What do elites really think of Letsrun?

You get a little bit of everything on here and that's good us for us running-obsessed junkies. I do wish that some of the training threads would get more contributions but I don't want to see any major changes to LetsRun.

re: "I do wish that some of the training threads would get more contributions"

There are tons of running threads, on just about every topic, that have been discussed to death. After you've been coming to the boards for a while these types of threads are very boring/repetitive...that's why there's a thread of good threads. Every time even something slightly new comes up about training, the threads quickly take off... e.g. the many Canova threads over the last few years.

I love the wild west style of the boards. The big reason I come here is for procrastination and there's nothing better than wading through seemingly random, quasi-intellectual or just plain BS/troll threads. You can start a thread on just about any topic and you will likely get some knowledgeable responders (seems like teachers, grad students and PhDs are well represented here). Trolls play an important function in this ecosystem, keeping things 'fresh' and devouring the detritus. If your upset, that your posts is overwhelmed by immature name calling, keep in mind they're bumping you up to the top of the boards.

I think the elites are more like "This is gonna hurt but I'm looking anyway." I'd be more concerned with family and friends of these athletes reading the stuff written about them. People say some pretty crappy things under cover of anonymity.

coach d wrote:

Kara Goucher wrote an email to Wejo (I think) about the coverage on the FRONT page. It had nothing to do with what is posted on the message board.

Dude, the message board is the ONLY good thing about LR.

Current elite. Most of you don't like me but I'm who you dream to be.

800m 1:50.00 Palo Alto (USA) 02.05.2009

800m ind. 1:50.64 Seattle (USA) 06.03.2010

1500m 3:34.75 Los Angeles (USA) 18.05.2012

1500m ind. 3:43.39 Istanbul (TUR) 09.03.2012

Mile 3:57.72 Eugene (USA) 03.07.2010

Mile ind. 3:50.92 Boston (USA) 26.01.2013

3000m 7:43.24 London (GBR) 13.08.2010

3000m ind. 7:30.16 Stockholm (SWE) 21.02.2013

2 Miles ind. 8:09.72 Fayetteville (USA) 11.02.2012

5000m 12:58.90 Eugene (USA) 02.06.2012

5000m ind. 13:11.44 Birmingham (GBR) 19.02.2011

10,000m 26:48.00 Bruxelles (BEL) 16.09.2011

5 km Road 13:39 San José (USA) 25.11.2010

Half Marathon 1:00:30 New York (USA) 20.03.2011

Rupp86 wrote: I'm so special.

I want to live a natural, long life. I'll pass on all the special equipment and vitamins to be someone like you. It didn't work for Michael Jackson, it isn't going to work for you.

That never happened.

RE: What do elites really think of Letsrun?

What do they think of us hobby joggers?

Not much.

Is an elite runner the same as a pro runner? Or does the hierarchy go walker, speed walker, jogger, runner, college runner, amateur runner, pro runner then elite runner? Or is elite/pro essentially the same type of runner.

The elite runner's opinion is what really matters here.

Elites are the runners we know about. There are pros worse than college runners.

current or former elite runner?

Former college and post-collegiate athlete.

Ran for the Farm Team and other groups.

do you stop by here often?

Everyday.

Rarely Post on running things.

Post anonymously.

Rarely critical of athletes and their performances.

Except Lance Armstrong.

what do you think of this message board?

I mostly read the non-running posts.

Some things are enlightening.

Some people's opinions are very uninformed

Other times you know a poster "gets it"

A Duck wrote:

I hung out with some Aussie elites a few days before the Payton Jordan, and the phrase I remember best being uttered about this place was \"fcking sht hole, mate.\"

You got the "mate" bit right, the rest of your post is a crock of fcking sht.

elite runners can't handle this place? i really doubt a bunch of 20 - 30 year old men are shocked. these boards are modded pretty well and for the most part are amusing. i don't think runners are busy too much, they just deny and troll all day!

I've always defined "elite" as Olympic/World Championship finalist or someone of that ability. For example, an Ethiopian woman that can run a 14:40 for 5000m and does well in Diamond League events, but never makes a team would still fall into the elite category.

BedazzledandConfused wrote:

Is an elite runner the same as a pro runner? Or does the hierarchy go walker, speed walker, jogger, runner, college runner, amateur runner, pro runner then elite runner? Or is elite/pro essentially the same type of runner.

The elite runner's opinion is what really matters here.

Guys, I challenge you all to be more civil to one another here. Let's make these message boards a decent place to hang out, let's take a strong stance against trashing our top runners, and encourage the up and comers, and hobby joggers that give it all but might not have the talent to be elite or even sub elite. Let us not jump to conclusions and insults, let us not negotiate with the trolls, LET US RUN A MARATHON ON A TRACK!

i was hanging out with an elite last summer, late august or early september, and during the course of the conversation he mentioned he would be moving back to the city we were currently in. he was shocked when i told him i had read that same information on the letsrun message board earlier in the week.

the dialog went something like this:

elite: "guess what!? i'm moving back!"

me: "i know! it's awesome!"

elite: "how did you know that? i haven't really told anyone."

me: "i read it on the letsrun message board."

elite: "how did they know?"

me: "letsrun knew you were moving before you knew you were moving. the message board knows all, sees all, reports on all."

seriously, this is the best place for unconfirmed rumors. if i "hear" something that gets backed up on the message board, then it's probably true.

Elites are training hard everyday. I don't thing they pay much attention here. The site is for fans, has-beens and never-was people. Any elite that spend much time here won't be an elite for long.

This message board destroyed the career of Mr. Alan Webb. True story.