Ritz is leaving the Oregon Project

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  • Whoa Ritz
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 9:30am CDT
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    Ritz is moving back to Grand Rapids and leaving the Oregon Project.

    http://www.mlive.com/sports/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/05/olympian_dathan_ritzenhein_mov.html

    He also tweeted "Dathan Ritzenhein ‏@djritzenhein 6m
    Thrilled to announce I will be moving back to West Mi, this summer! I'll miss my @OregonPJT team but looking forward to being home!"
  • mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 9:33am CDT
    re: Whoa Ritz
    Forum Index
    In similar news, Adam Goucher goes on an eliptigo ride.
  • pladimirvutin^3
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 9:36am CDT
    re: mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
    Forum Index
    "Ritzenhein, who is here this week for the Fifth Third River Bank Run, said he will continue to train for competitive racing this fall, but it will be in Grand Rapids. The rest, he said, remains unchanged. He will still be sponsored by Nike, run with the Oregon Project and work with longtime coach Alberto Salazar.

    “They just want to see me succeed,” Ritzenhein said of his relationship with Nike. “I’ll be happier here, and I’ll do better here.”"


    Ritz is still in the group. Just moving back home.
  • Demethedream
    registered
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 9:36am CDT
    re: Whoa Ritz
    Forum Index
    Looks like he'll still be coached by AlSal, and still race under NOP. Just a change of scenery. Says its for family, but I bet hes tired of getting picked on by Centro!

    Deep in the depths of my brain when I saw he was moving there, I immediately thought of the Hansons folks, but no big switch from the swoosh. Would be interesting, but he is miles ahead of those guys anyhow. At least when he is healthy.
  • dasadf
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 9:37am CDT
    re: Whoa Ritz
    Forum Index
    Idiot.



    "The rest, he said, remains unchanged. He will still be sponsored by Nike, run with the Oregon Project and work with longtime coach Alberto Salazar.

    “They just want to see me succeed,” Ritzenhein said of his relationship with Nike. “I’ll be happier here, and I’ll do better here.”
  • Possum Jenkins
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 9:41am CDT
    re: dasadf
    Forum Index
    He'd actually previously said that at some point he'd go back to Michigan. Maybe being injured moved that up. But yeah, he's still with Salazar and the Oregon Project.
  • financial restrictions
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 10:03am CDT
    re: demethedream
    Forum Index
    demethedream wrote:

    Deep in the depths of my brain when I saw he was moving there, I immediately thought of the Hansons folks, but no big switch from the swoosh.

    Financially he needs to continue under the Swoosh. Hansons probably can't afford the $300k a year. Although I would love to see what he could run under a program that focuses on the marathon.
  • chef
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 10:05am CDT
    re: Whoa Ritz
    Forum Index
    stick a fork in him
  • agip
    registered
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 10:06am CDT
    re: Whoa Ritz
    Forum Index
    good for ritz - sounds like he will try for 2016 OG then start dialing back. Sounds like he will be building a club team with himself as coach or something like that.

    he's a good one - I hope he can find a way to stay with the sport.
  • .cowp
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 10:20am CDT
    re: Whoa Ritz
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    Everyone is starting to realize that Portland sucks for running... Shalane will announce shortly she is moving to the Boston area.
  • aquafina
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 10:27am CDT
    re: chef
    Forum Index
    chef wrote:

    stick a fork in him

    D O N E
  • Ponder
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 10:39am CDT
    re: aquafina
    Forum Index
    After reading Dot McMahon's interview I don't think I'd want to go to Hansons. They sound like bigger A-Holes than Salazar.

    http://www.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=2514&do=news&news_id=254393
  • googlymoogly
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 10:54am CDT
    re: Whoa Ritz
    Forum Index
    He already has a pending sale (to a contingent buyer, meaning they need to sell their house first) on his Portland area home. Interesting that the private remarks in the listing say "Please note the "altitude system" will be removed at closing."
  • MI Man
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 10:56am CDT
    re: Ponder
    Forum Index
    Ponder wrote:

    After reading Dot McMahon's interview I don't think I'd want to go to Hansons. They sound like bigger A-Holes than Salazar.

    http://www.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=2514&do=news&news_id=254393

    Seriously....what in that interview gives you any clue that the Hansons are A-holes? There is nothing. They are not A-holes.
  • 800 dude
    registered
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 11:05am CDT
    re: MI Man
    Forum Index
    MI Man wrote:

    Ponder wrote:

    After reading Dot McMahon's interview I don't think I'd want to go to Hansons. They sound like bigger A-Holes than Salazar.

    http://www.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=2514&do=news&news_id=254393

    Seriously....what in that interview gives you any clue that the Hansons are A-holes? There is nothing. They are not A-holes.


    Is it that people are coming and going a lot, or that Dot wasn't invited to Florida? Sound too harsh for you?

    This isn't some DIII team that takes every walk-on. It's a professional running team that tries to develop A-listers out of people who don't have A-list resumes. Of course there's going to be a lot of turnover. They're not going to just throw resources at people indiscriminately.
  • the recent past
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 11:09am CDT
    re: 800 dude
    Forum Index
    Although I can't speak for this year as I was not around, I can say that Dot never wanted to go to Florida as she has a beautiful 4 year old daughter at home.
  • Once an Expert
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 11:40am CDT
    re: demethedream
    Forum Index
    demethedream wrote:

    Looks like he'll still be coached by AlSal, and still race under NOP. Just a change of scenery. Says its for family, but I bet hes tired of getting picked on by Centro!

    Deep in the depths of my brain when I saw he was moving there, I immediately thought of the Hansons folks, but no big switch from the swoosh. Would be interesting, but he is miles ahead of those guys anyhow. At least when he is healthy.

    He's definitely better than Bobby Curtis, but I wouldn't say that he's *miles ahead* of him, especially after Curtis just ran 27:46.

    The problem is that Grand Rapids and Detroit are in different parts of Michigan.
  • 800s guy
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 11:43am CDT
    re: Whoa Ritz
    Forum Index
    Ritz move back to MI = career over. He will no longer have access to soft trails, alter G treadmills, underwater treadmills, hydro iclandic cyborg recovery contraptions, etc. He gets hurt just sneezing. Great career but better days are behind him.
  • Skooled
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 11:57am CDT
    re: Once an Expert
    Forum Index
    Good for them. They are thinking about their lives beyond running.
  • Dingus
    5 years ago 05/09/2014 11:57am CDT
    re: 800s guy
    Forum Index
    Actually he is signing on as an assistant coach with Grand Valley's running program and they have an Alter-G sooooo...