I'll admit I'm a bit of a fanboy. I like watching her race, pretty much over any other event. However, those races were to see if she could win and in what crazy manner she tries. I'm still really looking forward to her Olympic 10k, but it will be a bit less exciting just to see if she can be top American and maybe make the top 10 if she has a great day. Parker vs Hassan will be fun to watch as well if Hassan tries to run every event at the olympics. May be reaching on that one.
Unless you buy a ticket, you won’t be watching them race and Hassan, because of her past successes, will try to keep up with the top runners at a pace that doesn’t make sense for Valby.
Can you identify an Olympic or WC race where what you guys are predicting has happened, which is that a group of runners far slower than top ones, ignore everyone and run their own time trial?
What do you mean “ignore everyone”? They are out there racing, trying to finish as high as possible, with the toolset that got them there.
There is absolutely a 2nd-tier of runners, when looking at their PB/SB. But the finishing touches on training and racing programs that got them there, and their physical conditions going into this will be unique. That’s a reason they actually race, instead of just handing out participation trophies beforehand.
Unless you buy a ticket, you won’t be watching them race and Hassan, because of her past successes, will try to keep up with the top runners at a pace that doesn’t make sense for Valby.
Can you identify an Olympic or WC race where what you guys are predicting has happened, which is that a group of runners far slower than top ones, ignore everyone and run their own time trial?
What do you mean “ignore everyone”? They are out there racing, trying to finish as high as possible, with the toolset that got them there.
There is absolutely a 2nd-tier of runners, when looking at their PB/SB. But the finishing touches on training and racing programs that got them there, and their physical conditions going into this will be unique. That’s a reason they actually race, instead of just handing out participation trophies beforehand.
Unless you buy a ticket, you won’t be watching them race and Hassan, because of her past successes, will try to keep up with the top runners at a pace that doesn’t make sense for Valby.
Can you identify an Olympic or WC race where what you guys are predicting has happened, which is that a group of runners far slower than top ones, ignore everyone and run their own time trial?
What do you mean “ignore everyone”? They are out there racing, trying to finish as high as possible, with the toolset that got them there.
There is absolutely a 2nd-tier of runners, when looking at their PB/SB. But the finishing touches on training and racing programs that got them there, and their physical conditions going into this will be unique. That’s a reason they actually race, instead of just handing out participation trophies beforehand.
I'll admit I'm a bit of a fanboy. I like watching her race, pretty much over any other event. However, those races were to see if she could win and in what crazy manner she tries. I'm still really looking forward to her Olympic 10k, but it will be a bit less exciting just to see if she can be top American and maybe make the top 10 if she has a great day. Parker vs Hassan will be fun to watch as well if Hassan tries to run every event at the olympics. May be reaching
Unless you buy a ticket, you won’t be watching them race and Hassan, because of her past successes, will try to keep up with the top runners at a pace that doesn’t make sense for Valby.
Can you identify an Olympic or WC race where what you guys are predicting has happened, which is that a group of runners far slower than top ones, ignore everyone and run their own time trial?
I’m pretty sure you’re the same guy who argued for days, under the alias, “Ron Clarke,” that Valby wouldn’t run from the front in the 5000M final at the trials.
I really don’t expect her to contend for a medal this time. She’s probably a few years away from reaching her potential.
However,
1. She’s never been pushed to her potential in the 10000, so we don’t really know what she’s capable of at this time.
2. She’ll have 6 weeks to prepare, coming off a long season, and won’t have to recover from the 5000M a few days prior.
3. She’s been known to push the pace early, even in her early days at Florida. I could see trying to hang with the lead group for as long as possible. She averaged under 70 seconds per lap for that last 2000M. The first 8K was basically a jog in the park for her.
It’s OK for people to speculate and be interested in her progression.
There is not going to be a group of 2nd tier runners, doing their own pace in the Olympic 10000m. What happens if the field would otherwise go out in 16:00, like last year’s WC 10000m? Would Kelati and Valby’s group take it out in 15:20? They wouldn’t belong in the front and would look foolish. It doesn’t matter if someone from that group finishes 10th or 12th, or who out-kicks who. No one will even be watching.
This Valby stuff is so over the top. For the U.S. runners, from the 1500m to 10000m, she is probably the least competitive. Nico Young is the same age, and far more competitive, but there has been zero speculation on LR about how he might do in Paris.
I haven't speculated because I don't think it matters. It is possible that she will PR, but I would be truly shocked if she medaled. Being one of the elite few collegians who made the US team is a huge accomplishment in itself. She has raced A LOT this year. I think this experience will do wonders for her running in the coming years, and if that is all she gets out of it that will be enough.
