Father’s Day is Sunday, June 21. You know what you are getting for Dad?

Does Dad run? Well if so, how about something to do with running?

Here are some suggestions:

1. A subscription to a running magazine. Running magazines such as Runner’s World give advice on various running topics from the best places to run to medical issues and have interesting and inspiring interviews with noteworthy competitive and recreational runners.

2. A running log. Running logs are small notebooks that contain spaces to record daily runs, weather, notes and race results. These inexpensive gifts are a necessity for anyone who takes her or his training seriously. Many logs also contain quotes from elite runners and coaches regarding their own training and experiences.

3. The Stick. Specifically designed for runners to help increase flexibility, accelerate recovery time, and reduces muscle soreness, stiffness and pain, the Marathon Stick is a great idea for the runner who doesn’t have the time for regular massafes. You just roll the stick on your muscles for a self-massage. The stick is small enough to fit into a backpack or small suitcase, so you can easily take it along to races. It’s particularly effective at loosening up tight leg muscles.

4. Heart Rate Monitor. The Polar RS100 wrist heart rate is perfect for the runner who loves gadgets and wants plenty of feedback about his runs. It combines all the heart rate features and stopwatch components runners need to monitor their workouts and try to improve their performance. By taking into account his current physical condition, the monitor can be programmed to guide a runner through a warm-up routine and then determine a safe and effective exercise heart rate zone.

5. A technical running shirt. This will not only keep dad cooled off, but also keep him from getting stinky. The Brooks Anti-Microbial Shirt is made of 96.5 percent polyester and 3.5 percent X-Static, a silver-coated textile fiber that naturally inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria and fungi. Other great features of this shirt include a breathable mesh paneling and an MP3-compatible pocket.

6. Socks. Runners could always use a new pair of socks. Depending on what kind of sock dad prefers, check out this list of best summer running socks.

7. Go for a run with dad. This may be the best gift of all.

As long as you're as pumped as this guy, you can do anything you set your mind to.

So it has been a long time since the last post. I apologize.

I finished another year of school, moved back home for the summer and started an internship at the local paper.

And I’ve found time to run everyday! And hopefully I’ll find time to post weekly running news and tips and anything else I find.

So let’s get this rolling. Thanks to Complete Running Network, I found 100 beginner runner tips. It’s summer time; the work may have slowed down a bit, students you’re not in school anymore, so how about sign up for a local 5k in the fall and begin to run this summer?

These 100 beginner runner tips will help get you started.

Check out the list, but here are ten from the list I hold dearly and swear by:

14. Find a committed running partner. It is much harder to skip out on a run when you have someone else depending on you.

16. It gets easier.

17. Accept and appreciate the fact that not every single run can be a good one.

18. Be prepared to remove the words “can’t” and “never” from your vocabulary.

29. Hydrate. Make it a habit to drink water throughout the day.

46. Make sure you cut your toenails short enough so they don’t jam into your shoes!

60. Run facing traffic.

67. Get assessed for the right kind of running shoes.

69. At first, keep your runs short and slow to avoid injury and soreness so you do not quit.

91. Forgive yourself. Over-ambitious goals usually lead to frustration and giving up on your fitness plan. If you miss a goal or milestone, let it go and focus on the next opportunity to get it.

Janice McClain, sophomore at CSU, pole vaults earlier this season at the Glenn Morris Invitational. McClain walked on the track team this year.

Janice McClain is a sophomore at Colorado State University. She is studying health and exercise science with the dream of someday becoming a physical therapist or doctor. She isn’t unlike any other college student – she goes to class, hangs out with friends, spends time on Facebook and…pole vaults every weekend with the CSU track and field team.

McClain is a walk-on athlete on the CSU track team. She was not a hot-shot recruit out of tiny Bayfield High School. She is not on scholarship. She doesn’t get her books paid for. She even has to buy her own running shoes. But she gets to travel with the team and compete in a sport she loves.

After not running or jumping at all her freshman year, McClain got the itch to compete again in the sport and jumped at the idea of walking on the CSU team.

“I didn’t compete at all my freshman year; I didn’t do any sports and then I just missed it I guess,” said McClain.“I missed being around a team and being part of a team and representing the school and I love working out and being around people who have the same interests as I do. I went to a couple track meets just to watch and just missed track, so I just walked on and tried out.”

After watching CSU’s home track meets as a freshman, McClain contacted head track coach Brian Bedard and told of her intentions of walking on the team. She told the coaches her P.R.s and that she was interested in doing the pole vault – the event she excelled at in high school.

And so after talking with the coaches, they offered her a position on the team as a walk-on. She would not receive any money, but would be given a chance to compete at meets throughout the season. The first obstacle was going through the conditioning workouts – and earning the respect of the coaches.

