To Malmo, Hodgie, and the other "greats: a few words about talent

Joe Trout wrote:

If you were not running so much, maybe you would not have stepped in that hole. You were probably asleep at the wheel while on your 942'nd 15 miler.

Joe Trout, you're right, I shouldn't have been running so much. You should've been my coach. I mean, it was cold out, why bother running? I could've rewared myself with an afternoon of Oprah and bon-bons. World XC is highly over-rated - nothing but those nasty elites there. All they care about is winning. I wasn't going to win anyway so why bother, right? Heck with Joe Trout as my coach I could've Gallowalked my way to charity and felt good about myself. Thanks Joe. If I had it to do over I'd have listened to you. I sure hope these "youngsters" wise up and do the same.

correct..just discovered this site..interesting banter..hope you are well...

Doing very well, Santiago. Welcome. This thread is typical of the mentality that is steeped into the psyche here - the spectrum goes from mindless badinage all the way to unabashed vitriol.

Wejo,

I liked the "Guest" message too. Thanks to both of you for your comments.

I have often, when having some little problem with training or racing, slowed down the miles and that invariably did the trick. Improvement continued.

Contrast 'Guest' with Malmo, who it appears always raced his miles and, in spite of having good speed -- and high mileage -- his greatest accomplishment is being constantly stressed out, a classic symptom of "over training", under recovering, i.e. running too hard every day.

Maybe he's pissed cause no one ever heard of him or the american records he keeps talking about. I've never heard of him, don't know what his times are, and he's no one to me. Maybe that would piss him off more but hell it doesn't take all that much.

dunes runner wrote:

I've never heard of him, don't know what his times are, and he's no one to me. Maybe that would piss him off more but hell it doesn't take all that much.

I was clear to all here by your "since you've never done it" comment. Welcome.

malmo wrote:

Joe Trout wrote:

If you were not running so much, maybe you would not have stepped in that hole. You were probably asleep at the wheel while on your 942'nd 15 miler.

Joe Trout, you're right, I shouldn't have been running so much. You should've been my coach. I mean, it was cold out, why bother running? I could've rewared myself with an afternoon of Oprah and bon-bons. World XC is highly over-rated - nothing but those nasty elites there. All they care about is winning. I wasn't going to win anyway so why bother, right? Heck with Joe Trout as my coach I could've Gallowalked my way to charity and felt good about myself. Thanks Joe. If I had it to do over I'd have listened to you. I sure hope these "youngsters" wise up and do the same.

I love it Malmo. You can lead some of these guys to water, but...

I don't often post here but; I wonder why so many negative remarks in this thread about Malmo and Hodgie-San. Both had excellent careers and offer sound advice. Free I might also add.

I for one wish we had some current runners who could do as well. Malmo says he wasn't a marathon runner but; his times would put him far in front of most current runners.

Be thankful that you have these people to give advice.

malmo's writing character is bearish as well as synical; these posters are so destitute, wanting supporting advice on exactly what they need to do to send them on their way to greatness....malmo doesn't give them the concrete answers they so desire, "keep your heart monitor at 150" "run 10 x a mile in 5:00 every Tuesday", "run your tempo run at exactly 10k pace plus 10 seconds per mile" ect. ect.

What he offers is a glimpse of the tenacity is takes to run great, to try and possibly fail - but they are interested only in the shortcuts and the "science" behind success and they won't listen to what he is really trying to tell them....bust your ass, bust your ass, then go out and bust your ass - and MAYBE you will be good.

that would be cynical....man, I need those glasses fixed...

oh no! 16x finally read the Cliff notes! you get an "A". ;)

You guys can contrast maybe my writing style with malmos but I support what he has to say in this thread. He's just giving the tough love that many people out there need.

Jhenryhammerhead say:

>you and hodgie worked so hard for so long why are you not Frank Shorters and Alberto Salazars instead of being letsrun.com info gurus? What was your excuse in the end? Should you two have run more? Run faster or slower in training or maybe just wore a heart rate monitor once in a while? Why was Will Rogers better then you two manly men in this distance game?,

Will Rodgers? Have not seen that one in a long while. I laughed out loud when I saw the title of this thread.

Hodgie & other greats? I can imagine what anyone who really is a great in athletics might make of that.

I achieved a modicum of success, enjoyed the running for many many years now and I am fully confident that I overachieved to accomplish what little I did.

