Shalane announces she is RETIRED!

dznuts wrote:

According to that article she started thyroid stuff in her 20s. We're starting to see that a huge percentage of top runners are on these meds - maybe even the majority. Do you really think they all genuinely have endocrine issues?

I think running really hard can wreck your body. Look at Webb, Hall, Salazar. Their careeres didn't last all that long.

Apparently thryoid meds can help a lot.

I mean I think we should start a list of US elites who weren't on thyroid as it might be shorter than those on it.

On thyroid- Kennedy, Rupp, Goucher, Flanagan, etc.

dznuts wrote:

sleazazar wrote:

Because the NOP case is about a lot more than "being on thyroid meds". Educate yourself, you NOP apologist, and stop trying to deflect by attacking others.

Trust me, I am no NOP apologist. I just think it's unfair that some athletes are getting away with things that NOP athletes are not. Do you honestly think all these world class runners happen to have serious thyroid conditions? Runners like shalane, cragg, hasay are all remarkably lean and I think thyroid meds are involved.

I just think it would be interesting to ask her and see what she says. What would be the harm in that?

By boiling down the NOP infractions to merely taking thyroid meds, you are apologizing for them, intentional or not. Thus, Shalane isn't "getting away with things NOP are not".

No speed yet wrote:

I agree Lynn Jennings is the GOAT. 3 World Cross Champs in a row Trump's everything Shalane has done.

Little Mary Decker still has my vote. She beat the Russians at the height of the Cold War

Snowflake Elite wrote:

low expectations wrote:

On this forum runners are constantly criticized by their associations, yet you don't think that one should be allowed to be vocal about who is brought into their program that will be associated with them moving forward?

Yes, she consented to those coaches' process and decisions up until that point, apparently.

Yes, she was happy with their decisions up until that point, or at least happy enough to not voice otherwise. You think this somehow means she has to be happy with all their decisions for eternity? Like if Bowerman brought in Kiprop to train, no one on the team should be able to voice displeasure about it because they haven't done so about anything before? That's absurd "logic".

low expectations wrote:

Snowflake Elite wrote:

Yes, she consented to those coaches' process and decisions up until that point, apparently.

Yes, she was happy with their decisions up until that point, or at least happy enough to not voice otherwise. You think this somehow means she has to be happy with all their decisions for eternity? Like if Bowerman brought in Kiprop to train, no one on the team should be able to voice displeasure about it because they haven't done so about anything before? That's absurd "logic".

What about THANK YOU?

Gracious Gerry wrote:

low expectations wrote:

Yes, she was happy with their decisions up until that point, or at least happy enough to not voice otherwise. You think this somehow means she has to be happy with all their decisions for eternity? Like if Bowerman brought in Kiprop to train, no one on the team should be able to voice displeasure about it because they haven't done so about anything before? That's absurd "logic".

What about THANK YOU?

Maybe she did thank them during her career there. I don't know and neither do you. That's irrelevant to her criticisms of bringing on someone from a program under investigation, which she has no obligation to be thankful for or even silent about.

Good for her, and what a wonderful career she had. She is a class act.

rojo wrote:

dznuts wrote:

According to that article she started thyroid stuff in her 20s. We're starting to see that a huge percentage of top runners are on these meds - maybe even the majority. Do you really think they all genuinely have endocrine issues?

I think running really hard can wreck your body. Look at Webb, Hall, Salazar. Their careeres didn't last all that long.

Apparently thryoid meds can help a lot.

I mean I think we should start a list of US elites who weren't on thyroid as it might be shorter than those on it.

On thyroid- Kennedy, Rupp, Goucher, Flanagan, etc.

maybe get your crack journalism team on this. or do you not want to upset the anti-nike faction out there.

Lynn is no doubt the U.S. GOAT for XC. Kind of like Paul Tergat before Bekele. Although Doris Brown-Heritage is not far off her with five consecutive world XC titles (and a fifth in the 800m-longest women's event in the '68 Olympics)

That said, both were somewhat fortunate to compete before the African women became a dominant force. Shalane had to compete in a far different competitive environment. She gets my overall nod.

