DNF

Chivito550 · 19-08-2014 10:43AM

I get the impression that there are some who have been looking for an opportunity to have a pot at Heffernan, stemming from his tweets last year, which were completely misinterpreted. This thread was started by a poster who was among his biggest critics back then.

Let's get it straight. When he realised Diniz wasn't coming back to him, he went off in chase, moved well into 3rd, relatively early in the race, rather than sticking to his own race plan which served him well on Moscow last year. He was therefore opperating at a pace unsustainable for him. He eventually slowed, and that's when the mental side came in. I had been walking along the course and saw he had dropped out before the rest of the Irish journalists had, or the TV cameras. He was vomiting pretty badly which wouldn't have been picked up on camera. Whether this normal I don't know, but anybody who thinks he simply just mentally gave up is wrong. Athlete interviews in the heat of the moment should never be taken as gospel.

ThisRegard · 19-08-2014 10:49AM

Chivito550 wrote: »

I get the impression that there are some who have been looking for an opportunity to have a pot at Heffernan

I don't think so. Regardless of if it was Heffernan or another Irish athlete, the discussion would be the same. I'm sure there have been much harsher discussions surrounding other Irish athletes on here before and I'm pretty sure the argument that people were waiting to take a shot at him/her, we shouldn't be criticising them etc weren't rolled out at the time.

Enduro · 19-08-2014 10:54AM

This article from the IT today gives an interesting general perspective that would appear to be very relevant to Rob's approach to the race.

Ososlo · 19-08-2014 11:00AM

Chivito550 wrote: »

I get the impression that there are some who have been looking for an opportunity to have a pot at Heffernan, stemming from his tweets last year, which were completely misinterpreted. This thread was started by a poster who was among his biggest critics back then.

Let's get it straight. When he realised Diniz wasn't coming back to him, he went off in chase, moved well into 3rd, relatively early in the race, rather than sticking to his own race plan which served him well on Moscow last year. He was therefore opperating at a pace unsustainable for him. He eventually slowed, and that's when the mental side came in. I had been walking along the course and saw he had dropped out before the rest of the Irish journalists had, or the TV cameras. He was vomiting pretty badly which wouldn't have been picked up on camera. Whether this normal I don't know, but anybody who thinks he simply just mentally gave up is wrong. Athlete interviews in the heat of the moment should never be taken as gospel.

You got me wrong. Yes I lost a lot of respect for him as a man over those tweets but not as an athlete. I am able to separate the two things very clearly.
I started this thread as I had a very disconcerting dnf a few months ago. I went out with one goal that day and nothing less was going to do. I had no b or c goals. I realised half way through that it wasn't going to happen so I mentally gave up and then physically opted out. I regretted it almost immediately. I beat myself up so badly that day and when I reported it on my log I got an awful battering from one poster. Talk about kicking someone when they're down... most people were supportive might I add.

I was simply interested in gaining a little insight into what people's opinions were regarding Rob's dnf. That's all.
I felt extremely sorry for him and could see the very obvious angst on his face in dublin airport.

dukeraoul · 19-08-2014 11:35AM

Ososlo wrote: »

You got me wrong. Yes I lost a lot of respect for him as a man over those tweets but not as an athlete. I am able to separate the two things very clearly.
I started this thread as I had a very disconcerting dnf a few months ago. I went out with one goal that day and nothing less was going to do. I had no b or c goals. I realised half way through that it wasn't going to happen so I mentally gave up and then physically opted out. I regretted it almost immediately. I beat myself up so badly that day and when I reported it on my log I got an awful battering from one poster. Talk about kicking someone when they're down... most people were supportive might I add.

I was simply interested in gaining a little insight into what people's opinions were regarding Rob's dnf. That's all.
I felt extremely sorry for him and could see the very obvious angst on his face in dublin airport.

I think its pretty clear from reading your log that the poster you refer to didn't attack you or "kick you when you were down". Maybe let sleeping dogs lie on that one and stop bringing up perceived slights and attacks. it looks pretty petty and immature tbh.

Ososlo · 19-08-2014 11:35AM

dukeraoul wrote: »

I think its pretty clear from reading your log that the poster you refer to didn't attack you or "kick you when you were down". Maybe let sleeping dogs lie on that one and stop bringing up perceived slights and attacks. it looks pretty petty and immature tbh.

Welcome back

gerard_65 · 19-08-2014 11:46AM

dukeraoul wrote: »

I think its pretty clear from reading your log that the poster you refer to didn't attack you or "kick you when you were down". Maybe let sleeping dogs lie on that one and stop bringing up perceived slights and attacks. it looks pretty petty and immature tbh.

Well that didn't take long.;) How many email address do you have to keep registering new accounts?:p

walshb · 19-08-2014 11:47AM

I think elite athletes (representing their countries at championships) quitting because a race isn't going their way being compared to the general population quitting because a race isn't going their way is completely different. No comparison!

Ososlo · 19-08-2014 11:49AM

walshb wrote: »

I think elite athletes (representing their countries at championships) quitting because a race isn't going their way being compared to the general population quitting because a race isn't going their way is completely different. No comparison!

Yes of course you can't compare the two.

Krusty_Clown · 19-08-2014 12:19PM

walshb wrote: »

I think elite athletes (representing their countries at championships) quitting because a race isn't going their way being compared to the general population quitting because a race isn't going their way is completely different. No comparison!

Because the colour of their singlet is different? We are all just runners (or walkers) competing in a race. Some athletes just train harder. This whole 'they're in the public eye' so they're not afforded the same privileges as you and I, just stinks in my opinion.

