Did Kipchoge just copy Yuki? Ran a fast first mile to drain Mo.
Did Kipchoge just copy Yuki? Ran a fast first mile to drain Mo.
notrump wrote:
There's something else. The race commentators regularly ridiculed Yuki's racing tactics during the course of the race. They never said "Oh. Maybe this is a tactic Yuki uses to demoralize his opponents by demonstrating his strength and their weakness." After his winning race he gets to say to the world that he's not such an idiot after all. I think we can forgive him if his post-race story has been polished a bit.
And what was Rupp's post-race narrative/excuse: he succumbed to the ever-present asthma and also hypothermia. True to some extent, but the killing blow for Rupp was probably the mental aspect - he realized he was up against a stronger runner and had no chance of winning, or even coming close to winning.
I think, yes, he planned the race and raced the plan. The diff? His worked out.
*Everyone* had a plan, but not everyone had the appropriate calories, clothes or mental perseverance.
Rupp was broken at some point. Why was Yuki *not* broken by Kirui's "insurmountable lead" (according to the announcers)?
Just. Keep. Going. versus "I can't keep going."
Luck is just the intersection of preparation and opportunity. Oh, and guts (or, in U.S./Letsrun terms: "pure hate").
Runfasterpleasesir wrote:
Us thinking he was cueing off Rupp is American egocentrism at its best.
??????
Yuki actually said those words. How is that American egocentrism? My guess is you are just another self-loathing American that is convinced you should feel guilt for being white.
Holy Crap. Whoever crosses the finish line first usually wins the race!
rojo wrote:
You must read this pace by Brett Larner who is Kawauchi's agent and translator. Go and read every single word right now.
It gives you behind the scenes access and is the best piece I've read all year. Kawauchi's 4:37 all was part of a crazy elaborate plan.
Brett Larner wrote:
Addressing the course, the weather, different tactics in his preparations, what was left for Kawauchi to face was the most daunting obstacle, the competition. Defending champ and London world champion Geoffrey Kirui. Silver medalist Tamirat Tola. A long list of Africans far faster than he’ll ever run. But above all, one name. Galen Rupp.
It was never spoken between us, but we both knew it was all about Rupp. An Olympic medalist, the runner-up last year who ironed out the flaws to win Chicago with a mind-blowing last 10 km. The product of Salazar, the Nike machine and all its financial and technological clout. The core reason for the Nike Oregon Project’s existence. Saitama governor Ueda had called Kawauchi the Rocky of the marathon world after his breakthrough in 2011. This was Rocky IV. How could one runner with no coach, no sponsors, no budget, no technology, a full-time job, go about overcoming someone so much more powerful?
By using his head. Looking at Rupp’s marathons to date and those of his teammate Suguru Osako, taken all together it became clear that the NOP only had one approach: exert the minimum effort possible until 30~32 km and then just do it. Sit and kick. Sit and kick. Sit and kick. That was all they had, and it seemed pretty clearly telegraphed that Rupp would kick off Heartbreak for the win. If you could just neutralize that last 10 km they had nothing. The only question was how. ...
“Concentrating only on Rupp was the best approach I could take,” Kawauchi said. “It kept me from getting distracted by all the others.” Over the middle stage of the race through 25 km Kawauchi made a series of surges to keep the pace moving whenever it slowed beyond his liking, refusing to let Rupp and the others rest and conserve energy in the cold. “I couldn’t let them get comfortable,” he said. As expected Rupp stayed in the pack whatever its pace, never seeming to exert himself. But on Kawauchi’s last surge the pack splintered, and among those who couldn’t keep up was Rupp.
Read it now:
http://japanrunningnews.blogspot.com/2018/04/how-it-happened.html
Just grow up
Virtual being the operative word here. Virtual..simulated, not real.
Personally I think Yuki's surges were all very well thought out/met and all and ultimately served their purpose
I don't think for a second that Yuki knew he was going to win, just that he would put himself in the best possible scenario where it could happen [much like every.single.other race he does]
Yes it worked, and sure, the surges in the first half of the race were clearly performed by Yuki to keep the race from becoming one he could not win vs the various speedsters in the field--so he had to run the kick out of them through the surges--just like any other race really.
Is it awesome that it worked out? Absolutely. But lets not pretend this was 3d chess or something. He ran a hot first mile, threw in some surges to keep it honest, and then like everyone else watched Kurui launch a relentless attack on the field that was just a bit unsustainable for him otherwise the entire field was playing for 2nd.
jdbb wrote:
Kawauchi runs the same way in every race - basically as fast as he can as evenly as possible. He looks like he's surging, but he's not. When splits are fast, the course is downhill. When he goes to the front, it's because everyone has slowed down. Rupp's tactics would've been completely unaffected by any fluctuations in pace. The only part of Larner's quote was Rupp's plan - sit in the pack at whatever the pace may be and use his track prowess with 10 km to go.
I love Kawauchi, but the myth behind the legend is ridiculous. Survival of the fattest. Fat Bekele would've blown his doors off.
this doesnt make sense when he went out at 2:01 pace