These two American runners, from Los Angeles, can beat Bekele: http://www.aqpa87.dsl.pipex.com/scifihelmets/T2Aliens/Sideshow_Hol_T2%20comp.jpg
These two American runners, from Los Angeles, can beat Bekele: http://www.aqpa87.dsl.pipex.com/scifihelmets/T2Aliens/Sideshow_Hol_T2%20comp.jpg
The only way to beat Bekele is to give him American citizenship.
Didn't Henry Rono once set a WR by basically "sprinting one lap, jogging the next"? Surge, relax, surge, relax, etc. If you want to beat one runner then you need to work as a team to do it. The drawback is that by focusing on one runner you may take yourself out of the race and lose your medal chance. I'm thinking this is what the Kenyans ended up with:
Option 1: Run your race and likely get the silver/bronze.
Option 2: Run a race to break Bekele. Take it out, split up the pacing duties among the 2-3 Kenyans, one runner surge, then relax, surge, surge. Jack up the pacing. You either a) put yourself in a better position for gold or b)wipe out and finish out of the medals.
Option 1 is of course the "smart" choice, but damn Option 2 sure can be fun! Another problem is actually training and planning for Option 2. You can't just be in shape and expect to change the pace like that on command, you have to train for it.
Alan
At this point in his career, he simply cannot be beaten.
They should have tried a Ngugi.... Crazy couple of laps mid-race and then hang on.
I think some of us forget he owns the indoor 2k WR, 4:49. You're nuts to think he can't run a 3:45 mile. He's got the wheels of El G but the endurance of Geb. How to beat him? Tie his legs together.
How to beat him- Let Jeremy Wariners coach, coach him
You talk a load of fanny,sounds like your not even a runner
i must break you
Run 12:36...
Gerry wrote:
He plans his work; He works his plan; And everyone waits for his plan to work its magic. He is in the lead, he is in control, he is unbeatable.
The only way to beat that magic is to DISRUPT his plan.
Heck, clean he can run 12:57 and he's run 12:37 while doped. Hard to beat him right now no matter what tactics you employ.
runbaby wrote:
I think some of us forget he owns the indoor 2k WR, 4:49. You're nuts to think he can't run a 3:45 mile. He's got the wheels of El G but the endurance of Geb. How to beat him? Tie his legs together.
You're nuts to think he can run a mile under 3:50 unless he's juiced. Running 53's at the end of a 5k doesn't necessarily equate to running a blazing mile.
Gerry is right but very few people actually understand what Gerry means. They just think they understand.
Take a bat and hit him with it. I don't see how this is so complicated.
He is not a miler wrote:
You're nuts to think he can run a mile under 3:50 unless he's juiced. Running 53's at the end of a 5k doesn't necessarily equate to running a blazing mile.
He's run 3:32 for 1500m. That's worth ~3:49 for the mile.
Gerry wrote:
You need to understand the race. IF someone had sprinted that 66 second lap suddenly in like 55 seconds or such, Bekele just like everyone else would have had to decide to go with the speed or not to go with the speed, yes?
IF Bekele had chosen to go, it would have been the wrong decision because in chasing after a full-blown sprint like that he would have blown his whole race strategy. He would be on the ropes just like everyone else would have been (including the guy who started the sprint).
If Bekele had chosen NOT to go, that too would have been the wrong decision. Someone out in front like that poses a definite threat. His constant changing of the pace is designed to CONTROL the race. With someone out in front there can be no control.
Perhaps running a blitz sprint in the middle would not have worked. Possibly Bekele would have simply run the guy down anyway, yes? Possibly! But it leaves open a possibility that did not develop as the race was run. I think possible is much better than impossible.
You're as delusional as your sub-2hr marathon claim. Disrupting will do exactly what to his race plan really? All he'll do is wait for poor sap to burn out and then over take him with no remorse. The announcer explained this perfectly.
(paraphrased) "You can't lead against Bekele because he's the world record holder in the 5k and 10k so nobody has ever ran faster than him therefore there's NO PACE you can put on him that he can't keep up with, you can't sit on him and try to out kick him because he has a kick that will just slap you in the face being able to close in 53-point the last lap and to top it off he's a multiple world cross champion where last year he lost his shoe, went back, put it on and re passed everybody to win the race."
Disrupt his tactics what do you plan to do really...out run a guy who's pretty much ran a time in the last 6 years that nobody has come close to since he's ran it? Sit on him and out kick him...we learned last Olympics that it took the WR holder in the mile to out kick Bekele, so unless you're the WR holder in the mile you're shit out of luck and well this guy is nearly undefeated in World Cross so he's stronger and tougher than any of his competitors....plain and simple as one person put it, if you want to beat Bekele run 12:36 for the 5k and you might stand a chance.
strait up wrote:
Gerry, an average of 200 mpw is about 3.5 hours of running per day! i don't understand how someone could do that for 6 months and have the resources necessary to pull it off. between rising food prices, rent, the cost of running shoes, etc., how could someone do it? i'm asking a serious question here: if you were to coach an athlete to run 200mpw for 6 months and try to keep him fed, healthy, and with enough income to keep some stability, how would you do it? wouldn't 4 hours of running a day make someone go crazy? i'm a coach, and am intrigued by your estimation, but i can't come to a way to figure it out. got any ideas?
I give you a 7/10. You're a wily one.
I think Paul Tergat said something like if anyone beats him, he is happy for him because he obviously trained harder. Thats all this comes down to: hard training. I dont care what kind of mid race strategy you have, my money is always on the guy with the best training (not necessarily the most mileage, BTW). Race tactics dont fool experienced professional runners. Come to the starting line as the best prepared and you will win 99 times out of 100. The question of course is how to prepare.
Gerry, 3 answers to your question:
1. No one can currently beat him. he can run any which way and win. Even a train of Kenyans taking turns up front cannot break him.
2. He completely screws up on his strategy and someone very strong capitalizes on his mistake. Even then, you'd have to be very lucky to beat him, hes that good. So again unlikely.
3. Wait for him to age and slow down like Geb. He may very well have that kind of longevity if he keeps running smart, so it will be some wait.
