Will Jim Walmsley break 14 hours at Western States?!?!

His Outside mag video was 14:05, which is what he'll run.

Might be way too hot.. but I see him at 14-low. CR. Amazing.

sleepnitoff wrote:

leaup45 wrote:

Really? I actually like him a lot. He's a pretty good interview (doesn't give copy-and-pasted answers like every other runner), he's honest, and he handled himself very well after the WS100 last year, giving the guy who won full credit.

The DUI wasn't a real DUI - just bad luck having a cop knocking on his window while trying to sleep off a buzz.

If i understand the story correctly, he had a few, drove back into town, got sleepy, and THEN pulled over to sleep it off. he still blew over the legal limit after sleeping some off. so sure sounds like he still drove around drunk, and more drunk then he eventually blew. He also got tossed from the navy due to the cheating scandal, but sounds like he would have been tossed on the DUI as well.

Exactly the story as it goes, you're right. He drove incredibly drunk, and had "bad luck" in some people's eyes cause he was caught sleeping in his car after driving massively drunk. That's just a small part, I wouldn't hold that against the guy forever, it was a mistake. But, I can add it in to all the other stuff I don't like about him and can honestly say, "I just don't like the dude."

Ok so did he get dishonorably discharged from the Air Force early because of the DUI and/or from the cheating scandal?

Elaborate on this "cheating" thing?

I watched his Ginger Runner interview and he talks about drinking beer a lot.

According to this link he was honorably discharged from the Air Force:

https://www.outsideonline.com/2193271/jim-walmsleys-wrong-turn-was-catalyst-his-career

"After being honorably discharged from the Air Force and dealing with bouts of severe depression, Walmsley turned to running to get his life back on track. "

Yeah what's with the cheating thing?Depression is one thing. DUI is another. When did the cheating come in?

redux wrote:

Elaborate on this "cheating" thing?

I watched his Ginger Runner interview and he talks about drinking beer a lot.

CouldntHackIt wrote:

Yeah what's with the cheating thing?

Depression is one thing. DUI is another. When did the cheating come in?

redux wrote:

Elaborate on this "cheating" thing?

I watched his Ginger Runner interview and he talks about drinking beer a lot.

He discusses it on the new ultrarunnerpodcast interview.

When he worked in the Air Force with nuclear weapons, they had to take 4 proficiency tests a month, and it was expected to get 100% on them essentially. It apparently became normal to share answers. He claims 200/250 people at the base were linked to the cheating.

His rationalizing his DUI by "explaining the circumstances" leads me to believe his integrity is quite suspect. Just admit you got busted, move on.

MeHereYouWhere?! wrote:

According to this link he was honorably discharged from the Air Force:

"After being honorably discharged from the Air Force and dealing with bouts of severe depression, Walmsley turned to running to get his life back on track. "

He was not "honorably dicharged". If you look at the redacted document they showed, it says "(under honorable conditions)". In parentheses.

What the blacked out part is hiding, is pretty evident that his discharge was a "general discharge". This IS NOT the same as an "honorable discharge", and to claim it is is insulting to actual honorably discharged veterans.

"If a service member's performance is satisfactory but the individual failed to meet all expectations of conduct for military members[b/], the discharge is considered a General Discharge, Under Honorable Conditions." [i/](emphasis mine)

I also do not buy the "was just sleeping it off in my car" bit. I've heard it too many times in my line of work. "Sleeping it off" most often equates to "passed out", but hey, whatever, I wasn't there. Others who have commented are right - he drove drunk before he decided to "sleep it off". Excuse making about it at this point seems kind of lame.

In my opinion, the video was PR type spin and kind of trying to whitewash his past mistakes. But, at least he is finally addressing this odd bit of his past that no journalist seems to have been very interested in before this - I mean, how exactly does a military academy grad get out of his 5 year commitment after only 3 years? Now we know. And Jim deserves some credit for at least kind of sort of addressing it.

