Walmsley is running a 10k tomorrow- predictions?

Not dean wrote:

trolling? wrote:

UTMB and it’s no contest. Western States is like a National Championship. UTMB is the World Championship. I’m not sure Western States makes the top 5 of most competitive ultras (any surface) in the world.

The fact is the US has the most competitive and best ultras. Deal with it

Not really, WS has about 3 people capable of winning in any year. It's a famous race for sure but UTMB is way more prestigious and better supported and for pure speed and size Comrades crushes it.

I have a couple of comments to go with this thread. First, I don't think you can judge his heart rate and effort because he wears a wrist monitor. Wrist monitors are notoriously inaccurate. Second, I can't see that running a 10k a week out from your A race, which happens to be 100 miles, is a good idea. Even if it wasn't "max effort" it's still 5:04 per mile. I can't understand why he would do that and not rest up his legs and save it so he doesn't implode again. Before last year's race, I was questioning his taper strategy, and things obviously didn't work out well for him. Thoughts?

Riiight wrote:

You think watch heart rate is accurate for a 10k race? Mine reads at about 130 bpm for races and tempos. My max he is 185...

Alfredo wrote:

blah blah whine complain

Alfredo,you sound like the same guy that questioned why Galen Rupp would run 23 miles with the last two miles in 4:48 only 11 days before his Prague Marathon. Turned out the whole world learned a bit more about high level running as he blitzed a 2:06 victory. I have training from all the greats, including Bruce Fordyce and Matt Carpenter, and both have a tempo effort the week prior to championship races. It’s actually quite standard across the board from Canova to Pfitzinger to Salazar. Hope this helps.

Alfredo wrote:

I have a couple of comments to go with this thread. First, I don't think you can judge his heart rate and effort because he wears a wrist monitor. Wrist monitors are notoriously inaccurate. Second, I can't see that running a 10k a week out from your A race, which happens to be 100 miles, is a good idea. Even if it wasn't "max effort" it's still 5:04 per mile. I can't understand why he would do that and not rest up his legs and save it so he doesn't implode again. Before last year's race, I was questioning his taper strategy, and things obviously didn't work out well for him. Thoughts?

Riiight wrote:

Riiight wrote:

You think watch heart rate is accurate for a 10k race? Mine reads at about 130 bpm for races and tempos. My max he is 185...

In fact I just looked at it and his hr was even higher on his cool down than his race, so it is obviously not accurate.

Was he wearing a HR strap or one of those unreliable wrist monitors aka Garmin 235?

Not you again wrote:

Alfredo wrote:

blah blah whine complain

Wow, your intelligent comment is simply stunning. Not sure how it is whining and complaining, but ok.

he turned up and got paid.

job done.

Alfredo wrote:

I have a couple of comments to go with this thread. First, I don't think you can judge his heart rate and effort because he wears a wrist monitor. Wrist monitors are notoriously inaccurate. Second, I can't see that running a 10k a week out from your A race, which happens to be 100 miles, is a good idea. Even if it wasn't "max effort" it's still 5:04 per mile. I can't understand why he would do that and not rest up his legs and save it so he doesn't implode again. Before last year's race, I was questioning his taper strategy, and things obviously didn't work out well for him. Thoughts?

He runs 100-140 mile weeks. Running a hard 6 miles won't have any effect 7 days later. The temp was also 20 degrees cooler than normal.

heart rate monitor strap? wrote:

Riiight wrote:

In fact I just looked at it and his hr was even higher on his cool down than his race, so it is obviously not accurate.

Was he wearing a HR strap or one of those unreliable wrist monitors aka Garmin 235?

I was running beside him taking his pulse every couple minutes just to make sure his monitor was accurate.

Alfredo wrote:

I have a couple of comments to go with this thread. First, I don't think you can judge his heart rate and effort because he wears a wrist monitor. Wrist monitors are notoriously inaccurate. Second, I can't see that running a 10k a week out from your A race, which happens to be 100 miles, is a good idea. Even if it wasn't "max effort" it's still 5:04 per mile. I can't understand why he would do that and not rest up his legs and save it so he doesn't implode again. Before last year's race, I was questioning his taper strategy, and things obviously didn't work out well for him. Thoughts?

Because Walmsley wants to bring speed to ultras or differently phrased: He is not that smart when it comes to training and tapering. But it all doesn't matter. Let see how far he gets at WS100.

31:56

jajk wrote:

I have training from all the greats, including Bruce Fordyce and Matt Carpenter, and both have a tempo effort the week prior to championship races. It’s actually quite standard across the board from Canova to Pfitzinger to Salazar.

Came on here to say this. Doing a 10k tempo run the week before a 100 mile race isn’t unusual. Getting paid $2000 to do a 10k tempo run is unusual, and pretty awesome. How many people here bashing this guy won $2000 running this weekend, or won any race at all? How this is a thread is ridiculous. He did a hot 10k tempo run to prepare for a hot race and made $2k in the process. Good job.

I still don’t want him to win WS and would find it funny if he had another epic blow up, but there is nothing about this 10k run which to justify the ridiculous bashing. Plenty of legitimate stuff you can bash the guy for, stick to that.

The race paid appearance fees.

He won’t be running any 5:06 splits at states. Most of his splits will be closer to 2 minutes slower than that, and they’ll feel like walking compared to the 10k pace he ran.

Alfredo wrote:

I have a couple of comments to go with this thread. First, I don't think you can judge his heart rate and effort because he wears a wrist monitor. Wrist monitors are notoriously inaccurate. Second, I can't see that running a 10k a week out from your A race, which happens to be 100 miles, is a good idea. Even if it wasn't "max effort" it's still 5:04 per mile. I can't understand why he would do that and not rest up his legs and save it so he doesn't implode again. Before last year's race, I was questioning his taper strategy, and things obviously didn't work out well for him. Thoughts?

Francois also raced this weekend. He raced the vertical km at Broken Aero, which is a 5k with a Km of climbing. He was 5th, but his race effort took longer than Jim’s, 43:05.

How many athletes are you coaching for 100 milers and what do you have them do in the last week? What sort of success have hey had? Seems like the top guys are really missing out from the benefit of your total ignorance and having you guide their training.

Alfredo's got a point on the inaccurate the wrist strap. 10k on the roads still isn't very specific to 100 miles in those canyons. What Francois did was more specific to a UTMB taper . Course record pace at Western is about 8:50 per mile pace and some of that will be walking for a runner like Jim and Francois Jim probably wanted the easy money. That was likely a big factor. And Strava kudos.

jrwwj wrote:

10k on the roads still isn't very specific to 100 miles in those canyons. What Francois did was more specific to a UTMB taper . Course record pace at Western is about 8:50 per mile pace and some of that will be walking for a runner like Jim and Francois

Seriously, do you run? And if so, what are your PR’s? The amount of training both Jim and Francois have done leading up to Western States, this last “hard” workout by both of them really wasn’t too different. Relative effort level is important. I don’t do any races ever up mountains but I still do hill training. Conversely, guys who do hilly races still benefit from flat speed work.

I get that people love to bash on runners here, especially if they have any level of success, but the stupidity relied on to bash people is just sad. That being said, I can’t stand the whole Coconino Cowbow stuff so really hope Francois wins, or someone like Florian Neuschwander.