Ummmm wrote:
I wonder how many other Olympic gold medalists have done so in events they don't really like that much? I know Usain craves to be a footballer, but it's not like he "dreaded" putting on the spikes....
Well to be fair, it's easy to dread getting in the pool, day after day after day...
Gwen certainly has the mind of a champion but, in this transition scenario to full time running, that could work against her. Her and her coaches desire to have her race and compete so early in the process could very well cause a cavalcade of injuries.
There are several factors that she needs to pay attention to; getting her body back from childbirth - too much intensity too early can delay this process, getting through the post running honeymoon period - as others have said she is withdrawing from a sizable aerobic base that will be tough to maintain while building up to higher mileage (hopefully she's on the Nike underwater treadmills and altitude tent program), pick and choosing her battles - right now she seems charged up to take on any and all comers, the coaches need to have the ability to pull back on the reigns until they know for sure her body can handle the abuse.
Modern day marathon training is the closest thing the sport has to a monastic lifestyle. It's a boring, grind, spent mostly out of the public eye. It would be nice to see Gwen bring some visibility to the buildup through social media.
If she can stay injury free I think she has a better than 50/50 chance to make the marathon team based on early results and her "running age". If she can make the team, then she has a 30% chance to medal, and if she really is a medal contender than she has a 10% chance to win. The thing about the Olympic marathon is that the East Africans are not fully vested in the race. If they even get the slightest indication that it might not be their day they'll contract the claws so that they can come back for a real payday in the fall marathons. This really opens the door for someone like Hassay or Jorgensen.