Sam f wrote:
"Difficult place to get to"...What?
i just hope they are smart enough never to have a "qualifier", in a place like boulder ...ever again...
The IAAF having World XC in Kenya was a worser idea. You think the US is the only country with many guys skipping out? Many European's are doing the same thing.
basically the 8k is a minor league race compared to world cross country, i dont think if the top usa distance runners keep avoiding major competitions, how they can expect to be truly world class, world cross country is the "real" top event in distance running, not the london or chicago or any other marathon which has 10-15 top runners then a huge dropoff, not the olympics (which is the biggest media show) but is weakened by havingly only 3 runners per country. if an american man or women or team could win world cross that may surpass the 1980 usa olympic team beating russia then finland for the gold in hockey or buster douglas beating mike tyson when tyson was thought to be unbeatable. if ritz or anyone american could win they would have movies made of them and endorsements that would make any money they could make in the 8k trivial chump change, kastor has finished 2nd i think twice and craig virgin won it twice so it is not impossible.
There really is no risk of illness in Kenya. There are no required shots, and a once daily malaria pill is not an issue (I have taken them for months at a time, they do not impact running). I suppose you could get food poisoning, but that can happen anywhere. The worst food poisoning I ever got was from a Taco Bell in Madison, WI -- and I've been all over Africa, South America, and even to Turkmenistan.
I don't really care who goes or doesn't.
B.A. wrote:
Sam f wrote:"Difficult place to get to"...What?
i just hope they are smart enough never to have a "qualifier", in a place like boulder ...ever again...
The IAAF having World XC in Kenya was a worser idea. You think the US is the only country with many guys skipping out? Many European's are doing the same thing.
They'll learn their lesson... hopefully.
Edinburgh will be great next year.
why is it a bad idea? part of sport is bring countries together. think about the impact that is going to have in Kenya having a major world champ in their country, or even the continent.
weej, it's like 45 degrees tops in Trailahassee right now.
wejo wrote:
Ritz is even in Florida training in the heat.
wejo wrote:
It's just how the sport is these days. Financial considerations factor in. If all these races were amateur and didn't have money then I think more people would go to the Worlds. But that is not the case. It's one reason most of the top Americans don't run the World Champs in the marathon. They'd have to pass up a six figure appearance fee at a major marathon.
I agree with this. If Virgin or Shorter had this dilemma, they may have skipped WXC in their day. Unpopular as it may be on this board, I think USATF gives way too much $ to distance running for their multiple championships. 5K, 10K, 5K road, 8K road, 10K road, 15K, 1/2 marathon,.... Compare this to an average U.S. 400 runner, who in comparison to distance runners is much better in the world. They have one race indoor and one outdoor, no appearance money, yet weigh heavily on the world scene. USATF knows the well is deep and gives little to these guys (other than the 1-2 stars) and keeps pumping it into all these distance races. I know some of the $ is coming from sponsors, but the USATF Championship label & cash that follows allows this to happen. Appearance money? Because Joe Blow is running does what to the race? Gets it on TV? Gets it in the newspaper? These multiple road race championships are like throwing money away. Don't get me wrong, I am happy for the runners who capitalize. However, it is a shame that the motive for top runners has changed from representing their country and working to see how good they can be in the world. The present financial system works against this notion. Sometimes too much money is not a good thing.
giddy wrote:
That's all right with me. It's exciting to see what Ritz can do on pavement.
I agree and I think when all is said and done, as a fan it will be more exciting to see what he can do in this 8k then traveling to Kenya and possibly getting his butt kicked, or even finishing 15th or whatever. He has a legitimate shot at this 8K record.
Despite that many seem to be disappointed with his decision (and the rest of the Americans) to stay home, I am sure that more Letsrunners will be talking about his 8K, before, during and after, then had he traveled to Kenya.
the article confirms he was looking to do both 12k worlds cross and 15k national champs. instead he scraps both and sets his sights on the 8k.
maybe he is not in as good of shape as he had hoped/thought and feels getting ready for the 8k champs makes more sense.
Glipper wrote:
and a once daily malaria pill is not an issue (I have taken them for months at a time, they do not impact running).
I call bullshit on this, Malaria Pills do impact your GI system, especially the inital 4-5 days. So bad in fact that I discarded them and took the risk of catching the shit!
Sean Middleton wrote: "Let's face it, Kenya is a third world country - the water is bad, there are numerous diseases that most individuals in developed countries don't have the antibodies for, etc. If one were to go to Kenya and pick up even something as simple as an intestinal bug, that could mean a month before they get their legs back under them,....."
