Matt Tegenkamp missed a week of running and will not be running 2013 World Cross Country

I used to be a big Teg fan. No longer.

remember zatopek effect, runner forced to stop training do to illness or injury and runs great immediately after.

i think MOST top americans race so infrequently, if everything does not go perfect in training, they have no confidence.

take a runner who races frequently, example yuki kawauchi, if his training is interrupted he races anyway, he may surprise himself and do well, if not there is always another race next week or in 2 or 3 or 4 weeks, and people will forget the bad race as soon as a good result happens.

Hmm , I guess its just the attitude , I can remember back in the day , a certain female runner who missed running 10 days , swam in the pool and then ran a marathon winning Olympic gold.

If we tied the money they get from USATF to mandatory running in USA championships and in world championships as in the world cross , a standard deduction should be taken from their stipend with the exception of injury.

There is no accountability in the process , it leaves good runners sitting home.

Regardless on how Teg dropped out, this is a great opportunity for an up and coming runner like Strang to make some noise and get some international experience before the outdoor season.

I used to be a big Teg fan. No longer

You are pathetic - who needs fans like you? An athlete has priorities and World Cross is not near as important as an opportunity to make another World Track and Field Championship (probably his last chance). He has to have everything go really well in the next 8-10 weeks to have a shot. World XC is just not as important. If there is a problem with the hip, xc is not a good idea. Us coaches and athletes have to make tough decisions (unlike some of these posters who don't have a clue)

Look at Lagat, he's like 38.

Yeah because Teg actually has integrity and isn't a dirty drugs cheat who tested positive for EPO.

Yeah because Teg actually has integrity and isn't a dirty drugs cheat who tested positive for EPO.[/quote]

Ahhhh I see what you did there. You based your argument on bullsh*t. All of a sudden I feel like I agree with your opinions!

funny wrote:

An athlete has priorities and World Cross is not near as important as an opportunity to make another World Track and Field Championship (probably his last chance).

Why is WC more important than WXC for guys like Teg and Ritz? Both of these guys have ZERO chance of medaling on the track but could possibly earn a team medal in XC.

Can I take one of their places? I took 3 days off after my base training, and I'm 53, but I'll run!

"A true Runner ran even when he didn't feel like it, and raced when he was suppose to, without excuses and with nothing held back. He ran to win and would die in the process,running to him was real, the way he did it the realest thing he knew...hard as diamond,it made him weary beyond comprehension, but it also made him free." -Once a Runner

I can understand the need to skip world XC due to legitimate injury. My biggest problem with Teg however is just his overall attitude, he clearly has lost the fire to compete and sounds as if he is ready to retire. The excuses and constant talk of being "so old" are very tiresome to hear. If he's ready to retire then fine, I certainly can respect him hanging it up if he no longer has the desire, life is too short to do something you don't want to do. The excuses however and defeatest old age attitude is really what bugs me as you can see it clearly affecting his performances

Teg has a bad attitude? Do you know him? Are you training with him? Quit making judgements on someone who has been totally dedicated to the sport since the late 90's - he has made every 2 Oly teams and every WC team in T & F since 2007 and also World Junior XC team (took 5th) - maybe doesn't have the talent to win the big championships, but you can't question his desire and dedication and consistency!!! Get a life

I may be the only one that feels this way, but I don't blame Teg one bit at all for pulling out. No, 31 years of age is not old but after almost 20 years of competitive running Teg is a veteran. Again, he's a few years off 20 years of high level running and knows the importance of being careful. Injuries become harder to recovery from as you get older; why risk an entire season by running a race you know you have no chance of doing well in?

If it don't make cents, it don't make sense.

Ahhhh I see what you did there. You based your argument on bullsh*t. All of a sudden I feel like I agree with your opinions!

It isn't BS that Lagat the cheater tested positive for EPO!

Galen Rupp Number on Fan wrote:

Ahhhh I see what you did there. You based your argument on bullsh*t. All of a sudden I feel like I agree with your opinions!

It isn't BS that Lagat the cheater tested positive for EPO!

It's also not BS that his sample in 2003 wasn't handled properly!

It's also not BS that Lagat the honest, clean competitor was cleared with a negative B test.

I don't think less of Teg. I did wonder why he ran the 5000,indoors. I did not think he would be able to get the qualifier like Derrick did. It is too bad he will miss the WC.

wXC is not that big of a race anymore. Even the Kenyan team does not incluse the big names. I hope Derick and Levins do well and i will be psyched if they do. However, IAAf needs to get XC in the Olympics in instead of the 10000. Otherwise, the event will continue to lose relevance.

Good Luck to Teg as he tries to make it back to 100% health and gets ready for a big 10k in the coming weeks!

metrosexual is gay wrote:

funny wrote:

An athlete has priorities and World Cross is not near as important as an opportunity to make another World Track and Field Championship (probably his last chance).

Why is WC more important than WXC for guys like Teg and Ritz? Both of these guys have ZERO chance of medaling on the track but could possibly earn a team medal in XC.

I wondered the same thing.