@wejo - not here to piss. Just remind us of some past stories that we’ve all embraced here and have gone sideways. Not to mention the fact that any addict will tell you that they could completely turn their lives around and then go back to being exactly the same person after using one time.
The brojos have lived somewhat of a sheltered life and I understand that you want to celebrate something on Christmas. You’re probably not aware of how devastating it is to live with an addict in your life and why some people might be muted in their response.
Also, people are going to generally pee on things that @rojo posts. I’d guess 2/3 of the negative responses are there to hack him off a bit
Problem is, many of the posts are people who are bitter that someone else has been more successful than they have, despite years of self abuse. They would be much better off if they didn’t feel that way.
Maybe but this is not really a running message board so I am not sure that most here care much about running. This guy is really just a hobby jogger in some people’s eyes. It would be interesting to see if he could break 30 for 10000m one day. Let us wish him the best.
What? He's perhaps the first oly time trial qualifier to not run in high school or college. That's a big deal.
That's why it's clear evidence of him doping. Very good college runners (13:40 or faster) often times never run 2:16 despite training extremely hard for it.
Yet this guy does it with only 5 years of training at the age of 33, with lung damage getting his drugs? Not legit.
Normally, when he sees a story like this, rojo throws much jealous shade about supershoes and compromised morals and perceived shortcuts. Guess it helps the subject to be born a white male in the USA.
I think the issue is Rojo telling us to be inspired by him. I agree with you that it’s a pretty cool story. If Rojo had merely said “cool story” instead of “be inspired” I think the responses would have been much different.
Yeah, but that would generate fewer clicks. Not good for Mr. Instigator.
Judgemental would be if the person was an alcoholic or couldn’t kick cigarettes. These are legal and accepted. heroin and meth are not accepted and very hard to come by, and must be obtained illegally. so it is not unreasonable or an unfair judgment
Sadly, neither is as hard to get your hands on as you imagine/hope. And let's not be so quick to cast moral verdicts on those who have fallen into addiction; there's a massive genetic component to it, which is why it's increasingly being recognized and treated as a chronic disease rather than a failure of character.
There's a massive genetic component to everything we do in life The guy ran a 67 min hm after a year of training. That's genetics. If this guy needs a pity party for being born with bad genetics then everyone here needs one because we've been wasting as much time on LR as this guy has on drugs and most of us don't have an OT qualifier to show for it.
That's why it's clear evidence of him doping. Very good college runners (13:40 or faster) often times never run 2:16 despite training extremely hard for it.
Yet this guy does it with only 5 years of training at the age of 33, with lung damage getting his drugs? Not legit.
Normally, when he sees a story like this, rojo throws much jealous shade about supershoes and compromised morals and perceived shortcuts. Guess it helps the subject to be born a white male in the USA.
yes at LetsRun when a white male does “heroine” or white Shelby eats a “real greasy” burrito, the drug cheats are heroes.
This dude is damn near better than Parker Stinson and Parker has been training at an elite level since junior high
But of course there is about 2.5 minutes between their 10000m bests. Maybe this guy could break 30 but he has not done it whereas Stinson has broken 28. And of course there is about 6 minutes difference in the marathon.
This is a GREAT story for everyone to enjoy on XMAS.
Meet Mitch Ammons. As a freshman in HS, he ran a 4:50 mile. Then he started doing drugs and didn't run again until 2016 when he picked it up while trying to kick a heroine/meth addiction while smoking 2-packs a day.
Now he's run 2:16:48 and is going to the Olympic Marathon Trials.
What exactly is so inspiring about running a sub-elite time? Success at that level is like 90% talent. Think of how many people run just as much as this guy but don't get to the same level - are they less "inspiring" because they weren't born with the right genes? Besides, unless he runs for charity, his running success does nothing for anybody else besides him. Good for him, but not inspiring to most.
Getting off drugs is also not inspiring, especially if you're not an addict yourself. It's difficult but not heroic or inspiring. Not doing drugs doesn't make someone a hero, and neither does stopping drugs - it's what you do once you're clean that earns you "inspiring" status.
No one is throwing him parades or bestowing Nobel Peace Prizes on him, it's just a solid story.
