Track runners may like these videos on youtube of Zola Budd

[alyssa]

 

[69er]

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[bladerunnr]

I've competed in athletics for a long time and I am a fan of the sport. I found some videos on youtube that may inspire you the way I was inspired years ago. I don't know how to link the videos but if you go to the channel bobtrouper, he has a few races of Zola Budd Pieterse. She was a great runner and is a great person. If you don't know her then google her. Currently there are four races of hers on his channel. Watch them in order by the date of the race. She was just barely 18 at the time. She wins UK Champs 1500 in 4:04. The '84 British 3000 olympic trials in 8:40. Then an international 1500 in 4:14. Then sets the world record for 2000 in 5:33. I still find her inspirational and you can learn from her.

I'm an aging distance runner but still love to get out and do it. I ran the Vegas marathon last week and I love to watch old track videos. Zola Budd is one of the few barefoot runners in history. A lot of runners point to her as justification for the natural running craze now going on. Her most famous video is the the 84 olympic "tripping" video. Watching that recently, it is apparent that Mary Decker was at fault. But it ruined Budd's race. Interesting stuff.

 

[alyssa]

I'm an aging distance runner but still love to get out and do it. I ran the Vegas marathon last week and I love to watch old track videos. Zola Budd is one of the few barefoot runners in history. A lot of runners point to her as justification for the natural running craze now going on. Her most famous video is the the 84 olympic "tripping" video. Watching that recently, it is apparent that Mary Decker was at fault. But it ruined Budd's race. Interesting stuff.[/quote]
Good. I love runners/racers. I grew up a barefoot runner. Still run barefoot all I can. Even have an old scar on the bottom of my right foot where I sliced it open probably on glass that was in a hole and covered by grass! All 3 or so hours I've run this week have been barefoot and indoors because I don't want to go out in the cold.
I think I know quite a bit about Zola. It is true in track racing that it was Mary's fault for making contact with Zola from behind. If Zola got too close then it is the responsibility of the trailing runner to put a hand out to let the leader know she is too close.
In 2009 I was in a race that included Joan Hansen, the American who fell 1st in that '84 3000, and finished 8th behind Zola. I beat Joan by over a minute. She still looked like she did in '84. So fit. While I'm not so much. I'm not 5'8 120 anymore but a few pounds more. But I have more muscle too. I got more muscle and more fat............Anyway, I think Joan was just running and not racing the race we were in last year. I can run a marathon but I don't like them. I would not race it. I'm better at shorter distances.


In your toolbar enter ESPN + where are they now + Zola. That interview is more than a year and a half now.
Also she was in Runner's World magazine last year. Maybe September or October. Check out that site and some other things.

 

[bladerunnr]

Marathons are no fun. I much prefer 5k to the 1/2 distance. I'm too flat footed to run barefoot. In fact, I have orthotics and run in a stability shoe. You must have been/or are still quite a good runner. I got to attend the olympic trials in Eugene in 2008. Watched Jeremy Wariner lose the 400 final from 10 rows off the track. Also watched the men's 10k final and the women's 5k final. Eugene is a great stage for track.

What ever happened to Shauna Smith? I thought she was going to have a big pro career but she disappeared after about a year or so on the track circuit. She was incredible to watch in person.

 

[alyssa]

Marathons are no fun. I much prefer 5k to the 1/2 distance. I'm too flat footed to run barefoot. In fact, I have orthotics and run in a stability shoe. You must have been/or are still quite a good runner. I got to attend the olympic trials in Eugene in 2008. Watched Jeremy Wariner lose the 400 final from 10 rows off the track. Also watched the men's 10k final and the women's 5k final. Eugene is a great stage for track.

What ever happened to Shauna Smith? I thought she was going to have a big pro career but she disappeared after about a year or so on the track circuit. She was incredible to watch in person.

Well, I grew up barefoot. If you grew up with shoes on all the time then you did not let your feet develop properly. You could go to youtube to watch Newton's Running panel on natural running. It's long and boring but educational. Zola is on the panel and speaks a couple of times in the 12 parter. I don't know your reason for orthotics but you may not need them. I certainly would not let you wear a stability shoe.
I like Wariner. I love to watch the 10 and 5 on the track.
I don't know Shauna Smith. She hurdles and I'm not familiar with her.
Yeah, I can run/race a little bit. I improved again over the last 2 or 3 years.

