M Rossi wrote:
Running Boston is my lifetime dream, and I will do anything to get there.
Fixed that for you.
M Rossi wrote:
Running Boston is my lifetime dream, and I will do anything to get there.
Fixed that for you.
Google Titans man wrote:
I don't know him and have never met him. I'm sure he must hate LetsRun and the Brojos. For those newer people on this site, there were a lot of anonymous people making fun of him and cyber bullying him on this site back in his Oregon days. Maybe he associated most runners with this type of childish insecurity and is therefore turned off by other runners and also people which he does not personally know. I'm sure he visited the site at one point in time. Seeing what some people said about him here, I honestly couldn't really blame him for not liking people in general if that's the case.
It's almost like people want him to be some muppet or something. We can't expect pros to have the personality we want them to.
And if he doesn't like people in general, I can understand, I'm the same way.
Rupp in person wrote:
If so, how’d it go? Reading all of the negativity in one of the other threads got me wondering if he’s really as stand-offish in person as the media portrays him.
I’m just wondering about his personality, not whether people think he may have broken the rules or not.
Any former teammates, etc.?
I wished him luck at the Philly Half (September, 2017) last year. I started the race about 10 feet from him so I went over and congratulated him on his sub-26:00's (etc) for 10K and said a nice thing or two to him. He was kind of quiet and reserved in his acknowledgment of me but went right back to business. I had no problem with his response as it was 2 minutes before a race......Overall in the 15+ seconds I was in his presence, I thought he was just fine.
I've met him a half dozen times. I found him to be polite and engaging. He was also quite willing to take a picture with some of my athletes. I distinctly thought he was raised right.
Give the guy a break. If you expect him to be gregarious right after a race, you don't get it. These guys need to decompress after such a stressful and strenuous event.
threadbare wrote:
I've met him a half dozen times. I found him to be polite and engaging. He was also quite willing to take a picture with some of my athletes. I distinctly thought he was raised right.
Give the guy a break. If you expect him to be gregarious right after a race, you don't get it. These guys need to decompress after such a stressful and strenuous event.
+1 This guy is on the biggest stage (well running stage) in the world winning races and medals - it takes a ton of mental focus to get the job done. I know guys in my running community that have that attitude for much smaller races. For example, there is a 49 year old in our running community who does nothing but run. Well, he works, but he had no other interests, no children and is a total jerk.
At a race last summer, he didn't too well and was passed the last 200 meters by a female Kenyan. At the awards banquet, he was pounding the table in frustration, saying how he was going to "train his brains out and pound her in the ground next year."
If he only saw the people laughing at him. What a joke.
Rupp in person wrote:
If so, how’d it go? Reading all of the negativity in one of the other threads got me wondering if he’s really as stand-offish in person as the media portrays him.
I’m just wondering about his personality, not whether people think he may have broken the rules or not.
Any former teammates, etc.?
No, but would love me some of his lotions and ointments.
Rlo98 wrote:
He probably is shy/introverted and would like to be able to go to the grocery store without having to chat it up with some random running fan. I get that he’s a big name and should promote the sport and talk to fans, etc. But I just get the feeling that is not his personality and doesn’t want to make a lot of small talk. I’m an introverted person and having with to make small talk with people I don’t know can be draining and not my favorite thing.
I've not met him but this is my impression of Rupp, as well. He's just an introvert. Most of his life (and his entire adult life) has been about one thing: Running. He's probably uncomfortable as hell talking to unknown people. I get it. I have friends who are unbelievable programmers/developers who are the same way. They aren't dicks or jerks at all, it's just that their general uncomfort and lack of social skills when talking with others can make them appear as if they are aloof or don't care about the conversation (thus leading the other person in that conversation to think they are a jerk).
You actually expect us to believe that story?
I went for a run with him (and 1 other NOP guy) once. He was nice and reasonably friendly.
That said, his personality does not give a clue as to whether he has broken the rules (some drug cheats I know come off as nice, friendly people... this is not a movie where the villain is completely unlikeable). I have the same attitude toward Rupp as Coach B from yesterday's Quote of the Day. I refuse to cheer for him, and in fact I cheer against him because I believe he is cheating.
central_park_laps wrote:
I saw Rupp at a grocery store in Portland last week. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything. He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?” I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen clif bars in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
One of the best posts I’ve ever seen here. You are a funny dude.
MeHereYouWhere?! wrote:
Rlo98 wrote:
He probably is shy/introverted and would like to be able to go to the grocery store without having to chat it up with some random running fan. I get that he’s a big name and should promote the sport and talk to fans, etc. But I just get the feeling that is not his personality and doesn’t want to make a lot of small talk. I’m an introverted person and having with to make small talk with people I don’t know can be draining and not my favorite thing.
I've not met him but this is my impression of Rupp, as well. He's just an introvert. Most of his life (and his entire adult life) has been about one thing: Running. He's probably uncomfortable as hell talking to unknown people. I get it. I have friends who are unbelievable programmers/developers who are the same way. They aren't dicks or jerks at all, it's just that their general uncomfort and lack of social skills when talking with others can make them appear as if they are aloof or don't care about the conversation (thus leading the other person in that conversation to think they are a jerk).
Being an introvert has absolutely nothing to do with shyness and/or lack of social skills. Zero. I would explain but too lazy. Google it. It’s all there.
Rupppp wrote:
I've met him multiple times, in various settings (after competition, at a grocery store, etc) and he's never been friendly. It's hard to tell if he's just awkward/shy, but he definitely seems disinterested in interacting, which is the opposite of all of the other pro runners I've met. Most others seem enthused to talk to a running fan, it's not like the average person recognizes them. My guess is that a lot of it is awkwardness vs ego, but hard to tell. He's certainly not very supportive of the general running community at large, which may just be because he has no real need to market himself career wise.