Why retire?? Coach JS can take her to PB:s on just 5-6 sessions per week, and then she will have plenty of time to family . And then he also can teach her how to become a world class coach.

rojo wrote:

dznuts wrote:

According to that article she started thyroid stuff in her 20s. We're starting to see that a huge percentage of top runners are on these meds - maybe even the majority. Do you really think they all genuinely have endocrine issues?

I think running really hard can wreck your body. Look at Webb, Hall, Salazar. Their careeres didn't last all that long.

Apparently thryoid meds can help a lot.

Those of us who followed Flanagan closely recall how wrecked she was in 2009 after switching from Cook to JS and upping her mileage and workouts significantly. It's not unreasonable to think that the heavy training caused some genuine issues (eg thyroid) for which she needed medicine just to get back to her "normal" pre-2009 state.

Rojo I can't tell if you think this is ok or not. I don't see how it's any different than taking Testosterone after you've overtrained for years?

I once had a discussion I'll never forget with a former Nike athlete who said something along these lines: At some point every pro athlete will find themselves in a hole they can't seem to get out of. Caused by a combination of chronic overtraining and calorie restriction. At that point the athlete has 2 options:

1) take a HARD reset. Totally shut it down for multiple weeks or even a month. No hard cross training. Let the body's metabolism and endocrine system rebound naturally and slowly build back up.

2) see Dr. Brown

He said he saw athlete after athlete lose patience with option 1 and resort to option 2 to save their career.

dznuts wrote:

I don't see how it's any different than taking Testosterone after you've overtrained for years?

Because one is a proven performance enhancer and a banned substance and the other is not?

sleazazar wrote:

dznuts wrote:

Trust me, I am no NOP apologist. I just think it's unfair that some athletes are getting away with things that NOP athletes are not. Do you honestly think all these world class runners happen to have serious thyroid conditions? Runners like shalane, cragg, hasay are all remarkably lean and I think thyroid meds are involved.

I just think it would be interesting to ask her and see what she says. What would be the harm in that?

By boiling down the NOP infractions to merely taking thyroid meds, you are apologizing for them, intentional or not. Thus, Shalane isn't "getting away with things NOP are not".

Very few athletes perform at the highest level, let alone improve markedly once they are there, without the introduction of performance enhancing substances.

Time may tell if there are any skeletons in Shalane’s closet.

After we babble on about the non-sprinter GREAT women, we have a talented and ferocious group of women. And Shalane does not have to hang her head in shame to anyone before her. I hope and believe they welcome her. To whoever preceeded Switzer, to todays phenoms......... GO GIRL

This is just SAD.

Can’t we congratulate someone on a career well run without bashing Desi or Kara? Can’t we just say thanks for the memories? This girl put her heart and soul into running since a high schooler. Numerous times did she run to the point of collapsing (senior year footlocker regional and NCAA cross come to mind). She was a mainstay when others came and went.

Very very impressive in my book!

Shalane thanks for the memories!!

The US GOAT list:

1) Shelby Houlihan

2) Molly Huddle

3) Shalane Flanagan

massacusetts women rock wrote:

"How she never notched faster marathon and half performances is beyond me....."

How? Perhaps because she spent all those years pursuing world cross country, indoor track, middle-distance road races and outdoor track performances. 8 straight appearances at world cross (1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 6th plus 39 national titles at all those disciplines...she wasn't a marathoner until she tried very late in her career. She was a classic middle-distance woman. If there's anybody else, male or female, close to achieving more than 39 national titles, I'd like to know who it is.

Yeah she basically never ran the marathon. She ran boston at like 39 and then retired. Her best distance was probably the 5000m but that wasn't run very often back then.

Bob Kennedy's marathon PR is like 3:30. Probably not a very accurate representation of his potential:)

Shalane yo quiero to make mucho marry to su ahoy!