RE: 'The Road to Beijing': 3 hour marathoner wants to make British Olympic Marathon team in 2008

letssee wrote:

Bekele was running for 15 years before his talent was discovered. I think you should bear that in mind. 15 years of development for someone as determined to outrun everyone, is rather significant.

Where did you learn that he was running for 15 years before his talent was discovered? I have heard nothing like that. I heard that he liked to play a bit of soccer but that he didn't take up running until his mid-to-late teens.

1hr 21 on the weekend. He's blatantly over cooked his training.

I predict a slight PB in Paris. Maybe 2hrs 50. If he's struggling to roll round a half 3 weeks before his marathon he's basically too tired and 20 days isn't enough time to recover.

Best of luck to him though!

I've just seen his Bramley 20 result. 2hrs 3mins, whilst aiming for 1hr 58 tempo run. Make my prediction a DNF at 18 miles, whilst on for 3hr marathon.

As someone once famously put onto this website, "Someone stick a fork in him, he's cooked!"

Just remeber, he's had flu and was in bed thursday and friday ;-) Just thought I'd say it how it is...

Cheers

Mark

Mark Dodd wrote:

Just remeber, he's had flu and was in bed thursday and friday ;-) Just thought I'd say it how it is...

Cheers

Mark

Then why the hell did he run? Fancied punishing his body a little further?

Well, not sure, he woke up Sunday, feeling alot better and thought give it a go, come on, we've all done it, think we can still push our bodies that bit... unfortunatly, after Flu, you can't and he's found this out. Fair play, still a nice training run, but could bugger him up though, as I've had flu, raced and it shagged me for 10 days.

If I was him, I'd race a 10k 7 days before Paris, confidence, tapered blast... and pick those legs up... it's what I'm doing before my assault in Edinburgh!

Cheers

Mark

How do you know he had flu? Dosen't say anything about that on his website from what I can gather. You would of thought he would of mentioned that in his Reading HM update.

Mark Dodd wrote:

Well, not sure, he woke up Sunday, feeling alot better and thought give it a go, come on, we've all done it, think we can still push our bodies that bit... unfortunatly, after Flu, you can't and he's found this out. Fair play, still a nice training run, but could bugger him up though, as I've had flu, raced and it shagged me for 10 days.

If I was him, I'd race a 10k 7 days before Paris, confidence, tapered blast... and pick those legs up... it's what I'm doing before my assault in Edinburgh!

Cheers

Mark

Best thing he can do is back right off on the training, forget about 30 mile runs and set a realistic target of 2.45-2.50

Is he even still trying....If you look at the results, he started out on track by beating all of his goals....but since Sept 2006 he's only met his goal time once....And he's only added 2 race reports in 2007. It looks to me like he's kinda stopped the project.....You think if he was still actively pursuing it he would be updating the site regularly.....he has updated his training KMs as of 12th of march.....I'm skepticle he's still trying....

Well, I've spoke to him and he's full on going for 2:30 in Paris. He's having a relax week just to get his strength back then going balls out in Paris for 2:30.

I'm sure he won't mind me using this quote:

"I am going to do some easy running this week and just get my strength back and go all guns out for Paris. I still think that I can hit 2:30 and will be unbelievably focused in that aim."

Cheers

Mark

If he really believes that he can run 2.30 by toughing it out over the last six miles, he is in for a very rude awakening.

Everyone who runs a marathon toughs it out over the last six miles, and most of them slow down. If anyone goes off too fast, no amount of mental toughness will make the slightest difference, they will inevitably die a thousand deaths in the last few miles, if they manage to finish at all.

If Marathon running was just about toughness Lance Armstromh would have run 2.10 last year, the guy is a dreamer, he can't run 1.20 for a half and is still talking about running 2.30, he needs a psychiatrist not a coach.

I think we should stop giving this man his fifteen seconds of fame!

"He's going to go balls out to run 2hrs 30."

Please, give me a break.

I think everyone should agree now. When he doesn't break 2hrs 30 at Paris this thread gets deleted and this fool can go back to his day job.

If you keep posting, the thread keeps going.

Most of the posts here have been negative - the naysayers have given him his publicity.

Is he deluded? If so, so what? All he'll do is prove how much hard work IS required.

I don't understand why so many are so wound up about this. The only reason I can fathom is that some folks are jealous that they have gotten less publicity than him.

Go cry in your gravy! Jealous is pathetic.

This guy has a half-marathon PB of 1:15 so obviously he was really sick that 1:21 day, having a month of good training between his 1:15 and now he is maybe capable of 1:13 now(when healthy), still not an indication for a 2:30 Marathon but not that far away.He's probably capable of a 2:35, looking at the pics of this guy there is huge potential by just getting rid of fat and looking at his training there is also potential in increasing the trainings load.He might not run 2:15 next year but if he loses 10-15 pounds and does some solid training for a year i definietly see him running in the low 2:20s.

I for one hope he does it and good for him for trying it. I can't believe the negativity he is getting from people on this forum. All he is trying to do is prove what a tough sport marathon running is and give it a bit more publicity than it usually gets. So what if he get his 15 minutes of fame along the way he probably deserves it for having the balls to try out first hand what the training to get to the top is really like.I for one think that if he gets the chance to make his documentary wether he achieves his dream of getting to beijing or not marathon running will be better for it. As i can only see it as a win win for the sport bacause if he achieves it it will inspire more people to do the same and give the sport a try and increse GB's medal hopes at future games. If he fails it will demonstrate how talented and gifted our top marathoners are and may show the general public what a tough sport marathon running is and maybe just maybe joe public might actually give a bit more respect to our top athletes even if they don't win medals. What ever happens I can only see it being to the benefit of marathoning.

Mark Dodd wrote:

Well, I've spoke to him and he's full on going for 2:30 in Paris. He's having a relax week just to get his strength back then going balls out in Paris for 2:30.

I'm sure he won't mind me using this quote:

"I am going to do some easy running this week and just get my strength back and go all guns out for Paris. I still think that I can hit 2:30 and will be unbelievably focused in that aim."

Cheers

Mark

I smell gas. Do you smell gas? I think we should get out of here.

[quote]Public Domain wrote:

All he'll do is prove how much hard work IS required.

I don't understand why so many are so wound up about this. The only reason I can fathom is that some folks are jealous that they have gotten less publicity than him.

quote]

Are you sure your a runner? Or are you just a 'fun runner'?

Jealousy?? No. A real runner doesn't give two f***s about publicity.

For me its more annoyance that a fat bloke thinks that its only a matter of sums, a website and determination to run fast!

It takes a lot more than that!

Sure looks like jealosy...lol!

Tim Jeffries wrote:

[quote]Public Domain wrote:

All he'll do is prove how much hard work IS required.

I don't understand why so many are so wound up about this. The only reason I can fathom is that some folks are jealous that they have gotten less publicity than him.

quote]

Are you sure your a runner? Or are you just a 'fun runner'?

Jealousy?? No. A real runner doesn't give two f***s about publicity.

For me its more annoyance that a fat bloke thinks that its only a matter of sums, a website and determination to run fast!

It takes a lot more than that!