I know Adam Merry isn’t with Roche anymore, but I think that break was earlier in 2023.
On the latest Boulder Boys episode, Adam seemed like he wanted to go off, but then the conversation turned and/or he chose to hold back. I would love to know what he wanted to say.
David is talented but has always exaggerated his prowess as an athlete and a coach.
Not on purpose or with sinister intention, I might add. I think he's a nice guy, and talented guy, who never got told early on that he (the emperor) had no clothes, so to speak. Relentless positivity to the point where you balk at anything resembling constructive feedback tends to do that to a person.
Here's an example: he used to record his trail runs using the strava mobile app which (in my experience) exaggerates your performance significantly. Like 1-3 extra miles, over a minute lopped off your pace. Even with that weighted, some of those legendary runs he used to record in rancho san antonio were still really freaking fast. But why exaggerate and present as something above world-class?
Coaching: every single athlete who has a good race is (his words) about to set the world on fire. They're just getting started. They're a GOAT in the making. Or - realistically - they trained consistently and showed good progression, maybe ran a PR. Again - credit where it's due, his coaching works well for a lot of people. Why get greedy and overpromise so consistently?
"Science": every single study he cites in the podcast or in his trail runner articles is (his words) going to ***revolutionize everything***! Or - realistically - it's an interesting data point that could mean something but might be better-considered in context with a larger body of scientific literature. Again - you're scientifically literate, but show a little maturity and constraint. And that's before we get into the calamitous malpractice that was the spring energy supernova of grift.
I don't want to dislike the guy. He is a talented runner, a good coach and a scientifically-literate journalist. But he tries to be (and present himself) as GOAT-level at all three. At some point something will have to give. Feels like cracks have been showing. Sub-14 at western states, put up or shut up time I guess.
It's funny, too - I know for a fact he and Camille Herron H-A-T-E each other. But they're actually a whole lot more similar than either might want to admit.
It's funny, too - I know for a fact he and Camille Herron H-A-T-E each other. But they're actually a whole lot more similar than either might want to admit.
It's funny, too - I know for a fact he and Camille Herron H-A-T-E each other. But they're actually a whole lot more similar than either might want to admit.
Honestly, I don’t care if he wins WSER or not. It ought to be mentioned that is unlikely for someone of his age to make a sudden “breakthrough” and become world-class, while his lifestyle stressors have also increased.
Why didn’t he have better performances when he was younger and all he had to do was be an athlete. He didn’t have kids and didn’t really have a job beyond training. To make such a big jump and then say it was higher carb intake seems suspicious. So if he wins a big race now, with performances that rival the best, it is believable because of the potential for him cheating. This has to be considered.
His positivity does not come across as genuine at all. It’s grotesque. It’s a frantic display of narcissism. Sure, he seems nice. But it’s also super phony. He is a “win at all cost” type. If you’re with him, he’ll coat you with “love.” Look up insecure narcissist and there’s a picture of him.
Why do I care? Because he’s a grifter and a fraud. He shouldn’t be rewarded for that. He should be exposed. I don’t think he’s sincere. He’s not nice. He knows how to play nice. Those are different things. I’m not jealous. I’m disgusted.
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
Honestly, I don’t care if he wins WSER or not. It ought to be mentioned that is unlikely for someone of his age to make a sudden “breakthrough” and become world-class, while his lifestyle stressors have also increased.
Why didn’t he have better performances when he was younger and all he had to do was be an athlete. He didn’t have kids and didn’t really have a job beyond training. To make such a big jump and then say it was higher carb intake seems suspicious. So if he wins a big race now, with performances that rival the best, it is believable because of the potential for him cheating. This has to be considered.
His positivity does not come across as genuine at all. It’s grotesque. It’s a frantic display of narcissism. Sure, he seems nice. But it’s also super phony. He is a “win at all cost” type. If you’re with him, he’ll coat you with “love.” Look up insecure narcissist and there’s a picture of him.
Why do I care? Because he’s a grifter and a fraud. He shouldn’t be rewarded for that. He should be exposed. I don’t think he’s sincere. He’s not nice. He knows how to play nice. Those are different things. I’m not jealous. I’m disgusted.
Met him before and he was nice to me on a bad day for him. Of course it could be an act.
His positivity does not come across as genuine at all. It’s grotesque. It’s a frantic display of narcissism. Sure, he seems nice. But it’s also super phony. He is a “win at all cost” type. If you’re with him, he’ll coat you with “love.” Look up insecure narcissist and there’s a picture of him.
Why do I care? Because he’s a grifter and a fraud. He shouldn’t be rewarded for that. He should be exposed. I don’t think he’s sincere. He’s not nice. He knows how to play nice. Those are different things. I’m not jealous. I’m disgusted.
You hit the nail on the head. Deep down he is not sincere or nice in the slightest, he just knows how to play a sincere and nice person. As a former athlete, nothing would make me happier than to see him finally exposed for the real person and coach that he is. And spoiler alert - it’s not at all the “David” he portrays on social media.
Honestly, I don’t care if he wins WSER or not. It ought to be mentioned that is unlikely for someone of his age to make a sudden “breakthrough” and become world-class, while his lifestyle stressors have also increased.
Why didn’t he have better performances when he was younger and all he had to do was be an athlete. He didn’t have kids and didn’t really have a job beyond training. To make such a big jump and then say it was higher carb intake seems suspicious. So if he wins a big race now, with performances that rival the best, it is believable because of the potential for him cheating. This has to be considered.
