Doctors - What is the 'particular sickness' that Ben Saarel has had but refuses to name?

rojo wrote:

Yes super harsh. Two top 10s is VERY good. But his track results have been nowhere near as good as his xc.

Yeah, and maybe the expectations were a little unfair for him coming out of high school. He was being talked about as a generational talent, the next great American distance runner. No shame in ending up with a pile of top 10 finishes, but falling short of those expectations.

It just feels like right now, for whatever reason, he isn't maximizing his potential. I'm a fan of Saarel, and would like to see what he can do if he gets a good run of health and training.

He's being vague on purpose to troll internet forums into speculation that it's an STD.

10/10

This sounds like something that is either Dave Smith's or George Bush's fault.

Lookatmenow wrote:

Saarel is a better human being than any of the posters on this thread with their 18min 5k PR they brag about.

Because we all know that better PR correlates to better human being. Ghandi ran a 3:42 mile on a dirt track in bare feet.

I think its Liberalism. I hear that's a mental disorder.

I have a question: was he sick before Obama was "elected?"

If yes, you might have your answer right there.

Bob Schul country wrote:

Low ferritin levels.

You come back from mono quickly. Low ferritin takes months

Low iron levels can be combated in days to a week. Glandular fever (mono) takes months.

In light of the recent news about Charlie Sheen and how long he hid his diagnosis, I believe it is reasonable to suspect HIV/AIDS could be at fault here as well. Hopefully he can take a few more supplements and cure it right up

Ryan Hall disorder.....Low T

If he was super smart he would be able to get his studying done with plenty of time to get 8 hours of sleep. Either he has a time management issue or he isn't that smart. Or he has OCD/lack of confidence and overstudies because he feels he doesn't know the material. Who knows. Coach should have put him on the 5 year plan from the start. 1 less class frees up a ton of time.

Mr. Spock wrote:

MD Phan wrote:

And of course- the ever present thyroid disorder could be playing into things-- thus his unwillingness to disclose it.

This ^. Just got over a bout of hyperthyroid brought on by respiratory infection. Took 4 months before thyroid levels stabilized. Completely knocked me out.

But why not mention what you have especially if it can help other athletes? Unless you have some sort of disease that you're embarrassed or don't feel comfortable in revealing, then it's his right not to mention it if he doesn't want to or its non of our business.

Expired EPO.

if he doesn't want to disclose it, i'd guess its something depression related. unfortunate and can definitely make you just tired and sluggish and make running the hardest thing in the world sometimes, especially competitively and at that level alongside rigorous academics.

i agree with others, if it were mono or iron deficiency he would probably just say it, theyre super common. likely something more taboo, like depression or maybe even thyroid stuff that he doesn't want people gossiping about. but of course, what do any of us know lol he doesnt wanna name it for a reason

i wish him the best. if depression or anxiety is the case, mental sickness can be harder than any physical disease in the world.

not_a_doctor wrote:

mono...or CMV

Same thing smart guy

It's hard to decipher, but it could be a mix of things or just one thing. I'd say depression, possibly with the lack of vital vitamins. You can tell in interviews that he was struggling to balance athletics/schoolwork, and all this stress being built up over time and continuing to train like he does, possibly skipping meals to study, could have led him to his demise. There are multitudes of possible explanations. Depression you can still do daily tasks, but probably giving up running for a few weeks possibly been the right move for him and getting therapy, seems like a strong willed guy, so bouncing back would be easy.

yeah right like he has time for a lady while trying to stay on top of all his studies and running

Lookatmenow wrote:

It's really none of your business if he chooses not to disclose it. all the nobodies can speculate cuz they can't walk the walk, so they may as well talk the talk. Losers. Saarel is a better human being than any of the posters on this thread with their 18min 5k PR they brag about.

My 5k pr is 17:24. But this is actually a good point. In the world of google, it is a good idea to keep your medical history private. This kid might decide to ditch running after college and would not want every employer to read his medical history on the internet.

Or he is serving a suspension. The volleyball setter at the local college missed 10 games due to mono. That's what they said. The fact that she was arrested leaning out the window of a car, drunk on her behind, screaming her head off, being driven by the drunken football center, with the trunk lid open and spilling contents on the street, fake ID, minor in possession, the previous summer was just a coincidence.

Bob Schul country wrote:

Low ferritin levels.

You come back from mono quickly. Low ferritin takes months

other way around