The country is huge, th epopulation vast, so why do we not produce better distance runners than we do? We may be great at the glory track events, but in comparison to smaller populated and poorer countries- we really should do better!
The country is huge, th epopulation vast, so why do we not produce better distance runners than we do? We may be great at the glory track events, but in comparison to smaller populated and poorer countries- we really should do better!
duh
BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE LIVE!!!!!!!!DISTANCE RUNNING SUCCESS IS ABOUT ENDURANCE, STRENGTH, RELAXING DURING EXTREMELY STRENUOUS SITUATIONS, GUTS, WILL...THAT IS, THE THINGS NECESSARY FOR SURVIVAL IN
laura g. wrote:
smaller populated and poorer countries
LIKE ETHIOPIA, KENYA, UGANDA, ERITREA ....
OUR ENTIRE SOCIETY IS PREDICATED ON EASE, COMFORT, LUXURY, PLEASURE, AND MATERIAL GOODS; IF YOU DON'T THINK SO, YOU'RE SIMPLY WRONG AND BRAINWASHED BY RHETORIC ABOUT AMERICA'S MORAL GREATNESS, AND SHOULD READ THE AESTHETICS OF COMSUMERISM BY DANIEL HARRIS. IN ANY CASE, NOTICE THAT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR SOCIETY ARE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE TRAITS FOR RUNNING SUCCESS!
WE ARE SOFT! WE ARE SOFT! YOU CAN DANCE AROUND THIS ALL YOU WANT, BUT THE TRUTH IS REVEALED IN THE HARSH LIGHT OF DAY, OR AT THE WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS!
MY MOTHER HAS BEEN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER FOR MANY YEARS, AND WATCHES HER CLASSES GET FATTER BY THE GENERATION! AT A SCHOOL OF 1000 CHILDREN, GUESS HOW MANY GET TO SCHOOL BY THEIR OWN POWER (WALKING, CYCLING, SKIPPING, SKATEBOARDING, RUNNING 10K BAREFOOT EACH WAY ETC.)?
3! OK? 3! 3 KIDS OUT OF 1000 USE THEIR BODIES TO GET TO SCHOOL!
THAT IS PATHETIC! TEAR-INDUCING PATHETIC! THE REST OF THE LITTLE FATASSES ARE DRIVEN TO SCHOOL IN MOMMY'S SUV, AND PICKED UP IN THE AFTERNOON. MOST OF THESE KIDS LIVE 1 MILE OR CLOSER TO THE SCHOOL! WHEN ASKED TO WRITE A THANKSGIVING ESSAY ON "WHAT I'M MOST THANKFUL FOR" 13 OF HER 29 STUDENTS WROTE ABOUT ELECTRONICS OR VIDEOGAMES! IF THIS DOESN'T MAKE YOU VOMIT, CRY, OR HUDDLE IN THE FETAL POSITION WITH HORROR AT THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY, i DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY...
I WALKED OR RODE MY BIKE TO SCHOOL EVERYDAY GROWING UP, AND WAS EXTREMELY ACTIVE BY AMERICAN STANDARDS. AND GUESS WHAT, I ENDED UP GOING TO A D1 UNIVERSITY ON A RUNNING SCHOLARSHIP.
BUT GUESS WHAT? WHAT DID I DO AS SOON AS I TURNED 16 AND GOT A CAR? I STARTED DRIVING TO SCHOOL! I NEVER THOUGHT TWICE! THE IDEA OF EASE, PRACICALITY, LUXURY WAS SO BURNED INTO MY BRAIN THAT I NEVER THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT CONTINUING TO USE MY BODY? WHY WOULD I WALK/RIDE/RUN WHEN I COULD DRIVE?
NOW APPLY THIS IDEA TO EVERY SINGLE FACET OF LIFE...WHY RUN TO THE FIELD, CHASE A COW, MILK IT, LUG THE MILK BACK TO THE HUT AND SHARE IT WITH MY 10 BROTHERS WHEN I COULD SIT ON MY ASS IN MY ROOM PLAYING VIDEOGAMES AND YELL, "HEY MOM, BRING ME AND MY FRIENDS SOME MILK!"
WHY WALK THREE HOURS TO THE NEXT VILLAGE TO SEE FRIENDS AND BUY A SHIRT IN THE MARKET WHEN I CAN INSTANT MESSAGE MY FRIENDS AND BUY THE SHIRT ONLINE?
JUST AS ONE HEROIC TRAINING SESSION DOES LITTLE TO INCREASE FITNESS AS OPPOSED TO YEARS OF CONSISTENT, DEDICATED TRAINING, SO THE INABILITY OF AMERICAN RUNNERS TO COMPETE WITH AFRICANS IS BASED ON THE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PHYSICAL LIFESTYLE SHORTCUTS WE TAKE FROM THE TIME WE ARE BORN TO THE TIME THE MAJORITY OF US TAKE UP RUNNING AT 14 AS HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN, WHEN IT IS FAR, FAR TOO LATE TO MAKE UP THE GAP.
YES, THERE MAY BE SOME GENETIC EXPLANATIONS, BUT I BELIEVE THEY ARE NEGLIGIBLE IN COMPARISON TO THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENT/LIFESTYLE. HERE'S AN EXAMPLE, BASED OFF AN OBVIOUSLY UNSCIENTIFIC SAMPLE SIZE, BUT ONE THAT IS REPEATED ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY:
MY BROTHER AND I WERE BOTH EXTREMELY ACTIVE GROWING UP COMPARED TO AMERICAN STANDARDS...NO VIDEO GAMES, MADE TO PLAY OUTSIDE ALL DAY, TONS OF SPORTS. WE ARE VERY COORDINATED, GOOD ALL-AROUND ATHLETES. AND GUESS WHAT? WHEN WE GOT TO HIGH SCHOOL TRACK, WE BOTH EXCELLED RAPIDLY.
