I can see it now, Bekele loses motivation and takes a good amount of time off. The EAF gets pissed and wants nothing more to do with him, so once he decides to embark on the second half of his track career he moves to the US, setting multiple American and world records and racking up huge WC and Olympic medal counts.
he hasn't lost a 10000, but he lost 2 5000's last year - one to Lagat in London, and then one early on in the season to Songok or Choge, one of those two.
fact of the matter wrote:
Commen Cense wrote:Bekele really only seemed unbeatable for a season or so, except for XC. He never completed the gold/gold double (not that it's easy) in the 5k/10k and despite having both WR's was beat in several Golden League meets, a WC race, an Olympic race, indoor meets, etc.
For someone who once seemed so destined to be the king of the distance world, he has seemed increasingly vulnerable/human the last few years.
Well I'd say he was pretty much unbeatable. You've counted some races twice above by mentioning the double, then also citing the Olympics and World Champs.
From memory he's only ever lost:
- The World/Oly 5k having already done the 10k earlier in the week.
- An indoor race shortly after his fiancee died.
- An end of season race last year against Mottram .
- Perhaps the odd 15/3k.
- That cross-country WC.
Has he lost any other 5ks? Has he ever lost a 10K?
Nothing to suggest that the article isn't fact. As another poster said, it does sound like depression, hope he is able to overcome it soon if this is the case.
Am sure BK will be back very soon ilove to see him compete he is the greatest ever ( wish him quick recovery)
I\'m surprised more people haven\'t considering that he is actually suffering from a injury sustained in Kenya. He didn\'t just stop because he was losing, from everything he described, he was suffering from heatstroke. It sounds like he needs a thorough neurological and endocrinological assessment. While his symptoms might be due to depression, I would bet that the depression is not due to the loss. I think he might have suffered some serious neurological damage in Kenya. Although it is known that heatstroke causes brain damage, little has been done on what happens to elite athletes during hot races. Bekele may be suffering from the same damage that Salazer had after Boston, which I believe led to Al\'s major depression.
However to use this example to excuse the fact that so many U.S. runners didn\'t run is weak. You make adjustments for the heat, you train for it. Clint Verran\'s run at the World half a few years ago is a good example.
Bekele\'s comment about the lap counter is actually very interesting. At that level of racing, you are at the razor\'s edge of thermoregulation. Picking up the pace a lap early is disasterous. You can run a certain pace, and maintain a reasonable body temperature. When you accelerate above this level just slightly, your body temperature starts to increase, and is not going to decrease unless you stop running (and sometimes not even that is enough). It is only a matter of time before you\'re body shuts you down to prevent tissue death.
Skuj wrote:
a. The whole story reeks of bad journalism.
b. How many times have we heard that KB will not do WXC, and then he did it?
c. I trust that I have made my point.
An reporter provides direct quotes from an interview in Bekele's home, and somehow it "reeks of bad journalism" just because it's an African reporter? Your comment reeks of arrogance.
I'm not sure about the conditions in Mombasa during World XC's or in Al Sal's Boston win in 1982, but to me it seems like there's a huge difference physiologically between running for over two hours and running for 35 minutes. Did Bekele drink any water during the race?
And for Bekele to make such a big deal about the lap counters makes him sound like one of the most unintelligent athletes in history. How many races has he lost because he messed up that way? And didn't he say in the article something about how he was surprised "at the bell" that he had a lap to go? If they have a bell to signify the last lap, how can you screw that up?
I'll bring it up again... why should this article be trusted as a credible report about Bekele? I think it's totally made up.
make of it what you will
I dont know if its bad journalism etc or uncredible but at the least its a Kenyan paper doing an article on the greatest Ethiopian superstar. What would a Boston paper say in an article on the Yankees- how they were going to destroy the Red Sox in the playoffs? unlikely- maybe hes having some trouble maybe not but i would think any problems are being played up significantly. But wait and see I guess.
ok, for those of you who keep getting this wrong on this thread. If you want to say something about Bekele, KB is an acceptable abbreviation. However, BK is reserved for a certain American 12:58 5K runner, Bob Kennedy. BK doesn't even really make sense for Bekele.
Tyson wrote:
Am sure BK will be back very soon ilove to see him compete he is the greatest ever ( wish him quick recovery)
ok, for those of you who keep getting this wrong on this thread. If you want to say something about Bekele, KB is an acceptable abbreviation. However, BK is reserved for a certain American 12:58 5K runner, Bob Kennedy. BK doesn't even really make sense for Bekele.
Tyson wrote:
Am sure BK will be back very soon ilove to see him compete he is the greatest ever ( wish him quick recovery)
Ben Nephew wrote:
However to use this example to excuse the fact that so many U.S. runners didn't run is weak. You make adjustments for the heat, you train for it. Clint Verran's run at the World half a few years ago is a good example.
Thinking about it...Verran's run was in 2000 - 7 years ago. Man how times flies. Is Verran's PR still 2:14:17 from Chicago '02?
the person probably meant to write KB
fact of the matter wrote:
Commen Cense wrote:Bekele really only seemed unbeatable for a season or so, except for XC. He never completed the gold/gold double (not that it's easy) in the 5k/10k and despite having both WR's was beat in several Golden League meets, a WC race, an Olympic race, indoor meets, etc.
