Bob Kennedy Says He Respects Teg & Solinsky (No Mention of Rupp)

Ok, maybe my claim that Sol's injury was more recent was a bit of an exaggeration. Although not completely untrue (Solinsky's surgery was in September). Still, I do think the injury was more serious. Solinsky's hamstring had almost come completely off the bone.

Anyways, that's neither here nor there. I can't believe I'm defending Solinsky here, but do you really he doesn't care about going to London? Don't you think he'd try if he could? Regardless of when their injuries occurred, or how severe they were, apparently Gay's training has been progressing better than Solinsky's. Progressing well enough that he will be racing in New York when they initially said Gay may not race until the Trials. You say that I don't know enough to decide whether Gay has a better shot at making the team, and maybe you're right about that. But the thing is, neither do you. So how can you say that Solinsky made the wrong decision and pussed out, while Gay's decision to push on clearly indicates he is tougher? How do you know what kind of pain Solinsky was dealing with compared to Gay?

We're talking about a guy who was running 120 miles per week despite significant hamstring pain. He pushed on until his hamstring detached. You can call him stupid if you like. But that sort of behavior doesn't indicate a lack of toughness.

WHATyO wrote:

Anyone who runs 3:34/12:58/26:48 is no way a sissy. Lets be honest... I'm sure Rupp hurt in all those races more then any of us are realistically willing to hurt.

Go run a 10k 50 pounds overweight after having started smoking, Rupp aint coming anywhere near that in terms of pain. Know this may piss people off but the slower and more out of shape you are the more you hurt in a race (given that you can push through it, not everyone can). There's a reason fat high school and college girls collapse at the end of races and guys like Bekele and Ezekial Kemboi can dance like Maury just told them they aren't the father.

huffington poster wrote:

WHATyO wrote:

Anyone who runs 3:34/12:58/26:48 is no way a sissy. Lets be honest... I'm sure Rupp hurt in all those races more then any of us are realistically willing to hurt.

Go run a 10k 50 pounds overweight after having started smoking, Rupp aint coming anywhere near that in terms of pain. Know this may piss people off but the slower and more out of shape you are the more you hurt in a race (given that you can push through it, not everyone can). There's a reason fat high school and college girls collapse at the end of races and guys like Bekele and Ezekial Kemboi can dance like Maury just told them they aren't the father.

You are both badly mistaken.

It is absurd to say that Rupp hurt more in his top races than any of the posters here are willing to hurt. Most likely it was about the same. He's just got a whole lot more talent than us. But most serious high school and college runners have run through some serious pain. The fact that they hit that pain at 15:00 or 14:00 does not make is any less than what Rupp experiences at 13:00.

As far as all those fat high school and college girls collapsing - give me a break. Sure the elite women athletes are just as tough as the elite male athletes. But those collapsing platoons are largely hobby joggers and drama queens. Please!

This is the first time I've heard of Bob Kennedy

"He was the first ever non-African to run the 5000 metres in less than thirteen minutes"

Can't believe I never heard of him.

huffington poster wrote:

Go run a 10k 50 pounds overweight after having started smoking, Rupp aint coming anywhere near that in terms of pain. Know this may piss people off but the slower and more out of shape you are the more you hurt in a race (given that you can push through it, not everyone can). There's a reason fat high school and college girls collapse at the end of races and guys like Bekele and Ezekial Kemboi can dance like Maury just told them they aren't the father.

Herb Elliott on Percy Cerutty:

"On every occasion where I was running in a major race, Percy, the day before, would just absolutely belt hell out of himself running around four laps of a track somewhere, and he'd finish, and he'd stick his face that far from mine with froth-flecked lips, and exhausted. And he'd just sort of eyeball me, and he'd say, 'You might be able to run faster Elliott, but you'll never be able to run harder!' and then he'd go and collapse somewhere."

came across that randomly googling about Kennedy. It's from last year and he mentions Teg in it. I think he simply think highly or that group and think of them first. It like having your favorite sports team and think of their accomplishments first before some other team who may be better right now.

"I like Rupp, I hate mask." -Bob KennedyDidn't anyone see that interview on Sportscenter?

fuel to the fire wrote:

http://news.runnersworld.com/2012/06/04/olympian-then-and-now-bob-kennedy/

Bob Kennedy says:

Will you watch the Trials?

BK: I will definitely pay attention to it. I am a big fan of Meb [Keflezighi], even though he has already qualified in the marathon, and hopefully he can win another medal. I really admire [Matt] Tegenkamp and [Chris] Solinksky. I know Chris is hurt, but I admire their passion and fearless approach to the sport.

This to me is clearly a dig at Rupp. My question is where do you think it comes from?

Several options.

1. He doesn't relate to rupp as well because he's more of a 10k/marathon guy whereas teg/solinksy are more like Kennedy was.

2. Kennedy hates Al sal for some reason/possibly thinks they are dirty.

3. Kennedy views himself as a blue-collar runner and rupp as yuppie.

Your thoughts?

I'm not bob kennedy but I lost respect for Solinsky since 10k record. On so many levels!

Besides the non-existent "diss" on Rupp, that was actually a really interesting article, thanks.

I know Salazar knows Kennedy. In fact a cornerstone of Rupp's training philosophy comes from Kennedy. According to Salazar he consulted with Kennedy early on in Rupp's career. BK gave the advice of not giving Rupp too much training too early and just add a little bit at a time. That advice seems to be paying dividends now for Rupp.

Thats from an extended interview with Salazar that was posted on Flotrack. I'm sure its still there.

