Galen Rupp does not have the guts to win a race.

Yes, the fickle crowd of LRers. It's not that they want an American to do well, it's that they want certain runners to do well.

Rupp- We don't like him, he runs for UO and has the backing of Nike.

Webb- He's been famous for too long.

Ritz- ? (I don't know what the general feeling is about Ritz.)

Sell- We love Sell, he's a working class guy. He runs 140 mpw!

Hall- Don't like him, too much Jeezus stuff.

McDougal- see Hall.

Fernandez- WE LOOOOOOOVVVVVE GERMAN, HE'S JUST DREAMMMMY!

Goucher- We used to like him and now we don't and we are all jealous because his wife is totally hot.

Teg was loved until this whole bionic knee replacement blood-doping deal came up.

Also with Webb, people don't like him because his head looks funny.

And people don't like Rupp because he has a baby face.

And Ritz is still under the gun for the foot blisters incident from 2005.

Although I didn't realize this animus existed, Wejo's description of Rupp's race supports the view that the letsrun editorial stance is anti-Rupp. The Rupp record story is all about how Rupp was too much of a candy-ass to share pacing duties with Daba after the pacer dropped out, and about how Padilla's record is more impressive. But the story demonstrates that Rupp did not have the guts to lead and the fact that he lost just barely suggests that he did not believe that he should or could win and he seems to have cared primarily about time, as in his high school records. He is an amazing runner but like most American runners he doesn't really believe that he can beat his top African competition. Even at NCAA XC, where he was clearly stronger than Chelanga, he was afraid to push the pace or go past Chelanga at all until very near the end. My hope is that he gains some confidence. At least Webb has that.

Daba is a 13:04 guy who will likely be under 13:00 this summer. Rupp ran smart.

It takes confidence to have the control to sit on Daba. Daba wanted him to take the lead and do all the work.

nice spin! wrote:

Camoo wrote:

Funny, I seem to recall an NCAA Cross country Championship he won.

Wow, one for four. He's lost more close races than he's won.

This is true, but he has never lost without making a helluva race for the winner. In the times he lost, he did a lot of work. Losing to McDougal, he just came off the world championships, took down time and jumps into the end of the cross country season. Meanwhile McDougal (already a 13:20 5K runner) is coming off a full summer and cross country season dedicated to one meet, the pinnacle of the last 5 months of training and yes he barely beats Rupp.

In his first season he led nearly the entire 10K at NCAA's with 5th year senior Rob Cheseret sitting off his shoulder the entire way. Do you remember who Rob Cheseret was? This is a guy that fell down in the middle of the Pac-10 1500 while the race was moving, get's up, catches up and wins the race. Yeah, that dude had some talent. So Rupp makes it a sub 28:30 race at nationals and get's outkicked.

The next year was the same result, and a tactical error. Nobody wanted to lead so finally Rupp does but this time he doesn't make it fast. Tries to go with less than 1K and gets burned by a one hit wonder Kenyan burner. This is a guy that could outkick Bob Kennedy in his prime, but would never be within kicking distance in any fast race.

So while Rupp has taken the reverse approach, it may turn out to work. He has spent over six years increasing his strength and base to be able to handle fast paced races and surges and is now working on speed.

The fact that Rupp lost 3 of 4 NCAA chances on a kick is a good thing. It means he was there in the end to lose it. It means if he develops his kick (which he certainly IS doing) he will be the full package. All those who outkicked him before will not be able to anymore, and more importantly in the big races, they won't be near him in the first place.

Rupp is what he is. He is not Bekele, Tergat, Geb or Daniel Komen. And hopefully he will never use the garbage that they did/do. But regardless he has his own ability, and you can't bash him for not being a world beater. You can't project your own fantasies onto him and them tear him down because he didn't make the exponential performance enhanced jumps to go from a National Junior Record holder to a world record holder or Gold Medalist. That's just insane.

But if you keep things in perspective, and live in the real world, I don't know how you can't be impressed with the progress and achievements he's made.

