is anyone else worried that Solinsky hasn't run a single hard race this year??

Solinsky is ready. What do we know about his training? If you're injured, you should not finish a race. Solinsky pulled out Prefontaine because he was still hurt. Why would anyone in their right mind jog around a track while injured just to finish? Why? That's so idiotic it's not even funny. You guys expect him to finish no matter what. The only way you'd be happy is if you saw him crawling down the homestretch with tears in his eyes (nobody does that in distance races). Anyone with half a brain would drop out.

Now for the 5k he dropped out of, he admitted that it was a poor decision to stay off the track. He regrets it. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, you don't think rationally.

I'd say closing a 5k in 3:58 (8:10) shows that he doesn't need to race all that often to be at his best. Come on, everyone knows Solinsky has some serious balls when it comes to racing and always has. Everyone has bad races and sometimes it's not totally under their control.

You know, Rupp could've jumped back in the race too. I'm not convinced he should be left off the hook but some of you guys seem to think that since he did a somersault that he didn't have to finish his race. The man he tripped got back up immediately and finished the race.

toro wrote:

Here is the way it is wrote:

Can you imagine going to a professional football/basketball/baseball... game and watching one team walk off the field mid-way through when they came to the realization that they were not going to win the game? To some extent, track and field athletes earn the lack of respect that the public shows them.

I have seen plenty of teams pull their starters when the game was out of control or if they were banged up.

Comparing team sports to running doesn't work.

You know what's left in the season?

WC's, Zurich, Rieti, Berlin, Brussels ...

OK. Let's go with individual sports then. Do tennis players make it a habit of walking off the court when it is clear they are going to lose? Do golfers walk off when they are too far behind?

Here is the way it is wrote:

OK. Let's go with individual sports then. Do tennis players make it a habit of walking off the court when it is clear they are going to lose? Do golfers walk off when they are too far behind?

How people get paid in those sports is very different than T&F. Stop trying to compare things that shouldn't be compared.

You are correct - it's silly to compare track and field with sports like professional golf and tennis. Pro golf and tennis seasons are long and filled with many events, including major championships, in which one plays many rounds. Pro track and field, particularly for a distance runner, has a handful of meets, usually with only one round, and the occasional championship. So, yeah, not comparable - the tennis players and golfers can duck and suck at a few events and still have a quite respectable season, but the professional runners - they better make it count since they have very few opportunities to demonstrate why they are professionals.

threefeds wrote:

Solinsky's final mile at USATFs is rightfully, repeatedly, reported but his last 2 miles were 3 seconds off the American record of 8:07. He closed in 8:10! That's quite impressive. That's not world class or a hard effort? SOme of you guys are only interested in being negative handwringers and not about reality. I don't care what the first mile was. Finishing a 5k in 8:10/3:58 is world class...

He didn't run the last two miles in 8:10, he ran the last 3200 in 8:10. The last two miles are 18 meters longer than that, so call those last two miles what they were: 8:13.

And once again, nobody cares who fast he runs 3000 after a 2000 warm-up jog. He has yet to complete a full race at near PR pace this year. He has DNFed more than he has finished. It is pathetic.

coach bigfoot wrote:

Come on, everyone knows Solinsky has some serious balls when it comes to racing and always has.

I'm not interested in what "everyone knows."

I'm interested in what "actually happens."

And what's actually happened this year is Solinsky not completing a single hard race in his preparation for WCs.

the smartests letsrunner wrote:

coach bigfoot wrote:

Come on, everyone knows Solinsky has some serious balls when it comes to racing and always has.

I'm not interested in what "everyone knows."

I'm interested in what "actually happens."

And what's actually happened this year is Solinsky not completing a single hard race in his preparation for WCs.

By my calculations, he's completed three and you're an idiot.

He's been too busy playing Captain America in this summer's latest blockbuster

the smartests letsrunner wrote:

I'm not interested in what "everyone knows."

I'm interested in what "actually happens."

And what's actually happened this year is Solinsky not completing a single hard race in his preparation for WCs.

coach bigfoot wrote:

By my calculations, he's completed three and you're an idiot.

