What kind of speed did Gerry Lindgren have?

Raphe wrote:

Everyone should have respect for Gerry as a runner and some sympathy for him as a human being, but yes, you should take pretty much everything he says with a lot of salt. He has made many eccentric claims on these boards over the years.

He's also very bright and really funny. It's not always easy to tell if he's being serious (more or less) or just kidding. It's also not always easy to tell if he knows whether what he's saying should be taken seriously. But he has a gentle, goofy, childlike sense of humor, and he frequently makes himself the butt of his own jokes. An interesting and unusual person.

Shoebacca wrote:

I'm willing to believe the 50x400 workout where they started a new rep every 3 minutes.

I could be wrong (the audio on my computer is out), but I thought the 50 x 440 was from a presentation on Jim Ryun's training.

The "on three minutes" was very typical of a Bob Timmons workout--very typical of a swim workout structure, and Timmy was a swim coach.

doot doot wrote:Did Lindgren run 4:01 in HS more or less as a purely aerobic beast?

no idea

Was Gerry doing 40 x 400 (440?) like Ryun

no idea

but just not naturally as gifted in the speed department?

few 1000% percent that Ryun was naturally quicker

at 18y after 3'55 on total sludge, he ran this anchor later on same sludge in damn cold weather

it's ~ 44-low at 18y if fully rested, on proper-'70s track

I'm sure it's tough to separate the BS myths from the actual "stranger than fiction" aspects of his training but I was wondering if anyone knew what he could throw down for 200/400 in training and maybe his all-out 800 potential?

it was never in same universe as Ryun

- likely ~ 44-low at 18y

- likely ~ 43-high at 20y in peak '67 coliseum or dusseldorf

Damn. Who set this one up?

HRE wrote:

Actually, he used to post here quite a few years back. He's said that he never could run under 60 seconds in an open 440 and that his best 440 times were final laps in his races. I believe, but am not certain after all these years, that he did that in the mid 50s now and again.

I think the fastest last lap he did was with Mills in the 6 mile they ran, which if I remember correctly was 58 to 60 seconds.

Carlos Lopes was another endurance prodigy, who ran 3:41.6 for 1500 meters, but never ran faster than 56 seconds for 400 meters.

ventolin ryun trigger wrote:

Damn. Who set this one up?

for ryun out loud. This thread's been ventolated.

Lindgen's overall ability was inflated by his peaking at a young age at a time when records were far outside ultimate capability.

He actually wasn't that good. Just a dramatic example of a kid ahead of his peers who people swear will be unreal when they fully mature. And then they don't get better at all.

He made an Olympic team and had a world record. That actually is quite good. All that matters is how good you are. It doesn't matter when you do it.

Even More Realistically wrote:

He made an Olympic team and had a world record. That actually is quite good. All that matters is how good you are. It doesn't matter when you do it.

To some degree. However the World rapidly moved forward in the next couple of years and despite being young enough to progress, Lindgren was stuck in the past.

Meanwhile Carlos Lopes was entering the scene at the same time and progressing with the times.

Not quite...` wrote:

HRE wrote:

Actually, he used to post here quite a few years back. He's said that he never could run under 60 seconds in an open 440 and that his best 440 times were final laps in his races. I believe, but am not certain after all these years, that he did that in the mid 50s now and again.

I think the fastest last lap he did was with Mills in the 6 mile they ran, which if I remember correctly was 58 to 60 seconds.

Carlos Lopes was another endurance prodigy, who ran 3:41.6 for 1500 meters, but never ran faster than 56 seconds for 400 meters.

I watched him outkick Jurgen May in a 5,000 in maybe 1967. It is still one of the best races I've ever seen. Lindgren lead most of the way but May passed him somewhere on the next to last lap and opened up maybe a 5-10 yard lead. But Lindgren turned it on in the last lap, re-passed May, and won by about 5-10 yards. May had the European 1500 record at 3:36 at one time and was also good at 5,000. Lindgren won many races with his kick.

