So many DNF's at OT

Primo Numero Uno wrote:

Whoa OP slow that roll. This is Letsrun, you're supposed hold fast to your opinion and never give an inch. You're not supposed to acknowledge that anyone who presents a differing opinion may have a point or even be correct even when presented with persuasive argument or facts.

Not trying to roll over. Just trying not to be too disrespectful of those who qualified and were there. I know my place. I have great respect for all those who toed the line yesterday.

In regards to my original post...here's where I was coming from and my point of view. As I stated in another reply, I will never qualify for the OT. The closest thing I can relate to is a US Championship or Boston. Boston 2007. Noreaster. 30-40 mph headwind. Cold. Raining. Completely miserable. Hamstring cramping started around mile 15-16 and I was forced to a standstill for several minutes every 400-800 meters until the end. Toughest thing physically to this day I've ever had to do. Legs just would not work. But my thoughts at the time? It's my first Boston. No way I'm not finishing. Why? Because who knows what life will throw at you. And while I can plan to just come back in the future...a career ending injury, car wreck, whatever...can change all that. Didn't want to look back when I'm 60 and regret having a DNF there if I'm never able to get back. Best thing I ever did. Yes, it might have screwed me up for a bit afterwards and it took me longer to recover, but once I was back to normal, my racing career did a complete 180 and took off. Started running massive PR's and crushing my 10 year old times from college. Why? Because those come to Jesus moments can teach you more about yourself than you think if you get through them. Whereas I've always thought that a DNF makes it all too easy to just do it again in the future.

So, based purely on that experience, when I see so many DNF's in the results at the Olympic Trials...the biggest and most prestigious race that many of these guys will ever run...I just had a really hard time understanding it. I know my experience is not even close to being similar, but if I'm in the trials and I'm not a true 24/7 pro...well, I'm getting to the end. But that's me, so maybe I'm just a crazy stubborn old coot whose eaten too many gels.

its not just about finishing though. Drop out early and you could run boston, maybe pick up an appearance fee. For slower guys, it means they could pic a lower key race like Grandmas or Vermont City and maybe make a few thousand. For others, it means they can turn immediately to the track and try to get into the 5 and/or 10k at the track trials. If you're beaten up until sometime in march, the turn around might be too long to achieve the needed fitness. A lot of guys did have your mindset though and finished even though conditions were tough.

__________________________________

Anyways, Wineturtle who was the water sponsor and what email do I use to contact them?

kvothe wrote:

__________________________________

Anyways, wineturtle who was the water sponsor and what email do I use to contact them?

kvothe,

The only thing about this is what I read on these boards. A quick look at the LOC web site shows Coca Cola as a sponsor. Perhaps you will have better luck locating the sponsor.

Local sponsor list

Dasanti is owned by Coke as is Smartwater, PowerAde, Zico, and a couple of other enhanced water & water based beverage companies- but I have no idea if one of them was in fact the "OFFICIAL" supplier of on course beverages,

Someone who was there might be able to tell us.

and if Coca Cola brands was not involved they might, as a listed sponsor, be pissed at me for suggesting their company was involved in the FUBAR surrounding the lack of water on the course.

I was there and I felt bad for the runners. It was hot in the sun. I saw effects early in the race. I wished the race started at 8:00. It may not have made a difference for the teams but we would have seen better times and more finishers.

I was at the race wrote:

Buddy, you should have been there and seen these guys try to keep going. The guys I saw were done. DONE. They had nothing left in them and could barely move. This was not a lack of will. You can't will yourself to crawl through the next 10k if you are barely able to hold it together for a 400. You won't understand unless you were right there watching athletes double up in pain. I've seen plenty of people die hard and jog it in, but never anything like this. I only have admiration and respect for these guys.

This.

I was there, too, and several individuals looked stagger-weaving awful out on the course.

As for the higher rate of dropouts among the men, I think the men went out relatively harder than the women, and also stayed in a tighter overall formation across the field through the halfway point of the race. Given the rising heat and the missing water situation, this was a textbook recipe for an athlete to have total system shutdown in the back miles.

Maybe if you're running in probably the most prestigious marathon to come around every several years, you'd probably put some extra effort into running well? That coupled with the heat and you have a perfect mix for lots of DNFs.

From watching on TV I wondered why there were no open fire hydrants blowing water onto the streets or misting stations athletes could run through or even kids with squirt guns.

PS- for you that say drop the half standard, Rupp says STFU

The men had a greater drop out rate because the men had a greater number of qualifiers from the HALF MARATHON.

Hi everyone. I am one of the men who dropped out of the race. Heres my story, pretty sure it's similar to a lot of others.

