If Webb wins the Pre Classic will it cement him as the best in the world thus far, and an early favorite for Osaka?

think Vipam is right. Augustine Choge right now is the best. he also has fast 2000 and 3000 indoor times, and has only lost one race (indoor 3k, which was a PB) in 2007.

classic wrote:

think Vipam is right. Augustine Choge right now is the best. he also has fast 2000 and 3000 indoor times, and has only lost one race (indoor 3k, which was a PB) in 2007.

eight wins in last nine 1500s, certainly looks near the top! i see he's running Mile in Oslo next week, might be tough to beat

Augustine Choge

2006

3:33.51 1st KBC, Heusden 22 Jul

3:32.72 1st Zürich 18 Aug

3:32.48 1st ISTAF Berlin 3 Sep

3:33.37 3rd WAF, Stuttgart 10 Sep

3:33.01 1st Golden GP, Shanghai 23 Sep

2007

3:36.73i 1st PSD Bank, Düsseldorf 6 Feb

3:33.79i 1st GE Galan, Stockholm 20 Feb

3:31.73 1st Doha 11 May

3:36.92 1st Norwich Union, Glasgow 3 Jun

EL G has run under 3:45 for the mile in 99. However, nobody in the last 66 years has hit .400 in the major leagues.

Trueism wrote:

[quote]Neweibie wrote:

If he stays away from the longer distances he will be fine. That 10k last year cost him the entire 2006 season.

WEBB IS A MILER PLAN AND SIMPLE.

The 10k didn't cost him the season, it was his intense training immediately afterwards that did. Razcko should've backed him off for a week or two, but I guess it's live and learn. Webb is strong enough to handle the longer distances. Certainly the 5k.

Now he is going back to his old ways. Why the heck is he running the 2 mile at PRE and not the mile.

It wasn't that it was a 3:52 mile it was how the race was run and what Webb said afterward

1."I was hurting that last lap" (off of a 2:57 pace?)

2. he closed in 12 seconds (umm can you say, SHARP!)

3. he put almost a second on lagat in the last 80-100m

#1 points to lack of aerobic fitness perhaps

if he is hurting at 2:57 how can he split the 2:50 required for a 3:46?

#2 +#3Too much speed training too early IMHO

just my opinion. any thoughts?

Very good points Geof. I agree.

Is Webb running in Oslo next week?

If he's not, then he should be.

Anybody know anything about his training? Maybe he's working the short sprint reps early but the long hard reps,(600's/800's) are still in the pipeline.

Plus, I think he mentioned that they delayed the start so they lost their warm-up making the early pace feel fast.

world champion is tough always ,i have seen the pre-favorite athletes finishing in disappointing positions,webb is not an exception.

Geof wrote:

It wasn't that it was a 3:52 mile it was how the race was run and what Webb said afterward

1."I was hurting that last lap" (off of a 2:57 pace?)

2. he closed in 12 seconds (umm can you say, SHARP!)

3. he put almost a second on lagat in the last 80-100m

#1 points to lack of aerobic fitness perhaps

if he is hurting at 2:57 how can he split the 2:50 required for a 3:46?

#2 +#3Too much speed training too early IMHO

just my opinion. any thoughts?

considering how easy it was for him to throw in a little surge at 1400m to hold off mottram, and then to kick it in over the last 80m, it seems to me that he's just in great aerobic shape and is finally rediscovering his "wheels" from high school (47.7 relay split). anyone who runs the mile will tell you that, when you're in the early season and not sharp yet, mile pace FEELS very hard, even if you aren't being maxed out. he might've FELT awful off of 2:57 pace, but he was clearly the most relaxed guy out there when it came to 200m to go. if he'd had a fast last 400 or 500m, that would point to his being "sharp" or "peaked" but all he showed was that 1400m of racing at 3:56 mile pace is totally aerobic for him. when he sharpens up and adds some anaerobic work for the end of the season, his rediscovered speed and newfound aerobic strength will serve him well.

it would be silly to predict a medal at the WC's, but he's much better than in '05 when he was 9th in Helsinki... i predict that he'll be in contention, late in the race, for the win in Osaka; 5th place at worst.

Do you guys think that his most recent win over Lagat is enough to cement him as one of the favorites going into the WC's? I think it at least predicts a medal shot.

Lagat is not the Lagat of the past; he is still very good, but beat Teg by less than a second and even when fresh at Pre could not kick with Webb. It will be very interesting to see if he runs the 1500 or 5 at WC. Also, it will be interesting to see if he "abuses" Webb at WC. I am rooting for Webb, but have not "sold the house" on him yet. (nevertheless, Webb is very much improved)

granch wrote:

Lagat is not the Lagat of the past; he is still very good, but beat Teg by less than a second and even when fresh at Pre could not kick with Webb.

You must not have watched the 5k final, Lagat caught Teg and ble whim away, didn't start kicking until 200 to go. Ran a 26. He finished less than a second ahead of him because he was catching him from 2 seconds back.

Teg also just ran 8:07. He SHOULD be on a similar level to Lagat in the 5000 right now. Lagat has run 12:59, Teg 13:04, and his 8:07 is a sign he may well go under 13:00 this summer. So because Lagat beat him by "only" 1 second says nothing about Lagat right now I think, but more about how good Teg is right now.