Curious Cross Xfollower wrote:
What is the altitude of the Rift Valley Region? How about Eldoret?
Local elevation varies from about 2100 metres above sea level at the airport to more than 2700 metres in nearby areas (7000–9000 feet).
And I know what you're getting at smart arse. We're talking about people born and raised there for thousands of years, bit different for you and me.
Suggest you go there and see and experience it for yourself.
Guys, as much you might like to think otherwise, Bekele knows more about what's too long of a run for HIM than you do.
Many of these replies are really silly. I never said Bekele should not be doing 3 hour long runs. However, it is unusual - do not misread this, it is unusual, not unheard of - for an elite marathoner to do a 3 hour run EVERY WEEK.
But the worst people are those who are saying "well of course he's doing 3 hour long runs, he's one of the greatest distance runners ever rarara." The fact is that weekly 3 hour long runs are the exception not the norm. You're only saying a 3 hour long run is a good idea because I've already told you he is doing a 3 hour long run. If I had asked a week ago if Bekele should do a 3 hour long run, you would have said of course not.
We'll find out if it's a good idea when he runs a marathon.
Yes, I know and I don't coach them but they seem to handle it (not injured).
Live not on eviL wrote:
. . . the worst people are those who are saying "well of course he's doing 3 hour long runs, he's one of the greatest distance runners ever rarara." The fact is that weekly 3 hour long runs are the exception not the norm. You're only saying a 3 hour long run is a good idea because I've already told you he is doing a 3 hour long run. If I had asked a week ago if Bekele should do a 3 hour long run, you would have said of course not.
Yes, if we were talking about typical marathon runners. But the subject is Bekele, who everyone knows is 'exceptional'. And for the record, if you did ask me a week ago, I would have said that I think he should be doing long runs significantly longer than the typical '20 miler', because that type of endurance is his limiting factor. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that he can run circles around other elite marathoners at faster than marathon pace but if he failed at the marathon it would be his weakness at going the distance. How would someone make 26.2 feel manageable? . . . practice going 30+ as long as the person can handle it - which he absolutely should be able to. I would also make sure that he started those 3 hr long runs many months before the event so he could truely be used to it though.
chuck norris does 30 miles backwards and uphill each day
Cash register wrote:
Live not on eviL wrote:. . . the worst people are those who are saying "well of course he's doing 3 hour long runs, he's one of the greatest distance runners ever rarara." The fact is that weekly 3 hour long runs are the exception not the norm. You're only saying a 3 hour long run is a good idea because I've already told you he is doing a 3 hour long run. If I had asked a week ago if Bekele should do a 3 hour long run, you would have said of course not.
Yes, if we were talking about typical marathon runners. But the subject is Bekele, who everyone knows is 'exceptional'. And for the record, if you did ask me a week ago, I would have said that I think he should be doing long runs significantly longer than the typical '20 miler', because that type of endurance is his limiting factor. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that he can run circles around other elite marathoners at faster than marathon pace but if he failed at the marathon it would be his weakness at going the distance. How would someone make 26.2 feel manageable? . . . practice going 30+ as long as the person can handle it - which he absolutely should be able to. I would also make sure that he started those 3 hr long runs many months before the event so he could truely be used to it though.
Nothing in this response addresses the fact that he is doing them every week, which is vastly different to bi- or tr-weekly.
fasfasdfds wrote:
Meanwhile, the elite Kenyans who go out and win all the marathons very rarely run over two hours. Most of their "long runs" are actually fast, timed runs over 30 or 35km.
Pretty sure Tergat said he did 60km runs. Was he elite?
Mrr82 wrote:
fasfasdfds wrote:Meanwhile, the elite Kenyans who go out and win all the marathons very rarely run over two hours. Most of their "long runs" are actually fast, timed runs over 30 or 35km.
Pretty sure Tergat said he did 60km runs. Was he elite?
He most certainly did not.
the wiz wrote:
afdssda wrote:That's not surprising. Top ultrarunners do 5-8 hour runs per week.
.....therefore, they are doing about the same distance!
POD
Critical Thinking wrote:
We'll find out if it's a good idea when he runs a marathon.
Wrong.
Bekele could run 160 mpw and do 2:05.
He could also run 80 mpw and do 2:05.
With talent like that, you can't just say fast time = optimal training.
We are talking about a 26:17 guy. If he ends up with a lifetime PR over 2:03:00 his training was wrong.
The only coach on earth who could make Bekele slower than 2:05 is Salazar. The planet's most overrated marathon coach would no doubt have Bekele (or any other marathoner) stagnating alongside Ritz, the least-tapped talent in US running history.
Live not on eviL wrote:
Cash register wrote:Yes, if we were talking about typical marathon runners. But the subject is Bekele, who everyone knows is 'exceptional'. And for the record, if you did ask me a week ago, I would have said that I think he should be doing long runs significantly longer than the typical '20 miler', because that type of endurance is his limiting factor. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that he can run circles around other elite marathoners at faster than marathon pace but if he failed at the marathon it would be his weakness at going the distance. How would someone make 26.2 feel manageable? . . . practice going 30+ as long as the person can handle it - which he absolutely should be able to. I would also make sure that he started those 3 hr long runs many months before the event so he could truely be used to it though.
Nothing in this response addresses the fact that he is doing them every week, which is vastly different to bi- or tr-weekly.
Because that is beside the point.
They'd Find It Hard wrote:
And I know what you're getting at smart arse. We're talking about people born and raised there for thousands of years, bit different for you and me.
We all know that East Africans are usually older than they claim but I doubt any of them is thousand years old.
rupp-certified saladbar wrote:
Critical Thinking wrote:We'll find out if it's a good idea when he runs a marathon.
Wrong.
Bekele could run 160 mpw and do 2:05.
He could also run 80 mpw and do 2:05.
With talent like that, you can't just say fast time = optimal training.
We are talking about a 26:17 guy. If he ends up with a lifetime PR over 2:03:00 his training was wrong.
The only coach on earth who could make Bekele slower than 2:05 is Salazar. The planet's most overrated marathon coach would no doubt have Bekele (or any other marathoner) stagnating alongside Ritz, the least-tapped talent in US running history.
As Canova would say, Bekele in the marathon isn't the 26:17 guy, but his older brother. And you seriously think 10k times are the most important factor in determining marathon potential? His years of 5k/10k training will make it hard for his body to learn how to burn fats for fuel as well as the other marathon specialists. Bekele was the world's top 10k guy. To be the best in the world, you have to be an extreme specialist and outlier at that distance. To think he can do it in the 10k and marathon is absurd.
Yeah, Geb and Tergat pulled it off but the marathoning game has drastically changed since then.
...and if you're a "physiologist" you were too dumb to get a real science degree and instead pursued a made up job of no use to society.
Haile runs 60km once a month which takes him four hours.
A three hour run once a week is completely normal (nay: expected) for a serious marathon runner in training. Hence, the reason Americans are so slow is their fear of long slow distance and continuing love affair with speedwork.
"will make it hard for his body to learn how to burn fats for fuel"
Not this crap again....
LolPhysiologist wrote:
Haile runs 60km once a month which takes him four hours.
Source?
'Yeah, Geb and Tergat pulled it off but the marathoning game has drastically changed since then.'
Not drastically and neither won WC's
Moses Mosop looks like he did at most 100 minute runs in his lead up to Boston 2011. I imagine his recent training is always like this (assuming this is accurate) and that he never goes for 3 hours. He does on the other hand spend 2 hours running, 3-4 days per week on average. I think i saw one week with 6 days of over 120 minutes of running.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_zzkn1-wR0dVU5wX1hveWppeUE/edit