The Strange Case of Andrew Wheating

Has nobody noticed the guy now looks more like a tight end than a distance runner? Look at his body when he ran those PR's. He's long and lean. Look at him now, he's long and muscular. I'd guess 20 pounds heavier.

Gaining weight isn't always bad if you gain a greater amount of power. However, odds are Wheating was at a fairly optimal weight in college and is now way too heavy.

http://runningnetwork.com/RNW/images/wheating-10.jpg

VS

https://c0179261.ssl.cf0.rackcdn.com/915718_SeS5ouYS9FM2iywj2Eth_xl.jpg

TAGAWIA wrote:

Wheating ran his best times of 1:44.56 and 3:30.9 when he was 22. Wheating started running later than many world class runners. However, Wheating is now 29, not much older than Mo Farah was when he began world domination. Yet Wheating is generally considered finished as a world class runner.

+1

Well done, my dear chap.

Moral: Mo farah is doping

Cpt. Obvious wrote:

Has nobody noticed the guy now looks more like a tight end than a distance runner? Look at his body when he ran those PR's. He's long and lean. Look at him now, he's long and muscular. I'd guess 20 pounds heavier.

Gaining weight isn't always bad if you gain a greater amount of power. However, odds are Wheating was at a fairly optimal weight in college and is now way too heavy.

http://runningnetwork.com/RNW/images/wheating-10.jpg

VS

https://c0179261.ssl.cf0.rackcdn.com/915718_SeS5ouYS9FM2iywj2Eth_xl.jpg

Actually spent a great deal of time with Andy this summer and thought he looked VERY thin and fit.

This has been a very interesting and healthy thread. I feel if Andrew is motivated he can still run fast. He has always been affected by the people he is around. His 1st few years in the sport he had excellent support and LOVED running for the Ducks. It meant a great deal to him. Being a pro has been less comfortable. Too many rumours and "alternative facts" (such as looking like a tight end). Only a few know the truth.

Selfishly I hope he continues to 2020. I can see him getting it together in a new environment.

If you are reading this Andy you know there are a lot of us who will always support your decisions. Thanks for some awesome memories and a warm friendship. Cheers.

HardLoper wrote:

Wheating was a victim of the Monaco track, which made him believe that he was in shape to run 3:30 on a normal track. Remember, only two guys in the last decade (Kiprop and Kiplagat) have broken 3:30 outside of Monaco! Trampoline track?

Hardloper is Bad Wigins confirmed?!

Star wrote:

Not so strange.

A lot of athlete rise and fall fast.

It's just more noticeable when you run 3:30

+1

Well done!

Interesting to see little taoufik in there. Hard to believe that he would completely destroy everyone in London 2 years later. Oh wait, Aden became his coach and watch holder...

Huge talent, but was at his best at 22 when working with Nike / UO sponsored physicians. Ran 330 with the help of PEDS. Most of us have suspected this for a long time. He is clean now.

TAGAWIA wrote:

Wheating ran his best times of 1:44.56 and 3:30.9 when he was 22. Wheating started running later than many world class runners. However, Wheating is now 29, not much older than Mo Farah was when he began world domination. Yet Wheating is generally considered finished as a world class runner.

HardLoper wrote:

Remember, only two guys in the last decade (Kiprop and Kiplagat) have broken 3:30 outside of Monaco! Trampoline track?

Actually, since 2007, four guys have broken 3:30 outside of Monaco. Choge ran 3:29.47 in Berlin in 2009, and Chepseba ran 3:29.90 at Hengelo in 2012. This just reinforces your point: Almost nobody runs under 3:30 outside of Monaco.

TAGAWIA wrote:

Wheating ran his best times of 1:44.56 and 3:30.9 when he was 22. Wheating started running later than many world class runners. However, Wheating is now 29, not much older than Mo Farah was when he began world domination. Yet Wheating is generally considered finished as a world class runner.

Wheating's 2010 is a puzzle, He was on fire that summer -- he ran his two fastest 800s, his fastest 1500 and his fastest mile, Wheating never came close to his pbs after that. Take those away, and Wheating looks a lot like his training partner, Russell Brown.

Aaaakshflkadhflds wrote:

Huge talent, but was at his best at 22 when working with Nike / UO sponsored physicians. Ran 330 with the help of PEDS.

