"I don't necessarily explain myself all the time..I do what I want to do, if I want to run once a day..twice a day..take 5 weeks off....move.....change my Facebook profile...run 20 or more races a year.....train alone....train myself....live with mom......live alone............travel the world.....I just do it. When I was young, I was embarrassed of how the way I grew up,I remember I would often lie to others about my living/economic situation, lie that I lived in a two story house, that I didn't get free lunch at school. I use to lie to other kids saying I got some cool gift for Christmas, or lie about taking a trip to the beach. The real truth was, going to Denny's restaurant was a holiday event in itself for my family. The truth was I lived in government section 8 housing. I can go on and on, but just bare with me, I'm getting to my point. So, I was embarrassed a lot etc, never had self confidence and didn't own my life. A lot had to do with getting physically/mentally beat by my father. Got into this running thing and I started to gradually change, my confidence and outlook on life did as well. I wanna say in my early 20s I started to open up and let others know about my past and how I grew up poor, bad father etc, my little sad story. I started to see how talking about my past actually helped me, the truth did in fact set me free, also seemed to inspire others. Over the years I have told my story better, I'm more precise and I am uncovering deeper things that were unspeakable at the time. I have become a decent talker I guess. Fast forward a bit, I'm 33 years old, I am good with myself, I think I'm a neutral person. I don't do anything crazy, I don't crave the spot light at a club or something like I once did.
So this sharing my life and inspiring others deal, I really started to get motivated by all of this. I started to touch people all over the country and even parts of the world, I am not saying millions know me. So thru Facebook/Instagram/Twitter I let people know what's up with my running/life. For the most part it's been great, awesome! Just trying to be a positive person and have fun with this life.
Then recently for some reason it hasn't been all that positive, I mean, I continue to be positive but my feed back from the running world has turned into fear, hate, judgement, assumptions etc. I am like, what did I do!?! Hey, I have been hated on a lot in my life, everyone at this level goes thru it, no biggie. It does get a little much when most of this information is pass thru friends onto me.
"Bro, forget the haters"
"Bro, you are hated"
"They are saying you use drugs with Kenyans in Mexico"
"No way can you run 2:18 in practice"
"You ran a 1/2 marathon in 1:04 a week after 2:18"
"It's unheard of"
"You should hear what EVERYONE is saying"
I swear if text messages didn't exist I wouldn't know any of this. You see, the problem with my friends is that they love me, what they may see or hear, it gets to them. People may assume that if they are hurt or mad or sad, then maybe I am. I knew a long time ago that I can not win, I am not gonna make everyone love me and support me. We don't live in that society. I don't waste my time trying to fight back and go on the defense on the Internet. This time though, I am gonna give them what they want. Also, I have nothing better to do, but watch YouTube videos anyways. I am kicking back in Zacatecas Mexico awaiting to leave here in a couple days to Los Angeles.
For those who are confused, I guess the main issue here is why did I do a marathon four weeks before the Olympic trials? Also a marathon at 2:18, that it's impossible to do that in training, I must be doing "something"?
Ok so first off, be lucky I even share my training and give you an inside look. Most elites would never do such a thing. With that being said, 2:18 isn't special, it's 5:17 miles. If someone is trying to run 2:09 that's 4:55 miles, I would hope they can run sub5:20 miles in practice. My training isn't anything special. I know first hand other guys training are way more intense. The problem is you don't see their training, ever. I don't have anything to hide. If I wanted to be sneaky, I wouldn't advertise where I am training or what kind of training I am doing. My strength isn't my training, it's my heart. I share it, because even if someone copied it, I would still beat them. I have done these marathon as workouts in the past and it started in December 12th, 2011 at the Rocket City marathon where I ran a 2:22 marathon 1:13 first half/1:09 second half.....I would go 5 weeks later to running a 2:11:53 and 7th place finish at the 2012 Olympic marathon trials. Another example was September 10th, 2015 four weeks before Chicago I ran 40km in 2:15 @5300 ft elevation in Boulder, CO, with the last 10km covered in 31:45, if I would have carried on to do 2.2km more for the full distance I would have done 2:22-2:23 that's about 2:17-2:18 conversion at sea level. I have done 40km or more in training multiple times, but I don't like it, it's boring. I am a racer and in a race it's so easy. In training you don't get paid as well. I am not athlete who is on a salary contract with a company. I make money solely off prize money. I can go on and on explaining. January 17th, 2016 at carlsbad marathon my goal to was to run 2:20-2:21, but still wasn't sure how my body would react from the heavy training I was doing (5 days before marathon I did 12x1km at 2:59 @ 7700ft, then 30 min Farlek two days later) so out loud I told everyone (5:20-5:30 pace), so 5:20 is 2:20 marathon pace. Well, race goes off and first mile is already right under 5:30. By half way we are 1:10:08 or so, I would continue to average 5:20 miles at 20 miles...my run is going perfect. Well, it so happens I am next to two Ethiopians who are sitting on me and i got a bit competitive, I haven't mentioned that coach told me to go marathon effort with 10km to go if felt good, but I didn't think that would be possible before hand. So 10km to go and I am feeling great so I picked it up at 20 miles and by 23 miles I ran about 5:00 miles for 3 miles and only one guy on me. By 24 miles I am alone and get to chill and down a bit to 5:08 miles for the rest of the way, my last 10k was 31:20 or so. I happened to run 2:18:14 (1:10/1:08) and then I get all of this crazy talk. I didn't think much of it, I was like "I am on schedule". 7 days later I run a half marathon in Culiacan Mexico and run 1:04:02 losing a shoe at 20km and Losing 20 seconds at least, proving that the 2:18 was just a workout. Still people are all crazy. I didn't know i had this big of an effect on people.
Even then I didn't even care to explain myself as people kept asking me why I did this or that. Why would I run races so close to the main race? I can't explain exactly why or how. I am training to be an Olympian. No easy answer. I have ran for 25 years now and 10 years as a professional. People forget the first time I ever ran a marathon was December 2006 when I was 24 years old and ran 2:12:27 which at the time was 7th fastest debut in American distance running. People forget I broke the 25km American record at 24 years old as well running 1:14:21 (4:47 per mile for 15.5 miles). What I am saying is, this is what I was born to do. My talent is second to none. I don't get a lot of credit from magazines and other running publications. The running world will not embrace me, I won't be mentioned as the favorite this weekend at the Olympic trials and that's ok. People forget I once was a USA marathon champion. They forget I was 7th place at the 2012 Olympic marathon trials. Hey, I am in the prime years of my marathon career and all my hard work is paying off. All my marathon build ups from the past are with me, all my experience. The message I am sending out is that it doesn't matter what is said, what is predicted, this weekend in Los Angeles nobody will be able to deny me. Most people are afraid of doing things differently. Most people are stuck in a bubble trying to fit in and be accepted. Most people assume way too much, it's very dangerous, be careful. I am different, I am an individual and I have my own life. I don't let others dictate my life. I am not a follower and always stood my own ground. I am very sorry for those who can't be their own person and can't think for themselves. I will continue to be open and inspire others. I am not going anywhere. See you all in LA! ‪#‎Contodo‬"
from his fb post