Campers of all age and ability took part in this past week's "crazy racing week" at the ZAP Fitness Center. Runners from across the country took part in a variety of lectures and informative training sessions from drill work to weight training and nutrition. Additionally more than a dozen campers took part in either "The Bear" 8 kilometer ascent of Grandfather Mountain or the Crazy 8's 8k in Kingsport, TN. Thank you for your support and see you next year.
Five current and one future ZAP resident athletes took part in this past weekend's (6/25-6/28) USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Kicking things off for ZAP Elite was 3rd year resident athlete Allison Grace who grabbed a 10th place finish and a new personal best in the 10,000m with a time of 33:12. She concluded her stellar weekend of racing by doubling back in the 5,000m the following evening with another personal best time of 15:47, good for 8th. The performance is Grace's 4th personal best in the 5,000m event in 2009 alone. "Alli came together nicely at the end of her season," said Elite Athlete Coach Pete Rea. "She also had the 3rd fastest final 1000m of any women in the 5k which tells me she has good racing left in her legs."
In the men's 3,000m steeplechase 3rd year resident Ryan Warrenburg ran a gutsy preliminary race on Thursday to qualify for the Saturday final. In the final, Warenburg's 2:41 final kilometer secured him a 7th place finish, his highest finish ever at a USATF Track Nationals. Also competing for ZAP was Jessica Minty in the women's 5,000m, Dave Nightingale and Thomas Morgan in the men's 5,000m and future ZAP athlete Alissa McKaig in the women's 10,000m. For Minty and Nightingale this was their first time qualifying for a USATF Outdoor Championship and for Morgan 2009 marked his 6th consecutive year at the US Championship.
The eyes of the track world will be on Eugene, OR this weekend for the 2009 USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships. 5 ZAP Fitness athletes will be among the athletes. Kicking things off for ZAP will be 3rd year ZAP athlete Ryan Warrenburg in the men's 3,000m steeplechase. Immediately following will be Allison Grace and new ZAP resident athlete Alissa McKaig in the women's 10,000m final. On Friday evening Grace will double back in the women's 5,000m to be followed immediately by 4th year ZAP athlete Thomas Morgan and Dave Nightingale in the men's 5,000m final.
Friday June 12th saw a number of top level performances for ZAP resident athletes at the Portland Track Festival at Lewis & Clark College (Portland, OR). Highlighting the meet was 3rd year ZAP athlete Allison Grace who finished 2nd in the women's 5,000m run in a personal best time of 15:50.17, 5 hundredths of a second behind winner Rene Metivier-Baille. The performance lowered her previous best (16:03.9) by more than 13 seconds and is Grace's 3rd PR at 5,000m this season. In the men's 5,000m event ZAP's Thomas Morgan was the official pacesetter, leading the pack through 3,000m in 8:14 before stepping off the track. First year ZAP resident David Nightingale finished 8th in a time of 13:59. Nate Peck (13th) and Frank Tinney (17th) rounded out the 5,000m event for the ZAP men. Concluding the evening for ZAP was first year female athle te Jessica Minty, who finished the 10,000m in a time of 34:18, narrowly missing a personal best.
3rd year resident athlete Ryan Warrenburg continued his return to prime form on Saturday 6/6 with both a 2nd place finish and a USATF Qualifier in the men's 3,000m steeplechase at the Jim Bush Classic in Walnut, CA (MT San Antonio College). Leading for more than 2/3 of the race Warrenburg closed well over the final 500 meters to finish in a time of 8:45.16, good for a spot at the USATF Championship in Eugene in 2 weeks.
Also racing on the West Coast on Saturday 6/6 was first year ZAP athlete David Nightingale and Nate Peck, both racing the 1,500m at the Oregon Track Club High Performance Series Meet in Eugene. After a fast evenly paced first 1200 both came away with excellent performances - Nightingale a personal best in a time of 3:43.20 and Peck 10th in a time of 3:48.78. Nightingale has now run 2 personal bests in 2009 at the 1,500m to go along with his 3,000m and 5,000m bests as well.
This weekend (6/11-6/14) marks the first adult running camp of the season at the ZAP facility. The Take the First Step running club of Tampa, FL will enjoy a long weekend of running education and relaxation here in Blowing Rock. 2 time Olympian and multiple time National Champion Reebok's Amy Rudolph is the guest speaker for the group
ZAP is looking forward to this week's Richmond, VA based group of triathletes - arriving at ZAP 5/21 for a long weekend training and relaxation getaway. Led by nationally known orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Moose Herring, the group plans to do one longer bike session each day on the Blue Ridge Parkway followed by a run and/or swim.
The last 2 weeks has seen ZAP athletes in action on both coasts. Allison Grace kicked off the month of May in fine fashion by finishing 2nd in the 10,000m at the Cardinal Invitational on the campus of Stanford University. Her time of 33:38 was her 3rd fastest ever. She returns to competition on 5/30 at the American Miler Series Meet in Indianapolis, IN. Grace will be contesting the 10k event at the USATF National Championships in Eugene, OR in June.