Please, tell me which three? Hint: a 13:30 5000 for a sub-13 guy isn't 'completing a hard race'

yes, I'm worried sick, I can tell you. The thought that he might not win the WC is really keeping me awake at night.

the smartests letsrunner wrote:

the smartests letsrunner wrote:

I'm not interested in what "everyone knows."

I'm interested in what "actually happens."

And what's actually happened this year is Solinsky not completing a single hard race in his preparation for WCs.

coach bigfoot wrote:

By my calculations, he's completed three and you're an idiot.

Please, tell me which three? Hint: a 13:30 5000 for a sub-13 guy isn't 'completing a hard race'

13:10, 3:35, and whatever time he ran at nationals with a 3:58 on the end. I know that time was under 13:30 as well. Not to mention his other races during the winter. These, believe it or not, are in preparation for worlds as well. I suppose you might have selective memory.

Would have been a good idea to run the London 3000 as a tuneup, but I guess it wasn't deemed worth the long trip.

In a short reply. No.

I ran for Wisconsin under Smith and Jerry was there too. You have to understand the program, and racing "hard" is not the issue. It's mental, and if you don't get it, then that's not a problem. Well, maybe for you, but not for the real racers.

As Martin would say "If you understand, no explanation is necessary. If you don't understand, no explanation will suffice."

Tell me about it. Trust me, this moron isn't going to be convinced by anyone, no matter how sound and obvious the evidence is. He's either delusional or a class-a troll. Either way, sensible posts aren't worth wasting on him.

Word Chapionships are onlyy thing that matters, and think about it, is the winner gonna run under 13....nooo. Theres no damn pace setters. It gonna be a tatical race and the last mile and half is were the racing will take place and CS has proven at usa he can race at that time!

Now am I worried a lil, Mo is dominating but honestly all the guys doing soo many racess there gonna be a lil beat up and CS has raced a lil and wont be soo tired! Watch out wouldnt be that surpised at WC if its Lagat, Mo, merga then CS!

tbonium wrote:

In a short reply. No.

I ran for Wisconsin under Smith and Jerry was there too. You have to understand the program, and racing "hard" is not the issue. It's mental, and if you don't get it, then that's not a problem. Well, maybe for you, but not for the real racers.

As Martin would say "If you understand, no explanation is necessary. If you don't understand, no explanation will suffice."

I wasn't knocking the program and excuse me if it appears that way. I was just saying Jerry will continue to do what he always has and will continue to have success from it. So I'm not worried either.

dumb stuff wrote:

Tell me about it. Trust me, this moron isn't going to be convinced by anyone, no matter how sound and obvious the evidence is. He's either delusional or a class-a troll. Either way, sensible posts aren't worth wasting on him.

What are you trying to convince me of exactly? I stated that I am not worried about Solinsky and you, judging by this post, are. I've respected your opinion, the least you could do is respect mine.

tbonium wrote:

I ran for Wisconsin under Smith and Jerry was there too. You have to understand the program, and racing "hard" is not the issue. It's mental, and if you don't get it, then that's not a problem. Well, maybe for you, but not for the real racers.

The "real racers"? Like who? Solinsky, who has ZERO meaningful results on the world stage? I know he got pulled to a 26:59, but he has NOTHING to show in RACES. The fact remains that he's dropped out of not one but MULTIPLE fast races this year.

Real racers? I'll take Farah, Merga, the entire Kenyan and Ethiopian team, and Rupp's chances WAY ahead of a guy who hasn't done more than 3000 continuously at race pace in competition this year. Solinsky has done nothing this year that doesn't show himself to (1) lack the balls to finish against the world's best, and (2) to be basically a wimp in traffic. Balls and traffic tend to be big issues in WC races, so be ready for Solinksy to throw a THIRD tantrum in Daegu.

Nononono. I'm so sorry, please forgive me. I was referring to "the smartest letsrunner" when I wrote that post. I was trying to say that your valid post would be "rebuked" with more of his nonsense. Despite the compendium of clear evidence contrary to "the smartest letsrunner"'s initial assertion, your post included, he continues to ignore it with irrelevant trivialities and ludicrous definitions of what constitutes a "hard race". Sorry again, really. I agree with you.