Since no one has been able to describe what they claim are better training methods and HS athletes are also showing this stunning improvement and the drop in times happens to correlate with the “super shows”, then, there is only 1 conclusion. ITS THE SHOES, and factor in the “super tracks”
There's another conclusion. More drugs. Better than shoes.
Since no one has been able to describe what they claim are better training methods and HS athletes are also showing this stunning improvement and the drop in times happens to correlate with the “super shows”, then, there is only 1 conclusion. ITS THE SHOES, and factor in the “super tracks”
There's another conclusion. More drugs. Better than shoes.
They are right - it’s mostly the shoes. Unless you’re proposing that US runners started doping at the exact same time as the shoes. In 2019 there was nothing unique or special about US distance running. It is a combination of both, but things really took off after 2020.
I think Jakob paved the way by showing that African elites were not unbeatable. That combined with significant advancements in training knowledge that are being applied at the high school and NCAA level is how you get to where we are today.
Its mostly drugs. Theyre all on something,and in the u.s they start in high school.Their sprinters have been juiced for decades,and now its their distance runners. Win at all cost mentality.
I think Jakob paved the way by showing that African elites were not unbeatable. That combined with significant advancements in training knowledge that are being applied at the high school and NCAA level is how you get to where we are today.
Its mostly drugs. Theyre all on something,and in the u.s they start in high school.Their sprinters have been juiced for decades,and now its their distance runners. Win at all cost mentality.
I dont think theyll ever get caught either,and if they did,positive results would get swept under the rug.
Peptides are more available now than ever... I personally don't think that is what is facilitating the gains but if I had to take a guess what cheaters use this would be it. Peptides have really taken off in the last 5years. I think for the majority of the elites it is a combination of:
Technology allowing athletes to run faster in training and races. This same technology allows for the impact to be less on the body. Which allows for more intensity and volume during training cycle. The outcome is high quality racing.
Better Training Methodologies in general
Enhanced Recovery Techniques
Enhanced Fueling, recovery, and performance supplements
there are a lot of hacks now, and a basic understanding of training components and recovery, and the mental aspect as well, back in the day you had your coach, and maybe some family member that wasn't of negative value.
there are a lot of hacks that really work
nutraceuticals, peptides which are amino acid chains, so amino acid combinations them selves with other nutrients have an anabolic and tissue building effect,
nicotine patch for example, boosts testosterone significantly, and is also a powerful nutraceutical, which has nothing to do with tobacco, who's carcenons come from additive and combustion byproducts.
then there is a vast array of herbals, glandulars, etc etc. which are soft drug in effect, but very effect.
Grant Fisher’s kick went from a notable weakness on an otherwise talented athlete to literally the best in the world (among 5k/10k guys). In the space of about a year.
Then it isn't the explanation for a sudden change in performances.
Drugs aren't new, so why would they be the explanation for sudden changes in performance?
Let me guess: there are new and different drugs. Maybe the same could be said about threshold training. There are new and different ways to implement it.
Drugs might explain some performances for some runners, but it's not the only explanation.
Also, these aren't sudden changes. Guys have been working at this for years.
Its baking soda!!!!! Attention teachers and students, the running community has lost its mind. Bi carb is god damn baking soda which we have known about for decades.
Who is this Armstronglivs character? where is he from? Is he angry because wherever he’s from has no runners of note right now? The way he makes post after post reveals a very obsessive personality. Strange.
My guess is that heavier boned European men get more benefits from the super shoes than wafer thin Africans.
You guessed wrong. The studies have shown that the foam in super shoes provides greater benefit to women, than men, due to being lighter on average. Lighter people get better energy return.
They may get better energy return but supposedly the super shoes help reduce impact forces so heavier runners don't beat their legs up so much. That may allow them to recover quicker and train more/harder than they could wearing regular shoes.
It seems like super spikes especially may be helping the "heavier boned" runners more than super road shoes. We have those 'heavier boned' runners doing really well in the longer track races for the first time in many year. They are not doing so relatively well on the roads as they are on the track.
Many elements to consider though. Africans may be skipping the track for relatively better chances to win money on the roads.
