LetsRun - I'm done with you (Read 989 times)

Today on LetsRun, this was their lead quote followed by their own commentary.

"(As a single parent with full custody), I had three kids to feed and all the usual bills — house, car. That’s just the way it was. When I went to a race, I gave it 100 percent. I couldn’t have run any harder, job or no."

- Phil Coppess, who set the still standing Twin Cities Marathon course record of 2:10:05 back in 1985 as a single dad with a full time job, talking in a great New York Times profile on him and the different running era. It's amazing that Copess was able to run so fast and yet he couldn't even get a college scholarship. Contrast that to Dathan Ritzenhein, who just trains and has alter-Gs and underwater treadmills at his disposal and yet has run less than a minute faster.

Why do they feel the need to disparage a runner who uses some modern technology to improve.  It doesn't mean that Ritz is a bad runner at all.  I'm done with LetsRun.  They have rubbed me the wrong way before, but they just have no class.

Where should I go for my headline running stories?  I don't need any more of the "BroJos" opinions smashed in my face.

I am not disparaging your post or rationale...to be clear...but this is the best reason you can come up with to dump LRDC?  

 

The message board became a worthless cesspool devoid of quality contributors ~9-10 years ago.  The site owners are complete tools who regularly show their immaturity and lack or professionalism.  The only redeeming quality is that, unfortunately, the front page continues to be the best source for comprehensive running news of which I am aware.  I simply avoid the board, or any articles written by the hack owners.

I don't visit the message boards either, except for today when I basically left the same message I did right here.  I'm just not impressed with their website aside from the links to stories.  

Could RunningAHEAD somehow do what these guys do?  I mean as a collective, the RunningAHEAD community does this already, sharing links in the forums.  But, could we find 5-10 people that use RunningAHEAD who would put up the links to the best running articles out there on a front page?  Or, maybe I should just do what LetsRun does on my own site, but take the position of a reporter instead of an opinion columnist.

Now, I'm just rambling, but usually runners are nice people. The LetsRun "runners" or message board posters are mean spirited, including their founders.  Runners are better than that.

For what little it may be worth, that struck me more as a statement of striking fact, and not mean-spirited.

Yes, this is what Ritz does for training now, but so do all the top US professional distance runners.  Why did they have to put a name to their explanation?  You're right... It's a minor thing.  I'll move on.  I just won't visit LetsRun anymore.

There are at least a dozen reasons why LR has gone to shit, and none of them include sensationalizing the grit of old school marathoners with the shallow depth of today's marathoners. The site's founders used to provoke and diminish our most promising runner, Alan Webb, during face-to-face interviews. Inexcusable. The most glaring problems are those which Spaniel mentions - I often feel like a worse person after wading through the garbage in their message boards. Who wouldn't? It's a very dark commentary on the college and elite US running scenes, and completely avoidable with a little work from the site administrators. What a tarnished brand and black eye to competitive running.

Ironically the best function of the site is the search tool on their message board. Loaded with years of discussion on training, injury prevention, the history of iconic athletes and championship events. I prefer the discussion with the folks here. Carry on.

 

Could RunningAHEAD somehow do what these guys do? 

I like this idea.