Also, the young people go to the website called flotrack. I look at it sometimes. Go to that site and type in a runner's name who you like and see if there is a video. If you enter Chris Solinsky then you can see the video where he set the American record for 10 on the track. Sub-27!

 

[69er]

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[bladerunnr]

I actually ran in Newton's for a large part of this year. I went to boulder and met Danny Abshire (the co-founder) at the store and he gave me some running tips. I ran injury free for about 10 months but then pulled a calf muscle and quit wearing them. There is not a lot of consensus about natural running shoes.
Although my p.t. is running barefoot and is a big fan of "Born to Run", other p.t.'s like Mark Plaates, think it is way overblown and will lead to a different set of running injuries. All I know is, at the age of 46, I seem to have a different ache or pain every day!

I usually go to letsrun.com for running videos and such. Although I do go to flo-track for interviews and if they have an event live.

If you recently ran 5:41 for 2k, all I can say is "Wow"!

 

[alyssa]

OK blade, I found another youtube channel monalisa3214. The world cross from 1993 is on there. Zola got 4th but she stopped or slowed at one point in the race (camera barely catches that in the 2nd part of a 3 parter). So that cost her getting probably 2nd place. Van Zyl Naude was her coach at that time. Her goal was to place top 10. She had just come off a bad 1992 for her where she was really sick.
In her style, she leads early, then her teammate Elana Meyer takes the lead. She falls back to 7th. She pulls right on the course (stops?). The next time you see her running she's 11th. She makes it back up to 3rd and has some kick but Lynn Jennings, a superior kicker passes her for the bronze. They nearly caught 2nd place Catherine. Zola wears #335. You can also see another South African teammate of hers a few times, Collenn De Reurck, now an American citizen and about your age and a great runner. I believe she ran 2:30 marathon this year.
Anyway on monalisa3214 it's the only women's race on there that I found. It will say something like 1993 Campeonato (F). F for women/females.
The 1st part is the video that is 7:23 minutes. (Bear with it's beginning--just watch it, don't worry)
Part 2 is 7:22. Part 3 is 7:18.
Later.

 

[bladerunnr]

OK blade, I found another youtube channel monalisa3214. The world cross from 1993 is on there. Zola got 4th but she stopped or slowed at one point in the race (camera barely catches that in the 2nd part of a 3 parter). So that cost her getting probably 2nd place. Van Zyl Naude was her coach at that time. Her goal was to place top 10. She had just come off a bad 1992 for her where she was really sick.
In her style, she leads early, then her teammate Elana Meyer takes the lead. She falls back to 7th. She pulls right on the course (stops?). The next time you see her running she's 11th. She makes it back up to 3rd and has some kick but Lynn Jennings, a superior kicker passes her for the bronze. They nearly caught 2nd place Catherine. Zola wears #335. You can also see another South African teammate of hers a few times, Collenn De Reurck, now an American citizen and about your age and a great runner. I believe she ran 2:30 marathon this year.
Anyway on monalisa3214 it's the only women's race on there that I found. It will say something like 1993 Campeonato (F). F for women/females.
The 1st part is the video that is 7:23 minutes. (Bear with it's beginning--just watch it, don't worry)
Part 2 is 7:22. Part 3 is 7:18.
Later.

I will check it out. I ran a 1/2 marathon with Colleen and her husband Darren about 7 years ago. They were doing it as a training run and I was race pace the whole way. She is amazing.

I watched the Zola budd video. It didn't say why she moved to South Carolina but that school is lucky to have her as an assistant coach.

