J. Wightman vs J. Ingebrigtsen Training

Thank you to these professional athletes that have provided some insight into their training.

Thank you for the recent post-race interview of Jakob that added additional insight:

Thank you to Sweat Elite for the recent training video of Jake:

One is a 5000 guy, for good sake he has a 12:48 800 and has won Euro XC. The other guy is much more like a 800/1500 guy. One has a 1:46 800 PB and the other is like a 1:43(?) 800 PB. So of course they're going train different.

True, but some 800/1500 guys, Snell being the classic example, can lean more into the Quantity Camp, vs. Coe, being in the Quality Camp.

As an aside to this training discussion, Wightman says he is planning to run the 3000m at the upcoming New Balance GrandPrix!

Wightman ran multiple 3000m races last year and has been bumping-up his volume gradually. Coe often gets used as an example of a low mileage guy but in reality his volume was much closer to Jakob’s than people think.

I think your last statement is patently false. It wasn’t until the latter stages of his career, when entertaining the possibility of racing the 5000m, that Coe bumped mileage. He typically topped out at 90km/week during his best years, which is half of Jakob’s peak volume.

What I think is cool is the long term development. Both coached by their fathers and their training system grows with them over time.

Kind of like Kipchoge being with Sang for years and years.

I know the NCAA system doesn’t lend itself to this but it would be cool to see more people sticking with their college coaches.

Except that they are starting all over with their College coach (unlike the afore mentioned Coe and Ingebrigsten). Be just as well going back to their parent (if that is the case) or HS school coach if they are more of a club coach. But the resources for either could be limited, as well as potential training partners.

Many College coaches don't want to continue with their post-college athletes as that isn't what they are paid to do, there are restrictions on when and how they can coach athletes as it is, and College coaching/recruiting is time-consuming as it is. Contracts for sponsorship are often tied to a training/coaching situation.

Have done that this year with an athlete who needed to reignite his career - coached him in HS, went to College (reasonably successful), then to a pro group that wasn't developmental for him. Back this year with me to move up in distance and secure a better contract for next year in the new event - accomplished. New coach for him going forward, but will get to train with a world-class guy (and buddy) as a a training partner and get paid for it. Win-win as far I am concerned.

And your source for that is...?

Did Peter Coe say the following, in one of his books?:

“The 5K pace is golden. It eradicates the need for big mileage” – Peter Coe.

Because if that is true, then possibly there is a clue.

So the Brits/UK had three athletes on the start line of the men’s Tokyo Olympics 1500m Final, and two athletes on the start line of the 2023 World Championship 1500m Final. I wonder which of those athletes can trace back their training philosophy, at least in part, to the British Milers and/or Serpentine Run Club?

Edit: “…to the British Milers and/or Serpentine Run Club…and the “5 Pace Training” system, or is the latter, or at least the name of it, out of vogue?

The training has made Ingebrigsten. The talent has made wightman. If goes to show there are two ways to the top.

Wightman’s name is triggering. It sounds like literally J*nuary 6, “wh*te m*n”

alright coach, so what do you think Wightman would be running if he were training like Ingebrigtsen? how about any other top 15 miler? faster than Jakob?

then why don't they do it?

Talent that woke at age 28.

So European junior champion means nothing to you?

I think your questions are at the crux of assessing what training is best for an individual, in terms of what works for their ultimate potential. The answers are not fleshed out enough with actual data.

Genetically, because his parents were marathoners, Wightman might very be ‘slow-twitch’. But his Dad, recognized the importance of developing, emphasizing and maintaining the speed component in young Jake’s training.

“There is more than one way to skin the cat”. However, Peter Coe, likely due to influence from Horwill, felt speed was sacrificed with too much non-pace mileage.

This topic could engender deep discussion.

Marius Bakken, who is one of the few people who has actually seen Seb´s logs (he was coached by Peter Coe early in his career).

What the hell does that mean? Are you saying that if Wightman had trained like Ingebrigtsen he would have run much faster?