At age 36, Ritz wants to win the Boston Marathon next Monday

Let’s be honest about this wrote:

Top 10 would be a nice race for him. Top 5 would be incredible.

Him winning the race is just ridiculous. If he try’s to it will result in a total disaster.

Just cruise at around 5 flat pace Ritzy boy and if you’re really able to contend then you’ll negative split.

I was thinking the same thing. When Ritz ran New York last time he came storming off the Verrazano bridge in first place and was obviously wasting so much energy that you knew this wasn't going to turn out well. I'm sure it's supercool to be an American and be leading in Boston or New York (think Ryan Hall) but curb your enthusiasm, OK? Finishing a good, solid marathon would be accomplishment enough. Then focus on the trials.

Moo Goo wrote:

Wow. What happened to him? He wasn't like this with NOP and that was only a couple of years ago. Is professional running this stressful or the training saps all the life juice out you? I am 13 years old than him and barely have any greying hair.

Well, considering how hard he's trained over the years, a little bit of grey hair is unsurprising. Better than the 19 yr old African runners who look twice their age.

36 is certainly around the age most men have a littlebit of gray hair. I know a 30 yr old who is probably about 25% grey.

But, it's not adversely affecting his health, just as premature balding didn't adversely affect Webb's health.

I know guys who went bald in their late teens and are perfectly healthy in their late 20s...So, it's not a knock on Ritz..it's just surprising to see a noticeable amount of gray hair in someone his age. Combined with the receding hairline he looks 10 yrs older.

Let’s be honest about this wrote:

Top 10 would be a nice race for him. Top 5 would be incredible.

Him winning the race is just ridiculous. If he try’s to it will result in a total disaster.

Just cruise at around 5 flat pace Ritzy boy and if you’re really able to contend then you’ll negative split.

I am a fan of the phrase, “don’t get your abilities mixed up with your ambitions”

Same goes for Bekele

Moo Goo wrote:

I hope he wins but that would be April Fool's joke.

-1

I hope he wins because he deserves it.

if you're a runner, why not run if you can?

it's not the toughest job in the world, what, 2 to 3 hours per day? training with your mates.

it's living the dream. too bad people got it in their head that if they're not winning everything , it's like really bad.

they make you a head case.

basically if ritz has a full tank of gas and holds together, then he's got a 209 in him,

3rd.

Please read the article

Ritz never said he was going to win or even that was a goal. Rojo interpreted that from the article. Rojo has always been a little dim.

Hey! Don't misunderstimate Rojo like that.

Carlos Lopes was washed up and injured, came back at 36 and was 2nd in Rotterdam, won the Olympics and set the world record at 37.

I hope Ritz does well.

Moo Goo wrote:

Wow. What happened to him? He wasn't like this with NOP and that was only a couple of years ago. Is professional running this stressful or the training saps all the life juice out you? I am 13 years old than him and barely have any greying hair.

The grey hair is 100% just genetics. I'm 25 and have some grey hairs coming in. Not happy about it, but looking at my dad, uncles, grandfathers, etc, I can fully expect to be mostly grey by age 40. However, I can also fully expect to have a thick, full head of hair, so I'll take it.

Good odds are Ritz will continue his quadrennium of struggles and Jamin will continue to post about his angst and life's disappointments. Not that I'm wishing for this to happen, but the bets indicator of the future is the past.

T.M.A.D.H.S.F.N.E.

Bekele is literally 36 and will be 37 in a few months. Many haters think he is finished but I think of Carlos Lopes when I imagine Bekele's comeback. He will bounce back and will be the one to dismantle Kipchoge(if Mo doesn't start doing it in London).

BOHICA wrote:

rojo wrote:

He seems to know the odds of a win are small (but I'd certainly say higher than Yuki's last year)

I hope you're really just desperately hyping this article and aren't actually this dumb.[/quote]

I mean Yuki had run 20 sub 2:11 marathons before winning Boston last year, so I'd say his chances were significantly better than somebody who has run 3 sub 2:11s.

If it's rainy and terrible out, he will have a good chance of doing well as all the East Africans will likely drop. The Michigan winter was terrible this year so hopefully that prepared him. I'll be very disappointed if he drops when/if he fades.

For me the most interesting thing about this article was about his training.

Guys like Ritz or Webb or Hall seem to have so much talent and desire that they end up killing themselves in training. They want it so much they are unable to chill out and do the workout as intended. They need to do a hero workout everyday.

I'm amazed how many elite runners try to 'crush' their easy days and hard days. I was just watching a Gwen Jorgenson video and she was running 'easy' but her body looked strained. It seemed like she was deluding herself about what an easy effort should feel like in terms of effort.

I always wonder what the careers of Webb or Hall would have been like if they had allowed themselves to actually jog their easy days and not grind up into sub-threshold on every run. It seems so basic, but have these guys wear a HR and stay below a certain HR on easy days. (Worked for the greatest XC skier of all time, BTW).

I hope he does well in the race. If he is able to not push two hard in the first 13.1 miles and stay in control, then he could have an amazing last half and do really well.

I wish DR well; however it seems anytime a USA runner goes public with ' winning' or ' such and such time' ; it's as if the Sports Illustrated jinx has taken over.

Don't anything until after the race; especially when one has not finished a marathon in four years.

Runnerboy1 wrote:

I wish DR well; however it seems anytime a USA runner goes public with ' winning' or ' such and such time' ; it's as if the Sports Illustrated jinx has taken over.

Don't anything until after the race; especially when one has not finished a marathon in four years.

When did he say anything about winning? HE NEVER DID.

1. Read the article

2. Ignore Rojo

Read the article wrote:

Runnerboy1 wrote:

I wish DR well; however it seems anytime a USA runner goes public with ' winning' or ' such and such time' ; it's as if the Sports Illustrated jinx has taken over.

Don't anything until after the race; especially when one has not finished a marathon in four years.

When did he say anything about winning? HE NEVER DID.

1. Read the article

2. Ignore Rojo

He definitely said something about winning...

“I thought I was fit enough to win last year,” Ritzenhein says. “It won’t be a failure if I don’t win, but I’m going to go in with that in mind.”

Dathan ran some fast times a while ago and ever since he had it in his mind he was much better than he really is.

I remember an interview from when he was training with Galen and they were competing against each other in the 10k at nationals. Dathan whole heartily thought he could and would beat Galen and ended up getting smoked.

He reminds me a lot Bekele right now, lofty claims beyond reality only to end as a DNF.

I predict that he will either DNF or run slower than a 2:12. I wouldn't give him odds at contending even if the conditions were similar to last year and all the top guys blew up again

But the title of this thread that was written by Rojo says NEXT MONDAY.

THAT WAS NEVER SAID BY RITZ OR HANSON.