This has puzzled me for awhile, and reading through the threads about new wunderkind Bekele has me very curious. Conventional wisdom says that distance runners can really only be at their peak once, or at most twice, per year. Many says that's why the NCAA system is so detrimental, since it encourages multiple peaks year in and year out.
So, how is it that the east africans can seemingly be in top condition for such extended parts of the year. For example, Gebreselassie could run world records indoors, set world records early in outdoors, and still be at peak for the world championships in late summer. Tergat could run roads, xc, track, and more roads, going nearly year round. Generally, it seems like many of the kenyans and ethiopians can be in top shape for xc and then throughout the track season. Now Bekele will be in top condition from December through next August, barring injury. How are these guys able to get away with this, when the rest of the world can't? When do they recover and run a base? Can they simply peak multiple times each year while others can't?