Dear Alan,While most solemnly nod at this conclusion, I do not count myself as one of them. And neither should you. The naysayers will be there for the coming months, ripping you and writing your eulogy. Nonetheless, you must remember this is not the first time they've raised their voices, nor have they been right in the past. After all, this type of letdown is almost par for the course in a career filled with highs like Mt. Everest followed closely by lows like a Tiger Woods Thanksgiving. Success has been fleeting for you in your star-crossed career, and the only things that has been constant are a career arc that resembles a sound wave and the sounds of those who will write you off at every low point.
So, Alan before you believe the cynics- please take a long look at the big picture. In the past few months you have changed coaches, altered your diet and weight, undergone a surgery, moved across the country, gotten engaged and reshaped your running form. This number of changes is staggering for any athlete to adjust to, and you are no exception. Additionally, starting with an 800 may have been a recipe for disappointment. An 800 requires sharpness and comfort at high speed- two things any understandably rusty athlete has in short supply.
Now that you've considered that, remember what has gotten you from the trough in the past. Your work ethic and talent have never been questioned, and in the best of times they have led to extraordinary accomplishments. Your unwavering faith in your coach and training may, at times, have hindered your career, but it also has raised you to exceptional heights. Here, it should not waver- Alberto Salazar can do for you what he has done for Kara Goucher, Galen Rupp and Dathan Ritzenheim. It may take more time than you would like, and you may endure more adversity than seems fair, but you must believe in it and commit to it much as you always have.You should know very well by now that success in track is a very fickle thing. One day, you can run 27:34 10,000, the next you can be on the shelf- injured and helpless. While you might feel like a bad piece of meat on the kitchen table now, after a better day in the future you may find yourself only a few rooms over hearing the same masses yelling at you excitedly to "strike while the iron is hot".
Sincerely,
Noah Jampol
Alan Webb ran 1:52 for the 800 in his first race of 2010
Stay tuned for a full cooldown wrap of London tomorrow and Tuesday, hope you all had a fantastic weekend
First off, great post Noah!
ReplyDeleteSince I've spent most of my running days in the 2000-2010 decade I watched Alan progress from High School to World Class talent. He was the face of the American Middle-Distance running, and the first person I thought of when thinking "Best U.S. Miler". He proved it, too, with his 3:46 American Record (Although Bernard Lagat has run a faster equivilant 1500 meter as a Kenyan and has current fastest American status alongside Andrew Wheating, Leo Manzano, and Lopez Lomong.)
It's hard to believe that a guy that used to get me pumped up and excited to see race, is putting up nothing but mediocre performances. The past two years, since his 1:43, 3:30, and 3:46, have really put me, and probably most of the country, at a let down, since we now struggle to find the American that can consistently beat the Africans at the mile distance. Lagat has been incredibly consistent, but it was Alan Webb who was the hope for bringing the U.S. to the top like Scott and Jim Ryan.
We owe Chris Solinsky, Matt Tegenkamp, and Dathan Ritzenhein for making the 5K exciting,
but historically, the mile has been the fabled and most heightened race in American Track and Field. Even Nike and Oregonian figure Steve Prefontaine wanted to be a miler.
I guess my point is: Alan's future was so promising, and his progression was so exciting to watch. The standards were set so high, and hearing about him running this 1:51 800 just damages the thought that "he isn't done yet" even more. It's hard to believe that the head figure of American Middle Distance running has let us down so much in the past two years.
Alberto, can't you just please work some of your (hopefully clean method) magic?
-Sam D.
Sam, thanks for the comment. I definitely understand your sentiments. I think I will remain optimistic because he's young, a hard worker, and now has in my opinion a better coach, training situation, nutritional plan(and more) than he's ever had. Had he remained stubborn run this time under Raczko I'd be very discouraged. I think that once he adjusts, we'll see a different guy.
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