 

[alyssa]

Well, it's too long a story to tell here. I think she just wanted to get away from South Africa for awhile and get her 3 children another experience. Maybe it had something to do with her husband cheating on her with one of South Africa's beauty queens, Pinkie Pelser. Pinkie was found dead this year. To the best of my knowledge she was found dead in a car near one of Zola's husband's businesses.
Mike Pieterse cheated big time on Zola. Zola had the proof for court. Pinkie had been in Zola's home. Alledgedly Pinkie poisoned and killed one of Zola's dogs. Mike was taking care of Pinkie. It was a big mess and the South African media all over it. Zola got a court order to keep Pinkie away from Zola and Zola's children. Anyway, Mike and Zola are together. Zola came to USA to run some races under the Master's Circuit. Mike, a golfer, wanted a great place to golf. (It seems Zola was thinking Arizona). In a compromise with her husband she agreed to Myrtle Beach, SC. Her work visa was up sometime around August but she received an extension.

Zola's not comparably as great as she was when younger. She runs a 5K probably 2 minutes slower than she should in comparison to her one time world record of 14:48.07. She ran (I think 36:41) in LA in July, her best in years. It is certainly far off a comparable time when she was 17 and finished a 10K in Norway in 31:42. That was in Oslo on May 6, 1984, 20 days before she turned 18. Kristiansen ran 31:25 and Waitz ran 31:28. Mota was 4th in 33:09 and Cotton was 34:19. The first 3 ran together for 7K. When the elevation rose Kristiansen moved in front. Budd followed her. Waitz did not. 1K later Waitz caught Budd.
So before those races you saw on bobtrouper's channel Zola ran 31:42!

Oh yeah, Gwen Griffiths can be seen a time or two in the cross country vid. She was 4th for the South African team and final scorer. The team was fourth. Camilla Spires and Lydia Mafula did not score for the team.
Later.

 

[bladerunnr]

Well, it's too long a story to tell here. I think she just wanted to get away from South Africa for awhile and get her 3 children another experience. Maybe it had something to do with her husband cheating on her with one of South Africa's beauty queens, Pinkie Pelser. Pinkie was found dead this year. To the best of my knowledge she was found dead in a car near one of Zola's husband's businesses.
Mike Pieterse cheated big time on Zola. Zola had the proof for court. Pinkie had been in Zola's home. Alledgedly Pinkie poisoned and killed one of Zola's dogs. Mike was taking care of Pinkie. It was a big mess and the South African media all over it. Zola got a court order to keep Pinkie away from Zola and Zola's children. Anyway, Mike and Zola are together. Zola came to USA to run some races under the Master's Circuit. Mike, a golfer, wanted a great place to golf. (It seems Zola was thinking Arizona). In a compromise with her husband she agreed to Myrtle Beach, SC. Her work visa was up sometime around August but she received an extension.

Zola's not comparably as great as she was when younger. She runs a 5K probably 2 minutes slower than she should in comparison to her one time world record of 14:48.07. She ran (I think 36:41) in LA in July, her best in years. It is certainly far off a comparable time when she was 17 and finished a 10K in Norway in 31:42. That was in Oslo on May 6, 1984, 20 days before she turned 18. Kristiansen ran 31:25 and Waitz ran 31:28. Mota was 4th in 33:09 and Cotton was 34:19. The first 3 ran together for 7K. When the elevation rose Kristiansen moved in front. Budd followed her. Waitz did not. 1K later Waitz caught Budd.
So before those races you saw on bobtrouper's channel Zola ran 31:42!

Oh yeah, Gwen Griffiths can be seen a time or two in the cross country vid. She was 4th for the South African team and final scorer. The team was fourth. Camilla Spires and Lydia Mafula did not score for the team.
Later.

That's quite a story. I'm amazed she forgave the guy. I watched the cross country video. Meyer had the Paula headbob before Paula! Zola was not recognizable at first. She was so lean in the 84 olympics. I thought it was quite amusing that Snickers was the title sponsor!


I live in fort collins so I have met a lot of very good professional runners. Some of them from Zola's time frame but not her race distance. None of them compete anymore either. Thanks for the stories and the video links. I love watching the old races.

 

[alyssa]

Zola was not recognizable at first. She was so lean in the 84 olympics.

I live in fort collins so I have met a lot of very good professional runners. Some of them from Zola's time frame but not her race distance. None of them compete anymore either. Thanks for the stories and the video links. I love watching the old races.[/quote]

I have no trouble identifying Zola. But I told you her number because I thought you might. She was a lot bigger because when you see her in '84 she still had her childlike body. Zola was still growing and maturing. She didn't "mature" until 17 years old.

