The Best Track and Field Blogs

It’s been two and a half years since I started writing about my training on this thing called the interweb. Since then, many other track and field athletes have also started their own websites. Now, there are so many blogs that it can be hard to decide which ones are worth the read. Some are updated often and some rarely. Some provide a superficial look at the athlete, while others are more personal or contain detailed accounts of training. Below is a collection of my favorite sites across all the events.  If I leave out any great blogs, feel free to add them in the comments below.

My Training Partners – Quite a few of my training partners have set up sites. Michael Letterlough has been writing the longest. Kibwé Johnson and Crystal Smith recently joined in with some great insight on how it is to train in Kamloops. Justin and Megann Rodhe also have a new blog.

Hammer Throw – Unfortunately, few of the top men in America have websites (and Walter Henning just shut his blog down). The women, however, are on top of things.  Five of the finalists at last year’s U.S. Championships are now blogging.  Erin Gilreath and Loree Smith both provide a good in-depth look at the life of a thrower, with Loree even providing some good information on her training program.  Britney Henry and Kristal Yush, among others, also provides frequent updates.

Shot Put – Dan Taylor – Two-time U.S. world championship team member Dan Taylor provides excellent updates on his training, his competitions, and the shot put world. He has even put together a comprehensive shot put ranking system with updated weekly rankings.

Discus – Will Conwell – My former teammate Will Conwell placed 6th at the 2008 Olympic Trials and recently moved to Auburn, Alabama to train with coach Jerry Clayton. It has been interesting to follow his progress as he keeps working towards 2012.

Triple Jump – Samyr Laine – Just because I’m a thrower doesn’t mean that I don’t like other events. I have a hidden passion for the triple jump and even scored a point at a high school dual meet in the event. I’ve never met Samyr, but have a unique connection with him since he is in his last semester of law school at Georgetown and will soon join me as one of the few attorneys competing in athletics. Like me, he is also a dual citizen (he competes for Haiti). However, he has accomplished more on the track and will be in Qatar this week to compete in the World Indoor Championships. His site provides great updates on his training, complete with video.

Long Jump – Brianna Glenn – I like following Brianna’s blog since it provides a great balance of discussing life as a track athlete, both inside and outside of training. Her career saw a little resurgence last year and she is also competing in Qatar this week.

Distance Running – I even have a place in my heart for distance runners. Dathan Ritzenhein had perhaps the best year of any American distance runner in 2009 by setting an American record in the 5,000 meters, placing well at the World Championships in the 10,000 meters, and winning a medal at the World Half Marathon Championships. His site shows the life of an elite distance runner. I enjoy that he takes the time to answer many reader questions. My favorite site to read, however, belongs to husband and wife runners Ian Dobson and Julia Lucas. Their writing is witty, their photos are great, and their updates are frequent and wide-ranging. Reading their site makes me realize that runners and throwers often confront similar challenges. I also enjoy reading Emily Brown‘s updates, which I found through her interview with Runner’s World.

Hurdles – David Oliver – David won the bronze medal in Beijing and it has been fun to follow his travels this indoor season.

Coverage and Insight – A lot of good blogs have emerged for both news and insight. If you are into hammer throwing, you should already be reading the two sites I’ve been running for the past decade: CollegeHammer.com and HSHammer.com. In the Northwest, Paul Merca‘s blog is a must read, as are Ken Goe‘s updates for the Oregonian. The Track and Field Superblog, RunBlogRun, and Conway Hill’s View From the Finish Line provide a good mix of commentary and news. For commentary from across the pond, you can’t top Tony Ward’s Inside Track.

Twitter – If you use Twitter, I’ve put together lists of some top track athletes and throwers. Also be sure to follow me and follow CollegeHammer.com.