I finally understood what Rupp is lacking

He had to follow Lagat. With Mo not being there, someone had to show him where the finish line was. I think he should try wearing a hat.

"He lacks race instinct" = "I have no idea what he lacks"

Dude should just adopt a new race strategy - run from the lead from 700 out and don't let anyone pass. F-this sprinting from the back crap.

I am the Walrus wrote:

watching the world indoor final live on BBC. It is clear to me now that Rupp is lacking race instinct. With 800m to go he was caught following Lagat out on lane 3, probably because Salazar instructed him to stay on his shoulder. He then realizes his mistakes and wastes too much energy sprinting into 3rd/4th with 400m to go. He then holds on to a strong 4th finish, but out of reach for a medal.

Rupp has the same capabilities then Lagat in time trial races, so I think he is just as strong training wise as Geb, Lagat et al. But they race smarter. In particular Lagat simply possesses the better racing skills, compensating for his age. It's the one variable Salazar cannot control for.

I've had these thoughts myself. He does seem to make improvements at times. I have no doubt that Salazar has had him study tons of video of races and tactics...maybe the missing ingredient is he's thinking it too much, rather then defending position when he needs to and going for it.

Maybe a few times getting after it a little early might have him fall short, but eventually it might also start all coming together.

Lagat is a master, and any one would be hard pressed to compare his instincts and achievements to Lagat...

I am the Walrus wrote:

It is clear to me now that Rupp is lacking race instinct.

+1

Rupp has been trained to not set the pace. He doesn't know when to start his kick because he is not paying attention to what the other runners are doing. Also, Rupp does not have as fast of a reaction time as other runners.

Wow, he looks like a giant compared to the rest of the field.

I think he is entering the 'Webb' stage of his career

A Duck wrote:

.maybe the missing ingredient is he's thinking it too much,

I agree. Any deeper thinking than required for watching video games causes that teeny tiny pea brain to overload. No wonder he is a dropout from a cupcake major at a clown college.

4th time around wrote:

I think he is entering the 'Webb' stage of his career

You mean he's going to start beating Lagat?

Galen, like Ryan Hall, works very hard and has the ability to win medals on the biggest stages, but is hindered by his pansy-ness. Rupp and Hall, bless their souls, just aren't able to tough it out and go to the well. They lack the same degree of competitiveness as guys like Lagat and Farah. You have to be so competitive to push yourself to the absolute limit and have a great feel for the fluidity of the race to be tactically savvy, another aspect that they both lack. Rupp just tries to use his huge aerobic motor to overpower guys, but that doesn't cut it in championship races. Rupp and Hall don't need to change training or anything, they need to change their mental psyche and attitude.

Rupp had a great race today. 3000m is considerably shorter than his ideal distance, and he managed to beat Gebhriwet, who is one of the top 5 or so 5000m runners in the world. In a 10000m, I think he is a good bet to medal again the next 2-3 years. Guys with the speed to beat him don't run 10Ks, all the good guys have moved on to the marathon (Bekele, Farah).

4th in an indoor 3K is a really good result for Rupp.

I am the Walrus wrote:

watching the world indoor final live on BBC. It is clear to me now that Rupp is lacking race instinct. With 800m to go he was caught following Lagat out on lane 3, probably because Salazar instructed him to stay on his shoulder. He then realizes his mistakes and wastes too much energy sprinting into 3rd/4th with 400m to go. He then holds on to a strong 4th finish, but out of reach for a medal.

Rupp has the same capabilities then Lagat in time trial races, so I think he is just as strong training wise as Geb, Lagat et al. But they race smarter. In particular Lagat simply possesses the better racing skills, compensating for his age. It's the one variable Salazar cannot control for.

Really? You're just seeing this NOW? Really??

I have been saying this for ages.

And Salazar COULD address it. By having Rupp actually enter and finish competitive races. Time trialing against guys below your league and DNFing against real competition isn't good RACE prep.

Rupp proved that in spades today. Nobody can deny this point now.

Polak. wrote:

Dude should just adopt a new race strategy - run from the lead from 700 out and don't let anyone pass. F-this sprinting from the back crap.

I'm inclined to agree

what is his major and at which college?

NotAustin18 wrote:

Galen, like Ryan Hall, works very hard and has the ability to win medals on the biggest stages, but is hindered by his pansy-ness. Rupp and Hall, bless their souls, just aren't able to tough it out and go to the well. They lack the same degree of competitiveness as guys like Lagat and Farah. You have to be so competitive to push yourself to the absolute limit and have a great feel for the fluidity of the race to be tactically savvy, another aspect that they both lack. Rupp just tries to use his huge aerobic motor to overpower guys, but that doesn't cut it in championship races. Rupp and Hall don't need to change training or anything, they need to change their mental psyche and attitude.

