In Defense of Galen

I find Solinsky's PRs to be much less believable than Rupp's PRs. He was either taking something questionable (like Phentermine) to lose weight or was just straight gassed with the junk when he dropped that 26:59. Until '93 that's a WR. After '93 only runners with near-identical builds have broken 27:00. I'm not buying that performance by CS anymore than I'd believe a report that a 747 broke the sound barrier while flying at 10,000'.

As a professional athlete there is a small window where one has to balance themselves to be viewed as a hero in the public's eye. And make no mistake, athletics of all kind are children's games where we, adults and children alike, want grown ups still playing these games to be super heroes. Dropping out of races and then doing workouts is far from super hero status. Super hero status is more like busting up your ankle during a great surfing session with Laird Hamilton and a host of hotties and then still showing up to the track the next day and winning a race, despite the bum ankle.

Elite sport is not about being healthy and having physical and sporting longevity. It's about crushing souls of your competitors, becoming a super hero and living on in the minds of fans as such forever.

jack frost wrote:

"This is coming from somebody who is a fellow athlete of Rupps and has more medals than Rupp has so it's something that us IN the track game no very well."

He's clearly from the US. I didn't attack his personal credentials. I dismissed them. I went through the start list to the NBIG and did not find any athlete in any event that fit the description he boasted of.

He may be from the U.S., but saying that he is a "fellow athlete" of Rupp's, does not mean he has to be from the U.S.. Symantic argument I guess, but "fellow athlete" could also mean he is a currently competing elite, just like Rupp, and not from the U.S. My first thought was that he was a Kenyan or Ethiopian who knew english, though I may be wrong.

In any case, I am wondering if you can provide evidence of the Wisco crew taking thyroid meds? This is the first I hear of it, and since you brought it up, it falls on you to back up the claim with a link or quote.

#1 Life is not fair

If you are so upset with someone you think is cheating you at your job then retire and move on to something else.

Of course you will be sad to find out cheating is probably going on in that work environment as well.

I am trying to figure out a sport that would be the most difficult to cheat at when played at the highest level. Answers are welcomed, I would think it would be really hard to cheat at golf. Even if you dope to get bigger that doesn't translate to being able to hit the ball better. Lot of technique involved and you are being watched constantly while playing a match at the highest level. So would be hard to move your ball or get away with something considered cheating.

This isn't news. I'm sure the brothers Johnson knew this and failed to report it because it don't further the cause of calling Galen's performances into question. Solinsky, Tegenkamp, Flanagan, Goucher/ all users of thyroid.

Lada wrote:

This is an odd thread for me. It seems so counterproductive to constantly bash your best runners. I sometimes wonder if these types of people even enjoy the sport? I suspect a great many of them have never met Rupp, yet have such strong beliefs about him and don't for a moment question whether they might be wrong! I hope he continues to do really well.

Agreed. It's amazing how much irrational Rupp hate are on these boards.

Brev wrote: Agreed. It's amazing how much irrational Rupp hate are on these boards.

Rupp haters are easily exceeded by blind Rupp lovers on these boards.

Rupp Lubers wrote:

Brev wrote: Agreed. It's amazing how much irrational Rupp hate are on these boards.

Rupp haters are easily exceeded by blind Rupp lovers on these boards.

You've got to be kidding.

UR blind.

Rupp Lubers wrote:

Rupp haters are easily exceeded by blind Rupp lovers on these boards.

You must not come here often

Sooooo...no links and no proof, got it. You may be 100% correct, but it looks like all that the MB has to go on right now re: Wisco boys and thyroid meds, is your unsupported claim. Help us out.

Another blind Rupp lover.

It's not an unsupported claim. I know for a fact Schumacher referred athletes to Dr. Brown when they reported to him they were tired from doing so many miles. This is an example of someone bending the rules to mask the symptoms of overtraining.

I'm not going to out which athlete in his camp told me about their thyroid secret but I will relate that Schumacher sat them down after the WSJ write-up about Dr. Brown last year and tried to play coy and said something along the lines of "I had no idea Alberto was using this guy, we will find a new doctor now".

