Post by Okwes on Apr 1, 2007 22:29:44 GMT -5
Brandon Leslie juggles responsibilities while training for the Olympics
By Candace Begody
Navajo Times
Window Rock, Ariz. Jan. 18, 2007
According to Brandon Leslie, he doesn't need an Olympic gold medal to
prove he's one of the best, but it sure would be nice to be the first
Navajo to earn it - even though it seems that his goal is moving faster
and further away from him.
Leslie, who will step to the line for the 26.2-mile Olympic Trials
marathon Nov. 2 in New York City, talked about the uphill struggle of
his dream of running in the Olympics and carrying the Navajo Nation flag
in a victory lap.
Currently residing and training in Albuquerque, he is trying to qualify
for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, in the men's
marathon. To qualify, he must finish in the top three at the Trials.
Although Leslie, originally from Church Rock, N.M., has an "A" standard
(2:19:59 or under) status for the marathon going into the Olympic
Trials, he said he is not getting the financial support he needs in
order to properly train and prepare.
"A" standard athletes receive stipends from Olympic organizers to pay
for training, racing, and travel expenses up until the Olympics.
But, according to Leslie, he has received little to none of his stipend
money and almost no help from the tribe he has been longing to represent
at this elite level - the Navajo Nation.
Last spring, Leslie received $500 from the Navajo Nation through Vice
President Frank Dayish Jr. for traveling expenses for the cross country
world championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
Dayish also presented Leslie with a Navajo Nation flag for his trip to
Japan.
According to the 2006 Association of Road Racing Statisticians, an
international organization that focuses on the fastest times in elite
distance running, Leslie ranked 13th in the United States in the 10K
(29:49), 5th in the half marathon (1:03:10), and 17th in the marathon
(2:15:20).
"It was the best year of my running career," Leslie said about 2006. "I
enjoyed every minute of it and I don't regret doing all the things I did
to get there."
Highlights of Leslie's career include placing 4th at the USA Track &
Field National Club Championships in Albuquerque in November of 2005;
running a personal best of 1:03:10 and placing 3rd at the USA Men's Half
Marathon Championships in Houston, Texas; and qualifying for the World
Cross Country Championships in Japan, after placing 7th at the USATF
Winter Cross Country Championships in New York in February.
Leslie was the third American to cross the finish line in Japan and the
55th overall finisher.
He also clocked a personal record of 2:15:20 at the Chicago Marathon in
October and was the first American and 7th overall finisher for Team USA
at the Celestial Boulder-Boulder International 10K Championships.
"I feel really good," said Leslie. "All the hard work and sacrifices I
made paid off. But I still have a long season to go."
Supporting his wife and three kids, Leslie said it's hard to juggle his
responsibilities when he is in training full time.
"I have to rely on what I win at races," he said. "It's a really tough
situation as a professional athlete. If I don't do well at a race I
can't pay my bills and support my family. And even if I do win
something, I don't see a check for up to four months.
"I thought that this year would open doors for me," he continued. "I'm
sitting with an 'A' standard. I did everything everyone asked of me -
consistency with my times, races, and training - and still no help. It's
very discouraging to work so hard thinking there will be help at the end
and come to find out no one wants to."
Leslie said he looked forward to potential contracts with Reebok, Asics,
and Nike to help him financially to get to the Olympics.
"I did really good," said Leslie, "but when the time came to sign me,
they said they had no funds for me. Did I miss something, somewhere?
"I almost walked away from it all," he added. "I've overcome a lot -
alcoholism, being a young parent, and giving up - and getting back into
running.
"But I made the decision that I really wanted to run," he said.
"Everything's moving away from me again and I'm still having to stretch.
"But by quitting," he said about his doubters, "it shows that they have
won. I can pout about it and give up. Or I can say 'I belong here with
everyone else. I deserve this just as much as anyone else does' and
actually do something about it.
"I need help to make my dream come true," said Leslie. "My family have
been so supportive of what I do. I just want to be able to help them out
too."
He added that for the past year he has been under a Brooks contract,
which helps with exercising equipment, traveling expenses, and a bonus
structure.
