Marathon runner or sprinter?

Run 26 miles at 5min miles and look like a stick, or run a 10sec 100 meters and look like a stud. No question the sprinter has a better body for power, speed, and agility. The sprinters are pure speed and muscle and look like more balanced athletes. I will bet the distance runner in the picture couldn't even do 3 men's weight thrusters. I am always amazed by the mile times marathon runners can keep doing for 26 plus miles, but if you ever have to go that far isn't that why we invented cars:)

what's the freaking workout tmw? That's what I want to know...

That's the most remarkable before/after photo since Lance got profiled. I give up. Who is it?

my ideal body composition would leave me looking exactly like daniel.

Woots to Audra, Connie, and Sierra for the 6 C2B pull-ups!!! So awesome chickies!!!

We're doing metcon stuff tomorrow, aren't we??? Hahaha... I feel the metcon coming...

I couldn't imagine having the body of a marathon runner. I think I'd rather have the strength of a sprinter...

> The marathon runner will win a fight by running away from it.

Maybe not. A 5-minute mile is a blistering pace for long distances, but sprinting is what will save your ass from a fight you might lose. The guy on the left might not be able to generate the power needed to get away fast.

Daniel, perhaps it is time for your triumphant return to the comments section.

6 DH C2b's! Wow, I will take any body composition that will allow me to do that! Having just finished my wod in a hotel precor "gym" among the socal girls, I felt happily out of place!

Brad and Pelon,

"Perfect body composition - Joe Dumars in his prime. 6 3, 210 chisled pounds."

"my ideal body composition would leave me looking exactly like daniel"

Congratulations guys, your comments have been selected as this month’s finalists for creepiest post.

Your “Herm Side Hug" t-shirt will be arriving in the mail very soon.

Brian,

I'm impressed you swallowed your Beantown pride and went with Mr. May.

Ah, the side hug.

Brandon -

Maybe you are too young to remember the NBA short shorts of the early, mid-80s....? Joe Dumar's muscular, sweaty, glistening thighs would press up against the fabric, sometimes riding up.....

Any way, just a great athelete!

He didn't have an outstanding body, but Kyle Rote, Jr. was one of the earlier all-around athletes.

FTA: Rote won the made-for-television Superstars competition three times in a four-year period, making him arguably the best all-around athlete in American sports in the 1970s.

Oh Leka - you went there. YES!YES!YES!

My first thought was, wow, what an objective post. Those are pictures carefully chosen to best represent the norms in their respective fields. Second thought was the guy on the right shows clear signs of non-aromatizing steroid use. Third thought was, wait, that is Dwain Chambers I read his book. His coach was Remi Korchemny and his nutritionist was Victor Conte. Yes, those of BALCO fame. So it must not come as a huge surprise that he was the first positive test for THG (the clear), the most powerful androgen of its time. Which is the better body for health and performance? I guess that is up to you, but the one on the right is the product of a cocktail of drugs. You want to look like that and perform at that level then get with the program. Oh wait, it is all about the Zone which is just as effective. It is amazing how often we look the obvious truth in the face and still convince ourselves of something else. On that note I am looking forward to seeing how thorough the testing is at the CF Games this year.

Seriously though, what is it with strength biased and CF athletes bashing on endurance athletes? Where do you see the most bitching on the CF Mainsite: 10k days, eclipsed by 15ks, and possibly some of the loony rest day posts. My personal experience running sub 3hr marathons is that it is far harder than any CrossFit workout. I have little doubt that anyone who has run one at their true race pace, whatever it is, will concur. My life experience has taught me that people bash what they are too weak mentally or physically to do; yes you can include me in that group concerning my bashing of steroid use and users. Point being what is the point of tearing anyone down for their obsessive pursuit of their version of athleticism?

I believe that if you look at my post again you will see that my post is not about the perception of bashing runners. Trying to dismiss it as having trouble from being picked on is actually the type behavior that I thought I was not obliquely attempting to bring up. It would take a particular sort of logic to convince oneself that the use of that picture is meant to be objective. That should be obvious in any context but should that not be the case the context of my introduction to it leaves no doubt. I realize now that the first time I saw that picture comparison was when Lon Kilgore used it at a cert. Your response was virtually identical to what I witnessed then; a bunch of superficial analysis about the individual’s health and body. Janne Holmen is shown on the left winning the marathon (2:12:14) at the 2002 European Championships. Yes, he is a waif even among elite marathoner standards; regardless, would you expect someone to look well as they finish a marathon in that amount of time? Probably not, but it would actually require a moment of objectivity to consider the situation rather than adopting the immediate superficial reaction. Right next to him is Dwain Chambers setting a European record in the process of winning the 100m at the same event; eventually his results are annulled when he tests positive for THG. In his book he details all the injuries and health issues that he was experiencing at this time due to the pharmacy of drugs he was on. Would you say that he looks like an injury plagued drug addict? Did anyone even consider it? CF is a packed with serious athletes who regularly push the extremes of human performance. We can all hold our heads high in this regard. However, this picture struck my nerve as it encapsulates what I see as an all too often unfortunate characteristic of the community. That no one in our community appears to have made even a remotely objective evaluation of this picture is, in my opinion, inexcusable. It may not be one of the ten parameters, but is there really any question that mental fitness has not been the primary driver in human evolution? Is it important that there be an honest discussion about drug use, that we respect all athletes, and that we rigorously use our minds? CFO is as of now, and quite possibly likely to retain, the title of top CF Affiliate. It is my opinion that this post is an embarrassment to that fact and by association to the entire community. I am now done indulging my foul mood, lest I provide a convenient excuse to be written off as merely a troll.