His positivity does not come across as genuine at all. It’s grotesque. It’s a frantic display of narcissism. Sure, he seems nice. But it’s also super phony. He is a “win at all cost” type. If you’re with him, he’ll coat you with “love.” Look up insecure narcissist and there’s a picture of him.
Why do I care? Because he’s a grifter and a fraud. He shouldn’t be rewarded for that. He should be exposed. I don’t think he’s sincere. He’s not nice. He knows how to play nice. Those are different things. I’m not jealous. I’m disgusted.
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he’s doping or doing something else in the grey area. All of the heat training, sauna suit, ketone, bicarb and other gimmicks remind me of Team Sky and the marginal gains. It’s clear that he’s willing to try anything that isn’t explicitly cheating. Grey area is totally fine though. Stuff like peptides.
Honestly, I don’t care if he wins WSER or not. It ought to be mentioned that is unlikely for someone of his age to make a sudden “breakthrough” and become world-class, while his lifestyle stressors have also increased.
Why didn’t he have better performances when he was younger and all he had to do was be an athlete. He didn’t have kids and didn’t really have a job beyond training. To make such a big jump and then say it was higher carb intake seems suspicious. So if he wins a big race now, with performances that rival the best, it is believable because of the potential for him cheating. This has to be considered.
His positivity does not come across as genuine at all. It’s grotesque. It’s a frantic display of narcissism. Sure, he seems nice. But it’s also super phony. He is a “win at all cost” type. If you’re with him, he’ll coat you with “love.” Look up insecure narcissist and there’s a picture of him.
Why do I care? Because he’s a grifter and a fraud. He shouldn’t be rewarded for that. He should be exposed. I don’t think he’s sincere. He’s not nice. He knows how to play nice. Those are different things. I’m not jealous. I’m disgusted.
I too am a bit skeptical. He has made a rather large leap in performance at 37 years old. That treadmill workout the other day, if we are to take it at face value, is not anywhere near workouts he had done in the past. I still don't think he is anywhere near sub 4 shape, or even reasonably close to sub 14, but the guy used to run 1 min on 1 min off sessions with the ons at 4:45 pace... Then he pops out two children and suddenly is a world beater? I also think the fact that he can 'reasonably' point to about 15 different 'scientific' interventions allows him to shroud this massive leap in performance under these marginal gains. A page straight out of the Team Sky playbook in a sport that does not test out of competition. I am not a hater of him or SWAP, I used to like their podcast before it was the David show, but again have no issues with their existence. Just calling a spade a spade.
He will win western states and make you all eat crow
He might (don’t think he will if any of Wamsley, Jornet or Hawks have even a decent race, but it’s possible).
That has almost nothing to do with whether he can run sub-4 in the mile at altitude (or sea level).
It doesn't matter what ultra races he wins. This thread is calling attention to the fact that his claims of being a run a sub-4 mile at altitude *and* a sub-14 5k at altitude are preposterous. If he runs a sub-4 mile at altitude on a real track, I will send an apology bouquet to his house. But not one moment sooner.
I think he’s now in a situation where, should he actually perform what he’s claimed he can, there will be an enormous amount of skepticism that it was accomplished cleanly.
He just never needed to say it at all. He talks about haters, so why feed them? Again, I think it’s because he has a desperate need to be the best. Even if he uses “gray area” doping, I think he believes that, somehow, it wasn’t cheating and he’d be that good anyway. That’s the problem. The best athletes trust their ability and aim to show the world. They don’t make claims they know they’ll never have to prove to get people to believe they’re good.
I don’t like the guy. But he’s a good runner who has had some success. Maybe he could focus more on being a better coach to all athletes. He needs to keep his own desires for fame out of it.
None of his workouts suggest that he's even in sub-4:10 or 14:40 shape. Only in a bizarro world in which you've never interacted with an elite male track athlete would you think that running 12x400 in 64/5 or 10x600 in 1:42 (even in Boulder) would translate into sub-4 shape. Maybe the goal is just to stir the pot, but he could just say I'm going to show up to States in 14:30 sea-level 5k shape. That puts him on the same straightaway as current-form Hawks and Walmsley and maybe a bit ahead of Jornet and Farvard. Instead, for someone who is all about the science, he comes across as an idiot.
I always say just run the Sub 4. Back in college I ran a track meet at some school that was at significant altitude and did not even think about it. Monday rolls around and my picture is front and center on the Team Page with the headline. I mailed an NCAA Auto running 3:56.89 I was like when the heck did I run a 3:56 mile. My coach said well your 4:06 had a 10 second conversation because the meet was at like 6000+. (Alt). Cool I took the qualifier still made the Final at nationals but never ran a sub ,4 thought it was all just crap.
I too am a bit skeptical. He has made a rather large leap in performance at 37 years old. That treadmill workout the other day, if we are to take it at face value, is not anywhere near workouts he had done in the past. I still don't think he is anywhere near sub 4 shape, or even reasonably close to sub 14, but the guy used to run 1 min on 1 min off sessions with the ons at 4:45 pace... Then he pops out two children and suddenly is a world beater? I also think the fact that he can 'reasonably' point to about 15 different 'scientific' interventions allows him to shroud this massive leap in performance under these marginal gains. A page straight out of the Team Sky playbook in a sport that does not test out of competition. I am not a hater of him or SWAP, I used to like their podcast before it was the David show, but again have no issues with their existence. Just calling a spade a spade.
At the very best he ran that treadmill workout at the pace he suggested but altitude adjusted, and even then I bet he tweaked the numbers