Not quite...` wrote:

HRE wrote:

Actually, he used to post here quite a few years back. He's said that he never could run under 60 seconds in an open 440 and that his best 440 times were final laps in his races. I believe, but am not certain after all these years, that he did that in the mid 50s now and again.

I think the fastest last lap he did was with Mills in the 6 mile they ran, which if I remember correctly was 58 to 60 seconds.

Carlos Lopes was another endurance prodigy, who ran 3:41.6 for 1500 meters, but never ran faster than 56 seconds for 400 meters.

Too bad Lopes didn't have a 56 second last 400 in him in Montreal. He would have given Viren a real serious go.

As it was, he seemed to accept it when Viren passed him with 500 to go and he never stepped up his pace.

sky wrote:

Not quite...` wrote:

I think the fastest last lap he did was with Mills in the 6 mile they ran, which if I remember correctly was 58 to 60 seconds.

Carlos Lopes was another endurance prodigy, who ran 3:41.6 for 1500 meters, but never ran faster than 56 seconds for 400 meters.

Too bad Lopes didn't have a 56 second last 400 in him in Montreal. He would have given Viren a real serious go.

As it was, he seemed to accept it when Viren passed him with 500 to go and he never stepped up his pace.

Lopes was a realist. He knew his time would come.

HRE wrote:

Not quite...` wrote:

I think the fastest last lap he did was with Mills in the 6 mile they ran, which if I remember correctly was 58 to 60 seconds.

Carlos Lopes was another endurance prodigy, who ran 3:41.6 for 1500 meters, but never ran faster than 56 seconds for 400 meters.

I watched him outkick Jurgen May in a 5,000 in maybe 1967. It is still one of the best races I've ever seen. Lindgren lead most of the way but May passed him somewhere on the next to last lap and opened up maybe a 5-10 yard lead. But Lindgren turned it on in the last lap, re-passed May, and won by about 5-10 yards. May had the European 1500 record at 3:36 at one time and was also good at 5,000. Lindgren won many races with his kick.

Video or it never happened. If there is a video I just won't watch it and claim you made it up.

HRE argument style wrote:

I watched him outkick Jurgen May in a 5,000 in maybe 1967. It is still one of the best races I've ever seen. Lindgren lead most of the way but May passed him somewhere on the next to last lap and opened up maybe a 5-10 yard lead. But Lindgren turned it on in the last lap, re-passed May, and won by about 5-10 yards. May had the European 1500 record at 3:36 at one time and was also good at 5,000. Lindgren won many races with his kick.

Video or it never happened. If there is a video I just won't watch it and claim you made it up.[/quote]

I don't care.

Avocado's Number wrote:

Raphe wrote:

Everyone should have respect for Gerry as a runner and some sympathy for him as a human being, but yes, you should take pretty much everything he says with a lot of salt. He has made many eccentric claims on these boards over the years.

He's also very bright and really funny. It's not always easy to tell if he's being serious (more or less) or just kidding. It's also not always easy to tell if he knows whether what he's saying should be taken seriously. But he has a gentle, goofy, childlike sense of humor, and he frequently makes himself the butt of his own jokes. An interesting and unusual person.

I think Gerry trolled a lot of people and they still haven't realized it.

Never put a limit on yourself....... wrote:

Avocado's Number wrote:

He's also very bright and really funny. It's not always easy to tell if he's being serious (more or less) or just kidding. It's also not always easy to tell if he knows whether what he's saying should be taken seriously. But he has a gentle, goofy, childlike sense of humor, and he frequently makes himself the butt of his own jokes. An interesting and unusual person.

I think Gerry trolled a lot of people and they still haven't realized it.

No troll. Why don't you watch and judge for yourself my finishing speed. 38 minutes in.

My name is........Hepcat wrote:

No troll. Why don't you watch and judge for yourself my finishing speed. 38 minutes in.

Flat out sprint last 200 meters... 33 seconds.