I disagree. Hall is not a pansy at all. He takes the lead and goes out with the top guys often.

Farah is not competive nor would I call him tough. He only uses the same tactic over and over again and is too pansy to try running from the front or any other strategy. The fact that he's even running in the 5k/10k shows his pansiness even more. He's after the easiest medals possible but he's obviously a better 1500m runner. A real competitor would try to take it to the best in the 1500m.

cbenson4 wrote:

Polak. wrote:

Dude should just adopt a new race strategy - run from the lead from 700 out and don't let anyone pass. F-this sprinting from the back crap.

I'm inclined to agree

Pretty much what Farah does. No reason to let anyone else have the pole position.

I also think it might be possible for Rupp to do something likr Hicham and just wind it up hard the last 600 rather than leave it till a full attack at 200

No, I have been thinking this for some time as well. But I never felt like I should mention it to others before. Partly because there have been clear exceptions. 2012 Olympics was a greatly executed race, albeit he never dared to challenge Farah. That year when he beat Lagat outdoors he seemed to have incredible pop in his legs.

I have been thinking Rupp is not a rebel enough. He seems too much "trained" to execute, as opposed to come up with his own, instinctive strategy when all else fails. Other runners, such as Farah, had a much rockier path in their career, switching coaches couple of times, moving to Kenya in search for new training opportunities, before finally settling in Oregon. It shows that those runners are capable to solely rely on their own if necessary, and seek out for help from a coach from an independent standpoint, as opposed to Rupp who has actually never been out of the comfort zone Salazar provides. Just my 2 cents.

NotAustin18 wrote:

Galen, like Ryan Hall, works very hard and has the ability to win medals on the biggest stages, but is hindered by his pansy-ness. Rupp and Hall, bless their souls, just aren't able to tough it out and go to the well. They lack the same degree of competitiveness as guys like Lagat and Farah. You have to be so competitive to push yourself to the absolute limit and have a great feel for the fluidity of the race to be tactically savvy, another aspect that they both lack. Rupp just tries to use his huge aerobic motor to overpower guys, but that doesn't cut it in championship races. Rupp and Hall don't need to change training or anything, they need to change their mental psyche and attitude.

+1

To me this what happens when running a fast time becomes the mark of a successful career. Webb is the epitome of this thinking. Look at him when he finishes races in a good time. In Paris he could barely contain himself just because he ran 3:30. His entire running career has been defined by his ability to run fast relative to the high school and american mile record TIMES. I read it on the boards here all the time. Someone like Webb or Hall will sh*t the bed 9 times out of 10 but then everyone will justify it by saying "oh, he ran fast times, therefor it compensates for everything else. You couldn't run that fast, so STFU" or something along those lines. Hall is no different. He managed a 4th place in Boston, which is respectable, but the one thing I remember during his race was the amount of times he checked his watch. When he started to get dropped, he checked it even more, as if he couldn't understand what to do next. "Shit, they're running faster. What do I do? Well, my watch says they those guys are ahead of the pace, so I should cool it and stay put." And he never saw them again. Just race man! Who gives a sh*t if you blow up in the last 2k. At least try!

You need to run fast, that's a given. But the whole point of being able to run fast is to use it as a tool. A good time just indicates a good ability to run fast over a great range of paces. So what if Rupp runs a 3:50 mile indoors? It was a time trial which means nothing when racing against these Africans who are HUNGRY to win. Desperate as Craig Mottram put it. Ol' Buster put up a good fight lots of times using his fitness as a tool to win, rather seeing a medal as a given because of his fitness.

Hobbyjogger Championships wrote:

I am the Walrus wrote:

It is clear to me now that Rupp is lacking race instinct.

+1

Rupp has been trained to not set the pace. He doesn't know when to start his kick because he is not paying attention to what the other runners are doing. Also, Rupp does not have as fast of a reaction time as other runners.

All this positioning talk (leading, trying to kick, etc) and racing instincts talk is actually not relevant. HIS REACTION TIME IS NOT AS FAST AS THE EAST AFRICANS, he cannot cover a move like they can. He has the speed, endurance, strength, etc., etc., but he cannot compensate for their quick reaction/bursts...and never will be able to.

Ryan Hill said the same thing when he got 3rd behind gebs in Boston. He had the speed, but NOT THE QUICKNESS. I'm sorry, the whole thing is that simple. The rest is just useless back and forth/nitpicking. He can still medal in the right races, but usually not, and probably not