If you were Canada's Reid Coolsaet - would you focus on the Olympics or go for the 40-year old Canadian record?

edward teach wrote:

He should run the olympics, then Dubai. Rio in the winter will be fast. Dubai is a record worthy course. The only matter is if Coolaset is in shape to break the record or not, my brain tells me he won't quite get it.

Dubai is a great idea. The problem is in Dubai and many races no one tries to run 2;09. I wonder how much it would cost to get a couple of kenyans to run 2:10 pace for 35k.

LOL, I interpreted the title to mean he was going for the master's record!

As many before me have agreed, no way he should pass up the Olympics, if even just to be a part of the 2016 Olympic "experience". Owning the Canadian national record would be cool, but it is less certain and not all that relevant at the current level the bar is set. Also, as many have said, he will still have opportunities to get it after the Olympics, but the 2016 Olympics will never happen again.

Coolsaet has already been to the Olympics. People hardly noticed.

Let all the people going for 2:04-2:06 fly out in front of you. Run your race, with the psychological advantage of knowing there will be guys falling back to you by 30K.

2011 in Boston, Desi did just that. Ran her race, picked up the pieces of everyone but Cherop and Kilel blowing up and nearly won the race. Obviously, at Dubai not everyone is going to blow up, but the psychological advantage of cruising by a bunch of people late in the race could easily keep Reid Coolsaet from letting up.

howie wrote:

Dylan Wykes posts all of his workouts on Strava and whoever made the point that he could step up and take the Canadian record the week after Coolsaet finally breaks it also has a point. Wykes put in a training block in NM in the fall and was crushing some incredible workouts and long runs.

Flagstaff isn't in NM guy

He's just finishing up a 2 month injury. Wykes has been injured a lot as well.

So just making it to the starting line is a hard enough task. Running 4:57 a mile for 26 miles is another story.

former canuck runner wrote:

Kiprop is facing the same deal with the WR and he also chose the Olympics.

He's making the right choice.

Not really the same situation. If Kiprop is in WR shape, he can run that a few weeks out from the olympics and still win Gold.

Depending on which he does, Coolsaet could break down his body so badly that he can't come back and accomplish the other feat. We have seen it before in great marathoners... one GREAT US marathoners especially... cough cough

two time Olympian wrote:

Coolsaet has already been to the Olympics. People hardly noticed.

I'd be less concerned with people noticing me than having an opportunity to be part of another Olympic experience.

The marathon is the most unpredictable event of all…

Knowing this, if I was Reid Coolsaet, I would go for the Canadian record in London. If at halfway or sometime later he felt the record was out of the question he could pack it in and chalk it up as a hard training effort. If he gets it or comes very close to it then there's plenty of time to bounce back until August and the Olympics and it would also be a boost in confidence.

One other thing is that to be relevant (Top 5) at the Olympics he needs to beat 3 Kenyans, 3 Ethiopians, 3 Eritrean, 3 Japanese, etc… To go for the record he only has to beat himself. I would say he has a better chance of taking down the record than to be relevant at the Olympics.

On an unrelated note, interesting that Reid and ultra stud Rob Krar both grew up in the same area and are running great in the twilight of their careers. You'd think growing up with that steel town air would limit their longevity.

I would do both! IMHO Reid is not running out of time THAT fast - in fact he ran his PB last year. Aging like fine wine, so do both, Reid!

Moreca$hthantheLames wrote:

Why not just run 209 for the record at the Olympics and medal in the process? If he breaks the record, it likely won't last even half as long as Draytons mark anyways.

This is the obvious solution.

Thinking outside the yurt wrote:

[quote]Moreca$hthantheLames wrote:

Why not just run 209 for the record at the Olympics and medal in the process? If he breaks the record, it likely won't last even half as long as Draytons mark anyways.

This is the obvious solution.

So, Rio is a nice cool dry place conducive to fast times?

And how did Reid do in the warm/humid air of London?

usapride wrote:

howie wrote:

Dylan Wykes posts all of his workouts on Strava and whoever made the point that he could step up and take the Canadian record the week after Coolsaet finally breaks it also has a point. Wykes put in a training block in NM in the fall and was crushing some incredible workouts and long runs.

Flagstaff isn't in NM guy

The horror. I was thinking Albuquerque when I posted that, but indeed it was Flagstaff. I apologize to the town of Flagstaff and the entire state of Arizona for any offense this oversight may have caused.

Thinking outside the yurt wrote:

Moreca$hthantheLames wrote:

Why not just run 209 for the record at the Olympics and medal in the process? If he breaks the record, it likely won't last even half as long as Draytons mark anyways.

This is the obvious solution.

Agreed. Actual chances of medaling are practically zero, so take off at Canada Record pace and don't worry about everyone else.

rafarafa wrote:

To go for the record he only has to beat himself. .

Drayton would dispute that.

Who is this again?

i have run a marathon wrote:

former canuck runner wrote:

Kiprop is facing the same deal with the WR and he also chose the Olympics.

He's making the right choice.

Not really the same situation. If Kiprop is in WR shape, he can run that a few weeks out from the olympics and still win Gold.

It's a similar situation. A WR mile run can sap your running for good.

Webb may have put too much into his AR run and never ran as well after.

Komen never ran near his peak when he set his WR's at slightly longer distances.

Don't underestimate the toll a maxed out mile run can take on your system.

how about focus on staying healthy. if he does he can successful at both. he's had a lot of injuries

I think the record will go down soon, guys like Mo ahmed and Cam levins will eventually make the jump to marathon just like coldneck did