Biomechanics Runner

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Sat, 26 May 2018 14:34:00 +0000

hiya Blogger

9/28 - Trail running - Everytrail

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:35:00 +0000

9/28 - Trail running - Everytrail

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Ash

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:02:00 +0000

The American Society of Biomechanics meeting this year in State
College was a success. Plenty of good conversation, met some new
amazing people, and learned a great deal about musculoskeletal modeling.

Toran MacLeod PT, MS
PhD Student, BIOMS program
University of Delaware
Academy St, Mechanical Engineering
209 Spencer Lab
Newark, DE 19701
m. (707) 318-2662
macleod@udel.edu

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noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:05:00 +0000

Am I working?

Toran MacLeod PT, MS
PhD Student, BIOMS program
University of Delaware
Academy St, Mechanical Engineering
209 Spencer Lab
Newark, DE 19701
m. (707) 318-2662
macleod@gmail.com

Josh Myers doing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:48:00 +0000

He's a good guy, and you can help him out by supporting his cause!

Mother makes son very proud

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:29:00 +0000

The following appeared in the Sonoma County Press Democrat, who is running for 5th district supervisor and is my dear old mom. Not often does a son get the chance to recognize how proud he is of his mother, so I'll take the opportunity:

Letters to the Editor

Support Furch

EDITOR: Fifth District voters would make a big mistake if they allow Rue Furch, candidate for Sonoma County supervisor, to be defined by the recent dust-up over delinquent property tax payments. Indeed, the whole county would lose if she is not elected.

Press Democrat, you’ve done your duty in reporting on this, but who is going to report on all of the countless ways that Rue has given her time to help protect this county? While others are “looking out for No. 1,” Rue has been looking out for Sonoma County’s future.

It is rare to find someone so intelligent, warm and cheerful who also works tirelessly in the difficult world of balancing public-private matters in a fair and forward-thinking way. Your editorial suggests that Rue’s integrity would be challenged by receiving a loan whose funds originally came from a local developer. If you had investigated further, you would have learned that the source was unknown to her until the last moment, and that she will refinance that loan so as to not have the appearance, let alone the reality, of a conflict of interest.

In the interest of protecting our water supply, our farming community and Sonoma County’s character, please support Rue Furch for supervisor.

ANNE E. SEELEY

Santa Rosa

Incomplete story

EDITOR: Your editorial regarding the late payment of taxes by Rue Furch failed to note the principal reason Furch lacked the income level necessary to pay her taxes timely. If you added up the enormous number of hours she has spent working, unpaid, on the full range of public policy issues that have faced the Fifth District and the county as a whole over the past 20 years, you would find that there is way too little time left for paid work.

There are very few among us who have devoted so much time so unselfishly to the public’s business, who also are so consistently constructive in their approach to public policy questions. Had she ever chosen to capitalize on her encyclopedic knowledge, or her extensive network of influential friends, she could quite easily have generated plenty of income for paying taxes. Instead, she has been instrumental in bridging the differences that constantly challenge policymakers, without ever using those bridges for her own personal benefit.

The county will be truly fortunate if the Fifth District selects her as Sonoma County supervisor.

ALAN STRACHAN

Santa Rosa

Rue Furch for 5th distict supervisor

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 22:10:00 +0000

Rue Furch for 5th district Supervisor

Just dropping a link for my dear old mom.

Fort Bragg Big River Run

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 16:33:00 +0000

Fun Times along the foggy trail. This trail starts out as redwood duff, perfect for running long, in to berry brambles from mile 8 on. The last two miles out were less than perfect, but not too much to complain about. Lots of cat shit out there, of the large cat variety. The water was pretty low along the river, and had a hydroponics green hue to it ;)

Fort Bragg 500 Trail

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 16:37:00 +0000

Up, Up, and Away. This "trail" had some pretty steep climbs towards the end. I think I was just making it up as I went along towards the finish. I have no idea why the endpoints aren't at the same start/finish. I think Garmin was as frustrated with this run as I was.

