Is Webb really a 5km guy?

Viren????? what a joke? that doper, shit you give any runner as much drugs as Viren had and they could double in the olympics too!! What a joke...

Webb is not a sub 13.00 guy period. You guys are dreaming if you think he has anything like that capability. Leave the guy alone to excell at the 1500m where his true talent lies. The move from 1500 to 5000 is the most difficult transition for any middle distance/distance runner. Ask Steve Ovett/John Walker. Seb Coe talked a good game but was never able to walk the walk.

Best advice to Alan Webb. You can become a VERY GOOD 1500m runner who can compete at international level don't be distracted.

Original Message

Author: bk

Subject: RE: Is Webb really a 5km guy?

Message:

In "Fire on the Track" it depicts the race where he ran 3 54 against the dude with the hat (David Wottle???) and wottle got the AR that race so that might be what people are talking about Pre as a miler.[quote]bk wrote:

You are so wrong, Damn you know nothing about the American Record Mile Record in the 1970's do you? Jim Ryan Held the Amercian record at time and Wottle (the Dude with the Hat) was a second of Jim Ryan's American and World Record(3:51.1) Ryan originally set the World Record in 1966 with a Time of 3:51.3 then agian in 1967 with a time of 3:51.1,Ryan's record remained untouched for 8 year's until 1975 when Filber Bayi, of Tanzania lowered Ryan's record to 3:51.0 then the record was lowered again for the second time in the year of 1975, by John Walker of New Zealand with a time of 3:49.4. Then the mile record fell agian 4 years later by Sebastian Coe and in the Year of 1979 Coe's time was 3:49.0. And Then the battle for the World record between Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett, and Steve Cram. There's the a little track history 101 for ya so next time before you list false information do your homework. Oh and here's a little information for you seeing that you could use this knowladge and all, Steve Ovett of England lowered Coes record from 3:49.0 to 3:48.8 in 1980. Then in 1981 is were the real battle started the Mile record fell three times that year first starting with Sebastian Coe lowering the time to 3:48.5 then Steve Ovette came back and reclaimed his record with a time of 3:48.4 then Coe again for the second, in '81 lowered the mile time to 3:47.3 taking 11.1 seconds off the world record. then in 1985 Steve Cram lowered the world record by exactly one second with a time of 3:46.3. Thank you im sorry that you were misinformed.

You can certainly make the argument that others have been more successful (in terms of titles/medals won), but judging strictly on time, Tergat stands alone at the top of the distance running mountain.

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plus, he's the greatest XC runner of all time not named bekele.

The history lesson was helpful (if we overlook being unable to spell Jim Ryun"s name). The point of all that in terms of this post is that Pre never thought of himself as a miler. The miling was for fun, for speed and for the fans. He knew early on: he held the high school two-mile record, never close to the mile record. He was a cross-country champ, an Olympian at 5k who was moving up (not down). Don't take anything Hollywood gives you as history. Bowerman knew Pre was not a miler when he sent a non-miler (Kvalheim) to recruit him at Coos Bay.

Curious wrote:

Does anyone else think Webb could excel more at the 5km over the 1500 meter. Webb sort of reminds me of Pre thinking he is a true miler but could truly excel at the 5km.

He ran 13:30 and probably had no taper for the race and considered it more of a practice over a race.

What does everyone think? Lets keep the posts positive.

Webb would have a better chance of competing at the world level if he were to move up to the 5000.He lacks the ability to race a tactical 1500.In a 1500 race that starts with slow opening laps Webb lacks the explosive accelleration needed over the final lap.His last lap is about the same 54/55 regardless of how fast or slow the first 1100 was.If otoh Alan can stay with the leaders in a 5000 and finish with a 54/55 he would be competitive.

psycho

[quote]bk wrote:

In "Fire on the Track" it depicts the race where he ran 3 54 against the dude with the hat (David Wottle???) and wottle got the AR that race so that might be what people are talking about Pre as a miler.[quote]hulkk wrote:

Please don't re-write history. Dave Wottle did NOT get the AR that day, which was June 20, 1973. (In fact he never had the AR in the 1500 or mile). The time he ran was 3:53.3 which was over two seconds slower than Jim Ryun's 3:51.1 world record from 1967. That was Wottle's fastest mile ever. He beat Pre, who ran 3:54.6 to finish second, also the fastest mile that Pre ever ran. Steve Scott broke Jim Ryun's ARs in the 1500 and mile (former world records).

chuck d wrote:

pre was stupid for thinking he was a miler because he lacked speed; i don't think that's a good comparison. webb has the requisite speed to be a miler and should stick to that distance for now.

Perhaps, but Pre's 3:38.1 for 1500m was about the same quality as his 13:22.8 for the 5k. Considering his 27:43? 10k was also in the same range, making it the best of the 3 events, something just didn't match up. Perhaps he was capable of running somewhat faster for the 5k.

Hicham El G proved to everyone you can both a 5k and miler. I think Webb can run just as good in the 5k. Look at what he ran in the 12k last year in cross country. I think went by the 10k at 28:00 or so.

I think he is in no mans land. He is just out of really being a real world class 1500 guy and is no way close in the 5k.

5k yes will build strength and is helpful in the bigger picture of training.

He has to get under 3:30 a couple of times this year to go to the next level.