I also know one athlete of his was prescribed thyroid medication, felt uncomfortable with taking it, requested the lab results and compared those results to the blood-work from previous years, found no abnormalities and then stopped taking them without telling coach Jerry (who had protested this athlete from getting a copy of the lab results in the first place). This athlete subsequently left the group due to unease over thyroid issues and the medication-pushing approach.

So, if you are going to take the axe to Alberto for his group's use of thyroid medication, don't pretend as if it is acceptable conduct when carried out by others.

Range Rover wrote:

30th Avenue homey wrote:

Damn, you nailed it.

He is doing extra workouts after running quality races.

He was doing that when Abdi made him cry like a little girl at the 2008 trials.

FAIL.

How are people so clueless? It is precisely BECAUSE he was doing that in 2008 and years before when he was getting beat a few top runners that he is where he is today. That was no secrect back then, they alwasy said their primary target was 2012 olympics and beyond. They always focussed on the big picture as oppossed to the day to day or just the upcoming season.

He has never been slow, he never suddenly picked up speed or suddenly became good. He has been phenomenal since his senior year in high school and kept his head down and worked harder than anybody else on a continued basis, including in the injury prevention and cross training departments.

It's fine if you want to BELIEVE that he is cheating because you don't like that he is really fast, but don't let the facts of his achievements and progression slip your mind.

As someone mentioned, he did 3:39 at ncaa west regionals on a double, and was second at Pac-10s that year with about :52 last lap in between tripling 1500,5000,10000:

Finals

1 Matthew Centrowitz Oregon 3:51.00 10

2 Galen Rupp Oregon 3:51.18 8

3 Andrew Wheating Oregon 3:51.27 6

4 Garrett Heath Stanford 3:51.33 5

5 Abdi Hassan Arizona 3:51.65 4

6 Austin Abbott Washington 3:52.39 3

7 Brandon Bethke Arizona State 3:52.54 2

8 Eric Lee California 3:52.59 1

9 Jordan McNamara Oregon 3:53.26

10 Michael Coe California 3:53.69

11 Joey Bywater Washington 3:54.06

12 Elliott Heath Stanford 3:54.75

Just for kicks:

Regionals 1500 - 2009

He didn't just come out of nowhere in the 1500, 5000 or 10000. He's been really good at all of them for over 10 years.

jack frost wrote: So, if you are going to take the axe to Alberto for his group's use of thyroid medication, don't pretend as if it is acceptable conduct when carried out by others.

Rupp is doing something special else besides thyroid meds. That special thing has absolutely nothing to do with special post-race workouts.

Rupp needs to be the first to be thrown under the bus because he has abused what he is doing. Rupp wants to set the ARs for events from the mile up to the marathon--after turning 28. Unprecedented, and what will end up being his downfall in the future.

What is he doing that is "unprecedented"? What is he "abusing"? You are making this up out of thin air, with no proof or facts or first-hand knowledge.

smammer wrote:

jack frost wrote:

This should not be a surprise to anyone because during their days at Wisconsin, many from this group would spent weekend nights drunkenly prank calling Galen and morphing his name into a homophobic slur. The jealous y that by now has boiled over was already simmering back then. Remember when Chris Solinsky tried to put his arm in front of Galen to block him from passing him at the line at the 2007 Oregon Twilight? There was a reason behind this type of behavior and, sadly, not much has changed since then.

Wait...what?

mr. frost, you don't appear to be trolling, but did this really happen?

Of course it happened. Stu Eagon, who used to benefit from being one of "Al's Pals", was (also, probably still is) consumed with jealousy and gave his new teammates Galen's number and they would be general late night jackasses and harass him- until he blocked a plethora of numbers and they couldn't reach him anymore.

Jack Frost = A Duck. Once you figure out that it tells you you can discount all of his comments and opinions. A Duck works for the Nike machine and his goal is protect Nike assets.

I am not "A Duck", and before I started this thread, I have maybe posted three times several years ago. I do not work for Nike and have no dog in this fight. I merely am providing an objective rendering of the facts and truth.