I’m confused, why is this time special? It’s almost 3 minutes behind the WR, she’d get lapped twice. Is American women’s distance running just that bad where 3 minutes behind is considered amazing?
Tell me you don’t understand championship racing...
Technology is always pushing the boundaries and its up to the governing bodies to determine legality. Ethos and tradition are a thing, but look at golf clubs, golf balls, racing bikes, etc. Greg Lemond in the '88(?) Tour de France blew everyones minds away using aero bars and maybe carbon wheels. He made up over a minute on the last day time trial to win the TdF. Purists moaned for 30 seconds, and now its the norm.
I was "against it" until I think about running 6+ miles on the track. I think we used to all debate between wearing our road racing flats or our cheapo spikes, right? I know I always wore spikes for the 5000m, but in the ten, I always went back and forth - spikes or flats.
The spikes, at least for me, destroyed my legs after a 10,000m. That is why maybe this should be the new norm for track 10Ks. Maybe everyone should have a pair of shoes like this? If it everyone has Vaporflys anyway...
BTW, I see this at the HS level all the time. It seems like all the best kids have Vaporflys for the 2M and also on dry courses in XC.
Before every track race, my son has to take his spikes to someone who confirms they’re legal. Once approved, they put a pull-tie thing on the laces so the starter knows they’re approved. This is usually right beside the check-in tent.
If the shoes are illegal - 3-inch spikes, shoes with combustion engine ;) - they don’t get the pull-tie.
When was the last time she raced someone who could beat her? Or even the last time she thought someone could beat her? Two years ago in the 5000m at NCAAs when she was coming back from injury? She certainly didn't think she could lose to Tuohy at 2022 NCAA XCs with the way she ran. The trials will be a real wake up call, either she wins against the top americans or she gets outclassed in the 5000m final, doesn't make the team then has confidence issues and struggles in the 10000m. I don't think there is a middle ground in the short term. Long term she's going to be fine though.
When was the last time she raced someone who could beat her? Or even the last time she thought someone could beat her? Two years ago in the 5000m at NCAAs when she was coming back from injury? She certainly didn't think she could lose to Tuohy at 2022 NCAA XCs with the way she ran. The trials will be a real wake up call, either she wins against the top americans or she gets outclassed in the 5000m final, doesn't make the team then has confidence issues and struggles in the 10000m. I don't think there is a middle ground in the short term. Long term she's going to be fine though.
It’s been a while. But judging from her interviews, I think she is looking forward to competing against athletes who are better than her. She may not win the Trials 10,000 but she has a solid realistic shot at 3rd or even 2nd.
Technology is always pushing the boundaries and its up to the governing bodies to determine legality. Ethos and tradition are a thing, but look at golf clubs, golf balls, racing bikes, etc. Greg Lemond in the '88(?) Tour de France blew everyones minds away using aero bars and maybe carbon wheels. He made up over a minute on the last day time trial to win the TdF. Purists moaned for 30 seconds, and now its the norm.
It's not a case of resisting technological developments, it's simply about fairness. You want road super shoes with spikes? Cool, go for it. But don't restrict them to one athlete. That's clearly unfair. It's not like we haven't had this argument before, it's a repeat of 2016 with the road shoes and 2019 with the super spikes.
Also, it's absolutely wild that Jon Gault didn't raise any questions about the fairness of these shoes in his race report. All he noted was that she wore them and her time wouldn't be eligible for a WA ranking. The principle of one athlete having access to equipment unavailable to literally everyone else in the field? Apparently not worthy of comment.
This post was edited 8 minutes after it was posted.
Yes, I feel like even other Nike schools should have a legitimate complaint. How many athletes are competing at NCAAs in Nike footwear due to their school's contract? Yet Nike provided only one athlete with a technical advantage.
Why are the NCCA women running 3 mins slower than the WR while the men are only 90 secs or less off WR pace. Not convinced Valby is a generational talent...think she is just competing during a weak time in ncaa women's distance running.
I stayed up to watch her run. I was becoming a fan, but last night after she passed Hilda I turned it off because I could not watch her win after acting like that. I did not think it was possible for Parker Valby to appear ugly, but last night she did. People on this site bash the rabid Tuohy fans and want to compare running stats, but Tuohy has the fan base she does because she is a class act. For many years she could have behaved like an arrogant jerk too. She had the grounds, but we have never seen her behave that way, not even as a very young high schooler. Valby just graduated from college and she was out there in a national championship acting like a bratty 12 year old. She has an ego the size of house. Not a good look. Here's the thing - her people might tell her to clean that up and she will just to protect her image. Unfortunately I have seen this arrogance creeping in (not as blatant as last night), and that is the real PV. Any grace she shows after last night is just a performance - damage control. I don't really care how fast she runs now.
There's nothing new about custom-made racing shoes - Nike did a pair of custom spikes for a guy I knew at another high school in 1978. Didn't bother anyone else - I thought it was kinda cool.
What was the point of putting the spikes in them? The track was bone dry and it's a 10K so no 'traction' advantage...
Unless they removed the Vaporfly internal plate, the extra weight of the spike plate may have more than negated any advantage from the extra traction. And if they actually did make a specially manufactured Vaporfly without the internal plate, as Salvatore Shatmo was claiming, then the shoe would have been as slow and mushy as that lousy Nikee invincible shoe.
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