I think this is what America's distance running problem is: the most talented athletes are always injured. Why is that?

It's the shoes they get paid so much money to wear

I wouldn't say Ritz is constantly injured... He is now, but he's been pretty healthy over the years. Same with Ryan Hall, who's probably our most talented marathoner right now; he just isn't running fast.

We do seem to be more injury-prone than the Africans, though. Their bodies seem to be built perfectly for running, either through lots of barefoot running from an early age, or just straight-up genetics.

Ritz has been pretty healthy over the years? Can you pass me that blunt and whatever you laced it with, because that shit must be dank

take it wrote:

omething is seriously wrong as our most talented athletes...webb, german, ritz, goucher, teg (until recently) are constantly hurt. I am sure the list goes on and on.

A preposterous conclusion. Where's your evidence?

It's preposterous to think that something is wrong? They get injured a lot, that is an easy observation. The only conclusion I made was that something is wrong, are you saying nothing is wrong ad that they should get hurt as much as they do?

malmo wrote:

take it wrote:

omething is seriously wrong as our most talented athletes...webb, german, ritz, goucher, teg (until recently) are constantly hurt. I am sure the list goes on and on.

A preposterous conclusion. Where's your evidence?

take it wrote:

It's preposterous to think that something is wrong? They get injured a lot, that is an easy observation. The only conclusion I made was that something is wrong, are you saying nothing is wrong ad that they should get hurt as much as they do?

No it isn't not an easy observation.

Again, where is your evidence they get injured a lot?

With 40 years experience following the sport I'd say that they have fewer injuries than average. The difference between you and them is that when you're injured, no one knows and no one cares. When elite runners are injured you know about it -- especially in an atmosphere when an ignorant, yet very vocal minority live vicariously through them 24-7.

No news here. Move along.

The only problem with American Athletes is they're not breeding properly.

malmo wrote:

take it wrote:

It's preposterous to think that something is wrong? They get injured a lot, that is an easy observation. The only conclusion I made was that something is wrong, are you saying nothing is wrong ad that they should get hurt as much as they do?

No it isn't not an easy observation.

Again, where is your evidence they get injured a lot?

With 40 years experience following the sport I'd say that they have fewer injuries than average. The difference between you and them is that when you're injured, no one knows and no one cares. When elite runners are injured you know about it -- especially in an atmosphere when an ignorant, yet very vocal minority live vicariously through them 24-7.

No news here. Move along.

I think you're wrong Malmo. Ritz is the most fragile distance runner I've ever known. Webb has been injured the past 3 years. Rupp is sick all the time. German has shown that he is extremely injury prone. You were injured a lot but PF doesn't really effect training like constant achilles/hip injuries and stress fractures.

I think depth is still a problem. If Kenyas best get injured, there C team is still competitive with us and their B team still beats us.

I am not comparing them to me. I am comparing the most talented with the second most talented runners. Did you read my post or just respond to the title?

malmo wrote:

take it wrote:

It's preposterous to think that something is wrong? They get injured a lot, that is an easy observation. The only conclusion I made was that something is wrong, are you saying nothing is wrong ad that they should get hurt as much as they do?

No it isn't not an easy observation.

Again, where is your evidence they get injured a lot?

With 40 years experience following the sport I'd say that they have fewer injuries than average. The difference between you and them is that when you're injured, no one knows and no one cares. When elite runners are injured you know about it -- especially in an atmosphere when an ignorant, yet very vocal minority live vicariously through them 24-7.

No news here. Move along.

Dr. Mantis Tobogann wrote:

...I think depth is still a problem. If Kenya's best get injured, their C team is still competitive with us and their B team still beats us.

Methinks that this is the real answer.

Dr. Mantis Tobogann wrote:

I think you're wrong Malmo. Ritz is the most fragile distance runner I've ever known. Webb has been injured the past 3 years. Rupp is sick all the time. German has shown that he is extremely injury prone. You were injured a lot but PF doesn't really effect training like constant achilles/hip injuries and stress fractures.

I think depth is still a problem. If Kenyas best get injured, there C team is still competitive with us and their B team still beats us.

Ritz and German are injury prone, yes. But Webb has not solely "been injured the past 3 years." And Rupp has gotten sick a couple times recently, and managed to still run great throughout. You really think he gets sick all the time? I don't recall him ever being sick before this year.

People occasionally get injured when training hard. Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba, and Sileshi Sihine have all been injured in the last couple years. Are Ethiopians particularly vulnerable?

Exactly. A top American gets hurt and he is one of only a couple of contenders.

Kenya has 10 guys waiting to step.

The thing is, I don't see America having a distance running problem.

It's the third best distance running country in the world.

Is that really a problem?

The Kenyans don't seem to last long on the national stage. They just have depth.

I agree with Malmo, this time. Move along. Nothing to see here.

Malmo, well stated.

I just started jogging (I can run anymore) again after three weeks due to a calf injury. None of you knew nor do any of you care. It's just to back what Malmo stated. When you run hard and fast as the elites do nagging injuries pop-up. If you follow sports,then you should know that almost every athlete plays through some type of injury during their season and the unlucky ones have to take time off during the season or lose the entire season due to an injury. Injuries are a part of sports.

Dr. Mantis Tobogann wrote:

I think you're wrong Malmo. Ritz is the most fragile distance runner I've ever known. Webb has been injured the past 3 years. Rupp is sick all the time. German has shown that he is extremely injury prone. You were injured a lot but PF doesn't really effect training like constant achilles/hip injuries and stress fractures.

Having injuries isn't the same as being "constantly injured". Injuries and illness are part and parcel to the sport -- and to being human.

I'm not sure where you get the idea that I was injured a lot? During my entire running career I took perhaps one injury per year, and most of them required little, if any, down time. In terms that you could understand, in four years of college I missed exactly two competitions (a XC race as a soph, a track race as a senior) to injury. Post college, I did step in a hole ONCE and strained my PF, which would take 4 years to heal, but I'd hardly categorize one lasting trauma as being "a lot."

Not to bait you Malmo, because your points are right, but I also think it's a coaching issue.

Athletes are pushed in mileage and workouts to the verge of injury, workouts not tailored or tuned as much as they should be for the individual, racing more than they should. When you are at the edge, it's just a matter of time.

In Cook's interview he seems to be more careful about this than others and his record shows that. I think the emphasis on drills help with building the strength needed to help minimize injuries. And the 100% healthy/90% fit seems to work.

Because americans are pussies.

Stating the obvious wrote:

Not to bait you Malmo, because your points are right, but I also think it's a coaching issue.

Athletes are pushed in mileage and workouts to the verge of injury, workouts not tailored or tuned as much as they should be for the individual, racing more than they should. When you are at the edge, it's just a matter of time.

In Cook's interview he seems to be more careful about this than others and his record shows that. I think the emphasis on drills help with building the strength needed to help minimize injuries. And the 100% healthy/90% fit seems to work.

It's always a matter of time in hard training until one gets injured. The whole point of any kind of athletic training is breaking down the body so that it can be rebuilt stronger. Occasionally, the athlete will overstep and damage his body faster than it can recover in some way, and get injured. Unfortunately, the body doesn't give us printouts every morning saying "oh hey, by the way your achilles tendon is starting to fray a bit, and that microscopic crack in your bone has started to develop into a stress fracture".

There's just no way a person training seriously year round won't occasionally get injured unless they have freakish recovery powers.

Rolo Tony wrote:Are Ethiopians particularly vulnerable?

How do you think I was able to conquer them?