Dude quits hard drugs and qualifies for the trials with minimal running background.
Me: "Wow, that's a pretty cool story - good for him."
Some others on here: "Why are we celebrating a drug addict? This isn't impressive - it's just because he has a lot of natural talent. Should we celebrate Hitler if he runs a 2:15 marathon?"
No parades, but the thread we're posting in is celebrating him. It's a nice story and good for him, but I wouldn't use the word "inspiring" to describe this story. The guy happened to be lucky and got off drugs because of good running genes. Cool.
I'm more inspired by the guy in Africa who grew up dirt poor and became a great runner while supporting a family. But the drug-addicted college drop out who runs a sub-elite time in a first world country...not so much.
I am a Physician Psychiatrist. I am way more impressed with the peer support specialists that overcame addiction, or got pardons by governors than anyone that got a MD/DO or is in tech.
What exactly is so inspiring about running a sub-elite time? Success at that level is like 90% talent. Think of how many people run just as much as this guy but don't get to the same level - are they less "inspiring" because they weren't born with the right genes? Besides, unless he runs for charity, his running success does nothing for anybody else besides him. Good for him, but not inspiring to most.
Getting off drugs is also not inspiring, especially if you're not an addict yourself. It's difficult but not heroic or inspiring. Not doing drugs doesn't make someone a hero, and neither does stopping drugs - it's what you do once you're clean that earns you "inspiring" status.
No one is throwing him parades or bestowing Nobel Peace Prizes on him, it's just a solid story.
Dude quits hard drugs and qualifies for the trials with minimal running background.
Me: "Wow, that's a pretty cool story - good for him."
Some others on here: "Why are we celebrating a drug addict? This isn't impressive - it's just because he has a lot of natural talent. Should we celebrate Hitler if he runs a 2:15 marathon?"
It's more about the subject line, which is CLUMSY at best.
I’m a recovered alcoholic and crack addict as well.
I love stories like this. I’ve come back to running after years of struggling and then getting sober. You don’t wake up one day and say “I’m gonna become a crack addict.” There are many, many incremental mistakes along the way. Most are bad attempts at coping with greater problems at hand. By the time you arrive at heroin, you’ve already decided you don’t care about your life anymore. Many people refuse to try to understand because they can go have a few beers and have a completely different experience than me. Using alcohol to numb myself was a bad choice I made when I hated my life as a teenager, but becoming addicted to it was not a choice. It was like something else took over almost immediately for me. I hope it doesn’t ever happen to you or one of your loved ones. If it does happen to one of your loved ones, I hope that you’re able to change your way of thinking enough to help.
I ruined many relationships along the way and have also put in tons of time rebuilding those relationships since I got sober. They’re stronger than they were before I took my first sip of alcohol.
Also, as someone who had put heroin, cocaine, and meth into my body, I wouldn’t use EPO. I have to abide by a strict code of not using any substances like that now, and using EPO would cross that line for me. I get that this is guy much faster than me, and I don’t know him, but I just thought I’d share that perspective. It’s absolutely possible that this guy does, but just because he used to do drugs does not automatically mean that he must be using EPO now.
I’m a recovered alcoholic and crack addict as well.
I love stories like this. I’ve come back to running after years of struggling and then getting sober. You don’t wake up one day and say “I’m gonna become a crack addict.” There are many, many incremental mistakes along the way. Most are bad attempts at coping with greater problems at hand. By the time you arrive at heroin, you’ve already decided you don’t care about your life anymore. Many people refuse to try to understand because they can go have a few beers and have a completely different experience than me. Using alcohol to numb myself was a bad choice I made when I hated my life as a teenager, but becoming addicted to it was not a choice. It was like something else took over almost immediately for me. I hope it doesn’t ever happen to you or one of your loved ones. If it does happen to one of your loved ones, I hope that you’re able to change your way of thinking enough to help.
I ruined many relationships along the way and have also put in tons of time rebuilding those relationships since I got sober. They’re stronger than they were before I took my first sip of alcohol.
Also, as someone who had put heroin, cocaine, and meth into my body, I wouldn’t use EPO. I have to abide by a strict code of not using any substances like that now, and using EPO would cross that line for me. I get that this is guy much faster than me, and I don’t know him, but I just thought I’d share that perspective. It’s absolutely possible that this guy does, but just because he used to do drugs does not automatically mean that he must be using EPO now.
