Well, at least he made it. Better luck next time.
I do wonder, though, how a 24yo 800m runner ever gets into a position where he needs to work on his endurance/stamina. What did he do in the two (ten) years before the race?
So, he does some standard 4/8 sort of workout. And he did 13:56 of running at 3:14/km pace. Big deal. More than likely, he hasn't built enough base over the years to actually benefit properly from such workouts. This is his approach:
"A typical easy day for Loxsom consists of a 60-minute run on soft surfaces, usually at 6:50-7:15 per mile pace—or even slower if he’s feeling a little rough around the edges.
I don’t get baited into fast runs too often,” Loxsom admits, “but if I’m feeling especially tired, I’ll often opt to run with the women’s team on easy days.
Mackey says he’ll also have Loxsom do “something fast”—but not a full workout—three times a week in addition to his easy runs so he’s never too far removed from the high-speed demands of world class middle-distance running.
He also pays works on his running form multiple times a week, regularly doing a series of drills and short sprints on the track in addition to his more traditional speed workouts.
“If it the goal for Cas is to recover, he recovers,” Mackey says. “If the goal is to run all out until he pukes, he’s done that too.”
Cas, you need to get 'baited into' doing some proper endurance work. A teenager who's paid attention to aerobic development could smoke you on a bread-and-butter run. You don't have the benefit of getting your 'base' from micro-dosing EPO like the Tukas, Kitums, and Amoses of this world. And get a new coach-someone who understands that the 800m is still over 60% aerobic.
Note that Kyle Langford, the 19yo prodigy highlighted on the front page, also 'bombed'. Same problem-great speed, no endurance. One trip to Kenya isn't going to fix that.
Alex Rowe-same problem. Snell still faster on grass a million years ago. Jeff Risely has more chance of breaking the Oceania record. He qualified, BTW.