Before you jump all over me, I too hate the current state that runners world is in. However, latest issue has a brief article/interview with Alan Webb, figured at least that would be worth the four bucks. Pretty much a fluff piece though. Wonder if I can get my money back???
Let's see, in the last 12 months how many elite runners were on the cover of RW?
How many females in makeup posing for the cover?
I remember when race shots were used for the cover.
That was back when 16 out of the top 20 in Boston were from the US and their times were sub 2:19.
Women models on the cover, slow marathon times, don't run 100+miles per week, don't train too hard, Gallowalk. Is this what it's come to????
Cip wrote:
Women models on the cover, slow marathon times, don't run 100+miles per week, don't train too hard, Gallowalk. Is this what it's come to????
Yep. RW has made a complete mockery of the sport. What a sham. At one time, the mag actually covered elite runners. Now, the cover is always a model jogging on the beach with a headline somewhere along the lines of "Lose 10 Pounds Now!" or "Finish your first 5k with our easy plan!" or "Our 5 millionth shoe review." All this is worthless. They made a guy (the penguin) famous because he tells the world how cool it is to suck at running. They took a former Olympian and gave him the stage to lie to the masses about the best way to run a marathon (Gallowalking, of course!) That publication does more to harm the sport of competitive distance running than any other. A total joke. Actually, I wish it was just a joke. Too many people take it seriously, and it's killing the sport.
FASTERTHANU wrote:
Before you jump all over me, I too hate the current state that runners world is in. However, latest issue has a brief article/interview with Alan Webb, figured at least that would be worth the four bucks. Pretty much a fluff piece though. Wonder if I can get my money back???
It was probably a fluff piece because the publishers were oh so hoping that Webb would tell them that Gallowalking and sniffing cinnomon is the key to his success. I'm sure he refused to tell them that, so they did a fluff piece.
Cip wrote:
Is this what it's come to????
Well, yeah.
So if RW went out of business tomorrow, the US would immediately start producing world class runners (aside from the few we already do)?
1) how many HS kids read RW?
1A) How many HS kids can read at all?
2) Despite the growth in Galloway's program, US distance running is on the rise. Many people here tout the up and coming runners. Over the past few years, the US has produced Deena, Marla, Meb, Abdi (both of whom came here young so they developed in the US system). Webb breaks 4 as a HS (making 25% of the people who have done that in the US since RW changed its perspective).
Stop blaming a magazine with an adult audience. Tiger Beat has about as much to do with it or maybe a lack of work ethic in so many people (that started long before RW changed its tune).
It must feel good to blame a magazine rather than more complex factors like more sports opportunities (how many middle distance runners are playing god awful soccer rather than running track or XC?), wealth and a cushy life, sports that offer the dreams of millions (although the types that would succeed at distance running might only be able to make money in soccer, golf or tennis (at least in the good old days when there were more than 3 shots in a point). Blame poor coaching and coaching education. I asked previously about coaching education opportunities. Stumped a lot of people. Other sports educate their coaches at all levels, track and field seems to be like the Masons on this one.
The problem is that most of the bad coaches out there look to RW and RWOL for workout schedules. God forbid they should hit the local Barnes and Noble, buy a Martin/Coe or Pfitzinger/Douglas book and attempt to learn something.
They see, "Run Your Best 5K: The Perfect 15 Mile a Week Plan" and figure since it's in RW it must be legit. Then they think, "Hmmm...if 15 miles per week is good for 5K, I'll cut the workouts in half and that should work for my milers."
I read that last week:
As I recall,
It states that Alan weighed 150lbs last year?
It also talks about his chinese "courage" tattoo - you mean that lame-ass thing is permanent?
It also talks about how he doesn't have a life and has to resort to 5-6 hour of training sometimes during one day.
Also, he plays the guitar and likes Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay.
Ok, I have something to say here...
(poof - I lost the will to type)
No if it ceased to exist tomorrow there would not be a dirth of international class runners. We just think RW sucks for anything other than fodder for the gallowalking masses.
