Shalane and Kara

drama queen wrote:

Get over yourself. Not everyone on this thread was bashing Shalane and Kara so quit the 'you all' BS. A few a$$holes run their mouth and you attribute that attitude to the all of Letsrun.

Pathetic troll.

1/10

Another example of why LRC is a veritable sausage fest.

get real dude wrote:

Right, because having a man "cream his shorts" is the ultimate compliment any woman could ever hope to receive.

What is your point?

drama queen wrote:

Get over yourself. Not everyone on this thread was bashing Shalane and Kara so quit the 'you all' BS. A few a$$holes run their mouth and you attribute that attitude to the all of Letsrun.

Pathetic troll.

1/10

She's likely responding to the misogynist essence that imbues practically every thread on LRC. A few a$$holes does not accurately describe LRC- more like an endless supply of a$$holes with yourself raking as number 1.

Proving Ground wrote:

get real dude wrote:

Right, because having a man "cream his shorts" is the ultimate compliment any woman could ever hope to receive.

What is your point?

That comment went right over your head now didn't it? Aren't you cute and remedial.

Karen wrote:

Really disappointed that you all are questioning the strongest American women I know of. You are not representing the running community at large, which is supportive and encouraging. None of you are at the level of these women, yet you throw remarks and criticisms as if you know what they go through and could do better. Shameful!

Surely they are braver than idiots on letsrun.com posting in anonymity on the internet. Geez. Kara and Shalane poured their hearts out and it didn't turn out that it was the day for all their dreams to come true. At least they had the guts to try to make it happen. And they aren't giving up or become bitter for it. I have nothing but the utmost respect for the truest representation of what being an American and a runner really means.

I am assuming that you would also say this and be just as passionate about someone criticizing LeBron James, or Kobe Bryant, or any other professional athlete, right?

This type of criticism goes with the territory. These women are paid alot of money to do something that most of us either pay to do, or do for free. I don't feel sorry for them that someone questions the result that they got and that perhaps a different strategy and/or race selection may have been a better decision.

You're right, we shouldn't criticize because we've never been in their shoes. I have a job, I have to buy my own shoes, I have to pay my own race fees, I don't get daily massages, I don't have a dietician prpearing my meals, I don't have access to physical therapy 24/7, alter-g treadmills, and the best sports physicians available. These are things I will never know, yet I still get out and train to the best of my ability every day and run my best every time I enter a marathon.

How about we have them live in the circumstances that the majority of us have to deal with every day and then see how they do? maybe then I'll have a little sympathy for them being criticized on an internet messageboard.

Wow. Bitter much?

orbitboy wrote:

Another example of why LRC is a veritable sausage fest.

Letsrun is a sausage fest because even most very good female runners don't follow the sport. My wife was an all american in CC and wouldn't know a thing about world class athletes if I didn't teach her.

orbitboy wrote:

Wow. Bitter much?

Not at all. Just pointing out that professional athletes are paid pretty well to do something that most of us do for fun, and that if they (or their fans) can't take a little criticism, they are probably in the wrong sport.

Personally, I think they ran about as could be expected and I have no problem with their result. I do think Shalane would have been better served to run the 10,000 because I believe she could have medalled again, but that ship has sailed.

hold now nelly wrote:

drama queen wrote:

Get over yourself. Not everyone on this thread was bashing Shalane and Kara so quit the 'you all' BS. A few a$$holes run their mouth and you attribute that attitude to the all of Letsrun.

Pathetic troll.

1/10

She's likely responding to the misogynist essence that imbues practically every thread on LRC. A few a$$holes does not accurately describe LRC- more like an endless supply of a$$holes with yourself raking as number 1.

And now you are doing the same thing she is, how cute. Attributing the views and posts of a minority on LR as a whole. I don't come on here bashing athletes, men or women, but posters like you and Karen are just as bad as they are. You get your feeling hurt by a few post and want to blame EVERYONE on LR.

Go back to RW

drama queen wrote:

And now you are doing the same thing she is, how cute. Attributing the views and posts of a minority on LR as a whole. I don't come on here bashing athletes, men or women, but posters like you and Karen are just as bad as they are. You get your feeling hurt by a few post and want to blame EVERYONE on LR.

Go back to RW

The views of men represent the views of society, which, not surprisingly, represent the views expressed by the majority in this hell hole aka LRC. I don't allow my feelings to get hurt by men especially ones requiring remedial assistance like yourself.

