The Single Reason Ryan Hall Had a (Very) Bad Race Today: Emaciation

yeppz wrote:

Geoffrey Mutai 5'7" 119 lbs

Wilson Kipsang 6'0" 137 lbs

Patrick Makau 5'7" 121 lbs

Paul Tergat 6'0" 137 lbs

It seems like these guys are all leaner than your formula predicts. You could continue on with this list. And if your formula were to hold true, a 2:04:00 guy would need to run even faster over 200 meters, and would thus require more mass to do so.

The idea that if Hall were 6'0" and 142, his muscle mass would only support ~2:07:40...that's simply not provably true. With all due respect, I think you're getting too wrapped up in your numbers.

Although some of those guys are probably slightly shorter than what you listed like Tergat at 5'11.5", you are right they are lighter than the formula predicts. You'll note that those you listed as well as those you can add to the list will primarily be East African. It's not atypical for East Africans to have legs that are slightly, but still statistically significant, longer than most populations. Those you listed were likely below 5% bodyfat at race weight too, most certainly Tergat who looks like a completely different man nowadays.

The rare European-descent guys you can add to the list, like Ritz, tend to have careers riddled with injury problems. Too much stress on the connective and structural tissues relative to the muscle IMO.

To be sure, I'm not getting caught up in the numbers, they are just a guideline. If the performance is where you want it to be and the health/longevity is there, then don't change a thing! Same for someone like Priscah Jeptoo, who's form has come under much scrutiny. Who cares about her form being "bad" if she's crushing it and is healthy, don't change a thing!

Again, it's just a guideline or resource to consider. For those who have hit plateaus, aren't running well, having injury problems, etc. they can take a step back and see if they have less mass than it normally takes to run a certain time, or if they have more than the required mass it typically takes to run a certain time (a la Nick Symmonds). If they fall outside the hi/low range they could consider the option of changing their body composition if their diet, training, sleep, etc. has otherwise been very good and consistent for sometime.

He's run crap for the past couple of years this is no different despite trying to convince himself otherwise in training

Xfit_guy_the_real_1 wrote:

Let me WEIGH in (pun intended).

Yes, Ryan Hall is ridiculously SCRAWNY but so is Meb Keflezki and the other Kenyans.

I said it before, you might as well give the medal to the SKINNIEST guy before the race.

Marathon running has become a joke. A bunch of weak men with eating disorders trying to "battle" it out. Just sad. Pathetic.

^you're the only reason I come on this site anymore. I love your posts

Ryan Hall is annoying as f*ck, irrelevant, dumb, and unhealthy. He needs to just stop

Not_The_Real_XFit_Guy wrote:

Meb's pre-race diet

In the morning his wife makes him himbasha. It’s traditional bread, and he will eat that with some all-natural honey on it, and they also have a tea that they make. Sometimes he’ll dip the bread in the tea. He’s an endurance athlete, so he needs carbohydrates and the himbasha is a very good source of that.

Before he goes to bed he’ll have a warm glass of milk and sometimes some more himbasha.

That explains how him basha the field on Monday.

Yep.

But it's probably more the lack of training/fitness than body fat %.