on 12/4/01 9:03 AM, Geoff Pietsch at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > This, and other posts in a similar vein, are disappointing. Yes, the > weather will be what it will be, and the distance will indeed be 26.2, BUT > "Top three go" is NOT a given. AND THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT (Which Malmo > conveniently ignores). > Should the U.S. have three men who can run the "A" standard in any > conditions? Yes. But how about some respect and sympathy for the guys who > are running their asses off - putting in enormous mileages and probably > making real economic sacrifices (there are no big bucks for 2:15 > marathoners) - and are already maxing out their talents. On a good weather > day, on a fast course, they may just make the "A" standard. Why not reward > them for their years of effort by trying to provide those conditions? It's > not their fault that the more talented guys - the potential 2:10-2:11 guys - > aren't as committed. > And it just seems absurd to call them whiners, as Malmo and others do. > They are doing everything they can to be the best they can be; what is wrong > with trying to see that three such dedicated athletes qualify? > It occurs to me: I'm old enough to recall rather vividly when Buddy > Edelen, then the world "record" holder, came back from England (where he'd > gone to live and train since U.S. marathoning was so weak) and ran the '64 > Trials race on the very tough Yonkers course. And it came up mid-90s > temperatures. Edelen ran 2:24 and no one else broke 2:40. The weather was > what it was, as Malmo says, and the distance was 26.2. Seems like Malmo and > friends would like to see similar conditions for the 2004 Trials. That will > show those whiners! I just wonder how many of the critics will be on the > starting line. > Geoff Pietsch
Geoff, No one wanting to go to the Games should go to the Trials without an A standard. There should be plenty of time between when the standard is announced and the Trials to achieve this. They should also plan on winning. Of course not everyone will be able to do this. Waiting to make the standard at the Trials is too big of a gamble even if you are that good. There is no way to pick a Trials location that will assure 3 runners on the team with today's crop of runners. We may not even have 3 runners under the standard anyway. I think making the team isn't enough of a plan, a smart and motivated runner should be planning to make the team and then running well at the games. It is nuts to train for the games and not train for heat. That is exactly what Buddy Edelen did (he told me so himself) and that is where Ron Dawes got the idea to heat train (he told me so himself) and I got the idea from Ron. I won't be on the starting line because my body has slowed down, but I don't "want" bad conditions for the runners. I just advise them to expect them and prepare for them. You can't control the weather or the other factors you encounter in a marathon, but you can prepare for them physically and mentally. If you don't, you have only yourself to blame. bd -- Benji Durden [EMAIL PROTECTED]
