Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Breakfast in America



Watching the Boston marathon now live, well not watching but following the streaming commentary (text) on the web site. In the last 15 minutes Ryan Hall has gone from "at the front of the pack" to "gone way out the back door" to "still way off the pace" to "Remarkably, now back with the lead group and has moved to the front of the field again!!!"

It's mile 11 there, 12:00 midnight here in Japan and still, breakfast in America.

You know a week ago I called Ryan for the win as I've been following his training and reckon this time he has nailed it. Easy on his easy days, relatively speaking, and he has stayed away from all that core work and weights that, I reckon, take their toll by draining ones energy. He also has done something which I know is very important for running a great race. He has run and trained on the actual course so he is mentally prepared for this race, this time.

Even though anything is possible in the race and I don't know what the other runners have been doing in their training, nevertheless I'll still go with Ryan to win today. Besides I like the guy, if you listen to him he is kind of cute in his innocence. You can tell that he really loves running too. I just wish he wouldn't talk about "God" as much as he does. It may be his inspiration but we all have our own and I wouldn't want others, younger and more innocent than Ryan, thinking they can only run fast with Gods help!

Go on and win this Ryan! For God's sake! And mine. I have people who need to be convinced that I know what I'm talking about ;)

Update.

Jesus Christ!

Mile 17 and "Ryan Hall is well off the pace."

Hang in there young fella!

I'll watch till the end but that's it from me here, now. See you after the race.

17 comments:

  1. I know were you’re coming from dude, did God tell Ryan to go off the front early ‘again’ to sacrifice himself for the Lord and feel the pain of Jesus!
    4 place and 1st white boy is still very impressive, if he can learn to let others do the early work and sit back conserve his energy and strike late he will do even better. Like you I really like the guy,

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  2. Yes Rick

    that boy always runs an interesting race! Up and down like a fiddler's elbow. But the way he comes home after all that shows how good he really is!!

    What kind of times were the 1st 5 place getters for that race! Fantastic!! We are witnessing the beginning of the assult on the sub 2 hour marathon. Not at Boston but if someone can run 2:05 there then on the right day on a fast course, it will be possible.

    I'd bet Ewen's last crisp pound note on it ;)

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  3. By the way Rick,

    Did you have kippers for breakfast?

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  4. As you ask sott,I was sitting at the top of a mountain eating a loaf of bread, a Kipper and a jug of wine!
    A group of people came past and said
    " please, we are so hungry, can we share in your food"!
    I said F**k off who do you think I am Jesus!!!

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  5. Sorry that should have read 'SCOTT'

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  6. I don't mind being call "Sott" just hate beoing called a "lazy Sott"!

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  7. Sorry Scott. Ryan was good, the best American, but not fast enough to set a new course record. He sure is getting upt there though.

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  8. I'm looking forward to reading an interview with him. Did he let the top group get away on purpose or was he just fading? If on purpose, it was a bad mistake. In a big race like Boston you cannot expect everyone to come back to you. A few will, but the top one or two will not. (In the Olympics, it's the top 3. In the Olympics, you can never assume you will "catch back up.")
    I was happier with Meb's run. He went for it.
    3 Americans in the top 10 is unusual.

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  9. Sott, the 'live' race thread on Letsrun is good value. Sounds like the TV coverage was terrible.

    Reading between the lines, it sounds like Ryan was just going to run an even 'effort' type race at 2:07-8 pace and not follow every surge. I think his going ahead then dropping back was just him running his even effort. He was never going to run 2:05:52. As a rhythm runner, I don't think he's capable of following erratic pace of these races. He might go better at Chicago.

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  10. It's a 10 pound note Scott ;) I'll bet it on a 2:01:59 marathon, but not a 1:59:59.

