I don't think he was being overly negative. A 2:15.3 time trial is an amazing workout, but it's still a workout, you know? The best indicators of future races are previous races, not practice sessions.
I don't think he was being overly negative. A 2:15.3 time trial is an amazing workout, but it's still a workout, you know? The best indicators of future races are previous races, not practice sessions.
Skeet Ulrich wrote:
I don't think he was being overly negative. A 2:15.3 time trial is an amazing workout, but it's still a workout, you know? The best indicators of future races are previous races, not practice sessions.
So would that be the 3:30.5 win or the 1:43.8 win?
Skeet Ulrich wrote:
I don't think he was being overly negative. A 2:15.3 time trial is an amazing workout, but it's still a workout, you know? The best indicators of future races are previous races, not practice sessions.
Hey, I respect your point of view. A workout is a workout and not a race. That's not a negative way to look at things. I disliked all his hyperbole. Maybe I ought to relax. Thanks Skeet Ulrich.
By the way, Johnny Depp called, he says he wants his DNA back. (Yea, I stole that line from David Spade).
El Hombre wrote:
Skeet Ulrich wrote:
I don't think he was being overly negative. A 2:15.3 time trial is an amazing workout, but it's still a workout, you know? The best indicators of future races are previous races, not practice sessions.
So would that be the 3:30.5 win or the 1:43.8 win?
exactly. you're both right- all that matters are races. his races indicate he's a strong contender for the world title. the time trial doesn't really change anything.
and "silly" was referring to the significance that people are placing on the time trial. i doubt that anything Raczko has Webb do is superfluous. they know what they're doing. you can get jazzed all you want over time trials; i'll save my cheering for when he does well at worlds (and i'm confident that he will).
i have no doubt that Webb did, in fact, run 2:15.3 for 1000m in practice, but there are some other reported time trials out there that are less reliable (for example, i don't believe for one second that nick willis ran a 2:14 1000m). since they can't ALL be trusted, and since many athletes don't disclose their time trials, it's best to just say "wow, that's a great workout" and leave it at that.
Time trials can be great confidence boosters. He's definitely in great shape. Seb ran a 2:14 time trial in windy conditions before the 86 Euro Champs. A week after the champs he ran 3:29. Considering his strength Alan must be in the same kind of shape. This is an exciting time for American distance running - enjoy it while it lasts.
i think this answers a previous question on another thread regarding whether ot not webb can go sub 1:47 for the last 800m of a 1500m race. even if they go through the 800 in 2:00, that's 4 seconds slower per lap compared with his AR run, and with his strength it'll feel like nothing(we're talking about a guy who did 9 x 800m finishing the last ones in the low 1:50's- that's coe-esque), and if he could run 2:15(if paced evenly, would look like 54, 54, 27) off a 3-minute rest after a 2:04 800m, that's evidence enough that he could go 1:46.9 off 62-second per lap pace.
1:46.9 + 2:04 = 3:50.9 Webb's ran 4 seconds faster than this time(he would go 62, 62, 53.5, 53.5 to do something like that, but he went 54, 54, 27 in his 2:15 time trial), and is probably faster than that now, so it wouldn't be too hard to believe that Webb could run a 3:50 off a 2:04 pace, while although it would be very hard, he has shown that he as the raw speed for it with his 1:43.84 800m and his recent 2:15.3 time trial centered workout. Knowing that was just a workout for him, and considering what it involved, I wouldn't be surprised if he went 2:13.9 in a 1000m after worlds.
Something else I would like to note is how consistently Webb has held his form this year; with the exception of the Reebok Indoor Games in Boston(or was it NY?), he's won 12 of his last 13 races, and I don't think he's lost a race this season except for the indoor mile with lagat and mottram. It seems unwaveringly easy for him to keep such good form up, so if his coach and him peak him just right, we could see a Webb with a 13-second 100m finish in the 1500m final. or not.
Evolved is spot on here. Its not that one should get overly excited about a time trial - indeed, it is the races that count - but that a 2:15.3 1000 is just the kind of preparation that is necessary from both a confidence and physical perspective to run a world best 1500. Webb is likely the strongest miler out there right now, and given that, this time trial, along with his other performances this year, bode well for him. Plus I get the sense that he feels he belongs this year at the top - a confidence factor that takes some athletes longer to obtain than others.
Confidence Building Season Statistics:
800m 1:43.84
1000m 2:15.30 (after a 3 minute break from a 2:04)
1500m 3:30.54
Mile 3:46.91
Notice how evenly those times are paced out too. From 800m to 1000m, there is a 31.46 second difference(15.73 sec/100m), from 1000m to 1500m, it's a 75.24 second difference(15.05 sec/100m), from 1500m to Mile there is a 16.37 second difference(~15 sec/100m).
that's really a pretty good workout if you think about it. he does some running for 2:00 minutes at what might be tactical race pace for a couple laps- then practices a long kick(1000m) to test that and simulate a race type finish(although I doubt he'll try to finish a race like that leading) and then finishes the workout with 90 pushups(strength). So he goes from aerobic, to speed, to strength, which is what you need at the end of a race- that upper body strength really helps him finish past the other athletes, you can tell after a few strides of pumping his arms that his pumping his helping to bring his legs up a little more and get that stride going(or keep it going) that he used to finish his competitors off in the last 40m of the race(referring to his wins in USA, Paris, & Leuven).