Ryan Hall Out of NYC Marathon

Im not that bad of a coach, am I?

Maybe Ryan's never heard this story:

A faithful fisherman's boat sinks and he is left clinging to debris. He prays to God to rescue him. After a while, a boat comes by and offers to help, but the man proclaims that his faith in God is strong and that God will save him. Another boat comes by and help is offered again. The man's faith in God's rescue is still strong and denies the human help. After some more time the man tires and drowns. When he gets to heaven, he asks God why he did not rescue him. God replies, "I sent you two boats".

That story is not in the Bible.

The whole Hall thing reminds me of a story my Pastor used to tell. Cliff notes version: A guy is caught in a flood. Convinced that God will save him, he turns down help from rescuers in boats and helicopters, saying "God will provide." When he finally drowns and makes it to heaven, he asks, "God, why didn't you save me? I put my faith in you and turned down help because I thought that you would save me." God replies, "I sent two boats and a helicopter. What more did you need?"

Point is, God sent people to do his work, but the guy couldn't see it. He was waiting for some kind of miracle and completely ignored the hand of God in the actions of humans. So he drowned waiting for God while God was trying to save him.

Perhaps the whole "coached by God" idea is kind of the same thing. Maybe one day Hall will ask God "why didn't you train me to run fast without injury?" and God will reply "I sent knowledgeable coaches and world class training groups. What more did you want?"

"As much as I would love to still race after taking the break, my integrity will not let me show up to the line if I’m not fit.”

Where was his integrity at the Olympics ?

nicely done, hitting the nail on the head!

won't it be funny when hall realizes that the belief in God is just a bunch of b*s and Ryan, himself, is completely responsible for his own actions.

Ryan has himself backed into a corner that most of you can't understand.

1. Ryan needed to START the Olympic Marathon to be considered an Olympian. If he was not an Olympian he has a reduction of $250k a year in his Asics contract. (One million dollars over the next 4 years).

2. Ryan must run at least one marathon a year to maintain this contract. NY and Boston are the only marathons that will pay him 6 figure appearance fees.

Now feel free to carry on with all of the things he should do. It is just important for you to keep those facts in mind when determining his "best path".

No one ever claimed this story was in the Bible. It is still completely relevant though. I think of this parable often when I hear someone ranting on FB about needing God's help.

Well, considering he has those to think about, he needs to take the best, real-world options available to continue to meet his contractual and familial responsibilities. Right now, he is being a poor steward which is not in keeping with scripture. He is not managing his gifts with the glory of God in mind. He appears to be looking to glorify his/His relationship instead. Humble thyself.

Man of Faith wrote:

Get a coach, pray that God guides that coach, and start training in a more realistic and responsible manner.

+1

And saying something like this is not bashing Ryan and his faith, it's rooting for him to find the best way to utilize the talent he has.

Like your own self-DECEPTION?

You apparently put too much faith in your ability to spell.

Ryan just heard that Meb was running the NYC Marathon and couldn't stand losing to him 3 times in 1 year.

The beginning of the "Whatever happened to Ryan Hall" era.

This is how it starts, nagging injuries, poor performances, then bad enough to withdraw, then endless "re-tooling" eventually you fad away.

At some point RW does a "where are they now" article on you. My guess is that he'll be preaching in some backwoods church in CA (and probably be darned happy about it).

EPO boy wrote:

won't it be funny when hall realizes that the belief in God is just a bunch of b*s and Ryan, himself, is completely responsible for his own actions.

Like Jonathan Edwards

Olympic gold medallist Jonathan Edwards, whose devout Christian beliefs prevented him competing on Sundays early in his career, has lost God in his life to the extent that he is to stop presenting the BBC?s Songs of Praise.

Triple jump champion Edwards, who ended his glittering athletics career in 2002, is on screen on Sunday hosting the show for a three-week run visiting England?s finest churches.

But that will end his involvement in religious programming after he told corporation bosses the loss of his previously super-strong Christian faith meant he no longer felt comfortable fronting the show or any similar output.

Edwards became famous for being a Christian before achieving athletics glory after pulling out of the 1991 world championship because of the Sunday triple jump schedule.

He later competed on a Sunday in the qualifying round of the event in 1993 on the way to a bronze medal, explaining God had told him in a dream to make full use of his ability.

He once said: "My relationship with Jesus and God is fundamental to everything I do. I have made a commitment and dedication in that relationship to serve God in every area of my life."

But Edwards is understood to have re-evaluated his Christian beliefs last summer. The family man used to tell friends he objected whenever his work kept him away from his wife and two sons on Tyneside ? but he now spends a lot of time in London, where he has a flat.

His commitments in the capital include being the athletes? representative on the London 2012 organising committee and an adviser to sports communications company Vero.

Read more:

Message From Ryan Hall To "Fan"

he can eat syit

I enjoy his troubles

I'm an idiot but so what

I'm not a very religious person, but I do have a great deal of respect for those that have faith. Maybe it's just me but when you start talking about the laying on of hands, faith healing, speaking in tongues, you've lost me. What's next, snakes. Should we all just tell our bosses that God has informed us that he is now running things. Come on Ryan, get a coach, get some training partners and get a real plan. What you are doing now is not working.

areusure? wrote:

I do hope he is praying for healing. I'm not sure why God doesn't want our best and most inspirational marathoner to run this fall but he has his reasons.

Best of luck recovering!

How exactly does one go about "praying for healing"?

This is the most pragmatic post I've seen that he has a career and is doing what is best for him financially in the long run.

All the god jokes aside, people here don't consider the fact he is really just saying "god" to replace saying "myself" or "I." He probably thinks he knows better what he should be doing than say a coach who hasn't been where he is. Maybe just one possible reason to ditch the coach.

Thus by saying his coaching is inspired by god just diffuses everyone from calling him arrogant. Whether it is false modesty or not people ought to stop harping on him choosing "God" as his coach because he just crediting his own thoughts to "God".

I ran against Hall in high school from time to time. I know he reads the message boards even if he says he doesn't. Ryan, I messed with you during your 1:53 800m at CIF sectional senior year. You're an emotional runner. IMHO Get a new coach, maybe not for wisdom but for emotional support and the facilities like the Oregon Project and its nitrogen house and fancy pools.