I think what Mike Smith said about Nico in the interview that was posted in another thread also applies to Parker Valby. This year she ran 3 seasons and has a lot of laps in her legs. Starting next year (assuming she goes pro) she will control her time and her training and be able to focus on peaking for key races without the NCAA schedule dominating everything. She did not have the advantage of peaking for the games like the pro runners out there. I think she will give it her absolute best, and I also think she will be faster than 30:49. Making the team is so awesome for her, and whatever she does in Paris is just a huge bonus on a pretty perfect year. I mean, if she does not win the Bowerman they will be forced to admit that it isn't really meant for distance runners. She accomplished every single thing that a distance runner could accomplish in a single academic year. Paris is gravy this time.
I expect her team to shut it down after the Games; no need to further the damage.
Many weeks later, if she ever fully heals up, she can start from ground zero and learn how to run again. Maybe, by that time, she will have found an Arc Trainer that has been specially modified to have the arms move in the opposite direction of the foot pedals, to better simulate a normal running gait.
Obviously, her stiff upper body mechanics with the wide arm swing are not the most efficient for long distance. And running with a hitch due to something wrong cannot be efficient. But I surmise what may really be an incredible part of the story yet to be told is that countless hours upon the Arc Trainer, though not conducive to engendering good running mechanics, nonetheless beget the upper body strength that enabled her to perform, while with an injury, sufficiently enough to make the Olympic team.
BTW, for those of you that wanted to senselessly argue she always ran this way, and that she ran this way back in high school, you are simply wrong.
The following video provides ample footage of her running, filmed prior to her countless hours on the Arc Trainer. One can see: (1) her arms are closer to her body; (2) there is more relaxation and looseness in her upper body/shoulders; (3) each hand, alternatively, roughly rises to about the same peak height.
NC State's Katelyn Tuohy just missed the 5000m record after running a stellar 15:18.39, making her the third fastest in meet history. Tuohy wins the national...
BTW, for those of you that wanted to senselessly argue she always ran this way, and that she ran this way back in high school, you are simply wrong.
The following video provides ample footage of her running, filmed prior to her countless hours on the Arc Trainer. One can see: (1) her arms are closer to her body; (2) there is more relaxation and looseness in her upper body/shoulders; (3) each hand, alternatively, roughly rises to about the same peak height.
BTW, for those of you that wanted to senselessly argue she always ran this way, and that she ran this way back in high school, you are simply wrong.
The following video provides ample footage of her running, filmed prior to her countless hours on the Arc Trainer. One can see: (1) her arms are closer to her body; (2) there is more relaxation and looseness in her upper body/shoulders; (3) each hand, alternatively, roughly rises to about the same peak height.
No. She broke her foot in the spring of 2022. She trained mostly in the pool that spring, leading up to running SEC’s, Regionals, and NCAA Champs (the subject of that video) with very little land running workouts. Prior to that, she did mostly pool workouts, but also worked in other cross-training modalities, including the bike an elliptical, not just the Arc Trainer.
And for those of you still having trouble seeing the ‘hitch’ in her stride, I direct you to the following video to observe various asymmetries in her mechanics that add up to a ‘hitch’. (1) From a front view (e.g., starting at timestamp 7:18) one can see she swings her left arm up higher than her right arm. Both arms kick-outward away from the body in their backswing, but the left elbow sometimes goes out further than the right. (2) Starting at timestamp 7:30, one can see her left leg has a more fluid recoil than her right leg; it rises higher (and closer to her gluteus) than the right leg.
Florida's Parker Valby won her 6th NCAA title and broke the collegiate record in the 5000m running a time of 14:52.18. Watch the full race here. Subscribe to...
If what you say is true, imagine how good she’ll be without the “injury,” and when she finally “learns how to run!”
I’m not sure you realize how ridiculous that sounds.
THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU!
She currently is leaving so many chips on the table having to work with such gimpy mechanics. There is most likely some type of injury.
If she can get healed, and run with better mechanics, she may eventually shatter American records and be able to mix it up with East Africans on the world stage.
Conversely, if it doesn’t get it rectified, she may end up ripping herself apart (e.g., Chris Solinsky) as the running miles stack up, and intensity increases.
Get ready to watch Valby SMASH though that ceiling like a rocketship powered by the collective love of all the peoples of the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even the toughest coal-hearted cowboy will shed a tear that day.