For someone who once seemed so destined to be the king of the distance world, he has seemed increasingly vulnerable/human the last few years.
Well I'd say he was pretty much unbeatable. You've counted some races twice above by mentioning the double, then also citing the Olympics and World Champs.
From memory he's only ever lost:
- The World/Oly 5k having already done the 10k earlier in the week.
- An indoor race shortly after his fiancee died.
- An end of season race last year against Mottram .
- Perhaps the odd 15/3k.
- That cross-country WC.
Has he lost any other 5ks? Has he ever lost a 10K?
Nothing to suggest that the article isn't fact. As another poster said, it does sound like depression, hope he is able to overcome it soon if this is the case.
He lost 5ks to against Lagat and Songock last year and a two mile against Geneti after the 3k you mentioned against Cragg.
i think he's just in a deep depression. get him on some welbutrin or lexapro and should be as right as day.
I just finished reading "Duel in the Sun" and Bekele sounds exactly like Alberto in late '83. I hope for his sake it's not the same thing, but it sure sounds that way from the article. If so it's definitely a combo of phisiological and psychological problems and he could be in for years of misery. Maybe KB needs to try Prozac and then go run Comrades Marathon?
Rorkes Drift wrote:
Arnester Sylvenegger wrote:It could be something physical/neurological. Look at Salazar and Beardsely after the "Duel In the Sun".
If the article is indeed accurate, it does sound eerily familiar. I recall reading about how before Boston Salazar was basically unstoppable in practice -- you could throw any amount of work at him and his body could take it. Then, of course, everyone knows the prolonged struggle he faced after Boston just to get back. Training after that was a constant grind, he was always getting tired, and ultimately was never quite the same.
Hard efforts in the heat and humidity to the point of dangerous exhausting does have the effect of injuring, and in some cases ruining, careers. Hopefully that is not the case here; as some have already mentioned, it does sound as though this could be a case of clinical depression (which, in a certain sense, may be no better -- serious depression can be very difficult to get over, and some never really get over it).
Agree with the poster that mentioned injury from heat stroke. My son suffered heat stroke in a cross country race - he completed the race, but collapsed at the finish line.
He had been been ill and running a fever that week, but felt obligated to run for the team. While the temperature had been in the 30-40's that week, the afternoon of the race the temperature soared into the 80's on an extremely hilly, treeless course.
The following week he attempted to run in championships and had a difficult time. That wasn't surprising, however, the problems had just begun. As the weeks went on, he couldn't lift his legs and keep his form after running more than a few minutes. Doctors discovered he had tiny muscle tears throughout his body caused by the dehydration from the heat stroke. As he would run, the mitochondria (the energy producing part of the cell) were literally leaking out, leaving his muscles very weak.
The solution - NO running, lifting weights, and so forth until the muscles had a chance to recover and heal. In my son's case, this meant no exercise whatsoever for at least 6 weeks. The good news is he was able to return to running and ended up having a great outdoor season.
I am not saying there isn't a mental aspect involved, because depression can certainly become an issue. However, my son's coach kept implying it was all a "mental" thing with him. That implication totally played with my son's head and it was quite a relief to discover it was mainly a very physical problem. Bekele's symptoms seem eerily familiar to the ones my son complained of. Perhaps he should seek out another doctor's opinion. I wish him the best.
Agree with the poster that mentioned injury from heat stroke. My son suffered heat stroke in a cross country race - he completed the race, but collapsed at the finish line.
He had been been ill and running a fever that week, but felt obligated to run for the team. While the temperature had been in the 30-40's that week, the afternoon of the race the temperature soared into the 80's on an extremely hilly, treeless course.
The following week he attempted to run in championships and had a difficult time. That wasn't surprising, however, the problems had just begun. As the weeks went on, he couldn't lift his legs and keep his form after running more than a few minutes. Doctors discovered he had tiny muscle tears throughout his body caused by the dehydration from the heat stroke. As he would run, the mitochondria (the energy producing part of the cell) were literally leaking out, leaving his muscles very weak.
The solution - NO running, lifting weights, and so forth until the muscles had a chance to recover and heal. In my son's case, this meant no exercise whatsoever for at least 6 weeks. The good news is he was able to return to running and ended up having a great outdoor season.
I am not saying there isn't a mental aspect involved, because depression can certainly become an issue. However, my son's coach kept implying it was all a "mental" thing with him. That implication totally played with my son's head and it was quite a relief to discover it was mainly a very physical problem. Bekele's symptoms seem eerily familiar to the ones my son complained of. Perhaps he should seek out another doctor's opinion. I wish him the best.
wait and see the comnig weeks .
hewill score the best time
Big Bird wrote:
I'll bring it up again... why should this article be trusted as a credible report about Bekele? I think it's totally made up.
Doesn't matter how many times you bring it up, no-one cares what you think. Supply some sort of evidence and then we'll start listening.