Hodgie,

Didn't there used to be a Will Rogers? I think he was from Connecticut and was running at the same time as Bill Rodgers. I don't think WR ever did a marathon. Maybe I'll dig out the old mags and see if I can find the name. Does this name ring a bell with any other oldtimers from the northeast?

That last post by Hodge was very humble and classy - this from a guy who has finished top 3 at Boston in the heyday of US marathoning - he could have let the jerk that called him out have it.

As for those who called Malmo to the carpet - what kind of response do you expect when you ask someone 'what they've done??' Those ridiculous questions would likely never be said to malmo and hodge in person by anybody , only by cowards on a message board.

Those guys odnt certainly need me to defend them. They provide (at least to me) great insight and the occasional great racing story from a great era of running. They deserve more respect.

max power wrote:

As for those who called Malmo to the carpet - what kind of response do you expect when you ask someone 'what they've done??'

I didn't ask what he's done.

My comment was that I've never heard of him.

dunes runner wrote:

I didn't ask what he's done.

My comment was that I've never heard of him.

dunes runner, I believe it was you who was baiting me with the "since you've never done it comment, " to which I gave you a dispassionate answer. And it would be YOU who continues to bait me with your statement, "Contrast 'Guest' with Malmo, who it appears always raced his miles and, in spite of having good speed -- and high mileage -- his greatest accomplishment is being constantly stressed out, a classic symptom of "over training", under recovering, i.e. running too hard every day." Which since you've admitted you don't know me, would be false, wouldn't it?

I've been on the internet for a long time. I've come across many really strange personalities - people who'd I'd never associate with on the street - who seem to want project their sad perspective and background into my words and thoughts. If you'll review this whole thread you'll notice that the entire thing was built on a false premise, and the false premise was argued over and over as proof that the premise is true. In other words, the thread was started with the intent to stir up shit.

You'll also note that there are those on the internet, who for some unknown reason, are simply unable to debate with the facts. They will embellish to no end if it will somehow further their contention. I'm still waiting on the names of your two friends who've "run 170 and 190 a week for two years"? If they exist, surely someone would have heard of them? They'd certainly be legend, wouldn't they? Perhaps you misspoke?

Since you don't know me, let me give you a little about my background and where I come from:

I was a scrappy kid from Maryland, who observed and studied the methods of the best: took notes, tried, applied, died and modified until I codified a winning plan. First, my plan was to be among the best in my neighborhood. When I accomplished that, to be among the best in the county and then what every high school kid dreams of, the best in the State. In college my first goal was to be one of the best in my age-group, then finally among the best in the nation. Then I sought to be among the best nationally in another event, then another...and yet another (and a lot more "yet anothers"). Worked my way up the ladder one rung at a time. Lots of failures along the way, to be sure, but I figured out early on these failures were nothing more than stepping stones to the next level of success. Then one day I came up with this cockamamie idea that I should be the best American EVER. Why not, somebody's got to do it, right? It might as well be me. So I told my coach what I was going to do as I gave him my sweats and went out and did it. If I conned myself into believing I could be the best American ever, why not try to be the best in the world? It could happen. Guess what happened? I came close. Many times.

All because a scrappy kid studied what works - took notes, tried, applied, died, modified and codified.

Guess what would have happened had I sold myself short?

I've been lucky enough to have trained with dozens upon dozens of the best in the country and quite a few of them were among the best in the world at their events. Ninety nine percent of the people who I've trained with could give a damn about you. The difference is, I care. What I'm giving you is an inside look into my world, something you may never be lucky enough to experience on your own. What you do with it is your business.

You might even want to take notes, try, apply, die, modify and codify.

Malmo, I am very new to the board and I am astounded to learn that elite runners come here. Who are you? I'm an immature high school runner who I would say has quite a large amount of "talent", that thing being debated SO heavily on here. I am fairly new to running but I'd like to know more about you.

PS: I'm accustomed the the Dyestat bullshit so this board AMAZES me with the knowledge and credibility of posters.

However, in the seriousness of this thread, you guys need some immature stuff to keep things lively.

> his greatest accomplishment is being constantly stressed out, a classic symptom of "over training", under recovering, i.e. running too hard every day." Which since you've admitted you don't know me, would be false, wouldn't it?

I see your stressed out messages.

> I'm still waiting on the names of your two friends who've "run 170 and 190 a week for two years"?

Another example of one of your stressed out messages.

Your rise through the ranks is admirable.

You appear to be wonderful. A legend of your own kind.

Though I've still never heard of you.

obviously there are no 170 mile week friends. your bullshit hoax post is no different than any other we've seen here. I suppose my message is stressed out too?