Deer Kenenisa Bekele,

I always thought KB to be more gazelle than deer. But what do I know?!

Jim Walmsley Superfan wrote:

You should train more conservatively and start CLEANING UP the weaker world records and distance events. Write your name all over the record books. 10 miles, 25k, 50k. Make it so when people look up the world records on Wikipedia they see Bekele, Bekele, Bekele, Bekele, Bekele. Go win the Comrades Marathon or that 55k race in Moab Utah. You're hammering your body too hard, too quickly trying to get back into shape to compete with the best marathoners. The Ethiopian selection committee hates you and selected 3 DNF jokers for the Olympics instead of you, when you were in world record shape. Time to stop playing their "game" and writing your own destiny. That's my advice, take it or leave it.

Banana bread?

I think he could win comrades. Excellent XC runner(hills), huge quads(sign he can handle the hills), and probably can't handle intense training any more(see how he is always injured). I think he could win the comrades marathon.

Jim Walmsley Superfan wrote:

You should train more conservatively and start CLEANING UP the weaker world records and distance events. Write your name all over the record books. 10 miles, 25k, 50k. Make it so when people look up the world records on Wikipedia they see Bekele, Bekele, Bekele, Bekele, Bekele. Go win the Comrades Marathon or that 55k race in Moab Utah. You're hammering your body too hard, too quickly trying to get back into shape to compete with the best marathoners. The Ethiopian selection committee hates you and selected 3 DNF jokers for the Olympics instead of you, when you were in world record shape. Time to stop playing their "game" and writing your own destiny. That's my advice, take it or leave it.

I couldn't agree more

comrades marathon is the set standard wrote:

I think he could win comrades. Excellent XC runner(hills), huge quads(sign he can handle the hills), and probably can't handle intense training any more(see how he is always injured). I think he could win the comrades marathon.

Why would the WR holder in the 5000 and 10000 run Comrades? It would be like Mike Trout playing slow-pitch softball.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

comrades marathon is the set standard wrote:

I think he could win comrades. Excellent XC runner(hills), huge quads(sign he can handle the hills), and probably can't handle intense training any more(see how he is always injured). I think he could win the comrades marathon.

Why would the WR holder in the 5000 and 10000 run Comrades? It would be like Mike Trout playing slow-pitch softball.

Alberto Salazar won comrades.

A answer wrote:

SDSU Aztec wrote:

Why would the WR holder in the 5000 and 10000 run Comrades? It would be like Mike Trout playing slow-pitch softball.

Alberto Salazar won comrades.

He was way past his prime.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

A answer wrote:

Alberto Salazar won comrades.

He was way past his prime.

So is Bekele.

Jim Walmsley Superfan wrote:

You should train more conservatively and start CLEANING UP the weaker world records and distance events. Write your name all over the record books. 10 miles, 25k, 50k. Make it so when people look up the world records on Wikipedia they see Bekele, Bekele, Bekele, Bekele, Bekele. Go win the Comrades Marathon or that 55k race in Moab Utah. You're hammering your body too hard, too quickly trying to get back into shape to compete with the best marathoners. The Ethiopian selection committee hates you and selected 3 DNF jokers for the Olympics instead of you, when you were in world record shape. Time to stop playing their "game" and writing your own destiny. That's my advice, take it or leave it.

One of those "jokers" won the silver in Rio.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

Why would the WR holder in the 5000 and 10000 run Comrades? It would be like Mike Trout playing slow-pitch softball.

I am prepared to infer from this that this Mike Trout person is not currently a slow-pitch softball player/champion.

Hot take: If he tried, Kenenisa Bekele wouldn't win Comrades this year. The field is just too good for any non-specialized runner (not named Kipchoge probably) come in and win.

Man, I'd so love to see him run Comrades.

I wish we could see Bekele win Comrades. I think he could do amazing and destroy the course record. I like to think that even I could be a top finisher someday when I get to the peak of my marathon potential. I suck at downhills and they really hurt me but I would be one of the top finishers in the uphill run. Bekele could easily do either the up or downhill run.

Jim Walmsley Superfan wrote:

You should train more conservatively and start CLEANING UP the weaker world records and distance events. Write your name all over the record books. 10 miles, 25k, 50k. Make it so when people look up the world records on Wikipedia they see Bekele, Bekele, Bekele, Bekele, Bekele. Go win the Comrades Marathon or that 55k race in Moab Utah. You're hammering your body too hard, too quickly trying to get back into shape to compete with the best marathoners. The Ethiopian selection committee hates you and selected 3 DNF jokers for the Olympics instead of you, when you were in world record shape. Time to stop playing their "game" and writing your own destiny. That's my advice, take it or leave it.

It looks like we unfortunately have to write him off! Age and always these injuries...…. ?

I think his last chance will be to train low mileage with a coach that knows how to handle that load perfect. Maybe JS?

rantlers wrote:

I always thought KB to be more gazelle than deer. But what do I know?!

You must be new on LRC.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

comrades marathon is the set standard wrote:

I think he could win comrades. Excellent XC runner(hills), huge quads(sign he can handle the hills), and probably can't handle intense training any more(see how he is always injured). I think he could win the comrades marathon.

Why would the WR holder in the 5000 and 10000 run Comrades? It would be like Mike Trout playing slow-pitch softball.

Bekele doesn't need to follow the same old script written by other boring mechanical runners. 5K, 10K, marathon, then retire, etc.

The Olympic marathon was a soft event until his countryman Abede Bikila forged a new path and won the marathon barefoot in world record time.

He can write the future however he wants and that that can go off the old beaten path.

He doesn't have to run Comrades but that is just an example because it's a prestigious event that some great marathoners have tried.

Poorly based education wrote:

Jim Walmsley Superfan wrote:

You should train more conservatively and start CLEANING UP the weaker world records and distance events. Write your name all over the record books. 10 miles, 25k, 50k. Make it so when people look up the world records on Wikipedia they see Bekele, Bekele, Bekele, Bekele, Bekele. Go win the Comrades Marathon or that 55k race in Moab Utah. You're hammering your body too hard, too quickly trying to get back into shape to compete with the best marathoners. The Ethiopian selection committee hates you and selected 3 DNF jokers for the Olympics instead of you, when you were in world record shape. Time to stop playing their "game" and writing your own destiny. That's my advice, take it or leave it.

One of those "jokers" won the silver in Rio.

haha not only did one of them win silvrer, the other 2 guys were #5 and #6 in the world in the marathon that season.

shohohe wrote:

Hot take: If he tried, Kenenisa Bekele wouldn't win Comrades this year. The field is just too good for any non-specialized runner (not named Kipchoge probably) come in and win.

Man, I'd so love to see him run Comrades.

I checked the entry list but didn't recognize any of the names. Who are the favorites and what are their marathon PRs? Thanks.

Banana Bread wrote:

I wish we could see Bekele win Comrades. I think he could do amazing and destroy the course record.

The only thing he can currently destroy is his past career. He should quit asap.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

shohohe wrote:

Hot take: If he tried, Kenenisa Bekele wouldn't win Comrades this year. The field is just too good for any non-specialized runner (not named Kipchoge probably) come in and win.

Man, I'd so love to see him run Comrades.

I checked the entry list but didn't recognize any of the names. Who are the favorites and what are their marathon PRs? Thanks.

One athlete you may have heard of is Steve Way. He has a 2:15 PR and he was 3rd last year.