Lauren Fleshman Taking 2013 off

Just read her blog for the first time, wow her blog reads like a 7 year old. Grow up girl.

Good Lord, the butthurt is strong in this thread.

She is prego now...

I have read part of the blog and thought it was interesting, but thought it was a bit too "cute" or "cutesy" in terms of the writing style.

She's an opportunist, nothing else. Not saying that it's right or wrong but just calling it as it truly is. She will never be a great runner. Do you knuckleheads understand the difference between the field in her 7the place finish versus an Olympic field? Apparently not. The marathon was a platform to advertise her picky bars and nothing else. Get a clue already!

Why so much hate?

That is an insult to 7-year-olds.

alejandro wrote:

Why so much hate?

Indeed.

Every single negative post on this thread is from a loser or a creep.

She's a nice person. She runs. She started a few businesses. Good on her.

It's America.

Celebrate her. She's done nothing to earn any of this idiot negativity here.

there's a history here; Fleshman has rubbed people the wrong way in the past (me included!)-

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4650420

in which she implictly put her competitors down as less tough than herself. Not saying she did it on purpose, but she might be a bit self-absorbed, grandiose, and not really have the credentials to back it up.

I disagree with an earlier hypothesis that people are jealous of her because they've worked really hard and have not gotten nearly as far and delude themselves into thinking they'd be wiser and better in her shoes. This is going to be impossible to prove, but I think Fleshman reminds us (the haters) of people who annoyed us on cross country teams in the past. she reminds me of the people, generally girls, who were always really peppy about running, always doing a million things to prevent injury like rolling and static stretching and that all which struck me as pointless, and then, whenever it counted, always seemed to be injured with something or other. They'd show up to the meets! Cheering on the sidelines! Never mind that five months ago they were nagging you about not rolling, or not stretching, or not being serious enough about the team because you didn't show up to team discussions and team movie nights- anyway. maybe that's just me.

Whereas Andy Wheating annoys people beacuse he seems like the super cocky, talented soccer player who shows up one season and absolutely kills it and then always finds excuses for why he blows it in races. THAT is closer to jealousy. With Fleshman, she's just kind of annoying.

And for real, let's not even start down the road of ivy-league/other top academic school athletes showing a truly baffling lack of English fluency. Too many potential targets.

D.C. runner wrote:

maybe that's just me.

Yep.

try to say 'sheep poop' 1,000 times fast

also i agree w u

It's incredible how the internet's anonymity promotes stupid, immature and jealous comments from people. Do you ever consider that the running community is extremely small, and is always in danger of being marginalized? Why would you hate on the successful runners? Knocking them down does not necessarily translate into your gain. It might just mean a further decrease in the public consciousness of running as a viable sport to follow, and thus an even smaller advertising budget by the big companies that provide endorsement support for folks.

Yes, Lauren Fleshman may grate on some people. And perhaps she doesn't use correct grammar on her blog. And, yes, she has for sure forged a stronger brand and identity for herself as an athlete than many who have more medals than she. However, she's managed to do this via smarts and personality. Oh, and some small accomplishments as well, such as multiple NCAA, national, and Diamond League titles.

So drop the hating. Try doing something positive and useful with yourself. Or were you the types in high school who bullied others and dumped them in trash cans, just because you were young, and stupid, and because people can't fight back?

Why do we have to be so positive. Why do we have to support them? Look in other professional sports athletes get critized by average joe's all the time and nobody says anything about them. It's just how it is. If you want the spotlight of being a professional you have to take the criticism as well. I won't hold back just because she is a runner. I play basketball too, should I not call out Lebron James for being a punk?

The logic on this board is incredibly inept.

Hate? I don't think so, this poster nailed it and never said anything about hating her. Don't sugar coat it, NYC was for marketing her picky bars, plain and simple.

dartmoth graduate wrote:

Good Lord, the butthurt is strong in this thread.

It's really hilarious to read all these jealous cowards who can't stand her because she's smarter, faster and more famous than they'll ever be. And the only way they know to vent their anger, frustration, and as you said, "butt hurt," is to whine incessantly and anonymously here at LRC in some vain attempt to sound morally superior. It's so predictably pathetic. She was seventh at worlds less than a year and a half ago; has won numerous national championships; has a masters from Stanford; a sub-15:00 5k; a successful business and marriage with a baby on the way. Oh, and she's way hotter than anyone that these guys could ever hope to date, let alone marry. Reading these jerks' "opinions" is like delving into the mind of a serial date-rapist. It's all there in black-and-white. Psychology 101.

ps--It's not difficult to figure out how her "break-up" with Nike went down: She told her agent that she wanted to have a baby this coming year. Her agent advised her that Nike would almost certainly not support her through another year on the sidelines. She then likely said, "Well, why don't you find out, that's what I pay you for, right?" He asked, and Nike said, "We wish her all the best, but if she wants to have a kid in 2013, we'll have to let her go." The agent went back to Fleshman with Nike's answer, and she said, "Fine. I'm having a kid anyway; so I guess Nike and I are parting ways then." Perhaps it's likely that Nike was going to reduce their level of support anyway. Who knows? She's also probably well aware that she may have seen her best days as a professional runner. So she's having a baby now. Why wait? If she's really done as a professional runner, she's got more to fall back on than anyone else I can think of.

No, most posters are stating facts, orbithomo, unlike you.

How it went down with Nike? She's on a downhill slide and they let her go, period. All of your theories are BS. Funny how they didn't do that to Goucher when she had a baby, right? That alone proves your "opinion" is wrong.

She's simply NOT that good. 15:09 and 7th place in the World's doesn't cut it. By the way, at least 3 americans who chose not to run that event are faster than her. So what does that tell ya?

Jerks "opinions"? Kinda like yours, right?

7th? She got blown away with just over a lap to go losing about 13 seconds to the leader.

Get your facts straight, please!

Hotter than what? No, she's cute, not HOT! You must live in your basement orbithomo and never got out in the real world.

When is she moving back home to L.A. to be with her people?

Stupid says what???? wrote:

No, most posters are stating facts, orbithomo, unlike you.

How it went down with Nike? She's on a downhill slide and they let her go, period. All of your theories are BS. Funny how they didn't do that to Goucher when she had a baby, right? That alone proves your "opinion" is wrong.

She's simply NOT that good. 15:09 and 7th place in the World's doesn't cut it. By the way, at least 3 americans who chose not to run that event are faster than her. So what does that tell ya?

Jerks "opinions"? Kinda like yours, right?

7th? She got blown away with just over a lap to go losing about 13 seconds to the leader.

Get your facts straight, please!

Hotter than what? No, she's cute, not HOT! You must live in your basement orbithomo and never got out in the real world.

She got 7th at worlds off of like 4 months of running while on the comeback trail from an injury. she seems to always be on the comeback trail but still. I doubt anyone else in that final at worlds was in that position.

In response to your post. FAIL. You "doubt", but you don't know. 4 months of training...sure:):):):) Off you go now.