This thread is stupid. But its even more stupid in that Rupp's career has been all about following Kennedy's advice.

Minus the trash talk directed toward Solinsky and Tegenkamp, I pretty much agree with this... Never really understood the whole "Rupp is spoiled thing." No, I've never met him. Have you? Seems like a perfectly nice guy to me. If he got special treatment above that which plenty of other athletes all over the country receive while he was in college, then that's one thing (which is as much on Oregon as it is on Rupp - don't hate the player), but now that he's a pro? Really? He's "coddled" by Salazar? Another way of saying, "How come no former runner/coach of Salazar's caliber has invested a large percent of his time and energy guiding my career?" LOL... it's about RESULTS... Rupp is a PRO... he can spend all day in the hot tub with Salazar and a dozen massage therapists for all I care. Is Peyton Manning being "coddled" by John Elway? Is it that you want Rupp to go live in a trailer like Pre did in the good ole days? I have zero connection to Rupp/Salazar or anyone in the pro scene for that matter but I've been laughing off the Rupp hate as sour grapes for damn near a decade now and I guess that stupidity has taken root by this point... Bleh, root for whomever you want, but if you want to cheer for a successful American distance runner, you're doing yourself a disservice if you disown Rupp because he has allergies and runs on an underwater treadmill.

Are you also sprintgeezer? I like your style.

reader: "the 100 meter is a lot easier to run when you're not 100% than the 5,000 and 10,000"

That is laughable. It depends upon, among other things, the precise nature and severity of the injury.

I can't believe you would say something like that. I can't tell you how many times I have gone out and run 5k and 10k when I was too injured to sprint...like last week, coming back from my groin tear, when I still couldn't sprint, but I went out and ran a 10k.

Let's just agree that it was a regrettable statement, and forget it.

Sprintgeezer wrote:

reader: "the 100 meter is a lot easier to run when you're not 100% than the 5,000 and 10,000"

That is laughable. It depends upon, among other things, the precise nature and severity of the injury.

I can't believe you would say something like that. I can't tell you how many times I have gone out and run 5k and 10k when I was too injured to sprint...like last week, coming back from my groin tear, when I still couldn't sprint, but I went out and ran a 10k.

Let's just agree that it was a regrettable statement, and forget it.

Agreed. If anything it is the other way around. You can often work around an injury at a distance pace (not that it is a good idea) but try doing that for a flat-out sprint and you're going down, possibly for good.

Even I know that, and I'm a Distance Dude.

kinda--

Without the specifics of Gay's surgery and follow-up procedure, you cannot say with any degree of certainty that Solinskrap's injury was more serious.

"Don't you think he'd try if he could?" --No, I don't.

Why not? Because he SHOWED last year that he DOESN'T TRY, WHEN HE COULD.

No, I don't know where the 2 of them are at physically, relatively speaking--what I DO know is that Gay will try to compete, and Solinskrap will not. Based upon his recent demonstrations, I interpret this as a lack of will on Solinskrap's part, rather than as a lack of ability. A lack of will he has demonstrated, a lack of ability he has not.

How do I know what kind of pain Solinskrap was dealing with compared to Gay? Gay stated on June 3 or 4 that he still has hip pain, Solinskrap tweeted with a month left in May that he was pain-free before, during, and after a run.

If you want to use reported pain as a criterion, as you seem to want to do, Solinskrap "made the wrong decision and pussed out", and is not as tough as Gay.

And it is just as hyperbolic to say that somebody runs 120 miles a week with significant hamstring pain as it is to say that somebody sprints 9.7 with significant hip pain.

If your "pain" is insufficient to prevent you doing EITHER of those things, it is not "significant" with respect to performance ability.

Gay has decided to try to compete this weekend, even though he may flame, or re-injure himself; Solinskrap has decided not to try to compete at all.

Go Gay.

ryan foreman wrote:

I know Salazar knows Kennedy. In fact a cornerstone of Rupp's training philosophy comes from Kennedy. According to Salazar he consulted with Kennedy early on in Rupp's career. BK gave the advice of not giving Rupp too much training too early and just add a little bit at a time. That advice seems to be paying dividends now for Rupp.

Thats from an extended interview with Salazar that was posted on Flotrack. I'm sure its still there.

This thread is stupid. But its even more stupid in that Rupp's career has been all about following Kennedy's advice.

You are making too much sense to post in this tread.

Nice try Galen Rupp.

I know Bob Kennedy and he was the toughest, no nonsense, no excuses American distance runner I have ever watched. I would imagine his mention of Tegenkamp and Solinsky just is reflective of his admiration of midwest guys like himself who made it to that level. Rupp has had advantages that he or no one else has had from the start but that should be no knock on Rupp. Basically due to his connection to Salazar from an early age.

I would bet he respects Rupps total dedication because he was the same. He just didn't get the royal treatment. He went to Indiana not even on a full scholarship. He ran 14:14 his freshman year for 5000 and 13:22 as a senior. My favorite quote was by Steve Scott who said "Bob Kennedy doesn't spit unless he thinks how that will affect his running." And he didn't get the option of a big time contract to turn pro early like Goucher and Ritz did. That stuff didn't happen yet and he was never treated like a prodigy even after he won NCAA cross as a freshman.

Rupp haters remind me of the NASCAR fans and drivers who hated Jeff Gordon for getting advantages early on to succeed that no one else ever had.

Stick with eharmony.com wrote:

Rupp is a huge tool who is extremely overhyPed. Kinda hard to respect that.

It's official. The biggest moron award goes to Stuck...

12:58 and 26:48 DESERVES THE HYPE.