German Fernandez

Who?

He's training smart, staying healthy, and getting used to racing and competing consistently. This is his first faster effort, everything else has been more strength stuff. He has said that he is targeting the USA XC Champs in a few weeks. This has been his longest injury-free stretch in a while - why don't we give him the benefit of the doubt a little longer. He has already run a bunch of good races over the past few months.

Go German!

Huge German Fan wrote:

He's training smart, staying healthy, and getting used to racing and competing consistently. This is his first faster effort, everything else has been more strength stuff. He has said that he is targeting the USA XC Champs in a few weeks. This has been his longest injury-free stretch in a while - why don't we give him the benefit of the doubt a little longer. He has already run a bunch of good races over the past few months.

Go German!

I'm hoping that we see a healthy German some time in the future. But it really does seem like it is always the same story - a few outings, way off anything that one might hope for from one so talented, then he disappears for half a year. Repeat.

Maybe the running gods just don't want to cut the kid some slack and let him be healthy for a few years straight.

Best of luck to you, Mr. Fernandez. May your perseverance pay off in the end.

Seriously, I am a fan and root for any signs I see of progress, like pulling that 3:34 off not much backround.

But don't we hear this every year for last 3? Healthy German, needs uninterrupted training, no shit, like anyone else, but when was he last injured and how much time dod that cost him?

This is NOT bashing, I am legitimately wondering whats what.

Trialswatcher wrote:

Seriously, I am a fan and root for any signs I see of progress, like pulling that 3:34 off not much backround.

But don't we hear this every year for last 3? Healthy German, needs uninterrupted training, no shit, like anyone else, but when was he last injured and how much time dod that cost him?

This is NOT bashing, I am legitimately wondering whats what.

I don't think that anyone outside of his training group knows what's what. And they aint talking.

All I know is that I'd love to see what he can do healthy but I seriously doubt that will ever happen (sigh).

Youve clearly never trained and competed at your own personal limits before. Sometimes all you got is a few good years before something goes pop and its game over. German is fighting his way back and that's admiral as hell.

Just because a dude HAS run 747 and 334, doesnt mean he is capable of that every time he steps on the track. That was the culmination of a long and incredible hs/freshman campaign that led to those times. When you get hurt and loose shape for that long, it is so hard to get back on top form again. You have to relearn what it feels like to run fast and hurt again, all while not re-injuring yourself. Racing is not as easy as youd like to think it is. It isnt linear, everyone struggles, and German has to start somewhere. You dont just run 334 every day of the damn week.

Your post is 100% inappropriate and entirely without basis. None of the folks posting prior to you was either ragging on German or showing any ignorance or lack of appreciation for the training involved.

Trialswatcher wrote:

At age 18 he ran his first collegiate 3K on same track in 7:47, 6 years later he is losing to a guy who was not even in Oregon's top 5 in cross . in 8:04?

Its hard to believe after he somehow got to 3:34.xx that he cannot easily break 8 flat easily or 13:20 by now, unless he is has recently been completely sidelined for months lately or has completely lost his competitive edge.

Really, because this comment shows a complete ignorance for what it takes to run at a high level.

You've clearly never been competitive enough to understand this.

Trialswatcher wrote:

Hard to figure what is going on with German or his training.

I have been a huge fan of the talent for years now, but....

At age 18 he ran his first collegiate 3K on same track in 7:47, 6 years later he is losing to a guy who was not even in Oregon's top 5 in cross . in 8:04?

Its hard to believe after he somehow got to 3:34.xx that he cannot easily break 8 flat easily or 13:20 by now, unless he is has recently been completely sidelined for months lately or has completely lost his competitive edge.

IN HS after graduation :

He also broke Galen Rupp's high school 3000 meter record with a 3000 meter split of 7:59.82.

Anyone have any insights into this, or anyone know what is up with Jeremy Elkaim, I know , way different subjects, just thought I could double up here.

GF has stated numerous times in his interviews that he is on long term plan. Just a few weeks ago he stated that he was doing nothing faster that 72 second pace.

If you saw the 8:04 3k you're writing about he just sittin in the pack and he was our kicked in the last hundred.

He looked good. Better this slow approach and be ready for the big meets this summer than run a 7:45 3k now and get re-injured and be out for the summer.

Fart Nugget Cheese Fries wrote:

Trialswatcher wrote:

At age 18 he ran his first collegiate 3K on same track in 7:47, 6 years later he is losing to a guy who was not even in Oregon's top 5 in cross . in 8:04?

Its hard to believe after he somehow got to 3:34.xx that he cannot easily break 8 flat easily or 13:20 by now, unless he is has recently been completely sidelined for months lately or has completely lost his competitive edge.

Really, because this comment shows a complete ignorance for what it takes to run at a high level.

You've clearly never been competitive enough to understand this.

Once again, without basis. You seem to have reading comprehension issues. Also anger management problems that you really should get help with.

Thanks for the defense UR POST, but I am okay dealing with this nit wit. Thanks again.

Listen even though well beaten , German ran 3:57.5 in Sept at 5th Ave mile, unless he had more setbacks, which WAS what I was looking for, sub 8 minutes would surely be within his grasp, and I don;t care if he has only run 72's, with any type of strides and snap assuming his mileage is enough , this is a time he should be able to run in workouts almost solo for sure.

Was he set back again, that is the question. I have zero malice for German Fernandez, I am only looking for info .He is still a very young man at 24+ and I am hoping he can still get near what he originally looked like and that was like a future a world beater at 18 with 3:55, 7:47 and 13:25

Didn't his younger brother just pass away a few months ago?

I think Jerry is a sub-par coach.

confextion wrote:

I think Jerry is a sub-par coach.

no question about that wrote:

confextion wrote:

I think Jerry is a sub-par coach.

Derrick, Jager would suggest otherwise

confextion wrote:

I think Jerry is a sub-par coach.

+1

It's curious to me as to why GF's coaches are always to blame.

This isn't true. He ran 3:34 after graduating college, not as a freshman. And he did it despite having struggled with injury for much of the past 4 years. In fact he had been injured the spring leading up to that 3:34. It's hard to say exactly due to the secrecy of the Schumacher group, but based on how often he's raced since last summer, I would guess that German's had the longest stretch of injury-free training that he's had for awhile. 8:04 is a little disappointing, but I think we could still see some big things from him this year.

My guess is the intention of these races is not to go to the well rather to just confirm his fitness relative to his training.

If he's only doing 72s in practice but running faster in races and able to do a indoor 3k and an outdoor XC 10k in a relatively short period of time - it goes to show his strength is good.

Adding in actual speed work in the warmer months will put him where he needs to be. Why do it now? Remember Galen Rupp's epic collapse in the summer after blazing a 3:50 and 13:01 indoors? - that's called cooking your goose too early.

Chances are his ultimate goal is Rio 2016 and is patiently building for a peak then. I call this the Lasse Viren training program. Run subpar in the years in between Olympics and peak during the olympic year.