Most of us have suspected this for a long time. He is clean now.

TAGAWIA wrote:

Wheating ran his best times of 1:44.56 and 3:30.9 when he was 22. Wheating started running later than many world class runners. However, Wheating is now 29, not much older than Mo Farah was when he began world domination. Yet Wheating is generally considered finished as a world class runner.

You are very wrong. Sadly you had to post the crap. Go troll elsewhere.

Cpt. Obvious wrote:

Has nobody noticed the guy now looks more like a tight end than a distance runner? Look at his body when he ran those PR's. He's long and lean. Look at him now, he's long and muscular. I'd guess 20 pounds heavier.

Gaining weight isn't always bad if you gain a greater amount of power. However, odds are Wheating was at a fairly optimal weight in college and is now way too heavy.

http://runningnetwork.com/RNW/images/wheating-10.jpg

VS

https://c0179261.ssl.cf0.rackcdn.com/915718_SeS5ouYS9FM2iywj2Eth_xl.jpg

He would need to gain 50+lbs of muscle to look like a tight end. Standing next to distance runners makes anyone look big. If his weight is more than 5lbs off from his college days, I would be shocked.

Wheating is far from the only person who has struggled in making the transition from college runner to pro one. His situation stands out becasue of the heights he was at. See a Dorian Ulrey for a 3:35 college runner who never ran that fast again.

It would be interesting to compare training logs from the college days to now to see what happened. Were there big changes (more or less mileage, drastically different workouts, loss of speed,....) or just little things that prevented him from capturing whatever he had that let him run fast. It is easy to make judgements on the net but I am pretty sure all these guys are training as hard as ever. For whatever reason they just are not getting the results they once did. Often times training comes across as very scientific when guys like Salazer and the like talk or write books. But it is important to remember that they are making some educated guesses on what a runner needs. Knowing if say 5x1600m is better than 4x1600 is a guess. Guess wrong and the athlete ends up either undertrained (could have done 5) or overtrained (should have stopped at 4). Individuallly small mistakes don't matter. But over a season they add up.

TAGAWIA wrote:

Wheating ran his best times of 1:44.56 and 3:30.9 when he was 22. Wheating started running later than many world class runners. However, Wheating is now 29, not much older than Mo Farah was when he began world domination. Yet Wheating is generally considered finished as a world class runner.

3:30.9 is extremely impressive. Not a whole lot of people who have run sub 3:30. And among those are quite a few dopers I'm sure. Perhaps he's not a doper and that is why he's not there anymore.

Looking back at that vid it's a shame there's not a camera just on Wheating for the last lap as he moved up big time. Also astonishing is the ease with which he appears to be running. Does being 6'5" allow for you to have a more lumbering stride? Absolutely, but it looks that way nonetheless.

Finally it was surprising to see how much he seemed to get pushed around in the early goings. A calculo type would surely give him credit for a much faster race if he were moving smoothly in lane 1.

It would be nice to see him pick up the pieces and return to great heights, but there is truth in the magical confluence of events that creates great seasons. Look at Webb when he was on fire in, I think, '07.

Nailed it. 335 athlete at best when not using.

Aaaakshflkadhflds wrote:

Huge talent, but was at his best at 22 when working with Nike / UO sponsored physicians. Ran 330 with the help of PEDS.

Most of us have suspected this for a long time. He is clean now.

TAGAWIA wrote:

Wheating ran his best times of 1:44.56 and 3:30.9 when he was 22. Wheating started running later than many world class runners. However, Wheating is now 29, not much older than Mo Farah was when he began world domination. Yet Wheating is generally considered finished as a world class runner.

2010 PR: 3:30.902009 PR: 3:40.92Enuf said.

carmichaeldonuts wrote:

Nailed it. 335 athlete at best when not using.

Aaaakshflkadhflds wrote:

Huge talent, but was at his best at 22 when working with Nike / UO sponsored physicians. Ran 330 with the help of PEDS.

Most of us have suspected this for a long time. He is clean now.

Most runners set all their PRs in the same year (or same month) and then decline irreversibly

Just a coincidence wrote:

Interesting to see little taoufik in there. Hard to believe that he would completely destroy everyone in London 2 years later. Oh wait, Aden became his coach and watch holder...

Winner there is Amine Laalou. Served a nice fat doping ban while representing morocco.