Alright, I agree with the gripes about the models w/ makeup on the cover, and the March cover with Will Farrell and his jiggly beer belly made me want to barf- however- there are a few good articles in it... March's article about physical therapy was pretty helpful to me, and at least they are acknowledging Alan Webb- it wasn't a complete fluff piece. You have to realize that this magazine is catering to the general public, more like the weekend warriors than the seasoned, hard core runners. At least it motivates some people to get out there and sweat, albeit a little bit with walking every few minutes. At least these people are doing something besides sitting at home being couch potatoes. If you want a magazine with elite racing reports and photos of elite runners on the cover, buy track and field news or a magazine like that.
[quote]luv2run wrote:
So if RW went out of business tomorrow, the US would immediately start producing world class runners (aside from the few we already do)?
1) how many HS kids read RW?
1A) How many HS kids can read at all?
quote]
Luv2run- My entire team pretty much considers RW the bible which is sad as hell. Ive read Once A runner, and Running with the Buffaloes a gillion times over and am a disciple to high mileage, and just pretty much simply training your ass off. My teammates on the other hand? If I told them tomorrow that RW said to take walk breaks during a XC race to improve you times, I guarantee atleast 75% of them would do it.
if they are doing the plan thatr is in the runnersworld guildelines....yeh id have to say that talking wealk breaks would help...at least theyd be able to sprint all out and reccover and then do it again...versus dragging complete ass for 5000 meters
OK, Runner's World bashing has heated up again. Just curious if there are any magazines you do support. I agree that Runner's World has sold out to the masses (after all, its all about $$$ profit). I prefer Running Times myself, mainly because I am a big believer in Pfitzinger's training plans. His plans are anything but "Gallowalking". Road Racing for Serious Runners and Advanced Marathoning are excellent.
track and field news...they ummm....attempt to display the peak..the pinnacle...the point? of running...running times has a good race results category and does decent reviews of things like foot locker.
to answer your question:
it's not that runner's world is the cause, it is merely an affirmation of the "me-first, quick-fix" attitude of the distance running scene. don't confuse cause and effect; an effect of american general lack of effort has been the rise of a magazine that applauds that lack of effort and achievement.
rather than reward those who make years of sacrifices with a cover shot, they let some 5:20 marathon model, who walked it so she could claim she was a runner, run on a beach.
they then turn that around into the quick fix weight loss plan, using "runner's world" as the hook; because people see the exercise and the benefit, they think they will magically lose their beer belly just by reading the magazine.
and you're right, it IS "in spite of" gallowalking that US distance running is on the rise. the sport--sport is not taking walk-breaks so you can minimize sweat stains and pain--owes NOTHING to that sell-out.
i met the editors of runner's world in 1996 at the olympic trials where i was a recent HS graduate, looking for inspiration. those guys sat there and joked about how the hotels sucked (that they stayed in on the subscribers' dollar) and that they were going to "nap during the marathon." needless to say, i have not bought another magazine since.
you want running: go outside. that magazine is better of for wiping your ass, except that the glossy cover chick is non-absorbent.
greg
Right on, Greg. But, even though RW & Galloway are results of the "me first, quick fix" trend that started beforehand, they do further feed the trend. It's a vicious circle, I tell ya.
did you guys see this? 67 MINUTES IT TOOK HER!! and they wrote a story about it? and i thought the will ferrell thing was pathetic....
funniest RW ever wrote:
did you guys see this? 67 MINUTES IT TOOK HER!! and they wrote a story about it? and i thought the will ferrell thing was pathetic....
Haven't you heard? If you want to gain some RW "fame", you have to run really slow. I have an idea...maybe in my next race, I'll actually take a nap at each mile. Call it Gallow-napping. I'll finish the 10K in about 4 hours, and then maybe RW will even give me a job as a columnist. I can see the cover now: Generic Poster: How He Gallow-napped to a 4 hour 10k- and how you can do it, too!
And if you want to get your letter published in RW, you must use key phrases such as:
"I cried when I read...."
"Your story on xx moved me to tears..."
If a guy writes that, he's almost guaranteed of being published.
or
"I was so motivated by reading the Penguin's column that I immediately snarf down another box of Krispy Kremes although I thought I had eaten all I could."