Let's do two comparisons of the same athlete:
1992 (age 18)
height--5'7"
weight--147
BMI--23.07
Shoes: New Balance ($80-100)
Coach: High school coach
PEDs: None
fastest road 5K time: 19:56
2015 (age 41)
height--5'8"
weight--168
BMI--25.6
Shoes: Walmart brandless lightweight shoe ($10)
Coach: Self-coached
PEDs: None
fastest road 5K time in same race: 19:35 (followed by a 20:42, 21:40, and 23:11) in a 4 5K circuit race that day [3/29/15])
The question is this. If so much money is put into science and engineering of new shoes, new formulas and newfangled training methodology, then why is it that the self can transcend all of that when it comes to race times?
To add to this, let's look at all my times in this same race from 2006-now.
2006-24:39
2007:23:53
2008:21:04
2009:21:36
2010:22:29
2011: DNR
2012:20:59
2013:20:31
2014:21:04
2015:19:35
What is it? Is it really science, or is science just bunk?