Sacramento Death March

[Zat0pek]

Goucher - DNS, injured.
Kennedy - DNF, injured.
Ritz - 31:13, injured.
Berryhill - three straight DNF's this season.
Gabe - can't even break 4:00 on the conversion.
E. Torres - limping during 10,000
J. Torres - hip injury.
Stember - last two races 3:43 and 3:44.
EVERYBODY at 5,000 except Riley - haven't done squat for the season to date.

This is just the guys off the top of my head. Injuries are always a part of the puzzle when you're trying to make an Oly team, but I have never seen a death march to the Trials like I've seen this year. Nearly every big name above 800 is either hurt or waaaaay underperforming coming into the Trials in numbers like I've never seen going back to 1980.

I've long held the belief that in order to place high in any championship race, the first order of business is just be able to perform at your usual peak-season level of performance. Guys get taken out of their game by the pressue/lure of the Olympics, try to overprepare or try something new for the first time in Oly years, and it backfires more times than not. Simply getting to the championship at your usual level of fitness and healthy is 95%+ of the battle. Rule #1: If it ain't broke, don't fix it just because its an Olympic year.

[tafnut]

Re: Sacramento Death March

I'm thinking that in order for an American distance runner (and many others) to get the maximum performance from themselves, they have to 'guess' where their bodies' limits are, get all the way to them, but not one iota too much. That's a crap shoot. I think the Kenyans don't have to push as hard, because they seem to have a much higher capacity to absorb punishment (just my baseless opinion). I completely understand all the injuries we are seeing. It's just people who guessed a little wrong. Better to try and fail, than never to try at all?

[George P.]

Re: Sacramento Death March

>Better to try and fail, than never to try at all?

Better to stay healthy so you can try than to get injured so you can't.

[satch400]

Re: Sacramento Death March

pales are fragile,don't shake , rattle or roll.

[Zat0pek]

Re: Sacramento Death March

Its a common mistake. El G and his coach commented in the T&FN piece that he made basically the same mistake in 2000, trying to bump his mileage for that extra edge. Not saying you don't take you game up a level in an Oly year, but FIRST make sure you can just perform as you normally do. There are a lot of guys on that list that would make the team if they had just done that.

So far, Webb and Meb are the only two that seem to have not paniced coming into this year, and we can see the results.

[tafnut]

Re: Sacramento Death March

Can we get thru the Trials without any more racist remarks, satch? That would be most excellent.

[avaulteriam]

Re: Sacramento Death March

I'm with tafnut on that one. That was entirely baseless, seeing as how none of the top American d-runners are dark skinned, unless you count the Torres' and Meb and a few others

[Zat0pek]

Re: Sacramento Death March

Its not just the injuries - its also to underperforming (though the two go hand in hand) of top guys. Nearly all the top guys above 800 seem to have either gotten hurt or flamed out in one fashion or another.

I just find it odd that it is seemingly so widespread.

[15mph]

Re: Sacramento Death March

You forgot to add Robison and Culpepper to the list.

[Zat0pek]

Re: Sacramento Death March

Can any of other old-timers remember a year with so many rankers either hurt or performing so poorly going into the Trials, or is it just my perception?

[Zat0pek]

Re: Sacramento Death March

Yep, Robison and Culpepper, two guys with the "A", should be on the list as well.

Looks like this year, the biggest challenge to making the team wasn't the "A" standard or the competition.

It was the athletes themselves.

[Zat0pek]

Re: Sacramento Death March

My bad, hit the button twice and I can't delete it.