Taylor Roe said in an interview that she has never seen anyone in her entire career get back to peak fitness after being injured as fast as Valby can, and it speaks to how talented Valby is.
Roe is probably being sincere. But, what else could it mean?
Other runners notice and it is one thing that can't really be explained by talent. Is it the cross training? Don't all runners cross train after injury?
Is there any information out there regarding a strength training regimen for her? I would assume with all the injury issues she experienced there would be some sort of corrective and strength building work.
What injury and recovery time is she referring to?
Good question. Per TFRRS, she broke her foot Jan 28-29, 2022, then DNF a 5000m on Apr 29-30, 2022, then ran a 15:32 on May 12-14, 2022, a 15:29 two weeks later, and a 15:20 two weeks later at Outdoor Natty’s. She said in a recent interview(?) that 15:20 was her fitness when she broke her foot.
What injury and recovery time is she referring to?
Good question. Per TFRRS, she broke her foot Jan 28-29, 2022, then DNF a 5000m on Apr 29-30, 2022, then ran a 15:32 on May 12-14, 2022, a 15:29 two weeks later, and a 15:20 two weeks later at Outdoor Natty’s. She said in a recent interview(?) that 15:20 was her fitness when she broke her foot.
From the RunnersWorld article,
“In 2022, on very little running, she managed to finish second to North Carolina State runner Katelyn Tuohy at NCAA outdoors in the 5,000 meters, running 15:20.10. “That’s crazy I was able to keep the shape that I was in before I got hurt,” she remembers thinking. Cross-training became a mainstay.”
What injury and recovery time is she referring to?
Good question. Per TFRRS, she broke her foot Jan 28-29, 2022, then DNF a 5000m on Apr 29-30, 2022, then ran a 15:32 on May 12-14, 2022, a 15:29 two weeks later, and a 15:20 two weeks later at Outdoor Natty’s. She said in a recent interview(?) that 15:20 was her fitness when she broke her foot.
She also was injured with some kind of procedure in June '22, had a setback over the summer, and then tweaked something and pulled out of indoor nationals after declarations in 2023...
Good question. Per TFRRS, she broke her foot Jan 28-29, 2022, then DNF a 5000m on Apr 29-30, 2022, then ran a 15:32 on May 12-14, 2022, a 15:29 two weeks later, and a 15:20 two weeks later at Outdoor Natty’s. She said in a recent interview(?) that 15:20 was her fitness when she broke her foot.
From the RunnersWorld article,
“In 2022, on very little running, she managed to finish second to North Carolina State runner Katelyn Tuohy at NCAA outdoors in the 5,000 meters, running 15:20.10. “That’s crazy I was able to keep the shape that I was in before I got hurt,” she remembers thinking. Cross-training became a mainstay.”
She ran an 8:54 3000m in the race she broke her foot, which has a Daniels equivalent of 15:28.
The reporter at the SEC xc championship in 2022 asked Valby the same question. It is very noticeable, very odd, and unlike every other D1 athlete who takes time to recover from injury. With her it is a clear pattern. Ex.-comes back from injury late in outdoor 2022, gets beat soundly by Chelangat doubling at SEC, and within three weeks is stretching the whole field at nationals.
Ex. 2-comes back from injury again in xc 2022, and is suddenly demolishing course records, leading to the question by the reporter.
Ex. 3-comes back from injury again late in outdoor 2023, barely holds off the Alabama duo who were doubling off the 10000, then gets beat by Tuohy easily and hour after she won the regional 1500m. But fast forward two weeks, and she blows away the field at nationals sans Tuohy. Supposedly the heat explained it.
What injury and recovery time is she referring to?
Good question. Per TFRRS, she broke her foot Jan 28-29, 2022, then DNF a 5000m on Apr 29-30, 2022, then ran a 15:32 on May 12-14, 2022, a 15:29 two weeks later, and a 15:20 two weeks later at Outdoor Natty’s. She said in a recent interview(?) that 15:20 was her fitness when she broke her foot.
I am surprised she says 15:20 was her fitness in late January. At XC Nationals Solinsky said she was much faster than that at that time, saying something like her pr (15:20 at the time) was a thing in the past"
The Florida coach talked about Valby's run and great season. Full 2022 NCAA XC coverage here: https://www.letsrun.com/events/2022/11/2022-ncaa-cross-country...