"The bonus structure basically says if I run well, I get paid. If not,
tough," he said. "It's all making me a stronger person and a stronger
Native American."
Leslie said because he did not run to his fullest potential and has not
taken a beating from the sport, he has yet to live the life of an elite
runner and athlete.
"An elite runner thinks about nothing but running," he said, "and does
nothing but running. I haven't done that because I worry about my family
and how I'm going to pay to get to my next race.
"I'm not looking to get rich," he added, "what matters to me the most is
that I can touch the lives of people while doing something for myself
too - running at the Olympics wearing a Navajo Nation flag. But I need
help getting there."
Leslie said with the Trials less than a year away, he plans to mentally
prepare by running his typical 80-to-90 miles-per-week workouts on the
bike paths, the foothills of the Sandia Mountains, on the track, and
even in the parks of Albuquerque.
"I just want to thank those who have been behind me and have supported
me throughout my career," said Leslie. "You have made this year a
fortunate one for me."
"Special thanks to my family and friends, Roy Talker, Navajo Nation
McDonald's owner and operator, the staff at Jerry's Caf� in Gallup,
and Brooks Running Company out of Seattle, Wash.," he added.
===============================================================
Distance ace Alvina Begay struggles in chase of dream to run in the 2008
Olympics
By Candace Begody
Navajo Times
Font: N / N+ / N++
Times Photo / Leigh T. Jimmie
Alvina Begay, 26, of Ganado, Ariz., is an elite athlete in training and
hopes to represent the Navajo Nation, Indian Country and the United
States in the marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics in China.
Window Rock, Ariz. Jan. 18, 2007
F
or Alvina Begay, 26, of Ganado, Ariz., it is taking a lot more than just
the purchase of a plane ticket to get to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games
in Beijing, China.
Begay, currently living and training at Northern Arizona University's
High Altitude Training Center in Flagstaff, is sitting at a "B" standard
(2:43 and under) for the 26.2-mile marathon.
Come April of 2008, Begay will be vying in the Olympic Trials marathon
in Boston, Mass., where, if she places in the top three, she would not
only earn a spot on Team USA that will travel to China, but she would be
the sole female representative of the Navajo Nation and tribes
nationwide.
In a recent interview, Begay, a 2004 Arizona State University graduate,
talked about the sacrifices she has made within the past year and a half
and the hard work she put into qualifying for the Olympic Trials.
For one, Begay said she has given up the typical eight-to-five job in
order to chase her dream running full time.
Working four days a month as a registered dietitian at Sage Memorial
Hospital in Ganado, Begay said she has been living off $100 to $1,000
occasional donations and the earnings of a registered dietitian to pay
expenses.
According to Begay, most donations go toward nutritional supplements,
chiropractic and message therapy, proper running flats, airfare to and
from races, and other basic necessities.
Aside from eating three times a day, Begay said, drinking the
$2,600-per-year nutritional supplements help her get the extra energy
needed to get in a hard, long, and typical workout of 100 miles per
week.
"I don't starve myself," said Begay. "I eat what everyone else eats. I
just have to make sure I don't eat too much of it and stick to low-fat
foods. I don't eat Spam and potatoes or mutton stew every night. And I
do eat chips, cookies, hamburgers. I drink soda, too, every once in a
while when I really want to."
In addition, "I have to buy and drink a lot of electrolytes," said
Begay. "It's important because when you run high mileage, sometimes you
don't eat enough. They give me the extra calories I need to train. It's
like fuel."
Melody Varner, Begay's manager, said Alvina received $800 from the
Navajo Nation for training after she qualified for the Trials last year.
A Sioux tribe said it would match a $1,000 contribution from the Navajo
Nation but did match the $800. She requested help from her tribe through
a letter to President Joe Shirley Jr.
Training in the fresh snowfalls and freezing weather of the San
Francisco Peaks, Begay said like any athlete she can only train if she
is injury-free - and that takes more than most people seem to think.
"Every now and then," said Begay, "an athlete will tell you they aren't
a hundred percent healthy. Part of staying healthy is communication. I
talk to my coach a lot about workouts. When people get injured it's
because they overdo it. On days I feel tired I talk to my coach and he
adjusts the workouts for me.
