BEN MF TRUE

in preparation for the Boston marathon, Rupp runs a 59:47 tune-up, Dathan runs a 62:42 tune up.

Which runner would you rather be right now?

I can tell you’re perhaps slightly less than dead serious, but still:

Rupp’s race: aided course, nice conditions, no tactics for Rupp other than following one guy until the pace gets too slow.

Ritz’s race: tough course and conditions (I ran it), 29 degrees at the start, headwind 90% of the time, uphill second half with four 380- to 600-meter hills in the last four miles, totally tactical among the pros, no one wants the lead, first 5K in 15:31, Ritz makes a big move late but on the hilly section and into the wind until the last 1.4 miles.

Level playing field?

LBXC wrote:

I can tell you’re perhaps slightly less than dead serious, but still:

Rupp’s race: aided course, nice conditions, no tactics for Rupp other than following one guy until the pace gets too slow.

Ritz’s race: tough course and conditions (I ran it), 29 degrees at the start, headwind 90% of the time, uphill second half with four 380- to 600-meter hills in the last four miles, totally tactical among the pros, no one wants the lead, first 5K in 15:31, Ritz makes a big move late but on the hilly section and into the wind until the last 1.4 miles.

Level playing field?

not an equal comparison, yes.

let me change my question into a statement:

Ritz knows he's not in 59:47 shape on the Rome 1/2 marathon course right now, but should be concerned he lost to True.

Ritz has a tendency to make big, strong moves too early instead of being patient and waiting until the time is right to put himself in position for a win or high final place. Like he gets a surge of adrenaline. I know this is a huge virtue on Letsrun to front-run and go hard, but at this point in his career when he won't be dropping any 2:07-2:08 marathons. Basically, he needs to race like Meb and either wait it out or pounce on opportunities.

he needs to run smarter, not harder.

He is at that point. He has even said himself Meb is an inspiration to him. It's hard to call him out on this though. Sure he pushed it a little early but True was an unknown entity. It is hard enough to gauge when to go let alone with someone who you have no idea how they will handle the distance.

Ben True is taller than Rupp.

bigger and stronger wrote:

Ben True is taller than Rupp.

I like turtles!!

pigs and men and bears wrote:

Ritz has a tendency to make big, strong moves too early instead of being patient and waiting until the time is right to put himself in position for a win or high final place. Like he gets a surge of adrenaline. I know this is a huge virtue on Letsrun to front-run and go hard, but at this point in his career when he won't be dropping any 2:07-2:08 marathons. Basically, he needs to race like Meb and either wait it out or pounce on opportunities.

he needs to run smarter, not harder.

Yeah, Ritz always moves too soon. Never wins. When will he learn?

Ehso wrote:

He is not 165 wrote:

Ben True does not look 165lbs.

He’s not. Duh. The people who claim that True or Solinsky is over 160 are guys who want to make themselves believe that you don’t have to be super light to be an elite distance runner. Well, you do.

Solinsky might have been 160. Certainly 150-155. He was tall, and built thicker by a noticeable amount than any other 10k guys. Rupp is ridiculously lean, and is allegedly around 135. Chris has 2"-3" on Rupp, so that's 10lbs by default.

Solinsky was not as lean as Rupp, also much bigger. That's worth at a absolute minimum 5lbs, which puts Solinsky at 150, but personally I think 10-15lbs is more realistic. If I had to bet, I'd put good money on Solinsky being between 155 and 160.

YMMV wrote:

pigs and men and bears wrote:

Ritz has a tendency to make big, strong moves too early instead of being patient and waiting until the time is right to put himself in position for a win or high final place. Like he gets a surge of adrenaline. I know this is a huge virtue on Letsrun to front-run and go hard, but at this point in his career when he won't be dropping any 2:07-2:08 marathons. Basically, he needs to race like Meb and either wait it out or pounce on opportunities.

he needs to run smarter, not harder.

Yeah, Ritz always moves too soon. Never wins. When will he learn?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DJVwmTHcuY

i love how ritz collapses at the end of races. he gives it so much, digs so deep. my fav. thanks for the clip

he beat a 40-something year old 1500m runner in a road 10k. different than a 1/2 marathon or a marathon. That's what I was referencing...I should have been more specific.

