Newcomer Williamson makes impact on Austin
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Newcomer Williamson makes impact on Austin
by By Brom Hoban (American-Statesman Correspondent)
July 3, 2007 - Austin runners first caught a glimpse of newcomer Derrick Williamson when he won the AT&T Half-Marathon in February, posting a time of 1 hour, 7 minutes, 36 seconds on the challenging course.
When he's not jumping in (and winning) the occasional area race, Williamson is busy running his new company, Source Endurance, and pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Texas in sports science and nutrition. The degree will cap off an impressive background in sports physiology and real-life experience.
After graduating from Appalachian State University in 2003 with a degree in exercise science and health promotion, Williamson was lured to Colorado Springs, Colo., to work as an intern for Carmichael Training Systems, a coaching institute founded by Lance Armstrong's coach Chris Carmichael.
Williamson ultimately became a senior coach there, advising hundreds of athletes, writing for national publications and traveling the globe. Along the way, he built a solid foundation of coaching and people skills.
"I was fortunate to have some fantastic mentors there James Herrera and Jay T. Kearney, both are exercise physiologists," said Williamson. "They taught me how to apply scientific research and data for athletes to reach specific goals. I learned how to manage people, and how to work with different types of personalities. Every athlete will respond to different things what works for one athlete may not work for another."
That experience should prove invaluable as Williamson steers his new company, which he launched several weeks ago with co-founders Tim Pletcher and Dave Wenger.
"It's an athletic performance consulting service offering detailed, high-end coaching for the individual," he said.
Using sophisticated physiological testing, Source Endurance helps athletes focus in on how to improve in their chosen endurance sport.
"We'll test for VO2 max, and lactate threshold. We can help people apply methods to get results. Though Williamson points out that boosting your VO2 max has its limits, raising your ability to process lactic acid can be tweaked by the right workouts.
"A really good lactate workout is a 20-minute tempo run at a pace 5-10 seconds slower than your 5K pace," he said.
Williamson also recently started a racing team with former college roommate Lance Parker, an Olympic marathon trials qualifier and top area road racer. Together, they formed 3 Stories Racing, a program designed to nurture aspiring elite athletes.
"It's an elite development team for runners and triathletes," said Williamson. "We'd like to attract more elite athletes to the Austin area. It's a really an amazing city, and we'd like to help athletes develop to national and world-class contenders here."
This summer, 3 Stories Racing is putting on a series of "all-comer" track meets and cross-country runs. Area runners can catch the next cross-country race at Zilker Park on Friday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m. The next track meet is at the Texas School for the Deaf at 5:30 p.m. Friday. For details, check the Web site at 3storiesracing.com.
"We're excited about these events," said Williamson. "It's a chance for us to be involved in the running community. They are low-key events, but later, we'd like to put together some really competitive 5K races."
Upcoming races
Coyote Trail 5K Race , 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at Bar K Road near the Rusty Allen Airport in Lago Vista, (512) 267-0343.
Nelson Scholarship 5K, 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Berry Creek Racquet Club in Georgetown, runtex.com.
Freedom 5000 , 8 a.m. Wednesday at Veterans Drive and MoPac Boulevard, 472-3254.
Rogue Women Triathlon, 8 a.m. Sunday at the Texas Ski Ranch in New Braunfels, doublextri.com.
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