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**Marathon Madness – Footwear is 20% off minimum al this week!! That is at Urban Athletics running stores in NYC – 1291 Madison & WFC Winter Gardens. Free raffles, food drinks, clothes etc in the down town store after the Half on Sunday!! You would be crazy not to check it out. As it is meters from the finish line.

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Craig Mottram was back in great form holding off the best Kenyan finisher in the business Songok (the man who beat Bekele in a sprint) – Buster looks like he might have timed things right. Dayron Robles another amazing hurdles win in 12:91! And Stefan Holm – what can you say, the man of the High Jump – and this guy is the salt of the earth, so let’s hope he wins (Another) Olympic Gold. Sanya Richards showed she is the top 400m runner by putting Allyson back into third… but the result of the meet was Meseret’s reply to the Baby faced Assassin.

Okay she did not get the record but to run 14:12 sets up the most anticipated Olympic domestic distance challenges ever seen since Coe vs Ovett! Second place in that race, Zackia, 14:58, who trains in Iten, but comes from Tanzania. Carolina Kluft is struggling in the Long Jump, and could only manage third – I still think she should have gone for the heptathlon because there she creates magic, form or no form.

Speaking of which – I was doing that earlier at Ess-a-Bagel (only three bagels – One with lax, one with raisin cream cheese, one plain -- actually took half the excess cream cheese) all on Cinnamon raison.. at the Lower East Side’s best bagelry chatting with GlobalKobal. NYC’s most talented photographer. Check out his web site!!

Da Simba time… Beijing we are coming.

During the race Arusei started fast. The first 2 km she run in 5.55 minutes, 4 km in 12.08 minutes, 6 km in 18.24 minutes and 8 km in 24.43 minutes. The fastest lap was 69 seconds and the slowest lap was 76 seconds. From begin to end she was running on her own, no other athlete could follow her. Peninah Arusei had come especially for this race from Kenya.

Peninah Arusei finished during the Kenyan trials for Olympics as second (32.19.3 minutes). She lost in that race the final kick from Lucy Kabuu (32.18.6 minutes). The first two athletes of the trials would qualify automatic for Olympics and the third athlete would be chosen by Athletics Kenya. Because Arusei was not having a Qualification time (faster than 31.45 minutes) Athletics Kenya selected beside of Lucy Kabuu (first at the trials), Grace Momanyi (third at the Trials) and Lineth Masai (sixth at the trials).

With her new personal best and qualification time Arusei showed Kenya that she is ready to represent her country at the Olympics and hopes Athletics Kenya / Kenyan National Olympic Committee will still include her in the Kenyan team.

We went out to dinner one night to Shelter Island, Sunset Beach restaurant was it called? It was a beautiful place, but the staff and the food left something to be desired – the starter Wild Calamari in a ginger salad.. the calamari was cold, and tasted like it had been in a waiting room for a Polish train. I could not taste any ginger to save my life, and the salad was on par with a Broadway truckstop. For the main course seared scallops – now they were good, and fresh, but the sauce that smothered the accompanying sweet corn tasted right out of the packet, which is fine, but best that you know it first. The chef was most generous, unfortunately, with the said sauce. The dessert, ice cream pistachio was fab!

Fun picture from Kenya, we were going up a steep hill! Little trivia the turnoff is to the road that lads to Moses Tanui's old house, and where you can find Patrick Sang, and also an old Ondieki house.

I saw the cover of the NY-er and thought it really was in bad taste. Almost as if someone paid big bucks for it to be put up there? I think the subscribers are the ones who should decide if they want to endorse this propaganda… and if they are offended, then go and cancel your subscription -- let your $$-talk. (They are rallying 1pm Times Sq outside the NYer offices if you are around)

In the men’s steeplechase Paul Koech, 8:00, wins by 19-seconds! And Jenny Barringer, USA, won the women’s in 9:22… back to Barca, Veronica Campbell clocked 21:98 in the 200m there, which was one of the classiest results of the weekend – Veronica is an out and out nice person – too bad her and Allyson Felix are going head2head in the Olympics as I want them both to win.

