To paraphrase Geb and Bekele, Hall needs to work on his speed. His 3:42 and >4:00 just won't cut it anymore.
To paraphrase Geb and Bekele, Hall needs to work on his speed. His 3:42 and >4:00 just won't cut it anymore.
When was the last time a performance of Hall's could be called "tough". That's the difference between him and Ritz. Hall is weak. Ritz is "unbelievably tough". That is why Beijing turned out the way it did and, mark my words, Ritz will come out on top in the end
Jung Campbell wrote:
The thing that is really sad about Ryan Hall is that he reminds us of our own failures. Ryan is the best we have and if he can't win a major race how will we? His failures hit a chord with our internal ego, and it is devestating.
Everytime I see him race I have flashbacks to my own races, my own dissapointments. Failures like PRing by 20 seconds in the 5k and still getting blasted in the last lap by some kid from Eldorett or any other time we compete to the max of our ability and still get manhandled. Ryan is far more talented than me and watching him fail is the most devestating thing to ever happen to my running psych. Everytime he loses we wonder why we run. This supertalent, this Highschool and NCAA all star who blows the rest of us away at the trials and has every advantage an American can have is easily put away by some hut dwelling corn eating teen from Iten.
So to you who wonder why we are obsessed with Ryan Hall, maybe you should wonder why you aren't. He symbolizes the best any of us can do at this point.
Utter Crap. Ryan Hall has not failed anything.
I like that!
Hodgie-san wrote:
Utter Crap. Ryan Hall has not failed anything.
He has failed to improve. Why is he getting slower? Something isn't right with him and hasn't been for a while.
Jung Campbell wrote:
So to you who wonder why we are obsessed with Ryan Hall, maybe you should wonder why you aren't. He symbolizes the best any of us can do at this point.
Maybe, but athletes like Gebrselassie, Tergat, Bekele, and the likes have come to symbolize the best any of us can do at this point. The really cool thing about running, and distance running in particular, is that it is a more global sport than any other at the moment (even soccer). It's a sport where a complete nobody can start late and, with a lot of hard work and dedication, can potentially become Olympic champion. In almost no other sport is this possible. I like that it's not a sport of privilege where the kid with the most money and toys doesn't always win. The African dynamic really adds to the success of the sport. They've done what all have previously thought was impossible. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of Hall, but it's equally exciting to watch the hut dwelling, corn eating nobodies out there who, otherwise, wouldn't have a chance.
Hmmm yes, but why oh why is running such a middle class sport in rich countries?????
cabana wrote:
Hodgie-san wrote:Utter Crap. Ryan Hall has not failed anything.
He has failed to improve. Why is he getting slower? Something isn't right with him and hasn't been for a while.
Peaks & Valleys. If you think he is a failure I feel sorry for you.
cabana wrote:
Hmmm yes, but why oh why is running such a middle class sport in rich countries?????
Not sure, but I can say that the more affluent folks around my area focus on 3 sports: Cycling, Tri, and Skiing. If it doesn't have some gadget associated with it, they're not doing it.
Jung Campbell wrote:
The thing that is really sad about Ryan Hall is that he reminds us of our own failures. Ryan is the best we have and if he can't win a major race how will we? His failures hit a chord with our internal ego, and it is devestating.
Everytime I see him race I have flashbacks to my own races, my own dissapointments. Failures like PRing by 20 seconds in the 5k and still getting blasted in the last lap by some kid from Eldorett or any other time we compete to the max of our ability and still get manhandled. Ryan is far more talented than me and watching him fail is the most devestating thing to ever happen to my running psych. Everytime he loses we wonder why we run. This supertalent, this Highschool and NCAA all star who blows the rest of us away at the trials and has every advantage an American can have is easily put away by some hut dwelling corn eating teen from Iten.
So to you who wonder why we are obsessed with Ryan Hall, maybe you should wonder why you aren't. He symbolizes the best any of us can do at this point.
Speak for yourself
Africans!!!! I get passed by people walking their dog.
like I give a f*** that Ryan Hall can't win beat Africans
""This supertalent, this Highschool and NCAA all star who blows the rest of us away at the trials and has every advantage an American can have is easily put away by some hut dwelling corn eating teen from Iten"" ...
Are u f***ing kiding me, I hope someone kick ur nuts to make you take back your comments.
Hodgie-san wrote:
cabana wrote:He has failed to improve. Why is he getting slower? Something isn't right with him and hasn't been for a while.
Peaks & Valleys. If you think he is a failure I feel sorry for you.
Stop being so sensitive. Hall has failed. Everyone has failures - including Bekele. He failed to medal in the Beijing olympics (I'm sure this was his goal going into the race). He failed to win Boston. He failed to race Chicago. In fact, I think the only people never to fail are those that have no goals. Failure happens - it is how we rebound from it and what we learn from it that matters. I think Hall is a loon but that is completely besides the point. Peak and valleys, of course. But I don't care who I am talking about, I don't need to be so pc - we can also call them successes and failures.
Reminds me of an Attorney who represents himself: "Has a Fool for a Client"!?!
I have to admit, I was trolling. I never expected such a response. I am laughing right now. Come on, no one is that dramatic about pro running. HA Ha. This whole web site is just too easy to manipulate. Just use one or two rhetorical strategies and the whole site goes into an uproar. Ha, thank you letsrun for making my day.
I mean, come on, "internal ego" being "devestated". Ha ha.
Jung Campbell wrote:
The thing that is really sad about Ryan Hall is that he reminds us of our own failures. Ryan is the best we have and if he can't win a major race how will we? His failures hit a chord with our internal ego, and it is devestating.
So to you who wonder why we are obsessed with Ryan Hall, maybe you should wonder why you aren't. He symbolizes the best any of us can do at this point.
This is kind of a romantic post, but there are assertions made here that are just not true. Hall is NOT the best we have and hasn't been since London 2008. Ritz beat him in the Olympics, is every bit as talented as Hall and has the better future at the marathon. In other distances, Lagat, Solinsky, Wheating, Manzano and even Rupp are better medal prospects, as well several women 1500 runners.
Sell to coach Half?
Jung Campbell wrote:
I have to admit, I was trolling. I never expected such a response. I am laughing right now. Come on, no one is that dramatic about pro running. HA Ha. This whole web site is just too easy to manipulate. Just use one or two rhetorical strategies and the whole site goes into an uproar. Ha, thank you letsrun for making my day.
I mean, come on, "internal ego" being "devestated". Ha ha.
Like I said Jung, utter crap, and a Letsrunemdown quote of the day to boot.
Quantguy wrote:
Hodgie-san wrote:Peaks & Valleys. If you think he is a failure I feel sorry for you.
Stop being so sensitive. Hall has failed. Everyone has failures - including Bekele. He failed to medal in the Beijing olympics (I'm sure this was his goal going into the race). He failed to win Boston. He failed to race Chicago. In fact, I think the only people never to fail are those that have no goals. Failure happens - it is how we rebound from it and what we learn from it that matters. I think Hall is a loon but that is completely besides the point. Peak and valleys, of course. But I don't care who I am talking about, I don't need to be so pc - we can also call them successes and failures.
Not sesitive, more like astonished.
if jesus was even a real person, you still have to explain why the majority of jews living in and around jerusalem at the time were utterly unconvinced that he was the messiah they'd been faithfully awaiting for millennia. it was only until the myth made its way out to the gentiles (and away from most eye-witnesses) that jesus' cultists could find people gullible enough to believe it en masse
I believe Frank Shorter (another notable US marathoner in his day, being he was Olympic Champ and all) was self-coached post-collegiately. It's not the end of the world that Hall wants to control his own destiny.