THOUGHTSLEADER wrote:
I think you guys are missing what he's saying. He had a lot left, he says he thought the time could've been 3:37 with how much it felt like a sit-and-kick race. Recall he's looked flat in pretty much every race this season especially in the last 100. Even in Philly, Kerr mowed him down despite a decent gap. He noted he thought he could've gotten to the front a few times in the race, and passed on it because in his mind he cared most about top 3. He spent the next bit praising the "unbelievable" depth of the US, which is respect to his competitors. And then he said he felt "way too good" to not catch 2-3 guys in the last 100 after he got "swallowed up." So, it's the "easiest race" mostly because he's at his fittest, and assuredly training through the least. Even though he fumbled the tactics a bit he admits, he still felt quite good and confident.
And I think you are missing that in fact, by saying he had a lot left, he is coping with the reality that no matter how "easy" it was, he did was not capable (today) of catching those guys.
Remember, Jakob cut him off in the Olympic final last year with 150 to go and he still managed to run 3:27 and mow everyone down. Hocker today is not that guy.
Sure, he pays respect to his competitors. But his coping style is like a kid saying he didn't actually try. I see my kid and his friends do this every single day.