Oh My God! I can feel it! Ritzenhein is going to join Salazar's Group

FredEx wrote:

Hall is going back to the track to work on his speed at shorter distances which he has neglected since turning to the marathon. He and his coach feel this will help him run a better marathon in the long run. I am suggesting ritz do the same thing. This rut of running two marathons a year is not the best way to prepare for long term success. As a famous man once said " the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Because Hall and Mahon are doing it doesn't mean that it'd be what's right for a completely different runner or even that it'll pay dividends for Hall. The outcome is a complete unknown right now, it's stupid to use it as proof that it's what someone else should do. Good thing people like Rodgers, Khannouchi, etc. don't listen to message board dopes.

FredEx wrote:

Hall is going back to the track to work on his speed at shorter distances which he has neglected since turning to the marathon. He and his coach feel this will help him run a better marathon in the long run.

Running more than 8 miles at 4:50 pace would help too.

From NY coach on the other thread...seems like a good plan to me.

RE: Hudson and Ritz Part Ways 5/18/2009 6:46PM - in reply to lllssssslllllssss Reply | Return to Index | Report Post

I think it'd be good to pair him up with 2-3 other 2:10 types when going back to the marathon, however I would focus on shorter races for a while, run XC in the fall/winter, and segway that up towards another marathon, either in the spring or fall 2010. I would actually have him run his next one in the fall 2010 just to get away from it for a little while. maybe run a 10k or 2 this summer, a 5k too, a half marathon type program for the fall, so he goes into XC with some good strength but not too beat up from marathon training. After World Cross, id take a stab at a fast 5k and 10k during the summer, dial it down a little, and then go on a full marathon assault for the fall of 2010.

By then he would have gotten away from specific marathon training without sacrificing aerobic strength, but would have the chance at improving his overall leg speed at the shorter races and actually going after the faster Africans at races in which he excelled at most over his career, Cross and 10k.

Man, I'd pay to be able to coach him, J Rohat, and Simon together!

Yeah, fucking brilliant.

Still haven't added an insight of your own tough guy.

Not sure I understand the arguement but here is what Ritz himself is planning.

"Right now, my priority is to get back in shape for the summer and work on some faster, non-marathon training and racing."

Link to the full article:

http://www.universalsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=105671&SPID=13048&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=23000&ATCLID=3740370

Dathan needs to get back to his old ways of running...perfect coach for him....matt centrowitz

RTI wrote:

Because Hall and Mahon are doing it doesn't mean that it'd be what's right for a completely different runner or even that it'll pay dividends for Hall. The outcome is a complete unknown right now, it's stupid to use it as proof that it's what someone else should do. Good thing people like Rodgers, Khannouchi, etc. don't listen to message board dopes.

The boards were particulary harsh back in Rodgers day. The older runners were so much better than todays runners at blocking out the message board negativity/hype/hoopla.

Who says I have to? I can know that the president's policies are wrong without knowing exactly what the right policy would be. I can tell when a QB screws up without knowing for sure what he should have done instead.

Dathan Ritzenhein is in Alberto's box, and Dathan Ritzenhein is coming back! Oh my goodness gracious! Of all the dramatic things I have ever seen…Dathan Ritzenhein standing right in Alberto Salazars’s box, announcing he is back…Dathan Ritzenhein is in Salazar's Group!

What happened to Salazar's pledge not to take on any new athletes after his heart attack?

Actually, I think it would be great for Ritz to train under Salazar.

Look at the Africans. You hear about guys jumping in and training with Robert Cheruiyot and getting their butts handed to them, except that then they show up at a world class marathon and beat a bunch of world class marathoners. I know that right now all of America's top runners feel like they need to either train individually (or at least not with their competition). For example, even Sell doesn't train with anyone who trully challenges him. Abdi and Lagat have the right idea although they race different distances. What I am saying is, Americans need to stop competing against EACH OTHER and start working TOGETHER to take on the world's best.

Suzyn Waldman ---- Hilarious

Maybe Ritz should go on the juice like Roger

ahfdaldfjld wrote:

Dathan needs to get back to his old ways of running...perfect coach for him....matt centrowitz

Ritz doesn't not need a boorish, loud, aging pervert as a coach.

You f***ing idiot. It's not because Hall's doing it that Ritz should. It's that the reason Hall is doing it should be compelling for Ritzenhein as well. The movement between distances is good, it helps keep you mentally fresher and your body in generally better shape, better rounded. Look at the Africans for crying out loud. Geb drops down to train for the 10k, finishes 5th in the Olympics, and then goes on to re-set the marathon WR in Berlin later that year. Working on his 10k will make Ritz work on the speed side of things (relative to the marathon) and that's good. You ever do 400s and maybe even (gasp!) some 200s when training for the 5k/10k? Right. You did. Because having some speed helps in the 10k. And you only get that speed by doing fast-twitch specific stuff, even if you're only doing a little bit of it and it's mixed with some more strength-oriented work. Likewise, doing 10k oriented training is going to give Ritz and edge that doing purely marathon training--really long runs, long tempos, long intervals--simply won't. And to handle the Africans' pace, and to close well in the marathon, that kind of 10k speed will help. Look at the 10k pr's of the guys Ritz would ideally be able to compete with. Way faster than his. I guarantee every single runner ahead of him at the Olympics had a significantly faster 10k pr. Might as well try to get into their league there before trying to get into their league in the marathon. Thank god you, with no positive plan and merely critical remarks, aren't coaching anybody.

I heard that he hired Rascko and will be training with Webb.

Careful - I already posted the report that Ritz was seriously considering Razcko but it got deleted.

OK, I agree with you so I hope you are calling RTI the f***ing idiot.

Also, from a post above it appears Ritz has similar ideas.

Not sure I understand the arguement but here is what Ritz himself is planning.

"Right now, my priority is to get back in shape for the summer and work on some faster, non-marathon training and racing."

Link to the full article:

http://www.universalsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=105671&SPID=13048&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=23000&ATCLID=3740370

Ritz needs to be in a place that works for him and with a coach who works for him. One without the other will just not get results.

Personally I do think that the top Americans should train together more like the Kenyans. Push each other to be better. The downside is burnout but who cares if you are bruned out and finish 10th or train "smart" by yourself and finish 8th. Train together and push each other and hopefully a few will break through.