Olympic Runner David Torrence dies at 31

[Coyote Mas Loco]

This is pretty sad news. Torrence was among the top US middle distance runners (1:45 800, 3:52 mile) for several years before running for Peru in Rio last year (his mother is native Peruvian so he had a path to citizenship). He was a frequent poster on message boards such as Letsrun (classic 2005 thread where as an anon undergrad he set out to run a downhill sub 4 mile) and reddit, had a good following on Twitter, and from what I could tell he was popular and well liked among fellow athletes. 

In his honor California runners will do a do a downhill mile this weekend in Berkeley (UC Berkeley is his alma mater). I plan to do the same on Saturday morning, 125 foot drop.

http://www.usatf.org/News/American-record-holder-David-Torrence-dies-at-age-.aspx

[nadra's babydaddy]

NONONO!!! I think I remember the downhill mile.  Is that the "I did it for the muffins!" guy?

[siamesedream]

Non-runners: Jim Fixx!

[Coyote Mas Loco]

In his own words as a 20 year old:

•Big Wave
• RE: SUB-4 MINUTE MILE ATTEMPT....DOWNHILL!!! 12/10/2005 7:24PM - in reply to Kele
Big Wave

Are you kidding? I am TOTALLY faster than Alan Webb. I mean come on...his best mile ever is a 3:48 or so? I could give him a 2 second head start and still whoop his ass...in flats! El Guerrouj here I come!

PRE-RACE THOUGHTS: So anyway, I had been feeling kinda sore from a workout on tuesday, and was getting kinda nervous about the run. Especially when on Thursday after a 45 min run, I did a sort of stride/sprint for 400m down the hill and only ran a 65.

Anyway, around 1am or so we decided that I should start to warm up and start my race at 1:30 as soon as the lights turn yellow (we guessed this was when it was gonna happen). But what ended up happening is that they didn't change...and we came to the conclusion that we didn't think they were going to that night. But we waited until 2am just in case. So then we checked again and they still weren't changed and so we just decided to go for it despite the stoplights. I warmed up again, and this time I became more confident. Don't know why, but I just felt good. Not many people came out to watch because it was so late and people had finals to study for, but whatever. I was determined now. Especially with a few people betting that I wasn't going to break 4. Such as my roommate. Who now has to do 600 pushups in one day.

MID-RACE THOUGHTS: I got out hard the first 200m because that's what I usually do, but because of the downhill I guess it made me continue the speed. I thought I was gonna hit the quarter in like 52-54, but after hearing only 58 I thought I was done. Seriously. I was thinking to myself, "Am I going to have to drop out at 800m?" But then I looked up at the SUV ahead of me with my friends hanging out the windows screaming at me and I found the strength to go on. I swear the middle 800 I was running 2:08 pace and I was expecting to hear the 800 split to be 2:03 or something but my friend yelled out 1:54 and I was shocked. Same thing for the 1200 when I heard 2:52. At that point I knew I had it, and kicked it in decently. I probably could have gone harder for the last 4 thinking back to it, but I was pretty tired.

POST-WATCHING OF VIDEO THOUGHTS: Damn my form is horrible. Especially my right arm. I need to work on that big time. And I have a huge nose.

CONCLUSION: DO THIS RACE! It is crazy fun. I wasn't sore at all afterwards. No aches and pains, nothin'. Try and get as many people out there to either run with you, bike alongside you, or just to support. All my friends just got drunk and piled in a car (except for the driver ofcourse) and we're screaming like crazy at me while they blasted music to inspire.

All in all it was a great time, and again I highly suggest that you make your own 1st annual David Torrence Downhill Invitational Mile.

Now, just to let you all know what I have been up to, I've just been going to a J.C. and gaining my eligibility back (which should hopefully be by this spring and if not then for sure by fall). I train every once in a while with other athletes in the area such as Bolota Asmerom and Ozzie Pina.

If you guys want to see the video of this or the 1600 somebody's gonna have to email me to let me know how to post it somewhere because I have no clue. Thanks a lot guys and I appreciate everybody cheering me on.




Read more: http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=1134264&page=4#ixzz4rGuClUIV
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[siamesedream]

No lets run.


That place is even more toxic and cringe-inducing than yammering.

[i am party]

Thanks for this thread. All I knew of him was his downhill mile video.

[Coyote Mas Loco]

Thanks for this thread. All I knew of him was his downhill mile video.

I remember the thread from way back when, I ran CIM the weekend before that. But didn't follow who he was. He emerged on the elite scene around 2010-11 and was right in there for podium finishes, and followed his results after that. Seemed like a funny, passionate about running kind of guy.

[Arrojo]

"He was found Monday morning in the pool of a condominium complex in Scottsdale, Arizona. "

Sounds suspicious.  31 is way too young.

[Coyote Mas Loco]

"He was found Monday morning in the pool of a condominium complex in Scottsdale, Arizona. "

Sounds suspicious.  31 is way too young.

There is a lot of questioning going on. Sadly, some speculation of suicide. His last Strava feed on Sunday was titled "Death Quarters" (he did a set of 8 or 10X 400). But he seemed like such positive guy with a lot to look forward to.

[Coyote Mas Loco]

I delayed the downhill mile because at the last minute I did the USATF meet early this month. So I did ran it this weekend at Red Rocks. Starting just below the amphitheater--you could hear the weekend crossfitters in the stadium grunting, chanting, cheering for each other as they went through their routines--at 6,170 feet and finishing 260 feet below that, so a drop of 5%.

Result was better than expected. Age grades to a 4:00.6 downhill mile.