I've seen it more than a dozen times from City of Lakes Marathon about 45 years ago to Twin Cities Marathon, teenagers ground up into steak tartare due to Marathon racing too soon.
I have to disagree. I ran under 3 hours my 1st year in high school. Still going strong. Most of the distance crowd at school did the same. Teenage marathoning was huge during the Boom. Perhaps not coincidentally, the US was at the top of the heap in world marathoning at the time.
So this gal may have quit running young. You know who else does? Most of those that refuse to run outside of school-sponsored programs. Where are all the clowns from my school and yours that actually joined the track team and ran sprints? Not running any more. Maybe they should have run longer events and had some longevity!
I've seen it more than a dozen times from City of Lakes Marathon about 45 years ago to Twin Cities Marathon, teenagers ground up into steak tartare due to Marathon racing too soon.
I have to disagree. I ran under 3 hours my 1st year in high school. Still going strong. Most of the distance crowd at school did the same. Teenage marathoning was huge during the Boom. Perhaps not coincidentally, the US was at the top of the heap in world marathoning at the time.
So this gal may have quit running young. You know who else does? Most of those that refuse to run outside of school-sponsored programs. Where are all the clowns from my school and yours that actually joined the track team and ran sprints? Not running any more. Maybe they should have run longer events and had some longevity!
She didn't just happen to get sick of running. T W was missing all or portions of XC and T&F seasons. What do you mean you disagree? Are you saying she is healthy, a healthy quit?
Tierney graduated H.S. early, skipping what would have been her “senior” year. In MN high-achieving high school students have an option known as PSEO which permits them to take college courses for joint h.s./college credit. She entered Nevada with many college credits already. She’s already graduated with a B.S. degree, and is in graduate school (not Nevada) working on an M.S., which she expects to finish next year. Does that explain why she’s not running for Nevada at the present?
She didn't just happen to get sick of running. T W was missing all or portions of XC and T&F seasons. What do you mean you disagree? Are you saying she is healthy, a healthy quit?
I disagree with your opinion (and that of most readers of this site) that running the events she did at the age she did is the problem. The reason most oppose this is that it means running unattached. Your school has no participation in this, and this offends high school coaches even more than everyone else. I mean, my school didn't offer any long distance events and had little to offer me since I am slow-twitch enough to be good only at events high schools don't participate in.
Such activity is vigorously opposed here on LRC, where we are told to 'focus on' XC and T&F until after college graduation. One is 'supposed to' avoid burnout by never racing longer than 5k in high school and 10k in college. These are arbitrary distances settled upon because it is what school-sponsored programs allow.
There are problems with this US standard (unknown in the rest of the world) approach, especially if your physiological profile is inconsistent with successful middle distance running. Look at the recent marathon WR breaker. This is someone who will never break the 1500 WR and wouldn't have been multiple State Champion in sprints or mid-D if put in a US high school at age 14.
So, those slow-twitch types who are best at 10k and up, or only good at half marathon and up are wasting their time trying to run 800s in high school. This included me. Train for and race your best events. This is what you oppose. This is where we disagree.
By the way, maybe she hasn't quit. We may see her do something this Fall. Or next year. But you know who did quit running long ago? More than 90% of the shorter distance runners in her high school class. And mine. And yours. Teenage marathoning is not the problem.
Did you race an October Marathon as a high school &/or college XC runner? If so, did racing an October Marathon during XC season hurt your performances, conference, region/section or state? I had two teammates (three if I count a female on XC team) race October Marathons. It certainly didn't help any of them. I know other teenagers who have done so.
Too slow twitch for 5K high school XC? I don't buy it.
Did you just tell a stranger that the world would be better off with them dead right after saying (and I quote): “It’s never been and never will be funny to be an aszhole to strangers.” ?
It is not funny but you ARE still cool with it? Got it. Glad you chimed in.
Did you race an October Marathon as a high school &/or college XC runner? If so, did racing an October Marathon during XC season hurt your performances, conference, region/section or state? I had two teammates (three if I count a female on XC team) race October Marathons. It certainly didn't help any of them. I know other teenagers who have done so.