Tahoe Rim Trail 2007 50K/50M/100M Results

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 01:40:00 +0000

	2007 Tahoe Rim Trail Results
50K

Place	Name	Town	Sex	Age	Bib#	Time
1	Fain, Peter	Truckee, CA	m	35	90	4:33:29
2	Zalokar, Fred	Reno, NV	M	47	47	4:41:07
3	Moffett, Michael	Friant, CA	M	47	178	4:49:32
4	Faist, Brian	South Bend, IN	M	23	17	5:13:02
5	Brooks, Erik	Winthrop, WA	M	35	77	5:20:51
6	Lyles, Elizabeth	Reno, NV	F	29	11	5:30:30
7	Ohren, Mary	Reno, NV	F	28	120	5:31:45
8	Ewers, Benjamin	Menlo Park, CA	M	37	133	5:35:31
9	Young, Julie	Auburn, CA	F	41	49	5:35:52
10	Kemper, Will	Seattle, WA	M	37	104	5:42:44
11	Endres, Benjamin	New York, NY	M	36	89	5:42:47
12	Sheehan, Maureen	Friant, CA	F	44	177	5:44:20
13	Strange, Ty	Santa Rosa, CA	M	46	140	5:44:24
14	Barton, Michelle	Laguna Miguel, CA	F	36	157	5:52:39
15	Badolato, Chris	Reno, NV	M	30	21	5:54:18
16	Kusch, Dan	Concord, NH	M	33	106	5:58:47
17	O'Connor, Terry	Portland, OR	M	32	119	6:09:45
18	Vargo, Daniel	Salt Lake City, UT	M	42	58	6:10:27
19	Eisner, Bruce	South Lake Tahoe, CA	M	52	88	6:14:07
20	MacLeod, Toran	Sacramento, CA	M	30	111	6:21:28
21	Dunn, Malcolm	Walla Walla, WA	M	36	87	6:22:02
22	Nichol, Peter	San Francisco, CA	M	34	118	6:29:01
23	Johnson, Ralph	Truckee, CA	M	59	70	6:29:40
24	Bove, Andrew	Narberth, PA	M	35	73	6:33:05
25	Duke, Nicole	Aptos, CA	F	31	86	6:33:11
26	Cowen, Robert	Coto De Caza, CA	M	46	160	6:34:28
27	Twomey, Chris	South Lake Tahoe, CA	M	47	151	6:38:38
28	Boulton, Dennis	Reno, NV	M	51	72	6:39:12
29	Danner, Alex	Granite Bay, CA	M	50	187	6:44:29
30	Abram, Clare	San Carlos, CA	F	36	63	6:45:44
31	Petersen, Lisa	Reno, NV	F	34	165	6:46:32
32	LaBerge, Scott	San Mateo, CA	M	50	107	6:46:52
33	Harrison, Chris	Paradise Valley, AZ	M	43	23	6:47:06
34	Heinslman, Craig	Palo Alto, CA	M	49	97	6:47:08
35	DuBois, Bryce	Tahoe City, CA	M	24	35	6:48:50
36	Casper, Michael	Salem, OR	M	37	80	6:58:18
37	James, Diana	Alamo, CA	F	44	27	6:58:56
38	Pellowe, Sharon	Parker, CO	F	39	122	7:02:24
39	Johnston, Robert	Carson City, NV	M	57	181	7:06:11
40	Purcell, Rick	Reno, NV	M	60	128	7:08:33
41	Mallery, Lonny	Stateline, NV	M	42	112	7:12:46
42	Taylor, Dana	Long Beach, CA	M	46	158	7:13:43
43	Wallace, Andrew	Austin, TX	M	47	59	7:17:57
44	Ferguson, Matt	Vacaville, CA	M	42	18	7:19:22
45	McDonough, Laurie	Half Moon Bay, CA	F	31	34	7:19:46
46	Demorest, John	Colfax, CA	M	56	14	7:21:45
47	Hensel, Douglas	Apex, NC	M	34	98	7:21:55
48	Bourgault, Sara	Auburn, CA	F	28	74	7:22:34
49	Schwartz, Karen	Bishop, CA	F	34	135	7:23:19
50	LaValle, James	Olympic Valley, CA	M	27	108	7:24:20
51	Mowbray, Dennis	San Anselmo, CA	M	55	164	7:24:26
52	Spain, Laura	Concord, CA	F	40	166	7:25:30
53	Evans, Mark	Grafton, OH	M	51	15	7:25:32
54	Perry, Heather	Redwood City, CA	F	40	123	7:27:00
55	Sullivan, Catherine	Nevada City, CA	F	36	57	7:28:04
56	Dodson, Bill	Sunnyvale, CA	M	72	85	7:29:13
57	Pulliam, Gabe	Auburn, CA	M	31	127	7:29:20
58	Quivey, Jill	Manassas Park, VA	F	41	42	7:31:52
59	Morrill, James	Vacaville, CA	M	36	36	7:32:54
60	Kline, Harold	Phoenix, AZ	M	47	29	7:33:07
61	Dahl, Lisa	Lexington, KY	F	40	82	7:34:42
62	Farmer, George	Incline Village, NV	M	60	91	7:34:49
63	Mazza, Michael	Ladera Ranch, CA	M	34	113	7:37:04
64	Garnett, Gretchen	Ventura, CA	F	44	162	7:37:41
65	Spencer, Dan	Grass Lake, MI	M	30	55	7:38:51
66	Spencer, George	Olympia, WA	M	53	54	7:38:51
67	Spencer, Claude	Clarklake, MI	M	60	53	7:38:52
68	Lewis, Scott	Park City, UT	M	53	163	7:39:19
69	Castle, Brian	Citrus Heights, CA	M	50	8	7:39:50
70	Ottenheimer, Jim	Livermore, CA	M	52	121	7:40:48
71	Riccio, Ed	Union City, CA	M	52	131	7:40:55
72	Kane, Sarah	Truckee, CA	F	29	28	7:44:46
73	Everett, Pam	Laguna Miguel, CA	F	47	161	7:47:52
74	Zander, Laura	Truckee, CA	F	32	154	7:52:25
75	Hiemstra, Stephanie	Truckee, CA	F	31	24	7:54:13
76	Bradley, Marv	Canon City, CO	M	68	76	7:54:47
77	Vieyra, Jeff	Lafayette, CA	M	60	146	7:55:37
78	LaVelle, Lorraine	Capitola, CA	F	57	109	7:58:48
79	Telles, Jennifer	San Jose, CA	F	29	142	7:58:50
80	Stone, Francesca	South Lake Tahoe, CA	F	45	56	7:59:13
81	Bliss, Amy	Reno, NV	F	24	114	8:00:15
82	Hurd, Linda	Cool, CA	F	45	50	8:00:57
83	Shikuma, Anne	Walnut Creek, CA	F	36	137	8:02:09
84	Wiechert, Kat	Gardnerville, NV	F	47	168	8:03:07
85	Asquith, Rose	Beckwourth, CA	F	47	1	8:05:09
86	Flemmer, Mary Ann	Elk Grove, CA	F	47	92	8:06:50
87	Anderson, Todd	Alamo, CA	M	49	67	8:07:16
88	McGinty, Timothy	Cleveland, OH	M	56	115	8:14:13
89	Johnston, Robert	Unknown, NA	M	22	182	8:21:43
90	Johnston, Stuart	Seattle, WA	M	49	183	8:21:43
91	Yasso, Laura	Center Valley, PA	F	47	172	8:22:04
92	Smith, Bettie	Placerville, CA	F	55	51	8:23:19
93	Fleming-Williams, Denise	Folsom, CA	F	45	272	8:23:35
94	Truscott, Elke	Alta, CA	F	43	145	8:24:23
95	Haines, Chris	Coto De Caza, CA	M	48	22	8:27:54
96	Hull, Helen	Sacramento, CA	F	48	186	8:30:19
97	Steed, Tommy	Newport Beach, CA	M	37	167	8:32:27
98	Williams, Nancy	Sausalito, CA	F	40	61	8:34:57
99	Frank, Barbara	Auburn, CA	F	47	185	8:37:05
100	Triffler, Michael	Encino, CA	M	27	144	8:37:15
101	Cotter, Sharlee	South Lake Tahoe, CA	F	50	12	8:37:45
102	Surface, Cheryl	Carson City, NV	F	49	141	8:37:55
103	Hopkins, Jim	Auburn, CA	M	58	155	8:38:08
104	Ruiz, Rhonda	Carson City, NV	F	51	132	8:38:57
105	Stotts, John	Santa Clara, CA	M	60	139	8:47:26
106	Rhodes, Terry	Reno, NV	F	51	130	8:54:48
107	Rhodes, John	Reno, NV	M	59	129	8:54:49
108	Spell, Randy	Las Vegas, NV	M	47	179	9:00:46
109	Spell, Terry	Las Vegas, NV	M	50	174	9:00:54
110	Lawrence, William	Playa Del Rey, CA	M	66	184	9:03:42
111	Bonner-Lyon, Adelyn	Mission Viejo, CA	F	21	5	9:04:50
112	Odenthal, Paulette	Prior Lake, MN	F	50	39	9:09:05
113	Little, Ray	Reno, NV	M	41	110	9:10:29
114	Hill, Sandy	South Lake Tahoe, CA	F	56	99	9:12:47
115	Bremmer, Shane	Roseville, CA	M	37	6	9:13:02
116	Sloan, Mark	Redwood City, CA	M	49	138	9:14:20
117	Sheridan, Molly	Las Vegas, NV	F	50	136	9:26:02
118	Furnish, James	Ridgecrest, CA	M	64	20	9:28:38
119	Wright, Phil	San Ramon, CA	M	63	62	9:31:51
120	Blake, Molly	Austin, TX	F	23	3	9:32:16
121	Brown, Ezra	Austin, TX	M	34	7	9:32:18
122	Jing, Judy	Unknown, NA	F	24	102	9:39:34
123	Randolph, Sean	Corte Madera, CA	M	56	44	9:42:00
124	Guenther, Karen	Sebastopol, CA	F	48	84	9:45:36
125	Norman, Natalie	Newport Beach, CA	F	31	273	9:52:52
126	Weiss, Jeff	Milwaukee, WI	M	51	147	9:54:01
127	Kajiwara, Jo	Ridgecrest, CA	F	61	103	10:08:16
128	Wells, Daniel	Danville, KY	M	60	150	10:18:33
129	Neumann, Deborah	Bakersfield, CA	F	55	116	10:19:55
130	Neumann, Alan	Bakersfield, CA	M	52	38	10:24:25
131	Petrocelli, Martin	Scottsdale, AZ	M	38	124	10:26:22
