Paul McMullen Lost toes???

Was this post somehow written years ago with a forward date and then just popped up? Or D3XC just get back from like '99.

I'd hate to be the one to tell you this, D3XC, but you are now in the 21st century. The year is 2002.

3 years, it had to be longer than that. and wanna know how it affects him, just check the results from the past 4 years, it should tell you something....he's done well.

I just find it amazing. I never would have known, he is an amazing athlete to be able to prefrom like that. I don't know how bad his toes are, but it is a shock to find that out.

It should tell you something about McMullen's mindset and work ethic to know that mowing was his hobby. Supposedly he went around the neighborhood mowing lawns, many for free, because he loved doing it so much. What a tough SOB! Can anyone confirm/denounce this rumor?

He was told he would never run again and he wasn't able to do so pain free for a very long time. he runs now with stoppers in his shoes that ARE NOT comfortable at all.

I can't speak for Paul, but I lost a toe in a lawnmower (and nearly more than one) (and its the one next to the big one on the left foot) when I was a kid. The wear patterns on my shoes are markedly different, but I do not see / or feel a difference in my running because of this. One foot does not feel different than the other.

I would guess that depending on what toes he lost, and the fact that it happened to him AS AN ADULT could make it a lot worse.

And no, I ain't nearly as fast as McMullen nor ever will be ... but I think I could take second in the National Missing Toe(s) Championships to him (of course, then people would CUT OFF TOES if there was one).

What is the story with McMullen today? I heard that his weight was all over the place and that he was considering biking.

HIs weight- remember before his breakthrough season last track season, his weight was very high. he was down and out, i remember hearing he would eat lots of icecream and not run at all....he put on like 50 pounds. slowly he started running again and eventually started training with warhurst. he ended up making worlds, didn't he?

tough SOB is right. i wouldn't want to fight paul, he's big and tough as nails.

So McMullen is tough as nails? Is that tough as 9 nails?

the lawnmowing rumor is true- he is a hell of a guy and did it for free probably because he felt he needed to occupy his time in between training rather than just doing nothin....many people thought losing his toes would affect his speed to much to make a comeback, but i think he came back that winter to set an indoor pr and win nationals? not to mention setting pr's at twop distance last summer and making the worlds final...people seem to dog him for gaining wieght but its alot harder to manitain wieght when you are 6'3" and built like a linebacker.......than it is when you are 5 foot whatever and a hundred and nothing pounds.....i should know cuz i am built that same......wish him the best of luck with wherever his career goes from here

McMullen's one of my favorite runners to watch race. The only maddening thing is that through injuries or other issues, he has only been 'himself' for 2 seasons, since 1996 ('98, '01). I know that he has been banged up, but to run in the 1:52-1:53 range this year, after last year's season (including a 1:53 split in a 1500m) is an unbelievable swing.

IF weight is an issue, it should not be. With all of the cross training technology out there (and with him not working another job), he should at least keep his weight in check.

McMullen was a tight end in football before developing into a top miler. He was the largest of the prime U.S. milers even at his fittest.

I suppose it's too late to wonder when his wife Jill, who once made the World Championships in the 800, is coming back.

announcers and newspapers loved to tout the fact that he was a ?converted? football player. However, I only think he played football until his sophomore year in high school, and never in college. He ran in the 4:17 range in the 1600 while competing for Cadillac high school, and was not considered the greatest prospect. However, McMullen really developed quickly under Coach Parks? program at EMU and become a good middle distance runner early in his college career.

It took until his Jr. and SR. that he really broke out and became a force even in XC and the 5,000m. I think his mileage was really upped throughout his whole career. The best college race I have watched to date is McMullen vs. Sully in the 1,500 (or mile) at a meet at Hillsdale College. Sully won with a great kick, and it was a sweet race to watch. They both really pushed each other, and they had many more great battles throughout their college careers.

I am very impressed by how god of a runner McMullen has become, and to be honest I thought that Brian Hyde (also from Michigan) was going to be a lot better than Paul, but Hyde retired early and never reached his full potential IMHO (that could be a different thread though).

And for the record I beat McMullen at least twice in XC :)

-Clay

**oops** Missed the first line on my last post....

Same post, with the first line included:

I ran track/XC in the MAC at the same time that Paul did, and I know the track announcers and newspapers loved to tout the fact that he was a ?converted? football player. However, I only think he played football until his sophomore year in high school, and never in college. He ran in the 4:17 range in the 1600 while competing for Cadillac high school, and was not considered the greatest prospect. However, McMullen really developed quickly under Coach Parks? program at EMU and become a good middle distance runner early in his college career.

It took until his Jr. and SR. that he really broke out and became a force even in XC and the 5,000m. I think his mileage was really upped throughout his whole career. The best college race I have watched to date is McMullen vs. Sully in the 1,500 (or mile) at a meet at Hillsdale College. Sully won with a great kick, and it was a sweet race to watch. They both really pushed each other, and they had many more great battles throughout their college careers.

I am very impressed by how god of a runner McMullen has become, and to be honest I thought that Brian Hyde (also from Michigan) was going to be a lot better than Paul, but Hyde retired early and never reached his full potential IMHO (that could be a different thread though).

And for the record I beat McMullen at least twice in XC :)

-Clay

Drake Relays - '94

McMullen had run something like a 3:59 anchor leg on the DMR and a :47ish split on another shorter relay...

He's sitting in the stands on the same day, eating a bag of Cheetos and drinking a large bottle of soda after the two races...

"Hey Paul, I thought you were running the 4x800m in an hour?"

Paul's response, "I am."

He ran 1:46. It was unbelieveable.

i remember mcmullen really trashing hyde every chance he could get when hyde ran 3:35 1500 against steve holman on american soil....by the way he trashed holman every chance he could as well....so it was very enjoyable to see sullivan pull away from him at ncaa's in knoxville that year.

If you mean he whipped Hyde and Holmans as*es at every opportunity on the track when you say he trashed them you are right. But other than Paul saying that Hyde was getting a little too much hype for being towed along to a fast time(Hyde never really won any races past High School)Paul never said a bad thing toward anyone. He is positive and nice to the point of being annoying. As for Holman, what is there to say about him but the truth-he was a time trial specialist. He ran very fast but was not much of a big gamer. I'm sure McMullen said something to that effect and it was true.

Holman had his problems in the mid-90's. But the fact is he came back and won Nationals and placed 9th in the World. He faced his problems head-on and became a big gamer during the later stages of his career. In addition, Holman's bad years were marked by not being a top finisher in the finals. McMullen has missed quite a few finals at USATF, for being a big gamer.

McMullen seems to be a great guy, but he did trash Holman excessively AFTER their '96 race. It was those well-heard criticisms that have led to continued and unwarranted bashing of Holman. In addition, when McMullen was down in later years, Holman never said a word, even when he became champion. That should say alot about Holman.

I am a believer in doing what needs to be done in competition. But I also am a big believer in not needlessly hitting someone when he is down.

has anyone else heard the story about how Paul used to warm up the opposite way as Holman and stare him down everytome they passed until holman couldnt look him in the eyes, then he know he had him beat? i think the talk, if there was any, was just another way of getting in peoples heads...aka another race tactic....so i think thats fine..people just have different ways of winning racesand by the way he played football all through highschool and easily could have played at college level....

yes he's bigger than you avg miler, and yes he played ball in high school...but college? not D-1...that kind of player needs the agility to safely avoid a charging lawn mover..those things can get up to like 1/2 mile per hour.