Run-Down Forums

Micah Ward · Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2002 3:09 pm Post subject:

With Gail Devers taking third, did she just have an off day or is this a passing of the torch? Also hope to see Dragila back in action and I hope this will not be a season of nagging injuries for her. Glad to see Alan Johnson do well...he is one of my favorites. He seems to have a lot of class. I guess it is time to fine tune those fantasy track teams. Conway...I am going to beat you sooooooooooo bad! (does that qualify for trash talk?) how do you do the smilies?

Conway · Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2002 11:22 pm Post subject:

Yes that would be trash talk .. And I'm not sure I need to fine tune my roster .. I kinda like the way it looks .. Smile

.. To make a smilie do this : this - and this ) but altogether with no spaces ... Smile

And how about that Deena Drossin ?? Nice record for her .. And at teh other end of the spectrum I think great things aer in store this year for Justin Gatlin of Tennessee ..

Dan · Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2002 10:41 am Post subject:

I read something from Devers, but I don't remember exactly what. I think she was ill and not expecting to do anything special.

I've yet to see Gatlin run, but he certainly is showing he's capable of a lot. His teammate (Leonard Scott, I believe) is also quite good. A bit reminiscent of Capel and Williams about 3 years ago at Florida, perhaps? A throwback to the late 80's UCLA squads?

Dan

Conway · Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2002 11:35 am Post subject:

Sprinters used to appear in pairs quite frequently .. Before UCLA in the late 80's there was Alabama in the early 80's with Calvin Smith and Emmitt King .. Eddie Hart and Isaac Curtis in the early 70's at Cal .. Harvey Glance and Willie Smith at Auburn in the mid 70's .. Clancy Edwards and James Sanford at USC in the late 70's .. Carl Lewis and Kirk Baptiste at Houston in the early 80's .. John Carlos and Tommie Smith in the late 60's ..

So there has been a rich history of top sprinters being together at the same school at the same time ..

Had to throw that in .. Smile

..

Now on to Gatlin .. He appears to be something special .. Has that "air" about him that MLF has .. hard to explain .. Its just there .. He's as smooth as I have seen - maybe ever .... And I have seen a LOT of sprinters ... Gatlin is definitely teh future of American sprinting and may be the current leader at 200 !!

Dan · Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2002 8:24 am Post subject:

Don't worry, I had no intention of making my "pairs" list all inclusive. I left that up to you. Smile

Dan

Conway · Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2002 8:45 am Post subject:

Why thank you .. Smile

... But I do find it interesting that pairs occur so regularly .. Says something about the quality of competiton that one gets during training and how it translates to success ...

Dan · Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2002 8:50 am Post subject:

Definitely. That's why I sound like a broken record around here, constantly stressing the importance of good training partners and environment. I couldn't believe it a few years back when Gail Devers gave an interview and mentioned how much better she was training, having started training with other athletes after years of training alone. Gee, whoulda thunk it...

Dan

Conway · Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2002 3:14 pm Post subject:

Same for Inger Miller .. During her 10.70 / 21.77 season of a couple of years ago she stated how training with Mo, Drummond and the gang at HSI was so much different than training alone with her father .. And how much she had benefitted .. Duh !!!

Even goes for distance runners ... I think the key to Kennedy reaching the level he attained was due to his going to Europe to train with the Kenyan's et. al ...

Course my dad used to say "if you can't run with the big dog, stay on the porch with the puppies" ... Whihc i always took to mean I had to run with the big dogs or give it up .. And the only way to run with them was to run with them .. Ready or not .. And miraculously enough I got better in the process ..

sort of like what you and I both say Dan .. In order to run fast .. You gotta run fast !!!!

Dan · Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2002 3:23 pm Post subject:

Those are all good examples. Shocking how such a seemingly simple concept can be a surprising revelation to even the most accomplished runners.

The only real exception I can think of is the Brazilian coach (I always forget his name, something like de Olivera) who coached Cruz, Barbosa, and co., arguably the best mid-distance squad ever. He had them do most of their workouts separate from each other because he wanted them to be used to doing the work on their own instead of relying on others for help.

Dan

Conway · Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2002 9:46 am Post subject:

I agree with you as to how simple it is but seems to get by people none the less .. But look at groups like SMTC or HSI .. Or the GBTC or "the Farm" over at Stanford now ... Teter gives so much credit to working out now with "the Farm" ...

And when you look at other countries that is where their success comes from ... They are smaller and better able to get their top athletes together ... And I tend to think that is why various countries tend to become "specialists" in certain disciplines ..

And THAT is probably what it is going to take to get our distance runners going in the US .. Aside from The Farm I think the next good group of distance runners is going to come out of the University of Michigan ... Webb and company are only going to get better as they push each other .. And THAT is a good thing .. Smile

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