Ryan Hall's Comments on Jacksonville

sounds exactly what Webb told TFN (this month's issue) about his Millrose flop. Had a certain pace in mind, things didn't work out, then lost momentum...

That proves it.... the half marathon was on a short course. ;-)

What it proves is that even the best runners we have in the USA are ignorant when it comes to pacing properly for a race. It is pretty obvious that Hall should not have gone out faster than 4:38-4:40 the first mile if he wanted a shot at the record. When our best runners learn how to pace themselves properly (as Hall did in the half) they will run great times more consistently.

he lost a race...why is he worried about time....he should go out to win it and set the record...seems like he only had the record in mind and not running to win if the record was out of sight. With that mind set he sets himself up for more disappointments.

To run 42 flat, his 5k splits should be 14:15, 14:00 and 13:45. To just take off at 14:00 pace and hope you can hold it the whole race will always result in disappointment.

"I prayed about it this morning," said Keflezighi, who has won the River Run in six of the past seven years, the exception being 2005, when he didn't compete. "I wanted to win this one so people wouldn't ask me each year if I thought I could set the record [of six wins] this time. I asked God to help me get this off my shoulders."

Another example of God being asked to pick the winner in a sports event. No wonder He doesn't have time to deal with real problems.

Do you think that Ryan asked God to help him get Todd's record? If so, do you think that God just decided that it was more important that Meb break Todd's record of five wins? Suppose Todd had asked God to keep both of his records intact. Would God have given the win to that guy who ended up in third? Einstein said that he refused to believe that God plays dice with the universe, but how else would God choose the winner?

Exactly.......He set himself up for disappointment.

The worst thing Hall could do is to think that he has to 'hit it out of the park', every race now. To win and set a record and live up to his 1/2 marathon in Houston. If he does that, he is finished. He needs to just relax and treat each race as a 'new and separate challenge' and forget about Houston.

Ryan ask God to help him set the record just a few minutes after God had promised a win to Meb. God could not go back on his word. Ryan was upset that he could not get ahold of God the night before, but God was not taking calls while preparing information to decide who to help during the NCAA basketball tourney.

I agree. It looks like he just talked himself out of trying once he knew he wasn't on the right pace. Obviously the weather was going to hinder them in some way, but he could have reassessed his goal. He just cracked under pressure.

That must have been one heck of a prayer that Williams made to set the record which has held up this well.

his wasn't a prayer to God

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

I agree. It looks like he just talked himself out of trying once he knew he wasn't on the right pace. Obviously the weather was going to hinder them in some way, but he could have reassessed his goal. He just cracked under pressure.

He didn't "crack under pressure", he went out TOO FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After you do that, you are physically incapable of running any faster.

Comments like that show the ignorance of runners and why they are incapable of understanding proper pacing.

probably a bit true. the second mile over the bridge should have been, in my opinion, about 5-6 seconds slower and things would have been so much better (at least for me :) the next few miles. they probably still wouldn't have made TW's rec but would have held it longer. that said, it's always 20-20 from this perspective so i can't criticize. oh, and "avo's #", is there gaucamole in your brain? me thinks so.dude-

rippy cripple wrote:

He didn't "crack under pressure", he went out TOO FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After you do that, you are physically incapable of running any faster.

Comments like that show the ignorance of runners and why they are incapable of understanding proper pacing.

I don't mean to throw a wet blanket on everyone's hopes for Hall, but I truly believe Hall caught lightning in a bottle at Houston and that it was a career race for him.

I meant the pressure that he put on himself, caused by the physical exhaustion brought on by starting out too fast. There are both mental and physical aspects to racing.

positivity wrote:

I don't mean to throw a wet blanket on everyone's hopes for Hall, but I truly believe Hall caught lightning in a bottle at Houston and that it was a career race for him.

lightning in a bottle?

NO such thing in running

59.43 not in top shape, 44 for 15k getting fitter.

Interesting.

1) I suspect that Hall, who isn't known as a hot-weather runner, underestimated the heat factor. I don't know excactly how hot it was, but 10-15 seconds a mlie can get sucked up by even temps in the upper 60's-70's, depending on humidity and individual acclimatization (Meb is excellent in the heat- see Athens)

2) I don't have his stats, but Hall seems to be extremely up-and-down, running incredible one race, then flat or even tanking the next, ever since high school. He seemed to pull it together a bit at the end of this one (it's no shame to finish 2nd to Meb), but I would be surprised to see him ever string three solid races together.