Alan Webb slated to race the 800m in Indianapolis on 6/14

ok guys just to provide a possible naive but more positive outlook

it is obvious that Webb is nowhere near top form right now...right now hes a 3:55, 1:43 guy and right now hes a 3:55, 1:47 guy...the numbers dont lie...

but where do you people get the idea that a 3:55, 1:47 guy has no shot to make the olympic team, particularly when hes got 2 more weeks and is obviously capable of much more when in shape (he was a 1:47 guy when he ran 3:53...and a 3:53 guy has a very good shot at making this team)

my view on his last few performances is that Webb is not in shape to run with the best guys in the world right now...but he knows it, he didnt go out with the lead group at Pre and showed no intention of wanting to be up there...he looked like he figured to get a good hard race effort in and run around 3:55, which is what he did...I would have been more concerned if hed gone out in front and died to a 3:55...

Its obvious that webbs fitness isnt there right now but it seems to me that he knows it and planne it that way (probably a reaction/over reaction to the way his season went last year)...is he taking a big risk in regards to making the team...hell yes, do I think he should be in better form right now...probably...but it does appear as if webb has a plan so lets not overreact

the 2 abismal road race performances i cant explain though but thi is what ive read from his track season

rojo, Am I reading this correctly? Webb ran the 800 then ran as a Rabbit in 1500?

is this correct?

I believe that is about a 4-second PR for McClary, at a very good time to be improving. No one else is making improvements like that at this juncture.

Just checked, three full seconds for McClary.

Think fast wrote:

I believe that is about a 4-second PR for McClary, at a very good time to be improving. No one else is making improvements like that at this juncture.

I've met Lagat before. He was very nice. I like how he runs, I like him as a person, but something about it bothers me. If it was baseball it would be whatever, if it was football or basketball whatever, but he isn't home grown and is from the enemy state of distance running, so it just doesn't feel right.

I will be putting the results on

www.americanmilersclub.com

soo. We just wrapped up the meet and as soon as the results are validated, I will post them.

David

webb rabitted the 1500 by running 1200m in 2:53?

after what. 20 minutes after the 800?

i know how you feel.

we should support lagat's running and cheer for him because he is very nice and proud to be an 'american', but i feel he should be treated like any other foreigner training in our country, which is respectably.

he is not an american like solinsky, tegenkamp, george bush, alan webb, or myself.

none of his ancestors are from here, he did not grow up here, he moved here to train after coming of age.

this doesn't mean we should dislike him, but i believe it should allow us to root for our homegrown americans like fam and bobby curtis, etc... more than lagat.

Look, I'm not loving all over Webb,

but you guys do remember last year don't you?

Fastest 1500m time in the world.

Fastest Mile time in the world.

2nd Fastest 800m time in the world, (without specialization)

He has demonstrated ~27:30, 13:10 distance talent (considerably faster if specialized). Webb could be the top athlete in any event, between 800 and 10,000 in this country.

You can not discount that when he is 25 and quite reasonably near the top of his game. Look at Webb, he doesn't even look like he's trying in his races, especially Pre. I wouldn't be surprised if he went out afterwards and ran a few more sub-4 miles just for fun.

How can you discount Webb? Webb's failure last year was that he peaked way too early. He can get in trouble in tactical situations, so did Morcelli. He is obviously fixing his mistake of last year. I suspect he is sharpening both his long closing kick, and his short ballistic kick, both of which he has demonstrated very clearly last year. Those two tools right there win you medals.

He seems to be on track, just in a rather interesting way. I won't sit here and believe for one second Webb is done. This isn't 2006.

Any chance Webb is planning on running the 5k at the trials and Oly Games? Can he enter the trials and take the race out honest enough to insure an A standard time. Then kick like crazy with his (used to be 1:43/3:30) speed to make the team. Taper and sharpen for a month, and then be a legitimate threat at the Games in August? I have always thought he has better potential in the 5K.

sxedx wrote:

i know how you feel.

we should support lagat's running and cheer for him because he is very nice and proud to be an 'american', but i feel he should be treated like any other foreigner training in our country, which is respectably.

he is not an american like solinsky, tegenkamp, george bush, alan webb, or myself.

none of his ancestors are from here, he did not grow up here, he moved here to train after coming of age.

this doesn't mean we should dislike him, but i believe it should allow us to root for our homegrown americans like fam and bobby curtis, etc... more than lagat.

