i would wait to make this comment until ritzenhein spends a year in eugene. ritzenhein was good on the world scene before he moved to high altitude. now he's moving back to sea level. let the good times roll.
i would wait to make this comment until ritzenhein spends a year in eugene. ritzenhein was good on the world scene before he moved to high altitude. now he's moving back to sea level. let the good times roll.
1) Boulder is not "high altitude"
2) He was good on the world scene after that move, remember World Cross his freshman year?
Ritz will not win, but I am happy he is racing, and I hope he can put together a good year of training.
You're right, Ritz ran for 3rd his freshman year of college - not his senior year of high school. But I think 5400 feet is considered high enough altitude to be receiving the effects of altitude traiing- otherwise why else would they be there? I know it isn't like what Bekele trains at(7000+ feet), but it's still altitude training, and obviously his body doesn't handle it as well as it does sea level.
When was the last time Ritzenhein ran a 3000m race? I wonder what paces he uses when doing interval work? 7:50 3k pace?
irun wrote:
You're right, Ritz ran for 3rd his freshman year of college - not his senior year of high school. But I think 5400 feet is considered high enough altitude to be receiving the effects of altitude traiing- otherwise why else would they be there? I know it isn't like what Bekele trains at(7000+ feet), but it's still altitude training, and obviously his body doesn't handle it as well as it does sea level.
Do you really think that elevation change is the only change between his high school and collegiate/post-collegiate career to this point? As to why "they" are there, Ritz and the Torri ran in college there and liked to train there, simple as that. Ritz ran the long course as a freshman in college, but he was not 3rd.
irun wrote:
You're right, Ritz ran for 3rd his freshman year of college - not his senior year of high school.
No. Ritz got 3rd in World Cross as a senior in HS, March 2001.
We are referring to when Ritzenhein ran the Junior race at World XC - 8k - he was 3rd behind Bekele.
As far as the only change to his training being altitude, obviously other major influences in his training have been increases in mileage and intensity of workouts, and who knows what else, but the influence of altitude is always there, and after a long time, I can see how it could be too much for his body to handle and some part would break down. And yes, Ritz did like to train there, but obviously he is moving because he doesn't like what is happening to his body. Or do you think the coaching(i.e. Wetmore & Hudson) has more to do with his physiological handicaps than the training at altitude for so long does?
oh yeah you're right - and i was right until i changed my mind. ritzenhein was born dec 30th, 1982 so the spring of 2001 would make him 18, this still being in high school. so yeah, before Ritzenhein moved up to altitude, he was running really well - and he did run a couple of races well in college - the nationals he won and setting the 10k collegiate record. but still, they must know something is up if they feel the need to move to sea level. i'm sure we don't know the whole picture.
this is just a side thought-
imagine being dathan ritzenhein and kate toedbusch's son/daughter and being raised in eugene, oregon. do you think you would ever have a desire to go out for the xc team?
monkey runner wrote:
At the other end you have Ritz with enormous natural talent
Not to bust on Ritz who does have excellent potential in the marathon and hopefully will get there, but compared to other runners on the world scene he does not have enormous natural talent. He ran 13:45 for 5000 in HS, which is great for an American but they're are plenty of Kenyans who were running 20 seconds faster at the same age and a few who just a year older were running 45 seconds faster. His top speed is simply inadequate to compete in the 5/10 against the likes of Mottram.
Nope.
irun wrote:
do you think you would ever have a desire to go out for the xc team?
So? He still had success at that meet after that race, which was the point that refuted the claim that his move to altitude took away all success on the world level.
On the other issue, it seems obvious that it's multi-faceted, that if he moves to Oregon and keeps doing what he's been doing then he'll probably end up in the same hole eventually. His training certainly plays a role, but I don't know how much is due to the coaching (in college and out of college) and how much is due to things he needs to address on his own (diet, rest and recovery, paces for recovery, physical therapy, core training), just that each could have a varying amount of impact depending on the other individuals involved.