Tom McArdle - 2nd coming of Bob Kempainen?

Is Tom heading to medical school or something?

Buddha wrote:

What does everyone think about this cat. I read the log and see the results. He has run impressive track times, competed well and performed at nc's (no wins yet though). Can he make the jump to the next level after college? 27:45 and 2:11? I have heard from insiders that a few shoe companies already have sized him up at the $25-35K level and more if he can win nc's. Similar to a Ryan Shay. Loads of talent, love for the mileage and untapped potential coming from a small school without others at his level...

Any NCAA predictions for McArdle?

He's shown no ability to place high in a tactical race (championship race). I doubt they're going to throw him $35000. Perhaps you are from Dartmouth and trying to pump him up.

The guy works hard, but has been plagued with injury recently. I still reckon a top 10 finish though.

The guy needs to get some wheels. That's why he can't win tactical races. He will never win a big time race until he does one of the following:

1. get some wheels

2. grows a sac and hammers from the start to finish, instead of sitting behind front runners like at the Mt. SAC Relays last spring and sitting behind Shay at NCAA's.

Was Kempainen's form that bad?

I don't know if he's still in the hypoxic tent, but he's

running PB's on all his training loops right now. His ham

was bad, and his 800's seemed slower, but I think his

strength has really moved forward.

Hell of a human being.

Buddha,I am a big fan of this guy also.I see 27:10 and sub2:10 in his future.(As long as he stays healthy,of course).Love to see the progression year after year.

bob kempainen was always trying to look like me. semi mullet. tough to pull off unless wearing hockey helmet.

Another ignorant fool on the message board. You obviously weren't there at the Terrier classic last winter when McArdle grabbed the 5k race by the throat just after the 3k mark. Stormed by Hauser, took the lead and stretched it out before Hauser blew him away with a 26-point last 200. The crowd went apeshit when Tom made his move, like everyone there went "Whoa!" at the same moment. What had been just another fast 5k on the BU speedway became something else entirely. Extremely entertaining, especially the looks on the Farm Teamer's faces who were watching on the backstretch.

No wheels? Maybe. But don't presume to say the kid has no guts, or "sac" or whatever stupid macho quality you prize so much. He has it in abundance.

Very good comparison by the way.

People seem to forget how good Kempaninen was in his brief hayday. That's probably the reason; too brief. Kind of hard to become a doctor and keep up that kind of elite level training.

McArdle has similar talent, and with the way America's marathoners are racing these days, he might have the competition to push himself to greater things. When Bob ran 2:12, it was talked about as a good time. Now, Meb runs 2:12 and all anyone can talk about is how he choked the last 10K.

McArdle will run 2:08 if he stays healthy and actually tries a couple marathons.

Did you not read the post above about the Terrier meet last year?

Hey Sandbagger, I hope you enter a 10k and knock 52 seconds off your PR, run the fastest time in the USA for that point in the 2002 season, and have someone tell you to "grow a nutsack".

Everyone is a critic on this board.

McArdle is great and all but he's more like the second coming of Ted FitzGibbons.

No shit. You'd think everyone here was an Olympic Gold Medalist who got that way with hard work alone and no talent.

McArdle runs 28:18 by going with some others Mexican runners who were out of his league heading into that race, and people tell him he has no balls. Man! Wish I had no balls like that.

What you're describing isn't "having sac", it's racing dumb. Newsflash: There are alternative ways to winning a race when you don't have a kick other than "leading from the gun".

There's a reason you used the word "work" to describe your definition of "having sac". Putting in more effort early does not equate having balls.

-kk

If Tom reads this or anyone else on his team, good luck at regionals and nationls

Tom,

Has anyone from Hanson's contacted you yet? When I look at your work ethic and the Hanson Program I think it is a can't miss. Good Luck at Nationals. I think could be the next great marathoner and I can't think of a better tutor than Clint Verran and the Hansons. If they haven't got a hold of you yet then they are missing the boat. I am going to e-mail Kevin right now and see if I can get a response. Keep your training log coming it is a motivator for all of us has-beens as well as the youngsters.

Robert Fidler

"What you're describing isn't "having sac", it's racing dumb."

Yeah, typical American ideology here..."look at us, we are sooo smart. We are going to beat the Africans and the rest of the world...by racing smarter than them!"

Not racing to your potential and holding back because you are too afraid of taking a risk is puss.

I'd rather race "dumb" and show some balls and give it my best, than sit behind someone and not push myself to the max.

You think he could have run faster than 28:18? You think he was sitting there taking it easy? He went out in something like 14:04 right? If you were him, you would go out in 14:04 and decide that it was too slow even though you are racing a minute faster than your PR? I doubt it. If the race went out in 15 min pace, he would have led.