He's got the tools and mental tenacity to hold it together in the pain cave a those shorter races versus , say, the Boston marathon, when he pushed too hard too early a few years ago. he's done this in other races and did it this weekend as well.

pigs and men and bears wrote:

YMMV wrote:

Yeah, Ritz always moves too soon. Never wins. When will he learn?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DJVwmTHcuY

i love how ritz collapses at the end of races. he gives it so much, digs so deep. my fav. thanks for the clip

he beat a 40-something year old 1500m runner in a road 10k. different than a 1/2 marathon or a marathon. That's what I was referencing...I should have been more specific.

He's got the tools and mental tenacity to hold it together in the pain cave a those shorter races versus , say, the Boston marathon, when he pushed too hard too early a few years ago. he's done this in other races and did it this weekend as well.

Did you notice that he didn't collapse at the end of the NYC Half this weekend?

BECAUSE IT WAS A WORKOUT.

Ritz was not allowed to run too hard. The governor was on. This is why he jogged through the chute and straight into his cool down.

Good for Ben. He beat a guy doing a workout.

solinsky raced at 148-150.

true probably races at 143-145.

rupp no more than 130.

ritz maybe 120.

... i still take true in a fight with a bear over any other distance guy.

Two things:

It's pretty typical of the Hansons to do a half marathon as a pseudo workout a month out from a big marathon. They always choose a hilly one for Boston. Ritz did that.

The other thing is Ritz said he's still at 110 miles per week which is the most he's ever done this close to a big race. Tough to muster a huge kick against the locomotive Ben True when you're tired.

I'm looking forward to a great Boston marathon as long as he nails the fueling portion of the race.

Lol. It's hard to take you seriously when you make such outlandish claims. Sub 27 for 10k? Sub 13 for 5k? Sub 3:30 for 1500m? Do you think he is suddenly going to be a superhero now that he stopped eating meat? Don't kid yourself.

running commenter wrote:

Two things:

It's pretty typical of the Hansons to do a half marathon as a pseudo workout a month out from a big marathon. They always choose a hilly one for Boston. Ritz did that.

The other thing is Ritz said he's still at 110 miles per week which is the most he's ever done this close to a big race. Tough to muster a huge kick against the locomotive Ben True when you're tired.

I'm looking forward to a great Boston marathon as long as he nails the fueling portion of the race.

shouldn't be too tough to muster a tough kick at that speed for Ritzenhein unless it really was a wrkt

rupp is doing a lot of miles too...

and crushed a sub 60

we'll see at Boston, won't we?!

snuffle lung-agass wrote:

running commenter wrote:

Two things:

It's pretty typical of the Hansons to do a half marathon as a pseudo workout a month out from a big marathon. They always choose a hilly one for Boston. Ritz did that.

The other thing is Ritz said he's still at 110 miles per week which is the most he's ever done this close to a big race. Tough to muster a huge kick against the locomotive Ben True when you're tired.

I'm looking forward to a great Boston marathon as long as he nails the fueling portion of the race.

shouldn't be too tough to muster a tough kick at that speed for Ritzenhein unless it really was a wrkt

rupp is doing a lot of miles too...

and crushed a sub 60

we'll see at Boston, won't we?!

I'm talking about this race vs. True. I'd have picked True 10/10 in a final 100 of a race at this point in their careers.

I guess we'll see whatever you're trying to see at Boston. I'm just hoping to see a good race overall.

I just realized Ben has his OTQ now. Will he try to the make the marathon team in 2020?

Libertarian vegan wrote:

That is because I have been advising his new whole food plant based diet. He is now down to a lean 145 ibs. He'll brake 3:30 for the 1500m, 13 min for the 5k and 27 min for the 10k this season. Go vegan, Veganism FTW

Link?

ben ftw wrote:

I just realized Ben has his OTQ now. Will he try to the make the marathon team in 2020?

When did the window open for a HM qualifier? I think you are wrong.

There’s a non-zero chance that he runs New York as his debut marathon in November. He’s run most of their shorter-distance races, has had them wine and dine him for years, and NYRR pays for Americans’ debuts. Ben has struggled to make WC and Olympic teams on the track, and he seems to always perform well on the roads, so it might be time to take that NYRR money and see if there’s another path to Tokyo available to him.

I’m not sure he’ll ever be a world-beater (the men’s marathon is just crazy at the international level these days, and super-deep, too), but if he can go 2:10-2:12 at New York that’ll make him a strong contender to make the US marathon team.