And as free as you are to exonerate yourself, there are people who had worse that didn't choose the dirty path. Just because we as a community here are runners doesn't mean we have to support your lifestyle choices.
Having said this, I don't care that you recovered because you started in the first place.
You're not owed deference nor respect because in the general populace, addicts are a minority.
You had, as many did, many chances not to say yes. There exists no direct correlation from a difficult life and the consumption of cocaine or crack, etc.
In order to have it, you have to be around it tangentially at some juncture.
You don't have the right to use the fact that you hated your life as a teenager as fodder to explain addiction or even started.
Brass tacks: You don't become bad without associating with bad people.
Guess what dude? I hated my life as a teen and used it to get involved in school, a city youth commission, and even a part time job. I enjoyed life because of all of this. I didn't need alcohol, drugs, cigarettes or anything.
What you won't admit is that you're a rebel and it caught up to you, and many of the square nerds and dorks you all with the ripped jackets, goth faces and blue hair never needed that outside affirmation to know themselves.
So I don't care about your recovery, prowess as a runner, or what career you have.
I'm just one of the few that will candidly say I don't accept addicts and their stories and why.
i don't care if you care what I've said...but it is something I could not live with myself for not saying.
Tl;dr: you did the dope in the first place. Why should we care?
I’m a recovered alcoholic and crack addict as well.
I love stories like this. I’ve come back to running after years of struggling and then getting sober. You don’t wake up one day and say “I’m gonna become a crack addict.” There are many, many incremental mistakes along the way. Most are bad attempts at coping with greater problems at hand. By the time you arrive at heroin, you’ve already decided you don’t care about your life anymore. Many people refuse to try to understand because they can go have a few beers and have a completely different experience than me. Using alcohol to numb myself was a bad choice I made when I hated my life as a teenager, but becoming addicted to it was not a choice. It was like something else took over almost immediately for me. I hope it doesn’t ever happen to you or one of your loved ones. If it does happen to one of your loved ones, I hope that you’re able to change your way of thinking enough to help.
I ruined many relationships along the way and have also put in tons of time rebuilding those relationships since I got sober. They’re stronger than they were before I took my first sip of alcohol.
Also, as someone who had put heroin, cocaine, and meth into my body, I wouldn’t use EPO. I have to abide by a strict code of not using any substances like that now, and using EPO would cross that line for me. I get that this is guy much faster than me, and I don’t know him, but I just thought I’d share that perspective. It’s absolutely possible that this guy does, but just because he used to do drugs does not automatically mean that he must be using EPO now.
And as free as you are to exonerate yourself, there are people who had worse that didn't choose the dirty path. Just because we as a community here are runners doesn't mean we have to support your lifestyle choices.
Having said this, I don't care that you recovered because you started in the first place.
You're not owed deference nor respect because in the general populace, addicts are a minority.
You had, as many did, many chances not to say yes. There exists no direct correlation from a difficult life and the consumption of cocaine or crack, etc.
In order to have it, you have to be around it tangentially at some juncture.
You don't have the right to use the fact that you hated your life as a teenager as fodder to explain addiction or even started.
Brass tacks: You don't become bad without associating with bad people.
Guess what dude? I hated my life as a teen and used it to get involved in school, a city youth commission, and even a part time job. I enjoyed life because of all of this. I didn't need alcohol, drugs, cigarettes or anything.
What you won't admit is that you're a rebel and it caught up to you, and many of the square nerds and dorks you all with the ripped jackets, goth faces and blue hair never needed that outside affirmation to know themselves.
So I don't care about your recovery, prowess as a runner, or what career you have.
I'm just one of the few that will candidly say I don't accept addicts and their stories and why.
i don't care if you care what I've said...but it is something I could not live with myself for not saying.
Tl;dr: you did the dope in the first place. Why should we care?
This was very brave of you to say, Mike. Thank you for sharing it. I’m sorry my ripped jean jacket and blue hair scared you. I’m proud of you for getting involved in school. That was a good choice. I’ll make sure to do that next time around.