MY MOTHER'S BROTHER HAS TWO PERFECTLY HEALTHY SONS. HIS WIFE IS ATHLETIC AND HE WAS A COLLEGIATE ATHLETE. SO HE HAS VERY SIMILAR GENES TO MY MOTHER, AND HIS CHILDREN HAVE NO HEALTH DEFECTS. BUT GUESS WHAT? HE LETS THEM DO WHATEVER THE HECK THEY WANT, AND "WHAT THEY WANT" IS SITTING INSIDE ALL DAY PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AND WATCHING TV! SO NOW THEY'RE IN JUNIOR HIGH AND GETTING INTO SPORTS, AND IT'S TOO DAMN LATE! THEY MOVE LIKE THE BIGGEST PIECES OF SHIT YOU'VE EVER SEEN! THEY ARE DOUGHY AND UNCOORDINATED, MOVE PAINFULLY, GET TIRED EASILY, HAVE NO STAMINA, AND ARE AN ALL-AROUND EMBARRASSMENT TO WATCH! tHE PRIME DEVELOPMENT YEARS OF 0-12 HAVE BEEN SPENT IN SLOTH AND INACTIVITY, LIVING A SHELTERED, SAFE EXISTENCE WHERE THEY WON'T GET HURT, OR GASP, "OVERDO IT."
AND HERE'S THE KICKER: COMPARED TO THE EAST AFRICANS, I AM MY COUSINS! THINK ABOUT THIS CONCEPT UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND IT: I AM MY COUSINS! I AM DOUGHY AND UNCOORDINATED, MOVE PAINFULLY, GET TIRED EASILY, HAVE NO STAMINA, AND AM AN ALL-AROUND EMBARRASSMENT TO WATCH!
SURE I PLAYED ALOT AS A KID, AND THAT IS A MAJOR REASON WHY I AM PHYSICALLY SUPERIOR TO 99.9% OF MY PEERS; BUT I ALSO SAT ON MY ASS ALOT, AND ATE ALOT, AND WATCHED TV ALOT, AND HAD MY MOM DRIVE ME PLACES, AND DIDN'T RUN HOME FROM SCHOOL SO I COULD WORK ON MY FAMILY'S SUBSISTENCE FARM, AND DIDN'T GO BAREFOOT AND GET STRONG FEET, AND DIDN'T DO MUCH RUNNING AT ALL UNTIL I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN....AND EVERY SINGLE SECOND I WAS DOING OR NOT DOING THESE AMERICAN THINGS, I WAS LOSING GROUND ON MY PEERS IN EAST AFRICA WHO WERE, AND THAT IS WHY THEY ARE PHYSICALLY SUPERIOR TO ME, AND IF YOU DISCOUNT THIS IDEA, THEN I JUST PLAIN DISAGREE WITH YOU.
WHEN YOU REALLY THINK OF THE VAST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WAY THEY LIVE AND THE WAY WE LIVE, THE ENORMOUS GAP BETWEEN THEIR PHYSICAL WISDOM, THEIR ABILITY TO USE THEIR BODY HONED BY COUNTLESS HOURS OF ACTIVITY THAT WE SPEND IN FRONT OF THE TV, THEN YOU CAN START TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY FLOAT EFFORTLESSLY OVER THE GROUND, WHY RUNNING LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL IT'S LIKE THEY WERE "BORN TO RUN."
I AM NOT AMAZED AT THE RUNNING SUCCESS OF EAST AFRICANS; I AM AMAZED THAT THERE ARE EVER AMERICAN SUCCESS STORIES, LIKE LOW 13 MINUTE 5KERS. HOWEVER, GIVEN MY ABOVE REASONING, I AM ALSO NOT AMAZED WHEN EAST AFRICANS GO 1-40 AT WORLD CROSS WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS TOSSED IN LIKE LEBID AND MOTTRAM.
THE ONLY WAY OUR INSANELY SOFT SOCIETY WILL EVER COMPETE WITH EAST AFRICA AT DISTANCE RUNNING IS IF THOSE NATIONS BECOME INDUSTIRALIZED AND MODERNIZED TO THE SAME EXTENT AS OURS, AND THEN IT WILL BE A BATTLE OF THE SOFTIES.
YES, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE EXCEPTIONS, BUT AS A GENERAL RULE, THE SOFT MAN RAISED IN THE LAP OF LUXURY WHOSE DEAREST THING IN LIFE IS ELECTRONICS AND VIDEOGAMES WILL NEVER BEAT THE HARD MAN RAISED ON THE HIGH PLAINS OF AFRICA WHOSE DEAREST THING IN LIFE IS SEEING HIS FAMILY STAY ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE BLADE OF SURVIVAL.
laura g. wrote:The country is huge, th epopulation vast, so why do we not produce better distance runners than we do?
Because we're now a nation of fat, lazy, undisciplined, impatient, gutless, loud, ignorant, poorly educated, hyperaggressive, violent, greedy, easily distracted, self-righteous, self-congratulatory bullies that likes to blow its own horn whenever it commits an act of compassion?
Either that or a lack of talent.
Few possible reasons. Don't think the HS and college is great for producing competitive athletes at world level. To much focus on HS and college points not enough on bigger goals in the medium and longer term. Sometimes reading these message boards, HS and college seems to be the "be all and end all", not a stepping stone to the future as it should be. Alot fall by the wayside with average coaching. Not the only reason of course. Maybe training smarts but that could carry over of the system. Culture is another. There are huge differences in culture between the US and the Africans making distance running more conducive to the performance of the Africans.
What do others think?
Nevertheless, Torres ran one hell of a race and should be given a lot of credit. To beat people like Sammy Kipketer and finish just seconds behind a guy like Gebremariam is damn impressive.
