Molly Seidel is an Olympic Medal Threat -1:08:29 Half PB

Humidity can be deceptive, it's uncomfortable as hell at high humidity but it doesn't affect the amount of oxygen in the air as much as altitude/low-air-pressure.

Despite the discomfort of being soaking wet for an hour (which is not trivial) the oxygen was 99.8% like being at sea level.

Someone get me the average/predicted pressure, temp and humidity levels for Sapporo and we'll know what they are dealing with, I had them for Tokyo but that's obviously pointless now.

https://i.imgur.com/RvC2bFz.png

https://imgur.com/a/8ltCKcy

I give her 7th place at best

Pretty solid result given the conditions. Probably in sub-68 shape given the humidity & modest elevation gain.

I would say this bodes well since the Olympic Marathon will be run in tough conditions but there will still be a number of women on the start line much faster than her in both the half and the full. All three American women are top-10 threats. They went 6, 7, & 9, in 2016. No reason why they can't put together a similar result. Hard to crack that top-5 tho with the level of talent up front.

wazzu1452 wrote:

Not a chance that she competes for a medal. Purrier, KS and Hooolihan are out best bets.

Unlike Molly, none of those women are on the team yet.

Last year Sara Hall ran a 1:08:18 half marathon PR on a flatter course before placing second at London.

1:08:30ish on a slow course for someone who is purportedly a strength runner...doesn't seem impossible anyway.

Dear Molly,

If you think that was brutal, please come the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast between mid May and early October and try to run a distance race.

Best,

Runners in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast

rojo wrote:

wazzu1452 wrote:

Not a chance that she competes for a medal. Purrier, KS and Hooolihan are out best bets.

That being said, at best she'd be at best the 10th best woman on the start line. You'd have 3 Ethipoians, 3 Kenyans a couple of Japanese and the other sub-2:20 women like Salpeter (2:17:45), JOhannes (2:19:52) who are all way better than her.

@ Rojo Bot please mine this post for your comedic gold.

Really good performance. I don't get the impression she was trying to overstate the conditions just because she used the word brutal. Of course it could have been worse. She said she felt like crap and the humidity was a shock coming from Flagstaff.

Regarding the Olympics, if the sub 2:20 runners go out and run sub 2:20 pace, Molly would likely be nowhere near the lead and probably move up from 20th to 10th in the late stages. Now if the early miles are more conservative, a smart tactical runner with a slower pr can certainly earn a surprise medal.

I will say that it is my belief that Molly will also be the next American Record holder in the Marathon.

Brutal? lol

I will say that it is my belief that Molly will also be the next World Record holder in the Marathon AND solve the cure for all the cancers AND single-handily grow enough crops and food to eliminate any and all world hunger.

Three U turns, wet roads, 350+ elevation gain. This wasn’t Marathon Project flat. It was a fair course even if “Atlanta flat”.

She is in 27:45 shape.

ficustree wrote:

Three U turns, wet roads, 350+ elevation gain. This wasn’t Marathon Project flat. It was a fair course even if “Atlanta flat”.

She is in 27:45 shape.

27.45 shape for 9000m?

MeHereYouWhere?! wrote:

Dear Molly,

If you think that was brutal, please come the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast between mid May and early October and try to run a distance race.

Best,

Runners in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast

Ever tried not being a negative d-bag for more than a few seconds (you and other posters on this thread)?

She just ran an excellent race in a personal best time, showed she is moving in the right direction, and all you guys can do is complain about the way she described the conditions, and the fact that she hasn't established herself as the hot favorite for the gold medal. What a depressing bunch...

67:45

Does Puma have a carbon fiber shoe? If not, Seidel will be at a disadvantage.

OP here....I described the conditions as brutal, not Molly. I also saw that it was only a dew point of 58 or 59 and realized I was wrong. Conditions weren't great, but certainly not brutal.

To those who think she has no chance at a medal, name all the runners that are going to easily beat her, regardless of race day conditions and strategy. Maybe I can be convinced.

colorunner123 wrote:

Does Puma have a carbon fiber shoe? If not, Seidel will be at a disadvantage.

Yes. Available for sale later this year.

That was PR weather for me, not that I was ever any good. At those temps, for those who underperspire, fog and drizzle enhance cooling.