GAGS wastes USATF money

OK malmo, since you are such an expert on the 1500, how about listing for us all of the 1500 participants at NCAA, US National and World Champs and Olympics in the past 25-30 years that have won or advanced by leading from the gun.

Since your keyboard skills are so much better than us common folk, how about listing all of the National, World and Olympic 1500's that you have toed the line in and how many of those you won or advanced in by leading from the gun.

It shouldn't take Gags more than 1.5 years to know that Stember and Lunn are not and never have been front runners. If that was going to be the stradegy, then it should have been determined prior to the week before World Indoors so that they could test it out during the indoor season. Since when do you run away from your strength once you get to the big meets.

With runners the caliber of Stember and Lunn, most coaches can get them fit physically. Where they need the most assistance is in getting in the right psychological frame of mind to put forth their maximum effort at the big dance, where more runners wilt than PR. I do not believe that this front-running stradegy, which was pulled together at the last minute, produced anywhere close to their best efforts in Birmingham. That is the fault of their coach, who happens to be Gags.

Look at who they were up against; guys like Lagat and Chirchir are in a different place than Stember or Lunn. The best thing that came out of this trop to Birmingham was running with those guys at that meet. Just dipping their feet in the water so that later on, when they have more background and have more ability to compete with Chirchir, Lagat and el Guerrouj they will have even a little bit more racing experience at that level.

It's not as if Lunn and Stember can kick with those guys anyways. It was a great opportunity to try something different at an international meet that wasn't the Olympics. Everything is a learning experience.

I am sorry that back at Georgetown (or maybe here in Palo Alto) that Gags kicked you off the track while the real athletes were trying to run a workout. Your 65 second quarter workout was not deserving of being in lane one. I realize that your big break in the sport was just around the corner and that Gags must of screwed it up for you but is that any reason to lash out at the best coach in the country. How bout if I give you one of the old FT uniforms and you can tell your buddies what you were back in the day?

It's funny since a couple weeks ago, everyone was bitching because the USATF 1500 was a slower race. Lots of people complaining that they didn't push it to run a faster time. Now, world championships roll around and suddenly people are pointing the finger saying that they shouldn't have been pushing the pace. I have to give Lunn credit since at least he seemed to be trying to make it an honest race. Neither of these 2 guys were going to advance in a kickers race. I give them credit for at least going out there and taking a stand instead of simply relegating themselves to the back of the pack.

Here some posters are bitching since they took the lead. In another thread, people are bitching about Riley since he never put himself in position to be up front.

I also have to question the comment about Stember and Lunn's "stradegy", as you call it, being pulled together at the last minute. I certainly wasn't there for any conversation between Gags and those two, and I have a strong feeling that you weren't either.

nyvang wrote:

OK malmo, since you are such an expert on the 1500, how about listing for us all of the 1500 participants at NCAA, US National and World Champs and Olympics in the past 25-30 years that have won or advanced by leading from the gun.

You're freaking kidding? That list would be a long one.

It's a good thing that Krum didn't choose Trackhead over De Oliviera when he switched coaches. You would have sent him to Europe 9 months ago with a mindset that he had absolutely No chance to compete with the likes of Kipketer, Bungei, Bucher, Borzakovsky and the 8-10 other Kenyon 800 guys that run under 1.44. You would have had him "dip his feet" in the water with these guys, run stupid races that had nothing to do with how he had trained or raced coming into that season, had him get his ass handed to him and then come back home looking to change coaches again.

Am I mistaken or did Stember not make the 2000 Olympic Team? Did he not get his feet wet back then or is this a process based on the temperature of the water? We are to believe that these post-collegiate guys are busting their ass training every day (and postponing grad school and/or careers) so that coaches like Gags and yourself can tell them to go get their feet wet.

