German Fernandez Interview: Only been running for 1.5 months

free spirit talent wrote:

German should definitely NOT train "under" Schumacher.

He needs a coach who can help him to blossom.

Canova would be a good choice, or Salazar. And it's time for German to move up, run cross country again which he loves, and train for the distance events.

This is a perfect indication of how Letsrun has influenced the running community. When trying to pick two possible coaches for a 1500/5000 runner who is injury-proned, someone comes up with "Canova...or Salazar". Priceless.

george oscar bluth wrote:

This is a perfect indication of how Letsrun has influenced the running community. When trying to pick two possible coaches for a 1500/5000 runner who is injury-proned, someone comes up with "Canova...or Salazar". Priceless.

Really? Seems like these boards are LetRun talking with LetsRun. As such that may have been a perfect indication of how LetsRun has influenced LetsRun.

That is to say, a perfect indication of nothing whatsoever.

Please try again.

joalturn wrote:

I only think that GF would succeed under Al Sal if he had other 1500-5k guys to train with. Remember that the big reason that Webb and O'lionard left was that they didn't have any training partners.

I'm glad to see that Fernandez is leaving OK State on an upswing, and I hope he can rediscover his love for running and competing.

And no, I don't think there's any way he can make the Olympic team for 2012. Stay tuned for 2016...

I'm not sure German is any more a miler than Rupp, or potentially any less of a 10K runner. That are very much the same in my mind, capable of a very nice 800 and perhaps a world class marathon.

I've long thought that Fernandez should try the Salazar system provided he has the dedication and discipline and intelligence to follow his coach to the fullest extent like Mo, Rupp and Ritz do. You cannot halfway the Salazar system or you end up like Webb by trying to piggyback off from it while keeping parts of your old system.

The sports psychologist alone would be worth a shot for German. If he could be humble and just tuck in under these guys he could be fabulous in a couple years.

george oscar bluth wrote:

This is a perfect indication of how Letsrun has influenced the running community. When trying to pick two possible coaches for a 1500/5000 runner who is injury-proned, someone comes up with "Canova...or Salazar". Priceless.

another humble opinion wrote:

Really? Seems like these boards are LetRun talking with LetsRun. As such that may have been a perfect indication of how LetsRun has influenced LetsRun.

That is to say, a perfect indication of nothing whatsoever.

Please try again.

The individual who posted that comment is almost assuredly a part of the running community and absolutely would not have picked those 2 exact coaches were it not for Letsrun. Only here would someone get the idea that those are the two premier options for GF.

BOOM!

george oscar bluth wrote:

george oscar bluth wrote:

This is a perfect indication of how Letsrun has influenced the running community. When trying to pick two possible coaches for a 1500/5000 runner who is injury-proned, someone comes up with "Canova...or Salazar". Priceless.

another humble opinion wrote:

Really? Seems like these boards are LetRun talking with LetsRun. As such that may have been a perfect indication of how LetsRun has influenced LetsRun.

That is to say, a perfect indication of nothing whatsoever.

Please try again.

The individual who posted that comment is almost assuredly a part of the running community and absolutely would not have picked those 2 exact coaches were it not for Letsrun. Only here would someone get the idea that those are the two premier options for GF.

BOOM!

That is what you consider a legitimate effort?

Seriously?

Perspectivation wrote:

I'm not sure German is any more a miler than Rupp, or potentially any less of a 10K runner. That are very much the same in my mind, capable of a very nice 800 and perhaps a world class marathon.

...

The sports psychologist alone would be worth a shot for German. If he could be humble and just tuck in under these guys he could be fabulous in a couple years.

Yes, German is clearly not a miler. That has always been obvious. I think it is even obvious to Dave Smith.

That said, I also do not think that lack of humility is a problem with German. It is lack of health that is the issue. As such it would be more reasonable to say, "If he could be healthy and just tuck in under these guys he could be fabulous in a couple years."

"returnofthemack" has been on here numerous times spewing the same 'ol BS about Dave. It's obvious you have an axe to grind. What happened? Get cut from the team? Dave destroys athletes physically and morally? What? Most don't stay there 4 years? Again, what?! "Numerous" 4.10 hs milers have come and gone? Double what?! Look man, if you've got a personal problem with Dave, then that's fine. However, making up baloney with extraneous and outlandish claims just isn't cool.

What the heck wrote:

That said, I also do not think that lack of humility is a problem with German. It is lack of health that is the issue. As such it would be more reasonable to say, "If he could be healthy and just tuck in under these guys he could be fabulous in a couple years."