Great running, Jorge!
What prize do we get for reading the whole attached post?
streamofconsciousness wrote:
BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE LIVE!!!!!!!!
DISTANCE RUNNING SUCCESS IS ABOUT ENDURANCE, STRENGTH, RELAXING DURING EXTREMELY STRENUOUS SITUATIONS, GUTS, WILL...THAT IS, THE THINGS NECESSARY FOR SURVIVAL IN
LIKE ETHIOPIA, KENYA, UGANDA, ERITREA ....
OUR ENTIRE SOCIETY IS PREDICATED ON EASE, COMFORT, LUXURY, PLEASURE, AND MATERIAL GOODS; IF YOU DON'T THINK SO, YOU'RE SIMPLY WRONG AND BRAINWASHED BY RHETORIC ABOUT AMERICA'S MORAL GREATNESS, AND SHOULD READ THE AESTHETICS OF COMSUMERISM BY DANIEL HARRIS. IN ANY CASE, NOTICE THAT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR SOCIETY ARE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE TRAITS FOR RUNNING SUCCESS!
WE ARE SOFT! WE ARE SOFT! YOU CAN DANCE AROUND THIS ALL YOU WANT, BUT THE TRUTH IS REVEALED IN THE HARSH LIGHT OF DAY, OR AT THE WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS!
MY MOTHER HAS BEEN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER FOR MANY YEARS, AND WATCHES HER CLASSES GET FATTER BY THE GENERATION! AT A SCHOOL OF 1000 CHILDREN, GUESS HOW MANY GET TO SCHOOL BY THEIR OWN POWER (WALKING, CYCLING, SKIPPING, SKATEBOARDING, RUNNING 10K BAREFOOT EACH WAY ETC.)?
3! OK? 3! 3 KIDS OUT OF 1000 USE THEIR BODIES TO GET TO SCHOOL!
THAT IS PATHETIC! TEAR-INDUCING PATHETIC! THE REST OF THE LITTLE FATASSES ARE DRIVEN TO SCHOOL IN MOMMY'S SUV, AND PICKED UP IN THE AFTERNOON. MOST OF THESE KIDS LIVE 1 MILE OR CLOSER TO THE SCHOOL! WHEN ASKED TO WRITE A THANKSGIVING ESSAY ON "WHAT I'M MOST THANKFUL FOR" 13 OF HER 29 STUDENTS WROTE ABOUT ELECTRONICS OR VIDEOGAMES! IF THIS DOESN'T MAKE YOU VOMIT, CRY, OR HUDDLE IN THE FETAL POSITION WITH HORROR AT THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY, i DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY...
I WALKED OR RODE MY BIKE TO SCHOOL EVERYDAY GROWING UP, AND WAS EXTREMELY ACTIVE BY AMERICAN STANDARDS. AND GUESS WHAT, I ENDED UP GOING TO A D1 UNIVERSITY ON A RUNNING SCHOLARSHIP.
BUT GUESS WHAT? WHAT DID I DO AS SOON AS I TURNED 16 AND GOT A CAR? I STARTED DRIVING TO SCHOOL! I NEVER THOUGHT TWICE! THE IDEA OF EASE, PRACICALITY, LUXURY WAS SO BURNED INTO MY BRAIN THAT I NEVER THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT CONTINUING TO USE MY BODY? WHY WOULD I WALK/RIDE/RUN WHEN I COULD DRIVE?
NOW APPLY THIS IDEA TO EVERY SINGLE FACET OF LIFE...WHY RUN TO THE FIELD, CHASE A COW, MILK IT, LUG THE MILK BACK TO THE HUT AND SHARE IT WITH MY 10 BROTHERS WHEN I COULD SIT ON MY ASS IN MY ROOM PLAYING VIDEOGAMES AND YELL, "HEY MOM, BRING ME AND MY FRIENDS SOME MILK!"
WHY WALK THREE HOURS TO THE NEXT VILLAGE TO SEE FRIENDS AND BUY A SHIRT IN THE MARKET WHEN I CAN INSTANT MESSAGE MY FRIENDS AND BUY THE SHIRT ONLINE?
JUST AS ONE HEROIC TRAINING SESSION DOES LITTLE TO INCREASE FITNESS AS OPPOSED TO YEARS OF CONSISTENT, DEDICATED TRAINING, SO THE INABILITY OF AMERICAN RUNNERS TO COMPETE WITH AFRICANS IS BASED ON THE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PHYSICAL LIFESTYLE SHORTCUTS WE TAKE FROM THE TIME WE ARE BORN TO THE TIME THE MAJORITY OF US TAKE UP RUNNING AT 14 AS HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN, WHEN IT IS FAR, FAR TOO LATE TO MAKE UP THE GAP.
YES, THERE MAY BE SOME GENETIC EXPLANATIONS, BUT I BELIEVE THEY ARE NEGLIGIBLE IN COMPARISON TO THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENT/LIFESTYLE. HERE'S AN EXAMPLE, BASED OFF AN OBVIOUSLY UNSCIENTIFIC SAMPLE SIZE, BUT ONE THAT IS REPEATED ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY:
MY BROTHER AND I WERE BOTH EXTREMELY ACTIVE GROWING UP COMPARED TO AMERICAN STANDARDS...NO VIDEO GAMES, MADE TO PLAY OUTSIDE ALL DAY, TONS OF SPORTS. WE ARE VERY COORDINATED, GOOD ALL-AROUND ATHLETES. AND GUESS WHAT? WHEN WE GOT TO HIGH SCHOOL TRACK, WE BOTH EXCELLED RAPIDLY.