Good question. Per TFRRS, she broke her foot Jan 28-29, 2022, then DNF a 5000m on Apr 29-30, 2022, then ran a 15:32 on May 12-14, 2022, a 15:29 two weeks later, and a 15:20 two weeks later at Outdoor Natty’s. She said in a recent interview(?) that 15:20 was her fitness when she broke her foot.
I am surprised she says 15:20 was her fitness in late January. At XC Nationals Solinsky said she was much faster than that at that time, saying something like her pr (15:20 at the time) was a thing in the past"
Good question. Per TFRRS, she broke her foot Jan 28-29, 2022, then DNF a 5000m on Apr 29-30, 2022, then ran a 15:32 on May 12-14, 2022, a 15:29 two weeks later, and a 15:20 two weeks later at Outdoor Natty’s. She said in a recent interview(?) that 15:20 was her fitness when she broke her foot.
She also was injured with some kind of procedure in June '22, had a setback over the summer, and then tweaked something and pulled out of indoor nationals after declarations in 2023...
Can you cite your source on the summer setback? All I recall is Solinsky saying she had a surgical procedure after 2022 Natty’s Outdoor; people were wondering (giving grief) why she didn’t run 2022 USATF Outdoors like Tuohy did.
After her coaching change in early winter 2023, she ran two Indoor races before the ‘mysterious injury’ they had trouble diagnosing, which kept her out of the rest of Indoors, and she remained hobbling somewhat in Outdoors 2023.
She also doesn’t hydrate during workouts. “There’s not a water bottle holder in the front of the machine,” she said. “It’s behind the machine, and I can’t be bothered to turn around.”
I am surprised she says 15:20 was her fitness in late January. At XC Nationals Solinsky said she was much faster than that at that time, saying something like her pr (15:20 at the time) was a thing in the past"
She also was injured with some kind of procedure in June '22, had a setback over the summer, and then tweaked something and pulled out of indoor nationals after declarations in 2023...
Can you cite your source on the summer setback? All I recall is Solinsky saying she had a surgical procedure after 2022 Natty’s Outdoor; people were wondering (giving grief) why she didn’t run 2022 USATF Outdoors like Tuohy did.
After her coaching change in early winter 2023, she ran two Indoor races before the ‘mysterious injury’ they had trouble diagnosing, which kept her out of the rest of Indoors, and she remained hobbling somewhat in Outdoors 2023.
But actually, IIRC, in one of her interviews, she said the weird injury in early 2023 was attributable to something she did (tweaked it) on a cross-country course (maybe before Indoors started(?), or maybe it happened when they were training on their golf course (?) in prep for the Indoor season.)
My current take on this, and it came out in the Solinsky interviews at 2022 NCAA XC Championships, as well as that open letter is she is very very driven, willing to work very hard (including on the machine), and is working very hard. Pbviously has talent that responds to the training. Whether that means she is the most talented or not I do not know. I think she is likely training harder than anyone in NCAA, at least on W side. I don't buy that the 1 hour arc trainer sessions are like a fairly easy 4 mile run. I think Solinsky said as much.
Can you cite your source on the summer setback? All I recall is Solinsky saying she had a surgical procedure after 2022 Natty’s Outdoor; people were wondering (giving grief) why she didn’t run 2022 USATF Outdoors like Tuohy did.
After her coaching change in early winter 2023, she ran two Indoor races before the ‘mysterious injury’ they had trouble diagnosing, which kept her out of the rest of Indoors, and she remained hobbling somewhat in Outdoors 2023.
But actually, IIRC, in one of her interviews, she said the weird injury in early 2023 was attributable to something she did (tweaked it) on a cross-country course (maybe before Indoors started(?), or maybe it happened when they were training on their golf course (?) in prep for the Indoor season.)
I’m putting question marks, because they didn’t get too far into details on what specifically happened wrt the injury in that interview. In other interviews, including some from the coaching staff, it was a question as to what was specifically the injury. She said months later in an interview she thought it might have been a nerve issue.
But actually, IIRC, in one of her interviews, she said the weird injury in early 2023 was attributable to something she did (tweaked it) on a cross-country course (maybe before Indoors started(?), or maybe it happened when they were training on their golf course (?) in prep for the Indoor season.)
I’m putting question marks, because they didn’t get too far into details on what specifically happened wrt the injury in that interview. In other interviews, including some from the coaching staff, it was a question as to what was specifically the injury. She said months later in an interview she thought it might have been a nerve issue.
And all that means is she may have picked up a ‘niggle’ clear back in 2022 cross-country, that wouldn’t go away, and then got progressively worse in conjunction with the new coaching.