How does Galen Rupp win the USATF 10K?

Ryan Foreman wrote:

I don't get why Rupp doesn't enter more 5Ks. First of all, there are a lot of 5K races. Secondly, 5K races tend to be loaded with talent. Third, Even if you are focused at competing in the 10K, 5K races are great preparation for the big 10K races. In any given 10K race at the elite level their is inevitably a surge where the pace is going at a 13 flat 5K pace. What better way to prepare for that than run some 5ks.

Of course Rupp is entered in some middle distances. And there is still plenty of time in the season to enter some 5K races. We'll see. Just seems ironic that Ritz of all people came from marathons to enter a 5K last year and now Ryan Hall has apparently announced entering a 5K. But no word from Rupp.

You should take over for Salazar..

I don't think Rupp will be cooked after winning this race. It will be a walk in the park for him, a tempo run.

Python wrote:

Why is he bothering with this race if he's just going to sit and kick a slow time?

Because he wants a national title. Duh.

Apparently Rupp wasn't going to run at all. But because of an asthma attack earlier this season this race fit better into his schedule. That doesn't exactly indicate a huge drive to win National titles.

fdasfsdafd wrote:

Python wrote:

Why is he bothering with this race if he's just going to sit and kick a slow time?

Because he wants a national title. Duh.

sfagawerbgagrehaq wrote:

rupp will run no faster than 13 : 04 this year for 5k

There have been countless barriers put up bye the "fans" limiting what Rupp can/will do. They have always smelled more like what those fans hope he could (or really couldn't) do than what all the signs indicate he would do. He has overcome every one of them to my knowledge.

13:04 would be a bad season with and absolute lack of opportunities for Rupp. He really has a better chance of ending with 12:54 than 13:04.

Rupps last 5 races:

3:56 indoors

Outkicked Solinsky in 3K to qualify for worlds

6th at world indoor 3K

Wins tune up 5K at Berkeley

Breaks the old AR in 10K - 27:10

Now he's had like 7 weeks of logging in the work. He's basically going to open up his summer season at USAs with a blistering finish then line up against Wheating to see who comes out on top at the PRE mile. Then the real season is on.

Ryan Foreman wrote:

Apparently Rupp wasn't going to run at all. But because of an asthma attack earlier this season this race fit better into his schedule. That doesn't exactly indicate a huge drive to win National titles.

Actually, that's the real truth of the matter.

I know I was hyping the national title aspect but if he were going after good time in Europe he would likely be skipping this meet or running a shorter distance here.

toro wrote:

Ryan Foreman wrote:

Apparently Rupp wasn't going to run at all. But because of an asthma attack earlier this season this race fit better into his schedule. That doesn't exactly indicate a huge drive to win National titles.

Actually, that's the real truth of the matter.

I know I was hyping the national title aspect but if he were going after good time in Europe he would likely be skipping this meet or running a shorter distance here.

It's not clear when that athsma attack was. It could have been weeks or months ago.

Regardless there is a lot of time left in the summer for running fast 3K's and 5K's.

Ryan Foreman wrote:

I don't get why Rupp doesn't enter more 5Ks. blah blah blah

Help me out here. I'm trying to think of an American male professional runner who has raced more frequently and has come down in distance from his primary event more than Rupp has since January and I'm coming up empty.

Citizen Runner wrote:

Ryan Foreman wrote:

I don't get why Rupp doesn't enter more 5Ks. blah blah blah

Help me out here. I'm trying to think of an American male professional runner who has raced more frequently and has come down in distance from his primary event more than Rupp has since January and I'm coming up empty.

Perhaps but that includes only 1 5K. Anyhow, he's got a lot of time left in the summer.

Actually Rupp got 5th at world indoors. Add in his 27:10, and he's having an amazing year. He's been overshadowed by Lagat and Solinsky (and they are deserving), but Rupp is a beast now. We forget this because he has a pampered reputation and has this boy-ish high school look about him. He is really underappreciated. He's a homegrown talent, he works hard, he's tough, he's fast, he trains smart, he improves every year.

It's funny how many guys who aren't within a minute of his 10k pr get idolized on this board, and yet he gets no respect.

seasons just beginning wrote:

Now he's had like 7 weeks of logging in the work. He's basically going to open up his summer season at USAs with a blistering finish then line up against Wheating to see who comes out on top at the PRE mile. Then the real season is on.

Where'd you see him in the PRE mile? Did they release start lists yet?