I think WS is his to lose. Appears he has some demons that he deals with through his running, I hope for the best for him, in the future.

Fleshmob wrote:

Ok so did he get dishonorably discharged from the Air Force early because of the DUI and/or from the cheating scandal?

Hmmm, just listened to Jim's ultrarunner podcast interview where he discusses this DUI issue. He is really spinning that "sleeping it off" bit, almost like he is in denial. Every excuse in the book. I believe his story less and less each time he tells it...

Anyway, he does say that he didn't get convicted for the DUI until after he was out of the AF. So it appears that the general discharge was related more to the cheating scandal.

Which of course he says just kind of "popped up", new Sec. of AF, first female, only 4 days on the job, she didn't understand how this worked, tons of pressure, dealing with nuclear weapons, yada yada yada.

None of this, DUI or cheating scandal, is Jim's fault. Just stuff that happened to him. Sad sad story.

Wow.

Good luck with those demons, Jim....

Definitely seems immature and even sketchy.

unlike the people here on Letsrun...

He actually seems quintessentially LRC. I thoght so after I saw his first interview. The difference is his talent, and possibly his work ethic.He has the 5k time. He needs to work on the model wife/$500K parts.

will it get below 100 wrote:

unlike the people here on Letsrun...

Crimea River wrote:

Definitely seems immature and even sketchy.

This. As presented in the video his story doesn't add up:"Had a few beers and left to drive home around 8:30-9:00pm." Cop knocks on his car window at 2am and he blows over the limit. Dude must have been driving way over the limit. And that cheating scandal at the Montana air force base that ultimately got him discharged fired 9 there according to the story.Makes it seem like he has a history with cutting corners.

Crimea River wrote:

His rationalizing his DUI by "explaining the circumstances" leads me to believe his integrity is quite suspect. Just admit you got busted, move on.

Nichols/Elov are your dark horses. Walmsley will win in CR though.

I believe Thomas Puzey (2:18 in Boston this year) and Jared Hazen (15:37 and 3rd overall at WS 2015) are his pacers this year. Which is pretty solid. So he'll be pushed and kept on course at least.

OnceaCheater. wrote:

This. As presented in the video his story doesn't add up:

"Had a few beers and left to drive home around 8:30-9:00pm."

Cop knocks on his car window at 2am and he blows over the limit.

Dude must have been driving way over the limit.

And that cheating scandal at the Montana air force base that ultimately got him discharged fired 9 there according to the story.

Makes it seem like he has a history with cutting corners.

Crimea River wrote:

His rationalizing his DUI by "explaining the circumstances" leads me to believe his integrity is quite suspect. Just admit you got busted, move on.

I actually just listened to some more of his ultrarunner podcast interview, and I have to admit, my opinion of Jim has dropped quite substantially from where it was before this.

I worte earlier regarding the claim of being "honroably discharged", as coming from the Outside Magazine writers. But, in the podcast interview, Jim himself joins in on this lie/obfuscation. He claims that he was "honoably discharged under general conditions". No, Jim, you weren't, and you certainly know the actual discharge you received is a "general discharge under honorable conditions". This may seem like semantics to non veterans, but there is quite a difference, and Jim certainly knows it. He even alludes to it when he next says "it's just one notch below" and goes on to say that he can "technically" claim to be honorably discharged. One notch below what?!?! Oh yeah, one notch below an honorable discharge. And no, "technically", you weren't honorably discharged.

Also actually going on with his claims to be a scapegoat for the cheating scandal. Academy grad, officer and genetleman, yada yada yada but thought it was just part of the "culture". He then compares it to the pro cycling scandal, and says those guys must have just thought it was part of the "culture", but no, he would never never never ever cheat in running because it's not part of the "culture".

So is he saying he's OK with cheating as long as it's "part of the culture"?

At least he's not a doper like Ajee Wilson or Bernard Lagat.

because he's been tested so much this year?

kh wrote:

At least he's not a doper like Ajee Wilson or Bernard Lagat.