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    • rojo
      co-founder
      • This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/16/2013 10:59AM
      • rojo
        co-founder
      • I can't believe no one is talking about this.

        Does Mary Cain not know that Mary Decker, who at one time was coached by Al Sal himself, was busted for doping?

        When asked by Joe Battaglia, "Who are your running role models?" she answered in part:

        Mary Cain said:
        I would say another person I always looked up to was Mary Decker. My mom was actually the first person who kind of put that connection in my mind. In eighth grade I used to wear the pig-tails trying to channel Mary through that.
        How can that be her response? I understand it in the sense that they are both former teen prodigies, (Here in Baltimore, the star bball player Manny Machado says Arod was his idol as they were both teen stars from Miami), but hopefully someone can teach her a little about the history of the sport.

        Your model should not be a former teen prodigy who acted horribly in 1984 (from what I was told I was 11 at the time) when tripped and then resorted to doping at a minimum at the end of her career?

        That's just not right.

        I'm glad she turned pro today because if she was still an amateur I'd feel a little bit bad about criticizing an amateur but probably would have done it anyway.

        All I can say is that's an incredibly disappointing response and Battaglia should have asked a follow up question that at least asked about Decker's doping so Cain can learn from it.

        Full interview here:

        http://www.runnersworld.com/el...nse-for-me
    • the clarifier
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/15/2013 10:21PM - in reply to rojo
      • the clarifier
      • The answer makes a great deal of sense. Young runner who meets success early, has to deal with expectations, is incredibly competitive, and goes big-time on the world stage. Not a bad place to look for inspiration.

        I doubt that Ms. Cain is talking about the Decker personality which, from personal experience, I know can be "difficult."


        One other point: most people do not think of the drug stuff when they think of Mary the Elder.
    • Josh Hamilton's Addiction
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/15/2013 10:23PM - in reply to rojo
      • Josh Hamilton's Addiction
      • You know she's still 17, regardless of being pro or amateur, right rojo?
    • Bullying teenage girls?
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/15/2013 10:30PM - in reply to the clarifier
      • Bullying teenage girls?
      • And how much real historical knowledge did you have of athletes that were 30 years older than you at age 18? What teenager do you know researches the character of athletes they admire because they only have access to youtube videos etc... The only people who know those kind of things were actually there when it happened. Are you an adult? Have any kids of your own? OR do you just run your little website 24/7 so you can pick on young people that you feel superior to? Nice try doofus.
    • andy dufresne
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/15/2013 10:31PM - in reply to rojo
      • andy dufresne
      • She probably viewed Decker the same way young Yankees fans view A-Rod. You don't know any better until you're an adult and hear all of these stories about the athlete and realize that they weren't all that great.
    • Please Explain
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/15/2013 10:31PM - in reply to Josh Hamilton's Addiction
      • Please Explain
      • So when does an amateur become a pro and what's the difference. Back in the day it was fairly clear cut, although stupid and gross hypocrisy by officials etc.
    • txRUNNERgirl
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/15/2013 10:31PM - in reply to rojo
      • txRUNNERgirl
      • My guess is that she's 17 and doesn't read LetsRun.
    • kitty bar the door
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/15/2013 10:50PM - in reply to Josh Hamilton's Addiction
      • kitty bar the door
      • last I heard Mary D. (Maybe it's the "Mary" that inspires her) is still the American record-holder for 1500m - "little Mary's" primary event. If you are SO sure that she (MD) was doping back in 1985 (the Budd incident is an entirely different story), then prove it or let it go - unless you want her records expunged on principle.
        Mary the athlete was generally fearless - a frontrunner. That is to be admired in an age of gutless racers who just want to sit and kick unless there are rabbitts - it is how records are made, and MD was good at it. I recall her running 31.35 (I think) by herself (as a supposed middle-distance runner) for 10000m - a WR at the time? That kind of range is impressive (with a 1.56.9 800m), and should be to a 17-year old. The other "stuff" is about adults and "rules". She is naive - as likely were you Rojo at the same age. Some people don't want to see the "bad" stuff that goes on in the sport, others dwell on it - she is an idealistic young girl, who would you rather she idolize? - Suzy F. or Regina? Her contemporaries are in the present (even Jenny Simpson) and those better not be on any pedestal as she will be trying to beat them in coming years.
    • explainer of reality
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/15/2013 11:39PM - in reply to rojo
      • explainer of reality
      • Get over yourself already.

