not always greener on the... wrote:
NO, Giddy's post is a dumb post. "You" and others sit there and complain about Ryan and Dathan, not me.
I think they're amazing, just not capable of running with the best of the best based off of their ability (genetic factors that limit us all). Training with them won't do it. Salazar tried it when he was like 20, remember that people. Didn't work out so good for him either. I still have the track and field news magazine where he complained about sitting around waiting for his next run.
Pretty funny you called my post dumb and the write a sentence that basically agreed with me original sentiment that we should appreciate and respect the effort that those give.
On the other hand, putting Alberto in the mix is pretty stupid considering he burned himself out, admittedly, and still ran times slower than both Dathan and Hall. He was his own undoing.
I don't think it's genetics as much as I think it's direct competition. As long as these guys are the best in America, they have nothing to fear in terms of sponsorship or finance. There is no real need to press more than there is to maintain. The only real out of place runner in American History is Bob Kennedy, every other great American has come at a time when there where multiple Americans pushing the pace and knocking at each others door.
We have this fabulous system for producing young talent in the NCAA, and then post collegiately, nothing. What is the motivation for a Stanford, Wisconsin, or some other graduate to continue running if it financially sets them back 4 to 8 years. There are 3 Olympic spots every 4 years. Putting your life on hold for a chance, especially when you have little to no monetary support, isn't worth it when you can use your degree and make as much out of college as an established pro in the sport.
You can't expect our guys to compete if you're only supporting the top 10 superstars. If there's no development system where guys are secure, whats the point... to win some local 5k or run in the Stanford Invite developmental 10k... gimmie a break.
Again, it's not genetics, it's numbers. We don't have them because there's little motivation to continue on other than the drive to see how fast you can run. And see how long that takes you when your living with 10 other guys in a crappy house with no money.