132	Lane, Carol	Concord, CA	F	60	33	10:26:52
133	Whomes, Roger	Reno, NV	M	52	153	10:26:53
134	Darrow, Landy	Auburn, CA	F	42	83	10:27:32
135	Fell, Gary	Avon Lake, OH	M	59	274	10:28:00
136	Hansen, Gregory	Los Angeles, CA	M	49	96	10:28:17
137	Schler, Rosie	Denver, CO	F	61	134	10:33:43
138	Smith, Bruce	Placerville, CA	M	58	52	10:43:43
139	Crvarich, Tim	Pleasant Hill, CA	M	25	81	10:45:02
140	Jorth, Susan	Incline Village, NV	F	45	32	11:00:45
141	Wanner, Craig	Columbus, OH	M	56	60	11:00:45
142	Wellington, Pat	San Francisco, CA	F	59	149	11:10:54
143	Fisher, Lucinda	Fair Oaks, CA	F	65	156	11:28:20
144	Read, Margie	Placerville, CA	F	54	45	11:28:21
145	Jesbian, Lee	Mountain View, CA	M	66	100	11:37:57
146	Jebian, Wini	Mountain View, CA	F	63	101	11:37:57
147	Bruckert, Eugene	Arlington Heights, IL	M	72	79	11:42:53
148	Tyler, Goody	Norfolk, VA	M	55	171	11:48:16
149	McLeod, Elizabeth	Norfolk, VA	F	44	170	11:48:16
150	Paige, Lisa	Littleton, CO	F	49	40	11:48:47
151	Blom, Kay	San Jose, CA	F	55	71	12:42:04
152	Chappel, Laura	South Lake Tahoe, CA	F	41	9	12:44:10
153	Chappel, John	Reno, NV	M	75	10	12:47:08
154	Frierson, John	Austin, TX	M	35	93	12:48:44
155	Neal, Charles	Las Vegas, NV	M	51	37	13:14:18
50M
Place	Name	Home Town	Sex	Age	Bib#	Time
1	Reiss, Thomas	San Luis Obispo, CA	M	39	412	8:10:03
2	Kozak, Jeff	Bishop, CA	M	33	394	8:37:09
3	Crosby-Helms, Devon	San Francisco, CA	F	25	313	8:39:30
4	Twietmeyer, Tim	Unknown, NA	M	48	431	8:45:55
5	Corfield, Charles	Los Altos, CA	M	48	370	8:48:19
6	Graubins, Garett	Oakland, CA	M	34	414	8:50:55
7	Marcelli, Mark	San Diego, CA	M	48	332	9:37:45
8	Reynolds, Jeremy	Los Gatos, CA	M	27	413	9:39:15
9	D'Alessio, Joseph	Berkeley, CA	M	30	315	9:39:59
10	Wyatt, Brian	Berkeley, CA	M	37	306	9:44:18
11	Hardesty, Greg	Siverado, CA	M	44	383	9:46:35
12	Lambert, Bree	San Jose, CA	F	39	395	9:47:15
13	Bawn, Robert	Boulder, CO	M	45	364	9:49:32
14	Askew, Chris	Bend, OR	M	36	432	9:59:37
15	Barichievich, Alan	South Lake Tahoe, CA	M	40	363	10:04:47
16	Nasman, Kevin	Fullerton, CA	M	32	406	10:13:22
17	Morgan, Juliet	Redondo Beach, CA	F	40	312	10:16:34
18	Schroeder, Cody	Pocatello, ID	M	30	345	10:21:22
19	Brader, Darla	Bend, OR	F	34	436	10:22:18
20	Anderson-Ayers, Susan	Salt Lake city, UT	F	41	303	10:27:42
21	Bourgault, West	Auburn, CA	M	30	367	10:29:49
22	Brooks, Fredrick	Sacramento, CA	M	54	308	10:38:21
23	Piper, Daniel	Auburn, CA	M	50	410	10:41:19
24	Ellisen, Eric	Oakland, CA	M	46	373	10:45:29
25	Tanaka, Mark	Castro Valley, CA	M	40	337	10:46:02
26	Fitzwater, Loren	Grass Valley, CA	M	52	376	10:48:05
27	Blazejewski, Ryan	Narrangansett, RI	M	30	434	10:53:59
28	Wood, Howard	Aptos, CA	M	42	429	10:56:45
29	Mead, Chris	Los Angeles, CA	M	36	442	10:56:50
30	Henninger, Keira	Laguna Miguel, CA	F	30	324	10:58:10
31	Foster, Alayne	Salt Lake City, UT	F	33	438	11:03:35
32	Benegas, Willie	Salt Lake City, UT	M	37	433	11:03:35
33	Jamison, Julian	Pacific Palisades, CA	M	34	330	11:03:52
34	Lowry, Jason	Las Vegas, NV	M	37	398	11:04:55
35	Brugman, Gretchen	Truckee, CA	F	33	368	11:05:52
36	De St.Paer, Jon	Mill Valley, CA	M	33	316	11:05:54
37	Kelley, Tate	Bend, OR	F	27	439	11:07:07
38	Walther, Harald	Mountain View, CA	M	42	353	11:09:40
39	Novak, Benjamin	Brentwood, CA	M	32	408	11:21:11
40	Schollard, Jim	Sausalito, CA	M	40	430	11:21:50
41	Hoffman, Michael	Folsom, CA	M	46	328	11:23:03
42	Frink, Jamie	Folsom, CA	F	34	379	11:23:57
43	Lowell, Sarah	Franklin, NC	F	45	440	11:29:31
44	Colburn, Steve	Parker, CO	M	39	369	11:32:11
45	Hoffman, Karyn	Folsom, CA	F	44	327	11:33:06
46	Jones, Vanessa	Wrightwood, CA	F	45	390	11:36:13
47	Ansell, Steven	Fremont, CA	M	38	361	11:37:32
48	Bartha, Reid	Chicago, IL	M	28	304	11:38:04
49	Hurst, Christian	Riverbank, CA	M	39	386	11:42:06
50	Shibata, Jason	Hermosa Beach, CA	M	30	418	11:45:39
51	Ruiz, George	Carson City, NV	M	50	387	11:45:39
52	Gregoritsch, Thomas	San Jose, CA	M	33	322	11:47:50
53	Hustedt, Suzanne	Incline Village, NV	F	34	300	11:56:38
54	Thomson, Janet	San Francisco, CA	F	28	424	11:57:07
55	Watson, Doone	Unknown, NA	F	50	426	11:58:19
56	Meeth, Glenn	Auburn, CA	M	38	443	11:59:51
57	Goodin, David	Rancho Cordova, CA	M	37	381	12:03:10
58	Kajiwara, Eric	Ridgecrest, CA	M	60	392	12:07:37
59	McKinney, Mark	Ridgecrest, CA	M	39	441	12:07:50
60	McMahon, Elaina	Ridgecrest, CA	F	50	400	12:07:51
61	Appert, John	Reno, NV	M	28	301	12:12:41
62	Morton, Charles	Ridgecrest, CA	M	25	341	12:12:42
63	Welch, Kathy	Auburn, CA	F	54	372	12:16:38
64	Watson, Tim	Unknown, NA	M	54	427	12:17:49
65	Wunder, Leslie	Carson City, NV	F	46	356	12:26:56
66	Leinfellner, Norbert	Mountain View, CA	M	40	334	12:34:01
67	Stuart, Collins	Saint George, UT	M	33	420	12:44:26
68	Culver, Gary	Goodyear, AZ	M	54	314	12:47:03
69	Quivey, David	Manassas Park, VA	M	44	343	12:50:26
70	Mey, Michael	Houston, TX	M	42	402	12:51:11
71	Thompson, Lynette	White Bear Lake, MN	F	49	350	12:53:11
72	Peter, Pete	Chanhassen, MN	M	49	409	12:53:19
73	Pizano, Daniel	Unknown, NA	M	31	342	12:54:12
74	Bailey, Doug	San Jose, CA	M	55	362	13:03:44
75	Thompson, Jason	San Fransico, CA	M	36	423	13:04:32
76	Corbett, Catra	Fremont, CA	F	42	411	13:07:16
77	Ross, Sandra	Auburn, CA	F	44	416	13:17:29
78	Martinez, Julian	Oakland, CA	M	45	399	13:18:08
79	Barton, Maria	Apple Valley, MN	F	41	305	13:18:55
80	Hunter, Bill	Grass Valley, CA	M	42	329	13:19:32
81	Covey, Matt	Campbell, CA	M	47	310	13:22:59
82	Walker, Marissa	Berekley, CA	F	39	425	13:23:12
83	Moroney, Jessi	Austin, TX	F	23	340	13:36:09
84	Meeth, Tanya	Auburn, CA	F	38	444	13:48:34
85	Williams, Thomas	Folsom, CA	M	48	428	13:51:03
86	Lynch, Francis	Henderson, NV	M	66	318	13:52:21
87	Suvak, Stephanie	Carmel, IN	F	34	348	13:53:41
88	Livingston, Peter	Wrightwood, CA	M	34	396	14:03:26
89	Miller, Christine	Palo Alto, CA	F	48	403	14:09:59
90	Terashi, Carolyn	Cypress, CA	F	40	422	14:14:26
91	Hanke, Karen	Santa Rosa, CA	F	45	323	14:16:18
92	Zisko, Peter	Auburn, CA	M	57	359	14:19:39
93	Forister, Jeff	Issaquah, WA	M	40	319	14:21:09
94	Tanimoto, Herb	Cool, CA	M	59	349	14:26:49
95	Bawn, Maria	Boulder, CO	F	51	393	14:33:30
96	Schwartz, David	Tahoe City, CA	M	35	346	14:34:06
97	Meijerink, Cornelis	La Habra, CA	M	39	401	14:37:19
98	Moore, Jonathan	Elko, NV	M	28	339	14:47:47
99	Zisko, Jonathan	Auburn, CA	M	22	358	15:02:24
100	Edwards, Eric	Elko, NV	M	27	380	15:10:58
101	Suyenaga, Jean	San Jose, CA	F	40	421	15:10:58
102	Deguzman, Domingo	Vallejo, CA	M	47	351	15:10:59
103	Zinkle, Tom	Folsom, CA	M	63	357	15:49:45
104	Morgan, Brian	Newport Beach, CA	M	36	404	15:49:48
105	Liu, Hao	San Jose, CA	M	30	335	16:56:00
106	Albright, Marc	Ladera Ranch, CA	M	52	360	16:56:00

