"That is the worst career I could possibly imagine.

[EPelle]

Excellent front-page piece on the USA's top-800m runner - and the fourth-fastest all-time, Elijah Greer.

While Greer realized he could be pretty good at this running thing, he didn’t know if he wanted to be.

“Running was really hard,” he recalls about those early days, “and I remember telling myself that I do not want to be doing this when I get older. People would always make jokes, saying ‘You’re going to be the next Pre,’ and I was like, ‘That is the worst career I could possibly imagine.’”

He has all the other components which make him formidable in races from 400- to 3000-meters—the aerobic engine, the competitiveness, the core strength, the variable leg turnover allowing him to shift gears on the final backstretch and drop his competition with alarming alacrity. The one thing missing, according to Williams, is the powerful arm drive and open hips of the sprinter. That’s what today is all about—starting to add that final piece of the puzzle.

If he puts that piece of the puzzle together, could he take down Granville's HSR? Is the kid made for 800m running or 1.500m running (he's run 3.50 this season and ran 3.57 as a grade-10 athlete)?

[tandfman]

If being the next Pre is the worst career this kid can imagine, he needs to get himself some more imagination.

[EPelle]

Unfortunately, his imagination doesn't stretch beyond his backyard. He has no true desire to race the best in the USA at this point.

[marknhj]

If being the next Pre is the worst career this kid can imagine, he needs to get himself some more imagination.

:shock:

I'm quite certain that at his age I wouldn't want my career path to include coming fourth in an Olympic final then dying at 24yo...

[tandfman]

I don't think he had the premature death in mind. Also, he's probably not thinking of how much money a guy Pre could make today. And then there's the adulation of an awful lot of people.

[EPelle]

From the sound of things, he dosn't want the burden of expectation (whatsoever).

[tandfman]

He needs to grow up.

But then again, most teenagers do in one way or another.

[jkjoregon]

Unfortunately, his imagination doesn't stretch beyond his backyard. He has no true desire to race the best in the USA at this point.

So going up against professional post collegians doesn't count huh :?: :shock: :lol:



Men 800 Meter Run

================================================== ==============

Name Year School Finals

================================================== ==============

1 Kevin Hicks OTC Elite 1:47.63

2 Mark Wieczorek OTC Elite 1:48.03

3 Ryan Brown Unattached 1:48.54

4 Elijah Greer Unattached 1:48.97

5 Will Leer OTC Elite 1:49.23

[EPelle]

He's used to that. He's not too interested in taking on the kid from MN who also broke 1.50 last year, nor is he too moved to run against the kid who broke the national indoor record this past winter.

That he competes (and does well) against fast against collegians and open runners is awesome. I know he went to Poland last summer for the WJr Champs (two 1.50 times and a semi-final spot).

[Bruce Kritzler]

If being the next Pre is the worst career this kid can imagine, he needs to get himself some more imagination.

I thought Rupp was the next Pre?

[gh]

I think you guys are all misreading the quote. He was speaking of the hard early days of running when he said that about worst career. Note that he says running WAS hard.... I don't see that he's talking in the present tense at all, but most of the conversation here assumes that it was.

[KevinM]

I think you guys are all misreading the quote. He was speaking of the hard early days of running when he said that about worst career. Note that he says running WAS hard.... I don't see that he's talking in the present tense at all, but most of the conversation here assumes that it was.

gh, you ruined a perfectly good chance to bash a high school senior for a(n) (misread) innocuous quote!

Thank goodness some other reasons were found.