Get a load of this…
which was met by the typical anonymous furnace blasts from the meanies on letsrun.com
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=1053342&page=2
Then the ebay poster decides to weigh in on the letsrun message board.
Uhmmm…not a good idea…
That board has some serious issues.
Indeed, the Let’s run board is rather juvenile. Makes the discourse here seem quite advanced and sophisticated!
Not surprised at the ebay solicitation for sponsorship. Kudos to the guy who’s trying it. I have seen business books recently that say ebay is a great laboratory to test business ideas. I mean if you don’t get any feedback there with the million or so eyeballs that the sight get’s everyday, where will you?
Fleck
Well his first mistake was putting himself on ebay, the second was the buy it now of $1000 and probably the biggest is attempting to defend himself on letsrun, especially with those times. Well, if you put yourself out there like that I guess you better be ready for that reaction.
Wow, what a bunch of losers over there! It’d be fun to actually line 'em up at the start of a 10K, and see what happens.
I think this post from someone over there summed it up pretty well.
"You’re probably new around here, so here is the deal with the letsrun.com message board:
There are a few posters on this board who are indeed elite or who at one time were elite. The vast majority of posters on this board, however, are 16 - 18 minute 5K types who are envious of the elite runners. These runners spend their free time dispensing advice as if they are authorities on running. They also enjoy insulting elite runners whose performances fall short of the expectations set by the public.
Deep down inside, these runners know they suck. It hurts. I mean, imagine that you’re a 17:30 5K runner who puts a tremendous amount of energy into insulting Alan Webb because he can’t finish in the top 5 at the World Track and Field Championships. These runners must feel like such hypocrites.
Now, you come along. You are someone–who has become something of a temporary public figure because of your ebay posting–who is actually slower than these 16 - 18 minute 5K runners. As you can imagine, these insecure runners are now beside themselves with glee. After years of having to insult runners who are several minutes faster than them, they can now insult a runner who is slower than them. It’s like a gift from heaven.
I am not an American Record holder, but I’m faster than 99% of the people who post here. I say: “more power to you.” You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished. If you get some some sponsorship money, then good for you."
I think it’s good idea actually, what’s to lose?
~Matt
It is worth some humor from time to time, I just know better than to post anything there.
Boy, it seems pretty easy to rile the folks over at letsrun. It takes everything I’ve got not to post: “You know Oprah didn’t run a 5 hour marathon; she ran Chicago in 4:25. I know this because when I ran my first marathon, all I kept thinking was, surely I can beat Oprah. Well, as things turned out, I can’t. Maybe next time. Hell, if I had my own personal trainer and chef, I could run a 4:25 too. Oh and in case you’re wondering, P. Diddy (or Diddy as he’s known now) did beat Oprah’s time when he ran the NY marathon.”
Is it really any different than say if some triathlete were to go on Ebay and state he shattered 12 hours for an IM and is looking for sponsorship? I can just imagine what this board would look like.
But I agree…they are clowns over there. 
Look at his purchase history, a LOT of Mary Kay cosmetics. . .draw your own conclusion.
Hey, as he said in the letsrun thread, those are his wife’s purchases.
I was going to go over there to Letsrun.com and ask them for some training tips. I’m getting ready to walk my first 5-K as a tune up for my big TNT half “thon” walk in December. But maybe I won’t now.
Most runners don’t understand the world of sponsorship in the same fashion as their triathlon/cycling counterparts. I have found that runners don’t ‘think outside the box’ in terms of sponsorship and follow a seemingly rigid set of guideliness. Good (and VERY good) age group runners tend to seek out some free entries here and there and some apparel from the local shop and just leave it at that. Meanwhile, there are many triathletes who are equivalent to a 39min 10k runner who do quite well in securing sponsorships becasue they understand that a whole world of promotional opportunities exist on the local level if you promote yourself well.
There is a general sense among runners that you only ‘deserve’ sponsorship if you can run a sub 28 10k or 2:15 marathon. Nonsense. You deserve a sponsorship if the sponsoring business feels that your endorsement of their product/service can help put money in their pockets, even if you are running 50 min 10ks. Also, the culture of running is more concerned with acutual finishing time and not relation to the age group competition. For example, in the running world a 21 min 5k is always considered ‘slow’ even if it was run by a 53 year old woman. However, the 53 year old woman in triathlon who goes 2:50 in regional olympic distance races and demolishes her age group competition is considered a local legend even though 2:50 is middle of the overall pack. Triathletes as a whole are simply more resourceful in finding ways to creating and capitalize on marketing opportunities, and the age group system in which ‘fastness’ is defined by your relation to others in the age group has much to do with this. But even at the front end, the fast age group triathletes are doing far better than their running equivalents in securing sponsorships.
Well, If you go over there asking them about triathlons, or admit you have done on or are doing one, you will get pounded. That’s one of those “for sure” things. They relish bashing triathletes over there. Still, its one of the best message boards, if you get into reading funny comebacks or ugly ones.
My favorite response…
“for airfare i’ll fly down to colrado and kick this guy in the face”
and I thought ST was harsh…
I like this…“The seller ended this listing early because the item was lost or broken.”
.
They seem like a really angry malcontent bunch over there…they seem like…teenage boys. 
It’s just that. The idiotitc rantings of skinny HS boys who don’t have much else going for them.
It must feel really great to belittle the hard work of others.
After years of having to insult runners who are several minutes faster than them, they can now insult a runner who is slower than them.
Awesome.
“for airfare i’ll fly down to colrado and kick this guy in the face”
Considering that most runners are FAR from big and scary … that comment is outright hilarious. The extension of that comment is probably more like " … when he is knelt down tying his shoe and facing the other direction."
It doesn’t get much scarier than a threat of violence from a runner.
what is even funnier is the visual of two runners actually exchanging blows with those little stick arms
.
I don’t even know if you can call punches from runners “blows” or not. Maybe more like “faints”, “taps”, “slaps” or “accupressure” … but, “blows” … probably not. =)
I guess you never know … MANY triathletes have demolished the “wimpy-looking” stereotype I had of them too. Maybe a bunch of 6’0 205 pound @ 6%BF 16min/5K’ers with martial Arts/Boxing background all decided to go hang out at the same message board.