Webb is running the 5000 at American Milers Club Saturday

Didn't Webb pace like a 13:4x a while back, AFTER racing the mile an hour earlier? If so, I don't know why people think 13:20 will be so hard for him. Actually, I don't know why people say it will be hard for him at all, how do they know what kind of 5k shape he's in? I suspect he's even better at 5k than 15 right now. His speed is what's been declining with his age and lack of training, which is why he's struggled at 800m.

I disagree that he has a better shot at 13:20 than he does at 3:35.5, but I suppose it is worth a shot (I see him dropping out around between 3 and 4k when he falls off pace, but we'll see).

13:20:00 for most of the world.

Athletics Canada has taken the liberty of demanding a 13:19:62 "A+" time.

Good thing some bureaucrat got paid to come up with that, right?

We sure wouldn't want to have enough money to send all of our As, would we?

Stick with eharmony wrote:

64 second lap is not going to break Webb. Alan Webb could eat a candy bar and still run 64 seconds.

hahaha.. post of the day

i get the reference

i kinda like running wrote:

misewell b wrote:

guys I'm so excited to see this miler finally give up his hopes and dreams and run a longer distance race because the majority of us here prefer races of 5k and longer!

We just know what's best for him. Sometimes it takes a bunch of average joes on the outside looking in to realize the obvious. In this case, Alan Webb would have been a BALLER in the 5k. He'd have a world medal by now and would probably be a gold medal contender in London.

how much did the Let's Run community influence this decision? Alex Lohr actually asks Webb in his most recent interview at the adidas track classic from last Saturday "Hey Alan, have you thought about moving up?" Of course Alex Lohr reads Let's Run. The Let's Run community has manifested in the voice of Alex Lohr. Let's Run has deemed it necessary for Webb to run the 5,000, and webb shall run the 5,000.

cedar city? wrote:

WEBBGATE 2010...NEVER FORGET!! wrote:

Never forget the Bowerman 5k fiasco!

Please, remind us. Seriously, don't know what you're talking about.

We remember. Never forget the BAC 5k.

Dave Torrence is really cool wrote:

Yeah man I was the dude that said he was warming up for 2.5 hours before. It was ridiculous. None of the other 1500 guys were there on the warm up field yet, and he was there doing a slow jog with a weird form. Then rope stretches, then full body drills. Then in the final call area he was doing all of these full body drills, like John Cook stuff. I don't see the point of those for warmup, I thought it was more of a strengthening thing...

The dude just needs to jog for 15 mins, do some active warmups, a few strides, and hit the track for bossmode!

Didn't want to get a picture with him because he and Vig were cursing the sh!t out of everything on the bench after.

I wonder if the poor guy some kind of OCD situation going on. We hear about his counting steps stuff, we see him twitching uncontrollably at the start of one of his last races and now we learn he has some unusually long warm up routine.

Maybe the guy has a legit disorder that has prevented him from training properly over the years.

A friend of mine watching the trials 1500 said that Webb did a 300 meter stride before his races. WTF?

Steeple anyone wrote:

Does he have time to switch to the Steeplechase instead?

I have suggested this repeatedly. He would crush the sc.

WEBBGATE 2010...NEVER FORGET!! wrote:

Never forget the Bowerman 5k fiasco!

This.

my team always loses wrote:

http://www.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=147&title_id=357&do=title&pg=1&folder_id=953&page_id=2388

I actually just checked their web site to see if he was in the 5000 a few hours ago.

They have Mo Ahmed and Cale Allen listed as pacers. Mo Ahmed just ran 27:34 April 29th, but Cale Allen only has a 14:03 PR. The field (so far) is all 13:35+ guys.

They've updated the page. It looks like Mo Ahmed is pacing for USA 'A' standard and Webb is the only one (so far) going for Olympic 'A.' For the Oly A rabbit, it says "Rabbit: From 1500 looking for 2-3."

Lyndon LaRouche wrote:

the letter why wrote:

The fact that any of you think he has any chance whatsoever at the A standard is just... incredible.

he has a better chance for 13:19 than 3:35

Yes, but there is only 1 spot available on the 5000 team after Rupp and Lagat make it. Is the goal to get an A standard or to actually get on the team?

WEBBGATE 2010...NEVER FORGET!! wrote:

Never forget the Bowerman 5k fiasco!

QFE

I believe Webb has the curse of the Bowerman 5k Fiasco, that was the beginning of the end. The only way the curse could be removed is if he runs at the next Bowerman 5k OR the next three Commander's Cups.

I won't root against the guy.... Even though I think he is washed up

I won't root against the guy.... Even though I think he is washed up

___________________________________________________________

Same here. I can't root against a US Record Holder out of respect for his achievements. I wouldn't have thought a 5000m attempt was in the cards though. I'll follow this story to see how it turns out. I hope he runs 13:19. Based on what he has shown to date this will be tough.

This smells of desperation. I think he is coming to the realization that he will not make the Olympic team.

A10 Pilot Willow Grove PA wrote:

This smells of desperation. I think he is coming to the realization that he will not make the Olympic team.

I am rooting for the guy.

He's a hell of an athlete that represents our country.

He has worked his ass off throughout the years to do so.

He may have made bad coaching choices, or may have mental issues when it comes to actual race day, but the guy has shown he is capable, and willing.

The fact that so many people root against these guys is kind of a shame.

You'd think a country could get behind its athletes, and support them, and cheer them on.

If Alan Webb was our ONLY chance at a medal in the Olympics, and was clearly capable of achieving that, which I think he is, we would still have people trying to tear him down. It goes the same for all of our athletes.

This is what it comes down to for me: He wears USA on his singlet. If he crosses that finish line and wins a medal of any color, he will carry the US flag around the track.

There is no reason not to support him.

There is no reason not to support anyone in their athletic endeavors.

Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein, Centrowitz, Solinsky, Teg, all these guys.

Otherwise, who is gonna take their place?

You aren't. And neither am I.

Why? Because we can't. Simple matter of fact. I'll never in an Olympic final, and neither will you.

Support those that can, and will.

I think people are more frustrated by his inconsistency more than anything else.

If you look at it Webb has had two careers.

One of them he has been that of a 3:30(1500), 1:43(800), and 3:46(mile)runner, and the other as a 3:38-40(1500), 1:49(800)and 3:57 miler.

One thing I would say about Webb is that he does not quit. Like Scott, Lagat and Spivey he may be competing until his mid 30s. Maybe he will also get the American Master's mile record at 40. It seems running is too ingrained in Webb for him just to quit. So many talented US milers have stopped before they were thirty. Falcon, Holman, and Ryun basically were gone from the running scene before they hit 30. Webb has already faced disappointments that would force other runners to hang it up.