Python wrote:

seasons just beginning wrote:

Now he's had like 7 weeks of logging in the work. He's basically going to open up his summer season at USAs with a blistering finish then line up against Wheating to see who comes out on top at the PRE mile. Then the real season is on.

Where'd you see him in the PRE mile? Did they release start lists yet?

Actually it is not confirmed, it was eluded to several weeks back but that could all have changed now. They did say that he was not likely to race the 5K at PRE. Again that was an Oregonian article quote by Salazar a few weeks after the Cardinal Invite and since we don't know when the asthma attack happened and how far it set him back it all could have changed. I assume it was just a hiccup that kept him from racing the 5Ks in europe thus far and now he's back on track.

Since it's been a while a sit and kick 10K at USA's followed by a mile PR at PRE would be a nice set up for a 5K in europe, but who knows.

Citizen runner. First of all, please don't quote me that I actually said "blah blah blah". Secondly, I acknowledged that Rupp has come down in distances. I'm just not understanding why he is tending to bi pass the 5K and running either a 10K as he is at USATF or the mile as he apparently is at Pre. Third, I acknowledge Salazar obviously has a plan and is doing this for the right reasons. I'm just saying I don't know why. Also what Salazar may not understand is that people want to see Rupp go up against the competition in the 5K. Part of being a professional is giving people what they want to see.

Citizen Runner wrote:

Ryan Foreman wrote:

I don't get why Rupp doesn't enter more 5Ks. blah blah blah

Help me out here. I'm trying to think of an American male professional runner who has raced more frequently and has come down in distance from his primary event more than Rupp has since January and I'm coming up empty.

Coach D wrote:

It will be about 80F (no that's not a misprint) on the track for the mens 10000. He CANNOT run a fast time under those condtions. Maybe they're afraid to face Chris Solinsky again (who will be doing the 5000 at pre and apparently going for the AR that Lagat just beat him to).

It might make sense if Salazar is setting up a 5000m AR attempt at Stockholm. But Rupp will be cooked for at least a couple of weeks. Maybe they just plan it as a sit-and-kick glorified tempo run since there's nobody entered that can challenge him.

They will be lucky if it cools down to that. The humidity in Iowa has been oppressive all week. I don't predict any fast times in the distances unless a cool front moves in to clear out the heat and humidity.

[quote]Ryan Foreman wrote:

Part of being a professional is giving people what they want to see. [quote]

I never saw that part in the contract. We as fans would PREFER it to be that way, but it is THEIR career and they should be doing what they feel is in their best interest.

Not really wrote:

[quote]Ryan Foreman wrote:

Part of being a professional is giving people what they want to see. [quote]

I never saw that part in the contract. We as fans would PREFER it to be that way, but it is THEIR career and they should be doing what they feel is in their best interest.

With power comes responsibility. Public appeal and favor does increase marketability and salary and vice versa.

Obviously Rupp can choose to do what ever he wants and he'll still be taken care of, but if he came across as not caring about the fans at all he would surely lose some and that is counter productive for the sport for sure.

I don't really think he, Salazar, Knight or Nike would like to do that if they didn't have to.

Perhaps if he just spoke up a bit more and gave some rationale all would be happy. Remember, no fans = no sport in the long run.

I don't disagree with any of what you said; however, marketability and income (read as sponsors) are not necessarily the goal of every athlete.

Would the sport benefit from more charismatic, successful, larger than life heroes? Certainly... but as individuals they are not obligated to climb onto the pedestals we want to put them on... especially when the fall can be so painful.

Well, We're not talking about putting anyone on a pedestal. This is just about entering a certain race. Thats it. But whatever. I'm actually violating the rule I set for myself about Rupp this past winter. Its probably best to let the whole season run its course before drawing any grand conclusions about where he is at as a runner.

Not really wrote:

I don't disagree with any of what you said; however, marketability and income (read as sponsors) are not necessarily the goal of every athlete.

Would the sport benefit from more charismatic, successful, larger than life heroes? Certainly... but as individuals they are not obligated to climb onto the pedestals we want to put them on... especially when the fall can be so painful.

Ryan Foreman wrote:

I'm just not understanding why he is tending to bi pass the 5K and running either a 10K as he is at USATF or the mile as he apparently is at Pre.

The 10k is his primary event. It's a national championship meet. While you might find it more entertaining to watch Lagat outkick Rupp in the 5k it's hard to see the benefit to him. It's not reasonable to expect him to come back and run a fast 5k the following weekend at Pre, but while there's a meet in his backyard he might as well run the mile and work on his finishing speed, but it's no more than a hard workout for him.