\"First thing to note, is I was a \"B\" standard guy this year, I was ready to run about a 2:17-2:18 that day, got sick about mile 12, blew up. The reason I mention that is before I qualified last year I had an injury stricken college career, just graduated w/ a M.S. degree and was onto a full time job. I hit a qualifier in my 1st race over a 10k. Now a 2:21 isn\'t good, I know that. But, that stupid little \"B\" standard exposed me to so much and opened up tons of doors that were closed.\"
It would be a real Let\'s Run board thing to do to say, \"You stink!, you get a B qualifier and blow up and you think you have the right to comment.\" I only wish I was anywhere near your speed at your age. I have a parallel story with Boston, and their easing of their standards several years back. It gave me the impetus to get out there and try to make a number that I wouldn\'t have chased without it being hung out there.
\"I personally don\'t care on the new time being 2:19, as with the competitive nature of this sport, my goal is run faster and improve over the next few years. BUT, none of this would have happened if I didn\'t get a chance to toe that line on November 3rd.\"
I suspect that you\'re really saying something different than you actually said, my guess is that you meant to say, \"I would not have achieved what I did without the belief that I could be toeing the line on November 3rd.\"
\"The other thing I want to mention is between me and a different close friend (also a shitty \"B\" guy) we had about 35 people between the 2 of us fly into NYC. We\'re not cool guys, so I\'m assuming it was close to this number for other runners. I should ask Ritz or Sell but I would guess the race experience is enhanced by having another 40-50 qualifiers around.\"
I suspect that, especially with the Trials before race format, bringing a big group into the host city just magnifies the shortage of hotel rooms. I also suspect that the guys up front are only racing against perhaps a dozen guys, and your presence there has NO impact on them.
\"USATF\'s decision probably isn\'t the best for our sport.\"
There, we\'re in total agreement. Dangling a carrot out there, even if it\'s merely the right to compete in the nation\'s most selective marathon, is, in my opinion, a strong motivator for many runners. While I applaud the concept of tightening the standard (if the quality of the fields seems to warrant it), I also believe that keeping an unpaid \"B\" standard does an excellent job of dangling that carrot. Thus, I think the combination of tightening the \"A\" standard and eliminating the \"B\" standard will result in many fewer runners chasing the Trials as a personal goal, and will, over time, weaken the pack at the front of American racing.