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| Taking on the Big Boys |
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This was mentioned on another thread but I don't think many people caught it. In a flotrack interview at NCAA's Fernandez indicated that he was not going to run USA's in Eugene. The only indication of a reason was it sounded like he was burned out. From a cross country standpoint it makes no sense since it's only two weeks longer into the summer and he has plenty of time to rest and get his base going. Shoot Rupp ran Worlds and Olympics the past two summers and still came back in time for the meets that mattered. And there is that outside shot that he might make a team in either the 1500 or the 5K, especially if the 5K isn't under 13:25. And if he did the 5K he'd have a last chance to get that AJR from Derrick. Not too mention that he has never been to Eugene before and will be racing NCAA's next year so this would give him an opportunity to figure out where to eat and run and understand what it's like to run in front of 15000-20000 stomping loud fans. The strange thing is that his outdoor season seemed so short. His only competitive races were Cardinal 5K and then NCAA's in the 1500. Outside of those he had a couple 1500's and a slow 5K at conference (correct me if I'm wrong). That has to be one of the easiest and shortest seasons of any NCAA runner, including freshman. It just seems like a great opportunity where: A) He's not expected to win or even make a team B) He can finally compete against guys where is near the top but will not likely win C) Racing tactics are paramount and this will be a valuable experience. Thoughts? Discuss. |
| slowerer |
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He had several injuries. Maybe he wants to make sure that he has a good rest and is healthy before starting the summer base work to win college nationals in xc, which will not be an easy task if Chelanga is returning. I'd like to see him in nationals and Euro races. But my bet is that if he's feeling good when it comes time to declare, he'll go to nationals. |
| J.R. |
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Also post race, Dave Smith said they were going to discuss and decide that after recovering from the meet. Chris Derrick likewise said he was done for the summer. |
| malmo |
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Everything I've seen about Hernandez and his coach Dave Smith is that they "get it." They see the big picture. Hernandez has a long career ahead of him. Patience, Grasshopper. Time to regroup with a Summer of German. |
| J.R. |
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One of German's goals has been to get the AJR for the 5k. His only chance to do that will be this summer. |
| some perspective |
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Both Fernandez and Derrick have had incredibly successful freshman years. Mind boggling if you think about it. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if either or both were ready to shut it down for the year. |
| who knows |
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Ah hes done a lot for a kid just barely 19. Had a good cross season. Ran awesome in what I think was his first ever indoor season and outdoors has been great as well. And in all that hes had a few injuries. You seem to want everything right now. If hes able to stay healthy the next couple of year he will be doing amazing things no doubt. So if he races more this summer or not great. Sorry he didn't do it exactly like Rupp who live in a spaceship on mars with little oxygen and crazy treadmills did it. Don't worry its going to be ok. |
| age of runner |
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Fernandez is 18. |
| Man Who Replies to Post |
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Rupp is currently one of the best distance runners in the US. He's been building up to this point for several years and has a base of many years under him. Two very different runners at this point when looking at their training over the last few years.