MY MOTHER'S BROTHER HAS TWO PERFECTLY HEALTHY SONS. HIS WIFE IS ATHLETIC AND HE WAS A COLLEGIATE ATHLETE. SO HE HAS VERY SIMILAR GENES TO MY MOTHER, AND HIS CHILDREN HAVE NO HEALTH DEFECTS. BUT GUESS WHAT? HE LETS THEM DO WHATEVER THE HECK THEY WANT, AND "WHAT THEY WANT" IS SITTING INSIDE ALL DAY PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AND WATCHING TV! SO NOW THEY'RE IN JUNIOR HIGH AND GETTING INTO SPORTS, AND IT'S TOO DAMN LATE! THEY MOVE LIKE THE BIGGEST PIECES OF SHIT YOU'VE EVER SEEN! THEY ARE DOUGHY AND UNCOORDINATED, MOVE PAINFULLY, GET TIRED EASILY, HAVE NO STAMINA, AND ARE AN ALL-AROUND EMBARRASSMENT TO WATCH! tHE PRIME DEVELOPMENT YEARS OF 0-12 HAVE BEEN SPENT IN SLOTH AND INACTIVITY, LIVING A SHELTERED, SAFE EXISTENCE WHERE THEY WON'T GET HURT, OR GASP, "OVERDO IT."
AND HERE'S THE KICKER: COMPARED TO THE EAST AFRICANS, I AM MY COUSINS! THINK ABOUT THIS CONCEPT UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND IT: I AM MY COUSINS! I AM DOUGHY AND UNCOORDINATED, MOVE PAINFULLY, GET TIRED EASILY, HAVE NO STAMINA, AND AM AN ALL-AROUND EMBARRASSMENT TO WATCH!
SURE I PLAYED ALOT AS A KID, AND THAT IS A MAJOR REASON WHY I AM PHYSICALLY SUPERIOR TO 99.9% OF MY PEERS; BUT I ALSO SAT ON MY ASS ALOT, AND ATE ALOT, AND WATCHED TV ALOT, AND HAD MY MOM DRIVE ME PLACES, AND DIDN'T RUN HOME FROM SCHOOL SO I COULD WORK ON MY FAMILY'S SUBSISTENCE FARM, AND DIDN'T GO BAREFOOT AND GET STRONG FEET, AND DIDN'T DO MUCH RUNNING AT ALL UNTIL I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN....AND EVERY SINGLE SECOND I WAS DOING OR NOT DOING THESE AMERICAN THINGS, I WAS LOSING GROUND ON MY PEERS IN EAST AFRICA WHO WERE, AND THAT IS WHY THEY ARE PHYSICALLY SUPERIOR TO ME, AND IF YOU DISCOUNT THIS IDEA, THEN I JUST PLAIN DISAGREE WITH YOU.
WHEN YOU REALLY THINK OF THE VAST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WAY THEY LIVE AND THE WAY WE LIVE, THE ENORMOUS GAP BETWEEN THEIR PHYSICAL WISDOM, THEIR ABILITY TO USE THEIR BODY HONED BY COUNTLESS HOURS OF ACTIVITY THAT WE SPEND IN FRONT OF THE TV, THEN YOU CAN START TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY FLOAT EFFORTLESSLY OVER THE GROUND, WHY RUNNING LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL IT'S LIKE THEY WERE "BORN TO RUN."
I AM NOT AMAZED AT THE RUNNING SUCCESS OF EAST AFRICANS; I AM AMAZED THAT THERE ARE EVER AMERICAN SUCCESS STORIES, LIKE LOW 13 MINUTE 5KERS. HOWEVER, GIVEN MY ABOVE REASONING, I AM ALSO NOT AMAZED WHEN EAST AFRICANS GO 1-40 AT WORLD CROSS WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS TOSSED IN LIKE LEBID AND MOTTRAM.
THE ONLY WAY OUR INSANELY SOFT SOCIETY WILL EVER COMPETE WITH EAST AFRICA AT DISTANCE RUNNING IS IF THOSE NATIONS BECOME INDUSTIRALIZED AND MODERNIZED TO THE SAME EXTENT AS OURS, AND THEN IT WILL BE A BATTLE OF THE SOFTIES.
YES, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE EXCEPTIONS, BUT AS A GENERAL RULE, THE SOFT MAN RAISED IN THE LAP OF LUXURY WHOSE DEAREST THING IN LIFE IS ELECTRONICS AND VIDEOGAMES WILL NEVER BEAT THE HARD MAN RAISED ON THE HIGH PLAINS OF AFRICA WHOSE DEAREST THING IN LIFE IS SEEING HIS FAMILY STAY ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE BLADE OF SURVIVAL.
ttc wrote:
What prize do we get for reading the whole attached post?
Nothing. That's our soft American sense of entitlement flaring up again. You don't get prizes for doing something that enriches you! Deal with it.
ttc wrote:
What prize do we get for reading the whole attached post?
streamofconsciousness wrote:BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE LIVE!!!!!!!!
DISTANCE RUNNING SUCCESS IS ABOUT ENDURANCE, STRENGTH, RELAXING DURING EXTREMELY STRENUOUS SITUATIONS, GUTS, WILL...THAT IS, THE THINGS NECESSARY FOR SURVIVAL IN
LIKE ETHIOPIA, KENYA, UGANDA, ERITREA ....
OUR ENTIRE SOCIETY IS PREDICATED ON EASE, COMFORT, LUXURY, PLEASURE, AND MATERIAL GOODS; IF YOU DON'T THINK SO, YOU'RE SIMPLY WRONG AND BRAINWASHED BY RHETORIC ABOUT AMERICA'S MORAL GREATNESS, AND SHOULD READ THE AESTHETICS OF COMSUMERISM BY DANIEL HARRIS. IN ANY CASE, NOTICE THAT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR SOCIETY ARE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE TRAITS FOR RUNNING SUCCESS!
