"Cheserek, stick to the mile" El G tweets; I beg to differ.

This thread is odd. I have no idea what's going on.

Just think Chez can t even get a major sponsor despite running the second fastest indoor mile.

3hr-marathoner wrote:

rojo wrote:

...John Kellogg always talks about is how doping totally screws up our view of what proper training should be and look like.

Renato Canova has written that once or twice as well.

The funny thing about El G is that he himself may have had more success in championships as a 5000m runner. He didn't have the sharp kick of many of the best 800m/1500m guys so despite his amazing ability to put up blisteringly fast times in rabbited 1500m - 2000m races, he got out-kicked a fair amount in championships.

I think this is what El G is trying to tell Chez. Chez isn't a championship 1500/miler, but he can time trial a fast mile and 3k. Make him focus on the mile for a couple years then move up to the 5k w/ 3:28/3:29 1500m ability so he can have the kick for a championship 5k. Farah was 3:28 ability, look at him. He doesn't even need to run the 5k all year. Do like El G, run 1500's, run a 5k qualifier and for the trials and then just run it at World's/Olympics.

3hr-marathoner wrote:

The question is what is Chez' best distance? We've seen in his few losses while in college that he doesn't have the speed to kick with good 800m types. So his best distance isn't the 800m. El G says it's the 1500m/mile. I think he's probably going to end up a 1500m/5000m guy who can run world class 1500m times but whose combination of strength and speed plays out better in a tactical 5000m than in a tactical 1500m.

I don't think you can reference his few losses in college and decide he doesn't have a kick. Rojo did that in a thread yesterday as well. On the few occasions that he was out-kicked, he was doubling or tripling back. That'll take the sting out of anyone's kick.

Rojo also mentioned Ches' kick at the NB Grand Prix not being that special. I recommend watching the final lap. He put on the accelerator and a huge gap opened up. Then he did his weird look-back-every-two-seconds and backed off. Obviously that's the 3k and not the mile, but he gapped a world class athletes with ease the day after running 3:49...

Now..maybe he IS more of a 5k/10k guy, but having seen his kick in person a handful of times against legit competition...he certainly passes the eye test.

All that said...what about the marathon?

rojo wrote:

I 100% disagree. It's one of the best posts in the history of letsrun.com. From the first line to the last, it's full of info. Amazing.

Brilliant.

Oh golly, Rojo, only one day late for Valentines. If Letsrun wants to hire me for more Tweet op-ed work, I can be in touch...

areyounutz wrote:

[quote]3hr-marathoner wrote:

I don't think you can reference his few losses in college and decide he doesn't have a kick. Rojo did that in a thread yesterday as well. On the few occasions that he was out-kicked, he was doubling or tripling back. That'll take the sting out of anyone's kick.

Maybe you are misreading my post because I think we agree. I'm saying he doesn't have the kick to succeed as an 800m runner. I don't think that's at all controversial.

Yes, we agree on that.

Chez’s ncaa career was reminiscent of Farrah’s late pro career. Can run fast 1500/mile but ran longer distances in championships often slow and taking control at the end, rarely losing. Also never testing their limits at the 5/10k.

Also, it always amazes me El g and Bernie Lagat are the same age. Lagat retired last year and El g back in 2004 when testing began to get stricter ?

I think El G is just trying to bring back the mile, guys. He doesn't want Ches to run the 1500.

Ever heard of Silas Kiplagat???? Renato shared his training years ago stating he was able running under 28min for 10K... with ability to run 49.... but never under 48.

He did pretty well in the 1500m

You are right. He is not Coe, Ovett, Webb, or anyone for that matter. He's faster than ALL OF THEM. He is the second fastest miler ever indoors. I would say that, above all else, indicates that he could be an elite miler.

Hardloper wrote:

I thought he (ex-runner) was referring to El G's tweet, not the OP. Yes this topic is odd.

Very, very odd indeed

I know you're odd but what am I?

El Gee Wizz wrote:

Hardloper wrote:

I thought he (ex-runner) was referring to El G's tweet, not the OP. Yes this topic is odd.

Very, very odd indeed

I know you're odd but what am I?

Imposter! Get your own user name.

Another very odd post.

Thread Oddity wrote:

This thread is odd. I have no idea what's going on.

Rojo found to be not odd in the least. That is very odd indeed.

El Gee Wizz wrote:

Hardloper wrote:

I thought he (ex-runner) was referring to El G's tweet, not the OP. Yes this topic is odd.

Very, very odd indeed

I know you're odd but what am I?

Very odd. Very, very odd.

El G did get outkicked at 5000m by Kipchoge and others, while he was outkicked in a championship 1500m only once, to my knowledge, in 2000 when he led much of the way and Ngeny went past him at the end in an Olympic record time.

A lot of people will get outkicked when they lead for multiple laps in a 1500m.

In 1996, El G fell. In 2004, when Lagat came up to him, El G pulled away.

It is true that El G usually did not want the race to come down to the kick, but his last laps were tremendous.

The reason he'd tweet advice to Cheserek is because Cheserek just became #2 at the indoor mile behind El G, and is uncertain as to what event to do. I take it that El G, unlike Rojo, was impressed by Cheserek following up the 3:49 with a 7:38 kick win the next night.

This is a very premature post. Remember when Ches won his first NCAA XC? Who expected that? I knew he'd be good, but to win most of his college races? Now he's the 2nd fastest miler he might prove to be the greatest 1500 runner of all time. It's going to be a great show!

Oh Dee Dee wrote:

rojo wrote:

People are calling the following post odd.

I 100% disagree. It's one of the best posts in the history of letsrun.com. From the first line to the last, it's full of info. Amazing.

Brilliant.

There is nothing odd about it. Basically, he's saying he thinks El G was on drugs which I would say is a very common belief among insiders. He's also getting at a point that John Kellogg makes all the time - Strength = Speed .Then he talks about how Ches isn't fast enough to be a truly elite 1500 guy.

You don't listen if you think he was doped. Another thing John Kellogg always talks about is how doping totally screws up our view of what proper training should be and look like.

Another very odd post.

I don't think it's an odd post - Rojo takes any chance he gets to talk Ches down.