Maybe it’s you.
central_park_laps wrote:
I saw Rupp at a grocery store in Portland last week. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything. He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?” I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen clif bars in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
Awesome.
Guy With Opinions wrote:
You actually expect us to believe that story?
LR: where people who can't recognize jokes get together to complain that some other guy doesn't understand human interaction
You know who the F I am wrote:
threadbare wrote:
I've met him a half dozen times. I found him to be polite and engaging. He was also quite willing to take a picture with some of my athletes. I distinctly thought he was raised right.
Give the guy a break. If you expect him to be gregarious right after a race, you don't get it. These guys need to decompress after such a stressful and strenuous event.
+1 This guy is on the biggest stage (well running stage) in the world winning races and medals - it takes a ton of mental focus to get the job done. I know guys in my running community that have that attitude for much smaller races. For example, there is a 49 year old in our running community who does nothing but run. Well, he works, but he had no other interests, no children and is a total jerk.
At a race last summer, he didn't too well and was passed the last 200 meters by a female Kenyan. At the awards banquet, he was pounding the table in frustration, saying how he was going to "train his brains out and pound her in the ground next year."
If he only saw the people laughing at him. What a joke.
Don't make me bring up the Real Man standards!!
I saw Rupp do a track workout with some local sub elites that AlSal got to pace him and Kara. He is definitely not used to the kind of fan interaction that other pro athletes understand is part of the job. But I think that is just more the nature of the limited amount of face time you get with fans in distance running and how AlSal and Nike have handled Rupp. They have not made a priority of putting him out in the public a lot to be a "brand ambassador". The guys who ran with Rupp thought he was a decent guy and did not think that he was aloof or a jerk. He chatted with them before and after the workout. This was before the Olympic medals and doping controversy. So, Rupp may have closed himself since then.
What I did find notable was how vicious AlSal was during the workout. He was constantly ripping on Kara and putting her down. He was also equally tough with Rupp, but it seemed like Rupp was motivated by it and used to it. It was just surprising how harsh he was considering that most of the elite coaches I have seen are more like cheerleaders during workouts, giving off lots of positive energy to get their athletes through the workout.
Yessir wrote:
When Kara, Adam, Alberto and Galen would all be hanging out at the Dempsey, it was like all the air was sucked out of the place.
Maybe they had had it converted into a hypoxic chamber to fudge their blood readings for the biological passport tests?
I was thinking the other day about Messi and CR7 and how they handle the press. Messi acts humble and CR7 sometimes acts brash. Messi acts like he doesn't want the attention and CR7 acts like he wants the attention. Regardless of their approaches, it is clear that both people care about their public perception and want to live or die by their sport. They are entirely invested in what their fans think. Love them or hate them, this is clearly good for the sport and it makes it so average soccer fans can believe these big guys are invested in the same sport culture with the fans.
Galen Rupp is not participating in the same sport we are. He is detached from our culture. The kid was a soccer player before being hand picked to be a runner and then he was quickly put behind a curtain for special treatment. He's been guided the entire way from above. He makes some public appearances as needed and is surely appreciative of the good things in his life, but he has been led by the reins the entire way. His career is more reflective of a communist Chinese athlete scooped away at a young age to compete for their country and he interacts with the larger sport community about as well as one of those insulated athletes does, which is to say that they are pretty lost when without their handlers. He may be a decent guy, but lacks the personal accountability for his success that many other runners embrace. He may put in the work, but ask him about anything other than the assigned runs and he'll have to refer you to somebody else.
Shoebacca wrote:
I was thinking the other day about Messi and CR7 and how they handle the press. Messi acts humble and CR7 sometimes acts brash. Messi acts like he doesn't want the attention and CR7 acts like he wants the attention. Regardless of their approaches, it is clear that both people care about their public perception and want to live or die by their sport. They are entirely invested in what their fans think. Love them or hate them, this is clearly good for the sport and it makes it so average soccer fans can believe these big guys are invested in the same sport culture with the fans.
Galen Rupp is not participating in the same sport we are. He is detached from our culture. The kid was a soccer player before being hand picked to be a runner and then he was quickly put behind a curtain for special treatment. He's been guided the entire way from above. He makes some public appearances as needed and is surely appreciative of the good things in his life, but he has been led by the reins the entire way. His career is more reflective of a communist Chinese athlete scooped away at a young age to compete for their country and he interacts with the larger sport community about as well as one of those insulated athletes does, which is to say that they are pretty lost when without their handlers. He may be a decent guy, but lacks the personal accountability for his success that many other runners embrace. He may put in the work, but ask him about anything other than the assigned runs and he'll have to refer you to somebody else.
What? “lacks personal accountability”? Where do you get that? You are assuming and projecting all kinds of things onto him. You have no idea what’s in his head or who he is. Some people are quiet and keep to themselves. Personally, I think it’s refreshing to see a top level athelete not interested in blabbering about themselves. I guess he’s the anti-goucher. That’s a very good thing.
doctorj wrote:
Exactly the point. Not to mention most if not all the people making fun of him and bashing him are really jealous at his success as a long distance runner.
This is a rediculous line.
If this were true then ALL professional runner would be getting bashed by the 25 minute 5Kers on LR to the same level that Rupp is.
Rupp's treatment is due to a combination of his personality + his association with Salazar.
I do not hold his personality against him as I am an introvert and quiet and often get written off as snobby and standoffish by others that do not know me well. But, if I were a well known athlete I would at least make an attempt on social media to overcome that. And it really is not that hard to make small talk when the subject is running. That is one subject I feel very comfortable talking to anyone about.