That's if she can stay injury free with more running and less cross training.
Her cross training is certainly not a problem.
Pounding out more miles with her janky form could be a bigger problem. They need to work on it and get it fixed as first priority, before significantly increasing mileage.
Pounding out more miles with her janky form could be a bigger problem. They need to work on it and get it fixed as first priority, before significantly increasing mileage.
definitely still a hitch in her giddy-up
For some reason it almost pains me to talk about it, like casting pearls before swine, because she came so far, and gave us a very entertaining year. But unfortunately, if she actually does get to race Megan Keith this summer, I don’t think we will be seeing Parker’s best, unless a miracle happens, because as I said before, the abnormality that started showing up at Bryan Clay is still there. She has plateaued. Part of that is understandably due to the built up fatigue from a very long racing season, going back to cross-country, but the abnormality is also in-part cutting into her running economy.
I talked about it in a little more detail when someone also saw the abnormality in the Natty’s final. The custom paint job on her shoes really made it more apparent in that race.
Everyone keeps saying she'll beat out these top three lady and be on USA teams in the future. But when Monson and the burrito girl get back, won't she have to go through them too?
Starting at timestamp 9:35 (and going forward), you can compare Valby’s leg recoil with that of the pros, in the side view (use slow motion to study it.):
I have yet to find a pro runner at Valby’s level that displays such asymmetry between each leg’s recoil. She displays arm carriage asymmetry too, as some other pros do, to varying levels, but the leg recoil asymmetry is more troubling.
Parker did awesome and I hope she has plenty of people around her to point that out if she doesn't give herself enough credit. Just imagine a few more years!
(and I hope she figures out some way to increase running base without injury so she can graduate to half and full marathons in a decade)
Gave me amazing vibes like when Allie O hung onto Molly Huddle at 2016 trials
I have yet to find a pro runner at Valby’s level that displays such asymmetry between each leg’s recoil. She displays arm carriage asymmetry too, as some other pros do, to varying levels, but the leg recoil asymmetry is more troubling.
The reason it is more troubling is obviously, because she not only displaying such gross inefficiency, but she may actually have been running through a bit of an injury, and/or a more serious injury is lurking.
Valby said something in her post-race interview that I found a bit shocking (and I’m glad she shared it.). She said her coach told her to ‘get small’ when the pros pass her, and that she didn’t understand what they meant. I conclude we really are looking at a greenhorn situation, with regard to her, and the coach/athlete dynamic. I really wondered if that was Will Palmer saying that, or a different coach.
Her form has come a long way since high school, but Valby potentially has so much more capacity to improve with more extensive coaching and experience. They probably did the best they could with the ever increasing mileage and business of racing this past year.
Really, I found that interview fascinating and she was open to being vulnerable (the tears before going out to race, the pressure of social media, etc.), but she is a fierce competitor, and I would not be at all surprised if she is dealing with a ‘niggle’ (injury?) and doesn’t want to reveal that.
But even if there currently is no pain with the leg asymmetry, it nonetheless will manifest an inefficiency in running economy. And it always wasn’t there; this asymmetry is rather new, and with time and work, may eventually get rectified, and her times will start dropping again.
What if she is at her maximum already. I agree with people that her performances seem "help". Well then the fact she cannot crack 14:50 despite repeated maximum efforts suggests a low ceiling.
What if she is at her maximum already. I agree with people that her performances seem "help". Well then the fact she cannot crack 14:50 despite repeated maximum efforts suggests a low ceiling.
If she gets coached by Rod Dixon....... NO ONE BEATS HER.
Yeah, but c’mon, I hope you are being sarcastic. The reasonable hope, from other posters and myself was that this race would be a little bit cooler than Natty’s and finally she would be in a race with pros pushing her, and she wouldn’t have a 10k fast tempo in her legs from two days prior, like at Natty’s. A pre-race hope for a 14:45, per other discussions on the board, seemed reasonable.
What if she is at her maximum already. I agree with people that her performances seem "help". Well then the fact she cannot crack 14:50 despite repeated maximum efforts suggests a low ceiling.
Well, considering she has had a very long record breaking season, including cross-country, it is easy to just take for granted she showed up and delivered another, ho-hum, low 14:5x, like a metronome. I hope you are being sarcastic, because I don’t think there is anyway to say she has now hit her long term ceiling.
What I find hilarious is the suggestions that she’s reached her ceiling, juxtaposed with the claims that her training is insufficient to maximize her potential. Both can’t be true. Make it make sense!
Everyone keeps saying she'll beat out these top three lady and be on USA teams in the future. But when Monson and the burrito girl get back, won't she have to go through them too?
I answered this previously, but maybe a mod deleted my answer, due to it linking to a website that sells sensors that measure leg recoil angle. I didn’t link to that site to advertise that product, rather, that site had some useful, concise info on leg recoil importance in running efficiently.
What I find hilarious is the suggestions that she’s reached her ceiling, juxtaposed with the claims that her training is insufficient to maximize her potential. Both can’t be true. Make it make sense!
lol, good point, I agree!👍
I’m sure the matrix doesn’t know what to do with my posts, because I was a big Valby homer, but have recently been saying, in effect, “Houston, we have a problem.”