I tried to go out at a conservative pace, but the heat still got me. I had tried to train for heat but I think I underestimated the effect of the direct sun. I couldn't sweat fast enough to keep my skin damp. So I felt OK at 10k but by the half marathon, I couldn't focus enough to calculate my mile splits. I was 100% determined that I could make it another 13.1 and changed my focus to just keep moving forward at any pace. For some stretches I ran with other guys, trying to work together and support each other, before they fell back or dropped out. I had no idea of my current or average pace, had slowed to a jog just trying to keep moving forward and focus on getting to the next checkpoint. At some point around 2 hours, I knew I was simply not capable of finishing and I walked off the course. They gave me water and a bag of ice and I sat down in the shade.

I think I gave everything I could out there but it kills me to DNF. I have no excuse. I couldn't have cared less about saving it for another day, the only thing I wanted was to make it to that finish line. But I didn't. I tried to shrug it off outwardly in talking to people, but when I think of all my training, all my friends and family who supported me, I'm completely devastated. Just kills me. Still, I don't know what I would have done differently so I have no regrets in how I trained or approached the race.

I don't blame the course or organizers at all. I thought they did a great job. Rio is not going to be any cooler. We are supposed to be the best of the US, conditions are adverse, you deal with it. Plenty of people handled the heat fine and had great races (and deserve major congratulations).

Both races went out moderately, but the women's race picked up much sooner and was a more even pace overall for the leaders.

The women not only ran tougher, but smarter as well.

I've personally run many marathons competitively, mostly in the mid 1970's, and don't recall ever having fluids so often. In fact I rarely took anything at all to drink in a marathon, and raced a couple of my fastest marathons in upper 90 degree weather at the finish.

The key is to be hydrated before you get on the start. I've always felt if you wait until the race to hydrate, it's too late. I typically drank more than a 1/2 gallon of water before starting any marathon race, and rarely had any trouble. The only time I recall was a 50km race run in 90 degree weather, that had NO water available, where I was in serious trouble the last 2 miles and not able to kick in as usual which cost me 2nd place but still finished.

Probably most people who dropped out had similar issues:

> didn't hydrate well in advance

> were poorly trained for moderate temperatures

> didn't know their capabilities and went out too fast

> had a bad race strategy and paced themselves poorly

> didn't take the race seriously and give it the respect it deserved.

There is no way to hydrate enough pre race to where you don't need to drink during a race like conditions on Saturday. These were the best distance runners our country has. You really think they don't know how to hydrate properly? For a marathon this was extreme conditions not moderate. In the 80s with no shade. The race should have added water spots given the conditions but didn't. Having to go 3+ miles between water stations was brutal.

Primo Numero Uno wrote:

There is no way to hydrate enough pre race to where you don't need to drink during a race like conditions on Saturday. These were the best distance runners our country has. You really think they don't know how to hydrate properly? For a marathon this was extreme conditions not moderate. In the 80s with no shade. The race should have added water spots given the conditions but didn't. Having to go 3+ miles between water stations was brutal.

You have no clue what you're talking about.

The high temperature during the races this weekend was 75 degrees, which was moderate.

I used to train in that exact same area, often ran 18 milers wearing a nylon wind breaker in similar temperatures and felt quite comfortable.

Even back then, the number of runners who hydrated well and prepared for the heat were quite few. When you're hydrated well and prepared, there's no need to carry water bottles the first 10 miles of a race.

When a runner drops out their name should be announced over the loudspeaker (TV coverage could add pictures) much like in the Hunger Games.

"And we have another dropout from team ...

He's done!"

fellow Q wrote:

I think I gave everything I could out there but it kills me to DNF. I have no excuse. I couldn't have cared less about saving it for another day, the only thing I wanted was to make it to that finish line. But I didn't. I tried to shrug it off outwardly in talking to people, but when I think of all my training, all my friends and family who supported me, I'm completely devastated. Just kills me. Still, I don't know what I would have done differently so I have no regrets in how I trained or approached the race.

Thank you for sharing what happened, and congratulations for doing your best. I'm sure this experience will help you in future marathons.

Hey man, you left nothing on the course on Saturday. There is nothing to be ashamed about. I for one wish you the best and hope to see you succeed in 4 years. I hope you make the team. Good luck and take care!

You're comparing an 18 mile training run to running a full marathon race in the heat? Not hydrating for 10 miles in a marathon expected to top out in the mid to upper 70s is moronic, much like your comments.

I would have tried to finish just for the sweet medal.

harland wrote:

You're comparing an 18 mile training run to running a full marathon race in the heat?

I wasn't making that comparison but could, since most of the drop outs occurred in the first 18 miles.

Not hydrating for 10 miles in a marathon expected to top out in the mid to upper 70s is moronic, much like your comments.

No, but your response shows how stupid you are, and that some people are idiots. There's no point to hydrating more when you're already fully hydrated, and not everyone dropped out of the race.

I think it was pretty embarrassing for the organizers for the winner to spend a good time amount on tv sucking the water out of a rag because there wasn't enough water on the course