I kind of checked out completely for a year, but I did watch Tokyo. It was hard. I sort of feel like I didn't miss out on too much because it seemed like a toned-down Olympic experience. But that’s just me reasoning with myself to try and make it easier.
I just started wondering how hard it would be to get back in shape, but I wasn't seriously thinking about it. But then I was shown a LetsRun thread where someone said they wished I started running again and it sort of became a joke with some friends. It was just a fun experiment, with nothing to lose.
I don't have a contract and if I quit tomorrow, I only did one Instagram post and talked to you. There's not a whole lot on the line. I have some running left in the legs and I am now working from home – that’s a good sponsorship to have.
Does anyone know what messageboard thread he is referring to?
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I kind of checked out completely for a year, but I did watch Tokyo. It was hard. I sort of feel like I didn't miss out on too much because it seemed like a toned-down Olympic experience. But that’s just me reasoning with myself to try and make it easier.
I just started wondering how hard it would be to get back in shape, but I wasn't seriously thinking about it. But then I was shown a LetsRun thread where someone said they wished I started running again and it sort of became a joke with some friends. It was just a fun experiment, with nothing to lose.
I don't have a contract and if I quit tomorrow, I only did one Instagram post and talked to you. There's not a whole lot on the line. I have some running left in the legs and I am now working from home – that’s a good sponsorship to have.
Does anyone know what messageboard thread he is referring to?
The post was made when the news about Evan Jager not going to the OT came out. It said that "I bet Andy Bayer is now sorry bc Evan Jager is hurt and won't go to the OT."
Maybe he also realized that working a real job doesn't mean you can't run 60-90 minutes per day and a bit more on the weekend.
It is always weird to me when people stop running because they have to work after losing a contract. You can do both.
When you're a professional, you're competing against athletes that can literally dedicate all day to training, recovery, and getting into other right mental space. They are not beholden to any other schedule, excluding family.
Even if they're only running 60-90 mins a day, they have extra hours for gym work, physical therapy, attending to nutrition, and even just relaxing. Even if that is only worth a 1% performance boost, it can make the difference between elite and sub-elite.
There's a reason "student-athletes" at P5 schools get to take joke classes.
Maybe he also realized that working a real job doesn't mean you can't run 60-90 minutes per day and a bit more on the weekend.
It is always weird to me when people stop running because they have to work after losing a contract. You can do both.
You obviously can, but running twice a day on top of a full-time job is a big commitment. And by age 25 you've pretty much maxed out your potential, and further training has diminishing rewards.
Maybe he also realized that working a real job doesn't mean you can't run 60-90 minutes per day and a bit more on the weekend.
It is always weird to me when people stop running because they have to work after losing a contract. You can do both.
When you're a professional, you're competing against athletes that can literally dedicate all day to training, recovery, and getting into other right mental space. They are not beholden to any other schedule, excluding family.
Even if they're only running 60-90 mins a day, they have extra hours for gym work, physical therapy, attending to nutrition, and even just relaxing. Even if that is only worth a 1% performance boost, it can make the difference between elite and sub-elite.
There's a reason "student-athletes" at P5 schools get to take joke classes.
Some athletes believe that having a full time job in a field they're invested in really helps their mental health. If everything in your life revolves around your running and how good your last workout was, will you be good enough to land the next contract etc it can really do a number on your brain. We have plenty of examples of guys back in the day running 100+ miles a week with a full time job plus a family and competing at a very high level. It can be done and done well. It always pains me when talented athletes retire once they feel they've aged out of their event as well, rather than move up they just call it a career.
Some athletes believe that having a full time job in a field they're invested in really helps their mental health. If everything in your life revolves around your running and how good your last workout was, will you be good enough to land the next contract etc it can really do a number on your brain. We have plenty of examples of guys back in the day running 100+ miles a week with a full time job plus a family and competing at a very high level. It can be done and done well. It always pains me when talented athletes retire once they feel they've aged out of their event as well, rather than move up they just call it a career.
Over forty years ago, Marty Liquori and John Parker wrote a superb book called "Marty Liquori's Guide for the Elite Runner: In the first chapter ("The Decision"), they had this to say:
"The decision to undergo serious training should never be taken lightly. No one knows better than those who have been at the top of the heap. For them, the aching questions 'One more race? One more season?' are not in the least rhetorical.
"A commitment to serious training means that no matter what else you are in this world -- doctor, lawyer, Indian chief -- first of all you are a runner. If you are unable to live up to that standard, your running is not truly 'serious' and you can expect your race results to show it."
I don't know much about Andy Bayer. But I have read that, as an undergraduate, he was a pre-med student with excellent grades, he spent many years after college as an outstanding runner who accomplished much, he is now almost 33 years old with a wife who is an elementary school art teacher and two children (foster or adopted -- I've seen both terms used), and he has quite recently started a career in the software field, which required a substantial period of 9:00 to 5:00 training and evening homework before he could be productive at his new job.
Yes, "back in the day," many of us ran 100+ miles a week, some with families, and others with brutal work hours. And some of us, with rather limited talent, ran some good races during those times. But was it worth it? For some, probably yes; for others, undoubtedly no.
I remember another bright young runner, Dan Lincoln, who may quite possibly have been the most talented steeplechaser in U.S. history. At the height of his career, having just broken Henry Marsh's 21-year-old American record, he retired to focus his attention on medical school. Does he regret that decision? I don't know. I can't imagine that he spends much time thinking about it. Which seems right. And whichever way Andy Bayer chooses to go, he sounds like a sensible person with a good attitude who will do just fine.
Maybe he also realized that working a real job doesn't mean you can't run 60-90 minutes per day and a bit more on the weekend.
It is always weird to me when people stop running because they have to work after losing a contract. You can do both.
When you're a professional, you're competing against athletes that can literally dedicate all day to training, recovery, and getting into other right mental space. They are not beholden to any other schedule, excluding family.
Even if they're only running 60-90 mins a day, they have extra hours for gym work, physical therapy, attending to nutrition, and even just relaxing. Even if that is only worth a 1% performance boost, it can make the difference between elite and sub-elite.
There's a reason "student-athletes" at P5 schools get to take joke classes.
The reason they take joke classes is because (at good schools) they are only admitted because of their sport and are often the worst student in all their class. Though this is more the case in the big money sports.
If the football/basketball players didn’t take joke classes, very few would be academically eligible
Maybe he also realized that working a real job doesn't mean you can't run 60-90 minutes per day and a bit more on the weekend.
It is always weird to me when people stop running because they have to work after losing a contract. You can do both.
Easy to say this when you’re not elite. It’s insanely difficult and anyone who can pull off working and OTQ in any event has my full respect. It’s not easy at all.
When you're a professional, you're competing against athletes that can literally dedicate all day to training, recovery, and getting into other right mental space. They are not beholden to any other schedule, excluding family.
Even if they're only running 60-90 mins a day, they have extra hours for gym work, physical therapy, attending to nutrition, and even just relaxing. Even if that is only worth a 1% performance boost, it can make the difference between elite and sub-elite.
There's a reason "student-athletes" at P5 schools get to take joke classes.
The reason they take joke classes is because (at good schools) they are only admitted because of their sport and are often the worst student in all their class. Though this is more the case in the big money sports.
If the football/basketball players didn’t take joke classes, very few would be academically eligible
More than a few distance guys at D1P5 schools are really preferred walk-ons with academic scholarships, often in engineering. They are not taking joke classes.
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