Disappointing News For US Mile Fans- Alan Webb Is Apparently Done for 2009

hamstrungg wrote:

Begs the question, what the eff are they doing on their warmups?? Tweaking hammys left and right...

No, it doesn't 'beg the question.' Your use of that phrase is extremely incorrect though colloquial and extremely popular. I'm surprised Malmo hasn't blasted you for polluting philosophical terminology by deploying in banal situations. Looks to me like you and Webb should have finished college.

He will be back, and will break American record for 5000 meters. Of course after dropping 5 kilos. I spit on all you naysayers !

Although it is a dissapointment that Alan is done for the season, he is still one of the finest American runners all-time. Like most champions who have come before him Alan will recover and stunn people with shear brilliance when he returns. Life isn't about not falling done when you aim for success, it's how fast you get back up when your down.

getreal wrote:

someone should tell lagat this... he seems to do alright in the 1500 at 34

asdsd wrote:

Alan should move up to the 5k and eventually the 10k. He is reaching an age which is at or past peak for the 1500m. Maybe he can be the first sub 12:50 white guy.

EPO does that to you

Why did you choose Cornell over Stanford and Caltech? You would have been right in the heart of Silicon Valley and you would have learned to create a letsrun app for the iPhone that has animation of Webb\'s hairline receding.

Webb needs to focus on the 5k. With his speed, he could be in the low 12:50's.

seidel is much faster than you, he's right, and nothing has falsified his last claim. webb will be back when he's healthy. he needs a nice break, longer distance training, and he'll be back to 3:30 next year.

good for you.

BRF wrote:

I, on the other hand, am a Cornell graduate (having turned down Stanford and Caltech, among others, to attend) and do indeed know what irony is, doubtless as a result of my superior education.

American fans' treatment and expectations for Webb are reminiscent of the way the British press hound any decent tennis player that looks like they might get to the second week of Wimbledon!

They build them up, wanting them to succeed (because they haven't had a true "great" for a few decades; though for Britain it's quite a few decades!), perhaps expecting even more than they can deliver, and when they fail, they get hammered into the ground.

Perhaps Webb really has had injury problems, or perhaps he has an underlying illness yet to be diagnosed. If it's any consolation, Coe had 2 dreadful seasons (82 & 83) after reaching the dizzy heights in '81, and everyone but a few die-hard fans wrote him off at the end of 83. Eight months later he showed them all and won the Olympic title. So there is a precedent for coming back after what seems like an unexplainable and meteoric fall.

On a purely human level, I hope he rekindles his best form. Having something you know you are great at taken away from you must be a dreadful feeling.

Lets not feel to sorry for Webb. He has made a excellent living doing what he loves to do. It is just now he is very good instead of great. He will certainly rank among ten best all-time US milers. However, I still think underrated US runners like Spivey will rank higher. Heck, even a 3:52 miler like Jeff Atkinson made an Olympic final. Atkinson is another overlooked US miler that was solid in the late 80s and early 90s.

In the last two years Webb's best race was a 3:35 1500 last year in Europe.

I'm confused here. Didn't Webb confirm suspicions that his 2009 season was over at the Pre Classic?

I just wanted to say a few words after reading these post reguarding Alan Webb.After months of reading these I couldn't take anymore I had to say something.Its really sad to read how people are crapping on this guy.Some of the post I have looked at have been down right cruel.Alan is human just like everyone else and we all know he has had his ups and downs.I know in the world of pro sports there is a great amount of pressure to preform but I'm sure he knows this and I'm sure he is trying his best to get back on top.I hope in the future the people that are posting these not so nice words will stop and think about what they are saying.I not a pro runner but I hope my next 5k if I run 18:30 instead of 17:55 its not time for me to throw in the towel.

Steve K

Let's be honest here - Webb has a very short time window to salvage his career and it is simply not happening if he stays with his current group and coach. He needs more than time off, he needs to get as far away from his comfort zone as possible. If he moved and trained with the schumacher group, sure he might hate it, but I am positive he would run faster than he has over the past 2 years.

Alan webb might be an idiot but he will win the gold medal in the 1500 in London 2012. You heard it here first.

i'm not sure he is actually done for 2009. for instance he could race the fifth ave. mile or cross country late this year.

I agree. Alan Webb will get at least one medal at Worlds or the Olympics before his career is over, but if, and only if, he:

1. Moves to Portland

2. Starts training with Salazar and Schumacker

3. Doesn't get dropped by Kara Goucher on long runs

4. Stops playing video games

I'm actually a huge Webb fan. I was inspired to be a miler by Alan Webb. That post I made earlier was just trolling.

Bad move to go to Portland.

GREAT POST. My only disagreement is you said he could beat "half" the people on this message board with his Achilles falling off....my bet is closer to 95%....or more. Armchair coaches.

news flash!