Too slow twitch for 5K high school XC? I don't buy it.
Well, the main point I should stress is that I was primarily a high school road runner (as opposed to a high school XC runner). I have always raced on pavement. Everyone who's doing 10k and up does. I never ran a 5k XC race. I have no problem with anybody doing so, however. I wholeheartedly endorse it if that's your thing. The rub is that most of you who DO run high school XC oppose those who don't. Especially coaches. I get it. The best distance runner in the school district (a. I was; b. that may not be saying much) doesn't contribute to XC success.
So I wouldn't say that the marathon ruined your friends' XC, but I'd say maybe XC or T&F were an impediment to their road racing. I think it's great they ran it. But all that's a diversion from your question I suppose. The answer is: No, didn't run any in October back then. I DID do a couple in March, which I guess would be shortly before high school track season. Theoretically one could argue that my sprinting would have been better if I HAD joined the track team and NOT been coming off a late-winter marathon.
Go back in time and you will find results of 2 junior high girls going 1-2 in their state high school meet. One was named Ping and the other Wolfgram. Both ruined their running careers by not following a normal path.
Step 1: Run for your high school XC team in the Fall, and their track team in the Spring. Do not run any event your State's school systrm does not sanction....least of all anything longer than 5k.
Step 2: Run for an NCAA affiliated school. NAIA and JUCO are grudgingly allowed. Run for the school all seasons they offer - XC, indoor, outdoor. Do not run anything not approved of by your school and coach, keeping in mind they approve of USATF meets if you can get in. Competing in anything longer than 10k DOES NOT keep one on the 'normal path'.
Step 3. After collegiate elegibility is no longer available, one is free to race on asphalt for the first time. One is also free to compete in events longer than 10k.
It is true that a few American-born runners have deviated from this path. 'Few' is the key word here. Not all have been medalists and record holders. But you know what?
1. Neither have 99% of those that obediantly followed this path. They obeyed high school and college coaches. They dutifully listened to peers, parents, educators, and possibly clergy. They graduated from high school, went to college, and did exactly what they had been told by everyone including the denizen's of this Board. But few had meaningful pro careers. 1% is rounding up...quite a bit.
2. Those who actually DO become medalists and record holders very rarely follow the 'normal path'. True, they were born and raised outside of the US. Accordingly, they had no peer nor parental pressure to follow this path. Yet, their careers panned out in spite of many things the Board and nearly everyone else in North America disapproves of. Road racing/longer races prior to traditional post-collegiate age. High mileage at the same ages. Faulure to gradually move up in distance from 800-mile at 15 -16.... to 5k-10k at 20-21....and finally half and full marathons older yet. No school-affilated running.
How is it that the best in the world for as long as I've been paying attention DID NOT follow the 'normal path'? True, it is not the 'normal path' in Europe, Africa, and the rest of the world. One could point out the few that achieved in spite of the following the path. Kastor, Rupp, Fisher, Flanagan. You could double that list; it is short.
But the list of those who succeeded without following the approved path is long: Haile, Kenenisa, Tergat, Radcliffe, Ingebritsen, Gidey, Tsegay. We could go back to Walker, Deek, Grete, etc. You know what list is MUCH longer? Those who followed a completely approved path and fizzled into obscurity. I can't name them. I haven't heard of them. Maybe you have. They were your high school and college teammates. And you, yourself. They stay on the path. Certainly don't run a young marathon. They number in the millions. They (we) went nowhere.
It us unremarkable when someone deviates from the 'normal path' then disappears. So do those who stay right on it. Why isn't this the 'normal path' anywhere else? And why does that not prevent success among Africans, Europeans, etc.?
List the October Marathons Mary Decker raced in high school or college. List the October Marathons James Ryun raced while in high school or college. List the October Marathons Steve Scott raced while in high school or college. List the October Marathons Galen Rupp raced while in high school or college. List the October Marathons Jenny Simpson raced while in high school or college. List the October Marathons Matt Centrowitz raced while in high school or college. List the October Marathons Jim Spivey raced while in high school or college. Nevermind, just tell us how it makes a runner better by racing a Marathon as a teenager.