Sorry, she's just not on that level and does not deserve to be compared. If one of them blows up she might beat them but that's it. She's a great runner who had a great run seven years ago, but ever since then she's been happy to finish 2 to 5 minutes off the lead.
You're right, I'm waiting for about 8-10 people in front of me to blow up and then trot to a win in 2:29 because that's all I am
Yes she is. She's more proven in the marathon than Huddle.
True enough, but you need to say Fantastic Four for the alliteration.
desi not on level of shalane, molly, or jordan wrote:
Sorry, she's just not on that level and does not deserve to be compared. If one of them blows up she might beat them but that's it. She's a great runner who had a great run seven years ago, but ever since then she's been happy to finish 2 to 5 minutes off the lead.
No. It's fantastic four.
hasay-huddle-flanagan- cragg
Scorpion_runner wrote:
desi not on level of shalane, molly, or jordan wrote:
Sorry, she's just not on that level and does not deserve to be compared. If one of them blows up she might beat them but that's it. She's a great runner who had a great run seven years ago, but ever since then she's been happy to finish 2 to 5 minutes off the lead.
No. It's fantastic four.
hasay-huddle-flanagan- cragg
This.
I am not a fan of how Desi has raced. She is too obsessed with her race plan and needs to just go out with the pack and race. But I would not be so quick to have her playing second fiddle to Hasay, Huddle, Flanagan and Cragg. Desi ran 2:26 in the heat in Rio to finish 7th, just @30 sec behind Flanagan. She can consistently run about 2:25 in Boston. Cragg has only broken 2:27 once. Cragg is probably in better shape now, but Desi has been a more consistent marathoner over the years with many more 2:25-26 efforts.
She's been the closest of the four to sniff the finish line at Boston with her 2nd place, seconds from first. Granted, maybe she's not the best racer, but she knows the course and she's been in actual position to win right up to the end. None of the others can say that.
maybe this wrote:
True enough, but you need to say Fantastic Four for the alliteration.
All US runners under 2:30 in the marathon are doping.
Oh well.
Desi is more important in this race than you might think. She'll want to keep her pace and the weather being incredibly bad will mean the lead pack will also be closer to her pace. She figures to be in this for the first 20 miles unless somebody is really brazen.
OK, first of all, let's stop talking about Cragg. She had an awesome run in Tokyo, but that was 6 weeks ago and she's not in this race. So most of you guys think that Desi comes in (at best) 4th American? I can see her coming in 4th overall in the whole race and beating one if not two of them. Actually, I have her coming in 3rd overall for the prediction contest, partially to distance myself from the more 'predictable' outcomes, but also because this marathon distance is fickle, Boston is fickle, the weather here tends to be mercurial, no pun intended, and Desi is just so damn sturdy when it comes to marathoning. Shalane was just about retired last Fall, Hasay still a little green at this distance, and Molly has to have a less than stellar performance someday! All this not withstanding - I couldn't be more fired up for Monday. Gone are the days where the first, and last time you see an American woman during a marathon broadcast is on the starting line.
I don't think Desi will be a factor this year because the Hansons haven't been telling everyone that she is going to win by 5 minutes like they usually do by now.
[quote]Precious Roy wrote:I am not a fan of how Desi has raced. She is too obsessed with her race plan and needs to just go out with the pack and race./quote]
The thing is, she's trying to perform her best, not entertain you. One of the reasons that she's so consistently in the mix against women who have far superior raw speed is that she doesn't go along with wild surges in pace. I suppose this is sort of a running version of the critique of what power meters have done to bike racing, but there's no denying that it's a faster way to race, so why blame the competitors?
I'm right here guys.
I run to the limit of my capability on race day, and follow even pacing to get to mile 20
From there, its all guts anyways and I just try to hang on. I'd love to hear a better racing strategy for me than what I always do/have done.
Still waiting. I'm not dropping a 15:30 5K from 25-30k just to break the pack, sorry if that doesn't excite you
You have a couple obvious tells. Sorry pretender.
Desi Linden wrote:
I'm right here guys.
I run to the limit of my capability on race day, and follow even pacing to get to mile 20
From there, its all guts anyways and I just try to hang on. I'd love to hear a better racing strategy for me than what I always do/have done.
Still waiting. I'm not dropping a 15:30 5K from 25-30k just to break the pack, sorry if that doesn't excite you
Most all of the majors now are on flat courses, and the races mostly play out the same way -- roll along until 30k. Then at some point before 35k, people start getting after it.
Boston is unrabbited and not flat, so a strategy suited to the course can work. Look at what Meb did to win -- straight out of the Bill Rodgers playbook.
desi not on level of shalane, molly, or jordan wrote:
Sorry, she's just not on that level and does not deserve to be compared. If one of them blows up she might beat them but that's it. She's a great runner who had a great run seven years ago, but ever since then she's been happy to finish 2 to 5 minutes off the lead.
Of the four, only one has never been to the olympics. Desi was 6th in the Olympic marathon two years ago. I’ll have a drink on Monday night if Linden finishes in front of Hasay.
If old bones Shalane belongs, so does Desi.
Bump
Bump.