Shalane is a class act, and her recent comments on Gwen Jorgensen demonstrate it.

OP is obviously Scorpion Runner but OP did not want to use his actual registered name because people would just dismiss the post as another scorpion runner post.

I see things a bit differently here. Earlier this year I had posted how I wish Gwen would focus on the 10k instead of the marathon....why because the probability that she was going to crush a marathon right off the bat was pretty low, but she clearly has some talent in the shorter long distance events. I mean if you watch her videos she was chronically tired with the marathon training. Shalane dropped her hard (and it's not Shalanes responsibility to slow up for Gwen by any means) during one of gwens first tempo attempts. It was pretty obvious that this runner would need more time to develop. Was this ever discussed with her? I mean she is not surrounded by novice people or coaches. They know what overtraining looks like and Gwen to the regular public eye seemed chronically overtired with her training regimen. Gwens statements (of Olympic gold etc) were pretty niave to say the least....Gwen was niave to how much work/years she would need to put in. She went from 40-50 miles to 120 miles in less than a year. Gwen may be niave but Shalane is certainly not. Was their ever a discussion that maybe she should developed at the shorter distances first? Now we have an athlete that has been so mentally crushed...I'm not sure if she will even have the mindset anymore to attack the 10k which would be unfortunate.

Zapnathaz wrote:

I thought she was a class act also until she accused Rupp, and by extension Hasay , of cheating , both of whom have the same sponsor as Flanagan...

not cool

+1. Definitely don't see her in the same light after her post-Chicago comments last year. Her true colors came out after Hasay dropped a 2:20.....

And where is that Hasay doing now?

My guess is she's off the juice and she'll never be the same coming back.

Haha.... wrote:

And where is that Hasay doing now?

My guess is she's off the juice and she'll never be the same coming back.

where > how

Conspiracy theory at its worst. Come on, you haters can do better than that.

I don't see it as gracious. What she wrote is, "shut your mouth kid, run more marathons before earning the privilege to announce lofty goals." It's a barb wrapped in a juicy worm and like fish many fans bit. Honestly, I don't know anything about Gwen but I hope it lights a fire under her ass in training. Everyone who runs a marathon; professional or amateur starts somewhere.

OP is scorpion wrote:

OP is obviously Scorpion Runner but OP did not want to use his actual registered name because people would just dismiss the post as another scorpion runner post.

No. I post under one name, and one name only. And I speak my mind under that name with no fear, regret, or inhibitions.

Secondly, finally, someone close to her spoke common sense, and something that real runners new since day one.

It's called being pragmatic, and accepting the reality of the matter.

Professional? wrote:

I don't see it as gracious. What she wrote is, "shut your mouth kid, run more marathons before earning the privilege to announce lofty goals." It's a barb wrapped in a juicy worm and like fish many fans bit. Honestly, I don't know anything about Gwen but I hope it lights a fire under her ass in training. Everyone who runs a marathon; professional or amateur starts somewhere.

That is not gonna happen. She's way too big to be a marathoner. 2:28-2:29 on a good day may well be her ceiling. Marathon is a different beast from any other distances. and it's the toughest to master. Even for Shalane it took her 7 years as said in her interview.

"Back to Shalane: If I were Shalane, or anyone else on the Oly team, I would be rolling my eyes at Gwen's belly flop into the deep end of the marathon pool."

Brilliant analogy. Really well done.

Wow. You clearly don't understand marketing, do you? Where there's interest, the $$$!!!! This simply proves that Gwen's story is of more interest than Rupp placing 5th with a fairly good time. The masses don't want to hear about Rupp's 5th place, they want to hear about the best athlete in a sport, switching to another and wanting to be great in that sport as well. Michael Jordan didn't garner any attention when he flipped to baseball either, did he? This is the same thing.

Get with the program, this is simply business and marketing. If you don't like it, don't follow it.

So which is more likely: Gwen getting a marathon gold in Tokyo, or Usain winning gold in soccer/futbol?

Shalane's win at NYC was pretty much in the same category as Yuki's win in Boston. Had it been a normal day for other competitors, they wouldn't have won.

All about the $$ wrote:

Wow. You clearly don't understand marketing, do you? Where there's interest, the $$$!!!! This simply proves that Gwen's story is of more interest than Rupp placing 5th with a fairly good time. The masses don't want to hear about Rupp's 5th place, they want to hear about the best athlete in a sport, switching to another and wanting to be great in that sport as well. Michael Jordan didn't garner any attention when he flipped to baseball either, did he? This is the same thing.

Get with the program, this is simply business and marketing. If you don't like it, don't follow it.

Another comparison to one of the greatest athletes EVER????? Seriously......did you just compare GJ to MJ????

I think MJ was better at baseball than GJ is or ever will be at the marathon. Also, MJ was fulfilling a dream his dad had about him being a baseball player. He didn't need to market himself.

Yes, there is a marketing aspect to this but only in relation to GJ actually thinking she could step into the marathon game and dominate it. She was riding "High" on her Oly gold in the Triathlon and clearly began talking out of her butt. Let's not forget how old she is and is there enough time for her to log in the necessary mileage to be competitive in a major marathon. The answer is NO!!! Gwen will never medal at a major championship in track at any distance. She should just try to make the team at whatever distance.

Shalane and Desi are polar opposites even though they are at the same stage of their careers.

Shalane is motivated and kept in the sport because she enjoys teaching/coaching her teammates.

Desi couldn't get away from her team and teammates fast enough and is motivated by training alone.

Shalane enjoys writing books.

Desi enjoys reading books.

Shalane has spent her career being the most talented athlete in the field.

Desi has spent her career being the smartest athlete in the field.

Even thei physical appearance couldn't be more different

Shalane is tall blonde and fair skinned.

Desi is short dark haired and is dark skinned.

It appears that neither of them really like each other but have learned to tolerate each other. When hearing them together I get the idea that they both have a difficult time not rolling their eyes at the other.

So loyalty to sponsor should outweigh loyalty to truth and fair sport? NOP was being investigated for doping for years.

Has to be said wrote:

Shalane's win at NYC was pretty much in the same category as Yuki's win in Boston. Had it been a normal day for other competitors, they wouldn't have won.

Absolutely right.

I'm not saying this is a conspiracy. I just don't believe Shalane was at the side of the pool saying "geez Gwen do you really think this is a great idea? And covering her eyes as Gwen hurled herself in...no I think Shalane was at the side of the pool chanting "Jump Jump Jump Jump!"

Winning a WMM brings out the worst in both of these women. They both can’t admit the truth. Shalane won because Keitany had cramps. If they raced 100 times this would happen maybe twice. Des only won because of the awful conditions. Tiki proved that in Chicago this past weekend. They were both at the right place at the right time. LUCKY. This is not some surge in American women marathoning.

I am cheering for a DNF from Shalane followed by a retirement announcement. Then the same from Des in April in Boston.