He seems to have an injury every year along with 2 or 3 nagging injuries all the time. I feel like I see a new Ritz injury story every few months on the front page. Has any notable US runner ever been as consistently bogged down as him? Certainly no one with his talent... Thoughts? History Lesson?
He always has weird stuff too. Didn't he have walking pneumonia once? I researched that and it said it was usually only in people with extremely reduced immune systems, like people with AIDS or late stage cancer.
Then his most recent problem was with a wound that wouldn't close. How common is that? Especially in healthy individuals?
His coaching choices have not matched well to his individual circumstances. We'll never know if the kid is durable or not because Wetmore, Hudson and Salazar all fixate on mileage. Like Ritz said in an interview, he realized he'd been overtraining for years. And then of course, Alberto decided to overtrain him too, with the big bold experiment, never bothering to consider that Ritz is far far more talented and tougher than Salazar ever was. A superior racer as well.
If Ritz caps his mileage at 80/week, something closer to what Lagat trains for 12:50 (and what Rupp trained for 27:10) he makes the 2012 10000m team rather easily. US 10000m record might take him two seasons. Hard to say that 27' 10000m shape is not good preparation for a marathon since the two best marathoners in history are both <27 guys.
Lung issues are actually quite common in altitude training, especially for athletes coming up from sea-level. Moreover, it is important to understand that the work of breathing is a far bigger issue for an elite athlete than one of medium talent.
The foot and lower leg troubles are due not just to the excessive volume, but also his talent -- cardiovascular fitness outstripping the physical capacity of bones and soft tissue. Added to this is the overall negative influence of altitude on bone formation.
If you count mental health, Alan Webb is the hands-down winner of all-time most sickly American male distance runner.
No, I'd say I am. I had a bone bruise last year which prevented me from training which turned into a hamstring strain. Then that turned into overcompensation on the other leg which led to messed up tibia. No running just therapy.
On top of that, I had a 4 week long bout with strep throat (first time ever!) in May/June and just yesterday came down with it AGAIN. Plus contracted staph infection on my chest from the gym.
he is DEFINITELY not the most sickly/injury-prone US runner ever.
When injuries happen, sometimes you get into a continued cycle of them because imbalances occur over and over. It's sad because he is one of the best distance runners in the world. Very talented and hard working. It sounds to me like rest would do him best. Instead of cross training like a pro and then going at it in training right away, to take a step back, take it easy on the cross training, maybe do none (heal UP). Then start a slow progression back into running. I think he should take a complete day off a week from running. He has the talent, it sounds like he has some sort of imbalance going on through out the body...causing the lack of recovery and healing. It has to be an emotional turmoil for him, but I do believe he can get back...just rest might be his best option. COMPLETE REST, HEAL!
paypa wrote:
When injuries happen, sometimes you get into a continued cycle of them because imbalances occur over and over. It's sad because he is one of the best distance runners in the world. Very talented and hard working. It sounds to me like rest would do him best. Instead of cross training like a pro and then going at it in training right away, to take a step back, take it easy on the cross training, maybe do none (heal UP). Then start a slow progression back into running. I think he should take a complete day off a week from running. He has the talent, it sounds like he has some sort of imbalance going on through out the body...causing the lack of recovery and healing. It has to be an emotional turmoil for him, but I do believe he can get back...just rest might be his best option. COMPLETE REST, HEAL!
Complete rest is one of the worst things you can do when recovering from an injury. If you do not provide a stress to your body to guide the healing process, you will end up with improperly aligned tissue fibers, scar tissue knots, adhesions, etc. You will also be weak and unprepared for the workload when you do start training again. Cross training and rehab are important parts of the healing process.
Off the top of my head Adam Goucher and German are both pretty much in the same boat. I seem to remember Marc Davis being injuried every year also.
ouch, my foot... wrote:
He seems to have an injury every year along with 2 or 3 nagging injuries all the time. I feel like I see a new Ritz injury story every few months on the front page. Has any notable US runner ever been as consistently bogged down as him? Certainly no one with his talent... Thoughts? History Lesson?
Actually, Ritz seemed to do fairly well under Hudson's training in Oregon... just failed to deliver on race day because he went out to fast. Then, Alberto gets him for a few weeks and sharpens him off Hudson's base, and Ritz runs 12:56, 27:22, and 1:00:00. That may have been his peak, though I sincerely hope not. He should go back to Hudson-style training with lots of threshold stuff and then only take a few weeks to sharpen. Train like a marathoner, but run the 10,000.
