This just in....Mottram doesn't like Boulder to train

It makes sense. Not to be rude or unreasonably critical, but Boulder is a town with an attitude, a bit snobby. The people have their noses stuck way up in the air, and they all seem to walk around (or run around) with a very high sense of self-worth. Yes, the area, the mountains, some of the trails are very attractive - the people are attractive mostly if you're stil in your 20's and single and enjoy the nightlife - that's great, there are some lovely people. But after many years of living and running and working in Boulder, it has changed dramatically. Much more traffic - people, cars, tourists, students. It's a lovely environment, but the people quite simply give it a well-earned BAD reputation.

For instance, and I'll just make this last comment and leave it at this one example - CU's outdoor track (Potts Field) is basically off limits to the public, except at rare, unspecified hours of the day which is usually unaccomodating to the running public - Should it be that way in a "great" running community? Why so restrictive? Will the track be damaged? I don't think so. It's just a small example of the general attitude in Boulder.

I can't blame Mottram for not wanting to come back.

there would be a greater chance for me to agree if you wouldn't have used the word attractive twice and lovely once. But I don't like Boulder either. So at least the three of us have that working to our advantage.

Please send your Pott's closure complaints to the following:

mark.wetmore@colorado.edu

(303) 492-5227

I'm a British woman. Sorry.

Please accept my apology. Im an American man. I hope you saw through my feeble attempt at humor to agree with your perspective.

I would except I'm not a student and I'm foreign. I heard he dosn't like either.

He's a hater.

Good old days the track was open and you could see Aouita, Deek, Barrios, - now not so good.

theeffect wrote:

I would except I'm not a student and I'm foreign. I heard he dosn't like either.

That is just good good stuff. Your razor sharp wit and display of acumen are both something to behold. I in fact don't care much for the CU coach that answers to the name Wetmore either. If things don't work out with the boyfriend, please call me.

What are you 17? Hater? Really? Stop watching so much TV. And the "he" you are referring to is in fact a she. That being said, I am pleased you can spell the former 5K and 10K WR holders last names correctly. Especially when you have "hater" in your vernacular.

theeffect wrote:

Why so restrictive? Will the track be damaged? I don't think so. It's just a small example of the general attitude in Boulder.

I can't blame Mottram for not wanting to come back.

i don't particularly like boulder for running, either; but, if you've ever seen tracks that are open to the public, they do wear out pretty quickly (especially around lane 1 and 2, or whatever lanes they direct the "public" to run in). and if there as many runners there as mottram claims...

would it be better if the track were open more? sure. but i don't blame a coach for trying to conserve a budget. the last thing a non-revenue program in this country needs is to be going to the AD asking for thousands of dollars to redo the track every few years.

I got the distinct feeling he wasn't speaking primarily about the track but rather the general area. Remember, the group they are in, doesn't spend an inordinate amount of time on the track anyway, certainly not while preparing at altitude. I think he is wanting a place where there is an abundance of seclusion and solitude. Something Americans elites don't really seem to grasp. He referenced Mt Laguna a few times as a place he enjoyed which i think is more in line with that group is looking for. That would definitely be considered a secluded place. I don't think there are 30 living people up there.

I dislike Boulder so much that I have never even been there!

And we do not like his shitty Melbourne as well... or falls creek or wherever he likes to go!

If he think Australia is so nice so feel free to stay at home!

Exactly. There was the one mention in the interview about people timing you if you worked out on the track. Access to the track, not a problem, but too much of an audience. But Mottram seemed more concerned about the absence of trees and having to drive to train on trails. It seems that when Mottram\'s at altitude he\'s not so concerned about being on the track, but doing a lot of mileage.

zero for zoro wrote:

I got the distinct feeling he wasn\'t speaking primarily about the track but rather the general area. Remember, the group they are in, doesn\'t spend an inordinate amount of time on the track anyway, certainly not while preparing at altitude. I think he is wanting a place where there is an abundance of seclusion and solitude. Something Americans elites don\'t really seem to grasp. He referenced Mt Laguna a few times as a place he enjoyed which i think is more in line with that group is looking for. That would definitely be considered a secluded place. I don\'t think there are 30 living people up there.

There is access to a really nice track up at Fairview High School, actually a better surfaced track (softer) than Potts. I think Mottram prefers seclusion, and not a bunch of Fleet Feet employees hiding in the bushes with stopwatches, giggling as he goes by the 1/4 mile in 60 seconds. There are not that many elites in Boulder, mostly want-to-be elites who also enjoy the nightlife. There are some tier A Kenyans but mostly you never see them - they're like phantoms. But as for top elite men/women, there are only a handful, and most live outside Boulder.

Two things I have gathered from this thread:

1. Dorks who hang out at tracks and hold a stopwatch to runners need to be bludgeoned.

Talk about a total nerd.

2. People who think they reserve the right to run on CU's track need to be bludgeoned.

Why not ask the town to build a nice track for municipal purposes?

Do you walk up to the Dean Dome and get mad when you can't shoot hoops?

You people on this board are such losers.

I understand both sides of the issue, but I tend to think we shouldn't keep tracks closed. As a high school coach, we are happy to open our track to the public. We need the support from the these same people. It's shouldn't be much different in Boulder. The Bolder Boulder entry form has a place to make a donation to the CU XC program, yet they don't want these same donors to use their facilities?

I just don't think the analogy to the Dean Dome is quite the same, but I understand your point of view as well.

zero for zoro wrote:

Stop watching so much TV. And the "he" you are referring to is in fact a she. That being said, I am pleased you can spell the former 5K and 10K WR holders last names correctly. Especially when you have "hater" in your vernacular.

Wow. What a snob. The "he" he was referring to was Wetmore. Wipe off your nose and forehead. Do you have a beard yet?

zero for zoro wrote:

I think he is wanting a place where there is an abundance of seclusion and solitude. Something Americans elites don't really seem to grasp.

Yeah, except the elites like Ryan Hall, Meb K, Lagat, Kastor...you know...those guys. But they all stink, so I guess they're not really worth mentioning. We Americans sure do run poorly...so many other nations in the world have sub-59:45 1/2 Marathoners, sub-2:20 female marathoners, Olympic Silver Distance Medalists and a guy with a 3:27 to his credit. If only our American elites could "grasp" the concept of...what? Seclusion and Solitude?

BTW...the huge training packs in the great rift valley don't really count as the seclusion and solitude you're referring to with Mottram. Pretty sure it's a matter of preference and personality.