I don’t think he has hit his peak. He was quite a late developer. He was a very small kid in his mid-teens. I mentioned recently that, when he was an under-17, he was ranked equal 26th in Scotland.
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The key to it is enjoyment, then multi-sports and then multi-events. In your teens you then train more regularly every other day. If you’re male and a distance runner then by the time you get to university you want to be running 50 miles a week in your first year. You shouldn’t exceed that at sixth form. So set personal bests and enjoy it.
Many elite 1500m runners have been at their peak for multiple Olympics, but unless Wightman can come through in 2024 at age 30, it will be none for him. He wasted two opportunities to win Olympic medals.
I can't wait to see J.I. try to win an international 1500m race split slower than 3 minutes at 1200m. We will see if all that Clydesdale training will pay off. Truly great 1500m men can win 1500m split sub-2:50 at 1200m and split slower than 3 minutes, 1200m. Please note: if no auto collision, N Ngeny, H El G would have zero 1500m gold medals.
Many elite 1500m runners have been at their peak for multiple Olympics, but unless Wightman can come through in 2024 at age 30, it will be none for him. He wasted two opportunities to win Olympic medals.
I can't wait to see J.I. try to win an international 1500m race split slower than 3 minutes at 1200m. We will see if all that Clydesdale training will pay off. Truly great 1500m men can win 1500m split sub-2:50 at 1200m and split slower than 3 minutes, 1200m. Please note: if no auto collision, N Ngeny, H El G would have zero 1500m gold medals.
A 1:46 (54-52) last 800m in Athens very likely beats Ngeny as well. El G brought his A-game to Athens outkicking Lagat in the 1500m and then Bekele and Kipchoge in the 5k.
The last thing we should do is repeat the mistakes of the 1990s, where we took one flawed perspective as to the key to one runner's success (Seb Coe misconceived of as a low mileage runner when in fact he did a lot of miles they didn't count or talk about then) and ruined our development system when it was at its best. Jake Wightman didn't win gold until he added mileage and more lactic work to the speed development. Jakob would be challenging El G's world records with more speed development but he is the best in the world at the 5000m while also having three 1500m medals already, including Olympic gold.
Develop your system based off examples that work, but don't think that your way is the "one and only way" I'm biased to doing more mileage but also see how Wightman got good and didn't touch 50 mpw until he was like 18-19. Just have a grand plan and know what all the parts do and you'll go far.
Well said.
Young talents who have medaled on the world stage like Ingebrigtsen, Rupp, Wightman, and Coe have had different approaches, but each was part of a comprehensive philosophy/system that was adopted from a young age and progressively built upon through their teens and twenties.
I could be wrong, but I believe in each of those examples you saw relatively modest mileage in the teenage years that grew into significant mileage years later.
Develop your system based off examples that work, but don't think that your way is the "one and only way" I'm biased to doing more mileage but also see how Wightman got good and didn't touch 50 mpw until he was like 18-19. Just have a grand plan and know what all the parts do and you'll go far.
Well said.
Young talents who have medaled on the world stage like Ingebrigtsen, Rupp, Wightman, and Coe have had different approaches, but each was part of a comprehensive philosophy/system that was adopted from a young age and progressively built upon through their teens and twenties.
I could be wrong, but I believe in each of those examples you saw relatively modest mileage in the teenage years that grew into significant mileage years later.
I don't think I've ever heard Jakob I mileage as a teenager described as modest.
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