How did Kenenisa Bekele become this good?

Reality check223 wrote:

I think it's well known that Michael Jordan practiced harder than anyone and had an ultra-competitive attitude. Did you watch his Hall of Fame speech? He was disclosing all of his secret competitions. There were people who had no idea that MJ was competing against them or something that that had said in passing.

height has nothing to do with it. jumping is an acquirable ability.

So, it is sheer weird coincidence that the average height for an NBA player is more than 3 standard deviations above the average male height? That has GOT to be the most extraordinary coincidence in the universe.

Reality check223 wrote:

I said nothing about weird coincidences.

You did say, "height has nothing to do with it." No?

LOTS OF TALENT....LOTS OF HARD TRAINING...AND OF COURSE.....EPO

I believe that what everyone has said is a little bit of truth, correct but also some untruths as well; of course demonstrating and proving through available evidence is very difficult in this case and knowing exactly what is really happening with Bekele.

Never in the history of running has been such a consistent and top level performances by one individual for such a long period of time as his.

Maybe one day the truth will be fully known and maybe it will show that those who have are as equally as "bold and eager" as him, will be able to achieve and perform as he does.

I admire the BIG B. He is really something. Another factor that makes him do what he does in terms of performances and training, and maybe overall preparation must be his psychological approach and discipline. The mental approach is very critical.

Genetics is by far the most important determinant of running ability. The influence of training and drugs doesn't even come close to that of genetics. Bekele is fast because he is genetically supreme, and anyone who doubts it is ignorant to the core. Out of 7 billion people, he is the best specimen the human race has to offer (that we know of). Of course he's going to be able to do things that seem incredible by the standards of the letsrun cult of mediocrity.

BRG/253 wrote:

Genetics is by far the most important determinant of running ability. The influence of training and drugs doesn't even come close to that of genetics. Bekele is fast because he is genetically supreme, and anyone who doubts it is ignorant to the core. Out of 7 billion people, he is the best specimen the human race has to offer (that we know of). Of course he's going to be able to do things that seem incredible by the standards of the letsrun cult of mediocrity.

well then, thanks for clearing that one up!

Without training, Stember runs slower than 18 minutes for 5k and with training he runs 3:35 for 1500m. El Guerrouj runs 12:50 and 3:26 and then runs a 36 10k after his career. But you claim that genetics is more important than training???

Reality check32498 said he could run 12:37, stop feeding him you guys.

Its sad that ignorance has no cure. if KB is doping then Rupp is too and so is Radcliffe. As much as I know KB is clean.

jesse your a straight fag

Forget Check Just Reality wrote:

Reality check223 wrote:

I said nothing about weird coincidences.

You did say, "height has nothing to do with it." No?

Short basketball players are just as good as tall ones i.e. Allen Iverson.

The league has tall players because tall guys are told to go out for basketball.

KB is an average ass person with a determination that we will not ever see again for some years.

[quote]Rainy wrote:

So, did Michael Jordan just practice that much harder than everyone or did the fact that he is a 6'6" black man with incredible hand/eye coordination contribute to his dominance. I know basketball is not distance running, but the point is that talent does exist.

Jordan had to practice for hours a day for years to develop his talent. He didn't make the varsity team in high school his freshman year. Talent is real but it is wasted without hard work.

That is why white people are so good at being lawyers. Its crazy genetics. Look, before trying to give some explanation you don't understand try starting from the basics. First there is a the physique. That is sort of genetics. But being big and bulky doesn't lead us to say somebody is genetically gifted at being an NFL O-linemen. So we shouldn't say it is for East African runners. A physique is just sort of a physical requirement for being a great distance runners. Then there is the life that an East African runner lives from the day he walks. Norway and Finland routinely win medals in cross country skiing. We don't say they are genetically gifted at cross country skiing do we? PLEASE! Let us have a standing rule that nobody should say somebody "started running" when they were seventeen or some such nonsense. I'm fine with saying they started training at a late age to designate when they began planned workouts. But guys like Geb and Ebuya had a monster base of strength before they ever thought of competing just from the life they lived. Not sure what Bekele's story as a child. He was the son of a farmer but safe to say his mother didn't drive him everywhere in the Lexus. Then of course there is that altitude. Anyone know of an American in Colorado who runs a 10K each way to school everyday, year round, on soft dirt trails like Geb did? I didn't think so. After you factor those things in, then yes there is probably genetic advantages. But its not nearly as big as what people suggest.

BRG/253 wrote:

Genetics is by far the most important determinant of running ability. The influence of training and drugs doesn't even come close to that of genetics. Bekele is fast because he is genetically supreme, and anyone who doubts it is ignorant to the core. Out of 7 billion people, he is the best specimen the human race has to offer (that we know of). Of course he's going to be able to do things that seem incredible by the standards of the letsrun cult of mediocrity.

jjjjjjj wrote:

Without training, Stember runs slower than 18 minutes for 5k and with training he runs 3:35 for 1500m. El Guerrouj runs 12:50 and 3:26 and then runs a 36 10k after his career. But you claim that genetics is more important than training???

There is no limit to how out of shape you can get and it proves nothing.

P.S. 36 minutes is still pretty f*cking fast for a 30 something who doesn't run at all. That speaks in favor of the importance of genetics, not against it.

kenenisa bekele trains very hard from what i can recall. what in particular he does, i cannot recall at the moment.[/quote]

saying that bekele is fast because he trains hard is an insult to me and everything i stand for

Ever heard of an American chap by the name of BARRY BONDS?

Kenenisa's base building is pretty ridiculous compared to most 10kers, ie, he frequently does 3-4 hour long runs on mountainous trails.

I would just like to same I am honored to have made this thread! There are some good arguments going on here. Does anyone attribute his success to not having a coach? Or have anything to say about his running form? Long runs will get you endurance, but what explains his remarkable speed?