Desi Davilla 6x1 mile today

At least one of the several people put on last minute stand-by by usatf was training everyday and not in 2:20 shape, but in at least as good as trials shape and able to run a marathon. She was on stand-by until very near race day, but was not contacted to fly to London, presumably because Desi decided to not give up her spot.

Not a commentary on whether that was right, wrong, or otherwise, it was a tough situation all around, but saying there was no one else to run is simply wrong. There was not a gold medalist waiting in the wings, no one of Desi's caliber or a replacement 2:22 marathoner, but there were viable runners.

Comparing Kara Goucher when she was in bronze medal shape over 10k and Desi Davilla coming back from a stress fracture is stupid.

She obviously posted her workout just to get people excited that she is getting healthy.

Please tell me who was ready to go and what race did she run to prove her fitness?

Trials 08 wrote:

She obviously posted her workout just to get people excited that she is getting healthy.

Whatever her reason, good for her. She seems humble about it. Part of reason I like following her as an athlete. Best of luck to her!

Wrong wrong wrote:

but there were viable runners.

Your statement proves your ignorance. We were only permitted to put ONE name on the alternate list. If that ONE athlete was not ready to go then we could NOT substitute another athlete in. The ONE athlete pulled out of the 10,000 at the Olympic Trials because of injury. That left the US without a substitute for Desi.

I'd respectfully rather not and fitness was proven in the same race Desi and all the eligible runners proved there fitness in for the Olympics, the trials. There was no other prerequisite race given by Usatf to "prove fitness." If runners weren't considered eligible, viable replacement candidates, why did usatf contact them and have them on stand-by to run?

Usatf didn't make the choice, they left it to Desi and she decided to run the race using the spot she earned. No problem with that, she literally earned it and was her choice. Just with the no replacement excuse some on the board have used.

What would a suitable replacement be in your opinion? An available replacement equal to an in shape Desi, none, not even close. Able to run a decent race and finish in the neighborhood of their trials effort, several.

Usatf insider, I'd like to see your form allowing only one alternate. Actually, did the usatf truly have an alternate? That was bungled a little, wouldn't you say. Typical Usatf, not exactly known for open, honest, timely communication with athletes or the public. But that's a topic for another thread.

Insider, who are you taking to Moscow? Why only three? I'd bet I'm not the only one that would like to ask you some questions.

agreed! and even if someone was ready, who's to say they wouldn't have DNF? It was her spot, she earned it! she went!

We don't need to send someone that was 5 minutes out of qualifying. I would rather watch Desi jog 2 miles than a 2:30 marathoner run the entire way and finish 30th.

I would rather watch a sick Lebron James than the European Basketball Championship.

I would rather see Tiger Woods at his worst than any other American at their best.

Desiree Davila came within seconds of winning Boston. She is a legitimate star.

You would rather not state her name?! We have the results from the Olympic trials. We can go down the list and point out who was ready and who wasn't. It's not a secret there was no alternate available and ready to go. Nice try loser.

Define ready. Ready as in no broken bones and able to run everyday, able to run 2:15, what exactly is ready in your opinion?

MSU Proud wrote:

B.I.G Johnson wrote:

Same old boring Hanson's workout. She needs to go someplace else and get some new stimuli. She isn't going to get faster only slower.

Great point. Most of us thought that Desi would of had a much better career than 15:08--31:38 2nd in Boston Marathon and an Olympian. Coming out of College we all expected much more. Those Hansons have really let her down.

What were her College PB's again?

Screw you Hansons you big failures.

Remind me again what she has done in the last year?

Oh yeah absolutely nothing.

Not knocking what she has done in the past.

But if she wants to improve it is time to move on.

The Hanson brothers apply an old school grinder approach that will get you to a high level. But not the ultimate level of say a Canova athlete.

Great they got her to the Olympics. How about keeping her healthy enough to actually compete.

Boy oh boy 6xmile what next 3x2m. Whoa they are so amazing

Even by LetsRun standards, your post is inane, so much so that guided by benevolence I'm just going to assume that you're joking.

Montesquieu wrote:

Even by LetsRun standards, your post is inane, so much so that guided by benevolence I'm just going to assume that you're joking.

B.I.G Johnson wrote:

Remind me again what she has done in the last year?

Oh yeah absolutely nothing.

Not knocking what she has done in the past.

But if she wants to improve it is time to move on.

The Hanson brothers apply an old school grinder approach that will get you to a high level. But not the ultimate level of say a Canova athlete.

Great they got her to the Olympics. How about keeping her healthy enough to actually compete.

Boy oh boy 6xmile what next 3x2m. Whoa they are so amazing

I was thinking the same thing when I saw your original post. He must be joking posting a workout so slow for an athlete of her caliber. I thought this has to be a joke given how long ago the Olympics were and the injury.

1/10

Okay--I'll play. I posted the workout (without comment) because it is rare that we see a workout by a World class marathoner posted online. I was trying to do a good deed. Now, Desi has done nothing in the last year. SHE HAD A MAJOR INJURY THAT TOOK A GREAT DEAL OF TIME AND SEVERAL MRIs TO DISCOVER. How could she have possibly done anything in the last year given that. The stress fracture was in such an unusual and problematic place, that Desi and her coaches thought the best way back to to proceed very conservatively. In part they hit upon this strategy because she had never had a serious injury before. Now, last time I looked Hall--a Canova athlete--was injured. I could give you a long list of Canova athletes who have been injured and missed significant time. This is no criticism of Canova: world class athletes always train on the edge and injury is always a workout away. But to criticize an athlete who was a mid-level national class collegiate, moved to the Hanson's, became the third fastest American woman marathoner ever, who came in second at Boston against World class competition, but who has been injured, and to criticize her coaches for not making her better than that (!) and not keeping her healthy when she has been injured only once, well, that takes enormous blindness and ignorance about the sport of long distance running.

B.I.G Johnson wrote:

Montesquieu wrote:

Even by LetsRun standards, your post is inane, so much so that guided by benevolence I'm just going to assume that you're joking.

I was thinking the same thing when I saw your original post. He must be joking posting a workout so slow for an athlete of her caliber. I thought this has to be a joke given how long ago the Olympics were and the injury.

Hanson's s/b Hansons. And "to to proceed" s/b "was to proceed". Mea culpa.

Jerry Alberto Hanson wrote:

1/10

That is best you got. 1/10 for a response from a couple of people who are so passionate about the Hanson's program that they post a crummy workout by a washed up runner on Letsrun for people to say Desi is doing so well on her comeback. Give me a freaking break. It has been over a year now since she ran well. When she runs well in race post it. Otherwise STFU. People are so tired about hearing how the Hanson brother take no name runners and turn them into studs. Let me ask this is miss Spence doing better under the Hanson's program than her dad?

Chippper wrote:

selfish to jog 2 miles in the olympics rather than give the spot to a serious racer.

Could not agree more - people chomping at the bit to race in the OLympics and she instead chose to just lollygag it for a few miles.