11 year old Briana J.

she has better times than you, knower, doesn't she?

Her time in that race was exactly a 6 minute pace, so um no, I don't think so.

Even if she were running faster than me though, that is hardly the point. Wearing those sunglasses is all about attitude and being Mr. (or in her case Miss) Big Bad. Running relatively quick times as an 11-year old, and playing the part of an elite racer by wearing the sunglasses is a recipe for not doing it anymore when she's older.

I'm not terribly impressed with her times to begin with. She can beat almost any 11-year-old because there aren't any of them training. Once they start in middle school and high school, she will begin to get beaten, sunglasses and all.

Good for her that she can run decently fast. I have no problem with that. Lose the sunglasses though. The MAIN reason kids who start out early with the running burn out is not due to anything physical. It's just that our interests change, and what you once loved as an 11-year-old doesn't hold the same allure. Right now adults give her attention because she is a very good 11-year-old runner. I'm sure it makes her feel proud and even a bit grown up. That attention will move away from her as she gets older, and in fact if she doesn't continue to beat her peers like she does now, the attention will only become negative. One way to limit that negative attention is with far less racing now so that she isn't constantly mentioned as a phenom, and less attention-getting attire (sunglasses).

Knower wrote:

Wearing those sunglasses is all about attitude and being Mr. (or in her case Miss) Big Bad.

No, it's all about shielding your eyes from the sun so you don't have to squint so hard you get a headache. A lot of runners wear them. Fast or slow, we've all got the same glare problems.

The sun was blinding that day up here in Massachusetts.

Sorry, I don't buy it. Runners didn't use to need sunglasses. She would have worn those sunglasses even if it were overcast.

Knower, by now it's pretty obvious that your problem with Briana goes beyond sunglasses. To attack her just because she's wearing sunglasses on an obviously sunny day is just petty. You don't know why she is wearing them. Hell maybe they are prescription. Even if she is making a fashion statement or whatever, so what. I mean who knows why she wears them, and who cares. The fact is that she is an 11 year old girl that is beating women that are twice (if not more) her age. So to say she will be beaten when she starts running against kids her age is meritless. Whether she burns out or not remains to be seen. Let's hope she keeps improving and running strong, like she currently is, throughout her middle school, high school, and college running career.

Give the kid a break. I wear sunglasses whenever I am outside because it protects my eyes from UV rays. Many others do as well. Who cares what you look like. If you are running fast times, that's what counts. If you are looking to grade athletes on fashion grounds, stick to figure skating.

Why do you give a shit if she is wearing sunglasses or not? If it makes her feel fast more power too her. So six minute pace for an eleven year old girl doesnt impress you? Go fist yourself.

Sorry that you feel a need to use the language you do. Apparently you can't make a good point without it. Perhaps you should work on that.

I think that all of you forget what it was like to be 11. Hardly anything is done out of a need for function. She wants to look the part, play the part of an elite racer. Fine. It's just that at some point for her that will become old and almost for sure she will lose interest. Other than Mary Decker Tabb Slaney, can you mention someone who was good at such and age and then kept it up? I'm not saying she can't, but it will be hard. Why not take a lower profile now? Race only ocassionally and in smaller races, quit with the sunglasses and just run and improve in anonimity.

Kids immitate their sports heroes all of the time. Suzy's clean and not a bad person for a kid to admire. I can think of worse "role models."

politically correct,

Finally, someone with a good point. Nice job.

Knower, I understand your point about questions of burnout, what it was like to be 11, etc. But it seems, judging by your original post, you are basing it on the fact that she wears sunglasses. It's ridiculous. Even if she wears them to be like "Suzy Freakin' Hamilton", it's no different than a high school basketball star playing in Jordan's and walking around in a Jordan jersey. Like the previous poster stated there are worse people she could look to emulate. I don't think she should have to "quit with the sunglasses and just run." Let her be herself and run when, where, and how she wants to. Plus I think we're beating a dead horse here...

Knower,

You are absolutely clueless. You want her to "Race only ocassionally and in smaller races". That is insane. This girl obviously has a God-given talent to run and you want her to compete in smaller, less competitive races. Unbelievable. How is she supposed to improve her performances running against people who can't even keep up with her? It's people like you who keep American distance running at it's current mediocre level. Check out the link. I'm guessing you are the individual who came in 17th.

Yeah, the glasses probably aren't necessary, but who cares. first of all, it is nice to wear them if it's real bright out. I agree that she probably wasn't thinking of that, though. Let the kid have fun and get excited about running. as long as she isn't running off her mouth...

Knower, her being 11 gives her all the MORE reason to wear sunglasses. Heck, when I was a kid, I had an Olajuwon jersey that I wore every time I played basketball. If I had been a runner, and my hero wore sunglasses, you can bet your ass those glasses would've been on my face all day long.

Let the kid have her fun. It seems you have some deep issues with fast 11 year olds, but that doesn't justify a ridiculous personal attack.

Knower wrote:

Sorry, I don't buy it. Runners didn't use to need sunglasses. She would have worn those sunglasses even if it were overcast.

You don't buy it based on what? Your personal knowledge of her character? I've seen several photos of this girl running races without shades.

It was a blindingly bright day. Even I wore sunglasses for my run that day and I only do that a few times a year.

Look, nobody needs to use sunglasses. We wear them to protect our eyes and to keep from having to squint. They make a great difference on a bright day. You think Catherine Ndereba wears those black shades she sometimes uses because she wants to look cool?

Of all the crap this girl's getting now we've got little Mr Blackwells running around giving her fashion tips. Until she's a few years older the only criticism I've got for her goes straight to her over-zealous father.

Well, Air Jordans and jerseys are normal attire for basketball players. Obviously they could wear less expensive things, but I never said that little Briana shouldn't wear Nike running shoes. The sunglasses are a bit much, but like I said to politically correct, he made a good point about Suzy being a good role model, and I agree with that. I think ideally though, she should quit with the sunglasses and find smaller races to race in. My opinion. No one has to agree.

Well, first of all she isn't THAT fast. She could run in less prestigous races and still have plenty of competition, so my suggestion is harldy keeping her from developing - quite the contrary. Let's not get carried away here.

You can't get enough of beating the crap out of Suzy, Regina, Khalid, et al no now you start on an 11 year old girl just because she wears sunglasses! Lots of kids wear sunglasses to look cool....ITS WHAT KIDS DO PEOPLE!

Can we get back to running now?

"Knower" might be correct in his assumption that she is only wearing the glasses for an image thing. So what? How many kids run around in football or basketball jerseys?

This case isn't any different. When I was in my early teens I did the same damn thing whether it be wearing all Reebok (Gompers), the Athletic West gear (Salazar) and yes, I even wore sunglasses (as Curp did on occasion). I ran in the 33's for 10k which wasn't bad for a kid and caught some of the same kind of flack this girl is catching; most of it from folks slower than me. Ironically sunglasses didn't spell the end of my career. The concerns for her over the long term are merited but merely wearing sunglasses doesn't mean she's guaranteed to burn out. Good for her for running well. Good for her for looking up to someone

a bit easier to take (as a parent) than Marilyn Manson. Sunglasses or not, I hope she bucks the trend and prospers as a teen.