Alan Webb American Record

While Alan Webb was busy is Belgium running an American Record 3:46.91 for the mile, I was on an airplane flying to San Francisco for a reunion with college friends. I didn't hear about Webb's race until Sunday night when I talked to my daughter on the phone. I didn't have any access to the Internet until I returned yesterday and could finally watch the video and read the reactions of the (online) track community.



When I first heard about the record, I formed a mental image of Webb charging down the straightaway as tens of thousands of Belgians cheered him home. I wasn't quite prepared to see the race take place on a modest six-lane track with perhaps a couple of hundred people in attendance. As I re-watch the video, I'm struck by the small-town feel -- the people in lawn chairs, the little girl sitting with her dad in lane six on the final turn, the car parked on the infield. This isn't just a small meet, it's a tiny meet.

Well, there's nothing wrong with that. One could argue that, for setting records, small meets are best since Webb and his team were able to control all the aspects of his pre-race preparation and focus on the task at hand. Still, it makes the race itself seem strange and out of context, kind of like seeing a world-class violinist playing for spare change in a subway station.



Other things that struck me: Webb crosses the line, jogs a few steps and then, upon seeing the time, does a little sprint into the infield. Whoa. That tells me Webb's legs weren't immobilized by vapor lock. I would tend to agree with him when he says to the camera that he thinks he can go faster.

The interview itself is rather extraordinary, especially if you compare it to the 30-second interviews that NBC runs after races. In the FloTrack video, Webb is obviously excited but also fairly coherent as he talks about all the hard work and preparation that went into the record. He is also appropriately respectful to Steve Scott, whose 25-year-old record he has just broken.

Amby Burfoot has a nice column on the Runner's World site about Webb's interview, which he feels should be required reading for high school athletes and coaches.

FloTrack also manages to get a few words from Webb's coach, Scott Raczko, and agent, Ray Flynn, both of whom look like they're not quite sure they want the attention at that moment.

So what next for Mr Webb?

His immediate focus must be on the World Championships in Osaka. By running all these fast times this summer, Webb has established that he is a medal threat. If he does not medal, American track fans will be hard on him. They will say that Webb has always been more about times and less about titles. And then they will wonder about 2008 and the Beijing Olympics.

And then there is the world record. Webb has made no secret that he would like to take a shot at Hicham El Guerrouj's mark of 3:43.13 which is over eight years old now. It took Webb 6 years to go from 3:53 to 3:46.9; dropping nearly four seconds more is not going to be a walk in the park. Still -- with slightly better pacing, perhaps it's not out of the question.

Anyway, one has to love Webb's enthusiasm and emotional involvement. He still wears his heart on his singlet every time he runs. When he has a good race, he reacts with screams, smiles, fist pumps, and little sprints. When he has a bad race, his features and body language tell the whole story.

Perhaps he does not have the cool, calculating demeanor that wins tactical races in (and in front of) big crowds. But when he's feeling it, he can run fast... faster than any American ever. We should probably be happy with the Webb we've got.