1) Remember Torres during his NCAA days ("My calves were killing me"). Training in the Kantara, racing in the Kennedy. Why do you think they're overstriding? My theory would be that they're in these bulked up high heels which encourage them to use their heels as crashpads, essentially causing them to break with every step. The elevated heel also prevents the ankle from handeling impact as it wants to, so that impact then travels up the lower leg and to the knee. Lots of bad stuff. Not to mention achilles/soleus/calf problems. I believe that Kara Goucher has had more than one surgery on her calf.
And it is not way "bashing." It's an observation that maybe, they're doing something that is detrimental to their running. How is that personal? Am I saying they're bad people? Or that they're not smart? They're following convention and that (I believe) is a mistake.
Please tell me the virtues of training in high heels.
2) I didn't say Ritzenhein was running better because he was in flats. On the contrary, I hypothesised that he was running better because he was out of the Kantaras and in less shoe, namely the Elites. The Elite is hardly a flat, but a step in the right direction. And if Ritzenhein ran in that shoe the rest of his career, I'd be delighted simply for the fact that he's healthy, running well and can win some medals and run some fast times, because that is the ultimate goal for all of us, right?
3) So only fellow double NCAA champion coahces can offer any constructive criticism or observations to eachother? That's a pretty slim group. I don't know what Wetmore is doing now, nor how it differs from 1998, but I think there are few that will disagree that there were many mistakes made in that season. The better half of the team should not me in the infirmary. There should be speed limits. But, I've never said that Wetmore was a bad coach. On the contrary, I admire and applaud the fact that the day after his final meet he looks back at the season and says, "What went wrong? What went right?" Even after national titles. That is a hallmark trait of good coaches. As Renato has said, good coaches never stop learning, from themselves or from others.
4) I find it interesting that you're judging my ability on something such as coaching without any reasonable data or statements. Kind of a "just because" arguement. And not to say that I would not make mistakes (indeed, probably many f*** ups), but, as Wetmore seems to do, I would do my best to identify and rectify those errors for the future. This is why Wetmore, to my mind, stands out amongst the field of coaches. The same can be said for Hudson.
5) I haven't met a person whose feet were so fragile/poorly built from birth (actually, just one or two, but they had deformations) that they couldn't work under their own power. I ahve, however, met many people who have had many problems and weakened feet from footwear.
6) Actually, most everyone in the world is pretty much doing the same thing. Distance runners, for example: focus on aerobic endurance, basic speed (usually), running hills, LT work, specific work, etc. The only variable is usually amounts. Some doing more volume, some more LT, etc. I realize that's a brash generalization but we're all humans here, and really, we're trying to improve the same things and just have quantifiable differences.
7) I find it curious to say that my own times are not improving much. Since being given a clean bill of health in May after a hamstring tear (from a slip in the mud 20mos prior) I've only made improvements. Of course, one would expect to just improve when coming back from zero.
8) Feel free to give a ring or stop by if you're in the area if you'd like to have a person-to-person conversation. Give a call to see where I'm at.
Thanks.