Alan Webb... It might be over.

I live in the area where raczko coaches and I do know the details about him. That coach is the WORST thing for Webb. He is a terrible coach and has been fired from almost every HS he has coached in the northern virginia area. My kids were on a team he coached last year and he was a demented, violent, and angry man. He need serious help of the medical sort and I am sure that his issues and lack of stability are a huge reason for the steady drop in poor Webb\'s career. Find a new coach and quick Webb.

In everyone's career, you go through good times and bad times and then you go through really bad times. If you listen to others or feel terrible about the prospects, then you finish or just give up. This is the time that Alan should not give up. Things are tough for him but not as bad as things should be. Just keep on going, work hard, plan, revise and keep on going and eventually the sun will shine again.

Uh... wrote:

To think, that the Alan Webb of today would be made a mockery of on the track by his 18 year-old self.

This is just pathetic in every sense.

I think the 25 year old Jim Ryun would have been smoked by the 18 year old Jim Ryun.

Guy in Area wrote:

I think the 25 year old Jim Ryun would have been smoked by the 18 year old Jim Ryun.

At least Jim Ryun competed in three Olympic Games, with the honor of a Silver medal in one, and a fall in another.

better still the 21 year old Jim Ryun would have smoked em both & most everyone today

Four point to consider for the posters:

1. Do you fully realize how hard it is to attain peak levels of performance?

2. Weight - the more weight, the more carbon dioxide (co2)

As you carry more weight, you produce more, thus, have to get rid of this as well. If you lift weights, it builds more muscle mass, and muscle weighs more than body fat. Early in the season, if you weigh 7-9 pounds more than "race weight," it allows you to do longer workouts, but at a slower pace. As you back off weight training, you lose weight, and become more fit. The plan is always to peak in August (Championships).

3. Racing - one does not go into a hot 1500m knowing they are going to be scorched. However, you also go into this with a fitness level in your mind that you will be competive.

4. How many times have letsrun posters run a race, walked off the track and said out loud to themselves, their coach, those they are warming dwon with, or family member: "I am in better shape that this race indicated." Many times, I would run very poorly, then have an amazing workout on Monday. Why, I would wonder, was the race so poor and felt so difficult? I think the body has a way of getting the carbon out of the muffler, if you will, to get to a new level of fitness. More than 10 times, I can relate to this scenario.

Think about it.

Couldn't be that he had to scrap the flaxseed oil after BALCO, could it? Nah ...

Well, whatever the case is, something isn't making sense.

Earlier this year, after Webb had competed in a couple races, there were two different occasions in which he said he was just going back to the basics of his training because in 2008 he overdid his training and it resulted in injuries and never being physically ready for good races. If he has been going back to what worked before- the kind of training the prepared him for 3:50 miles at Pre, then why isn't it working now? I understand the body adapts to certain types of training, so always making sure that the workouts are stimulating the physiology of the athlete is always important, so maybe it is a matter of poor coaching, or maybe it's something else. Whatever it is though, it must be fixable. My biggest worry is that Webb was doping in 2007 and part of 2008 but then the effects didn't carry through. But that still wouldn't make sense. This was a kid who ran 3:53 as an 18 year old. But who knows, maybe he's been doping ever since high school.

At the same time, I could see this last race of his as just a bad performance that is not actually indicative of the kind of shape he is really in. He could be training so hard that his body hasn't had enough time to absorb the training, and maybe that's why he was never in the race on Saturday. I mean, he ran a 3:57i mile in January/February, which is faster than 3:42, so my guess is his body was maybe just tired from recent workouts. If he is training everyday, there should be no reason for him to be getting into worse shape unless he is overtraining. Someone needs to start making some sense here. This is one of the fastest milers to ever walk the planet. What- the 9th fastest mile ever run or something like that? I understand it takes a while to get into that kind of peak shape, but how long does it take to go from 3:57i shape to 3:53 shape, when you've ran 3:53 years before?

Been there to know wrote:

I think the body has a way of getting the carbon out of the muffler, if you will, to get to a new level of fitness. More than 10 times, I can relate to this scenario.

Think about it.

I suppose your reasoning sounds plausible, but what world class miler has had these kind of long bad stretches (it's been well more than a year for Webb now) and then come back to top form? Webb, will improve this year, but I think it's very unlikely that he'll ever be at the top of the game again.

Webb's outdoor performances at mile/1500m in 2009 so far:

3:58.9, 1st @ Kansas Relays over Van der Westheuzen

4:00.61, 1st @ Drake over Van der Westheuzen, Solares, Lukezic

3:42.3, 10th behind Van der Westheuzen, Solares, Sherer

So, really, I guess his performances have all been fairly consistent as far as times go, give or take a second. Really, Webb just isn't improving for some reason. His first place finishes over Van der Westheuzen were encouraging, but then Van der Westheuzen went on to run 3:38(carson) and then 3:36(reebok gp). Something doesn't make sense here. Other, less talented athletes are improving, and Webb isn't even though he was beating them early on. Any interesting theories out there besides the obvious ones?

to all the people saying, 'everyone has bad days', true. But a 3.30 runner having a bad day is 3.34-3.35.. not 3.42. Even at 70% health Webb should be able to run 3.38..

What makes sense is that he was doped in 2007. Got off the illegal PED in 2008 and 2009, but was trying to do the same workouts he did in 2007 and got "overtrained." Now he has to figure out how far to cut back his workouts for his "nonPED body."

