• Bro Man
      • QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 7:47AM
      • Bro Man

      • “Zero. Zero bit of regret. Looking at pictures of guys finishing races with that gritty face everyone has crossing the finish line, I’m like, ‘Nope, don’t miss that at all’ as I take a sip of my beer. … I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to go snowboarding’ or ‘I’m going to play some soccer.’ Everything that I put aside for running I decided to pick up and do it all within a week. The second week of retirement I was very, very sore.”

        I really like not just the quote but the outlook on life. Andrew Wheating was always a bro. Running over the long term altered his bro-ness and took away from his bro-capacity and bro-experiences. Cant a bro just be a bro, bro? Not while youre running, bro and training at an olympic level, bro.

        Welcome back to the bro world, Andrew Wheating Bro.
    • vivalarepublica
      registered
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 8:01AM - in reply to Bro Man
      • vivalarepublica
        registered
      • Really just seems like he didn’t like the running lifestyle and competition. If you want to maximize your talent in this endeavor, or any endeavor, you have to love what you’re doing. Personally, I love to compete and grit my teeth at the end of a race. He didn’t, and it seemed like more a job than something he loved to do.
    • Swaglord
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 8:12AM - in reply to vivalarepublica
      • Swaglord
      • Sounds like he crushed in college and that season after because it was balanced and novel. After the race, party with some hot girls. Go to class and be well known. And then once he got in that steady grind, it was subconsciously not what he wanted. I can understand it.
    • Bro World
    • agip
      registered
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 9:45AM - in reply to vivalarepublica
      • agip
        registered
      • vivalarepublica wrote:

        Really just seems like he didn’t like the running lifestyle and competition. If you want to maximize your talent in this endeavor, or any endeavor, you have to love what you’re doing. Personally, I love to compete and grit my teeth at the end of a race. He didn’t, and it seemed like more a job than something he loved to do.

        I'll only care about the professional runners who I think would be runners even if they weren't elite. Who love the sport for what it is and not just for what they can get out of it. Jenny Simpson, Meb, Shalane, Kara, Bernard Lagat. These guys would be running every day no matter what.

        Guys like Wheating and Ryan Hill and Robby Andrews and Rowbury...I just feel they're in it for the money
    • Trolo
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 9:49AM - in reply to agip
      • Trolo
      • agip wrote:

        vivalarepublica wrote:

        Really just seems like he didn’t like the running lifestyle and competition. If you want to maximize your talent in this endeavor, or any endeavor, you have to love what you’re doing. Personally, I love to compete and grit my teeth at the end of a race. He didn’t, and it seemed like more a job than something he loved to do.

        I'll only care about the professional runners who I think would be runners even if they weren't elite. Who love the sport for what it is and not just for what they can get out of it. Jenny Simpson, Meb, Shalane, Kara, Bernard Lagat. These guys would be running every day no matter what.

        Guys like Wheating and Ryan Hill and Robby Andrews and Rowbury...I just feel they're in it for the money

        Would you go to work and do your job every day for no money?

        What an odd, judgemental outlook you have.
    • Middle Aged Man
    • cooptastic
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 10:23AM - in reply to Trolo
      • cooptastic
      • Trolo wrote:

        [quote]agip wrote:

        Would you go to work and do your job every day for no money?

        What an odd, judgemental outlook you have.

        I suspect he feels that was because he does run (their job) every day for no money. I don't know a single person who does my job for recreation, even at an amateur level.
    • Hardloper
      registered
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 11:42AM - in reply to agip
      • Hardloper
        registered
      • agip wrote:

        vivalarepublica wrote:

        Really just seems like he didn’t like the running lifestyle and competition. If you want to maximize your talent in this endeavor, or any endeavor, you have to love what you’re doing. Personally, I love to compete and grit my teeth at the end of a race. He didn’t, and it seemed like more a job than something he loved to do.

        I'll only care about the professional runners who I think would be runners even if they weren't elite. Who love the sport for what it is and not just for what they can get out of it. Jenny Simpson, Meb, Shalane, Kara, Bernard Lagat. These guys would be running every day no matter what.

        Guys like Wheating and Ryan Hill and Robby Andrews and Rowbury...I just feel they're in it for the money

        I totally agree but I think all top runners enjoy running to some extent, or they would never get into 3:30 shape. I think Nick Symmonds actually enjoys running but tries too hard to do the "bro" thing and acts like he doesn't.
    • Trolo
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 12:02PM - in reply to cooptastic
      • Trolo
      • cooptastic wrote:

        Trolo wrote:

        [quote]agip wrote:

        Would you go to work and do your job every day for no money?

        What an odd, judgemental outlook you have.

        I suspect he feels that was because he does run (their job) every day for no money. I don't know a single person who does my job for recreation, even at an amateur level.

