Solinsky steeple at Stanford

Does anyone remember that Dan Lincoln's training with the Schumacher group?

Maybe some of his expertise combined with Pascal Dobert's will rub off on Solinsky.

steepleish wrote:

Chances of Chris actually racing steeple: under 20%.

My prediction: 8:44. That is no disrespect to Chris, actually it would be a great debut time, it's just a much tougher event than people realize.

I don't think he would run it if anyone thought the best he could do is an NCAA level performance. The only way Chris would be running the SC is if a coule people (Chris/Agent/Coach) thought could be among the top 3 in the U.S. Based on his 5K, I would assume he will be around 8:25 and in the teens by the end of the season and probably in the single digits by next year if he sticks with it. Btw, his track PRs are as fast as guys who have run in the single digits.

HeyBlinkin wrote:

Does anyone remember that Dan Lincoln's training with the Schumacher group?

Maybe some of his expertise combined with Pascal Dobert's will rub off on Solinsky.

Steeplechase aptitude isn't a virus. You can't catch it from being around someone who has it. You either have it or you don't. The only way to find out if Solinsky has aptitude is for him to try it.

Actually, malmo, it's been isolated as a bacteria, Saltata kalenjensis, which inhabits water jumps all over the world. Running sub-13:00, or being of Ethiopian descent, seems to provide considerable, but not complete, immunity.

malmo wrote:

HeyBlinkin wrote:

Does anyone remember that Dan Lincoln's training with the Schumacher group?

Maybe some of his expertise combined with Pascal Dobert's will rub off on Solinsky.

Steeplechase aptitude isn't a virus. You can't catch it from being around someone who has it. You either have it or you don't. The only way to find out if Solinsky has aptitude is for him to try it.

TrackCoach wrote:Based on his 5K, I would assume he will be around 8:25 and in the teens by the end of the season and probably in the single digits by next year if he sticks with it. Btw, his track PRs are as fast as guys who have run in the single digits.

You can't base steeplechase aptitude on flat times.

Lets also not start throwing around 8-teens so willy nilly either. As previous poster said, Huling's 8:14 put him 6th fastest American ever.

Hear Lincoln is done. Achilles.

Heard wrong, Lincoln is quietly training, be afraid, very afraid.

Letsrunner wrote:

I don't know what is funnier - the view on Letsrun that any fast white kid who has slightly more meat than a stick figure will make a great steepler, or the fact that Solinsky is finally competing in the steeple. It's a draw.

I'll give you one even funnier: it appears that most LRC visitors believe Jager is better than Solinsky in the 5k. For what reason I have no idea.

didn't Solinsky hit the deck with about 400m to go in that race? i recall watching him run in belgium on flotrack, however i may be mistaken...

bobby e. wrote:

2007: 13:12, big PR

2008 and 2009: no PR.

2010: ?

TrackCoach wrote:

steepleish wrote:

Chances of Chris actually racing steeple: under 20%.

My prediction: 8:44. That is no disrespect to Chris, actually it would be a great debut time, it's just a much tougher event than people realize.

I don't think he would run it if anyone thought the best he could do is an NCAA level performance. The only way Chris would be running the SC is if a coule people (Chris/Agent/Coach) thought could be among the top 3 in the U.S. Based on his 5K, I would assume he will be around 8:25 and in the teens by the end of the season and probably in the single digits by next year if he sticks with it. Btw, his track PRs are as fast as guys who have run in the single digits.

I appreciate your enthusiasm for Chris, but I am not sure if you have a realistic frame of reference for how great of a performance 8:25 is. If Chris is in 7:40 shape and has only a 45-second conversion (which would be COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS for a first-time steepler) that would put him at 8:25. I was thinking he's in just under 7:50 shape on an average day (it's a mistake to assume he would have his best day), and would have about a 55-second conversion because it's his first time (this is not uncommon for first-timers), hence 8:44. Running a minute over one's PR is completely possible once the legs get tired, stuttering begins, and the water jump causes a near-stop each lap.

Also, notice that an above poster said a flotrack video had Chris running 8:40 pace in practice. What people who have never trained for the steeple don't realize is that it's incredibly easy for a guy to run 800s or 400s in practice, over barriers, much quicker than race pace. So if he is ready to run 8:25 he should be able to train at 8:00 or 8:10 pace. It's the adding-up of all those laps that gets you in the steeple. Everything before 1800m feels easy. Everything after 1800m feels like you're running on a track made of peanut butter.

Of course he would not run it if he couldn't be top 3 in the US, and I believe that he could eventually be that good, if he has the knack for it and is willing to work very hard at it. However, to claim that he will be at that level in his first 3000m steeple race is preposterous. Even if he and his camp think it's something he can do.

Anyhow, my first line put Chris' chances of actually starting at less than 20%, so I guess my pick there was pretty accurate even if people do not agree with the 8:44 (which is fine, but they would probably be wrong, and not have the 13 years of steeple experience that I have).

It appears that Chris's best distance at this stage might be 3000 -- the 1500 is too short (he has good times but not as good as longer), and it seems he "races" best here (in the future he might be best at 5000, especially as he lightens up).

This gives at least a little hope for the Steeple. However, he has hit the deck (almost hit it) multiple times, and his track success has been better than his XC success. These both give a hint that he is not as likely to be a 'steeple guy'. However, I think that running the event once or twice will provide the answer. The answer is usually 'no', sometimes 'so-so', and occasionally 'YES'. Malmo was a case of "YES", I think, and Bethke a prototype of 'no' (or maybe even 'NO', which was only slightly disguised by what I think was a relative advantage at 3000m vs 1500m or 5000m).

rob cunningham wrote:

didn't Solinsky hit the deck with about 400m to go in that race? i recall watching him run in belgium on flotrack, however i may be mistaken...

He had to hurdle a fallen runner or two, I think (steeple ability!), but he didn't go down. If anything it might have given him a welcome adrenaline boost.

Confirmed running at Stanford.

8:36 winning easily.

8:18 2nd time!