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Well, I have never actually posted to any track websites at any time, but this thread seems to have some people fired up and I thought I might add my two cents. I know that this is posted to all, but I guess I am mostly formulating my thoughts as letter to Philip.

I am a decathlete/coach who found his way to the track late in life after competing in every other “mainstream” sport in high school and college. Since college I have taken up residence among the background noise of the US decathlon…providing a backdrop upon which the 8000+ scores of others look impressive. And I am happy in this role as I love this sport and those who compete it. Here are some thoughts….

Decathletes develop friendships that are unique to other sports. We compete against one another…but as you have noted, in many ways, we compete with each other and against the books. It is a sport of low notoriety, seldom any fans in the stands (that aren’t related by blood), and thankless hours on the track training for said low profile meets. So a bond is formed decathlete to decathlete that is unique. Bryan is an athlete that is respected and liked by those around him. He works very hard at his craft, he has made good decisions about how to become the best, he is a fierce competitor, he has done it clean, and he has not developed the ego that one would expect from a world leader in the sport. In fact, he loves to share knowledge and advice with those around him, and is first and foremost a family man who puts his wife and new son Jacob #1.

So when strong words of criticism are voiced against Bryan, it is not a surprise to me that many would stand up in defense. Statements like, “an embarrassment to himself and the sport.” and “doesn’t belong competing.”, might be a little over the top and I would certainly disagree with you. However, I would also like to thank you for caring enough to be critical. There are times when I prepare for the 400 or 1500 and look up into the stands and wonder if anyone but my wife and mom really care how I run this. So I can appreciate that there is someone out there who pays enough attention to expect a little more from me. This month in Indianapolis, that knowledge will certainly motivate me during the third lap of the 1500 when I have to make that decision. All decathletes should know what I mean by the 3rd lap decision (maybe more on that later).

Here is my thought on the 1500 as it relates to Bryan Clay. Much of the debate has centered upon whether or not he is lazy and unmotivated in the event. I would like to submit that maybe it is fear that plays a stronger role. Fear of the unknown, fear of pain, fear of many things actually. When I look across the landscape of the US decathlon over the past 10 years I see a clear delineation in 1500 time between those with a distance background and those without. Sprinters who have converted to the Dec (Clay, O’brien, Huffins) are decidedly worse. But I do not believe that this is because of ability or even training…I believe it is due to experience and knowledge. When you have a distance background, (Janvrin, McMullen, Jenner) you understand the limits of your body…or lack thereof. Fear is eliminated and you are free to attack the event, knowing that you body will not cramp up and shut down. While I would agree that the 1500 still has a range of natural/genetic potential, I believe that almost all National caliber decathletes are capable of running a 4:40…at any time. This of course assumes that they no longer fear it. I am not saying that you need a distance background to run the 1500. In fact, I believe that 400M training gives you all the conditioning that you need to run a fast mile. What I do not know is how to teach someone to not fear the 1500 without distance experience.

Sidenote: In Clay’s defense, if you look at the top 10 performances of all time in each event and compared it to the overall score of that dec, you will notice a somewhat glaring discrepancy. While every other event has at least half of the scores over 8000, the 1500M does not have a single 8000+ score. Any thoughts on that?

Also, you also stated that the Decathlon is not grueling as we only compete for 10 minutes. I understand what you are saying as an outside observer to the event, and I must say that I have often marveled with my wife at how little of the two days is actually spent competing. However, here is the reality of the dec from the horse’s mouth, and I know all you decs out there will agree. All attempts and performances in the decathlon are 100% maximal effort…which requires the body to be 100% prepared…which results in the need to be “warmed up” and ready to go for two days straight. That is the challenge and the grueling aspect of the dec. By the time you step to the line for the 1500 you have practically been in constant motion for two days and it is hard to find the physical and mental capacity to run the race. So I would disagree that it is not grueling…I believe that it is, just not in the traditional team sport sense.

In closing I would also like to state for the record that it is quite difficult to manage more than 3 decs a year for the average human. I am sure that there are those (Janvrin, Janvrin, JANVRIN) who can handle the higher volumes…but since he is actually from another planet and we are from Earth, I must digress. It is not the grueling part of the dec that makes the number possible small, but rather the damage that is done to the body during the 100% efforts. Joints, muscles, tendons, and bones have to heal and this usually takes about a month minimum, sometimes more. Do multiple decs to close together and you spiral into some dangerous territory for injury.

Thanks for reading,

Joe

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