Uh huh. I see. Basically he's not a WASP, with emphasis on the W. Got it.

shizzy wrote:

I've met Lagat before. He was very nice. I like how he runs, I like him as a person, but something about it bothers me. If it was baseball it would be whatever, if it was football or basketball whatever, but he isn't home grown and is from the enemy state of distance running, so it just doesn't feel right.

Shizzy,

This opinion of yours is extremely narrow-minded. Why do you hold distance runners to a different standard than you hold any other American? If he were to commit a crime would you expect him to have every right in the Constitution afforded him or would you say otherwise merely because he was born in Kenya? As far as I can tell you are separating things African-NonAfrican rather than American-NonAmerican. If this is the case, fine, I find your opinion slightly offensive, but understand where it comes from. But please, come out and say so honestly.

As far as Webb is concerned, of course you are just stating your opinion on a message board, but please do not put down Mr. Raczko or Webb to such a degree. Do they owe you anything? I don't think so. Why do you feel so let down? And please keep in mind that Webb is the American record holder in the mile, that means that no American, domestically born or not, has EVER run faster for the distance since our country was founded. That in itself is a hell of a feat and I don't think he needs your approval, dissaproval, appreciation or condemnation.

I hope he does fantastically merely to spite you. Well, I also think he's a hard-working 25 year old who is trying HIS best no matter what. But please, he does not owe YOU a freaking thing.

Tim

Lagat is no different than your family, who at one point in time chose to make a new life in this country.

Manzano has run a 3:35, and I don't know his mile PR, but it's not super fast. I think it's around 3:55, and people are automatically counting Webb out of the US team when he has a "bad" race and runs Manzano's PR. That makes total sense.

Webb made both World Championship finals in 2005 and 2007.

He finished 8th in both of them. 9th in Helsinki, but number two was doped to the gills in that one (or has always been?).

His championship performances are subpar compared to his ability. That is a very good assessment. But he has consistently improved. I think he will go to Beijing, although its possible he may not win the trials. He will run fast in July. Top 5 is very likely for Webb.

He has the ability to win it altogether though. Doesn't mean he will.

Webb was all smiles and joking every time I saw him. He definitely didn't look disappointed and actually it ended up being a good day 1:47 and a fast 1200m.

This isn't part of some huge plan to peak in Beijing. Webb and his coach messed up his training in the most important year in his career. They pushed it too hard and this is not the first time. They did it in the first year that Alan went pro (remember the 6hr long workouts?) They also did it the year Webb was working on his strength (ran a great 10k in March/April and was finished). Webb needs to fire Razco. When you have someone as talented and determined as Webb (not to mention someone that puts tons of pressure on himself), the best thing a coach can do is tell them to rest and take it easy. Razco obviously hasn't done that.

Indeed. An cogent insight. That Rascally Raszco doesn't have the chops to bring this talent to the line in time under all circumstances. The Webster is a headful and needs the guidance of a master, not a HS coach and buddy who has learned along the way. Webb's remarkable successes have been despite Raszco, and his failures shared with Scott.

I agree with Shizzy.

I believe the only reason he decided to become an American was to dodge Kenyans in qualifying for major championships in the latter stages of his career. If he was kenyan this would probably be his last olympics. He def will qualify for another if he wants as an american.

He has said himself that it is much harder to qualify for championships as a Kenyan.

For this reason I think Lagat is less pure. He changed citizenships for financial reasons.

He changed the colors on his vest for money.

Ceelo,

You miss the point. Webb doesn't just have bad races, he has bad weeks, and months, and seasons....he trains himself to a frazzle, messes with kooky diets (stomach problems, eat a hamberger once in a while), and doesn't have a coach, willing or able to put him in his place. Tough love...