track & Field trials held in Eugene, Oregon. Previously, the record for the fastest 100 meters run under any conditions was 9.69 seconds with a 5.0 m/s push, by Obadele Thompson in 1996.
Video:
For some consolation, Tyson Gay does officially hold the US record for the 100 meter race. He put up a legal time of 9.77 seconds just yesterday at the qualifying rounds of the US Olympic trials.
It looks like Beijing's 100 meter finals are going to be VERY exciting.
Like any sport or hobby, running has a fair bit of lingo that may be foreign to outsiders. This page is intended to clarify some of those words and phrases that are common in running jargon. This is a work in progress. To suggestion an addition, leave a comment.
blocks
Short for starting blocks. The device sprinters use to push off of at the start of the race. Starting blocks are typically made of medal with rubber foot pedals. The foot pedals are adjustable in angle and position.
carbo-loading
Short for carbohydrate loading. The practice of trying to maximize the storage of glycogen (a form of glucose - energy) in one's muscles before an endurance race. There are various methods for this, all involving an increased consumption of carbohydrates before a race.
carrot
A fellow runner who is particularly attractive, thus motivating you to keep their pace, much like a horse follows a carrot on a string.
Short for timing chip. A small electronic device given to all of the participants in large street races. The chip normally attaches to one's shoelaces and keeps the exact time from crossing the start line to crossing the finish line.
chute
Short for finishing chute, and sometimes spelled "shoot". The area that corrals the finishers of large street races.
fartlek
Swedish for "speed play". A type of continuous training in which the intensity varies from high to low, with the intention of developing an athlete's aerobic as well as anaerobic capacities.
kicker
The final runner in a relay race, often the fastest member of the team.
legal wind
In sprinting events, wind conditions that are less than 2.0 meters per second in the favorable direction for the runners. Winds that are too favorable disqualify finishing times from becoming records.
Short for personal record. The fastest time in which an athlete has ever completed a particular race.
rabbit
Also known as a pace maker. In distance races, it is a runner who agrees to set the pace for the competitors during the initial laps. At some point this runner will exit the track without finishing. Having a rabbit gives the the competitors something to aim for and takes the pressure of leading off of them. For instance, in an 800 meter race, a 400 meter specialist may run the first 400 meters at a quick pace and then drop out. This tactic is not allowed in World Championships or the Olympics.
sandbagging
Used in many sports, this is the tactic of purposely placing oneself in a weaker position so as to give the deceptive impression that one is less skilled than one truly is.
ultra
Short for ultramarathon. Any race that is longer than a typical marathon ( > 26.2 miles or 42.2 kilometers). Ultras can be hundreds of miles long.
So you're all prepared to run. That's great, but the hard part isn't starting to run, it's actually sticking to a plan of regular training. In truth, running can be very difficult for new comers. You will exhaust yourself during your runs, then you may actually feel worse than normal the following day: sore, tired, and without any noticeable improvement in your health or body. The good news is, those feelings are short-lived if you're tough enough to get through them. Running is actually quite enjoyable once your body adjusts, and the more you do it, the better it gets. Here are some tips to help you through the dip:
Don't start too fast
One pitfall many people encounter is being too aggressive on their first runs. Mike has a new pair of running shoes, he woke up early to run, and he's ready to take on the world. He pushes himself to the limit on his first run, returning absolutely exhausted. The second day, although he's still exhausted and aching, he get up early and sprint up some hills. On the third day, despite Mike's best intentions, he can't get himself out of bed. He sleeps in and skip his run. The fourth day, Mike's job gets in the way. By the fifth day, he's just lost interest. The problem is, like many people Mike has burnt himself out. There is no need to reinvent your life and destroy your body in the first week. You don't even have to run every day. Try it every other day, or every third day, and allow your body to heal between runs. If exercise is completely foreign to you, you can even start out with some long walks and build up to jogging.
Don't diet excessively
One reason many people run is to lose weight. Running is, in fact, a great way to trim down, but you have to be careful. If you start a strict new diet the same time you start running, you could encounter problems. Running requires a lot of energy. If you decreasing your caloric intake with a low-calorie diet while simultaneously increasing your caloric burn with a new running regimen, you're just going to run out of fuel. Regular runners eat a lot, but they eat healthy. Good food not only fuels you on your runs, it will help your body heal during your rest periods. I'm thinking of fruits, vegetables, oats, whole wheat, lean meat, you know.
Find a partner
One of the best ways to get started running is to find a partner to run with. If they have running experience, all the better, because they will have plenty of knowledge to share, but they don't have to be experienced. Your running partner(s) can provide you with moral support, some friendly competition, and most importantly, a reason to get out and run. If you've already agreed to go running with someone, their peer pressure will make you a lot less likely to skip. Often, the hardest step is just deciding to put on your shoes.
Stick to a schedule
Developing a reasonable schedule and sticking to it is vitally important for a new runner. Little excuses have a way of working into your mind, destroying your pattern and begetting more excuses. There will be days when you don't really feel like running. You'll feel like you're not making progress and you'll struggle to complete your run. The beautiful thing is, if you stick to it, you're body will adapt without you even realizing it. Your stamina will increase. You're muscles will get stronger. You're lungs will become more efficient. Your heart will get stronger. One day you'll wake up and feel amazingly good. You'll run an extra mile with a grin on your face, just because you can.
In these events, the maximum legal wind assistance is 2.0 meters per second. If the runners of a race receive more wind assistance than this, their times will not be eligible as collegiate, national, or world records. (In high school track events, the wind is usually not measured or considered.) During events like the heptathlon and decathlon, the rule is slightly different. The maximum allowable wind is 4.0 meters per second for any one event, but 2.0 meters per second on average across all applicable disciplines.
One reason many people run is to lose weight. Running is, in fact, a great way to trim down, but you have to be careful. If you start a strict new diet the same time you start running, you could encounter problems. Running requires a lot of energy. If you decreasing your caloric intake with a low-calorie diet while simultaneously increasing your caloric burn with a new running regimen, you're just going to run out of fuel. Regular runners eat a lot, but they eat healthy. Good food not only fuels you on your runs, it will help your body heal during your rest periods. I'm thinking of fruits, vegetables, oats, whole wheat, lean meat, you know.