100M
Place	Name	Home Town	Sex	Age	Bib#	Time
1	Halekas, Jasper	Oakland, CA	M	31	500	18:16:01
2	Gilligan, Mark	Oakland, CA	M	36	532	19:38:00
3	Shaw, Phil	Evertt, WA	M	21	576	20:50:49
4	Dial, Jamie	Franklin, TN	M	34	519	20:56:43
5	Roark, Steve	Hereford, AZ	M	39	569	21:28:34
6	Carr, Derrick	Fredericksburg, VA	M	46	510	21:41:40
7	Riley, Jeff	Coburg, OR	M	38	568	22:38:18
8	Chitwood, Eric	Galt, CA	M	31	511	22:44:25
9	Cook, Michael	Santa Rosa, CA	M	36	514	22:45:14
10	Evans, Robert	Pacifica, CA	M	41	526	22:49:33
11	Zurn, Molly	Reno, NV	F	36	592	23:32:12
12	Gimenez, Kim	Long Beach, CA	F	42	533	24:47:59
13	Dunlap, Scott	Woodside, CA	M	38	524	25:18:15
14	Broadwell, Sharon	Oslo, NOR	F	45	509	25:19:27
15	Black, Andy	Oakland, CA	M	48	504	25:34:10
16	Wilkinson, Morgan	Kings Canyon, CA	M	26	589	26:13:09
17	Ralyea, Paul	Arlington, VA	M	40	567	26:19:10
18	Saetran, Lars	Hegra, NOR	M	54	574	27:13:57
19	Sanchez, Ray	Sacramento, CA	M	40	573	27:21:31
20	Douglas, Steven	Sacramento, CA	M	42	522	27:26:30
21	Blumenau, Eric	San Francisco, CA	M	36	505	27:26:42
22	Driver, Jack	Soda Springs, CA	M	38	523	27:34:29
23	Troska, Eric	Reno, NV	M	30	583	27:41:07
24	Blom,Keith	San Jose, CA	M	50	546	27:43:02
25	Savage, Mike	Rocklin, CA	M	48	575	27:46:16
26	Geraldi, Alan	San Francisco, CA	M	43	531	27:50:45
27	Lubbers, Peter	Oregon House, CA	M	37	549	27:50:45
28	Pace, Glenn	North Vancouver, BC	M	43	559	27:59:06
29	Ecks, Fred	San Francisco, CA	M	41	525	28:03:26
30	Watts, Matthew	Broomfield, CO	M	50	587	28:17:09
31	Fors, John	Menlo Park, CA	M	40	529	28:27:03
32	Fairbank, Chet	Reno, NV	M	34	527	28:36:30
33	Boyenger, Steven	Boise, ID	M	37	507	28:36:57
34	Meyer, Jack	Foresthill, CA	M	43	554	28:37:40
35	Montgomery, Cian	Portland, OR	M	34	555	28:42:58
36	Machray, John	North Vancouver, BC	M	56	551	29:23:22
38	Barbeau, Gilles	Vancouver, BC	M	51	502	29:23:23
39	Fu, Chihping	Fremont, CA	M	41	530	29:29:29
40	Zarnetske, Meghan	Salt Lake City, UT	F	26	591	29:39:00
41	Golubski, Dorothy	Pleasanton, CA	F	41	535	29:43:38
42	Hyson, Chad	Vancouver, BC	M	36	542	29:44:18
43	Bellingham, Alex	Hong Kong	M	38	503	29:45:50
44	Magill, Jim	Saratoga, CA	M	60	550	29:47:36
45	Pelton, Molly	Grass Valley, CA	F	28	561	29:54:10
46	Warren, Nancy	Wilton, CA	F	41	585	30:55:27
47	Wilson, Chuck	Palo Alto, CA	M	58	590	31:08:43
48	Cunniff, Sean	Albuquerque, NM	M	35	501	31:22:28
49	Whitcomb, Martin	Tracy, CA	M	54	588	31:40:57
50	Murray, Jack	Los Angeles, CA	M	46	556	32:09:53
51	Sox-Harris, Alex	Palo Alto, CA	M	44	577	32:17:11
52	Gnass, Jon	Bend, OR	M	52	534	32:42:21
53	Moss, Debra	Sacramento, CA	F	50	571	32:44:47
54	Hills, Robert	Saint Charles, MO	M	41	540	32:45:49
55	Holmes, Gregory	Antelope, CA	M	44	541	33:04:26
56	d'Aquin, Jean-Jacques	Montrose, CO	M	68	516	33:11:10
57	Collins, Jeff	Valejo, CA	M	53	513	33:29:46
58	Nguyen, Mylinh	Milpitas, CA	F	48	557	33:32:05
59	Ingelse, Kathy	Bend, OR	F	48	543	33:33:53
60	Dewees, Linda	Inyokern, CA	F	50	518	33:35:55
61	Bramer, Julia	Danville, CA	F	43	508	33:48:24
62	Paulson, Marianne	Pleasanton, CA	F	43	593	34:06:20
63	Lee, Baldwin	Burnaby, CAN	M	34	548	34:09:56
64	Patel, Rajeev	San Jose, CA	M	47	560	34:11:30
65	Rao, Anil	Sunnyvale, CA	M	31	566	34:11:30
66	Watts, Anne	Broomfield, CO	F	51	586	34:21:01
68	Taylor, John	Minneapolis, MN	M	45	581	34:23:15
69	Pham, Chau	Milpitas, CA	M	53	562	34:38:53

