Ryan Hall new AR 57:54

I think he left the mile as his primary event when he left high school. I don't think he competed well in the 1500m in college, did he? I agree though that he should be a 10,000m runner, and maybe do HM's and 20 - 25k's in the fall and winter. It'll make him stronger for the track season. I foresee Hall, Ritz, and Torres as the top 3 finishers in the '08 OT 10000m.

I think he ran some low 4s on 4xmile relays and a 3:43 and change 1500m in college. Before his 5k breakout, he ran mid-7:50s for 3k.

Coach who? wrote:

Hudson and Mahone[sic] have been the two most criticized coaches in the US, and for good reason.

What is your "good reason"?

I'm with Malmo-I'm interested to know the answer to that one. Didn't Alberto just go on record as saying his Distance Project didn't really work out all that well?

All Ritz has done since he's been with Hudson is stay injury-free for the last year (something he hasn't done since high school, I beleive), run a 10,000 PR and produce a monster performance in the half-marathon.

Boy, Hudson should be shot!

Maybe he hasn't had stress fracture type injuries, but I don't think he's been injury free. Ritz experts want to weigh in here?

Zat0pek wrote:

All Ritz has done since he's been with Hudson is stay injury-free for the last year (something he hasn't done since high school, I beleive), run a 10,000 PR and produce a monster performance in the half-marathon.

Boy, Hudson should be shot!

erfan wrote:

Maybe he hasn't had stress fracture type injuries, but I don't think he's been injury free. Ritz experts want to weigh in here?

I am definitely not a "Ritz expert" (nor do I want to be), but iirc, Ritz's injury last summer was a freak thing that happened when playing with his dog. I'm sure many of the resident experts will find a way to pin that on Hudson, but in the realm of the rational, Hudson's in the clear there.

erfan wrote:Maybe he hasn't had stress fracture type injuries, but I don't think he's been injury free. Ritz experts want to weigh in here?

Again no Ritz expert but the last reported down time he's had that I've seen in when he had pneumonia last winter during the World Cross Trials. Hardly Hudson's "fault".

I don't understand (and don't want to understand) the HudsonHaters and I have no real opinion of the guy's coaching ability. All I know is that there have been no reported training-related injuries since he's been with Hudson, he's popped the fastest time he's ever run at 10,000 under Hudson, he's bombed a huge half-marathon performance under Hudson, and he's publicly been very upbeat about Hudson and their approach.

Yeah, big reasons to bag on Hudson there.

Oh, I can't WAIT to hear the trolls tear into Hudson if Ritz underperforms (in their estimation) or even (GASP!) DNFs in NY.

Over the last two years with Hudson, Ritz has PRed in the two mile, 3K, 5k, 10k, won two national championships (12K X-C and 10K on the roads), run a great half-marathon, and not had a running injury.

Zat0pek wrote:

All Ritz has done since he's been with Hudson is stay injury-free for the last year (something he hasn't done since high school, I beleive), run a 10,000 PR and produce a monster performance in the half-marathon.

Boy, Hudson should be shot!

Ritz has a stress fracture of the third metatarsal complicated by a subcutaneous contusion of the tibia-patellar articulation. I read it on the Internet.

Got a link? Not questioning it, just interested to see it.

drewr wrote:

I'm with Malmo-I'm interested to know the answer to that one. Didn't Alberto just go on record as saying his Distance Project didn't really work out all that well?

"The Oregon Project's initial goal was focused on helping top U.S. distance runners by utilizing the tools and training necessary to run the 26.2-mile distance faster than 2 hours, 10 minutes -- the benchmark of a world-class performance. The world record, held by Kenyan Paul Tergat, is 2:04:55.

Salazar didn't get the results he was looking for with the original group of runners, who lived in a hermetically sealed five-bedroom bungalow in Northwest Portland and used altitude simulation equipment, among other things, to boost their training.

"Other than Dan Browne running well at the marathon distance, (the Oregon Project) was not successful," Salazar said. "Either I wasn't good enough as a coach or we didn't have the right guys."

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1159599357203200.xml&coll=7

Sheez, who recruited those guys if not Salazar?

hardset nipples wrote:

Sheez, who recruited those guys if not Salazar?

Salazar's reputation is one of a looney on Prozac. Salazar doesn't recruit anyone - Nike's money does. Without Nike's lure of payola no one would go near Salazar.

The Oregonian wrote:

"Other than Dan Browne running well at the marathon distance, (the Oregon Project) was not successful," Salazar said. "Either I wasn't good enough as a coach or we didn't have the right guys."

Browne ran 13:16 and 27:42. To say he was a success at the marathon with a 2:11:35 PR is a gross exaggeration.

Sure, but from Salazar's quote, it seems like he thought that he was working with inadequate talent for the aims of the program. If he honestly feels that way, then why didn't he go out to (or have Nike) get better talent? Nothing like an ego so big that it is always looking to deflect responsibility for failure.

erfan wrote:

Maybe he hasn't had stress fracture type injuries, but I don't think he's been injury free. Ritz experts want to weigh in here?

Not even. The dog story was a smokescreen, there have been leaks from that camp since the story broke that put it to rest. At least his former coach showed integrity.