Yeah, I didn't mean to make it seem as if he wasn't humble to start with, just that if he were to go to the Salazar program he would need to be (or in his case remain) which is not always easy when some of your beliefs are radically challenged and you may have to take a step or two back before you can take a step forward. That's not easy to do when your training mates are racking up olympic spots and even medals.

I hope he gives it a go though.

South jersey wrote:

"returnofthemack" has been on here numerous times spewing the same 'ol BS about Dave. It's obvious you have an axe to grind. What happened? Get cut from the team? Dave destroys athletes physically and morally? What? Most don't stay there 4 years? Again, what?! "Numerous" 4.10 hs milers have come and gone? Double what?! Look man, if you've got a personal problem with Dave, then that's fine. However, making up baloney with extraneous and outlandish claims just isn't cool.

He might have an axe to grind, but many do. I took an athletic visit to the OSU team back in 2006. From my 2 days there, I can say that I got completely the same idea that returnofthemack is claiming as fact. One of the worst team environments I've seen and people drop/transfer like crazy.

GF Finally leaving OSU wrote:

He might have an axe to grind, but many do. I took an athletic visit to the OSU team back in 2006. From my 2 days there, I can say that I got completely the same idea that returnofthemack is claiming as fact. One of the worst team environments I've seen and people drop/transfer like crazy.

I have no firsthand experience. As a casual observer it does seem as if the failures are very numerous. Going back to Chirchir, then Ryan Prentice, GF at least had a little bit of success, though not as much as one might have expected.

Then look at all the studs who came in during GF's soph and junior year. Where are they now? Do they have a single success story of a US high schooler who went on to even meet expectations coming out of high school - anyone since Colby Lowe? (My opinion of Lowe's collegiate success is that it is commensurate with what one might have expected when he came out of HS - not better, not worse).

I don't know, but it does seem like that XC team success is largely the result of focusing all scholarships on distance running and some success with foreigners and transfers. No crime in that. If winning national championships is the game, they are playing by the rules and succeeding as well as anyone.

But if I had a son coming out of HS who was a FL finalist I would advise him to be very leery of the OSU program.

John Cook

I would say Cook or Vig; Li, Shu, Alsal already have a lot on their plate. GF is in a catch-22, a good NCAA miler, but not at the next level, but he appears to be unable to get in the consistent mileage to move up in events.

Cook is very good, but I think he would not be good for German, and definitely not Vig. German is not an 800/1500 type, and continuing to try and train him that way would ruin his abilities.

His forte when he's been running well has always been cross country. I think he could be great at the 5 and 10k, and eventually the marathon.

tom farrell, not u.s. but that's irrelevant, just ran 13:15 w/Smith as a redshirt, and Smith sticks with his athletes for many years after they leave the program, continuing to coach and advise them. every big program with big recruits gets guys transferring frequently. look at oregon, for instance. verzbicas was the biggest recruit in years, sub 4 in hs, 8:29, and he didn't last three months. when big time recruits are behind other guys on their own team or get a different system or aren't getting the coach's love, they transfer.

jjjjjjj wrote:

tom farrell, not u.s. but that's irrelevant, just ran 13:15 w/Smith as a redshirt, and Smith sticks with his athletes for many years after they leave the program, continuing to coach and advise them. every big program with big recruits gets guys transferring frequently. look at oregon, for instance. verzbicas was the biggest recruit in years, sub 4 in hs, 8:29, and he didn't last three months. when big time recruits are behind other guys on their own team or get a different system or aren't getting the coach's love, they transfer.

Looking at the last five years, Tom Farrell has done better than I would have expected coming in. Same with Ryan Vail. I cannot think of anyone else although there may be some. Lowe has done about the same as I would have expected. A few dozen have done worse.

There will always be more disappointments than pleasant surprises. That is the nature of the sport. Even accounting for this I think that the overall record for developing 4:00 - 4:20, 8:30 - 9:10 high school guys at OSU is very questionable.

Ryan Vail got much better after he left OSU.

What the heck happened to Colby Lowe?

What about Brad Hudson? Didn't Hudson admit in a flotrack interview that he would love to work with GF and sees him more in the 5,000m/10,000m? Seems like that would be a good choice based on the work he did with Ritz.

after he left wrote:

Ryan Vail got much better after he left OSU.

...

Yes, but (1) he also got much better while at OSU and (2) he is still training under Dave Smith's tutelage. Give credit where credit is due. Vail is one Dave Smith success story.

Glad to see German is moving on... Nike will swoop him up, and he will have a nice career... dude is young, i think he is still 21... in 2016, he will win the Gold in the 5K... no question... after watching that interview... I really like him... h8rs going to h8 people with that talent... but the dude is humble... stay thirsty my friend