Primary Source Material on Pierce College Course Record for Boys
note: all posts were made on the "nilstrom" XC/Track and Field message board
Ian Alsen's Coach, Bob Augello
IP: 72.1.138.170
Posted on November 17, 2007 at 02:15:24 AM by GH Coach Bob Augello '87
Forgot to change subject so this is a repeat...
I was the Granada Hills XC Coach when Ian Alsen broke the course record. My name
is Bob Augello.
Pierce College Course Record:
Ian ran 14:23. He ran alone. No crowds, just Ian, my watch and the course. I
will address those that claim otherwise at the end of this narrative. The record
was no accident. We had been recording his heart rate on the course for a couple
of months. I used an AMF Quantum, the first recording HR monitor sold in the
states, made by Polar, a name everyone knows 20 years later. We had to sew
elastic in his shorts so we could put the watch inside as no wrist watches were
allowed. That thing looked like a small toaster and weighed about as much. It
recorded HR every 5 seconds. I had to read the numbers off the screen and input
them into LOTUS spreadsheet as there was no direct PC connection or HR tracking
software available back then. I broke the Pierce College course into about 16
sections based on elevation changes and/or pace changes due to tight turns. We
experimented with varying splits to see how it affected his HR and subsequent
section times. Ultimately, and after much discussion with a friend, training
mate and great runner from Granada Hills, Farron Fields, I designed an approach
to the course that was specifically designed to break the course record. (The
goal was 14:28) The plan was counter intuitive in that the first mile was
supposed to be the slowest and the last mile the fastest. This was based on all
of our previous experimentation on the course. In the meets preceding the record
breaker I had Ian run approx. a third of the race at the goal pace for each and
every section so he knew what it felt like in advance of the record attempt.
(One week he would run the first mile at goal pace, the next the second mile and
so on) You should have seen his competitors when they hit the high point 10
seconds ahead of Ian. They were jazzed…. for a bit… So, going after the record
was a big deal for Ian and I. Probably more for me because I knew just how great
Roman Gomez was, had watched him run 14:44 and 14:29 on that course and knew
that Farron Fields, one of the most gifted runners I have ever known, could only
approach within 20 seconds of Roman’s 14:29 course record. 14:28, the target on
my mad scientist coaching clip board, was a major stretch goal as far as I was
concerned. As he would be racing outside of City meets the next month we knew he
would have to hold back on this course in the coming weeks to stay fresh. If an
attempt was to take place this was the week to do it. There was a 10 day mental
and physical build up. We had experimented, had a good plan and had worked the
racing dates and pacing to ensure he was fresh for the attempt. Yes, it does
sound like some world speed record attempt on the salt flats of Utah. That’s
because we approached it that way. We left no stone unturned…. During his record
run he was one second off goal pace for the first mile, gained that back plus
one over the course of the second mile and then turned on the fricken after
burners (mostly downhill!!!) to pick up another five seconds on the last mile to
finish in 14:29.
As the telling of this story comes on the eve of another L.A. City Championships
and one of the coaches of a participating team may read this….. (I hope its you
Fernando!) I will describe the rationale for the pacing…. for free!
The first mile takes runners from the low point to the high point, which is bad
news for high school kids that don’t have fantastic control of themselves. When
the pace is too fast, excess lactate is produced and the muscles tighten ever so
much. This results in an almost imperceptible reduction in stride length, which
of course means that max sustainable speed is reduced. This is always bad but is
compounded here as the runner that has gone out too fast is unable to take
maximum advantage of the next 2/3 of a mile, which is predominantly
downhill/flat mix; AND is then confronted with another trip to the high point,
thus aggravating the lactate over-dosing, muscle tightening, stride length
reducing, pace degrading, ever worsening negative condition of the runner! What
could be worse?? The last mile is 3/4 downhill!!! If your legs are tight and
your stride length is limited it is IMPOSSIBLE to take maximum advantage of the
wonderful downhill nature of the last mile!! So, the first mile should be 10-12
seconds slower than a good runner thinks/feels they should run or have run
during peak competition. Taking this approach makes the following possible:
1) Runner is able to make up that time and possibly more over the course of the
second mile, and…
2) MORE IMPORTANTLY, doing so sets up the runner to take max advantage of
gravity over the last mile by both increasing stride length and rate. Running
the course this way can result in a savings of 15 seconds or more off the last
mile split, after having run the same two mile split they expect and are used
to…. I’ll tell you what Ian ran the last mile in when breaking the record down
the road a bit… Take a guess and write it down… There may be prizes.
Last topic…
I would like to address those that claim to know that Ian didn’t run 14:29 or
ran a short course that day. One quick question…. Where you there? Consider your
response before you allow yourself to make matters worse for you in the eyes of
others. You are probably a respected runner, coach, historian, friend or family
member. Don’t allow your emotions and great respect for Roman Gomez to keep you
from displaying rational thought. Your behavior will likely set an example for
many young runners. Make it a good example.
Having said that…. I can certainly understand someone being very skeptical about
Ian running 14:29 on that course.
Why?
Reasons not to believe Ian Alsen ran 14:23 on the Pierce College Course:
1) Because it’s a ####ed brutal course and nearly unknown to the rest of the
state.
2) Roman Gomez, a four time State Champion in Track ran 14:29 on that course.
3) At that time, according to my sources (Farron Fields, Johnnie "O” - John
Ortega of the Times - and a few others whose names escape me due to dame bramage),
you could count the number of High School runners that had run sub-15:00 times
on the Pierce College course on your fingers.
4) I hadn’t really allowed Ian to lay it all on the line yet in a cross-country
race. I had kept him tired and only started to allow him to recover the 10 days
prior to this race so he had not popped any phenomenal times yet.
