So yesterday like many others in Atlanta, I ran the Peachtree 10K Road Race. Afterwards, I was curious regarding his finishing time. I saw that his wife Sara finished 2nd for the women's competition, but I did not see him listed in the top ten men's results that were posted online early yesterday afternoon. Later, I discovered he posted a DNF.
Okay armchair analysts, what do you attribute his DNF and DNS in the past few years to training, health issues, coaching(or lack there of), or just bad luck?
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” - T.S. Eliot
I have noticed that about him. I think it's because Pfitz called him out specifically in his Advanced Marathoning saying how his training and cross training is so good that he has hardly missed any races due to injury. He's cursed now.
My armchair analysis that is just as likely to be right as it is wrong. It seems like every time Ryan has a disappointment, he makes a radical change. I don't know that making such changes so frequently is beneficial at that level. I'd like to see him pick a coach and stick with it for a while. Beyond that of course, he is aging so he doesn't have a lot of competitive times left in his legs.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
You Rang?
Beyond that of course, he is aging so he doesn't have a lot of competitive times left in his legs.
Is the mere fact that he is getting old and not going to put up a competitive time a justification for not finishing? That waxes of hubris or arrogance to me. That being said, I have two key distinctions from Mr. Hall.
1. I am not and never will be an elite athlete. His values or way of thinking is probably different than mine. A DNF may mean something different to him than me. It may bebe more valuable to him than a slow time.
2. My race times are still improving. I've only been running for three years. I'm still maturing and improving in this sport. Although they are not improving as much as they were in my first two years, I still set a PR with every race, and there a a lot I can do to improve my performance. I know a day is coming when that won't be true. I hope I still value finishing when I am "old" as I do now.
Rick
PR: 5k 25:01 (10/15) 10k: 57:44 (7/14) HM: 1:57 (5/15) FM: 4:55 (1/15)
#artbydmcbride
I think that like some other elites ( and unlike some others) when a race isn't panning out to be a success, he shuts it down early and drops out. I guess its to not waste the effort, and race again sooner. But I think he misses out on fighting through a bad patch and turning it into at least a good training run.
Runners run
Sometimes shit just happens...over and over and over again. The internet is full of just such people, present company included...on a muuuuuuch lower level of course.
If he wasn't injured or ill I can't see why he wouldn't suck it up and finish a 10k. Once you start dropping out of races it becomes mental.
Youth Has No Age. ~ Picasso / 1st road race: Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - 1974 / profile
He's probably thinking something like: "What am I doing here, with my short little legs, in that stupid running skirt, struggling, pretending to be a real runner... I'm so pathetic... I might as well stop here to avoid complete embarrassment.." I don't know... It's just a guess...
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
When my HM was sucking up a storm in April, I remember thinking "now I know why the elites DNF". Who wants to have to go through the recovery when you know it's not your day? Especially since you've already missed some training for a taper!
But at my amateur level, I sucked it up and finished. It does seem like Hall drops rather easily.
LOL
Once you start dropping out of races it becomes mental.
I cannot speak on their level obviously, but for my wanna be weekend warrior level I believe this to be true. It is something I think about every time the impulse to slow down during an event occurs to me. That once I succumb it, I always will. That excludes injury or extreme conditions of course.
And lol at lily.
I don't follow elite road racing much - other than what hits the general news headlines - but looked to see if Hall had been sick or injured or ... (and didn't see anything). I saw a twtr suggesting he had a rough day.
The vibes I'm getting is that he just doesn't seem hungry enough. Not sure if it's mental during a race or not enough training of the right kind ... Or maybe he just can't find the right combination of training. Or maybe he was just lucky before, rather than unlucky now. dunno.
I definitely understand DNF or DNS to live to run another day, esp. if an elite with paycheck depending on a better race.
Maybe he's put in some good performances (race) that I haven't seen or maybe his value is visiting kids in hospitals (or whatever). I've just been wondering how long some of his sponsorships will last. (LIke I said, I don't follow road elites, but am more focused on trails, and the local big races.)
This.
plus I think he has a terrible coach (unless his coach is God, or maybe, if his coach is in fact, God, he's not really listening to his coach)
Trail and Ultra Running User Group
This is why I never walk or quit races - it sets a pattern of giving up and that's never the attitude you ever want to massage in a race. That isn't to say you don't think it, of course you do [the "little voices" telling you it's ok]. But this is where the battle is raging - do you listen to the voices and quit or do you tell them to shut up and focus instead on all those miles you trained to get to this very point.
The marathon is different because of the recovery phase. If things aren't going well for an elite runner it's legit to bag the run and re-load for another day. I DNF'd a marathon one time after spraining an ankle a couple weeks earlier and it tighening up mid-race along with a severe hamstring cramp that told me today just wasn't my day. That and watching the 3:45 pace group pass by @ mile 17 while I massaged the lump in my leg I couldn't justify limping to a 4 hour finish.
I'm wondering if pressure from sponsors plays a role in the decision? Maybe there is a fear that too many finishes outside the top 3?, top 10?, etc will lead to the loss of contracts.