WE ARE SOFT! WE ARE SOFT! YOU CAN DANCE AROUND THIS ALL YOU WANT, BUT THE TRUTH IS REVEALED IN THE HARSH LIGHT OF DAY, OR AT THE WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS!
MY MOTHER HAS BEEN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER FOR MANY YEARS, AND WATCHES HER CLASSES GET FATTER BY THE GENERATION! AT A SCHOOL OF 1000 CHILDREN, GUESS HOW MANY GET TO SCHOOL BY THEIR OWN POWER (WALKING, CYCLING, SKIPPING, SKATEBOARDING, RUNNING 10K BAREFOOT EACH WAY ETC.)?
3! OK? 3! 3 KIDS OUT OF 1000 USE THEIR BODIES TO GET TO SCHOOL!
THAT IS PATHETIC! TEAR-INDUCING PATHETIC! THE REST OF THE LITTLE FATASSES ARE DRIVEN TO SCHOOL IN MOMMY'S SUV, AND PICKED UP IN THE AFTERNOON. MOST OF THESE KIDS LIVE 1 MILE OR CLOSER TO THE SCHOOL! WHEN ASKED TO WRITE A THANKSGIVING ESSAY ON "WHAT I'M MOST THANKFUL FOR" 13 OF HER 29 STUDENTS WROTE ABOUT ELECTRONICS OR VIDEOGAMES! IF THIS DOESN'T MAKE YOU VOMIT, CRY, OR HUDDLE IN THE FETAL POSITION WITH HORROR AT THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY, i DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY...
I WALKED OR RODE MY BIKE TO SCHOOL EVERYDAY GROWING UP, AND WAS EXTREMELY ACTIVE BY AMERICAN STANDARDS. AND GUESS WHAT, I ENDED UP GOING TO A D1 UNIVERSITY ON A RUNNING SCHOLARSHIP.
BUT GUESS WHAT? WHAT DID I DO AS SOON AS I TURNED 16 AND GOT A CAR? I STARTED DRIVING TO SCHOOL! I NEVER THOUGHT TWICE! THE IDEA OF EASE, PRACICALITY, LUXURY WAS SO BURNED INTO MY BRAIN THAT I NEVER THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT CONTINUING TO USE MY BODY? WHY WOULD I WALK/RIDE/RUN WHEN I COULD DRIVE?
NOW APPLY THIS IDEA TO EVERY SINGLE FACET OF LIFE...WHY RUN TO THE FIELD, CHASE A COW, MILK IT, LUG THE MILK BACK TO THE HUT AND SHARE IT WITH MY 10 BROTHERS WHEN I COULD SIT ON MY ASS IN MY ROOM PLAYING VIDEOGAMES AND YELL, "HEY MOM, BRING ME AND MY FRIENDS SOME MILK!"
WHY WALK THREE HOURS TO THE NEXT VILLAGE TO SEE FRIENDS AND BUY A SHIRT IN THE MARKET WHEN I CAN INSTANT MESSAGE MY FRIENDS AND BUY THE SHIRT ONLINE?
JUST AS ONE HEROIC TRAINING SESSION DOES LITTLE TO INCREASE FITNESS AS OPPOSED TO YEARS OF CONSISTENT, DEDICATED TRAINING, SO THE INABILITY OF AMERICAN RUNNERS TO COMPETE WITH AFRICANS IS BASED ON THE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PHYSICAL LIFESTYLE SHORTCUTS WE TAKE FROM THE TIME WE ARE BORN TO THE TIME THE MAJORITY OF US TAKE UP RUNNING AT 14 AS HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN, WHEN IT IS FAR, FAR TOO LATE TO MAKE UP THE GAP.
YES, THERE MAY BE SOME GENETIC EXPLANATIONS, BUT I BELIEVE THEY ARE NEGLIGIBLE IN COMPARISON TO THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENT/LIFESTYLE. HERE'S AN EXAMPLE, BASED OFF AN OBVIOUSLY UNSCIENTIFIC SAMPLE SIZE, BUT ONE THAT IS REPEATED ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY:
MY BROTHER AND I WERE BOTH EXTREMELY ACTIVE GROWING UP COMPARED TO AMERICAN STANDARDS...NO VIDEO GAMES, MADE TO PLAY OUTSIDE ALL DAY, TONS OF SPORTS. WE ARE VERY COORDINATED, GOOD ALL-AROUND ATHLETES. AND GUESS WHAT? WHEN WE GOT TO HIGH SCHOOL TRACK, WE BOTH EXCELLED RAPIDLY.
MY MOTHER'S BROTHER HAS TWO PERFECTLY HEALTHY SONS. HIS WIFE IS ATHLETIC AND HE WAS A COLLEGIATE ATHLETE. SO HE HAS VERY SIMILAR GENES TO MY MOTHER, AND HIS CHILDREN HAVE NO HEALTH DEFECTS. BUT GUESS WHAT? HE LETS THEM DO WHATEVER THE HECK THEY WANT, AND "WHAT THEY WANT" IS SITTING INSIDE ALL DAY PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AND WATCHING TV! SO NOW THEY'RE IN JUNIOR HIGH AND GETTING INTO SPORTS, AND IT'S TOO DAMN LATE! THEY MOVE LIKE THE BIGGEST PIECES OF SHIT YOU'VE EVER SEEN! THEY ARE DOUGHY AND UNCOORDINATED, MOVE PAINFULLY, GET TIRED EASILY, HAVE NO STAMINA, AND ARE AN ALL-AROUND EMBARRASSMENT TO WATCH! tHE PRIME DEVELOPMENT YEARS OF 0-12 HAVE BEEN SPENT IN SLOTH AND INACTIVITY, LIVING A SHELTERED, SAFE EXISTENCE WHERE THEY WON'T GET HURT, OR GASP, "OVERDO IT."