“You show up to practice and go through the conditioning, which is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life; I almost died,” McClain said. “And the coaches treat you like you don’t belong on the team. Basically they’re trying to kick your ass, but you have to show them you’re serious about joining the team and earn that respect by busting your butt.”

McClain said the coaches then decide and have the final word on what event you’re going to do and can sometimes place you in an event you may have never done. Fortunately for McClain, the coaches placed her in the pole vault, which is her favorite event.

In four meets this outdoor season, McClain has posted a season-best height of nine feet and two and a quarter inches. She will wrap up her season at the Jack Christiansen Invitational in Ft. Collins this weekend.

McClain plans on running with the team next year and is willing to do whatever the coaches tell her.

“He might keep me on the pole vaulting; he might put me in another event, but I’ll probably stick with pole vaulting because pole vaulting isn’t part of the multi-events for the heptathlon or pentathlon for the women, so I’ll probably just stick with that for now unless he decides to put me in something else. Whatever the coach says goes, said McClain.”

The best thing about joining the CSU track team she says – the people she’s met.

“I love everyone on the track team; they’re the nicest people I’ve ever met,” McClain said.

Listen to this podcast as McClain explains a little more of the process of walking on the track team, the differences between the scholarship athletes and walk-ons and the transition from high school sports to college sports.

Results can be found here. They are organized by marathon, half-marathon, 10k and 5k.

In what turned out to be a beautiful day for a race, 997 runners finished the marathon, while 1,276 finished the half marathon.

Ryan Donovan, 26, of Ft. Collins won the men’s marathon in 2 hours 29 minutes 24 seconds, an impressive 5:42 pace. Donovan is an assistant professor at Colorado State University in health and exercise science (I’ve had him, great teacher!).

Kim Dobson, 24, was the first woman to cross the finish line, finishing 20th overall. She finished with a time of 2:59:16, a 6:50 pace.

Mark Lonac, 23, of Colorado won the half marathon in a new course record time of 1:10:43, a 5:23 pace.

Danielle Korb, 24, of Colorado finished fifth overall and first among the women in a time of 1:18:18.

Race organizers bill the Colorado Marathon as “America’s Most Scenic Course.” The race starts up the Poudre Canyon at Steven’s Gulch Campground and runners wind their way down the canyon along the Poudre River before finishing among a crowd of spectators at the North end of Old Town Plaza.

The Colorado Marathon is also one of the fastest. With a net elevation loss of 1,128 feet and only two small hills to climb, many runners use the Colorado Marathon as a Boston qualifier.

Just as last year, the race capped at pre-registration. Eight hundred marathoners will tackle the course Sunday, while 1,500 will run the half-marathon.

Brian Scott of Naperville, Illinois was the overall winner in 2008 running the 26.2 miles in 2 hours 31 minutes 13 seconds. Mercedes Gill of Ft. Collins won the women’s race with a time of 3:00:41.

The marathon begins at 6 a.m. while the half marathon will start at 7. For those interested in watching, race officials have provided the best spots to catch the runners here.

Joining Winjiru on the podium were the same two who finished behind him in Beijing, only flip flopped. Beijing bronze medalist Tsegay Kebede of Ethiopia finished second, while silver medalist Jaouad Gharib of Morocco finished third.

Shooting for a new world record, Winjiru was on pace to break Haile Gebrselassie’s time of 2:03:59 at the halfway point.

From the Associated Press:

“The condition of the weather was very fine and my body was fine, but the pacemaker was going too slowly. He said he was tired,” the 22-year-old Kenyan said. “I think they should get a good pacemaker from the starting point to 35K.

“But I got good experience and maybe next time if we can get a good pacemaker, I can set a world record.”

Kebede’s time of 2:05:20 was a personal best. Gharib finished with a time of 2:05:27.

The two elite Americans in the race each ran solid efforts; both establishing personal bests. Meb Keflezighi finished ninth with a time of 2:09:21, beating his personal best by nearly 30 seconds. Dathan Ritzenhein finished 11th in 2:10:00, bettering his personal best by one minute.

In the women’s race, Germany’s Irina Mikitenko captured her second consecutive London title winning in 2:22:11. Mara Yamauchi of Britain finished second in a personal best time of 2:23:12. Russia’s Liliya Shobukhova was third in 2:24:24.

Olympic record holder Sammy Wanjiru, is the favorite to win the London Marathon on Sunday and could also shoot to break the current world record of 2:03:59.

The London Marathon is Sunday April 26, marking two consecutive weeks of major marathons. If the London is anything like the show at Boston this week, running fans are in for a treat.

Though the race does not have the hype of Boston, London features many elite runners including Beijing Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru, Beijing bronze medalist Tsegaye Kebede and Americans Dathan Ritzenhein and Meb Keflezighi.

Ritzenhein and Keflezighi will most likely not be in the running for the podium in London, but both will be shooting for personal bests.

