If he came down to 165 and did some 10 min vo2 max pace runs in the offseason.
Probably lose a second off his 400, but gain about 10 in the 800.
1:42 no, but 1:44-1:46 maybe.
If he came down to 165 and did some 10 min vo2 max pace runs in the offseason.
Probably lose a second off his 400, but gain about 10 in the 800.
1:42 no, but 1:44-1:46 maybe.
Merritt could probably have a good shot at it. He is a phenomenal athlete and I can't wait to see him get the gold and prove to the world he is the best and put the whole stupid extenze thing behind him for good.
asdasd wrote:
That's an interesting angle. Good 400m hurdlers have the speed plus incredible strength to be able to jump hurdles as well. If they threw in some base training - 800m champs for sure!
Oh yes, no doubt the best 800m runners, that is the ones with the most potential, are currently doing the 400m hurdles.
Also, the best 1500m runners are currently doing the 800m. With the kind of speed those 800m studs have is there any doubt that with some good strength training they would be blowing the current 1500m guys out of the water?
And let's not forget that the runners with the most talent at 800m are currently running the 1500m. With all that strength they could surely run 1:40 flat even if they have relatively modest 49 sec 400m speed. I mean, they could easily just sprint the entire 800m.
And...oh...wait a minute...
Nice try, but you contradicted yourself. I guess you're not as logical as you thought.
nicetry wrote:
Nice try, but you contradicted yourself. I guess you're not as logical as you thought.
Are you really that stupid?...Nah, not possible.
I'm smart enough to realize a logical contradiction when I read one. Read the post again and you will see the contradiction of your arguement.
nicetry wrote:
I'm smart enough to realize a logical contradiction when I read one. Read the post again and you will see the contradiction of your arguement.
Ummm...That was kind of the point.
So, uh, Sherlock Holmes is it?
No way in hell.
wayfool wrote:
[quote]nope wrote:
The interesting thing would be to convince a second tier, skinny, 400m runner who's PR is in the 45s to move up.
No, Not 400 meter runners, 400 meter runners have an approach similar to 100 meter men, 200 meter runners are what is needed for 800 meters. There is a similarity in the stride and float that makes the events similar. It used to be you could look at the guys who were running 21.5-22 in high school to become 800 meter runners. 800 meter runners need to be quick as there are alot of small accelerations needed to maintain position. IF you are not quick enough to move into an opening you are toast. And you have to do this while being efficient. 4oo meter men are better at making one move only, and it is maximum effort so they are not as efficient. they either go early and hang on or try to hang and then accelerate at the end. It takes alot more to make many sub max but quick efforts than a 400 man can handle.
so 800 meter men in a nutshell need to be quick & efficient as opposed to fast and strong
Shoulders Muscles wrote:
If he came down to 165 and did some 10 min vo2 max pace runs in the offseason.
Probably lose a second off his 400, but gain about 10 in the 800.
1:42 no, but 1:44-1:46 maybe.
How many of those 10 minute sessions do you think it would take 2 or 3 to convert a runner doing no distance training into an 800m runner?
It takes years of training + he would have to go to the trouble of switching meds + thinking up some different excuses
Arthur Wint had multiple Olympic medals at the 400/800 double.
Wint's rival Mal Whitfield was another 400/800m star.
Don't forget me.
Mark Everett ran 44.59 and 1:43.20
But he was always primarily an 800m runner even when he ran his 400m PR.
David Patrick was a sub 48 hurdler who also won a US title at 800m in 1:44.
The fact that its possible is not the point, it is possible, the question is could Merritt go 1:42 or under.
No. Even if he trained for it.
Could he be US champ at 800? Probably.
Shoulders Muscles wrote:
If he came down to 165 and did some 10 min vo2 max pace runs in the offseason.
Probably lose a second off his 400, but gain about 10 in the 800.
1:42 no, but 1:44-1:46 maybe.
What is "vo2 max pace"? 3000-5000 pace?
And wtf would that be for Merrit??
Rudolph Harbig wrote:
Don't forget me.
Yes and they all trained propely for years for both events
Is that right? Most would say that training wasn't completely understood back then so 'properly' seems an odd choice of words.
I do think people are asking if Merritt trained 'properly' as well.
Bershawn Jackson has struggled with the 800. I dont know his times for the 800, but I saw a meet last year where he ran the 8 leg of a SMR in Raleigh, and after the first lap things fell apart quickly. He was given the baton with a sizeable lead, and by 550m it was gone and the kid from George Mason (his name escapes me as well) was well past him.
When you see a 400m dash or hurdler capable of running close to 20 flat in the 200m like Merritt, Wariner or Taylor for example, means their bio physio mechanical systems are sprint oriented. Once guys like this enter the cardio zone at about 500m, they quickly break down. They can hold on for 600m or even run a decent 800m, but it does not add up to being a would class 800m runner like people think. I have seen world class 400m runners who struggle to make it through a set of 4 2-flat 800m intervals with 5 miuntes rest in between. This is a standard early season workout for 400m runners and to them, it like being asked to run a marathon. Contary to what most people believe, for a sprinter, the step up from the 4 to the 8 is not like going from 100 to the 200 or the 200 to the 400, it more like going from a mile to a 10K. Even if you are a 45x 400m runner, running a 50 point 400 is not a piece of cake, especially when you realize you have another lap to go.
Athletes (agents and coaches) rarely leave food on the table, if a 400m runner was capable of winning medals and making money in the 800m, they are not going to pass it up. Merritt, Wariner or Taylor for example, aren't going to waste their time training and competing in the 800m to run 1:45s, when they are one of the best in the world in the 400m. I think most people would agree that the 800m is the toughest event in t&f; some people like to compare it to the 400m hurdles, but the 400m hurdles is more simular to running a 500m, than an 800m.
Btw, Alberto Juantorena was never a pure sprinter, he use to do 10 mile runs with Cuba's distance runners and rarely when out faster than high-21s in his 400s...he was simply strong as a horse. - On seperate note, I 'think' Juantorena was clean. Juantorena appeared to have all of the tools to be a great 400 or 800m runners; however, his 400/800 double at the '76 Olympics is off the charts impressive. If you understand the '76 Olympic schedule and what it takes to compete in those events, you know if will probably never be repeated. Unlike the 100/200 or the marathon/10k for example, the Olympic schedule is not set up for the 400/800 double.