5) Roman Gomez is a friend or family member of yours, you have held on to the
notion that he owned the course record for a looong time, and its painful to
consider him losing the record.
6) The Belmont XC Team has an amazing history of accomplishments and the Pierce
College Course Record is one of them. It would blow to lose that one.
Reasons to believe Ian Alsen did break the course record at Pierce College,
running 14:23:
1) I was his coach, was present and will gladly testify under oath that he did
so.
2) His time was reported in the Los Angeles Times and the Daily News. The Los
Angeles Times had a Valley edition then so the story may not have gone beyond
the borders of the SF Valley, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
3) There were plenty of witnesses present, including the Coach of Kennedy High
School and the Coach of the opposing team.
4) Ian showed he was the real deal later in his senior year, setting another
record that has also stood for nearly 20 years, being the only H.S. Boy Runner
to win both the 1600m and 3200m at the Arcadia Invitational Track Meet.
(4:09/8:59) The guy had some brass ones to even attempt that. How many have
attempted since?
5) Ian used water running, cycling, specific nutritional practices, guided
relaxation and visualization and a ####ed recording heart rate monitor to
prepare for that day.
6) Ian had a great support group. He had me as a coach and some great teammates.
I later moved to CSUN where I coached a Men’s Regional XC Champs Team, Women’s
National XC Champ, and Men’s 800m Champ. I then moved to cycling as an assistant
on Lance Armstrong’s first cycling team-Subaru/Montgomery. I was Lance’s running
coach when he participated in Triathlons & Duathlons when 18 and 19. (That’s a
whole other story! After no running since January 90, he trained for 8 weeks
then opened a 5K/40K/5K Duathlon 5K in 15:33!) I then ran my own pro-cycling
team, sending 5 athletes to the Barcelona Olympics for the U.S. and Canada. He
had a good, progressive coach. He also had a great group of friends who where
also teammates, one of which is Joel, the guy who put me on to this site and
string.
7) Ian was gifted. He walked on the GH Track team in April of 1986 after his PE
teacher recognized his gift. He had only been running for 1.5 years when he set
a record that has stood for 20 years. (I guess you could also put this fact
under “reasons not to believe”.) In my mind that says a lot when you look at
other great distant runners from Cali that had been running since they were 6 or
8 or 10.
8) I have a very well documented training and racing plan that put him on the
starting line that day with everything needed to get the job done. (for sale)
9) Ian got the job done.
10) As you can see, there are more reasons to believe than there are not to…
I hope that this short blurb of mine clears the fog that seems to surround the
record, the city finals those days and any doubt anyone had about my ability to
babble on and on and on…
Also, the record doesn’t really leave Belmont or Roman Gomez. He broke a record.
That fact will never change. Besides, I would be willing to bet that if Roman
and Ian had run that course together at the pacing described, they would have
been side by side, bangin elbows at the line.
As for the pacing…. 5:08, followed by 4:51, followed by a scorching 4:24, say no
more.
Re(1): Boys Real course Record
IP: 69.234.29.27
Posted on November 18, 2007 at 09:45:29 AM by Roman Gomez
Buenos Dias ladies and gentlemen!
Let's get something straight! I never ran 14.29 or 14:44! And I wasn't 20 years
old, like most people from the Valley claimed lol!!! My time as a 10th grader
was 14:58; 14:32 as an 11th grader, and 15:19 as a senior. I ran for fun and
always to win. I would've beaten anyone in my path. I also ran a 14:21 at
pierce! But let me tell you the truth. I ran that 14:21 because "hernia hill"
was taken out due to muddy and dangerous conditions for that perticular day.
Does that count as a new course record? Of course not!
Here are my splits: 4:50, 9:20, and 14:32. Pretty even splits, huh?! And these
are my top times for the course: 15:09, 15:02, 14:58, 14:52, 14:32, 14:42, and
15:19 (Season injury, sr. year.) Records are made to be broken, but this(14:32),
and my 1600 meter record (4:09.09) have yet to be broken!
I'll tell you the secret to running a fast time. Go out between 4:45 and 4:50
and you'll run a fast time. I read someone say a kid ran a last mile in 4:23.
Wow! 4:23 on the track is fast, let alone with hills and hair pin turns. My
fastest time in the 1600 meters was 4:05. I had a :49 quarter split...and only
managed to run a 4:52 last mile split on my record setting time! Anyway. I hope
this clear up some confusion that was created regarding the record time. good
luck to all the new kids coming out for cross country...it is an awesome sport.
Best regards to all,
Roman Gomez
IP: 70.171.255.93
Posted on November 18, 2009 at 09:22:14 PM by Nesla
Dear Matt and Message Boarders, The topic of the Pierce course record seems to
be debated every couple years or so. I hope I can clear things up for you. The
official course record is 14:23, ran by myself on Nov 19 1987 in a dual meet v.s.
Van Nuys H.S. Both Coach Fernandez of Reseda and Coach Hernandez of Monroe have
done their homework on this and have worked to establish official records of
L.A. city cross country records and champions. To my knowledge no records for
cross country were kept till a couple years ago. If you need further proof
articles documenting the record appeared in both the L.A. Times and the Daily
News. The articles ran on Nov 20 1987 (the L.A. Times article was on page 17 of
the sports page, and the Daily News article was written by a Jorge Martin). As
for the fastest time ran at the city finals meet, I guess that would be only be
the meet record. As for Romans 14:32 in the semi's.... well I guess thats just a
14:32. Best of luck to all at city finals especially Pablo. He is a great
talent, who has run some amazing times. It would be great to see him contend for
a state title, showing the rest of the state that the City section produces
quality runners. Best of luck. Ian Alsen