Ryan Hall pulls out of 1/2 marathon in Holland

mez wrote:

Mentally weak at 2:06:17 and 59:43? Amazing!

Does anyone else worry that Hall is never going to run 2:06 (or better) again? I do. Don't know why, but I feel like he's lost something.

I'm hoping I'm wrong though, because I really want American distance running to continue to improve.

If he bombs in Boston I will be a little concerned, it seems like he hasn't been too happy with his training since London 08, but at this point that could just mean that he is in marathon shape and not running well at shorter distances.

Yes, though I wouldn't call it "worrying." As I stated before the Olympics, I believe he's run too many marathons in too brief a period, probably shortening the longevity of his career and perpetuating his staleness. Remember, this guy ran four essentially world class efforts in a space of what, 14 months? And now he's going to pound his legs on the hills of Boston? That could be the nail in the coffin, though I'm ceratinly hoping he doesn't "underdeliver." And he may not, but the body only has so many hard marathons in it, and five marathons inside of two years is not the paragon of prudence. I don't care that some elites have done it before. It's not the norm. I wish Hall would have taken a break after the Games and gotten back to the track for awhile, but I suppose the $$$ is too enticing, and I don't blame him. This is not to say that he won't ever run fast again here and there, especially if he rests, but I really doubt him returning to his old "form."

lohalloran wrote:

If he bombs in Boston I will be a little concerned, it seems like he hasn't been too happy with his training since London 08, but at this point that could just mean that he is in marathon shape and not running well at shorter distances.

On a brighter note, didn't he have a "sub-par" race at Gasparilla between his sub-1:00 half and 2:08 London efforts in 2007? Seems like he ran the 15k at the same pace as his half or slower and said he just tuned out after two miles or something. Bad days happen to everyone.

Frank Shorter's Marathon PR is 2:10. I don't think anyone would ever call him mentally weak. Hall made a wise decision. He knows what is best for him. Saving it for a supreme effort at Boston. He can and will win!

PreRunner wrote:

Frank Shorter's Marathon PR is 2:10. I don't think anyone would ever call him mentally weak. Hall made a wise decision. He knows what is best for him. Saving it for a supreme effort at Boston. He can and will win!

Frank's marathon PR is irrelevant, he raced against the best often and won often, picking up an Olympic Gold and Silver along the way. He didn't race three to five times a year.

He would be doing the same against this era's runners as well, so would Rodgers.

One reason to change one's mind about schedulign travel/racing is training snags --

This is all hypothetical -- I'm not in the know about the Mammoth crew or what they're doing -- but in marathon training it's common to build in a "down week" every month or so. Suppose Hall got sick or strained a muscle, leadign to an unplanned "down week" when he wanted a hard week.

So rather than just pretend the sick/hurt week didn't exist, he may have adjusted the traning plan, which may have made the trip an unwise move...as Keynes said, "When the facts change, I change my mind..."

Hall never pulls out willingly. There must be a reason.

he is not hurt.. and training is going well for Boston

Ya Know wrote:

I tuned in to Hall's record run half marathon in mid race. Just so happened I tuned into his last race on the TV the other day.

Do you mean you watched them on Flotrack? They weren't televised live.

Flagspole wrote:

Hall never pulls out willingly. There must be a reason.

yeah his training is not going too well. we won't find out until after boston though just like after beijing, that his training wasn't going well. you never know though, he may pull the rabbit out of the hat in boston but I doubt it with all the evidence.

Training wasn't going well enough to predict an American best, and the 15k confirmed that, so no point to send him so far away when there's work to be done. That's my guess.

He did run too many hard marathons in too brief a time and he probably erred in thinking that because marathon was his best distance, he should just train for and race marathons, instead of working seriously on his 10k speed. Noakes goes over many great runners who ran their best marathon within their first three or four, and who declined considerably if they ran too many too soon, because of permanent muscle damage. But he'll have raced, I believe, just once in about eight months when he gets to Boston, so the recovery should be adequate for this one. After Boston, I say that he should delay his next marathon until fall 2010.

jonesy., we are in agreement.

His agent will never allow him to wait until Fall 2010 for his next marathon. 2 marathons a year at $250k per marathon is a half million a year in appearance money. 10% is a guaranteed $50k for his agent before prize money or anything else. One marathon a year cuts his agents earnings by 50%. Ryan will be lucky to make it to the starting line for the 2012 trials.

he realised he wouldn't be the first non afican (white) across the line, and this would greatly effect his marketability and thus his potential earnings,

Ireland's Martin Fagan to have a hugh breakout race, (sub 61)

and new Irish record, current record is 61 flat.Also will be first non afican.

haha, YO wrote:

Oh well, he has been money in the marathon.

You mean how he has won zero major marathons?

as stated before on another thread I think this is the general consensus. he ran his first 3 marathons like a man on fire one every 5 months.

however prior to beijing he hit a snag and it looks like it is not going optimally...hopefully he will take a break from marathoning...and get back to 5km training.

....but didn't he buy a really nice house in Mammoth or Big Bear within the last year? that probably has to do more with his race schedule than his agent!!!

EXACTLY! I think we are all for Ryan 100%. Just worried about him. Maybe he is fine, we all hope so. However, I got a bad feeling.

Bekeles Mom wrote:

If that's the case, then why would they have not thought this through prior to announcing they would make the trip to race ? Their initial planning suggests they had every intention to make the trip, but on the basis Ryan ran well during US 15K time trial...

I think the reason for backing out might have more to do with where Ryan feels his fitness level/sharpness is at after his 15K result, which probably did not meet his expectations in terms of both time and how he felt !

Scrap the racing and get back to the drawing board to try and find his 2:06 fitness level !!

Fay Rlynn wrote:

His agent will never allow him to wait until Fall 2010 for his next marathon. 2 marathons a year at $250k per marathon is a half million a year in appearance money. 10% is a guaranteed $50k for his agent before prize money or anything else. One marathon a year cuts his agents earnings by 50%. Ryan will be lucky to make it to the starting line for the 2012 trials.

ryan hall is his agents boss, not the other way around.

if hall does not want to run a marathon, his agent cant make him run one.