Consider this analogy: Two boxers in two separate fights. One wearing a green Ireland singlet, the other is not. Both boxers are getting badly beaten and sustained presence in the fight will only serve to further harm or injure the boxers. Is it ok for one coach to throw in the towel, while it's not ok for the boxer in the Irish singlet? Should they continue to be pummelled until the referee deems it a knockout?

walshb · 19-08-2014 12:26PM

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Consider this analogy: Two boxers in two separate fights. One wearing a green Ireland singlet, the other is not. Both boxers are getting badly beaten and sustained presence in the fight will only serve to further harm or injure the boxers. Is it ok for one coach to throw in the towel, while it's not ok for the boxer in the Irish singlet? Should they continue to be pummelled until the referee deems it a knockout?

You have brought up injury several times. Rob was not injured as far as I know. No issue with a DNF due to actual injury. Look at Vitali vs. Byrd (HW fight) for an example. Rob seemed to quit out of frustration at not being the best walker on that day.

Either way the boxing analogy is too far removed from reality. So much more to consider in a boxing ring.

gerard_65 · 19-08-2014 12:48PM

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

We are all just runners (or walkers) competing in a race.

Ah, but some are paid €40000 per year tax free, get free gear, free medical, where as others pay to enter races.
All runners are equal, but some are more equal than others.;)

digger2d2 · 19-08-2014 12:49PM

Enduro wrote: »

This article from the IT today gives an interesting general perspective that would appear to be very relevant to Rob's approach to the race.

Good radio interview this morning btw

Krusty_Clown · 19-08-2014 12:58PM

walshb wrote: »

You have brought up injury several times. Rob was not injured as far as I know. No issue with a DNF due to actual injury. Look at Vitali vs. Byrd (HW fight) for an example. Rob seemed to quit out of frustration at not being the best walker on that day.

Either way the boxing analogy is too far removed from reality. So much more to consider in a boxing ring.

No, actually, I never once mentioned or suggested that Rob was injured. I did say that if he continued to participate in the race, he could get injured. As for your comments on the boxing ring... It's an analogy, used for the purposes of providing clarity through comparison. If it doesn't fit your model of reality, that doesn't make it wrong - it just means that it doesn't work for you.

Krusty_Clown · 19-08-2014 01:01PM

gerard_65 wrote: »

Ah, but some are paid €40000 per year tax free, get free gear, free medical, where as others pay to enter races.
All runners are equal, but some are more equal than others.;)

Didn't he qualify for that 40k based on his 'World Champion' performance last year? What we are failing to recognize is that this DNF will not qualify him for any grant next year. He will need to perform (or have performed) at world level this year, in order to secure future grants.

<though I will grudgingly concede that his participation in this race is an all expenses paid trip

>

walshb · 19-08-2014 01:13PM

The boxing analogy is weak.

BTW, many boxers have quit for similar reasons to Rob's. Frustration and things not going their way.

As to the injury, ok, you didn't mention that he was injured. He quit out of frustration. End of. I wouldn't hang him for it.

RedRunner · 19-08-2014 02:13PM

walshb wrote: »

That is a weak argument. It's an arrogance that he hasn't earned. He won a world title, but before this it's not like he was some god. Was he even rated number 1 in Europe?

BTW, Hefferanan has been very honest about it. I respect him for this. Irish Times Sport.

"“As a race, I just feel as if I got beaten up, and it just broke me,” he said. “It broke my spirit, broke me mentally. When I realised I just wasn’t going to pull them back, it just fell apart, genuinely fell apart. Mentally, I was gone, because when first and then second were gone from me, I just didn’t want third, or fourth. I came here to win, and that just wasn’t to be.

“Now maybe that attitude is wrong, and I’ll have to think about it, afterwards, to go forward. Because that’s only making an excuse. And I don’t want to make any excuse. The motivation just wasn’t there, that’s bad, and I’m not happy about it.”

If that's what Rob actually said then I would have to admire how quick he is to accept that maybe it wasn't the right thing to do.

And Chivito's comment about him vomiting suggests he was pushing himself to the very limit or he wasn't completely in full health. If it was purely a mental thing though I wouldn't change my first opinion (that I'd have preferred he continued to race to the best of his ability to the finish regardless of his finishing position and assuming injury wasn't likely). Otherwise hats off to him for those comments and I hope he comes back better and strong for the next big competition.

And slightly off topic...I thought Jerry Kiernan's comments on RTE before the race are interesting now in retrospect where he said and I paraphrase ,that he would be concerned when he hears comments coming out of his camp like '..he did a great 35k session the other week' Usually this ends up as a flat performance when the competition comes round.

Chivito550 · 19-08-2014 03:14PM

RedRunner wrote: »

If that's what Rob actually said then I would have to admire how quick he is to accept that maybe it wasn't the right thing to do.

And Chivito's comment about him vomiting suggests he was pushing himself to the very limit or he wasn't completely in full health. If it was purely a mental thing though I wouldn't change my first opinion (that I'd have preferred he continued to race to the best of his ability to the finish regardless of his finishing position and assuming injury wasn't likely). Otherwise hats off to him for those comments and I hope he comes back better and strong for the next big competition.

And slightly off topic...I thought Jerry Kiernan's comments on RTE before the race are interesting now in retrospect where he said and I paraphrase ,that he would be concerned when he hears comments coming out of his camp like '..he did a great 35k session the other week' Usually this ends up as a flat performance when the competition comes round.

He did that exact same 35k session the same length of time before Moscow.

dukeraoul · 19-08-2014 04:52PM

Karma for unpunished, blatant racism imo.

Enduro · 19-08-2014 05:05PM

dukeraoul wrote: »

Karma for unpunished, blatant racism imo.

Back with a bang!

Krusty_Clown · 19-08-2014 05:18PM

dukeraoul wrote: »

Karma for unpunished, blatant racism imo.

Who is this mysterious stranger?

DNF

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