What ever happened to German Fernandez? On this day he set the high school two mile record at 8:34.40.

Seems like a lot of kids sacrifice longevity and running fast into their 40s and 50s for running a few seconds faster when they are in HS and college.

Overtraining is rampant. Far too many hard efforts instead of low heart rate runs.

There are other great things to do in life other than run. Why not strike while the iron's hot and then get on with your next great adventure?

Long ago, I read that you have ~10 years from the first year you really train/race seriously until the end of your competitive career. I think that might even be longer than the norm.

There is no shame in giving it your all, saying "that was fun", and moving on.

He ran a 3:34 in 2012, that was the last race of note that I am aware of.

His twitter and instagram aren't very informative about what he's up to now.

https://twitter.com/german_ferndz?lang=en

https://www.letsrun.com/2012/german-0902.php

https://www.instagram.com/accounts/onetap/?next=%2Fcito_fern%2F&hl=en

zxczxcv wrote:

Why the focus on where he worked in high school? Most people, at least in my day, worked in high school.

Later that winter, to show how much he developed with the better team competition and higher mileage (and presumably much harder workouts), he ran 3:56 solo, then 3:55 for the mile and 7:47 junior 3k record while quite sick. At this point, he was just 18 years old. He went on to go wire to wire in the NCAA 1500m final for the title, again as a freshman, and run 13:25 for the 3k junior record.

He never set a 3000 meter under-20 US record indoors or out.

Another Option wrote:

There are other great things to do in life other than run. Why not strike while the iron's hot and then get on with your next great adventure?

Long ago, I read that you have ~10 years from the first year you really train/race seriously until the end of your competitive career. I think that might even be longer than the norm.

There is no shame in giving it your all, saying "that was fun", and moving on.

That doesn't work when you are hurt months at a time in your teens and 20s. I was practically never hurt at that age because i made sure to play the long game, not leak and fizzle because I burned all my matched before I was old enough to rent a car.

But if that's what you want to do go for it.

How dissapointing to neVer be much better than your senior year in high school. Maybe he got a mid level job at Home Depot.

Anyway, German is now a state trooper in California and lovin’ life.

I don’t think Dave Smith is to blame. I’ve read and heard interviews from Smith and Fernandez during his time at Oklahoma State. Smith tried to hold him back but German kept training hard. After his Achilles injury freshman year during NCAA XC he took some time off but got back into training relatively quickly. He’d report back to Smith about runs or workouts he did on his own and Smith would shake his head.

“ Around Christmas Fernandez resumed running, feeling rejuvenated. He tested himself on a 4-mile tempo run, during which he ran much faster than Smith would have liked -- so fast, in fact, that Smith demurs when asked what time he clocked. Mystique can be a powerful weapon in a runner's quiver.”

https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20807068/coaching-german/

The media made a big deal out his job at Applebee’s back on high school for some reason.

Then he got picked up by the Bowerman group for a short time. Jerry tried to train him for the 10k to see if his talent would translate; he ran like a 28:1x at Stanford but I think that was it and he got hurt again or something else and that was his career.

CoachB wrote:

Verzbicas was older when he set the HSR. I think he stayed back a year after moving from Lithuania. A bad bike accident on a training ride ended his career

He really wasn't older a typical high schooler.

He was born in January of 1993 and ran his 2 mile record in June of 2011.

Age 18 and one half.

To me it always looked like he gained weight, but people don’t seem to notice it for some reason. If he had been a hs girl phenom it would have been discussed ad nauseam.

popopop wrote:

I’m sure most of these comments attacking Dave or German are just Clay Mayes. Clown.

Anyway, German is now a state trooper in California and lovin’ life.

I've never heard of a "State trooper" in California. Do you mean CHP?

Another Option wrote:

There are other great things to do in life other than run. Why not strike while the iron's hot and then get on with your next great adventure?

Long ago, I read that you have ~10 years from the first year you really train/race seriously until the end of your competitive career. I think that might even be longer than the norm.

There is no shame in giving it your all, saying "that was fun", and moving on.

The thing is there is a lot of great running and fitness stuff to do after competitive running. After I broke 1:50 the marginal gains to get to sub 1:49 came at a very high cost physically. Watching myself deteriorate for that was not pleasant and at some point I made a choice to slow things down and save my legs, body and mind. I have never stopped running and with all honesty some of my best years (as in true enjoyment in running) came after college.

I was not close to being a pro so I do think the considerations are different when you are talking about the sacrifice to get from 1:45 to 1:44. These decisions are different for all of us, but it does sadden next to see most competitive runners completely disappear from all fitness in general. It’s also harder when you have the pressure of being in the spotlight and you are expected to make the Olympic team down the road. It’s way harder to come back and perform in those circumstances, and it seems to happen to most US distance runners.

The amazing thing is how long Gerry’s 2-mile HS record stood before German finally broke it. If it hadn’t been for the amazing talent of Lukas Verzbikas sweeping through only a couple of years later, German’s accomplishment would be even more prominent in HS running lore. Like some have said, German didn’t just drop off the radar. He had a college and (I think) a pro career, he just dealt with injuries and didn’t pan out to be one of the top US runners for whatever reasons. I always thought he seemed enthusiastic and brought a good energy to the sport though.

Also, I think it bears repeating that LV was not older than your typical HS senior. He was a year older than his class when he entered HS but finished in 3 years. Lukas began running in college for Oregon but left in his first semester to pursue the triathlon in an attempt to make the 2012 Olympic team. Tragically he was never the same after a bad cycling accident in training. Definitely in the conversation as one of the best US prep runners of all time though with sub 4 mile, sub 8:30 2 mile and double Foot Locker champ (the second year he also won NXN). For what it’s worth he was also the World Junior triathlon champion the summer after HS.

is there any chance of a comeback? He has no injuries like Webb or LV.

zxczxcv wrote:

German Fernandez already had injury problems in high school, which is why he didn't win the xc title after running a record 14:24, I think, at Mt. Sac.

Not Mt. SAC. It was the CA state meet at Woodward Park.

"The amazing thing is how long Gerry’s 2-mile HS record stood before German finally broke it."

German broke Jeff Nelson's record of 8:36 which was set in 1979. Lindgren ran a HS indoor record of 8:40 which was beaten by Cheserek, who ran 8:39 as a 19-year old senior.

"German Fernandez already had injury problems in high school, which is why he didn't win the xc title after running a record 14:24, I think, at Mt. Sac."

Foot Locker was run on a wet course that year and some guys run better in the mud than others.