TRT 50K/50M/100M

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:44:00 +0000

I posted a brief review earlier, and have decided that this race deserves a much more complete thought process. After watching a video of the trail, I remembered so much more about the race that should be said.
Let me begin by saying that I ran the TRT 50K in 2005 with mixed results. With a 8:42 finish, getting passed in the end by the front of the pack 50M runners, I must explain why I say mixed because that implies there was some positive portion. I ran the race with Derek, a good friend, never more than a few feet from each other then entire race. We were both battling demons that day, and I didn't remember much about the race except for our conversations. That part was good. Also, I must admit that I hadn't the faintest idea what I was doing running 50K at altitude with an average of 9% grade. I ran the course with a 3L camel back and 5 flasks with emergen-C vitamins. I took no food, and filled up on water only once. I didn't pee in over 9 hours. So, that part I view as positive because I'm now amazed that I even finished and I can confidently say that without Derek I would not have wanted to. Now the negative part. I felt awful during and afterwards. I cramped so much in my legs that I felt like from my hips down I was walking on chop-sticks. My toes curled under my feet so that I was walking on my toe-nails. Derek said he saw my muscles spasm at times so that I would kick in a direction I hadn't intended. Looking back it must have been pretty comical. I had trained plenty of miles, I just hadn't practiced running slowly with food as such a big consideration. OOPS!

This year couldn't have been a further experience. I remembered more about the trail than I even realized, and every memory was touching from both the beauty of the event and my fond memories of running with Derek.
I planned for a 6-7 hour finish, with an 11-13 minute average pace. My goal was to be in the top 20. My garmin would tell me what I needed to do, and I knew that this course was ~"54 mile 50K". I brought 4 Hammer gel flasks and two bottles of water with 8 Succeed-caps all in a Camel back for the day. I had my sun screen on, a hat, a short sleeve shirt, shorts, no gaiters, and sunglasses.
The count down this year included "if you come in to an aid station with your head-phones on, you risk being disqualified". Let that be a warning ;)
We took off at 6 am, the 100M group had already been out for an hour, and my buddy Ty started out faster than I had intended to go. We had planned on running the first ten together, and then he would take off ahead from there. The front of the pack of both the 50K and 50M took off at about a 7:30 or 8:00 pace, and I wasn't going to warm up that fast for a 50K. I held back, and Ty slowly drifted away. He later told me that he thought we'd hook back up at the upcoming single track switch backs, but that didn't happen. The race starts out entirely on fire trails, and after about 4 miles turns into single track. Also at that point you see Marlette Lake on your left; at this point I gasped and said to the group around me "this is what it's all about".
From there the course turns upwards, and climbs quite a difficult uphill single track for about another mile, before turning in to switchbacks down to Hobart Road aid station. This was an oasis among the trees with plenty to choose from, but I wasn't interested in staying long. I turned up the road with the big Disney-like labeled arrows pointing me in the direction of the appropriate trail to follow. The course winds up in sand-like trail that heads around the circumference of a mountain up to a view of both Marlette and Lake Tahoe. Breathtaking..."glimpse of heaven" I thought. At this point your above most of the trees, and cruise along the trail out to Tunnel Creek. A beautiful portion of the trail, that I tried to memorize because I knew I'd be heading the opposite direction after the Red House Loop. This portion of the trail, between Hobart and Tunnel Creek, is almost entirely down so I knew I should make up as much time as possible. I took off at a brisk pace.
At Tunnel creek I filled up two water bottles, I was really trying to force the fluid, and tightened my laces for the 14% downhill portion to the Red House. I went down the hill at a safe but fast pace. There were three water crossings, with only one requiring me to get my feet wet, it was pretty muddy when I went through but I didn't get bogged down with heavy feet. There was a water-only aid station at the bottom of the Red house loop at about mile 16. I filled up again there, and really wondered where I was putting all that water. I got to mile 16 in 3 hours, and knew I was on a really good split for my goals. I finally forced myself to pee, after feeling only a partial need for an hour. I chose to do this halfway up the Red House hill. I thought, might as well stop here because the hill is unbelievably steep. I made a mental note to do more hill training in Sacramento, and then laughed at the complete dearth of "hills".
I hammered back up to Hobart, and then had 2.8 up to Snow Valley Peak and 9000 feet. I latched on to the back of a guy I'd been leap frogging with all day named Pete. He was with a group of 8 guys, from some small college in Minnesota, that ran together on a cross country team 14 years ago. They get together once a year to run a race. He thought all but one of them was ahead of us, and all I could think was that's 6 places down on the list I'll be at the end of the day. I followed him the mountain in a "run to Pete fashion", so whenever he would run I would almost red-line to catch up. At the Snow Valley peak I was pretty hypoxic, and there were these signs posted on the trail from the aid station staff. They told us to slow down, not fall and crack our head, because our brain was in our head, and we needed that. This seemed really funny at the time, but I realized it was probably only so amusing because I wasn't breathing a proper amount of oxygen.
When I arrived at Snow Valley I had finished my two bottles of water once again, and was just finishing up my last flask (of 4) of hammer gel. I grabbed a few of the hammer gel packets there, and my time was 5:11 when I left. Pete and I jostled/staggered for who would lead out of there. I took the lead only by default, and started to hammer down the finish feeling euphorically good for the first time of the day. The trail at this point is actually quite technical and doesn't allow for much more than an 8 minute pace, so I played it safe and stuck to that for about a mile. After this, it opens up into sweet softpack of mostly duff and light dirt. There are a few "mine fields" of pine cones that should not be stepped on or landed on after falling. I was lucky on both points. At this point I averaged a 7:30 pace the rest of the way down to the last aid station 1.7 mile from the finish on the opposite side of Spooner Lake. I consistently looked back to both encourage Pete to keep up, but I have to admit I was running like I was being chased. I grabbed a quick Coke at this last aid station and refilled one water bottle. From there I felt like I was pulling 7 minute miles to the finish, all the while watching my garmin going up from 32 miles.
I knew there was a guy ahead of me. I questioned the ethics of passing him. I knew he was hurting, because I'd seen him suffering on the downhill portions much earlier in the day. I knew I had to pass him, for that would complete an almost dreamlike run. With less than a mile to go I passed Malcolm like he was standing still, and said my hellos before passing him through the sandy trail to the finish. He called me the hammer-man and Thor, a play on names....I felt bad for passing him there, but I just felt too good to slow there. I crossed the bridge to the finish, and heard my wife calling me home. I was on fire jumping up and down all the way to a 6:21 finish. I grabbed my wife with a huge hug, and felt high on the day.
From the beginning of check-in with getting the number 111 to the finish the day was amazing. My favorite number is 11, for what could be better than one 1 but two 1's. Heck, getting three was an omen ;)
I got home and made a fly over of the course on Google earth. If you would like a copy, I can email this to anyone interested. My Garmin did pretty well with not cutting out along the way, so the course looks pretty good. Also, I put in the aid stations as way points.
After the race I got my legs in some ice, had by burrito, watched others drink their beer, and got a massage. I sat there dazed for 3 hours with the results of the day. When I found out that I had reached my goal of top 20, I had my cake and icing too. I thanked Dave the RD, told him what I thought of the day and we went for two or three more meals before passing out.
I woke on Sunday early with my stomach as an alarm clock. I got up and ate everything in my race packet bag, stretched for an hour as the sun came up over Lake Tahoe. A beautiful weekend that I would recommend to anyone interested in running a long 50K with beautiful views, some technical trails, with lots of ups and downs (6895 feet, 10% grade).
Next year I'm going to try carrying less, wearing a tank top for cooling, and some gaiters.

