Does this put to bed the notion that easy running cannot be too slow? If anyone is looking at Blanks' training, he is doing all his "easy" days at 6 min pace. He will occasionally have a slower run at like 7 min pace, but the vast majority of his miles are 6 min or faster. Is this the beginning of a new training modality?
No, one person does not make a rule. His mileage (on 6 days) and lengthy threshold/tempo workouts will be looked at a lot more than easy run pace.
Better than Jim Ryun or Gerry Lindgren both of whom were winning international races when they were in college? Better than Henry Rono? I'm becoming a fan of Blanks but no, he's not the best collegiate runner ever.
just wait for paris...
"200m to go, Ingebritsen swings into the lead... Fisher and Blanks go with... Ingebritsen is fading... it's Fisher! Blanks! Fisher! Blanks! GRAHAM BLANKS AT THE LINE! 12:45.11!! A NEW AMERICAN RECORD AND GOLD FOR THE BLANKSTER!"
The American white guys (plus the Norwegian) going for the gold - like the other (black) guys don't really count.
All of the stuff about Blanks being unable to close seems silly now. Crazy, but at his current trajectory, he might have a chance to go to Paris. He doesn’t even train at altitude. Maybe he should take off the spring semester off and go hang with Mike Smith??
Or keep doing exactly what he’s doing because it’s working quite nicely…
14:38.3
In terms of %- how much slower he was than the American 5000m best time, his 13:03.78 would be like Valby running 14:38.30 compared to the women's AR.
The slow people who want to latch onto his easy run pace are not considering how fast he is. He is a 13 minute 5k guy and runs easy runs at 6 minute pace. That is the same as a 16 minute guy. That is equivalent to a 16 minute guy running easy runs at 7:20 pace.
Graham Blanks On WINNING The 2023 NCAA XC Title & Running 13:03 In The 5k (Collegiate Record) + Workout Secrets, His Upcoming NIL Deal, & Learning Napoleon Dynamite's Dance Routine - The Running Effect Podcast -
