Hadd has passed away

Was that his real name?

Sad news. Hadd was a major contributor to Letsrun train talk. His methods were long slow very easy running with long build up. Similar to Ed Whitlock. Pros it works. Cons you need A LOT of time training. It is not the working man's plan. We will be remembered.

So sad.

Here is a Hadd thread form 2002:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=42240&page=0

But fortunate to have died while still capable in mind and body.

A athlete's death. Too soon but better than rotting away in some nursing home.

My judgement only. Not trying to lay this on others.

Never the less... Sad.

I loved his philosophy and his obvious passion for the sport.

Sad indeed. My sincere condolences to his wife, family and friends.

Hadd was a great and selfless man. I had the great fortune of having him coach me to my lifetime marathon PR at age 48. But the lesson of his selflessness, giving me unlimited coaching and encouragement without charge, was even more instructive than the coaching itself.

I knew the name but not the man. Ask Kellogg or Renato or Hadd was the general consensus when you needed to know something. Sad to know his knowledge and enthusiasm won't be shared by him any longer.

For sure, John "Hadd" Walsh will be missed by many people. As a coach, his contributions and his adeptness were profound.

To his family: May the memories of John be happy for you and overshadow his passing.

Interesting, as Antonio Cabral always though Hadd was actually John Kellogg.

Folks, I had the pleasure of meeting "Hadd" and hosting him at my home. As I said before, he coached me (and many others who either frequent or used to frequent these boards) for several years (again, free of charge). I can assure you that John Walsh was in fact "Hadd."

TC,

Awful news for you and the "Hadd" gang. My condolences.

He helped me too - a privileged few of us had him help us, coach us and teach us. He was a gentleman and had a huge impact on our running and our lives.

This is such sad news. I'm finding it hard to process. Shocking and tragic.

This news has ruined my weekend.

John Walsh was a great guy, ridiculously generous with his knowledge and time.

I hope when my time comes it will be while doing what I love the most, as has been his final fate.

RIP "Hadd" you'll be missed

Deeply saddened by this….

I would have never thought that someone who I “met” on a message board and only in person a couple of times could have such a profound impact... not just in the news of his death, but rather in the positive influence he gave me.

His character was remarkable. He was incredibly giving of his time, effort, and expertise to the extent that anyone who would ask him a favor would think twice because he would do anything to help a person out.

He was flat-out hilarious. He viewed life through a very insightful lens. This along with his quick wit and his extraordinary communication skills made for a rich brand of humor. I am not sure that this aspect of his personality came through much on the Letsrun boards. Here he was usually engaged in training discussions, which he was very serious about with his intent to help others reach their goals.

He was also an incredibly humble person, and this humility drove him to be intensely private... he did not want any notoriety or public credit. He also commanded respect. Hadd probably met / corresponded / coached 30-40 people who knew his real name, yet no one ever “outed” him... I think that says something.

Of course, running... particularly coaching... was of extreme importance to him. He didn’t need to jump and down and make a big spectacle of it, yet his comprehesive passion and knowledge came through loud and clear from all the way on the other side of the globe. I can understand the generalization often made that he was big on “easy” distance... Yes, that is one item that shouldn’t be neglected for a serious distance runner, and there are certain principles that you can’t get around. Yet, as we all know there are a lot of factors that impact training and performance... what event is one training for, how much time until the goal race, one’s predisposition to certain injuries, other factors in life, etc etc... it all plays into it. He didn’t like prescribing a regimen going more than a couple of weeks out. He also prescribed workouts that were very fast / tough. So, to say he was all about distance is perhaps a little too much of a sweeping generalization. He was 100% old-school coach that learned through experience, and he was at the same time 100% scientific coach that was extremely well versed in all the “whys” and “hows” of physiology. He was a very gifted individual and he used it to further distance running. In my mind, I think he was one of the greatest... there is no doubt to me that he could squeeze the most out of any one’s talent (if the runner was inclined to see what they could do). He would freak if he knew I said this on Letsrun and would quickly cite other coaches who've coached gold-medalists, etc. etc.

Running and coaching were the platforms through which his surpassing love for others was displayed. He was amazing in the way that to just observe him doing what he did made you reconsider what you were doing with your life. I am kind of ashamed in that my investment in others is weak in comparison to John’s, yet I know that even from beyond life he would still be encouraging me (or anyone) that they can do it... become the person they want to be...

Beyond the personal loss of those who knew him, the running community, and even the world lost a treasure that it did not know it had. He was extraordinary, and he never disappointed. I suppose it could be seen as ironic in some regards that he passed so young, yet alternatively, it is ironic that although he died so young, he lived a life of rich experience that 100s of people summed together won’t.

Thanks for everything, Hadd. Thanks for sharing so much... was blessed to know you. I wish I had been more persuasive to get you to write that book. I will forever regret that, and I am sorry that I feel I let you down there...

John Walsh, I’ll miss you.

My heartfelt condolences to his wife, Carol, who he loved wayyyy more than anything.

I am in shock to be honest. Guys (TC, Pants, Pete, JEH and others), I share all the great things you've said about Hadd. He was a giver and his knowledge of the physiology of training was remarkable.

Those of us who were coached privately by Hadd know that there was SOOOOOO much more to his knowledge than was made available on Letsrun.

Perhaps it is time we begin to share some of this great insight with others if they ask. I'll let the group decide about that. I know I have personally applied his methods to both me and several of the folks I have coached for several years with amazing results. It will always remain at the core of how I coach.

Thanks Hadd.

RIP

Danm

I was really saddened to hear the news about Hadd's passing this morning.

He coached me via from 2003 to 2007. I'll always remember our correspondence with great fondness. He was exceedingly generous with his time and knowledge.

My thoughts are with his wife, Carol.

-CD

This is horrible news...sorry to all...a huge loss to that circle of humanity....