Rim Trail Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:52:00 +0000

2007 Tahoe Rim Trail

2007 Tahoe Rim Trail 50K/50M/100M Endurance Runs

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 01:06:00 +0000

2007 Tahoe Rim Trail 50K/50M/100M Endurance Runs.

Tahoe Rim Trail 50K 2007 Results/Review

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 23:14:00 +0000

A fantastic year at the Tahoe Rim Trail this year. The course record may have been broken, the 50K was even longer than before...., the weather stayed below 80, and there was no snow!

I passed Scott Dunlap at mile 12, and he seemed to be in fine form for his 100 miler. On top of all that I took off 2 hours and 20 minutes off of my race time there two years ago, a successful day all in all. My friend and coach Ty Strange came barreling in at 5:45, in 13th place overall, and 1st in his age group.... what a day
I also met a man carrying a digital recorder taking notes and going to write a review of the 'Rim Trail race this year....but I can't remember his name or site. That must mean that he is one up on me with that recorder.
This year everything seemed to click for me, from wearing number 111 to passing a guy in the last 1 mile of a 50K race to take 20th place overall. I ended up getting 7th, I think, in my age group. Wow, I was pumped after this race.
Most remarkable for most folks was that the finishers medal was a bottle opener, that could conveniently be used to open the commemorative bottle of 'Rim Trail Ale. That was very popular, but I could think of no other beverage I would like to drink less than a beer after dehydrating myself for over 6 hours.
I am looking forward to the next race, and how everyone else did this year. I was initially worried about the fire from last month, but that didn't seem to affect anyone. The course was set up beautifully, marked almost excessively. The aid stations were like little kitchens on the side of the trail, set up at intervals as if they could hear your beckon call and whim. I could have carried half of what I did. I ran from party to party along the trail up in Tahoe this weekend, and am looking forward to next year...maybe I can take another 30-45 minutes of this time yet!

Lupus Runner

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 00:42:00 +0000

Brian is a guy running for a cause, check out his site and give him some money or time.
http://brianruns.blogspot.com/
My cause isn't as worth as his.

Heroes

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 04:09:00 +0000

Anyone want to post their heroes?
I'll start with Ted Corbitt: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Corbitt

This man was an animal, and a physical therapist ;)

Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 03:52:00 +0000

Today is my birthday. I worked a ten hour day at the clinic, after my recovery run of course. I treated about 12 patients, and had a productive day there.
I'm pretty tired tonight, and Carryl is off in Colorado tonight, so I'm off to bed. 30 it is!

Evolution of Dance

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 22:42:00 +0000

This guy is pretty funny, definitely takes you back. Remember this stuff JD?

Who's the Predator Game!

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:54:00 +0000

Well worth the watch.. Amazing footage.

Western States Trail Run

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 18:25:00 +0000

This was a fun hot run, I wasn't thinking straight until today. Met a really cool lady name Marianne, who helped me out with some Gu20.
I really need to spend more time out there, it will help me with future races

Barley Mill Rd Run

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:22:00 +0000

This was a fun run out on Barley Mill Rd, off of route 2.
Many cyclists out there, doing hill repeats. Traffic was a bit scary, but the houses were amazing to see.

White Clay Park Run

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:18:00 +0000

This was a really cool run out on Bryan's Farm Trail? Lots of fun mountain bike skills stuff, and as you can see with all of the incredibly straight lines... the GPS didn't quite follow me throughout.

University of Delaware

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 22:43:00 +0000

Tomorrow Carryl and I head out to Delaware to check out a fun biomechanics program. I'm hoping that we get along. If everything goes right, we'll be heading out there so I can finally get this PhD. That only means more fun run biomechanics on this site.

Flat 20 Mile Hot-Run

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 22:34:00 +0000

Today's run should have included electrolytes. Instead I started having visual disturbances, and was very thirsty even though I was consistently drinking. Alas, I'm acclimatizing to the heat.
This run was very flat, and included too much traffic. Across the street from a shooting range, was a very nice man who filled up my water bottle. I don't like guns.
I thought I'd branch out and do a run over in the Davis neck of the woods, but can't say I'll be returning for another go at this location.
Even still 20 miles in 3 hours, and I walked a good portion of a mile (not all at once) when I ran out of water.

To run without a tail

noreply@blogger.com (Toran MacLeod) — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 16:06:00 +0000

Born To Run
Biomechanical research reveals a surprising key to the survival of
our species: Humans are built to outrun nearly every other animal on
the planet over long distances
By Ingfei Chen
DISCOVER Vol. 27 No. 05 | May 2006

Late one night over beers in the Welsh hamlet of Llanwrtyd Wells, an
innkeeper got into an argument with a foxhunter about who could run
faster, man or horse. The innkeeper insisted that over many miles, a
human runner would have greater stamina, and prevail. Thus was born a
tradition: Every year since 1980, Llanwrtyd Wells has hosted the Man
Versus Horse Marathon, which pits hundreds of runners against dozens
of horses with riders. On two legs or four, contestants take on 22
miles of challenging trails laced across a dazzling green
countryside. They trot through fragrant pine forests, scramble up
mountainous rock-strewn sheep trails, cross rolling moorlands, and
ford rivers.

In June 2004, for the first time ever, the human won. The innkeeper
was delighted and so were University of Utah biologist Dennis Bramble
and Harvard University paleoanthropologist Daniel Lieberman. That
summer the two scientists were putting the finishing touches on a
theory with a new view on how conditions millions of years ago molded
the way humans move today. The standard explanation among physical
anthropologists has long been that early hominids left life in the
trees to forage on the open savanna and that walking upright was the
key to surviving in that new environment. Bramble and Lieberman do
not dispute this general theory, but they have identified a suite of
traits in the human anatomy that add a dramatic twist to the story line.

The traits appear to be specifically adapted for running�and for
jogging for long distances. So Bramble and Lieberman were not at all
surprised that a man won the Man Versus Horse Marathon. It fits their
hypothesis. Unlike many mammals, not to mention primates, people are
astonishingly successful endurance runners, "and I don't think it's
just a fluke," Lieberman says. He and Bramble argue that not only can
humans outlast horses, but over long distances and under the right
conditions, they can also outrun just about any other animal on the
planet�including dogs, wolves, hyenas, and antelope, the other great
endurance runners. From our abundant sweat glands to our Achilles
tendons, from our big knee joints to our muscular glutei maximi,
human bodies are beautifully tuned running machines. "We're loaded
top to bottom with all these features, many of which don't have any
role in walking," Lieberman says. Our anatomy suggests that running
down prey was once a way of life that ensured hominid survival
millions of years ago on the African savanna.

