RITZ! ENOUGH WITH THE MARATHON!

Vim Fuego wrote:

enoughalready wrote:

If he can only hold 2:04 pace for 16 miles (25km or so) he would slow down so much in the last 17km. He would prob finish in 2:07:35 after slowing down.

Yeah, a 2:07:35 from an American would really suck.

I never said it would suck, but he would slow down if that were the case.

aeriplane wrote:

wwwwwp wrote:

The same could be said of Rupp or Solinsky. Thankfully those guys want to run the event where they are the most competitive.

Those guys aren't supporting chilren.

Yeah and I bet he's got a mortgage too. So what? When he's done running he'll get a job like everyone else.

[quote]classof89 wrote:

But AlSal has his group drinking the KoolAid of time extrapolation and "potential". quote]

Good point. A fast 5 k doesn't necessarily mean a fast marathon, even if training is modified. While there is huge overlap between the talents required for the 5 k and the marathon, the closer to the sharp end of the field, the more rate-limiting factors apply.

If anything going back to where he has had proven success will be more beneficial to his marathon training in the future

dsrunner has the day off wrote:

The marathon is already Rupp's best distance.

Put him in an 800, 1500, 3000, 5000, 10000 or 13.1 mile race -- where the pace is set exactly to world record level-- and Rupp will hang in there until just a bit over half way, about -54% the race distance, whatever the distance. Put him in a marathon, however, and he'll hold that 2:04 pace for something closer to 60% the race distance. Relatively speaking, those 80 mile weeks have best prepared Rupp for his best very best distance,the marathon.

this makes no sense

all you f u c k e r s complain about how underpaid the sport of running used to be, once they start getting bank all you do is criticize them, shut the hell up

Let's Be Logical wrote:

You all understand Ritz stands to make far more money (at least for now) from the marathon than he does on the track, right?

What a crap argument. You can't make any money if you aren't on the starting line come race day! And since these guys only try to race marathons once or twice a year, if they're injured they aren't making ANY damn money. Now, since he's the great American hope, Nike is still filling his pockets with guaranteed endorsement dollars. So, maybe his strategy is to convince Nike that he is going after the glory in the marathon to keep his contract big.

Any way you look at it though, his legacy at this point is "unfulfilled potential" and "what could have been."

I think Ritz couldnt possibly give less of a f*ck about money at this point in his career. Did anyone here actually watch him run in the World 1/2 Marathon Championships from start to finish? His effort and mentality in that race is what American distance running fans are starved for. Anybody who watched that race would have to be a total idiot to not agree that his best potential is in the marathon, despite his lack of a breakout performance in the event so far. Even his AR 5K only got him 3rd in that race. Ritz is obviously not content just making olympic teams at 5 and 10k ; he wants to do things on a world stage. Say what you will about Ritz and his vulnerability to injury, but I respect him for persisting and taking that risk as opposed to playing it safe, when he knows and believes that his best potential lies in the marathon

I agree with the first few posters who think Ritz needs to focus on the track for the next 2011 Worlds and 2012 Olympics. What many posters and apparently some elite athletes fail to realize just because you run a good 10,000m or even 1/2 marathon doesn't mean that athlete will be able to run equally as well in the marathon.

1.) Some athletes regardless of how much they train never equal in the marathon the performances they obtain at shorter distances.

2.) medaled at World X as a junior, broke 13 minutes in 5000m, placed top 10 at last year worlds in 10000m, Bronze at 1/2 marathon; however, in his 5 marathon attempts he has yet to break 2:10 when his ability suggest he's capable of 2:07 (this goes right back to point 1)

I think 2 reasons keep him trying. He has a better chance of wining a marathon as anything can happen. Yes he has a good 5k but will he ever win any major meet? Sorry to say but not likely. But he may get lucky and hold a 2:07 or 8 and a few dropped out big names and he might get a win.

Also, winning a marathon is recognition in the US. Show me any non-runner who cares who won Zurich or even the Pre distance races...But winning Chicago, NY or Boston...hell even gmas would do wonders for him.

I believe nike and Salazar did some testing on Ritz which determined his best event would be the marathon. What were this test's because so far they have been incorrect.

Obviously the marathon has the money but having said that when you run 12:56 out of the blue shouldn't a light or something go off in your head. Realize we are all armchair quarterbacks but something is astray in the way Ritz is being guided.