"I try to wear good running shoes too," she added. "I like a lot of
cushion in my shoes and that wears down fast for both my racing and
training shoes."
According to Begay, four pairs, costing her a total of $200 a month, are
needed monthly for training - two racing flats for the roads and the
track and two training flats for the Peaks' trails, the paved roads, and
the track.
Within the past year, Begay competed in half marathons and marathons
throughout the nation as preparation for the Trials and with hopes of
becoming an all-around stronger and faster competitor.
Begay competed in the Gate River 25K USA Track & Field Championships in
Grand Rapids, Mich., where she finished as the sixth overall American
female with a time of 1:31:33.
In early June at the USATF Women's Half Marathon Championships in Kansas
City, Kan., she was the sixth finisher crossing the line in 1:17:04.
A 1:10:47 run gave Begay seventh place at the USATF New Haven 20K
Championships in New Haven, Conn. A 2:43:09 time at the USATF Marathon
Championships in Twin Cities, Minn., earned her 12th place.
As a role model to the youth and her community, Begay served as a Wings
of America running camp facilitator for eight consecutive summers and a
coach for a junior women's Native American team, which competed in New
York City in February of last year.
Volunteering her afternoons as an assistant coach during the cross
country and track seasons in past years at Ganado High School, Begay
also informed the elderly, adults, and the youth of the community about
nutrition through diabetes prevention programs.
"I represent my tribe in a positive light not just with running but with
my profession, too," said Begay. "I've been a runner at the collegiate
and national level, I'm a registered dietician, I help the youth and my
community, and I'm struggling financially.
"Then again," she added, "It is my dream. If it means just the support
of just my family, that's fine. I'm driven, I work hard, I'm dedicated,
and I'm focused.
"Help would be great but I won't be bitter about it and I won't rely on
it," Begay said about the help she doesn't receive from the Navajo
Nation.
"I'm just having fun with it," she added. "That's a big part of it.
Seeing how far I can go with this. I have my own goals and that's on me
and I know I have the support of my family."
By Candace Begody
Navajo Times
Window Rock, Ariz. Jan. 18, 2007
According to Brandon Leslie, he doesn't need an Olympic gold medal to
prove he's one of the best, but it sure would be nice to be the first
Navajo to earn it - even though it seems that his goal is moving faster
and further away from him.
Leslie, who will step to the line for the 26.2-mile Olympic Trials
marathon Nov. 2 in New York City, talked about the uphill struggle of
his dream of running in the Olympics and carrying the Navajo Nation flag
in a victory lap.
Currently residing and training in Albuquerque, he is trying to qualify
for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, in the men's
marathon. To qualify, he must finish in the top three at the Trials.
Although Leslie, originally from Church Rock, N.M., has an "A" standard
(2:19:59 or under) status for the marathon going into the Olympic
Trials, he said he is not getting the financial support he needs in
order to properly train and prepare.
"A" standard athletes receive stipends from Olympic organizers to pay
for training, racing, and travel expenses up until the Olympics.
But, according to Leslie, he has received little to none of his stipend
money and almost no help from the tribe he has been longing to represent
at this elite level - the Navajo Nation.
Last spring, Leslie received $500 from the Navajo Nation through Vice
President Frank Dayish Jr. for traveling expenses for the cross country
world championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
Dayish also presented Leslie with a Navajo Nation flag for his trip to
Japan.
According to the 2006 Association of Road Racing Statisticians, an
international organization that focuses on the fastest times in elite
distance running, Leslie ranked 13th in the United States in the 10K
(29:49), 5th in the half marathon (1:03:10), and 17th in the marathon
(2:15:20).
"It was the best year of my running career," Leslie said about 2006. "I
enjoyed every minute of it and I don't regret doing all the things I did
to get there."
Highlights of Leslie's career include placing 4th at the USA Track &
Field National Club Championships in Albuquerque in November of 2005;
running a personal best of 1:03:10 and placing 3rd at the USA Men's Half
Marathon Championships in Houston, Texas; and qualifying for the World
Cross Country Championships in Japan, after placing 7th at the USATF
Winter Cross Country Championships in New York in February.
