For comparison, around 8:40 of this 2021 NCAA XC video give a pretty good look from the side at Valby pre Arc Trainer days. I will let others interpret things.
Watch the entirety of the 2021 DI women's NCAA cross country championship. BYU's Whittni Orton takes home the individual championship in the 6K with a time o...
Is everyone aware that she also runs on the track? Do people who use arc trainer suddenly start walking differently?
Valbys form varies from some ill defined "perfect form" a little. But absolutely no more than many others including cranny who leans back at least as much as PV. Valby has beautiful stride with a little upright lean of torso. Karissa had crazier form for awhile.
Its been proven 1000s of times in world medals that there is no standard for form.
What are you all worked up about. The people on this thread have said that whatever she has done is working for her. They’ve just speculated that the arc training has caused her to have a different running form due to it working different muscles. You’re the one that’s putting a negative spin on it.
No, a notable few were already canceling her 5K future because they THINK that she has “bad form” and/or doesn’t (and will never?) have a sufficient kick.
In other words standard LRC (and human) idiocy. And then when some push back, it’s claimed, “No one was being (excessively) critical !!” BS.
As stated, the most successful distance season in history, times that suggest that upper level world class times are to come, and beaten by only 3 pros. But morons come and give their grim and ignorant analysis and “advice” and forecasting.
Got a sorta crazy theory coming up here... if Valby were to train for and race shorter distances she might develop some of the top end speed she reportedly lacks. Not training for/racing anything below a 3k for 4 years without previously developing top end speed will do that to you. Many of the other top women in the 10k do this. That being said, she shouldn't change anything big, she's probably a low 14:40s runner in college for goodness sake.
She is quite a mechanical and almost wooden runner. She also seems to have no ability to change pace let alone kick. Her ability to maintain her cadence in a metronomic fashion works for her at a collegiate and university level but not it seems at a top national level. She reminds me of Gidey but as a lesser version, like a "mini me".
The marathon is in her future. One problem: she can't train like a marathoner.
Her form is different but her desire to get better is worth it and paid off. And now she has something more to learn and that’s drafting. She’s now running in a class of women that can match her pace and running up front she’ll only be a pacer. She may not like running behind someone but it’s time for her to make another change in her race strategy to be successful at the pro level. So now I’ll be watching to see how she learns how to win at the pro level.
Her form is different but her desire to get better is worth it and paid off. And now she has something more to learn and that’s drafting. She’s now running in a class of women that can match her pace and running up front she’ll only be a pacer. She may not like running behind someone but it’s time for her to make another change in her race strategy to be successful at the pro level. So now I’ll be watching to see how she learns how to win at the pro level.
She doesn't currently have the tools for alternative strategies to be effective at pro level. Against college athletes she run a faster second half, make a long run for home, or whatever, but against the pros, many who are moving up from shorter distance, running in the pack means a slower pace, means more runners with a faster finish still in contact.
She exercised that option very well in the 5000m. If she's recovered from that and her earlier efforts at the NCAAs the 10000m could be interesting as it contains a pro with a similar style in Weini Kelati, who also wants a strong pace if she is going to try and win (from an Olympic qualifying standpoint Kelati is the only one with the time, although others have the ranking, and she might not want to make the race fast). It's possible though, that at some point Valby gets to try and hang on to Kelati.
If she continues to develop, at some point Valby may have other options: a hard breakaway lap; a strong negative split; a long run for home; or she may just get to a point where her metronome pace breaks the field in domestic competition, just as it has in college.
Her form is different but her desire to get better is worth it and paid off. And now she has something more to learn and that’s drafting. She’s now running in a class of women that can match her pace and running up front she’ll only be a pacer. She may not like running behind someone but it’s time for her to make another change in her race strategy to be successful at the pro level. So now I’ll be watching to see how she learns how to win at the pro level.
She doesn't currently have the tools for alternative strategies to be effective at pro level. Against college athletes she run a faster second half, make a long run for home, or whatever, but against the pros, many who are moving up from shorter distance, running in the pack means a slower pace, means more runners with a faster finish still in contact.
She exercised that option very well in the 5000m. If she's recovered from that and her earlier efforts at the NCAAs the 10000m could be interesting as it contains a pro with a similar style in Weini Kelati, who also wants a strong pace if she is going to try and win (from an Olympic qualifying standpoint Kelati is the only one with the time, although others have the ranking, and she might not want to make the race fast). It's possible though, that at some point Valby gets to try and hang on to Kelati.
If she continues to develop, at some point Valby may have other options: a hard breakaway lap; a strong negative split; a long run for home; or she may just get to a point where her metronome pace breaks the field in domestic competition, just as it has in college.
She can improve if he runs more. She’s at 30-40 mpw now? That needs to be 40-50 mpw. Keep the arc trainer workouts, but instead of that day of 2 x arc trainer with no running, run 8 miles in the morning and do the 60 min arc trainer in the afternoon. The long run needs to be an actual long run, not the arc trainer.
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She doesn't currently have the tools for alternative strategies to be effective at pro level. Against college athletes she run a faster second half, make a long run for home, or whatever, but against the pros, many who are moving up from shorter distance, running in the pack means a slower pace, means more runners with a faster finish still in contact.
She exercised that option very well in the 5000m. If she's recovered from that and her earlier efforts at the NCAAs the 10000m could be interesting as it contains a pro with a similar style in Weini Kelati, who also wants a strong pace if she is going to try and win (from an Olympic qualifying standpoint Kelati is the only one with the time, although others have the ranking, and she might not want to make the race fast). It's possible though, that at some point Valby gets to try and hang on to Kelati.
If she continues to develop, at some point Valby may have other options: a hard breakaway lap; a strong negative split; a long run for home; or she may just get to a point where her metronome pace breaks the field in domestic competition, just as it has in college.
She can improve if he runs more. She’s at 30-40 mpw now? That needs to be 40-50 mpw. Keep the arc trainer workouts, but instead of that day of 2 x arc trainer with no running, run 8 miles in the morning and do the 60 min arc trainer in the afternoon. The long run needs to be an actual long run, not the arc trainer.
Her long runs are 12-13 miles, per the RW article.
She is quite a mechanical and almost wooden runner. She also seems to have no ability to change pace let alone kick. Her ability to maintain her cadence in a metronomic fashion works for her at a collegiate and university level but not it seems at a top national level. She reminds me of Gidey but as a lesser version, like a "mini me".
The marathon is in her future. One problem: she can't train like a marathoner.
She currently isn't training like a 5K/10K runner either and it's working out for her. So you don't really know just yet.
Got a sorta crazy theory coming up here... if Valby were to train for and race shorter distances she might develop some of the top end speed she reportedly lacks. Not training for/racing anything below a 3k for 4 years without previously developing top end speed will do that to you. Many of the other top women in the 10k do this. That being said, she shouldn't change anything big, she's probably a low 14:40s runner in college for goodness sake.
Better off training to be a 14:30/30:00 runner… Kicks are mainly from fitness. Now if she is doing zero high speed stuff, sure do some. But there is no need to go crazy. realistically as a pro taking time to go run some 4:08s isn’t worth it
I expect her to work towards eventual 68-69 second laps in the 5K, and 70-71 in the 10K. She’s always gone out fast, trying to wear down the competition, including early in her college career when she would get passed late. I don’t expect that to change. It might take a few years to get to where she needs to be for this to work against the top US pros, but she’ll always be in the mix due to her remarkable consistency, as long as she stays healthy. I doubt she’ll train for the 1500.
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