Did Mebrahtom, Ryan, Alberto, Billy Rodgers or any of them who accomplished as much as Ritzenhein take more than 5 marathons to break 2:10? Ritz hadn't completed a full season of training with Albert when he broke sub 13 and placed top ten at Worlds 2009 10000m. Now he's been with Alberto over a year and guess what Ritz ran another marathon with subpar results to him and his coach.

As of today and going on his past performances, Ritz has a BETTER chance of grabbing a silver or bronze medal in the 10000m then he does in placing top 5 at World or Olympic marathon!

Ritz is a good time trialer at 5/10k for sure. But he doesn't actually have the speed to win a big race. We know he can run sub-13 but I don't think he can do it with the 52-55 closing lap required to place in the olympics or world championships.

He may have been top-10 at worlds in the 10k (on a GREAT race), but he was also 9th in the OLYMPIC marathon on a BAD race, and the top US guy. His track performances don't speak louder than his marathon performances as far as competition and winning goes; only better times.

Hold your horses...because you are wrong. Ritz accomplished his sub 13 minute 5000m and he placed SIXTH at the 2009 World Championships 10000m all off his marathon training.

10000m FINAL 2009 World Championships

01 Kenenisa Bekele (Eth) 26:46.31 CR

02 Zersenay Tadese (Eri) 26:50.12

03 Moses Ndiema Masai (Ken 26:57.39

04 Imane Merga (Eth) 27:15.94

05 Bernard Kipyego (Ken) 27:18.47

06 Dathan Ritzenhein (USA) 27:22.28

07 Micah Kogo (Ken) 27:26.33

08 Galen Rupp (USA) 27:37.99

09 Kidane Tadasse (Eri) 27:41.50

10 Gebregziabher Gebremariam (Eth) 27:44.04

11 Ahmad Hassan Abdullah (Qat) 27:45.03

12 Teklemariam Medhin (Eri) 27:58.89

13 Fabiano Joseph Naasi (Tan) 28:04.32

So you see his best placing at a major Championship when comparing 10000m and the marathon is his SIXTH place at 10000m as he only placed 9th in the marathon.

Now if he was to train for the 5000m/10000m and avoid the injuries he gets from marathon training its no telling how much he could improve and become a outside medal threat!

lsa djkfljsdf wrote:

His legs look like a 6th graders.

And kenyan legs look like 4th graders then

enoughalready wrote:

It's clear after 5 attempts at the distance (although New York is not a fast course) and countless injuries, Dathan should focus his efforts on the track and cross country. Wasn't it Malmo who wrote, to paraphrase, (correct me if I am mistaken) that the athlete doesn't choose the distance, the distance chooses the athlete? Basically, no matter how much someone wants to excel at 26.2, it may never work out. Ever since switching to Salazar, Ritz has been plagued by injuries, and I think it's fair to say that his 27:22 and 12:56 were mainly due to the training he received from Hudson doing so much marathon training.

Avg: 2:11:56

OP contradicts himself by saying Ritz is not made for the marathon, and then says, but he got his PRs from all the marathon training he was doing before. Sounds like you are just trying to be a Salazar hater. That's fine, but center your post around a discussion of whether ritz can handle the marathon or not if thats not your issue.

Yes, he pr'd probably from all the marathon training. He's handled it before.

anddd wrote:

OP contradicts himself by saying Ritz is not made for the marathon, and then says, but he got his PRs from all the marathon training he was doing before. Sounds like you are just trying to be a Salazar hater. That's fine, but center your post around a discussion of whether ritz can handle the marathon or not if thats not your issue.

Yes, he pr'd probably from all the marathon training. He's handled it before.

How is that contradictory? How does that make the OP 'a hater'?

Ritzenehin has shown that he continually gets injuries, but gets fewer of them when he is doing low impact training.

Ritzenehein has shown his body doesn't respond well to the marathon.

Ritzenhein has shown that his best events have been 3000-5000, and to a lesser degree the 10000-HM.

^

To further explain, I am not a Salazar hater.

I am simply stating, the times that Ritz has run at 10000 and 5000m is mainly because of his marathon training under Hudson. He received a lot of base from that, which was supplemented by Salazar's training when he first went to him.

That still doesn't mean he doesn't get injured...and he has not shown he can handle the marathon despite the training.

It's obvious considering his credentials on the track, if he did more 3k/5k, even 10k specific training, he could do much better at those events.