Leslie was the third American to cross the finish line in Japan and the
55th overall finisher.
He also clocked a personal record of 2:15:20 at the Chicago Marathon in
October and was the first American and 7th overall finisher for Team USA
at the Celestial Boulder-Boulder International 10K Championships.
"I feel really good," said Leslie. "All the hard work and sacrifices I
made paid off. But I still have a long season to go."
Supporting his wife and three kids, Leslie said it's hard to juggle his
responsibilities when he is in training full time.
"I have to rely on what I win at races," he said. "It's a really tough
situation as a professional athlete. If I don't do well at a race I
can't pay my bills and support my family. And even if I do win
something, I don't see a check for up to four months.
"I thought that this year would open doors for me," he continued. "I'm
sitting with an 'A' standard. I did everything everyone asked of me -
consistency with my times, races, and training - and still no help. It's
very discouraging to work so hard thinking there will be help at the end
and come to find out no one wants to."
Leslie said he looked forward to potential contracts with Reebok, Asics,
and Nike to help him financially to get to the Olympics.
"I did really good," said Leslie, "but when the time came to sign me,
they said they had no funds for me. Did I miss something, somewhere?
"I almost walked away from it all," he added. "I've overcome a lot -
alcoholism, being a young parent, and giving up - and getting back into
running.
"But I made the decision that I really wanted to run," he said.
"Everything's moving away from me again and I'm still having to stretch.
"But by quitting," he said about his doubters, "it shows that they have
won. I can pout about it and give up. Or I can say 'I belong here with
everyone else. I deserve this just as much as anyone else does' and
actually do something about it.
"I need help to make my dream come true," said Leslie. "My family have
been so supportive of what I do. I just want to be able to help them out
too."
He added that for the past year he has been under a Brooks contract,
which helps with exercising equipment, traveling expenses, and a bonus
structure.
"The bonus structure basically says if I run well, I get paid. If not,
tough," he said. "It's all making me a stronger person and a stronger
Native American."
Leslie said because he did not run to his fullest potential and has not
taken a beating from the sport, he has yet to live the life of an elite
runner and athlete.
"An elite runner thinks about nothing but running," he said, "and does
nothing but running. I haven't done that because I worry about my family
and how I'm going to pay to get to my next race.
"I'm not looking to get rich," he added, "what matters to me the most is
that I can touch the lives of people while doing something for myself
too - running at the Olympics wearing a Navajo Nation flag. But I need
help getting there."
Leslie said with the Trials less than a year away, he plans to mentally
prepare by running his typical 80-to-90 miles-per-week workouts on the
bike paths, the foothills of the Sandia Mountains, on the track, and
even in the parks of Albuquerque.
"I just want to thank those who have been behind me and have supported
me throughout my career," said Leslie. "You have made this year a
fortunate one for me."
"Special thanks to my family and friends, Roy Talker, Navajo Nation
McDonald's owner and operator, the staff at Jerry's Caf� in Gallup,
and Brooks Running Company out of Seattle, Wash.," he added.
===============================================================
Distance ace Alvina Begay struggles in chase of dream to run in the 2008
Olympics
By Candace Begody
Navajo Times
Font: N / N+ / N++
Times Photo / Leigh T. Jimmie
Alvina Begay, 26, of Ganado, Ariz., is an elite athlete in training and
hopes to represent the Navajo Nation, Indian Country and the United
States in the marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics in China.
Window Rock, Ariz. Jan. 18, 2007
F
or Alvina Begay, 26, of Ganado, Ariz., it is taking a lot more than just
the purchase of a plane ticket to get to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games
in Beijing, China.
Begay, currently living and training at Northern Arizona University's
High Altitude Training Center in Flagstaff, is sitting at a "B" standard
(2:43 and under) for the 26.2-mile marathon.
Come April of 2008, Begay will be vying in the Olympic Trials marathon
in Boston, Mass., where, if she places in the top three, she would not
only earn a spot on Team USA that will travel to China, but she would be
the sole female representative of the Navajo Nation and tribes
nationwide.