I'm a collegiate coach in the U.S. and don't believe there's some sort of wide spread doping thing going on. If there is, then it's reached the HS level, right!? I mean, more HS kids are running much faster than a few used to in past years. I honestly feel like there are a number of reasons for what we're seeing. The first thing that comes to mind is Training. More HS and college coaches know what top level runners (like Jakob) are doing to run Fast, and they're implementing similar training w/ their kids. With a greater number of HS coaches around the country training their kids at a high level, you have a lot more young kids running fast. As these kids reach the NCAA system, then the NCAA also gets faster (trickle up system?). Sticking with the training theme.. there's NO doubt that more college coaches are implementing advanced training systems as well. So many teams are doing double workout days now. Just look at UNC for example. If you were to ask their coach (Milt) how his training now compares to what he was prescribing when he was at Stanford (when Fisher was there) I'm sure he'd tell you it's changed quite a bit. Look at what the Wake coach is doing w/ double T's weekly. I'm sure this has changed quite a bit since his earlier days of coaching. I've heard top level DI coaches also talk about what it's taking to be successful in today's NCAA (Basically pro's coming over from overseas) and that pushing the envelope w/ prescribing training that it's taking to be competitive in this new landscape. Of course this is also leading to what seems like an increase in injuries to top level runners, who are having to take more chances with their training to keep up. Spikes have also helped of course, but to just imply that more people are running faster now because of drugs is just a cop-out answer in my eyes... unless you think all these HS kids are on them as well.
There's a non-zero chance drugs are making an impact.
However, for the sake of argument, let's assume there are no drugs. I think you're alluding to something here that may make sense (in addition to shoes and other factors): better training and more belief that super fast times can be had at a middle school and high school age.
Think about football. There were some good QBs in the past. Your Dan Marinos, Joe Montanas and Steve Youngs. And yes, schemes and rule changes have helped pass offenses tremendously. But perhaps the No. 1 reason is the transformation of the private coaching and the intensity of development among middle school and high school QBs.
About 15 years ago, QBs started getting to college leaps and bounds more developed than they did previously (and took that systematic leap in a pretty short period of time).
Seems like high school performances have gotten so much more competitive in the last 10 years. That has to have some sort of upstream impact, yeah?
You see soccer players in Europe succeed so well because they're identified and very focused from a very young age. I think that's at least one element of East African success long-term, the hyper focus in masse from a young age.
Not saying it's the only factor. But I believe the intense progression at the pre-collegiate level has at least something to do with it.
The shoes are probably the biggest factor. We are now reaching 5+ years of them being available to everyone. The worked in Marathons because they didn't beat the legs nearly as badly. Race times dropped immediately. But the cumulative effect of training in shoes that allow faster recovery makes runners do more / harder workouts without injury. Do that a few years and the effect is big. It is close in effect to doping.
Bicarb, peptides, etc are helping. Unknown how much.
Where there is money there is always cheating. It is entirely possible there is s new EPO type drug that is easy to get, but for me that is pure speculation.
The shoes are probably the biggest factor. We are now reaching 5+ years of them being available to everyone. The worked in Marathons because they didn't beat the legs nearly as badly. Race times dropped immediately. But the cumulative effect of training in shoes that allow faster recovery makes runners do more / harder workouts without injury. Do that a few years and the effect is big. It is close in effect to doping.
Bicarb, peptides, etc are helping. Unknown how much.
Where there is money there is always cheating. It is entirely possible there is s new EPO type drug that is easy to get, but for me that is pure speculation.
What kind of peptides are there? Never heard of them.
The shoes are probably the biggest factor. We are now reaching 5+ years of them being available to everyone. The worked in Marathons because they didn't beat the legs nearly as badly. Race times dropped immediately. But the cumulative effect of training in shoes that allow faster recovery makes runners do more / harder workouts without injury. Do that a few years and the effect is big. It is close in effect to doping.
Bicarb, peptides, etc are helping. Unknown how much.
Where there is money there is always cheating. It is entirely possible there is s new EPO type drug that is easy to get, but for me that is pure speculation.
Re: “Where there is money there is always cheating.” - Poor countries cheat as much as rich countries