NICO MF YOUNG 1:55 800 AFTER 5:17 2k at 7000 Feet Elevation

Rupp was already a better version of Ritz, now we'll see if Nico can be a better version of Rupp

The most jaw dropping part of the video was the 800 to close it out. He looked so unbelievably smooth running that 1:55, makes you wonder what kind of 1500 he could run even though he’s known for the longer distances.

It's Gordon Mac, used to work for Flotrack

Nico looked amazing!!!

Big fan!

Loved Coach Smith's demeanor

So a 1:49.5 altitude conversion and a 5:05 2k for NCAA conversions... ok

I'm not sure who in their right mind would "Down Arrow" this post. It could only be one of two things.

1) You don't run and have ZERO clue.

2) You do run and never have worked out at altitude.

As Coach Smith said over and over, this is an incredibly difficult workout at 7000ft. Especially the 2k where the altitude starts to kick in big time.

Sub 13:10 shouldn't be a problem. If the pace is hot, 13:00-13:05 won't be a surprise. This dude is READY to rip!

I view this as basically like a Kenyan doing a workout in Eldoret. Will he be able to go a bit faster at sea level? Sure. But will he be affected as much as a sea level person moving up to 7000 feet? Of course not.

Bosley did a very similar workout last year (300m, 1 mile, 4x400m, 800m cutdown, 2x300m, 2x1mile tempo) at 4:12 pace for the mile which converts to 4:03 at sea level, and he ended up running 4:05 pace per mile. Young seems to be even better at altitude so I'd convert it to a ~5:10 2k.

Dude has been in 13:10 shape for 2 years now. The question is he going to drop down to that 12:55 zone. Is he in better shape than the 7:37/13:22 earlier? I would assume yes. But I am. It sure these are crazy enough to make 7:30/13:00 seem like a likely outcome.

As long as I don't have to hear his nutty opinions on anything I'm glad Gordon has got more work. Workout Wednesdays were good and looks like he's found a way to do something similar.

bla bla bla

Another great video, Gordon is killing it. I looked for his upper body strain and Nico looked much smoother at 1:55 pace than I'd ever really seen before. Mike Smith alluded to improvements in his form and it shows. This really opens up his ceiling on the track, and I am rethinking the notion that he would have to move up to the roads to contend for US teams.

This is absolutely crazy. He must be super genetically gifted in terms of how well he handles altitude (I wish we could see how his brothers respond). I remember he opened up a workout in HS in like 4:08 (before he broke the 3k record I think) and everyone went nuts. He ran 13:11 2 years ago, and Nur ran 13:06 in that race. His 7:37 3k is better than 13:06 on it's own, and that's not taking into account the massive kick Nico had, nor the fact that everyone thinks he's better at 5k. With perfect pacing at BU, I don't think sub-13 is a stretch for Nico. I'm gonna predict 12:58, just behind Rupp's PB.

Also that 1:55 800 is great. I'd love to see him in an 800 and a mile this year to see what he can do. NAU might be a mid-d powerhouse soon, with the Sahlmans seemingly choosing NAU to become 800/mile runners, and Nico looks ready to challenge 3:50. Shoutout to Mike Smith for bringing us so many great performances.

Starting out with a 53 was impressive already. It shows that he has excellent wheels. He lacks acceleration and still sits back too far on his heels. Coach Smith said that he'd been working for a year or more on what sounded like form changes but he is not running with a slight forward lean and that is the first thing a pro coach will probably try after graduation to help him with that acceleration. Nevertheless, he is running with a lot more relaxation. He was always a very tense, strained looking runner and he is flowing through the 800 and other stuff, the arms pretty relaxed. 1:55 at the end didn't look hard at all. If he can run 53 and, after full recovery, still run 5:17 (63.5) and go on to run 60>57 and 1:55 looking very easy, surely he can run 1:48, 3:50, 7:31, 12:59.

Is "MF" accurate for him?

He did the 2k at roughly 5000m pr pace, 63.4 per 400m, approximately, which is basically pr pace, 13:12.5, but at 7,000 ft on a flat track. The conversion is about 35 seconds for 5000m races at his pace, 9 seconds per mile. He's not running 12:38. But I do think he is breaking 13. After all, that workout includes a lot more in it and the way he finishes hopefully suggests that it didn't overcook him.

Also, interesting that Las Heras wore Nike spikes

His form doesn't look economical but he definitely looks stronger than before. Needs to fix that but he looked relatively relaxed on the 800m

This workout looks great. If he does break 13:03 it’s huge. I don’t think most realize how fast that is, and how insane Graham Blanks was running at the end of last year. Nicos form looks way better than at XC and even the 5k outdoor last year.

Agreed. Smith so obviously cares about his athletes and is so invested in their success. It’s just fun to listen to him. And Nico… wow. In Smith’s words, he’s a “bad@$$ mother____er.”

Folks have been making Rupp comparisons. Remember that Galen lost in a kick in every NCAA championship until his last year of college when he won everything. Nico might have now crossed the rubicon in terms of honing an effective kick. He might still need a strong pace from the gun or a long grinding kick to win an NCAA title, but he’s looking like a real title threat now. Should be an exciting season!