Many critics have excoriated US marathoners for their poor performances, but rest assured it is not from lack of desire. In a second. The only thing left were questions, for which many had few answers. While it's easy to automatically blame training and preparation, that may be too easy a culprit. Universal principles of physiology dictate that we have to some degree of specific training in to be successful in a unique event such as the marathon.
Training is a science, but there is still a degree of art involved as well.
Run too little and or too slowly, and you will be ill prepared to meet the physical challenge of race day. Run too much and or too fast, and you will burn out, depleting valuable physical resources you'll need on race day. As Joe LeMay so aptly described, sometimes the last two weeks, when all the hard training is complete, can be the most difficult period before a marathon. The taper and rest period, a time that is supposed to consolidate gains and make us stronger, can in fact result is sluggishness and self doubt. Nowhere in the neatly laid out training schedule is this intangible addressed.