Tim Broe Update

Right on Alan S and others,

The trouble with Sammy, et al, is that they have no conception of what it means to wish others well. In other sports, the fans idolize the athletes and wish they could be like them. In our sport, all too often the "fans" bash the sh*t out of the elites for what they regard as poor decisions or poor performances, when in reality they have no experience with similar circumstances.

Sammy, I respect your willingness to own up to your puerile phrasing about "road whores," etc., and I'm sure we would be great friends if we knew each other, but how can you possibly say that it is always better, under any and all circumstances, to run a 4k world cross race rather than an 8k US Championship race? If both races fall between indoor and outdoor seasons, and you most want to stay in the country and train for outdoors, why not run the 8k? Believe me, Tim does not suffer from a lack of patriotism. And if Tim makes a choice that he believes will contribute to his later performances, why does that undermine his patriotism? If it had turned out that he was running well right now, no one would care whether he had decided to run 8k rather than 4k in March.

Tim's decision to run the 8k championships was based almost entirely on the type of training he was doing at the time. He decided not to run world cross before he even knew about the 8k road race. The money was just gravy.

You can back-seat drive as viciously as you want, but the bottom line is that Tim Broe is as worthy of our respect as any American distance runner currently competing. When he has a less-than-stellar couple of months and decides to bag it and regroup for next year, the last thing he needs to hear is that his fans think he's a jerk off. He's a badass, and he'll be back.

There are no idiots here. This is just a fun and exciting sport just like any other.....Barry Bonds early last year was on great pace to hit 70+ homers any sports person in there right mind would say...wow if he keeps this up he can do so and so or whatever. Just like yourself, if you see great progress, of course your going to make realistic attainable goals. Every now and then as track fans we just get excited about the great TRACK&FIELD Athletes around the world. Hope this is clear. Peace

My final comment;

Really I'm not dissing totally on Tim Broe - I really do think he is a class athlete and could well go on to run 7.30 and 13.05 - I really hope so. I watched him win that 8k in Central Park and he looked awesome.

My point that I am trying to make - (obviously badly since no-one seems to think me more than a Tim Broe hater which is far removed from the case ) is this:

1. Look at the top African / European and USA stars in the past who peaked in Europe and at the big meets in the summer - I'm talking the Salah Hissous, Paul Tergets, Khalid Skahs, Boulamis, Chelimos, through the UK runners of the 70's /80's when they ran well Eamon Martin's, Tim Hutchings etc. right down to the Bill Rogers, Salazars, Virgins etc - they recognised that World Cross was both a pinacle for winter training and also a breeding ground for the psyche required to compete effectively and competitvely come the summer months on the track.

2. If and I know its hypothetical but if Broe had run the World Cross 4k and come say - 6th (well within his capabilities at the time) USA would have medaled. Broe would have put his name on the map internationally and most importantly of all he would have established in his mindset without any shadow of a doubt that he could compete on equal footing with these African etc. who have already run sub 13 min and sub 8.05 steeples. I don't have to have run those times myself to know that you can extrapolate them down - if I beat a guy over 4k cross who'd run 13.50 and my best was 14.10 - who'd be damn right I go into the summer thinking 13.50 was not just a goal but a definite possiblity! Why not the same for Tim? Sure he ran superbly in the 8k champs but what did it really tell him that he didn't already know ? By the way I dispute whoever it was above that claimed 8k was more in keeping with the training he was doing than 4k cross.

3. Finally like I said before - I apologise if this has come across as anti- Broe - Also I'm sorry if it looks like I'm bringing up old redundant issues but what I'm trying to get across is the symbolism and ethics of what I think a winter campaign should consist of and more importantly what history has shown us (more often than not) will lead to a good summer which after all isn't what we all want for US track and field and especially Tim?

Tim is a young runner who is still learning what he can and cannot do. It is not unusual for a young runner like Tim to have a bit of a lull after the great indoor season he had. He is a tough runner and will be back. Maybe a couple of road runs will help him to get his confidence back.

The mark of a great runner is what they can do on the track. Tim will be a great track runner.

The world 4k cross is a joke.

Those guys didn't prepare for the track running some B race at world cross.

Dose anyone know how Tim did today at the bix?

please expand who you are referring to as those guys?

Man, y'all complain that Africans are sweeping the top ten at all the road races, yet when someone good runs one, they're a road whore.

Salazar, Virgin and Lindsey weren't road whores when they trashed the world at Falmouth and countless other races, were they? You can't have it both ways.

I'd like to see a few more of the best Americans on the road. Both can be done. Meb is doing a decent job of combining it. Todd Williams had a few great 15ks and 1/2 marathons in his heyday.

I'd best just as happy seeing a Culpepper or someone get third at Peachtree in 27:50 as running the same time on the track in Europe.