Also over in Europe we hear from team Volare Peninah Arusei ran a fab 30:57 to clock an Olympic qualifier for the Kenya team! Well done, awesome running…. Also watch out for Geoffrey Mutai from Team Volare too – a huge name for the future currently he is killing everyone in Holland!

A shot from 11-years ago! The Simba, Lornah Kiplagat on the phone!

World Champion: Janet Jepkosgei runs with More Fire – 1:56 for the 800, she can run from the back, the front, or kick – with More Fire! Wait till she moves up to the 1500!

We met uptown at 86th ST, and whilst I was standing on the corner #11 came by, She had run 15-miles the other day, then started personal training with a client, who then wanted to run… Anyway, when Diane came we walked, and then we walked, and the stories she was telling me, “Oh yeah, I used to take my pet snake (8-foot long) to the track meets…” Diane was also the best friend of FloJo, she has some beautiful FloJo stories -- here's a trivia question -- what was Flojo's nickname prior to that one, and for a bonus, what was her registration plate on her Datsun? She can also explain why Valerie BH wore shorts in the Olympic finals, what Gwen Torrence is doing now, Calvin, Carl, Leroy, Michelle etc etc, and so many funny stories that we laughed across the streets of Manhattan for seven hours. Of course we had a visit to Starbucks, and to TGIF.

The sport needs personalities with a fast moving tongue and rivalries, it makes for TV viewing, and it might make for getting T&F shown on the TV over here. Anyway, it was a fun day.

In the women the Baby faced assassin goes for the double, and may well get it! The 5000 may be a great classic, and let’s hope Sleepy Sylvia can sneak in there!! 1500m Geleta Burka. 5000m: Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar, Meselech Melkamu, Belaynesh Fekadu 10,000m: Mestawet Tufa, Tirunesh Dibaba, Ejegayehou Dibaba, Wude Ayalew Marathon: Gete Wami, Berhane Adere, Bezunesh Bekele, Dire Tune .

It was Bastille Day of course, so we went to Soleil (which sounds like a Jean Gaultier shirt I have, or two of because of coloring). Anyway, all we wish to do is have a couple of swift ones and move on. But this woman at the bar tries to make the moves, she is American and keeps on asking “When is this going to be Bastille night? I want to sing the national anthem.” So I say in French, Maybe it is wise just to let the evening go as is.”. She says, “Oh wow, A French person on Bastille night!” Meanwhile I am thinking, if you think I am French with my crappy French god help whatever.. Meanwhile The waitress is Ukrainian (Iliana) she sees what is going on, she smiles looking upwards, so we take the hint (She mentions some word in Russian that seem to explain a lot) We order Tira Misu. The drunk Woman, with an empty glass, looks at me, shaking her glass, and says, “I wonder what I am doing tonight?” Two beers later, I palm her off with a 15-year old, she does not look amused.

However now we are talking Bastille with a Frenchwoman & with another wait staff who acts as a vodka sell-out salesperson whilst waiting for her green card, and a also tall person paid to promote some drink that looks like vodka also (I don’t try it). It is all over the bar in front of us, but since I’ve drunk a gallon and a half and the Rocket has two 6-packs in his pack for when we get back I decide to save it all for another evening.. but more than anything, I remember this is simply just another NYC evening.

Three minutes later, “Sorry about that…” disappears again!! Comes back again, “What is your express service code?” Now there is a joke. I explain the problem after giving him the problem. Another ‘hold’ where I can hear him talking in the background to another customer (!!) Gets back on the phone to me. “Actually Sir, I am an Inspiron (or whatever), I do not know about the xps mode.”
So why did you ask me for all the info?
”Of course Sir I will pass this on to the next technician.”
Do you think he did?

I estimate since using (and I must have used it about 10-times) I have spent at least 4-hours with Dell technicians in person, and at least that amount of time on the phone fixing this piece of junk – as I say, I was warned.. not for the first time I did not listen.

Arrived via the text message; hanging out in Eldoret with Jamjar.

The beer was Stella thanks to a tip from the waiter to forget the Italian beer on offer. The beet salad was actually very good, had some nice components in there that made the plate colorful and actually was good to eat. The pizza, for which this place is famed, and many Italians dub as the best pizzeria in NYC fell a huge way behind Nick’s on Second Ave at 94th St, a long way short… Toppings were ok, but the crust and sauce were secondary.