Ritzenhein will run his fourth marathon on Monday; the first time on a fast course. In his debut marathon in New York in 2006 he finished 11th in 2:14:01. He was second on the hilly 2008 Olympic Trials course in 2:11:07 and endured hot temperatures at the Beijing Olympics, finishing 9th in 2:11:59.

Keflezghi is returning from a rough 2008 in which he did not run a marathon and competed in only three races. Since finishing a respectable third in Boston in 2006 in 2:09:56, three seconds off his personal best in New York in 2004, injuries have stifled the Athens Olympic marathon silver medalist. He has had a good start to 2009 however, winning at the U.S. half-marathon championships in January and the U.S. cross-country championships in February. He and Ritzenhein are both aiming for a 2:07:30 finish.

Wanjiru and Kebede however are the favorites and could threaten Haile Gebrselassie’s world record of 2:03.59. Both are only 22 and lead the trend of the marathon becoming a young man’s race.

Wanjiru, from Kenya is the world record holder in the half marathon at 58:33 and has a personal best marathon of 2:05:24. His Beijing Olympic gold run of 2:06:32 smashed the old Olympic marathon record by nearly three minutes and many running experts call the run in the hot, soggy conditions in Beijing the best marathon ever run.

Kebede, from Ethiopia, has a personal best marathon of 2:06:10 and will certainly be in the running for first place. He claimed the bronze in Beijing after passing teammate and recently crowned Boston champ, Deriba Merga, in the final 400m.

On the men’s side, Ethiopia’s Deriba Merga took charge at the 23 mile mark and crossed the finish in 2:08:42, nearly a minute ahead of Kenya’s Daniel Rono (2:09:32). Hall finished in third with a time of 2:09:40.

The women’s race ended in a toe-to-toe sprint between defending champ Dire Tune and Salina Kosgei, with Kosgei out-leaning Tune for the tape. She finished with a time of 2:32:16, with Tune in 2:32:17. Goucher, who lead for much of the race, finished third in 2:32:25.

Official results (Men)

1. Deriba Merga (ETH) 2:08:42, $150,000

2. Daniel Rono (KEN) 2:09:32, $75,000

3. Ryan Hall (USA) 2:09:40, $40,000

4. Tekeste Kebede (ETH) 2:09:49, $25,000

5. Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:10:06, $15,000

6. Gashaw Asfaw (ETH) 2:10:44, $12,000

7. Solomon Molla (ETH) 2:12:02, $9000

8. Evans Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:12:45, $7400

9. Stephen Kiogora (KEN) 2:13:00, $5700

10. Timothy Cherigat (KEN) 2:13:04, $420

Official results (Women)

1. Salina Kosgei (KEN) – 2:32:16 ($150,000)

2. Dire Tune (ETH) – 2:32:17 ($75,000)

3. Kara Goucher (USA) – 2:32:25 ($40,000)

4. Bezunesh Bekele (ETH) – 2:33:08 ($25,000)

5. Helena Kirop (KEN) – 2:33:24 ($15,000)

6. Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS) – 2:34:20 ($12,000)

7. Atsede Habtamu (ETH) – 2:35:34 ($9,000)

8. Colleen De Reuck (USA) – 2:35:37 ($7,400)

9. Alice Timbilili (KEN) – 2:36:25 ($5,700)

10. Alina Ivanova (RUS) – 2:36:50 ($4,200)

Runners Roost Ft. Collins has the results up on its site. Results were compiled by Morning Star Timing.

Here is the overall finish list.

And results by age group.

In what was an absolutely beautiful day, 954 runners finished the grueling 13.1 mile race.

For the record, I finished in 1:33:23, placing 44th overall and 7th in my age group. It was a thrilling first half marathon for me and I am very pleased with how it finished and could not have asked for a better day.

American Kara Goucher pulls away from Paula Radcliffe in the 2008 New York Marathon to finish third. She faces a tough field Monday in the Boston Marathon with the hopes of becoming the first American female winner since 1985.

Monday marks the 113th running of the Boston Marathon and fans can watch online the top marathoners in the world battle out 26.2 miles. Universal Sports.com will provide live, worldwide coverage at UniversalSports.com/marathon starting at 9:30 a.m. ET April 20.

Monday could be an historic race as Ryan Hall comes in as America’s best hope to end the East African’s reign on the sport and be the first American to win Boston since Greg Meyer in 1983. A win on Monday will not come easily however, as the field is one of the deepest in years.

Kenyans, Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot and Evans Cheruiyot pose the biggest challenge for first place. Robert Cheruiyot is a four-time Boston winner and Evans Cheruiyot comes in with a personal best of 2:06:25.

On the women’s side, American Kara Goucher will also be in the running to garner an American title. She placed third in her debut marathon at New York in 2008 in 2:25:53. Her top competitors are Ethiopian’s Dire Tune and Bezenesh Bekele. Tune is the reigning Boston champ, running 2:25:25 and is the consensus favorite.