Tegenkamp Post 5000 Meters Comments

Wanjiru ... nice post. It expresses what I feel nearly every time I log onto letsrun.

As long as there are not a bunch of Anglos running 12:45-13:00 and 26:40-27:10 and similar times in the 1500/Steeple/3k then the people we sent to the Games are doing just fine.

I actually had a conversation years ago with a track nut around when Ritz ran 13:27 as a freshman. He said that he could see him in 5 years doubling that and running 12:50 and 26:50.

I told him that we had seen two Africans at the highest levels (Saidi-Seif and Mourhit) run 12:50 and 12:49 only to find out that they were doping and I said I would hope that Dathan never runs that fast because I couldn't see how someone with his talent level could run that fast without being heavy into doping.

I was hoping this thread was going to be filled with hilarious made-up quotes from Teg, much like the "Alan Webb post race quotes" shortly following the 1500M final from Helsinki in 2005. I wish I could still find that thread.

I was just thinking about that thread, too. By far the funniest thing ever on this website.

Tokyo World Champs 5k was a gift to Lagat and Tegenkamp. The Africans weren't going to let that happen again.

If you think for a second that we should be proud to make an olympic final then you don't understand what Matt and Jerry and the rest of the people are trying to do. In fact I'd argue that's the reason why we are failing because people have your attitude. Just making the final and running 13:33 isn't good enough for our best talent, in fact it's embarrassing. I think that Jerry and Matt would agree as well. It's not acceptable with the amount of time and money that people are putting into American distance running right now to continually get man-handled at world class events like the Olympics. That's noting to be proud of. This isn't about PR's it's about trying to win an Olympic medal.

The fact that the Americans don't do much racing on the European circuit, and go for periods of months without racing at all I think in the end hurts them and I honestly think it did for Matt this year. I don't think that you can train and only race a few times a year and expect to pop a race at the Championship level. I hope Jerry figures this out at some point.

The biggest thing working against us as Americans is our physical size as it compares to the Africans. The guy who won the marathon was 5'4 and 112 pounds. I would guess Ritz is 135-140. That is alot of extra weight to carry...at any distance event. Notice how the Finns, the Brits and virtually everyone else is no longer contending for gold either. Do you think the Africans could contend for medals in swimming or basketball? The fact is there are physiological limits to what we can do in all sports. We are doing a remarkable job with what we have. Hats off to all the US distance runners.

Sudden changes in pace. This needs to be a focus on Teg's training (every US elite's training for that matter).

Instead of doing say 12x400 in 63s..., do 12x400 with each alternating 400 in sub 60 and the other in 65-66s. Honestly, this is how most championship events are raced these days. The trick is being able to handle sudden pace changes.

Wanjiru did something like this OVER AND OVER in the marathon...which "softened" the opponents. All one needs to do is drop a 58 in the middle of a 5000m and most US 5000m runners will drop off the back in a hurry and stay buried...cuz they are so used to running more even splits.

There is nothing worse for one's legs than to do a fartlek-type race.....will demolish legs.

I honestly think Bekele is a cheater. Running a 357 last mile alone up front doesn't even register in my head. He went through the line and wasn't even winded. Whether he's a cheater or not, I'm frankly sick of watching him because he's so untouchable.

Good, keep thinking that, its what will keep the US a third class distance nation.

Bekele is legit and awesome.

Geb is a cheater too, so is Lagat, and Kipchoge...but no white guys would ever cheat.

Africans can afford drugs?

If we'd just keep breeding top distance athletes, All these Africans have their Marathoners getting married to their steeplechasers and what not.

Same with teh Jamacians, nothing but sprinters breeding with sprinters.

Fast 800 guy wrote:Africans were running in good numbers by the '68 Games. It's just that all the brainwashing in the West has really taken hold, and it's almost funny (but pitiful) to see Western kids so scared and psyched out. There are a few with talent, but without the mentality to do well, they won't.

Oh, please. There were a handful of African athletes who managed to gain international experience in the late 60s and 70s, but absolutely nothing like the numbers and opportunities today. To say otherwise is just incorrect. It may have something to do with there actually being money in the sport now...

Of the top ten places in the 5K, 10K, and marathon at Beijing (30 places), all but 4 were of north or east African origin. The top 12 of the 10K were of African origin. EVERY western nation has lost whatever traditional distance success they used to have (and it would be worse without naturalized citizens from Africa), even though their individual athletes are running much faster and staying in the sport longer than they did a generation ago. And this is because Western athletes are simply intimidated? Mentally weak? And you make the enormous assumption that there is no physical component because...?

All we need is top 10 American Athletes to offer us Genetic samples for test tube babies.

Train them and breed them

Rinse and Repeat. 30 years American will break world records in every event ever thought of in Track and field.

Thats 43 gold medals!

Plenty of white guys cheat, but there's a lot of talk amongst foreigners (African and South African) that come here about how they do it, when and where.

They know what's going on, and I believe him.

When you see something that looks unbelievable, it probably is.

Very embarrassing wrote:

I hate Rabbits wrote:

Hey here's a thought why don't you race them more during the next 4 years instead of waiting till the next olympics to be unprepared for their racing style again?

Like a guy pointed out in another thread, Ron Clarke, who had no kick, would change up the pace all the time to try and waste his opponents, no differently than what KB and the Africans do now. The West is going backwards. Hell, Teg is far better than Pre ever was but you can bet Pre would have hung on like grim death until his legs buckled had he been in this race.

stupidest sentiment in american track and field. pre would get killed by these guys. he'd never even be popular today. the africans were not nearly as good then as they are now.

Fast 800 guy wrote:

Africans were running in good numbers by the '68 Games. It's just that all the brainwashing in the West has really taken hold, and it's almost funny (but pitiful) to see Western kids so scared and psyched out. There are a few with talent, but without the mentality to do well, they won't.

really, REALLY stupid post.

nobody--African or not--from decades past could have touched bekele and company these days.

quit being so sentimental.

You don't know any pro runners I'm quite sure. They are not scared of Africans. The top africans these days are just too fast.

many of you have zero appreciation for how fast these guys are running, and how hard they work every day. it's ridiculous.

Paul Tergat: 6'0" 137 lbsMat Teggenkamp: 6'1" 145 lbstry again.

Jimbo60 wrote:

The biggest thing working against us as Americans is our physical size as it compares to the Africans. The guy who won the marathon was 5'4 and 112 pounds. I would guess Ritz is 135-140. That is alot of extra weight to carry...at any distance event. Notice how the Finns, the Brits and virtually everyone else is no longer contending for gold either. Do you think the Africans could contend for medals in swimming or basketball? The fact is there are physiological limits to what we can do in all sports. We are doing a remarkable job with what we have. Hats off to all the US distance runners.

Maybe he should just run the 10k.