AND HERE'S THE KICKER: COMPARED TO THE EAST AFRICANS, I AM MY COUSINS! THINK ABOUT THIS CONCEPT UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND IT: I AM MY COUSINS! I AM DOUGHY AND UNCOORDINATED, MOVE PAINFULLY, GET TIRED EASILY, HAVE NO STAMINA, AND AM AN ALL-AROUND EMBARRASSMENT TO WATCH!
SURE I PLAYED ALOT AS A KID, AND THAT IS A MAJOR REASON WHY I AM PHYSICALLY SUPERIOR TO 99.9% OF MY PEERS; BUT I ALSO SAT ON MY ASS ALOT, AND ATE ALOT, AND WATCHED TV ALOT, AND HAD MY MOM DRIVE ME PLACES, AND DIDN'T RUN HOME FROM SCHOOL SO I COULD WORK ON MY FAMILY'S SUBSISTENCE FARM, AND DIDN'T GO BAREFOOT AND GET STRONG FEET, AND DIDN'T DO MUCH RUNNING AT ALL UNTIL I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN....AND EVERY SINGLE SECOND I WAS DOING OR NOT DOING THESE AMERICAN THINGS, I WAS LOSING GROUND ON MY PEERS IN EAST AFRICA WHO WERE, AND THAT IS WHY THEY ARE PHYSICALLY SUPERIOR TO ME, AND IF YOU DISCOUNT THIS IDEA, THEN I JUST PLAIN DISAGREE WITH YOU.
WHEN YOU REALLY THINK OF THE VAST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WAY THEY LIVE AND THE WAY WE LIVE, THE ENORMOUS GAP BETWEEN THEIR PHYSICAL WISDOM, THEIR ABILITY TO USE THEIR BODY HONED BY COUNTLESS HOURS OF ACTIVITY THAT WE SPEND IN FRONT OF THE TV, THEN YOU CAN START TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY FLOAT EFFORTLESSLY OVER THE GROUND, WHY RUNNING LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL IT'S LIKE THEY WERE "BORN TO RUN."
I AM NOT AMAZED AT THE RUNNING SUCCESS OF EAST AFRICANS; I AM AMAZED THAT THERE ARE EVER AMERICAN SUCCESS STORIES, LIKE LOW 13 MINUTE 5KERS. HOWEVER, GIVEN MY ABOVE REASONING, I AM ALSO NOT AMAZED WHEN EAST AFRICANS GO 1-40 AT WORLD CROSS WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS TOSSED IN LIKE LEBID AND MOTTRAM.
THE ONLY WAY OUR INSANELY SOFT SOCIETY WILL EVER COMPETE WITH EAST AFRICA AT DISTANCE RUNNING IS IF THOSE NATIONS BECOME INDUSTIRALIZED AND MODERNIZED TO THE SAME EXTENT AS OURS, AND THEN IT WILL BE A BATTLE OF THE SOFTIES.
YES, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE EXCEPTIONS, BUT AS A GENERAL RULE, THE SOFT MAN RAISED IN THE LAP OF LUXURY WHOSE DEAREST THING IN LIFE IS ELECTRONICS AND VIDEOGAMES WILL NEVER BEAT THE HARD MAN RAISED ON THE HIGH PLAINS OF AFRICA WHOSE DEAREST THING IN LIFE IS SEEING HIS FAMILY STAY ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE BLADE OF SURVIVAL.
It makes you realise where the rains started beating you.
fix your caps key, idiot. All-caps doesn't make your argument any more convincing, it only makes it a headache to read (especially with something that long).
So why are all those guys 'n gals who are staying one step ahead of the blade of survival trying to get to the US of A, and in some cases risking their very lives to do so?
...and why the caps, is your comp broken or something?
Because most Americans (me being one of American) are lazy, fat, and condemning of anything that doesn't fit that kind of lifestyle. We basically live in a delusional state of grandeur. We think we are phenomenons if we can run in the low to mid 13's for a 5km. Relatively speaking, on a global elite perspective, Americans run typical times. That's why we get typical results.
American culture also doesn't support this type of encouragement. I ran with Kenyans all through college and noticed the greatest improvements when "One-Stepping" was allowed (8:46 steeple). I always felt like there was work to do and I learned never to be satisfied because there was always somebody faster and stronger. Train hard, win easy. But then I got lazy after the program finished. One interesting point........I noticed that the Africans who had been on the team for a couple of years, started to become lazier and their performances suffered greatly.
Americans distract eachother more than anything.
Peers consider us psycho or freaks if we try to adapt a lifestyle concurrent to Africans.
Africans are just more rugged and tolerant to pain.
Americans have all the access to science, times, and technology. Why do Africans kick our ass? Maybe it's because they don't play the same mind games as we do.
Why do I get the sneaking suspicion that the African's science to running is based more around who-beats-who rather than time windows and scientific data.
I don't know. However, what I've noticed in the short time I've posted on the board is that people do a lot of questioning. Are the Africans on drugs? Are they genetically superior? And on. Yes, these are interesting matters to get to the bottom of. But, the inference I get from all this is that people are whipped before they even get to the starting line.
streamofconsciousness wrote:
BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE LIVE!!!!!!!!
DISTANCE RUNNING SUCCESS IS ABOUT ENDURANCE, STRENGTH, RELAXING DURING EXTREMELY STRENUOUS SITUATIONS, GUTS, WILL...THAT IS, THE THINGS NECESSARY FOR SURVIVAL IN
laura g. wrote:smaller populated and poorer countries
LIKE ETHIOPIA, KENYA, UGANDA, ERITREA ....