I'll go back to RW when you rot in hell.

get read dude wrote:

drama queen wrote:

And now you are doing the same thing she is, how cute. Attributing the views and posts of a minority on LR as a whole. I don't come on here bashing athletes, men or women, but posters like you and Karen are just as bad as they are. You get your feeling hurt by a few post and want to blame EVERYONE on LR.

Go back to RW

The views of men represent the views of society, which, not surprisingly, represent the views expressed by the majority in this hell hole aka LRC. I don't allow my feelings to get hurt by men especially ones requiring remedial assistance like yourself.

I'll go back to RW when you rot in hell.

If this is such a hell hole, why are you reading and posting here?

Consistency wrote:

If this is such a hell hole, why are you reading and posting here?

To be the lone voice of women's empowerment in the endless sea of LRC misogyny.

Lorenzo the Magnificent wrote:

USA Women's Results after Joanie's win:

1988 17, 38, 39

1992 10, 12, 21

1996 10, 31

2000 19

2004 3, 34, 39

2008 27

2012 10, 11

I wouldn't rate 10 and 11 in the Olympics as disappointing.

Wasn't the Dathan, Ryan 9-10 finish considered a bit of a failure? Maybe we are just guilty of over-hyping our marathoners.

You sound awfully resentful with your "they have all this cool stuff that I don't get to have" act. As though it's fair to judge them by a different standard than you judge yourself. That's your implication.

The thing is, it's not just "a little criticism." If that's all it was, that would be fine. But there's a big, huge difference between fair, constructive criticism, and outright resentment-based bashing, complete with irrelevant, ad hominem attacks, fact-free innuendo, misogyny etc. The fact that the latter is casually waved off as something that "just comes with the territory" shows just how far things have sunk. I don't care of if it's Kara and Shalane, or Tom Brady and LeBron. The criticism needs to stay fair and above the belt, or otherwise you're going to drive away the reasonable people and it's going to end up as one big meeting among "the fellowship of the miserable."

ps--Yeah, I also think Shalane would have likely medalled again in the 10,000. But it's interesting that I think a lot of Americans feel like they have a better chance to medal in the marathon given that it's more of a crap-shoot. I understand why the think this way, but it's not necessarily always the case, I'm afraid.

get read dude wrote:

Consistency wrote:

If this is such a hell hole, why are you reading and posting here?

To be the lone voice of women's empowerment in the endless sea of LRC misogyny.

Women's empowerment? That's a joke. Have you read all the grief poured upon Galen Rupp here over the years? This site is nothing if not an equal opportunity criticizer.

Apparently someone taught you to play the victim card and find sexism where there is none. Well played my feminist overreacter.

'surprised that she tanked the last 3K, as she should have come in 5th, very disappointing.'

When you legs have gone in the marathon there is nothing you can do about it

I'm not resentfull at all, I'm glad that we provide our best with everything we possibly can to succeed. My problem is with posters like "Karen" who think that because some of us aren't world class runners that we don't know what it is like to put our heart and soul into an event and that we don't take our training seriously and racing seriously and don't share the same disappointment when we fail, whether it is qualifying for Boston, or the OT, or breaking a personal barrier such as 2:50 in the marathon (my particular "Olympics"). On the contrary, many of us train after a long day at work, or after we put our kids to bed, and we pay for amenities that these ladies (rightfully so) get for free. Her assertion that we don't have grounds to question and/or criticize athletes, particualarly if they're female because we don't know what it is like is absurd.

My question is does she criticize people who take cheap shots at male athletes, or is she simply a woman protector? I agree that many go too far, and Galen Rupp has been treated probably harsher on this site than any other runner, so where was her outrage when he was suffering this type of abuse?

And I agree with you about Americans thinking they have a better shot in the marathon, but I think that Galen Rupp proved that this isn't necessarily the case anymore.

ukathleticscoach wrote:

'surprised that she tanked the last 3K, as she should have come in 5th, very disappointing.'

When you legs have gone in the marathon there is nothing you can do about it

Hell, remember Merga in the last Olympics? He got passed for bronze in the last 400 and didn't even make an effort. He was just toast. Sometimes that happens and there's not a damn thing you could do about it.

Consistency wrote:

Women's empowerment? That's a joke. Have you read all the grief poured upon Galen Rupp here over the years? This site is nothing if not an equal opportunity criticizer.

Apparently someone taught you to play the victim card and find sexism where there is none. Well played my feminist overreacter.

I don't doubt for a moment that you find women's empowerment a joke. And, although you are desperate to believe I want to play the victim card, I do not. My intent is to confront and expose the dehumanizing attitudes men unleash on women every day of their lives. I am not a vicitim. Never have been, never will be.