why does David Roche keep banging on about being in sub-4 at altitude shape?

Regarding the earlier discussions some had about Roche’s zone 1 and 2 paces, he posted the following Instagram story referencing “lots of Z2.” 5:54 average pace over 20 miles.

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Well after David wins WSER and sets the new CR he apparently has his sights set on lowering the Leadville CR and setting a world record in… something. At least that’s what he’s banging on about this week.
In any other sport we would be questioning an athlete’s “methods” if they were suddenly in WR/CR shape in their late 30s. I guess David gets a free pass though because love, hugs and huzzah.

A dimly lit apartment, late at night. Papers, running shoes, an old LetsRun forum printout strewn across the table. PALE, disheveled, a few drinks in, paces erratically.

PALE
(Voice already raised)
You people—God, you people. You ever seen a mile? No, really, seen one? Not on a laptop screen, not on some data spreadsheet like you’re moving decimal points around like it’s Monopoly money—nah, I mean felt it, out in the air, lungs torched, eyes glassy, that little space where pain turns into poetry? No? Right, ‘course not.

(Gesturing wildly at the air, almost like he’s talking to someone who isn’t there)

And you sit here—here!—typing your little posts about watts and Zwift screenshots like you’re running a congressional hearing. “He inflated his power data,” “She’s too happy to be real,” “They’re lying about the vibes—” (Laughs, darkly) Vibes, for God’s sake. You know what real lying is? I’ll tell ya, it’s when someone tells you they love you and then they vanish like smoke out a fire escape. That’s a lie. What you people are so worked up about? That’s just the game.

(Scoffs, grabbing the forum printout, waving it)
Fifty-seven pages! Fifty-seven! You wanna know how many pages it takes to run a mile? One! One page! 1,760 feet, you go, you either do it or you don’t, and the world don’t give a care about your hot takes! But no, no, we got theater, we got scandal, we got some kinda deranged Greek chorus of anonymous keyboard assassins.

(Stops, breathes heavy, almost laughing at himself)
Man. I need a drink.

(Beat. Picks up the printout again. Squints at the screen.)
Wait—did somebody just compare this guy to Dean Karnazes?

(Shakes head, exits)

Closer to 6:00min/mile average given total elapsed time was just over 2 hours. Looks like he closed the final 0.28 miles with a "kick" at 5:08/mile pace though! Probably warmed up a bit beforehand and didn't record that mileage on Strava too since the 'first mile' was a 5:45. Just a guess though.

More importantly what kind of psycho case actually decides to go out of Gunbarrel and run a stretch on the Diagonal Hwy (CO 119) when doing a Long Run by the Boulder Res area? It's like do you want to get hit by a car again?

yeah, I mean honestly this seems like a totally accurate portrayal of his fitness, which is what a 14:25 sea level runner could do for a 20 mile long run in Boulder. He says Z2 but I see lots of Z3 in that run. He’s a decent late-30s runner for someone who picked it up in his 20s, but that is a long ways away from sub-14 or sub-4 at altitude. The issue is I think he truly equates these two levels of fitness in his mind (minus a rounding error).

Possibly an unpopular opinion, but I think I now find Megan's online schtick more obnoxious than David's. She has tried exceptionally hard to mimic his personality, and it feels like the most insincere, inauthentic pile of refuse I see on the world of wide webs. When I first met her she was very quiet and demure. Now it's all Huzzah all the time. How about another 57 pages? Let's f'ing go!

"Ah yes, the real crime here is that Megan Roche did not remain 'very quiet and demure' for the rest of her life. Imagine the audacity—she evolved, she changed, she got louder, she started expressing joy in ways that make some people uncomfortable. And now, apparently, that makes her 'obnoxious' and 'inauthentic.'

This is a textbook example of what Kaja Silverman describes as the 'dominant fiction'—the set of cultural narratives that determine who gets to embody authority and authenticity. Women who adhere to these scripts—who stay self-effacing, and unthreatening—are rewarded with acceptance.

But the moment they assert themselves, especially in a space like endurance sports, their authenticity is called into question. Megan has built an identity that rejects these constraints entirely, embracing a self that is both joyful and deeply serious about her pursuits. That’s not mimicry, that’s growth.

The discomfort with that transformation—this desperate attempt to frame her joy as a performance, rather than an earned and evolving expression of self—is telling. If it makes you uncomfortable, maybe it’s worth asking why."

Agree. A 14:45 5km runner could also probably do that 20-mile long run at 6:00 pace in super shoes and make it manageable in Zone 3. Until he actually does a track workout *OUTSIDE* of Mile repeats in the 4:30s like his ridiculous treadmill splits there is not a shred of evidence that he is in any "sub 14min 5km or sub 4-min Mile" fitness at altitude or sea level!

And yes I've heard about several former SWAP athletes complain about Megs and her antics. She is just like David! Same sort of coaching scam and disregard for actual coaching individualization and attention to detail. Apparently cheats on Zwift. Both narcissists.

This was probably a very hard run for him

There’s no way he’s in 14:25 5k shape. Maybe 10-12 years ago, but not now

A 28 flat 10k runner is able to run 20 miles at the pace he ran at that altitude at Z2, nor David roche

Oh David, you didn’t like the shots fired at Megan? Why don’t you just give up this chatbot BS and address the crowd? You might even gain a little respect if you quit hiding… but probs not.

What’s sad is that she could be practicing medicine, and helping people. Instead she’s doing whatever you want to call this nonsense.

Definitely not David - I have not read a single post by you, but I did figure you would have a response toot sweet. Thank you for not letting us down.

He ran a 14:4x or something 5k in the middle of his 16 miler yesterday.

lol what? where does this say this? There's no way this is true

Actually true. But there was like 1300 feet of downhill on that 5k stretch.

With over 1000 feet of elevation loss. Maybe his watch was uncalibrated, though. Oh wait, he uses the Strava app to show his runs so he can get all those tasty extra miles from its inherent inaccuracy, which on a trail can be quite significant. You never quite get the real picture with these clowns.