Secret Weapons? hahaha. I've been running 50 years and can honestly say there have been ZERO meaningful training reveals in that time. Distance running training is realllly simple. What's changed? Equipment and PEDS. Those are her 'secrets'.
Given that it's the Halls we are talking about, her "secret weapons" are bound to consist of goofy things that aren't actually making any difference. Like Paula Radcliffe training 120 mpw and then thinking that her titanium necklace balancing her body's electromagnetic field was probably playing an important role in her success.
My personal guess is that she is working on holding her breath at the end of intervals, with the idea being that this will "teach her body to be able to run hard without oxygen". That's just a stab in the dark, though.
I mean, she's a pretty good runner obviously, but I think if she was forced to go back to regular shoes, her level would decrease quite a bit.
Jonathan Gault had an interesting Q&A with Sara Hall that is now up on the front page.
I found this exchange to be interesting
You mentioned training smarter because there’s a limit to how hard you can train. Can you give me an example of something that you feel has helped you in that area to train smarter?
There’s some outside-the-box-stuff I do that I don’t really talk about because they’re my secret weapons. But I feel like those things are really what has allowed me to have the realistic jump I had in Berlin (in 2019 when Hall lowered her pb from 2:26 to 2:22) and I’ve really continued to do more and more of that type of training. They’re kind of secret, but I think what’s helped me is getting outside the groupthink of marathon training in the US. And that goes back to running Boston and Worlds and all these races. There’s a culture of we do things a certain way, but for me, I’ve been able to train in Kenya and Ethiopia and I’m just a curious person. I like to come up with outside-the-box stuff and Ryan’s similar. So I think some of that has really benefited me, having different perspectives and trying different things.
Sub 2:18? No way. AR? Not gonna happen. I sense envy of Keira D'Amato's quick takedown of the AR, while she tries and tries and cannot get it.
Actually it’s not that silly. The general technique for the tool is the Graston technique which is used widely by PTs to help loosen knots, help with warming or activating muscles that tend to be tight, etc. So no - I would argue not silly and if she tends to have tight calves or Achilles I wouldn’t be surprised if she or Ryan helped use the tool on areas that were tight and knotted up.
that being said…probably not the “secret weapon” referred to since its not a rare technique or general tool.
Hmmm, what secret does she have now that she didn't have when she dnf'd the Olympic trials? She obviously is in great shape and I'm not saying she doesn't have some secret tricks. I am wondering what on Damoto's bag of tricks.
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Secret Weapons? hahaha. I've been running 50 years and can honestly say there have been ZERO meaningful training reveals in that time. Distance running training is realllly simple. What's changed? Equipment and PEDS. Those are her 'secrets'.
The same old same old. But let the circus continue.
I suspect it has something to do with developing running power or fast-twitch muscles. Some combination of lifting, box jumps, jump rope, hurdle drills, etc. Not really a secret but not used widely for marathon training.
That would pair well with Ryan’s obsession with lifting.
I suspect it has something to do with developing running power or fast-twitch muscles. Some combination of lifting, box jumps, jump rope, hurdle drills, etc. Not really a secret but not used widely for marathon training.
That would pair well with Ryan’s obsession with lifting.
I thought it was common knowledge that Sara will run like super frickin hard 22-24 milers and stuff, like really close to race pace. My guess would be that’s one of her “out of the box” ideas, especially since she mentioned what she learned in Africa, and that’s the kind of thing they do over there and with Canova all the time.