Sally Barsosio, one of the world’s most outstanding athletes. She is the only ever Kenyan woman to win a major 10,000m championship on the track – that’s not going to change in Beijing, well that’s my two cents.

In related news Shoe4Africa Ambassador Ezekiel Kemboi today emailed and is running with More Fire! Ezekiel has the chance to be the first ever man in history to win back2back Olympic Steeplechase titles – Go Ezekiel!!

Allyson Felix and Muna Lee make the Olympic team at the 200m! Great news for clean sprinting – two athletes of the new generation. Funnily enough I was just reading an Olympic thing from 2004 with Justin whatshisname who won the gold… looking at that guy…. Looking at these two gives hope!

The movie was about the life of Ghengis Khan and a testament to what can be done without a blockbuster budget… we went to the 11pm showing.. I was wishing there was a bit more editing. Nevertheless a nice story and one that leaves you more endeared to the tyrant than before the curtains rise.

Women’s Sprinting: I was so happy to see Muna Lee won the US trials. She has always been my fave since the Great Gail Devers stepped down. Over in Jamaica, my Jamaican fave did not make the 100m team(!) – as Kerron Stewart (100m, 200m, 4×100m), Shelly-Ann Fraser (100m, 4×100m), Sherone Simpson (100m, 200m, 4×100m), did, but Veronica Campbell-Brown (200m, 4×100m), is in the greatest 4 x 100m team ever assembled!

Also up there was J Lindberg from the fashion world:

“NEW YORK — Justin Timberlake and Johan Lindeberg are ready to duet. The pop star has signed up the Swedish designer, best known as the founder and creative director of fashion label J. Lindeberg, to a three-year contract to design a full-scale contemporary collection under the William Rast label. To be launched at Coterie and Project Las Vegas this winter for fall ’08 retailing, the new men’s and women’s lines will move William Rast beyond its core five-pocket denim business. Lindeberg will design the men’s sportswear collection, while his wife, Marcella, will design the women’s wear component. The husband-and-wife team moved to New York this past summer and set up an independent design firm, Paris68 (named after the student revolts in that city in May 1968), while Lindeberg continues to oversee creative direction of his namesake label. William Rast is Paris68’s first client."

Marcella was up there too.. and let me tell you in the football match (Soccer) Johann was a rock in defense; it was impossible to get a ball past him! I had two goals disallowed because I was “An adult” – they also had three goalkeepers.. it was an odd match.. Earlier on that day we went running in the woods, got lost and spent two hours running on random roads out in the middle of who knows where… nevermind that I ate so much I restocked the calorie need of a marching army. We watched wimbledon at breakfast, over lunch, then we took a limo bus back to NYC, that was like something out of Las Vegas – it was a 28-seat pleasure bus(see picture!) Then continued to watch wimbledon over dinner (the game took the whole day!)

I was super happy that Venus (my fave) won the women’s title, and that was fantastic tennis too.

But it was business as usual downtown, and as I just received this mid town picture from Global, let’s post it!

Even in the evening hours it is discussing architects with ChuckyChina!

Talking Running, I had a nice run this morning with Ethelie; nice to run with someone, especially since I had gotten used to running with Tony before he scooted up to CT.

This unknown man looks at the starting list, he knows as an unknown he has only one chance to guarantee him a spot on the team; this is not first three over the line, he must win the trials.

To do this he must defeat the reigning Olympic Champion who stands on the start line; Julius Kariuki, he must also defeat Peter Koech, Koech holds the World record at the steeplechase and is the reigning Olympic Silver medallist, he must also defeat the reigning World Champion Moses Kiptanui who has been unbeatable all year. He must run out of his skin, then add some more as virtually every runner in the field is ranked in the world’s top ten performers.

“I ran with More Fire!!” Matthew Birir.

Read the story of HOW Matthew Birir not only trained to make the team, but how he then went on to win the Olympic Gold medal. Today Shoe4Africa is super proud to have Matthew as one of its ambassadors.

Heard from Sleepy Sylvia today – Good luck Sleepy, make the Kenyan team!! Go!