AJ Acosta and Will Leer at Pan Am Games 1500

well theres also the issue of the meet being at altitude, hot and they all went down something like less than a week before the race so unless they took the time to get acclimated to altitude i think that definitely had an effect on them. that being said, i think they should done what sally kipyego did at the kenyan trials and go down a lot earlier to ensure they had time to acclimate. less than a week is just stupid

Looks like Acosta is still racing like a freshman. So much for learning from USA's.

these are 1500 times???? these suck

Pretty sure usatf had an altitude training camp for them at least two weeks prior if not more. Still they stunk it up. If anything the times prove the validity of periodization, you can't just peak in the middle of base building. I wonder what the WR for a 1500m is in the month of October, almost certainly a southern hemisphere runner, right?

LRC Realist wrote:

Looks like Acosta is still racing like a freshman. So much for learning from USA's.

He did beat Sam Vasquez.

Will Leer cannot stay the same.

PAN AMERICAN ARE BIG DEAL. PUT THIS WAY..IT IS THE ONLY IMPORTANT COMPETITION THAT STEVE PREFONTAINE WON IN HIS CAREER. THE TIMES WERE SLOW, BECAUSE OF THE HEAT AND ALTITUDE. ONLY GREAT RUNNERS WINS PAN AM GAMES.

wow that sucks

Lear did not fall he just ran like a 9th grader. AJ did not run much better

Nike who what ever shoe company backs these two should pull all thier funding. If they cannot beat some guy from Peru then they will never ever amount to anything and any money a shoe company spends on them is a waste

2 week altitude camp? How is that going to prepare you to win a competition like Pan Am? That is a joke! Jim Ryun and crew trained for a much longer time in preparation to compete down in Mexico City. This is an example of USATF and poor planning. Granted we may have sent a "B" squad but if the USA is going to send folks to represent the nation then at least do some proper preparation. Why spend the money to send a team and associated athletes and coaches? How hard would it have been to start planning last year to hold a 2-3 month camp in order to ensure a win in some of the distance events?

I just don't think USATF is committed to having a deep pool of successful distance runners. Countries with an organized effort (China for example) don't just blow off regional championships. The Asian Games are a big deal to them and they prepare appropriately. Go big or stay home.

jenapharm wrote:

Lear did not fall he just ran like a 9th grader. AJ did not run much better

Nike who what ever shoe company backs these two should pull all thier funding. If they cannot beat some guy from Peru then they will never ever amount to anything and any money a shoe company spends on them is a waste

Yeah a guy who's finished in the top 5 at USAs for the last 4 years should get zero funding because he bombed one race. makes perfect sense. I bet Nike will be calling you up for advice any day now.

I, along with his old OTC coaches, find Lear to be the nicest of guys, but all he ever does is sit back and try to pick people off at the very, very end of races. I have never seen him stick his nose in it and compete. Then post-event, regrets not having done so, but only until the next race. He should try a different tactic, because this is getting him close, but never on a real team. Unfortunately, his new coach advises the same way.

jenapharm wrote:

Lear did not fall he just ran like a 9th grader. AJ did not run much better

Nike who what ever shoe company backs these two should pull all thier funding. If they cannot beat some guy from Peru then they will never ever amount to anything and any money a shoe company spends on them is a waste

-Leer*

-Nike or which ever*

-their*

The Brojos should pull this post for terrible grammar and spelling.

PizzaGuy wrote:The Brojos should pull this post for terrible grammar and spelling.

Except it's still better grammar or spelling than they have. How do you expect them to identify poor writing when their own 'journalism' is eighth-rate at best?

poor will wrote:

I, along with his old OTC coaches, find Lear to be the nicest of guys, but all he ever does is sit back and try to pick people off at the very, very end of races. I have never seen him stick his nose in it and compete. Then post-event, regrets not having done so, but only until the next race. He should try a different tactic, because this is getting him close, but never on a real team. Unfortunately, his new coach advises the same way.

Yeah outkicking the likes of Alan Webb, Chris Lukezic, Matt Centrowitz, and Matt Tegenkamp. What a loser. Beating guys with faster PRs? For shame. If only he ran from the front, everyone else could sit and kick on him, and he could go home knowing he "gave his best." He should really man up and run like you do, what with all the success you've had (and your impeccable courage for posting anonymously on LetsRun).

The times were slow not only because of the altitude but because they made it a kicker's race. Also, it is freaking almost november!! Most of these guys have been training for track since last december. Most south americans peak for these type of competitions. Acosta and Vazquez had to peak for indoors and outdoors as well. I think it was a good race with not so good times.

Marauder44 wrote:

2 week altitude camp? How is that going to prepare you to win a competition like Pan Am? That is a joke! Jim Ryun and crew trained for a much longer time in preparation to compete down in Mexico City. This is an example of USATF and poor planning.

Leer and Acosta didn't go to Colorado Springs. We were shown research data that all it takes is 2 weeks to adapt to the high altitude. From personal experience, I believe it takes longer.

if i kept getting spanked like this, i would try something different.

1500 runners aren't very bright.

just time trial the thing... go for it. you are obviously not going to win this way.

Good to see some of our "JV" athletes getting much needed international experience. :)