In a recent interview, Begay, a 2004 Arizona State University graduate,
talked about the sacrifices she has made within the past year and a half
and the hard work she put into qualifying for the Olympic Trials.
For one, Begay said she has given up the typical eight-to-five job in
order to chase her dream running full time.
Working four days a month as a registered dietitian at Sage Memorial
Hospital in Ganado, Begay said she has been living off $100 to $1,000
occasional donations and the earnings of a registered dietitian to pay
expenses.
According to Begay, most donations go toward nutritional supplements,
chiropractic and message therapy, proper running flats, airfare to and
from races, and other basic necessities.
Aside from eating three times a day, Begay said, drinking the
$2,600-per-year nutritional supplements help her get the extra energy
needed to get in a hard, long, and typical workout of 100 miles per
week.
"I don't starve myself," said Begay. "I eat what everyone else eats. I
just have to make sure I don't eat too much of it and stick to low-fat
foods. I don't eat Spam and potatoes or mutton stew every night. And I
do eat chips, cookies, hamburgers. I drink soda, too, every once in a
while when I really want to."
In addition, "I have to buy and drink a lot of electrolytes," said
Begay. "It's important because when you run high mileage, sometimes you
don't eat enough. They give me the extra calories I need to train. It's
like fuel."
Melody Varner, Begay's manager, said Alvina received $800 from the
Navajo Nation for training after she qualified for the Trials last year.
A Sioux tribe said it would match a $1,000 contribution from the Navajo
Nation but did match the $800. She requested help from her tribe through
a letter to President Joe Shirley Jr.
Training in the fresh snowfalls and freezing weather of the San
Francisco Peaks, Begay said like any athlete she can only train if she
is injury-free - and that takes more than most people seem to think.
"Every now and then," said Begay, "an athlete will tell you they aren't
a hundred percent healthy. Part of staying healthy is communication. I
talk to my coach a lot about workouts. When people get injured it's
because they overdo it. On days I feel tired I talk to my coach and he
adjusts the workouts for me.
"I try to wear good running shoes too," she added. "I like a lot of
cushion in my shoes and that wears down fast for both my racing and
training shoes."
According to Begay, four pairs, costing her a total of $200 a month, are
needed monthly for training - two racing flats for the roads and the
track and two training flats for the Peaks' trails, the paved roads, and
the track.
Within the past year, Begay competed in half marathons and marathons
throughout the nation as preparation for the Trials and with hopes of
becoming an all-around stronger and faster competitor.
Begay competed in the Gate River 25K USA Track & Field Championships in
Grand Rapids, Mich., where she finished as the sixth overall American
female with a time of 1:31:33.
In early June at the USATF Women's Half Marathon Championships in Kansas
City, Kan., she was the sixth finisher crossing the line in 1:17:04.
A 1:10:47 run gave Begay seventh place at the USATF New Haven 20K
Championships in New Haven, Conn. A 2:43:09 time at the USATF Marathon
Championships in Twin Cities, Minn., earned her 12th place.
As a role model to the youth and her community, Begay served as a Wings
of America running camp facilitator for eight consecutive summers and a
coach for a junior women's Native American team, which competed in New
York City in February of last year.
Volunteering her afternoons as an assistant coach during the cross
country and track seasons in past years at Ganado High School, Begay
also informed the elderly, adults, and the youth of the community about
nutrition through diabetes prevention programs.
"I represent my tribe in a positive light not just with running but with
my profession, too," said Begay. "I've been a runner at the collegiate
and national level, I'm a registered dietician, I help the youth and my
community, and I'm struggling financially.
"Then again," she added, "It is my dream. If it means just the support
of just my family, that's fine. I'm driven, I work hard, I'm dedicated,
and I'm focused.
"Help would be great but I won't be bitter about it and I won't rely on
it," Begay said about the help she doesn't receive from the Navajo
Nation.
"I'm just having fun with it," she added. "That's a big part of it.
Seeing how far I can go with this. I have my own goals and that's on me
and I know I have the support of my family."