3 years ago he is getting soundly outkicked by a random 13:3X kenyan at NCAA's. Now he's throwing down and barely being bested by 13:04 ethiopian while setting an American Record. He's running 1:51 for 800, indoors, first meet of the year. He just really started true speedwork, he had an unnoficial PR for 400 at :53 seconds. Do you know how slow that is? I could run :52 on the relay my junior year in high school and I usually didn't get put on the A team. And I was a 1600 - 3200 guy. I could hit :52 after doubling or tripling! And so could almost any of your top 15 high school 1600 guys, any and every year.

Rupp actually has a lot of upside on his speed. If he can get under :52 for 400 and under 1:50 for 800 he will have another gear at the end of his 27:0X 10K. And that may open up some possibilities.

Why don't you try to observe Rupp objectively on the following and tell me how many Americans are doing better:

Consistency

Strength

Speed

Racing Tactics

His consistency has always been good. I can't remember when Rupp went into a race that he was capable of lets say 1-3 and finished outside of that range. I can think of races where Hall has, where Meb has, where Fam has, where Ritz has, where Lagat has, where Abdi has etc. etc.

But if you look at his strength, speed and racing tactics/ability over the past 5 years and made a line graph, I think you'd see a strong upwards trend without much wavering, that is still really going up.

Stoijko wrote:

Once again, he wilts under pressure and seddles for second.

Yep. He could have easily closed in 26 from what I saw. What a wimp.

Run more miles, work harder, talk crap when you are beating the indoor AR, then talk about how Rupp had a weak record. Until then, give props where props are due and an AR deserves props, whether you like the guy or not. Get out and give the running community 10... miles for your arrogance.

Flawed wrote:

Stoijko wrote:

Once again, he wilts under pressure and seddles for second.

Yep. He could have easily closed in 26 from what I saw. What a wimp.

Run more miles, work harder, talk crap when you are beating the indoor AR, then talk about how Rupp had a weak record. Until then, give props where props are due and an AR deserves props, whether you like the guy or not. Get out and give the running community 10... miles for your arrogance.

while he starts on that right away, tell Rupp to grow a pair

he's probably going to get punched in the back of the head one day like how it happen to Haile, and get knocked out cold cause he's a puss.

Donnie Diznuck wrote:

The fact that Rupp lost 3 of 4 NCAA chances on a kick is a good thing.

I don't follow your logic, mostly because there doesn't seem to be any.

Rupp does have the guts to win close races (vs Solinsky, vs Sherer vs Chelanga), but you can't expect him to win every time.

jonesy. wrote:

But the story demonstrates that Rupp did not have the guts to lead and the fact that he lost just barely suggests that he did not believe that he should or could win and he seems to have cared primarily about time, as in his high school records. He is an amazing runner but like most American runners he doesn't really believe that he can beat his top African competition. Even at NCAA XC, where he was clearly stronger than Chelanga, he was afraid to push the pace or go past Chelanga at all until very near the end. My hope is that he gains some confidence. At least Webb has that.

Are you joking? If you aren't, you know absolutely NOTHING about how you have to run to win a race. He ran a PERFECT race at NCAA XC. (Yes, I was there and could tell just past the 7k that Rupp was going to win) Rupp knew his ONLY chance to beat Daba was to sit and try to surprise him with the time of his kick. It was clear to everyone Daba was the stronger runner. When Rupp finally took the lead he knew he wasn't going to win. If Rupp was only trying to run a fast time, he would have taken the lead much sooner the multiple times Daba tried to let him have it. Everything I saw led me to believe Rupp was trying to win more than he was trying to run a fast time.

fUrCeOsNhN wrote:

Donnie Diznuck wrote:

The fact that Rupp lost 3 of 4 NCAA chances on a kick is a good thing.

I don't follow your logic, mostly because there doesn't seem to be any.

Rupp does have the guts to win close races (vs Solinsky, vs Sherer vs Chelanga), but you can't expect him to win every time.

Here let me give you the full context again so you can try again:

The fact that Rupp lost 3 of 4 NCAA chances on a kick is a good thing. It means ---he was there in the end to lose it.--- ---It means if he develops his kick (which he certainly IS doing) he will be the full package.---

AND I'll even help you. If you are not losing on a kick then where are you losing? Before you even get to a kick. Well if you can't stick with the pace then you really don't have a chance to win do you??? Rupp's strength is HUGE and something that not many runners in this country can keep up with anymore. It's now getting up to the level of the top in the world. So if he has the strength and is only losing (at the national level) on a kick, and he can develop his kick, than he can solve his weakness.