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  11. Running Times made this comment on Ryan;
    On a day when there was a lot to be impressed by, including Teyba Erkesso's gutsy win in the women's race, we thought that Hall gave a strange and disappointing performance. If he hadn't actually run well (he was fourth in 2:08:41, the fastest ever by an American in Boston), we might feel better. What we feel now is that Hall, in "running free," which we think means ignoring the other elite athletes on the course, completely removed himself from the marathon competition. Instead of racing, he did a marathon-pace run for 26.2 miles. He failed to respond when the real racing began, and then, once he got back into it, he was too busy hitting his splits and playing airplane on Boylston Street to bother out-kicking Deriba Merga. Hall is entitled to race any way he likes, but his "run free" mantra and his behavior (he checked his watch compulsively, including at the 26 mile mark) don't make much sense in combination. Our suspicion is that the pressure on Hall to fill his role as the savior of American distance running has become too much to bear. We're sorry to see that happen, but we'll take the opportunity to note that we find distance running compelling because it involves competition, which ever so often reveals something about the human spirit. Hall was doing something out there yesterday, but it wasn't competing.
    Ricks says, OUCH!!!

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  12. Yes harsh words but not unreasonable, I think.

    In his post race interview he said somethings that I thought were strange.

    When someone questioned him about his "Running Free" approach he smiled and said that running is not about getting places and medals or some such thing! That would be alright coming from me but I agree with the writer distance running at Halls level is exactly about competition!

    If he wants to run free and hit his splits and advise people on the joy of "enjoying yourself" while running then he should retire and go write for "Runner's World"

    He also noted that he would donate his winnings to the needy and continue to promote his foundation. I know one sure way for someone of that talent to make a bigger impact on the causes he believes in. That is, run until you have nothing left, race those in the race and win a few!!!

    If a cute, handsome boy like Hall started to win a few races he would pull in young white kids from all over the States. Maybe even saving a few lives by changing the direction of their, couch sitting, lives.

    It may sound harsh but Ryan deserves/needs a kick up the bum this time.

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  13. I couldn't imagine you (or Rick, or me, or any competitive runner) saying such a thing Scott. If he had the balls of Mottram he'd be up there racing those guys, trying to win.

    Ryan has got carried away making those beautiful smooth-running at altitude videos clicking off 4:50 miles. Maybe too much solo even-paced running. He needs to run Kenyan-style hard fartlek for a year... maybe run some tough cross country races.

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  14. Ryan Hall,

    said today

    "One of my visions for the Boston Marathon was to enjoy the final run down Boylston. In my minds eye I had always pictured myself winning the marathon but as I prepared my heart before the race I had decided I would celebrate my run and the fact that God is good all the time in both victory and defeat so when I hit Boylston street I let my joy out and started airplaning through the street. It wasn’t until a fan on the side of the road pointed up the street to a faint yellow jersey still 100 meters down the road that I had mistaken for one of the women elite runners and yelled “Go get Merga” that I realized I had a chance to get on the podium. I put my head down and drove with my arms as hard as I could. I felt like I was in one of my many bad dreams where I am trying to sprint and moving in slow motion. With 100 meters to go it was becoming apparent that I was going to run out of real estate.

    Looking back on the 2010 Boston marathon I am in a paradoxical state of content yet still hungry for breakthrough. Having the bar raised to a 2:05 on the Boston marathon makes me want to taste that same breakthrough for myself; especially considering the winner this year was 5th here last year. I rejoice whenever there is breakthrough because it helps pave the way for my breakthrough. Another spring in Boston and another great experience, yet I am hungrier than ever for a victory on these roads. As one of my favorite Bible verses says, “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.” The sun rose on April 20th and so did I as I laced up my Asics and headed out the door for yet another run full of joy, hope, and life."

    Sounds like he was listening to the critics, and tried to answer them. But still persists with the "joy!" not the lessons he could take from this.

    Like I said , I like him, and don't want to be too hard on him but I still think that he could get more "joy" by really listening to his critics and showing them they are wrong and proving to himself that he's made of stronger stuff.

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  15. Wise words.Scott and Ewen'

    RUNCENTER INTERVIEW
    http://running.competitor.com/2010/04/features/tuesday-morning-interview-with-ryan-hall_9587

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  16. Scott, I'm not sure I'd believe you if you said "it's not about winning medals" - you've got too many!

    As for Hall, sounds like he's not really listening to the (valid) criticism - at that level you race to win, and that will bring the enjoyment! I truly can't believe that someone can simply enjoy running and be consistently motivated enough to train to the level that gets you a 2:08 in Boston. He's simply hedging his bets until he wins, at which point he'll say "it's truly not about winning, but it was God's will".

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  17. Yes, Bay I think you're spot on!

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