uu.uuu wrote:
flying finn wrote:
I think the pacing does good work for externalising the pain you go through and translates well in a marathon.
Can you please elaborate on this idea?
Sure, on a similar way to how Desi pulled through a Boston win by waiting for Shalane, I think the activity of pacing makes running, and running fast more than just about your training. I personally think externalises your objectives and takes some pressure and stress off yourself in the mental game all the while still being in the zone for running fast. Not many elites do this - keep in mind Bashir did this after he won a Tokyo, a marathon major, so even though he'd kind of unknown, he runs well, that's pretty rare to see a major winner to be a pacer months after winning. I found it surprising he did it so close to Tokyo where Farah didn't even pull through an olympics qualification, but I think it helped to balance some stress for the olympic marathon, and think of more goals than just his own especially on a tough race day. It's clear he's there to run his best race possible but also support his teammates, and friends. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I think it helped break down some stress, and it's the reason I put him as a top three contender.