Ritzenhein told to only run A Standard in Hengelo

The guy who ran won [Tariku] ran conservatively because it was a new territory for him and kicked strong to win in respectable time 27-11. Other 2.guys on the team are already tough Jelian and K.Bekele !

So, should Ritz skip the 10,000 at the Trials and just focus on the 5,000?

Or risk getting top 3 in the 10,000 in a time slower than 27:45 and coming back to try for the 5,000 team not so fresh?

* wrote:

So, should Ritz skip the 10,000 at the Trials and just focus on the 5,000?

c'mon, son.

He's got until 7/1 to hit A standard. Realistically he has to do it at the trials. It could be tough because it may be hot and no pacers, but 27:45 shouldn't be that difficult for him in 3 weeks. Actually it's very possible it will take A standard to make the team. There's going to be a pretty strong field. Of course he's going to run the 10,000 at the trials.

Gut-Wrentching disappointment. Wasted talent. He and Webb both need to hang it up.

Yes, in the last 5 months Ritz has a 2:09:50 marathon, a 13:14 5,000 in racing flats and a 27:50 10,000 in heat. Yes, he really does need to hang it up. There are so many Americans that are so much better than him.

Missouri River Runner wrote:

Gut-Wrentching disappointment. Wasted talent. He and Webb both need to hang it up.

sochee wrote:

BAIRU, Simon CAN 28:46.82

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

good job Jerry ;D

How to fck up the athlete 101....increase millage, if something starts to hurt= keep pushing aaaaaand get injured or burn out......

It's sad to see someone relishing others' failure like you clearly are.

But yeah, Schumacher seems to have pretty much ruined Sol and Bairu's Olympic hopes. Best to them in the future.

Oh, stop. Seriously. Just stop. Schumacher was their coach when Bairu was winning NCAA xc titles, and solinsky's when he was breaking 27 minutes. People get hurt. People have bad races. Stop the ridiculous statements.

Distance Coach 37 wrote:

These guys have to toughen up. It could easily be like this in London. You will not significantly dehydrate in a 10,000 like in the marathon. These guys just slow down because of discomfort.

You have no earthly idea what you're talking about.

Simon Bairu just wrote on Twitter:

"Can't continue to go down this road. I need to fix it or end it. Mediocrity is not an option..."

I saw that as well. He seems really down. There are many AsSal haters out there and some Shumacher haters as well. These groups don't seem to like each other very much. It's a shame. They're both excellent coach's and there's a great deal of talent on both "teams". I'd love to see them working together a bit better. Right now they both seem to be making mistakes. The women are the class of the Shumacher group and there seems to be a revolving door at the Salazar group. I hope they get it together.

orbitboy wrote:

Simon Bairu just wrote on Twitter:

"Can't continue to go down this road. I need to fix it or end it. Mediocrity is not an option..."

And Ritz on Twitter:

"Tough race, didn't feel good. Very hot and humid but c'est la vie! 80 in May in Holland, who'd of thought. Watering the track was a mistake! Made it feel like a steam room. Happy to be training well though and back to Park City to get fit and ready for four weeks from now, what to do 5k or 10k? Hmmm..."

Leaving Hudson was a mistake. 9th in the Olympics and 4 years later struggling to make it to the Olympics with Alberto.

Ritz has proven to be quite capable of over-training under both coaches.

TLW wrote:

Leaving Hudson was a mistake.

We have the correct answer!

Salazar = most underperforming marathon coach possible, given the talent he works with:http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4586453

s.mouse wrote:

Oh, stop. Seriously. Just stop. Schumacher was their coach when Bairu was winning NCAA xc titles, and solinsky's when he was breaking 27 minutes. People get hurt. People have bad races. Stop the ridiculous statements.

And sometimes all of your athletes get injured and have bad races (make that bad years).

Stop the ridiculous aversion to facts. Face it: Bairu AND Solinksky, two guys with recent A-standard PRs, not even being close in the Olympic year is an undeniable coaching failure.

I 100% disagree. I suppose we'll leave it at that.

* wrote:

I actually think that if he feels good, he should just go for it and see what he can do.

It's rare that single a race ever hurts you.

Injuries happen in training or an accumulation of races.

If he can get a PR, do it. He may never ever get another chance in his life to run sub 27.

He's run in the Olympics before, a couple of times and in different events.

I don't see where a hard effort would hurt his chances at making the team.

And I don't see him getting a medal at the Games regardless of his effort in this meet.

Now, if he does get the A standard, barely or crushes it, I don't think he should toe the line at Pre in the 5000.

I was one of the few people that suggested that he go for a hard effort in Hengelo.

Gotta think that going into that race with the mentality of a controlled effort could very well have cost him those 5 seconds that he needed.

As an aside, were you as quick to praise Schumacher as you are currently to blame him now for lomong's breakthrough 5k or jager's inaugural steeple? I'm just curious.