His season wouldn't merely be extended by 2 weeks if he did make the team like you're saying in this paragraph. What would be the point of him trying to make the world team if he wasn't going to run at worlds? To know that he could qualify? Fernandez needs to have a longer stretch of training. He's had several injuries since he began running a few years ago and needs to focus on staying healthy for extended periods. I'd like to see him run, but it seems as if he has some good reasons not to. |
| Ebony |
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Well. Fernandez is entered in both the 1500 and 5K at USAs. Derrick isn't entered in anything. So Fernandez is clearly leaving the option open when he could've not entered. Interesting to see what happens. |
| Taking on the Big Boys |
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Don't aplogize to me, this is a discussion. I completely understand Derrick wanting to shut it off. He had a huge year. The kid had to battle the Pac-10 & Oregon for an entire school year and came up big everytime. Pac-10 Cross, Regional Cross, NCAA Cross. USA JR Cross, Indoor 3K 5K Double and NCAA's and then 15th at World Cross. The AJR in the 5K followed by a 10K-5K double at Pac-10's, 5K at Regionals and a 5K at NCAA's. And he showed up big at everything. That is a huge year, maybe the biggest ever for a freshman. I just thought fernandez had a really light and short outdoor schedule and with skipping indoor ncaa's his big meet load was pretty light. I certainly understand the injury thing, if he's dealing with something than by all means call it off. It's great to have a long term plan as well. But if healthy, and coming off a short season this just seems much lighter than the 3 x 1600-3200 doubles he pulled off last year week after week followed by the 8:34 two mile at NON. But hey, as someone said maybe they are discussing it and he'll opt to run USA's. |
| slowerer |
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I think that he'll do nationals because he wants to get every scalp and every award on his way up, not just to prepare for the future. The fact that he raced world jr xc, despite an injury, and that he didn't redshirt outdoor track, despite that injury, says to me that he values the titles and records over the health. Of course, he and his coach did the wise thing last summer and shut it down right after getting the 2M record. |
| asdfda |
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This is why the college system sucks. A guy like Fernandez should be preparing all year for the summer track season, but instead he's using it as his time off. NCAA XC meets in September should not get in the way of the experience of competing in the World Championships. |
| Taking on the Big Boys |
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| Hernandez sic |
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"Hernandez"... really? He's also entered in the junior 15. did they just enter him in everything? |
| past is past |
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I agree with this, and am I the only one who thinks that if he skips this meet people will start talking about where he might have finished and it'll go back and forth, he'll get too fired up and come out swinging too hard too early in cross country. Last year I think he wanted to make up for footlocker on Luke and Derrick and was running on a sore acchilles by the end of season. Then indoors he wanted to make up for NCAA cross and was mentally tired come indoor NCAA's as well as a with a minor injury. If he's healthy he should do USA's and put that to bed. Then start training for cross with a little less to prove first meet out. |
| webby |
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Maybe he'll regroup with the summer of German and then jump in Rieti in early September and see what he can do on his base training with the pros pulling him along. No, I guess not. I agree with Malmo that Smith and Fernandez are being very smart about the training schedule right now, and erring on the side of caution. He's too young and too recently injured. He can test his limits in the future at the WC/Olympics. But extending his season just to show that he can make the WC team or break Derrick's record would be pure ego-tripping -- with serious possible consequences. If they really have called it a season, I'm impressed with the restraint. There's some low-hanging fruit out there for him right now. |
| perspective |
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The NCAA system has it good and bad points, of course. Let's say he rushes off to the WC, where he trails the leaders in the 5k by 30+ seconds, how exactly does that benefit his progress? At 18 years of age, he's not ready for that yet. Let him mature and develop in the NCAA's for a few years, getting to the approximate point that Rupp is at, then he can go to a major championship and test himself against the steel of the world. The NCAA is enough of a test right now to spur on his development. There will come a time when he'll need more of a challenge, but that time hasn't arrived just yet. |
| past is past |
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True webby true, but why is everyone running on the assumption that he has to do x-c next fall? This is a guy who skipped ncaa indoors and gave up that eligibility to compete in a junior world race. I'm sure his school will let him redshirt a season and save eligibility if he had to in order to go to the senior world champs. The fact is this guy does get injured and will. Sometimes you need to strike when the iron is hot, when you are healthy. If he's 100% healthy and qualifies for worlds in the Orange Ok. St. jersey that is going to be huge for his program, even if he decides not to got to worlds. If he does go, even better. And if he doesn't make the team than his season is over 2 weeks after ncaa's and PLENTY of time to rest and build up base. He can skip the first utterly unimportant race or two of the xc season. Though we all want this kid to grow and get better and be injury free, nobody knows about the future. Malmo, aren't you the guy who states that youngsters are too fragile and don't race enough? |
| J.R. |
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Nonsense. The only reason to not run would be injury, or lack of fitness. He just won the ncaa 1500, so he's fit. You don't see Geb, Bekele or the other Africans skipping meets. |
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