RITZ: Is he the most sickly/injury-prone US Runner Ever???

Ritz has trained smart. He's done things right. You have to push to the edge if you want to be world class. Most people on here are afraid to do easy runs at 6:00 minute pace because it's not "smart." However, they won't get "good" until they're 25 training like wimps. Ritz is the man, he pushes his body to the edge. Sometimes he gets hurt, sometimes he's the best white runner on the planet. I think it's a good strategy. Hopefully he can come back once again from this recent injury.

Ritz wasn't injured under Hudson in Oregon, or at least, not very often. He was able to sustain a substantial base devoid of lots of interval-oriented training, focusing on long threshold stuff. He probably was in 2:07 shape when he PR'd in London but went out way too fast and lost it at the end. Only when he sharpened off that base (and moved into a synthetic altitude house) did he start achieving his potential. He should rethink that approach.

Walking pneumonia is not that big of a deal if you train hard. I've had it twice and it's just when you've been running your ass off and your immune system is weak. It's not all the uncommon with distance runners who put in high milage.

His latest injury is due to a soft tissue surgery he had in his lower leg and the area around the stitches didn't heal properly. He has a stint (drainage tube) in his leg that pumps the extra fluid out of his leg when he walks around. The box that pumps it out attaches to his shorts or pants. The thing is pretty big too, maybe the size of an old walkman. Pretty crazy!

He's a major talent......I feel bad for the guy, he's had a ton of injuries and can't seem to stay healthy.

ouch, my foot... wrote:

He seems to have an injury every year along with 2 or 3 nagging injuries all the time. I feel like I see a new Ritz injury story every few months on the front page. Has any notable US runner ever been as consistently bogged down as him? Certainly no one with his talent... Thoughts? History Lesson?

No, actually Solinsky is the MOST injured distance runner ever.

Most injured ever?? Ritz?? No Way!!

That award goes to Ralph Gitz. Never heard of him?? Of course you haven't, because he's the most injured runner ever!

He never competed in HS, no college team would have him, and forget a shoe contract of professional career!!

The high point of his running career was probably 2nd grade Field Day when he at least finished the 200m Dash. He got a ribbon to prove it!! Though everyone got one, so I can't say how well he placed. I'm not even sure the race was timed.

Before you go and make such hyperbolic statements you got to know your history, son!!

Zero Gravity wrote:

Infirmary HOF:

Ryun

Liquori

Decker-Slaney

Falcon

Goucher

Davis

Broe

Ritz

Webb

I'd add Bob Schul to that - of course, the one year he stayed healthy produced a gold medal.

That 1:00:00 was a real great performance! A World Half Bronze (especially on the mens side), beating Kipsang (58:59 that year in Ras al Khaimah)and Kitwara (58:58 same race). He also beat Ryan Hall in Beijing, although Ryan was probably trying to going with the pace.

Ryun most sickly/injured ???

I was in 17 races at University against Jim; cross country, indoor track, outdoor track over 2 years ... He always showed up .. he always ran great .. he was never a no show...... same thing as a masters runner.. was in his first 2 masters miles; Legends Mile in Eugene; Masters Mile at Millrose .. he ran very well for an old timer in both...

65+ wrote:

Ryun most sickly/injured ???

I was in 17 races at University against Jim; cross country, indoor track, outdoor track over 2 years ... He always showed up .. he always ran great .. he was never a no show...... same thing as a masters runner.. was in his first 2 masters miles; Legends Mile in Eugene; Masters Mile at Millrose .. he ran very well for an old timer in both...

I have never run against Ryun, but did you forget about that whole block of time (1969-1974 maybe? some of the oldtimers may have to correct me here) where he would "show up" one week and the next week run like 4:10 and get last? I think that's what the poster was referring to.

So many things wrong with your post that I hardly know where to start:1) Best two marathoners in history ran good 10ks does not mean training for the 10k is sufficient for the marathon2) Breathing hard does not cause walking pneumonia3) His lower leg problem currently has nothing to do with training. 4) If his your statement: "The foot and lower leg troubles are due not just to the excessive volume, but also his talent -- cardiovascular fitness outstripping the physical capacity of bones and soft tissue." is true then it would argue for more milage and lower intensity. In summary:What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

dsrunner has the day off wrote:

If Ritz caps his mileage at 80/week, something closer to what Lagat trains for 12:50 (and what Rupp trained for 27:10) he makes the 2012 10000m team rather easily. US 10000m record might take him two seasons. Hard to say that 27' 10000m shape is not good preparation for a marathon since the two best marathoners in history are both <27 guys.

Lung issues are actually quite common in altitude training, especially for athletes coming up from sea-level. Moreover, it is important to understand that the work of breathing is a far bigger issue for an elite athlete than one of medium talent.

The foot and lower leg troubles are due not just to the excessive volume, but also his talent -- cardiovascular fitness outstripping the physical capacity of bones and soft tissue. Added to this is the overall negative influence of altitude on bone formation.

80 mpw is hardly even training for someone aspiring to run well from 10k to marathon. That's 70 minutes of running per day for Ritz. The low mileage bullshit is getting old. Anyone that has ever trained hard over the span of several years realizes that 80 miles per week doesn't cut it, except for insanely talented outliers.

And regarding this line:

"Hard to say that 27' 10000m shape is not good preparation for a marathon since the two best marathoners in history are both <27 guys."

This is not even close to logical. Obviously sub-27 is a requirement for being one of the best marathoners in history at this point. It says nothing about the specific preparation they did for the marathon. It just means that they were endowed with the necessary speed, developed it on the track, and then also trained for the marathon. It's like saying that the training Gebrselassie did to run 3:31 was optimal specific preparation for 2:03:59.

I agree 80 is low for an elite but I wonder if a guy like Ritz would be better off running 80-90 a week for 50 weeks out of the year rather than running 25 weeks at 120 and 25 weeks at 0.

Sure, that is probably true, but he has to push the envelope if he wants to truly be world elite. You can't break new ground on 80 miles a week when you've run 110 a week to get to your current level. Maybe he really is a guy that needs to be doing a third of his mileage on an anti-gravity treadmill. 80 on the ground, 40 at 90% body weight. Staying healthy is the number one priority, but you have to progress in your training if you want to improve on a 12:56.

Mary Decker?

Depends on if you want to count burnout as a injury. Other than Mono before mexico I don't recall any major injuries (i.e. things that keep you from running for a week or more) but I don't know all of his history.

sandybeaver wrote:

65+ wrote:

Ryun most sickly/injured ???

I was in 17 races at University against Jim; cross country, indoor track, outdoor track over 2 years ... He always showed up .. he always ran great .. he was never a no show...... same thing as a masters runner.. was in his first 2 masters miles; Legends Mile in Eugene; Masters Mile at Millrose .. he ran very well for an old timer in both...

I have never run against Ryun, but did you forget about that whole block of time (1969-1974 maybe? some of the oldtimers may have to correct me here) where he would "show up" one week and the next week run like 4:10 and get last? I think that's what the poster was referring to.