Robby Andrews

This is the most ridiculous stuff I've read on here in awhile. He is a college soph. that had a bad day. Stuff happens. I doubt there is some huge story behind it. Ran a ton of 800's between NCAA's at Nats

Robby is a class act. His post race interview was nothing great. It's easy to be classy when you win, but hard to be classy when you loose. Anybody trying to take away from what he's done is ignorant. He's just a kid racing as hard as he can.

Will be rooting for him to make the team in 2012

there is zero reason to read into this race and there are no implications for the long term...seriously

I hope you guys don't coach. As "elite" as letsrun is, the general running and training knowledge (outside of a few outliers) is ridiculously sad. Go learn something about your sport, dipshits.

Robby's meltdown wasn't unforeseeable or really all that surprising. And it doesn't mean a whole lot in regards to his potential. He'll be back.

kudzurunner wrote:

Kid didn't have it today. None of you really know why.

Exactly. People aren't machines.

Definitely thought robby would make the team, especially after how slow he was able to run in the rounds. If you look at last year, Andrews peaked at NCAAS as well. Dropped a 145 as a FRESHMAN, but then loxsom wiped the floor with him at USA and World Juniors

vrijetijd wrote:

When it comes to running with the big boys Jock is just faster. Robby got lucky at NCAAs.

I don't think he just got lucky at NCAAs - it takes more than luck to win at that level as convincingly as he did.

I have been saying all along, though, that the strategy he has been executing over and over at the college level (because it works for him there) won't work for him against the big boys. And it didn't. No shock to me - I didn't even have him in my top three, which I found very easy to pick btw.

For guys like Andrews (and I hate to say it but Wheating, too), it's almost like their talent works against them when they take their initial steps to the pro level. These guys get so used to running a certain way against lesser competition, and then they when they get to the big stage it turns out that everyone can kick as fast as them, off of a faster race and with tactics that just confound the college guys. (Watch some Alfred Yego races on YouTube!) If Andrews had made it through, which he conceivably could have, he would have been absolutely pillaged at WC, to the extent that it's hard to come back from mentally. It's good that he'll be resting mentally this summer after his long season. Respect to the kid and good luck to him in the future. There are holes in his game that hopefully he and his coach will start to address after a bit of a break.

61 second 1/4 !

no one cares but us

He really hadn't raced a ton this year. My guess is that he didn't have it for the final yesterday and didn't throw in a huge kick knowing he was already pretty spent.

There may be some validity to the fact that he didn't have the base to handle three rounds in the 800 over 4 days. You see these 800/1500 guys mention that all the time.

It may have been the first time he had to run 3 quality 800's over 4 days (might be wrong about that).

I didn't realize Khadevis and Jock train more aerobically than Andrews.

I find the contrasting racing styles between Robby Andrews and Charles Jock fascinating and worthy of discussion. Who of the two has the better chance to adapt to world class, 1:43 and faster, racing? Mr. Jock can go out with the best of them on the first lap. With age and strength, he could be right there with the medalists in the last 50 meters. I was impressed with his ability to hold on for 3rd on Sunday. Mr. Andrews, I wonder, would be so far off the pace in the semis at a Worlds or Olympics that he won't have the chance to line up for the finals. Just my initial thoughts. Which would you rather have come to you, as a coach, and say, "what can I do to win a medal?" Which do you think could win a medal? I choose Mr. Jock.

So this thread is saying that an 800 runner who has run 3:40 for the 1500 needs more aerobic strength work.

Sure, everyone can improve there but that is not his weakness.

I would agree that possibly Jock has less to fix than Andrews, but remember, it is all about the watch and place.

Andrews is now 2-1 vs Jock when it mattered, yesterday was a major let down, and a GREAT effort from Jock.

It appears so far that each only runs one style, Jock too fast by just out a little from the front, which is bit easier to fix, and Andrews blazing from the back , which leaves you exposed as you may not clear a whole field of really good guys every time, in fact, more often than not, may not get there.

Jock is not a guy that seems to be able to down shift on you and change gears , his seems to always be a front running style and holding on, but truely a major talent, and may go 1:43 within a year or so.

Andrews was surely short on conditioning this year(and had not run 1:46 even for scratch before Nats, so he went from 1:46 (relay only) at Penn to 1:44.71 in weeks.) and lack of base and the rounds may have just gotten to him, more than his style, I have seen him race a ton of times and I could tell by well before 400M that it was not happening, while he does run from the back he was not even at 52.00 which he was faster than that at NCAAs.

I personally always thought Andrews would be a perfect 1500 guy, where 1:50's would not seem so fast and he can get in the last 700, I never saw him as a 1:43.x half miler, that's just me. When he got to 1:44.71 so early in his career, I think people get a bit over exuberant abdout his 800 abilities, which look great when you come from behind in dramatic fashion to PR.

People can change the way they race. Symmonds is known as a kicker but look what he did last world championships.

youtube.com/watch?v=PRjRMxtptjI

fgfg wrote:

no one cares but us

Please insert this comment in every current thread. Thank you.

Gags has a lot of his middle distance guys do 5k training during the base phase, but not 5k mileage. Tempos and longer intervals- yes, 90 mile weeks no...

Big Fut wrote:

I want to clarify that I am not hating on Robby. Aerobic strength carries you through many rounds and I was wondering if there wasn't any gas left in the tank by the final.

I personally believe an 800 runner of Robby's ability should be doing 40-50 mpw when he is peaking. But 80-90 mile weeks and endurance workouts during the base phase. At the moment Robby is probably limited by his low mileage during high school and Vig is still building him up.

I read an Nichole Teter interview a few years ago and Coach Gags convinced her doing 5k training in the fall would make all the difference. She had a great summer and made the Olympic team in Beijing.

Big Fut wrote:

I want to clarify that I am not hating on Robby. Aerobic strength carries you through many rounds and I was wondering if there wasn't any gas left in the tank by the final.

I personally believe an 800 runner of Robby's ability should be doing 40-50 mpw when he is peaking. But 80-90 mile weeks and endurance workouts during the base phase. At the moment Robby is probably limited by his low mileage during high school and Vig is still building him up.

I read an Nichole Teter interview a few years ago and Coach Gags convinced her doing 5k training in the fall would make all the difference. She had a great summer and made the Olympic team in Beijing.

Can someone please clarify how aerobic conditioning helps specifically with the rounds format of championship meets?

Is there something about higher mileage that would allow you to recover more quickly from an 800? I don't understand this.

Sir Lance.. you are back on form!