        If you were paid to run, you would almost certainly enjoy it less. This is well-documented in psychological studies. When you are compensated for doing something, it turns into an obligation, and your perception of its intrinsic enjoyability goes down.
    • macdaddy
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 12:24PM - in reply to agip
      • macdaddy
      • agip wrote:

        I'll only care about the professional runners who I think would be runners even if they weren't elite. Who love the sport for what it is and not just for what they can get out of it. Jenny Simpson, Meb, Shalane, Kara, Bernard Lagat. These guys would be running every day no matter what.

        Guys like Wheating and Ryan Hill and Robby Andrews and Rowbury...I just feel they're in it for the money

        Thank you for being the great decider of those who actually enjoy running. I'll take your opinion as fact.
    • NotPC
      registered
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 12:31PM - in reply to agip
      • NotPC
        registered
      • agip wrote:

        [quote]vivalarepublica wrote:

        Guys like Wheating and Ryan Hill and Robby Andrews and Rowbury...I just feel they're in it for the money

        since you are the one decider of those who love running and those who do not... would you rather an athlete stick around until they are 40 or more.. at what point in your mind does a guy go from great athlete chasing the dream to sad sack washed up runner clinging to past glories?
    • 100m
      registered
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 12:33PM - in reply to Bro Man
      • 100m
        registered
      • He may have had more talent than Centro.
    • You're welcome
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 12:35PM - in reply to macdaddy
      • You're welcome
      • macdaddy wrote:

        agip wrote:

        I'll only care about the professional runners who I think would be runners even if they weren't elite. Who love the sport for what it is and not just for what they can get out of it. Jenny Simpson, Meb, Shalane, Kara, Bernard Lagat. These guys would be running every day no matter what.

        Guys like Wheating and Ryan Hill and Robby Andrews and Rowbury...I just feel they're in it for the money

        Thank you for being the great decider of those who actually enjoy running. I'll take your opinion as fact.

        When an athlete says "nope, don't miss that at all" you can safely assume they do not enjoy running that much.
    • Star
      registered
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 12:43PM - in reply to vivalarepublica
      • Star
        registered
      • vivalarepublica wrote:

        Really just seems like he didn’t like the running lifestyle and competition. If you want to maximize your talent in this endeavor, or any endeavor, you have to love what you’re doing. Personally, I love to compete and grit my teeth at the end of a race. He didn’t, and it seemed like more a job than something he loved to do.

        Or maybe he didn't enjoy the lack of improvement.
        It's exciting to train hard and go out and beat your PRs.
        It is very hard to put in that same effort year after year without ever getting faster or placing higher.

        And getting constant nagging injuries sucks.

        His PRs were set in 2010.
        He gave it 7 more years. That's not giving up easily.
    • NotPC
      registered
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 12:47PM - in reply to You're welcome
      • NotPC
        registered
      • You're welcome wrote:

        macdaddy wrote:

        agip wrote:

        I'll only care about the professional runners who I think would be runners even if they weren't elite. Who love the sport for what it is and not just for what they can get out of it. Jenny Simpson, Meb, Shalane, Kara, Bernard Lagat. These guys would be running every day no matter what.

        Guys like Wheating and Ryan Hill and Robby Andrews and Rowbury...I just feel they're in it for the money

        Thank you for being the great decider of those who actually enjoy running. I'll take your opinion as fact.

        When an athlete says "nope, don't miss that at all" you can safely assume they do not enjoy running that much.
        did you read his quote, he was referring to the battle, the big races, hurting yourself... He didn't say he wouldn't go for a run on a trail etc.. The pressure these guys are under is intense. I can see why many are glad to be out of "the game".
    • 1955
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 12:53PM - in reply to Bro Man
      • 1955
      • I think running was kind of an unexpected talent for him...as I recall, he only started late in HS. He had rapid progress & had some really results for a while, but I guess he was really not into running the way many others are.

        I doubt he maximized his potential but evidently he maximized his interest.
    • vivalarepublica
      registered
      • RE: QOTD: “Zero. Zero bit of regret..." - Andrew Wheating on retirement 2/7/2018 1:06PM - in reply to Star
      • vivalarepublica
        registered
      • Star wrote:

        vivalarepublica wrote:

        Really just seems like he didn’t like the running lifestyle and competition. If you want to maximize your talent in this endeavor, or any endeavor, you have to love what you’re doing. Personally, I love to compete and grit my teeth at the end of a race. He didn’t, and it seemed like more a job than something he loved to do.

        Or maybe he didn't enjoy the lack of improvement.
        It's exciting to train hard and go out and beat your PRs.
        It is very hard to put in that same effort year after year without ever getting faster or placing higher.

        And getting constant nagging injuries sucks.

        His PRs were set in 2010.
        He gave it 7 more years. That's not giving up easily.

        That could be true. Or maybe the times and places stalled because of motivational factors. Whatever works for him.

        I doubt that that the typical pro contract is conducive to freely pursuing your love of the sport. It’s probably a ton of pressure and can create stress. I watched an interview with Meb after he won Boston and it seemed like the Skechers sponsorship allowed him to train and race with way less pressure than Nike. Probably was a factor in the longevity of his career.