(Kind of like when us old guys try to do the same workouts we did 5 or 10 years ago, we just end up breaking down or dead legged)

OK Masters Track Guy wrote:

What makes sense is that he was doped in 2007. Got off the illegal PED in 2008 and 2009, but was trying to do the same workouts he did in 2007 and got "overtrained." Now he has to figure out how far to cut back his workouts for his "nonPED body."

(Kind of like when us old guys try to do the same workouts we did 5 or 10 years ago, we just end up breaking down or dead legged)

If EPO was that good should some 3:30 guy not be running 3:15 now?

There must be some other reason for his lack of form. Has he had a blood test to check his health? Or other people have mentioned he has bulked up a bit - what's his weight now compared to when he was running well?

Change your coach - you are correct in stating that Raczko has maturity problems.

And he has burned bridges virtually everywhere he has coached.

I never had an issue with him, and treated him respectfully and I expected the same in return.

The list of parents who did have problems with him is really, really long, however. And this can't be an accident - the cross country coach and head distance track guy for the boys at the relevant high school is universally liked - parents in our community do indeed appreciate mature individuals who look out for the kids.

Note that my own daughter did, however, very much prosper under his coaching. I came to the conclusion he knows his stuff.

Having said this, it would really help Alan to spread his wings and get in a position where he can develop and mature away from his high school frame of mind.

Happy and Im smiling,

Walk a mile to drink your water.

You know Id love to love you,

And above you theres no other.

Well go walking out

While others shout of wars disaster.

Oh, we wont give in,

Lets go living in the past.

Once I used to join in

Every boy and girl was my friend.

Now theres revolution, but they dont know

What theyre fighting.

Let us close out eyes;

Outside their lives go on much faster.

Oh, we wont give in,

Well keep living in the past.

Scott, Spivey, and Maree where consistently in condition to run at least a 3:35 1500. I know Scott has the world record of most sub 4 minute miles, but I also remember reading somewhere he ran at least 10 sub 3:35 each season during his peak. Scott also ran 8 sub 3:50 miles during his career.

Question of the day..

What did Scott, Spivey, and Maree do to get this kind of consistency? What aren't today's US 1500 meter runners doing to achieve this kind of consistency? It has to be the training.

Folks as it stands today Scott and Ryun are still the kings of the US mile.

irun wrote:

Webb's outdoor performances at mile/1500m in 2009 so far:

3:58.9, 1st @ Kansas Relays over Van der Westheuzen

4:00.61, 1st @ Drake over Van der Westheuzen, Solares, Lukezic

3:42.3, 10th behind Van der Westheuzen, Solares, Sherer

So, really, I guess his performances have all been fairly consistent as far as times go, give or take a second. Really, Webb just isn't improving for some reason. His first place finishes over Van der Westheuzen were encouraging, but then Van der Westheuzen went on to run 3:38(carson) and then 3:36(reebok gp). Something doesn't make sense here. Other, less talented athletes are improving, and Webb isn't even though he was beating them early on. Any interesting theories out there besides the obvious ones?

training through people, training through

i would expect 355 a pre and then 1st or 2nd at the usa's to make worlds, then top 3 at worlds

his times this year indicate exactly this, he is NOT peaking before or right at the usa's and he will not need to because a Webb at 80-90% peak at the usa's is top 2.

what you are seeing now is webb at 60-70% peak shape.

everybody keeps looking for the answer to webb's "problems" as if there's some deep mystery behind it.

HE WAS ON DRUGS IN 2007. he's not now. look at the photos from 2007, now look at today's webb. 2007? no sub-cutaneous fat. 2008, 2009? you be the judge. he hasn't claimed any injury. the fact is webb has a great nike contract paying him a lot of money. so he's squirreling that away and preserving this legacy as one of the great american milers in history. he set his AR at a tiny meet where they didn't drug test. coincidence?

what would you do if you're webb. you used to be a user, maybe even in HS, when you ran 353, set an all-time HS record, then set the American Record. you're an icon in american track. and now the drug testers are getting more sophisticated. it's harder to get your stuff.

you do exactly this. you train hard but clean. you can't do as many workouts. you can't recover as fast. but you've got several million dollars in the bank by now. if you live even just moderately, you'll be set for life. you have tons of contacts, you can be an agent on the circuit, or a race promoter, something. the worst thing webb could do now would be to get caught. so he's playing it ultra safe.

quit suspending your disbelief.

When Webb was in his build-up his senior year of high school he went sub 4 indoors in January 6 months before his peak. Webb is about 3 months from his peak at worlds and he is only running about the same. Push the panic button Alan is in trouble I guarantee it. His great year in 2007 was slightly miss timed but if you look at how he opened up that year it was about 5-6 seconds faster then his high school early build-up and he finished about 6-7 seconds faster.

Webb's early performances are a good litmus of what is to come. I don't blame Alan, he has confidence issues and Scott is a security blanket. What he needs is to be coached by Gags, Cook, or even god forbid Warhurst. None of them would present a significant change in what he is doing now and having training partners would do miracles for him. He needs to look in the mirror and realize I'm 26 and I need to grow the fvck up.

Webb can run 3:46 or even close to 3:43. But instead of chasing records he should focus on getting 3:46 or 3:47 fit with the gears to race, not just being able to mash people into the ground off a blistering pace with 500 rabbits and no real competition.