Although Bramble has studied locomotion in animals ranging from
tortoises to jackrabbits for 40 years, he was first tipped off to the
hypothesis that humans were born to run by one of his students, David
Carrier. In the 1970s, Carrier was assisting with Bramble's studies
of how dogs, horses, and people regulate breathing while running. A
marathoner himself, Carrier began to wonder about the role of
endurance running in human evolution. People, he noted, can shed heat
quickly not by panting, like most animals, but by perspiring through
millions of sweat glands. A lack of fur also helps dissipate heat
more quickly.

Other researchers have proposed that such features emerged because
our ancestors had to cope with the sun as they moved from a shady
forest habitat to the scorching savanna. Carrier suspected that these
traits were more relevant for handling physical exertion. The human
body generates six times more heat when sprinting at top speed than
when sitting in the sun. Most animals, humans included, must stop
trotting when they overheat, or they die.

(In one legendary experiment, Harvard biologists stuck a rectal
thermometer into a cheetah, put the cat on a treadmill, and found
that it refused to move once its temperature hit 105 degrees
Fahrenheit, even though it was loping well below its top speed.)
Controlling body temperature, Carrier once wrote, "is critical for
animals that run for extended periods." Given that humans excel at
releasing heat and distance running, he speculated that we were built
to run far and wide.

"I didn't buy it at all," Bramble says. Like most of his peers,
Bramble's first reaction to Carrier's hypothesis was that "humans are
pitifully slow." From the perspective of a vertebrate morphologist,
humans lack one of the most obvious features of animals adapted for
serious speed: a tail. In creatures that cover ground bipedally, such
as kangaroos, kangaroo rats, and roadrunners, "the tail is the major
balance organ," Bramble says. "In the whole history of vertebrates on
Earth�the whole history humans are the only striding biped that's a
runner that's tailless."

Still, Bramble eventually came to realize that people turn in
remarkable performances. He once filmed a horse cantering, with
Carrier running alongside at the same pace. The movie showed that
Carrier's legs were churning more slowly than the horse's, which
meant that the student's strides had to be spanning more distance per
step than the horse's.

Although Carrier moved on to other research, Bramble grew convinced
that his student had discovered something. During a visit to Harvard
in 1991, Bramble encountered Daniel Lieberman, then an anthropology
Ph.D. student, making a pig trot on a treadmill. To glean insights
into how bones grow�and thus to better interpret fossilized human
jaws and skulls�the student wanted to see whether the repeated impact
of running would spur a thickening of the pig's skull. "You know,"
Bramble said, "that pig's not holding its head still." He went on to
explain that adept runners like horses, dogs, and rabbits keep their
noggins remarkably steady as they lope, thanks to an obscure bit of
anatomy called the nuchal ligament. It's a tendonlike band that links
the head to the spine. People, he said, have a version of this band.

Rummaging through a collection of replicas of fossilized primate
bones in a nearby lab, Bramble pointed out that the nuchal ligament
leaves a trace�a delicate ridge�where it attaches at the base of the
human skull. Then the scientists noticed the ridge in a pitted,
yellowed skull of our 2-million-year-old relative Homo erectus�but
not in older hominids known as australopithecines, who walked the
earth as far back as 4.4 million years ago. "Holy moley!" Lieberman
thought. "There's something going on here, and what's more, we might
be able to study it in the fossil record."

"Once the idea is in your head, then you start thinking about things
differently," Lieberman says. A short 41-year-old with a receding
hairline, a slight paunch, and disarming dimples, Lieberman doesn't
look athletic, but he has been a jogger since his teens. I joined him
for his morning run with his dog, Vashti, a border collie mix, whom
he easily proved he could outlast. Lieberman says it's wrong to
assume, as many do, that running is like walking. The two motions are
strikingly different. He demonstrates that during walking his heel
hits the ground first, the leg straightens, and then the body vaults
over it.

"Your center of gravity, which is basically near your belt buckle,
r-i-i-i-ses" he takes a slow-motion step forward with his right leg
and pauses, now up on the ball of his right foot�"so that it's over
your leg." The body has now stored potential energy. The arch of the
foot stiffens, and Lieberman pushes off against it. As he tips
forward, potential energy converts to kinetic energy, and he swings
his left foot ahead to complete the stride.

But in running, he says, the legs become springs. You land on and
squash the entire arch and bend your knee. So initially the body's
center of gravity falls. "You go down and then you go up," Lieberman
says. Kinetic energy from the crash landing is stored in the many
stretchy tendons of the arch and the leg, most notably the huge
Achilles tendon connecting calf muscles to the heel bone. Like rubber
bands, the tendons extend and then recoil boing! to launch you onto
the next step.

"So why do we have all these tendons in our legs?" Lieberman asks.
"You don't evolve big tendons unless you're a runner." Kangaroos,
antelope, and other serious animal runners all have a great set of
springs, which do nothing for walking. So our tendons can't be
explained as being necessary for walking.

Part by part, Bramble and Lieberman have reinterpreted the hominid
physique by juxtaposing bits of fossil evidence with what's known
about the physiology and biomechanics of jogging. Although much of
the anatomy that lets us lope is the same equipment that humans first
evolved for walking, the researchers say many of our physical traits
seem tailor-made for sustained running.

To test their ideas, they conduct biomechanical studies in
Lieberman's lab Room 53 in Harvard's small redbrick Peabody Museum.
The space looks more like a meld between a sports medicine clinic and
an untidy engineering workshop than an anthropologist's sanctum of
precious old bones. In addition to a gray-and-black running
treadmill, there are wall shelves and counters cluttered with boxes
of cotton applicators and latex gloves, containers of antiseptic, a
small toolbox, tangles of electric cords, and plastic models of human
parts, including a gigantic ear.

In one recent experiment, a volunteer named Jeff, dressed only in
dark Lycra shorts and white socks, looked like a guinea pig trapped
in a bad sci-fi flick. To track the electrical activity of key
muscles, Lieberman and a postdoc, David Raichlen, had taped circular
force-detecting pads to the bottoms of Jeff's feet and carefully
rigged other parts of him with electrodes. Wires from those sensors
ran through a small preamplifier box strapped to his lower back and
then to a nearby computer.

To capture an image of his movement, they attached little silvery
gray reflective balls onto Jeff's shoulders, hips, knees, and other
joints. Three infrared cameras would track the balls' motion and
record a stick-figure animation of him as he moved. Finally, to
measure forces acting on his skull, the researchers mounted an inch-
long accelerometer and gyroscope onto a small round tin and tied it
all on top of Jeff's head with a black mesh do-rag that knotted
securely under his chin.

Then Lieberman and Raichlen put Jeff on the treadmill and started it
up. "Focus on the gazelle on the savanna," Lieberman instructed over
the hum of the machine, indicating a big black X on a sheet of paper
taped to a shelf straight ahead. The researchers gradually cranked up
the pace until Jeff was pounding along at a hard run, sweaty and
breathless. "Your gluteus is getting a serious workout," Lieberman
said cheerfully.

