Tuohy just needs her mojo back

Orton ran 15:08 two weeks later

Valby is winning by significantly larger margins this year. So, she either improved or all her other competitors got worse. Which do you think it is?

My chocolate lab chaco could beat both these runners. Not mentioning it to take anything away from anyone. But to celebrate what a warrior he is. I mean he's 6 years old and hardly exercises anymore but I know if he was out there he would absolutely win.

In 2022 she beat Asekol by 60 seconds at SEC championship

In 2023 she beat her by 53 seconds

So no she is not winning or beating everyone by bigger margins. It's all just the luck of the draw with how certain people run on certain days and where people are at in training

And what kind of strategy people using in terms of amount of effort they are giving at preliminary races

Beat thorvaldson by 135 in 2022, but by 110 in 2023.

She also ran 12 sec slower in 2023, both courses were fast

Beat mia Cochran by 135 both years... Cochran is known for her metronome precision

Beat Nielson by 5 less seconds this year!

So the answer to your question is that your premises are faulty

She beat Winn by 12 few seconds this year as well. You seem wronger about this idea she is faster this year

Beat Boogerd by almost exact same amount about 2 min both years

Relax, win or lose, Touhy is fine. the competition is good for everyone. Just let them run!

Maybe I've overlooked the point of this thread or your message, but I don't see much relevance to your observation.

To me, the most unfortunate aspect of Favor Hamilton's running career is that a notorious drug cheat deprived her of a number of major titles during her peak years, and seemed to suffer very little for her misconduct.

I haven't followed Valby's career much, but I keep hearing that she only runs two or three times a week. What, exactly, is her training program? Are the reported "alternative" forms of training simply modifications of more conventional running programs to decrease loading forces on her body? (My go-to "alternatives" were steep treadmill workouts -- which I consider to be very legitimate running workouts -- and deep-water running. Workouts with Alter-Gs and similar gadgets also seem awfully close to legitimate running sessions.

None of these adjustments, however, seems ideal for the bulk of top-level marathon training over the long run, although some excellent marathoners seemed to thrive on fairly low-volume training.

Over the past few days, much has been discussed on this forum regarding Parker Valby’s SEC time this year being slower than last year, 18:37.5 vs. 18:25.9, in spite of Valby appearing to run very hard this year, to the point of red-lining.

This has been a bit of an enigma, because Valby has definitely looked a bit stronger and more fit this year, at least at Nuttycombe, where she decisively trounced Katelyn Tuohy in a ‘tough-mudder’ battling windy and rainy elements, while besting Monson’s course record in the process.

Various reasons have been offered for the slower SEC time this year, including:
(1) the 2022 course was (maybe) a bit short;
(2) the 2023 course (sandy, a roller, etc.), though fast, was not as fast as the 2022 course;
(3) 2023 was run approximately an hour later in the day, and in a bit more uncomfortable conditions (higher temp, no cooling breeze).

I now want to offer a reason not mentioned yet, which, although seemingly overlooked up to now, most definitely would have had an impact on the final results: the splits.

Here are the 3k splits for the 2023 race vs the 2022 race: 8:58 vs. 9:12. That difference tells most of the story.

Valby had three Kenyan’s hot on her tail up to about 2k, with only one remaining at 3k.
The 2023 race was taken out much faster, earlier on, than the 2022 race; the price that was paid in doing so was the chief reason for Valby’s slower finishing time this year.

Someone who set up the 2023 course already said on another thread that the splits were off for 3k this time, and Mercy was with Valby still at 3k last year.

Tuohy might not have gotten a long enough break this summer either and now is trying to peak again for XC.

Tuohy had a great run but it has come to an end.