        Seriously.
    • dad X2
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/15/2013 11:53PM - in reply to rojo
      • dad X2
      • Mary would have been an impressionable kid at the time her mom was making the connection between her running and Mary Decker. So a certain personal connection was made in the formative years. That it persists outside of a more recent critical judgement isn't surprising. It's kind of like you with GWB. A connection was made with him at an early age and the "he's a good guy" message was seared into your brain. Fast forward, after 8 years at the helm, he's responsible for more human deaths and injuries than anyone currently drawing breath on planet earth, but the earlier positive impression probably outweighs those unfortunate collection of facts.
    • figured it all out
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/16/2013 12:14AM - in reply to dad X2
      • figured it all out
      • rojo can't wrap his mind around other people not revolving their whole lives around who is doping.
    • J.R.
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Rojo has a meltdown 11/16/2013 12:34AM - in reply to rojo
      • J.R.
      • Cain is probably not wrapped up in drugs like the Brojos.

        Mary Decker was a very fine runner, who had an outstanding career.
    • George Atlas
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/16/2013 12:34AM - in reply to figured it all out
      • George Atlas
      • figured it all out wrote:
        rojo can't wrap his mind around other people not revolving their whole lives around who is doping.
        Rojo can't get over the fact that his twin brother ran 28:06 for 10,000 once in Vancouver and he was a 2:23 marathoner at his best. So he is bitter.


        Mary Cain is the greatest American female prodigy since Mary Decker. Obviously she looks for inspiration to the greatest phenom before her.

        Just get over it already. Decker was the last great American distance runner. She went to the drugs trying to hang on.

        She got busted when she was 37 trying to hang on like Regina Jacobs and Dieter Baumann.
    • The Authority of
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/16/2013 2:22AM - in reply to rojo
      • The Authority of
      • What's the prob?
    • molasses
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/16/2013 2:30AM - in reply to The Authority of
      • molasses
      • The Authority of wrote:
        What's the prob?
        One of the biggest doping busts in our sports history. Also Slaney was the poster-girl for bad sportsmanship.
    • douglas burke
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Rojo has a meltdown 11/16/2013 2:31AM - in reply to J.R.
      • douglas burke
      • J.R. wrote:


        Mary Decker was a very fine runner, who had an outstanding career.
        yeah which was all made possible by cheating, using performance enhancers.
    • DedicatedRunner
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/16/2013 2:56AM - in reply to rojo
      • DedicatedRunner
      • Mary Decker held American records from the 800 through the 10k. No other female American dominated the way she did.

        She was no doper when the she accomplished them. That occurred in the late 90's when in her late 30's she was trying to hang on to competing at the highest level.
    • Dick Brown coached her
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/16/2013 3:18AM - in reply to DedicatedRunner
      • Dick Brown coached her
      • DedicatedRunner wrote:
        Mary Decker held American records from the 800 through the 10k. No other female American dominated the way she did.

        She was no doper when the she accomplished them. That occurred in the late 90's when in her late 30's she was trying to hang on to competing at the highest level.
        You' re wrong. Slaney was Dick Browns first doping project...in 1983. She finally got caught in 1996. Its all in that doping documentary.

        For arguments sake lets ignore her drug bust. Slaney was a self centered Diva. She was very demanding and her behavior on and off the track was atrocious. She was as far as you can possibly get from being a role model.
    • douglas burke
      • RE: This week's sign of the Apocalypse: Mary Cain's role model is Mary Decker 11/16/2013 3:19AM - in reply to DedicatedRunner
      • douglas burke
      • DedicatedRunner wrote:
        Mary Decker held American records from the 800 through the 10k. No other female American dominated the way she did.

        She was no doper when the she accomplished them. That occurred in the late 90's when in her late 30's she was trying to hang on to competing at the highest level.
        you dont know that, a friend of my mothers 16 year old son just died on overdose of steroids, because he wanted to look more buff and make his high school football team.

        she probably cheated from junior high school, there are thousands of teens using steroids.