meat spin wrote:
it took him how many years to get to 3:46 and it will take him another few years to get back to that level. if he ever does get back to that level. a lot can happen. no need to go crazy over a 3:41.
You are correct in that the times are not impressive in and of themselves. However, you seem to be viewing these times as having occured in some sort of a vacuum- but it's all about the bigger picture. Webb appears to be 100% healthy with a solid strength base under him (again, there's no way AlSal okays the 5k if this weren't the case). Winning a race, especially in the manner in which he did (by blasting a 3:36 guy), is a HUGE confidence boost and is absolutely something to get excited over.
It's a matter of baby steps right now. After the initial "uh, what was that" 1:52 race, this result is a huge step in the right direction, and that is what people are getting excited about. Webb is a class act, and many of us are wishing him well.
I will wholeheartedly disagree with your statement that it will take Webb "years" to get back into world class form. If he is healthy and stays healthy, there's no reason at all that he can't be back into form by next spring.
In summation, I will agree with you that the times were nothing to go crazy about, and he obviously still has a looong way to go. That's just stating the obvious, though. What's important is that Alan's efforts would suggest that he's on his way to getting back into form.