Jesus Christ! Way to be as negative as possible! Everyone on this freaking forum is a LOSER of the highest order! Look, at least Ritz has HAD a pro career, riddled through it's been by aches and pains and injuries. Maybe he's just an idiot like you guys and doesn't know how to train - ever think of THAT? Now consider a guy like John Trautmann, who ran like 8 og fockin' 5 for 3K in HIGH SCHOOL and was DONE right after he left GEORGETOWN! INJURIES TOOK HIM OUT! And if you wanna talk "sickly" in addition to injury prone, what about all of the WOMEN Americans who never got anywhere after COLLEGE or even HIGH SCHOOL because they frigging STARVED THEMSELVES?
Why the hell can't ANY of you THINK worth SH|T???
Unaccountably Hostile wrote:
Jesus Christ! Way to be as negative as possible! Everyone on this freaking forum is a LOSER of the highest order! Look, at least Ritz has HAD a pro career, riddled through it's been by aches and pains and injuries. Maybe he's just an idiot like you guys and doesn't know how to train - ever think of THAT? Now consider a guy like John Trautmann, who ran like 8 og fockin' 5 for 3K in HIGH SCHOOL and was DONE right after he left GEORGETOWN! INJURIES TOOK HIM OUT! And if you wanna talk "sickly" in addition to injury prone, what about all of the WOMEN Americans who never got anywhere after COLLEGE or even HIGH SCHOOL because they frigging STARVED THEMSELVES?
Why the hell can't ANY of you THINK worth SH|T???
LOL
Webb is pretty darn injury prone too.
He's basically missed the last two years and even before that he has had several season ending injuries.
Ritz is NOT MORE TALENTED/TOUGH than AlSal!! What could you be thinking?
actually their is proof that time off and resting facilitates emotional recuperation, metabolic restoration and structural repair...Look at most runners, most return better than ever after a long lay off from injury. Dathan is the best we have...if he "isn't healing" or having problems with health, ect. Even with all the cross training and techn. they have in Oregon, then don't you think his body is telling him something? I'm not saying take the whole time off, but a month wont hurt him...but restore the body.
sadly this is most young great runners. The ones that continue to do well are the ones that know how to run smart, not hard. To have proper nutrition...and have consistency.
I would say that we have a huge problem in american distance running. You see way to many runners getting hurt or fatigued from overtraining. Runners having issues with weight because they don't know about proper nutrition and fueling their bodies correctly to run well...Runners who dont know how to recover properly. Sad that so many end up burning out because it isn't working out. We need coaches/athletes/and parents that are smarter on these issues.
He's a little dainty, fragile.
But I can envision him during the winter bundled up in a heavy wool sweater, thick rimmed eye glasses readin' Sherlock Holmes and sippin' hot cocoa...coughin' and hackin' every now and then.
Best Ever wrote:
Ritz is NOT MORE TALENTED/TOUGH than AlSal!! What could you be thinking?
I hope you're being sarcastic.
BeiHall wrote:
No, I'd say I am. I had a bone bruise last year which prevented me from training which turned into a hamstring strain. Then that turned into overcompensation on the other leg which led to messed up tibia. No running just therapy.
On top of that, I had a 4 week long bout with strep throat (first time ever!) in May/June and just yesterday came down with it AGAIN. Plus contracted staph infection on my chest from the gym.
he is DEFINITELY not the most sickly/injury-prone US runner ever.
Thats half of what I had lol. Hammy strains are not fun and if you try to run on them at all it's painful and then every other part of your leg gets effed up.
smanimal wrote:
paypa wrote:When injuries happen, sometimes you get into a continued cycle of them because imbalances occur over and over. It's sad because he is one of the best distance runners in the world. Very talented and hard working. It sounds to me like rest would do him best. Instead of cross training like a pro and then going at it in training right away, to take a step back, take it easy on the cross training, maybe do none (heal UP). Then start a slow progression back into running. I think he should take a complete day off a week from running. He has the talent, it sounds like he has some sort of imbalance going on through out the body...causing the lack of recovery and healing. It has to be an emotional turmoil for him, but I do believe he can get back...just rest might be his best option. COMPLETE REST, HEAL!
Complete rest is one of the worst things you can do when recovering from an injury. If you do not provide a stress to your body to guide the healing process, you will end up with improperly aligned tissue fibers, scar tissue knots, adhesions, etc. You will also be weak and unprepared for the workload when you do start training again. Cross training and rehab are important parts of the healing process.
Yeah. And it sucks because it is really hard to let an injury heal, yet not be too stiff or weak or anything to start over. And starting from scratch isn't really an option.
Infirmary HOF:
Ryun
Liquori
Decker-Slaney
Falcon
Goucher
Davis
Broe
Ritz
Webb