Wednesday, March 1, 2006

Recreation Notes: Olympic Trials spot earned by Morrison

BRYAN LEE

Tucson Citizen

Paula Morrison braved freezing temperatures in running last week's Freescale Austin (Texas) Marathon, and the effort was worth it.

She qualified for the Olympic Trials for the second time in her career.

Morrison, running in 30-degree temperatures and cold mist all the way, finished below the 2 hour, 47-minute qualifying standard with a 2:45:23 effort in the major Texas event.

Now it's time to chart a two-year course for the Trials in 2008.

Morrison's effort in Austin made her eager to put in the 100 miles per week she needs to run.

"I have never felt that way before (after a marathon)," she said. "I was so excited about this race. Everything went great. I didn't have the leg problems I usually have the last four to six miles of a race."

Morrison said the runners had to stay in constant motion before the start just to try to stay warm.

"Then after we started, the mist in the air would dampen your skin and the winds were 10 to 15 miles per hour," she said. "And it stayed that way. It bothered me and I certainly would have run faster, maybe by 30 to 40 seconds if conditions were right."

Morrison's next goal is move from qualifying B status to A status. Runners with A status get their expenses paid for the Trials. She needs a 2:30 to reach A status. If she does, she'll eclipse her career best of 2:43.

"I'm going to try to mix in some speed races (5Ks and 10Ks), and my coach (Greg Wenneborg) and I are looking at some psychological aspects, like running another marathon as soon as the spring to see what will happen," she said. "The shorter races help my confidence, and I need the opportunity to test my wheels and get faster times in the short races."

Gunn second in cycling event

Tucson's Curtis Gunn finished second in the men's pro General Category last week in the Valley of the Sun, Arizona's largest bicycle stage race.

Gunn placed second in the 2-mile Stage 1 Time Trial, second in the 100-mile Road Race and 12th in the Stage 3 Criterium. His overall General Category time was 5:33:34, 18 seconds behind winner Tim Zirbel of Boulder, Colo.

In road race competition, Tucsonans Denny Vaughan and Heath McFarland were 12th and 19th place, respectively, and Vaughan claimed a top 25 (21st) in the time trial.

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