OUR ENTIRE SOCIETY IS PREDICATED ON EASE, COMFORT, LUXURY, PLEASURE, AND MATERIAL GOODS; IF YOU DON'T THINK SO, YOU'RE SIMPLY WRONG AND BRAINWASHED BY RHETORIC ABOUT AMERICA'S MORAL GREATNESS, AND SHOULD READ THE AESTHETICS OF COMSUMERISM BY DANIEL HARRIS. IN ANY CASE, NOTICE THAT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR SOCIETY ARE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE TRAITS FOR RUNNING SUCCESS!
WE ARE SOFT! WE ARE SOFT! YOU CAN DANCE AROUND THIS ALL YOU WANT, BUT THE TRUTH IS REVEALED IN THE HARSH LIGHT OF DAY, OR AT THE WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS!
MY MOTHER HAS BEEN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER FOR MANY YEARS, AND WATCHES HER CLASSES GET FATTER BY THE GENERATION! AT A SCHOOL OF 1000 CHILDREN, GUESS HOW MANY GET TO SCHOOL BY THEIR OWN POWER (WALKING, CYCLING, SKIPPING, SKATEBOARDING, RUNNING 10K BAREFOOT EACH WAY ETC.)?
3! OK? 3! 3 KIDS OUT OF 1000 USE THEIR BODIES TO GET TO SCHOOL!
THAT IS PATHETIC! TEAR-INDUCING PATHETIC! THE REST OF THE LITTLE FATASSES ARE DRIVEN TO SCHOOL IN MOMMY'S SUV, AND PICKED UP IN THE AFTERNOON. MOST OF THESE KIDS LIVE 1 MILE OR CLOSER TO THE SCHOOL! WHEN ASKED TO WRITE A THANKSGIVING ESSAY ON "WHAT I'M MOST THANKFUL FOR" 13 OF HER 29 STUDENTS WROTE ABOUT ELECTRONICS OR VIDEOGAMES! IF THIS DOESN'T MAKE YOU VOMIT, CRY, OR HUDDLE IN THE FETAL POSITION WITH HORROR AT THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY, i DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY...
I WALKED OR RODE MY BIKE TO SCHOOL EVERYDAY GROWING UP, AND WAS EXTREMELY ACTIVE BY AMERICAN STANDARDS. AND GUESS WHAT, I ENDED UP GOING TO A D1 UNIVERSITY ON A RUNNING SCHOLARSHIP.
BUT GUESS WHAT? WHAT DID I DO AS SOON AS I TURNED 16 AND GOT A CAR? I STARTED DRIVING TO SCHOOL! I NEVER THOUGHT TWICE! THE IDEA OF EASE, PRACICALITY, LUXURY WAS SO BURNED INTO MY BRAIN THAT I NEVER THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT CONTINUING TO USE MY BODY? WHY WOULD I WALK/RIDE/RUN WHEN I COULD DRIVE?
NOW APPLY THIS IDEA TO EVERY SINGLE FACET OF LIFE...WHY RUN TO THE FIELD, CHASE A COW, MILK IT, LUG THE MILK BACK TO THE HUT AND SHARE IT WITH MY 10 BROTHERS WHEN I COULD SIT ON MY ASS IN MY ROOM PLAYING VIDEOGAMES AND YELL, "HEY MOM, BRING ME AND MY FRIENDS SOME MILK!"
WHY WALK THREE HOURS TO THE NEXT VILLAGE TO SEE FRIENDS AND BUY A SHIRT IN THE MARKET WHEN I CAN INSTANT MESSAGE MY FRIENDS AND BUY THE SHIRT ONLINE?
JUST AS ONE HEROIC TRAINING SESSION DOES LITTLE TO INCREASE FITNESS AS OPPOSED TO YEARS OF CONSISTENT, DEDICATED TRAINING, SO THE INABILITY OF AMERICAN RUNNERS TO COMPETE WITH AFRICANS IS BASED ON THE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PHYSICAL LIFESTYLE SHORTCUTS WE TAKE FROM THE TIME WE ARE BORN TO THE TIME THE MAJORITY OF US TAKE UP RUNNING AT 14 AS HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN, WHEN IT IS FAR, FAR TOO LATE TO MAKE UP THE GAP.
YES, THERE MAY BE SOME GENETIC EXPLANATIONS, BUT I BELIEVE THEY ARE NEGLIGIBLE IN COMPARISON TO THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENT/LIFESTYLE. HERE'S AN EXAMPLE, BASED OFF AN OBVIOUSLY UNSCIENTIFIC SAMPLE SIZE, BUT ONE THAT IS REPEATED ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY:
MY BROTHER AND I WERE BOTH EXTREMELY ACTIVE GROWING UP COMPARED TO AMERICAN STANDARDS...NO VIDEO GAMES, MADE TO PLAY OUTSIDE ALL DAY, TONS OF SPORTS. WE ARE VERY COORDINATED, GOOD ALL-AROUND ATHLETES. AND GUESS WHAT? WHEN WE GOT TO HIGH SCHOOL TRACK, WE BOTH EXCELLED RAPIDLY.
MY MOTHER'S BROTHER HAS TWO PERFECTLY HEALTHY SONS. HIS WIFE IS ATHLETIC AND HE WAS A COLLEGIATE ATHLETE. SO HE HAS VERY SIMILAR GENES TO MY MOTHER, AND HIS CHILDREN HAVE NO HEALTH DEFECTS. BUT GUESS WHAT? HE LETS THEM DO WHATEVER THE HECK THEY WANT, AND "WHAT THEY WANT" IS SITTING INSIDE ALL DAY PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AND WATCHING TV! SO NOW THEY'RE IN JUNIOR HIGH AND GETTING INTO SPORTS, AND IT'S TOO DAMN LATE! THEY MOVE LIKE THE BIGGEST PIECES OF SHIT YOU'VE EVER SEEN! THEY ARE DOUGHY AND UNCOORDINATED, MOVE PAINFULLY, GET TIRED EASILY, HAVE NO STAMINA, AND ARE AN ALL-AROUND EMBARRASSMENT TO WATCH! tHE PRIME DEVELOPMENT YEARS OF 0-12 HAVE BEEN SPENT IN SLOTH AND INACTIVITY, LIVING A SHELTERED, SAFE EXISTENCE WHERE THEY WON'T GET HURT, OR GASP, "OVERDO IT."