Some of the fast girls in my area included Francie Larrieu Smith, Joan Hansen and Mary Knisely.

It's easier to find the men's races because there are many more on youtube. There's been some good women's races removed from youtube.

On youtube look under Mary Decker, Gabriella Dorio, Paula Ivan for some races.

Today was sprints for me.

 

[whyoh]

I am gonna let my ignorance out...who is zola budd? (obviously a distance runner...)

 

[bladerunnr]

Zola was not recognizable at first. She was so lean in the 84 olympics.

I live in fort collins so I have met a lot of very good professional runners. Some of them from Zola's time frame but not her race distance. None of them compete anymore either. Thanks for the stories and the video links. I love watching the old races.

I have no trouble identifying Zola. But I told you her number because I thought you might. She was a lot bigger because when you see her in '84 she still had her childlike body. Zola was still growing and maturing. She didn't "mature" until 17 years old.

Some of the fast girls in my area included Francie Larrieu Smith, Joan Hansen and Mary Knisely.

It's easier to find the men's races because there are many more on youtube. There's been some good women's races removed from youtube.

On youtube look under Mary Decker, Gabriella Dorio, Paula Ivan for some races.

Today was sprints for me. [/quote]

On Dvd, I have every world championship and olympic track final from 1988 to 2004. I bought them from a website based in Montana. I think the material is all pirated from BBC broadcasts as all the announcers are U.K.. I don't recall seeing any of the runners you mentioned but I would have to look harder. Some of the runners from my town are Jon Sinclair, Kim Jones, Libby Hickman and Pablo Vigil. Hill repeats on the treadmill today while watching Khalid Scah win the 1992 olympic 10k.

 

[alyssa]

I am gonna let my ignorance out...who is zola budd? (obviously a distance runner...)

Oh it's too long a story. She was a teenager who set world records. That led to her being used and abused. She was treated very badly by many. So she made it through the BS. She's a great person. She proved people wrong and is a bigger and greater person than all those who attacked her. She just wanted to run and have a happy personal life.
She has a wikipedia page.
But she is great to learn from for those who compete in athletics.

 

[69er]

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[alyssa]

So Alyssa, if you're racing tomorrow GOOD LUCK. The temperature dropping 60 degrees or so really messes things up for you.

I did. I was freezing. Each split got slower in that cold.

 

[alyssa]

Also, I have more to add for bladerunner and others.
misterathleticsfan, a youtube channel, has just added some more women's races back. I know that there are the 1500m and 3000m finals from the '84 Olympics. I love Maricica Puica and she gets 1st and 3rd.
The 3000 is where Zola just slows down for the last, probably 500 meters so she would not medal after all the BS just added up to be too much for her. The BS included international politics, breaking from her father and more. Even after the race she was escorted to an airplane by guards to fly her back to England after at least one death threat.

The 3000 final from the '87 World Champs in Rome has Maricica Puica winning the silver behind the known drug cheat Samolenko. Puica was 37 at the time and had a real hard time getting to those champs. By that time in her life she would not double anymore. She had problems that included her spikes being gone for some reason at the airport. She had terrible sciatica and more. While shopping in Rome, she ran a finger over a kitchen appliance that didn't look sharp but was very sharp. It sliced her thumb open. She received stitches and you can see the bandage on her left hand while she's racing. In the 3000 heats one of her shoes that she was wearing came off and she finished the heat without it. It tore up her foot. For some stupid reason a medical prcedure with a laser was tried on her sole. The idea was that it would speed up the healing process for her foot. That's not smart for a final 2 days later. She was in great pain from that. At the end of the race she sits on the infield and removes her shoe. Her foot was all bloody.That is not seen in this vid. Puica will make a fist when she is racing to combat stress.
Zola's good friend from South Africa is in that final, Cornelia Buerki, who ran for Switzerland. She has those pigtails.
Mary Knisely, is the American rep, wearing the all blue USA uni. She lived around my area.

 

[bladerunnr]

So Alyssa, if you're racing tomorrow GOOD LUCK. The temperature dropping 60 degrees or so really messes things up for you.

I did. I was freezing. Each split got slower in that cold.

I'm curious. Where did you race? And at what distance?