It is interesting that the only current US 800-10K trackman to make noise on the world scene is the one that changed coaches to an int'l coach who instills BELIEF in his runners that they can compete at the top level, not just stick their toes in the water. In Krum's post-race interview from Sat. he distinctly mentions that his coach gave him POSITIVE input the night before, not negative, performance-limiting advice.

The lesson that Stember and Lunn learned was that their coach did not have faith in how he had trained and raced them for the past 18 months. Should pay great dividends next time they compete overseas.

I find it highly unlikely that Gags told Stember and Lunn to just get their feet wet and even less likely that he told them to lead their races. Maybe he told them to be near the front in case it ends up tactical--probably not a good idea on the int'l scene to spot the competition 20 meters when everyone closes in 52. for obvious reasons, leading isn't as tough indoors as outdoors, so maybe they just

Anyway, who started this idea that gags gives performance-limiting advice? I always found his standard "If you don't pop a good one tomorrow, you should retire" advice insightful. not exactly tactical but very inspiring, nonetheless.

just kidding: gags never said that, but a coach did say that to me before one of my best races.

Actually, this is a good question. Do coaches of elite athletes give tactical advice? When Rich Kenah placed third in outdoor worlds in 97, he moved from last to third in the last 100-200m, passing everyone on the inside. AS Tom Fleming pointed out to me, a studious coach would know that historically, in major championships, lane 1 always opens up. I'm not sure whether staying inside was Kenah's idea or Gags'. Rich, are you out there?

That's exactly the freaking answer that I anticipated out of you, malmo. OK, let's shorten it to the last 5 years.

Based on Krum's statements and interviews since Sunday, he is one elite runner that is listening to and trusting his coach's instructions.

If Stember and lunn chose their tactics on their own, then they better start listening to someone.

If Gags isn't laying out a game plan, then what the hell is he doing, handing out meal money?

How did Stember and Lunn's leading become an indictment of Gag's coaching advice? You obviously have never run at that level or you would realize that, especially indoors, an attempt to run anywhere near the front often results in unintentional leading if the race is somewhat slow and tactical. First, it is unlikely that Gags advised them to lead. Second, it is easy to laud the pre-race tactical coaching of De Oliviera since Krummenacker is simply a better runner right now than either Stember or Lunn.

nyvang wrote:

Based on Krum's statements and interviews since Sunday, he is one elite runner that is listening to and trusting his coach's instructions.

If Stember and lunn chose their tactics on their own, then they better start listening to someone.

If Gags isn't laying out a game plan, then what the hell is he doing, handing out meal money?

it is pure speculation whether Gags gave Lunn and/or Stember race plan advice. in my brief experience close to that level, my coach and i would discuss a race plan, but it would be my plan, not his. i'm sure others have different experiences.

one point that i don't think has been made is this - by the time lunn's heat came around, it was clear that the time qualifiers into the final would not be that fast. if someone could make the 3rd heat run at an honest pace, then 4-5 guys (i don't remember the exact number of time qualifiers) could make it out of the 3rd heat rather than only 2 (i think 2 auto qualifiers came out of each heat). thus, it could be a good strategy, even for a traditional kicker, to lead at a decent clip, thus greatly increasing his chances of making it to the final.

on a broader point, i can't believe that people actually criticize a coach like Gags. i ran against his runners frequently in college and after. the depth of the georgetown middle distance program was amazing, and Gags was always one of the most friendly opposing coaches that i ever encountered. he is clearly an accomplished coach. if the athletes who run for him now do not believe he is a good coach, they are adults and can make the decision to change coaches. until i start seeing former georgetown and/or enclave runners criticizing Gags, i will continue to think this criticism is motivated by jealousy or something similar.

BZZZZZZZ, Chugger, you're wrong.

That was LATE in Holman's career. I remember watching it. Two buffoons sitting next to me were cackling when the race went off slow as usual. I turned my head and said, "You two don't even know what the f*** you are looking at". They said something like "if you know so much what is he doing?" "He exercising demons, my friends. Watch how this thing unfolds"

He nailed it.