AND HERE'S THE KICKER: COMPARED TO THE EAST AFRICANS, I AM MY COUSINS! THINK ABOUT THIS CONCEPT UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND IT: I AM MY COUSINS! I AM DOUGHY AND UNCOORDINATED, MOVE PAINFULLY, GET TIRED EASILY, HAVE NO STAMINA, AND AM AN ALL-AROUND EMBARRASSMENT TO WATCH!
SURE I PLAYED ALOT AS A KID, AND THAT IS A MAJOR REASON WHY I AM PHYSICALLY SUPERIOR TO 99.9% OF MY PEERS; BUT I ALSO SAT ON MY ASS ALOT, AND ATE ALOT, AND WATCHED TV ALOT, AND HAD MY MOM DRIVE ME PLACES, AND DIDN'T RUN HOME FROM SCHOOL SO I COULD WORK ON MY FAMILY'S SUBSISTENCE FARM, AND DIDN'T GO BAREFOOT AND GET STRONG FEET, AND DIDN'T DO MUCH RUNNING AT ALL UNTIL I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN....AND EVERY SINGLE SECOND I WAS DOING OR NOT DOING THESE AMERICAN THINGS, I WAS LOSING GROUND ON MY PEERS IN EAST AFRICA WHO WERE, AND THAT IS WHY THEY ARE PHYSICALLY SUPERIOR TO ME, AND IF YOU DISCOUNT THIS IDEA, THEN I JUST PLAIN DISAGREE WITH YOU.
WHEN YOU REALLY THINK OF THE VAST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WAY THEY LIVE AND THE WAY WE LIVE, THE ENORMOUS GAP BETWEEN THEIR PHYSICAL WISDOM, THEIR ABILITY TO USE THEIR BODY HONED BY COUNTLESS HOURS OF ACTIVITY THAT WE SPEND IN FRONT OF THE TV, THEN YOU CAN START TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY FLOAT EFFORTLESSLY OVER THE GROUND, WHY RUNNING LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL IT'S LIKE THEY WERE "BORN TO RUN."
I AM NOT AMAZED AT THE RUNNING SUCCESS OF EAST AFRICANS; I AM AMAZED THAT THERE ARE EVER AMERICAN SUCCESS STORIES, LIKE LOW 13 MINUTE 5KERS. HOWEVER, GIVEN MY ABOVE REASONING, I AM ALSO NOT AMAZED WHEN EAST AFRICANS GO 1-40 AT WORLD CROSS WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS TOSSED IN LIKE LEBID AND MOTTRAM.
THE ONLY WAY OUR INSANELY SOFT SOCIETY WILL EVER COMPETE WITH EAST AFRICA AT DISTANCE RUNNING IS IF THOSE NATIONS BECOME INDUSTIRALIZED AND MODERNIZED TO THE SAME EXTENT AS OURS, AND THEN IT WILL BE A BATTLE OF THE SOFTIES.
YES, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE EXCEPTIONS, BUT AS A GENERAL RULE, THE SOFT MAN RAISED IN THE LAP OF LUXURY WHOSE DEAREST THING IN LIFE IS ELECTRONICS AND VIDEOGAMES WILL NEVER BEAT THE HARD MAN RAISED ON THE HIGH PLAINS OF AFRICA WHOSE DEAREST THING IN LIFE IS SEEING HIS FAMILY STAY ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE BLADE OF SURVIVAL.
Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The same applies to academics. Why are us Americans so poor at math and physics? Because math and physics are hard, and Americans are generally lazy. Calculators to "remove drudgery", over use of "real world applications" to make math more exciting, etc. When is the last time that a math curriculum was designed to test a student's resourcefulness, and build their powers of abstraction? The amazing thing is that American students also think they are the best in the world.
T & F are not mainstream nor popular sports in the US.
There's no big contracts at the pro level for large numbers of athletes in T & F, however the other team sports DO offer the potential.
The better athletes here play football, basketball, soccer, hockey, baseball or even lacrosse if they are guys and softball, basketball, gymnastics or volleyball if they are girls.
It's a cultural thing. Remove those other sports and you might see a change. American kids as a rule use running or jogging as conditioners for sports they prefer play, not as a sport in itself.
Using caps to trash your own people proves nothing by the way.
It's a bit more complicated than some here at letsrun might want to admit.
America is the richest most powerful country in the world it must ne dong something right!!
Which is why people emigrate here.
gregg54 wrote:
America is the richest most powerful country in the world it must ne dong something right!!
Where'd you get that idea? How can you be the richest nation in the world and the most indebted nation at the same time? Even our supposed military might -- which sucks up half of our national budget -- is largely financed by Japan and China. The U.S. is a paper tiger. Refusing to face that reality is like believing Ritz is one of the best in the world.
We need to get our runner's on better performance-enhancing chemicals. How they heck can they compete with the rest of the world, when they are not properly juiced?
It's any easy solution.
Wrong question. We do produce better distance runners than most countries. However, we don't produce many, if any, good MALE distance runners whose families have lived in this country for multiple generations. (Even Pre's mom was an immmigrant.) I don't have any answers for that.
I will say that I was the co-MVP of my HS XC team, but of the 600 other boys at my school I'd say 300 were better all-around athletes, and at least 50 could have beaten me if they'd trained as hard as I did. My best guess is that the athletes are out there but long-distance running is generally percieved as a notch or two below quiz bowl on the social ladder.