The goal of the exercise was to understand how joggers stabilize
their heads and torsos part of the distinctive human balancing act
that puzzled Bramble years ago. Without the balancing help of a tail,
how do we avoid falling over when we run? The butt, it turns out, is
crucial right up there with the chin among traits that make us
uniquely human. Chimps and other primates have little buns. Our own
rear ends are huge; the upper part of the gluteus maximus is greatly
expanded. Although few scholars have studied its role in running, the
butt is, according to Bramble, "basically a substitute for a tail."

The treadmill studies support that idea. A few months later,
Lieberman showed the results from Jeff and 15 other joggers, partly
summarized in a conference presentation ("Why Is Our Gluteus So
Maximus?"). Sitting at his computer in shorts and flip-flops, Raich
len pulled up Jeff's data: a rainbow-colored series of 16
synchronized electrical recordings from all the sensors. Looking like
an EKG signal, the electromyograph, or EMG, reading from the gluteus
maximus, in red, showed little activity when Jeff strolled. But once
he broke into a jog, boom the red line tightly zigzagged. The faster
the pace, the bigger the spikes, like an earthquake signal on a
seismograph.

What that shows, says Lieberman, is that the butt isn't much involved
during walking. In running, however, the body leans forward so that
each time the leading foot strikes the ground, the trunk wants to
topple forward. The gluteus maximus prevents that: It fires just
before the foot slams into the floor, creating a braking action that
keeps the torso from falling down.

Meanwhile, the way we pump our arms back and forth in a trot helps
steady us too. And based on their experiments, the researchers
suspect that the motions of our shoulders and arms actually help
counterbalance the head, preventing it from pitching forward on each
landing. Simultaneously, with each heel strike, certain shoulder
muscles contract and put tension on the nuchal ligament, pulling up
the skull and keeping it level.

Our long neck is also important for running, Bramble says, because it
allows the shoulders to twist freely of the head as we gaze forward.
Chimps, in contrast, have hulking muscles anchoring the skull to the
shoulders, which appear permanently shrugged an orientation ideal for
reaching overhead to dangle from tree branches. Controversial fossil
evidence hints that australopithecines also had chimplike shoulders.
But by the time of 2-million-year-old Homo erectus, says Bramble,
hominids had lowered their shoulders, losing the thick, muscular
connections to the head.

These running features, the researchers argue, are unmistakably
obvious once you look for them. What's really hard to pin down, they
admit, is when these adaptations emerged. How do you figure out when
the first human butt appeared on the savanna? Muscles, tendons, and
sweat glands don't fossilize, and old bones can't reveal precisely
how their owners moved. Still, between biomechanical studies and bone
analyses, it's possible for researchers to infer whether a fossil
hominid was a jogger.

For example, most scientists reasoned that the 3.2-million-year-old
hominid Lucy, with her chimplike build, couldn't have been a good
endurance runner. She was squat, with short legs, a wide waist, long
arms, and long, curving fingers and toes that suggest a tree-climbing
lifestyle. Although researchers disagree on Lucy's gait while walking
upright, nobody thinks she could have strolled like a human. Yet more
than a million years later, Homo erectus roamed Africa with a much
longer, leggier build, sporting a dramatically different set of
physical changes that made it harder to climb trees but easier to
jog, Bramble says. "All the running equipment's already there."

What biomechanics and paleontology studies cannot reveal is why these
transitional hominid types forsook life among the boughs to become
earthbound marathon runners. Archaeological studies at hominid sites
offer one strong clue animal bones. About 2.6 million years ago, our
forebears started eating meat and marrow, rich sources of protein and
fat that perhaps eventually fueled the growth of larger brains.
Bramble and Lieberman find it conceivable that endurance running
helped hunters pursue prey to exhaustion.

Back in the 1980s, Carrier had read ethnographers' accounts of
indigenous peoples who chased deer, antelope, and kangaroos to
exhaustion under the scorching sun. The Tarahumara of the mountainous
desert of northwestern Mexico, for example, were legendary runners.
But by modern times, their running tradition had turned to sport: Men
wearing simple tire-tread sandals bound with leather thongs compete
in a 24-hour footrace that involves kicking a ball over about 100
miles of mountainous road. So Carrier, a triathlete in college, took
it upon himself to prove his case. He and his younger brother, Scott,
went to the desert in Utah and Wyoming to chase pronghorn antelope.
The beasts ditched them every time. The sleek, bouncy animals would
join up with others, and soon the men would be huffing after a dozen
of them. "You wouldn't know which were the animals you started with,"
Carrier says.

For direct evidence of endurance hunting, Bramble and Lieberman point
to the observations of Louis Liebenberg, author of The Art of
Tracking: The Origin of Science, who has spent time on the
traditional hunts of the Bushmen hunter-gatherers in the central
Kalahari Desert in Botswana. Liebenberg ran with them when they
chased down kudu antelope on two occasions. For eight other hunts he
trailed them in his Land Cruiser, sometimes with a GPS device. The
men attempted to run prey to exhaustion only when temperatures neared
100 degrees F, says Liebenberg. Three men would gulp a lot of water
and head out together. Two initially did the hard work of tracking
and pursuing over the arid grassland and woodland terrain, while the
other held back. Eventually, the leaders dropped behind, leaving the
third man to hound and spear the antelope when it reached its limit.
"The animal will either just completely collapse, or it will actually
slow down to a point where it just stands there . . . with sort of
glazed-over eyes," Liebenberg says. "Essentially, you're pushing the
animal to overheat." The hunters would then walk home with the meat,
enough to share in small portions with the tribe.

During a chase, Liebenberg noted that the men maintained speeds of
around 4 to 6 miles per hour, for anywhere from two to six and a half
hours, and traversed up to 22 miles of terrain. These stats fall well
within the performance range of the world's fastest competitive
marathoners, who set a pace of roughly 12 miles an hour to cover 26
miles, albeit under far less harsh conditions.

Although Liebenberg's observations support the runner-as-hunter
hypothesis, Bramble and Lieberman think early Homo would more likely
have first run to scavenge prey killed by other carnivores�a strategy
the Hadza people of East Africa are known to use. When leopards or
hyenas bring an animal down, the hunters "can spot these fresh kills
at a distance from the vultures circling above," Bramble says. A
carcass is an ephemeral treasure, picked clean within hours, so the
Hadza quickly head off running, chase away the carnivores, and take
what's left.

Of course, no one knows whether scavenging reaped enough caloric and
nutritional returns to make it worthwhile for our forebears. But
Bramble and Lieberman feel that the collective evidence, fielded from
so many different angles, makes a compelling case for the running
hypothesis. Even ordinary studies of human physiology, for example,
suggest that humans are so adapted for intense physical activity that
a sedentary lifestyle spawns modern-day scourges like diabetes and
heart disease. Additional support could come from the chimpanzee
genome, which may allow researchers to clock when the genes for slow-
twitch muscle fibers�crucial for running long distances and plentiful
in people but not chimps�diverged in the common evolutionary history
of humans and apes. Other clues could come from tracing the genes
involved in our abundant sweat glands and loss of body hair.

Meanwhile, other researchers are looking for holes in the argument.
Functional morphologist Brigitte Demes, at the State University of
New York at Stony Brook, notes that the gluteus maximus is absolutely
essential for rising from a squatting posture at rest or during
foraging, so it might not have evolved just for running. Stony Brook
anatomist Jack Stern, famed for analyses of how Lucy walked, says
it's a tough call to classify the Achilles tendon as an adaptation