You're right....something like that could NEVER happen running in, say, NYC....oops.......
"Explaining his poor performance, Keflezighi cited a string of bad luck in the days before the event. For starters, the airline lost his bags. ("I thought, 'It can't get lost - it's a direct flight, from San Diego to JFK,'" Keflezighi said. "The only time I did it, it happened. And still no sign of my bags.")
Then there was the food poisoning. Keflezighi got it Thursday night and was still hurting race day. Fellow runners said Meb was drinking Pepto-Bismol at the starting line.
The culprit? "Chicken fettuccine," he said, bought at a restaurant. (He declined to say which one.) "Maybe next time," said Keflezighi, "I'll bring a rice cooker or something."
lackluster wrote:
Glipper wrote:and a once daily malaria pill is not an issue (I have taken them for months at a time, they do not impact running).
I call bullshit on this, Malaria Pills do impact your GI system, especially the inital 4-5 days. So bad in fact that I discarded them and took the risk of catching the shit!
Well, there are multiple Malaria pills. Which one were you on? I tried Larium (weekly dose) but couldn't handle the bad dreams it gave me. Didn't impact running. I prefer Malarone, which I have been on Malarone many times (once daily pill) and have never had any noticeable side effects.
Who really cares if TOP US talent goese to kenya or NOT? who really cares if Ritz goese to Kenya or NOT, He still will suck when they meet the kenya counterparts weather in world Camps or Europe, and that is why He and His coach are scared. and that is why they are finding cheap excuse that kenya is bad selection for IAAF to host World XC.
There are Americans in Kenya ( Iten now) now !!! why arent they sick ??
Read this if you wanna find out....
historically, those who go to the xccc end up rising to a higher level than the supposedly better ones who bailed out.
lackluster wrote:
I call bullshit on this, Malaria Pills do impact your GI system, especially the inital 4-5 days. So bad in fact that I discarded them and took the risk of catching the shit!
You're dumber than a box of rocks then. A friend of mine refused to take malaria pills while in Accra, Ghana because they weren't "natural" and she got cerebral malaria and died a horrible death. My friend was a beautiful person but she made one dumb mistake and it proved to be fatal.
Congrats to USATF LDR chair Jim Estes for the royal botch job of this years USA World Cross team.
Hillrunner32 wrote:
giddy wrote:That's all right with me. It's exciting to see what Ritz can do on pavement.
I agree and I think when all is said and done, as a fan it will be more exciting to see what he can do in this 8k then traveling to Kenya and possibly getting his butt kicked, or even finishing 15th or whatever. He has a legitimate shot at this 8K record.
Despite that many seem to be disappointed with his decision (and the rest of the Americans) to stay home, I am sure that more Letsrunners will be talking about his 8K, before, during and after, then had he traveled to Kenya.
i respect your opinion, but also as a fan, i'd rather see how our top guys would do at the world cross meet.
Ex Con wrote:
Congrats to USATF LDR chair Jim Estes for the royal botch job of this years USA World Cross team.
why is it his fault that culpepper, goucher, ritz, and torres have all declined? shouldn't we be congratulating salazar, hudson, etc. for encouraging their guys to skip the meet?
Wow, You Nailed it!!! wrote:
Sean Middleton wrote: "Let's face it, Kenya is a third world country - the water is bad, there are numerous diseases that most individuals in developed countries don't have the antibodies for, etc. If one were to go to Kenya and pick up even something as simple as an intestinal bug, that could mean a month before they get their legs back under them,....."
You're right....something like that could NEVER happen running in, say, NYC....oops.......
"Explaining his poor performance, Keflezighi cited a string of bad luck in the days before the event. For starters, the airline lost his bags. ("I thought, 'It can't get lost - it's a direct flight, from San Diego to JFK,'" Keflezighi said. "The only time I did it, it happened. And still no sign of my bags.")
Then there was the food poisoning. Keflezighi got it Thursday night and was still hurting race day. Fellow runners said Meb was drinking Pepto-Bismol at the starting line.
The culprit? "Chicken fettuccine," he said, bought at a restaurant. (He declined to say which one.) "Maybe next time," said Keflezighi, "I'll bring a rice cooker or something."
Feel free to oversimplify my statements if that makes it easier for you to concoct a witty response.
The US distance guys are a bunch of punk asses. I don't see Mo Farah complaining about Kenya. Damn, our guys are just too pampered. There is no way around it. Ritz should be setting an example instead doing what everybody else is doing.