Impossible challenge for Khamis: write posts that aren't multiple paragraphs, use proper amount of punctuation marks, and don't include bold or italics.
I think he would have run 2:04 if he went out 2nd group, but obviously as a champ you still think you can do it.
This is the relevant take.
EK knows one way to race--get in the lead pack. Now that age is apparently starting to affect him, some days that will still work, others it won't. So then when he falls off, the deterioration over the last third of the race is worse than it would have been with a more moderate opening. You can see the same pattern in Meb's late marathon career and now in Rupp's.
Another tricky thing about this stage is that EK likely can still hit most of the same splits in key workouts as a few years ago. It's the unpredictability of how that translates on race day that's the new variable. (This is also Emma Coburn's current reality.)
I think he would have run 2:04 if he went out 2nd group, but obviously as a champ you still think you can do it.
This is the relevant take.
EK knows one way to race--get in the lead pack. Now that age is apparently starting to affect him, some days that will still work, others it won't. So then when he falls off, the deterioration over the last third of the race is worse than it would have been with a more moderate opening. You can see the same pattern in Meb's late marathon career and now in Rupp's.
Another tricky thing about this stage is that EK likely can still hit most of the same splits in key workouts as a few years ago. It's the unpredictability of how that translates on race day that's the new variable. (This is also Emma Coburn's current reality.)
I’ve haven’t heard of older runners being limited to certain strategies. If he’s in 2:05 shape, he’ll have no advantage, or disadvantage, against other 2:05 runners, and the 2:02-2:03 ones are likely to beat him in any scenario.
You have no clue what aging does to the body..one of many subjects you're apparently clueless about.
Its not a slow gentle linear drop in performance when you age. Ask any good masters runner how much they lost between certain years.
If you watched the end of the race, you could clearly see that Kipchoge picked it up and was passing people. Completely shattering your lame theory again.
I’m a masters runner who’s a NYC Marathon time qualifier at 185lbs. I’m about 20 sec per mile slower than I was five years ago.
EK knows one way to race--get in the lead pack. Now that age is apparently starting to affect him, some days that will still work, others it won't. So then when he falls off, the deterioration over the last third of the race is worse than it would have been with a more moderate opening. You can see the same pattern in Meb's late marathon career and now in Rupp's.
Another tricky thing about this stage is that EK likely can still hit most of the same splits in key workouts as a few years ago. It's the unpredictability of how that translates on race day that's the new variable. (This is also Emma Coburn's current reality.)
I’ve haven’t heard of older runners being limited to certain strategies. If he’s in 2:05 shape, he’ll have no advantage, or disadvantage, against other 2:05 runners, and the 2:02-2:03 ones are likely to beat him in any scenario.
The point is that he's likely now a mid to high 2:03 guy. But for at least a while longer, he'll keep racing like he's a 2:01 guy. And if it's not his day, he'll fade to 2:06.
I’ve haven’t heard of older runners being limited to certain strategies. If he’s in 2:05 shape, he’ll have no advantage, or disadvantage, against other 2:05 runners, and the 2:02-2:03 ones are likely to beat him in any scenario.
The point is that he's likely now a mid to high 2:03 guy. But for at least a while longer, he'll keep racing like he's a 2:01 guy. And if it's not his day, he'll fade to 2:06.
If EK is stubborn and refuses to adapt he’s doomed. If he recognizes his limits (yes, I get the irony), then he can still be successful and win a big race here and there.
Why would a 5’6”, 115lb guy, have a problem with hills?
Did you watch Boston?
I don't know why.
Because of age related decline - which would apply whether he's 39, or as appears more likely 43 - he's now redlining earlier, and the hills take him over that line.
For sure. This time though either his most recent dose wasn't effective or he was clean for this race and doesn't want to risk the legacy breaking positive test.
For sure. This time though either his most recent dose wasn't effective or he was clean for this race and doesn't want to risk the legacy breaking positive test.
Possible. Some training partners of Kipchoge got caught. It is quite unlikely he knows 'nothing' about it. He seems to show now a more 'natural' performance. Aging is for sure a topic too. Kiptum took the marathon-crown away from him. Professional sport is brutal.
I winced when they went through halfway in like 60:20.
He must have run about a 1:06:20 ish second half. Ouch.
As said, he is still going to want to go with those lead paces. I can't see him running in slower groups like Bekele and working himself back like in london.
I winced when they went through halfway in like 60:20.
He must have run about a 1:06:20 ish second half. Ouch.
As said, he is still going to want to go with those lead paces. I can't see him running in slower groups like Bekele and working himself back like in london.
An important note is that it is Kipchoge himself who will dictate that lead pace. He's the Alpha dog in the marathon so organisers will give him whatever pace he demands, and I seriously doubt anyone else in the world would ask for sub-61 pace. So it's now up to Kipchoge and his team to accept that a 60 minute first half is too much for him. Let him go out at 62, and I still think he can finish in 2:02-2:03, but will he accept that his WR days are over?
Because of age related decline - which would apply whether he's 39, or as appears more likely 43 - he's now redlining earlier, and the hills take him over that line.
I can relate to this. When I was younger hills were just a little nuisance but easy to get through.
30 years later, there are times when I feel like I'm coming to a standstill. They're just much harder to negotiate.
It's not father time. You don't just drop off in high-performance ability from 2:01:09 in September 2022 to suddenly 2:09 in 2023 Boston or 2:02:42 in Berlin 2023.
If Kipchoge were to drop off with father time he would already have done sone in 2021 and 2022 and he wouldn't have won Tokyo 2022 and Berlin 2022 in 2:02 and 2:01 at all, he would have declined there and then and not declined in 2023 only!!!
Therefore the only reasons that can explain his unusual decline isn't really age but drugs. He stopped taking the PEDs or whatever cheating technique and so explains the drastic drop off.
An athlete not on drugs will not drop off any more than 5minutes off his 2:01:09 PB in my judgement. He would still be running lots of 2:02s and 2:03s at any marathon in the world, not 2:06 and 2:09, on supershoes no less.
Those of us who have experienced it will tell you, the first sign you are getting old is inconstancy. Some days you feel like you still have it and other days you just don’t. And there’s no real way to tell ahead of time.
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