Webb Not at World Cross?

are you quite new to the sport of running?

no... why? Webb made the team and then declined his spot. I know he was hoping to get a spot on the 4k through attition, but since that didn't happen, I'm surprised he gave up the 12k spot. Maybe you can answer my question now?

Men's 12k team:

Bob Kennedy

Abdi Abdirahman

Dave Davis

Richard Brinker

Josh Eberly

Nolan Swanson

Here's a suggestion. Set up a very specific block of training for this week that would prepare you to run your best 1500M performance in the Summer. Then, find a narrow chair that has very little leg room and sit in it for about 7 hours. Then get out of the chair and try to run a good workout. Next, don't go to bed at your usual hour. Set the lights in your room to go on about 6-7 hours off of your normal sleep cycle and sleep on that schedule for the next couple of days. Also go out and eat all your meals at a hotel or restaurant this week. Then on Saturday go out and run an all out 12kXC. After it's done warm down briefly and then go sit in that narrow chair for another 7 hours and try to get back on your regular sleep schedule. Let us all know how well your following week's training goes.

this point is taken but on the opposite side- would a Kenyan athlete who made the world cross country team be allowed/even think about not taking their spot once selected? I just say this from reading the article on their national trials a little while ago. At least now we cant complain about how shitty the US showing might be at the world xc champs if top athletes dont go. btw i think they should only have one race at world champs anyway- enough dilution of the competiton- they dont have 2 races at NCAA for example.

Webb is a wuss, dick, he is going bald, and has buck teeth. I will never have respect for him after he dropped out of Mich.

Face it, the only reason we talk about him is cause he had a good race in high school,this year he did decent in 3 xc races (probably because the majority of guys he was racing against were those who had a real 9-5 job, and run on the side without being paid).

He did shit in college, couldn't work hard enough, and now goes to some shit community college, he's a momma boy who still lives close to his cozy webb community. While the rest of us with far less talent are busting our asses in a real college balancing out running and academics.

If he is such a great runner and a pro he should be able to fly 8 hours in a small seat like the rest of the athletes running from other countries, he earned his spot in the 12k, but he doesn't have the back-bone to go out there and lose. He has absolutly no ground to fall back on.

Bye Bye Webby

loser

I agree Webb is a loser!

Flying Bohemian wrote:

I will never have respect for him after he dropped out of Mich.

...this year he did decent in 3 xc races (probably because the majority of guys he was racing against were those who had a real 9-5 job, and run on the side without being paid).

He did shit in college, couldn't work hard enough, and now goes to some shit community college

....the rest of us with far less talent are busting our asses in a real college balancing out running and academics.

If you dislike him for the reasons above, then you better change your opinion. You're wrong on all counts.

Webb beat plenty of full time professional runners, such as Lincoln, Abdi and Riley.

As far as his work ethic, it was VERY well documented that he worked his tail off at U-M and was usually the first one to practice and the last one to leave....by an hour, no less. He was even criticized for going too hard.

Webb is also earning a high GPA at George Mason, which is not some community college. It's a good school with a great economics department....which is what he's studying. Read below if you are in denial.

"Smith and his colleagues were impressed with the emphasis on market-oriented economics at George Mason and the Mercatus Center.

The lab has also worked with the Australian government on privatization issues, developed market designs for the Arizona stock exchange, and designed an electronic market for water in California. Smith also worked with former New Zealand Cabinet Minister and Mercatus Center Distinguished Visiting Scholar Maurice McTigue during the 1980's when the country was designing its market reforms.

In addition to Smith, two professors from Arizona's Economics Department, Kevin A. McCabe and Daniel E. Houser, and four associated faculty members now working as research scholars at the Economic Sciences Laboratory, will move to George Mason.

George Mason University is home to many leading market-oriented scholars, including Nobel Laureate James Buchanan, Chairman of the Economics Department Walter Williams, and Economists Gordon Tullock and Wendy Gramm, director of the Mercatus Center's Regulatory Studies Program."

i wasn't talking about Webb, just the losers who criticise him.

i wouldn't call it a horrible move to not go, but i don't think it would've been this terribly uncomfortable horrible experience for webb either. he is a pretty young guy who would probably bounce back pretty quickly from a trip like that and he probably would've had a lot of fun plus gained a little international experience. you think it's best to learn how to adjust to a trip like that if/when he heads to athens later this summer? now i know running isn't all about fun... but it was good to see webb smiling after races at winter xc nationals. if he's enjoying what he's doing on the track, he'll at least come close to everyone's ridiculous expectations.

try this... don't give me that. The Trials aren't until July and the Olympics until the end of August. Flying halfway across the World to run a 12k and then come back is not goint to hurt him. How much do you want to bet that Bob and Abdi go 1-2 in the 10k in July?

Listen, you obviously have never been in the position that Alan has been, because if you have, and you went to Brussels, you would know that there are nothing but good things to come of it. If nothing else to learn something from BK and to see what International competition is really like... something he hasn't dealt with save 2 Prefontaine meets. Again, I repeat, try this, you really don't have a clue having never gone to World Cross. It doesn't take that much out of you to fly somewhere, run a 12k for your country, and fly back. Especially when its March and you don't peak until July.

The flying bohemian brings up a lot of good points,Webb pooped out of Mich real quick.

Don't try to turn the argument around in relation to academic choices, Webb has admitted that he worked better with his hs caoch, trust me he didn't leave mich because of academics (cause mich has a much better academic reputation than where ever the hell he is going now).

I can think of a ton of schools with better economic programs than where he is going now such as Bentley and Babson. But Webb didn't go to these schools because #1 he wasn't mature enough to leave home and his sheltered life and #2 he just aint smart enough.

The flying bohemian is also right about Webbs "sucess" in xc, most of those guys out there running in these races don't have the luxury of being sponsored, or laying around home (don't even mention Webbs classes b/c he probably only takes 6 credits, hahaha).

Real men like Lincoln who have actualy stuck in a very difficult school and have a real future get my respect not Webb, Webb better be whopping guys like Lincoln.

Hey Webb you are a loser because you can't represent when the pressure is on!

You're nuts if you think that running at 12k at World Cross would in any way help him at this point. He was hoping a 4k spot would open up, it didn't...c'est la vie

stick a fork in him

Luke wrote:

You're nuts if you think that running at 12k at World Cross would in any way help him at this point. He was hoping a 4k spot would open up, it didn't...c'est la vie

Explain why not.

let's see if i can follow your logic.

bob and abdi are training for the 10k at the OTs.

bob and abdi are going to compete at world xc in the 12k.

competing at world xc in the 12k will help bob and abdi run faster at the OTs in the 10k.

THEREFORE, competing at world xc in the 12k will help alan webb run faster at the OTs in the 1500m.

something seems wrong here.

I think Webb's year so far is going great....and have always been a huge supporter of every decision he has made. In this case though, I would've liked to see him compete. Even so, I don't doubt for a second that he's doing what he believes is best for this summer.

Marty McSorley wrote:

let's see if i can follow your logic.

bob and abdi are training for the 10k at the OTs.

bob and abdi are going to compete at world xc in the 12k.

competing at world xc in the 12k will help bob and abdi run faster at the OTs in the 10k.

THEREFORE, competing at world xc in the 12k will help alan webb run faster at the OTs in the 1500m.

something seems wrong here.

I don't begrudge Webb the choice of declining but it didn't seem to affect the likes of John Walker and Steve Ovett.

100% agree with Marty on this one. Going to the big-time meets is great for "experience" and all, but to try and run out of your element and out of your periodization (cycle, meso-mirco-macro-cycle, whatever) is just not smart business.