NYC RITZ IS OUT :(

Just one marathon segment I wish he would train with Kevin Hanson and learn some of the nuances of the marathon. He has all the tools but something is a miss.

GoldenMiles wrote:

Damn it, Ritz. You were always my idol growing up. What the hell happened? You had the best tune-up race of anyone in the pack I knew of, barely losing to Farah over the half. I thought you'd been training to handle surges, but you not only get dropped, but drop out?! Why do Americans like Ritz and Hall always drop out when not having a perfect race? Is it so bad to not just run it home?

Ugh, so frustrating. I thought Ritz might at least get 3rd place. Huge congrats to Abdi getting 3rd at age 39!

Because maybe he was paid off to be an unofficial pacemaker?

nittygritty wrote:

GoldenMiles wrote:

Damn it, Ritz. You were always my idol growing up. What the hell happened? You had the best tune-up race of anyone in the pack I knew of, barely losing to Farah over the half. I thought you'd been training to handle surges, but you not only get dropped, but drop out?! Why do Americans like Ritz and Hall always drop out when not having a perfect race? Is it so bad to not just run it home?

Ugh, so frustrating. I thought Ritz might at least get 3rd place. Huge congrats to Abdi getting 3rd at age 39!

Because maybe he was paid off to be an unofficial pacemaker?

Or maybe the money he got appearance fee or whatever you call it was enough for him and he thought to himself... "I'm just going to make this a regular Sunday 15 km tempo run session and call it a day".

His performance further confirms how ineffective strength training is for runners.

do tell. elites are advised to go hard the first mile of a marathon uphill?

but why did he then go out of his way to say how fit and strong he is then?seems stupid to throw out large expectations if you know you can't deliver

nittygritty wrote:

nittygritty wrote:

Because maybe he was paid off to be an unofficial pacemaker?

Or maybe the money he got appearance fee or whatever you call it was enough for him and he thought to himself... "I'm just going to make this a regular Sunday 15 km tempo run session and call it a day".

I didn't run the race, but was there. Ran on the course before the race started. The wind was gusting across to strong headwind. NOT conducive to leading. Ritz's best chance to finish top 3 was to hang in the pack and then race the final 10 miles. I am a Ritz fan, but he ran the dumbest race I've ever seen. Yes, Ryan Hall pushing the pace in LA that year was in the same realm. Has anyone ever led the first few miles of the NYC Marathon and finished top 3? Ever?

He should have happily allowed it to become a jog fest and then run a 1:01-1:02 second half.

Everyone can have different opinions. But leading the first 5 miles of the NYC Marathon yesterday was a strategy destined to fail.

Ok so he had heel pain that started 10 days before the marathon and he said it got really bad at the 10 mile mark and he dropped out at mile 19.

I wonder if it was those white Nike shoes he was wearing with the black check marks. Also wondering if he started training in his racing shoes 10 days before.

http://www.mlive.com/sports/2016/11/pre-race_favorite_dathan_ritze.html

Heel-heal pain wrote:

Ok so he had heel pain that started 10 days before the marathon and he said it got really bad at the 10 mile mark and he dropped out at mile 19.

I wonder if it was those white Nike shoes he was wearing with the black check marks. Also wondering if he started training in his racing shoes 10 days before.

http://www.mlive.com/sports/2016/11/pre-race_favorite_dathan_ritze.html

Then those shoes maybe should be marked with an X and not a Check.

"Go on take the money and run...... oooo ya, Go on take the money and run."

Big talk, big appearance fees, whoring himself before the race to add to the mix of now "B" atheletes who never had a chance in hell of beating The Africans. ALL PATHETIC!

Ritz ran so well in the UK because there were no testing facilities for "pre-race stimulants". He's past his prime as is Abdi who was a known drug user.

Time for Ritz to hang up his running shoes and call it a life. He had his time in the sun to shine and now it's all over. Just like WEBB and HALL.

God has a plan for Ritz and it's obviously not on the marathon course or on any track. When you he keeps getting injured time and time again, it's a sign. It's a sign to stop what you're doing and turn over a new leaf in your life.

Maybe he should get another hobby like collecting coins or stamps or collecting comic books.

No surprise that he dropped out.

He should have stuck to the 10K.

mypredictor wrote:

People are saying he got injured and therefore his dumb early race strategy of running 10 meters in front of the pack is unrelated and therefore not a bad strategy. But who on Earth really suggests that approach? It's totally arrogant and begging to be torn apart when it invariably doesn't work. He knows he's got a slim chance of winning and yet he pushes it like Steve Ovett in the home stretch. And when you don't play it safe, the likelihood of something happening increases however slightly. What the hell is with these American runners every year that they think it's their race to lose? Shalane did this twice and you just watch open mouthed and wonder if you're in bizarro world. Honest question: are they incentivized for the TV time? You are left to think there must be some ulterior motive.

Gonna have to ageee with this.

I love Ritz, always will, but what a dumb marathon strategy Sunday.

Duh.

Ritz and Llano , out front, over working, and me yelling at the tube " you'll be done before 16"

Why didn't they just sit in the pack?

Why?

My wife was laughing at me because I was yelling at Ritz (TV) as well. Tuck in man!! is what I recall yelling when I saw him up and over the bridge leading out.

*stipe wrote:

Has anyone ever led the first few miles of the NYC Marathon and finished top 3? Ever?

He should have happily allowed it to become a jog fest and then run a 1:01-1:02 second half.

.

I'm guessing a couple of guys have. Geoff Smith and Steve Jones possibly?

But Ritz is never going to close out a Marathon at that pace. No matter how much of a jog fest the first half is. His legs just aren't durable at the distance.

just looked at some NYCM pics of Ritz

he has the smallest feet ever

like size 1 or something

Maybe he had "Final Countdown" cranking in his car on the way to the race and was ultra motivated.

Since Ritz dropped out my understanding is that he would lose a significant portion of his appearance fee for not finishing the race. Can anyone in the know advise? I recall seeing a thread a few weeks ago claiming the sharp reduction in appearance/contract fee if the runner drops out of the race.