An Amateur Calls out Elite runners

I see a little whining but over all an excellent read.

I think he comes to realize that maybe he COULD have partied a bit in college and done some of the other "fun" things.

Maybe he would have been a better runner for not being so 100% focused on one thing.

It started as a downer but got to be inspiring.

Captain Oblivious wrote:

He's talking as if he knows what it's like to be elite. He doesn't know because he's never been there.

Despite the good things I said about it, there are negative and I DID see sour grapes. He kind of stereotypes elites.

I've been lucky enough to get to know many sub-elites and they're all normal people with a passion and dedication that is great to see.

I went out for a few beers with a mid-20's 1:10 1/2 marathoner- great personality and, yes, she had a few beers!

He comes across as very judgemental, especially the part about people who don't believe in anything.

I can see his point.

1. Running is a game.

2. Getting paid to play a game is fortunate.

3. Whining about how much you are being paid to play a game is selfish.

An Open Letter to Clay

Dear Clay,

You wrote your letter using generic terms and phrases with absolutely no facts to back up your statements. You point out Hall and Meb on one side, but don't list a single pro athlete on the other side. Who's complaining? Further, MANY pro track and field athletes give back. If you don't know of any, then you truly aren't a fan of the sport, since the vast majority do give back to their respective communities. Generalizing what you believe to be true is a scary way to try and convince people you are correct. It discredits you and makes you look ignorant. Before you go about writing another open letter, make sure you have the facts next time for both sides of your argument. Make sure you actually know what you are talking about and stop thinking you are better than and can give advice to athletes who train to compete at the highest levels.

Sincerely,

Educated individuals who don't use "God" as a prop

agreed - skipped to the part about elites didn't read the rest.

this is valid:

"In the real world, there’s actual struggle going on in third world countries. Yet here we are, with elite runners moaning about not getting enough back from the running community, not getting enough pay, not getting enough back for their hard training. I’ve noticed elites charging astounding prices for ‘personal coaching’ from their greatness and charging a foot to do so. The results? They only give them black and white, cookie cutter training."

if you think he needs to mention names to support this - where have you been?

Greentexter wrote:

stopped reading when he started talking about runners' lack of God.

+1

Greentexter wrote:

stopped reading when he started talking about runners' lack of God.

That turned me off a little too, but I agree with his overall message.

san leandro bay trail wrote:

thank you, seriously. saved me the trouble of even starting to read it.

Greentexter wrote:

stopped reading when he started talking about runners' lack of God.

Then you're an idiot. The fact that someone mentions God doesn't automatically make their ethical message invalid. Quite the contrary, as Christian morality in many respects lines up very well with many secular humanist values. All he's talking about is the importance of not living 100% for yourself, which for most people is a pretty non-controversial ideal.

What bothers me most about the piece is that it's directed at elites. I see two problems with this. First, he's coming to pretty sweeping judgments based on very little data. Unless he knows a particular athlete pretty well, then he's really just guessing. This might not be as big a deal if he were speaking more generally, but he implies that he sees this problem in particular athletes, though he refuses to name names. Second, the attitude that he's talking about shows up at many levels of the sport. By singling out elites for criticism, he comes across as a bit bitter or envious. (I'll refrain from trying to judge the author himself, and keep my focus on the effect of the piece itself.)

Here you go- this sums it up. Except I think people are taking the God part too far. I saw very little of that in there. What I really saw was a frustrated individual.

I was a local runner, well known in my hometown and always at the front in local races.

I would have loved to be world class- I love running.

I always thought it would be frustrating to be in that level in between me and the elite- not quite good enough to be elite but better than your average runner.

That seems to be this guy and I think he's angry and a bit jealous.

Oh, I believe in God but I don't use "him" as a crutch.

He sounds like he should become an ultra "runner".

Are there minor league basketball and football blogs complaining about NBA and NFL guys?

Runners need to grow up. The elites are professionals, it's what they do. He should run his fun runs and call it a day.

While LeBron gives a ton back to Akron and other places, if he didn't make massive amounts of money, he wouldn't give back much. Runners don't make much, to be honest, but how does this guy know who is giving and who is not? I've heard Galen Rupp gives back to his high school rather generously, but I don't know that for sure. I do know Bernard Lagat was present at his collegiate coach's retirement farewell and has donated to WSU. I don't know how much.

I donate to a couple of places, what I can afford, which isn't much. And I don't tell anyone where I donate unless they ask.

This is whiner central. Just admit that he was sub-elite -- nothing to be ashamed of -- with some good times, better than the average Joe. He's not owed anything.

In athletics it's a genetic game and this guy lost. Live with it.

I partly agree with clay's piece, but he grossly overestimates the number of subelites living off their parents. Most subelites are training around a career.

I can provide examples of numerous Olympic medalists considered arrogant during their careers now known for their post-retirement contributions to the sport, charities and society.

You'll find the same with many people who are successful in life. Jobs, Gates, Bezos, Dell, Ellison etc. You need focus and self-belief to be successful in life,

Nice post, Bad Wigins. Here are two quotes from Gebrselassie that illustrate your point perfectly:

“People, they're asking me, 'Why don't you stop running?' No, no, no. Even at the age of seventy or eighty, why not? Running has to be there.”

“A day without running is not a day.”

I love your post too, "Wondering in the West." The real problem with the writer isn't that he needs a good editor, but that he is still young and immature. So many of us have had those dreams of greatness, but because of inferior genetics, constant injury, poor training, life responsibilities, etc., we never really reach our potential. I was a young semi-talented runner once, so I can relate to what the writer is saying. It's just that he may not have yet come to grips with the fact that there are thousands of equally or even greater semi-talented runners that will never reach those immature dreams. Once you come to grips with this fact--which is true for almost all of us--that's when you'll find out whether you really love running, or whether it was all about those competitive dreams. The best book I've read--and a book that all of us former and current "wannabes" should read is Wannabe Distance God, by Timothy Tays, Ph.D. As a current of former competitive runner, you won't find a better read. Here's the link:

Thanks for the props and the link to the book, I'll get it.

We all want to be better than we are or could be. Instead, just live your life. Worrying about the habits of elites is draining.

Friend of mine in college trained 120-140 miles per week, and clearly enjoyed it. He still runs a lot today. A solid small college runner, he played well at X-C nationals one year, won a good regional marathon and some other road races, and just enjoyed his running life. I always admired him for that. He had a smile on his face, didn't regret that he wasn't at Oregon or Arkansas, dated and married a gorgeous woman, got a fine job, and never complained about elites. That's a life worth living, isn't it?

But the blog author will learn. Life is too short to worry about the lives of elites and why you never became one.

Self-absorbed whiner. In this age of opinion, everyone's got one.

That's complete BS from a hobby jogger. Elite athletes run to WIN. When they can't WIN they quit running. Only pathetic losers "love to run". Champions love just one thing, and that's to WIN.

Of course, a winner's mindset is incomprehensible to a loser like you.