I agree with so much Kieth Stone has said here, especially the comments concerning the negativity on the board. I don't care how old I get, but I see a 2:18 guy and as far as I'm concerned I see a glow form around him and begin to hear choir's sing. There is not a real runner on here that can't appreciate the amount of mileage, effort, sacrafice and dedication that went into that effort. 5:16 pace ... wow ... there were times I was pretty happy when I put that effort out for 8k. And the real athletes and coaches understand that anyone who derides that performance should have their IP address banned. A little punishment can go a long way.
Their is a flip side though, and I can understand why the legends on this board can become discouraged with the rather common sentiment that the current crop of athletes "have it harder". I mean, c'mon ... really, are you serious? I'm far from a Pre-lover, but his example is best used because it is best known; he lived out of a trailer (and it wasn't even a double wide ;)). How many of the current crop of athletes would live out of a trailer? Let's even forget that .... how many would give up their cell phone account, or their cable bill? I certainly believe that athletes who lived and trained from 1970-1988 (aka "The Collapse") had a different attitude. In order to chase the dream, they lived Spartan lifestyles so that they could put in the necessary work, which for many of them was volume that exceeded 120 miles/week. You just don't see that kind of mileage any more. I do see sauna's, altitude tents, etc, etc ... all so you can do less mileage? C'mon, read the old logs, sleep in a real bed, and get out an RUN!
Yes, I would say that the one fact that does effect the current group is college cost, but that remains a choice. I teach and coach in New England; local State colleges can still get you out of school for a resonable amount of money, although most still cost relatively more than the 70's. Paying the $50,000+ a year to go to Williams or Amherst may certainly leave you in debt, but that is a choice you make, often times chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. To whine that it leaves you no opportunity to train for the Olympics afterwards rings hollow, and deserves the snide comments from dedicated athletes from the past. And if you paid $50,000+ to go to Western New England ... well then, you're just a moron and you shouldn't have been allowed to go to college in the first place. These low rated but expensive private colleges aren't worth the money, but that's for another discussion.
The whole self-fullfillment thing is key. When Malmo decided to give the Olympics his best shot after he left PSU, did some outside force provide him with a guarantee for success? Certainly not. Hodgie-San? Rodgers? Meyers? And the host of other guys? Did they have great financial backing? They all made sacrafices, many lived in lousy apartments, and did mileage we no longer see. They gave it their best shot, and a very high percentage fell short but at least know they came close to giving it their best effort. When they finally find a thread that isn't on the edge of stupidity or thoroughly immature, they certainly don't want click on it and find from some potential talent whining about how easy it was for them "back in the day." Would anyone?