Now are you with me? Rupp has directly identified that his kick is not strong enough and has taken some significant measures to improve it, and he is improving it.

And also, I hardly think Rupp doesn't have the "guts". That's absolute nonsense. Rupp has as much "guts" and "nerve" as any of them at this point. He just needs to keep developing what he is already developing.

I just dont understand how all these Highschool Harry type runners can talk about Rupp and what he's done lately.

I guess since they beat someone at the All City Championships they think they can give racing advice to a guy competing for NCAA championships, Oly games, etc..

Stoijko wrote:

Oh so now win is not what running is all about. This is why Pre is a legend and Rupp will never approach Pre. he used to race for the win and now Americans are content to be time trialist. Running behind someone to break the wind and then saying I'm the fastest American.

Being of an age where I was able to watch Pre, I understand how he ran; immaturely and foolishly much of the time. Don't get me wrong, he was great to watch, but his style of running from the front was usually a tactical disaster...but great TV! Rupp, on the other hand runs in a boring, tactical style, and will probably win more (proportionately) than Pre did. Pre became a star by racing in an unwise fashion. I loved him and still remember seeing my teammates on the Monday after he died, but to say Rupp lacks guts is misstating the situation.

first of all, you're stupid.

second, quit using apostrophes when you're not supposed to you dumbass.

Rupp ran faster than any NCAA competitor or any American ever has for an indoor 5000 and he came very close to a 13:04 guy. I'm not sure what "guts" are missing here.

Hey if it is your pro contract "that you will get x amount of money if you break an AR" then heck they are going to go after the weakest records and time trial.

who cares if shalene and rupp lose if they get an AR? on their racing resume it will say AR holder and they will get a big fat check for it....duh (one of the reasons i think shalene left cook)

sponsors should demand "winning" for compensation and not just AR.....

....or else we will have another great miler run a tiny race in belgium to get the AR!!!

who cares about an AR holder who can't compete against an international competitive field.

Rupp will be another Webb if he is not careful. He is so protected and his races are set-up perfectly for him.

I hate to see him time trial to AR in 10km this spring. I would rather have him do it at the World Champs against an international field and finish in the top 5.

You're a real killjoy, plain and simple

Sponsors should demand none of the things you're asking for.

Shalane got a bronze medal in the Olympic 10,000, taking the American record done more than 20 seconds in the process. Galen Rupp achieved the main goal of his collegiate career, a national collegiate title, this one in cross country.

Fairly early in the indoor track season they decide to target American records they think are within their reach. This is NOT the be all and end of all of their seasons, but it's an encouraging step. Rupp, in a few weeks (whatever the schedule is), will win another NCAA title.

Shalane attempted to run a winning race and expected to win until the final stride. Rupp took the lead late against a 13:04 guy.

And yet all you, and a lot of folks on here can do, is complain.

Go kick your dog.

I hate to see him time trial to AR in 10km this spring. I would rather have him do it at the World Champs against an international field and finish in the top 5.[/quote]

What world do you live in? Any athlete in their right mind would not go for a record attempt in a championship race. It may just so happen that they get one there, but they will not go into it with that as part of the game plan. In the championship RACING is number 1. In a rabbited race, the time is number one but one still competes in order to get the time.

C'mon, everyone ahead of you is a target because they also represent time that is ahead of you. You think Rupp lost by .3 seconds to Daba because he was sure he had the record bagged? Give me a break, he was trying to beat Daba the best way he knew how, stay in the race, go late and go all out. He got a record in doing so.

His 10K record attempt will likely be in a rabbited race, much the same as the last race was for Meb when he set it, much the same way Bob Kennedy's was when he set his 5K record, Teg his 2 Mile record at Pre, much the same way Bekele's were when he set his records, and Geb, and Komen & Kiptanui etc. etc.

Go figure, a steaming pile of excuses and wishful thinking from "Donnie Diznuck"