I've been trying to figure out why the marathon in the U.S is struggling to produce sub 2:12 runners. It's well known that Galen Rupp averages 5:20-5:30 pace on his easy runs.
I read about all these other U.S marathon runners and they only average 6:30-7:00 pace on their easy days. I'm starting to believe Galen's easy run pace compared to the rest of the pro U.S marathoners is a major reason why Galen is so much better than everyone else in the U.S.
Anyone feel that way?
evolutionofeasyruns wrote:
I've been trying to figure out why the marathon in the U.S is struggling to produce sub 2:12 runners. It's well known that Galen Rupp averages 5:20-5:30 pace on his easy runs.
I read about all these other U.S marathon runners and they only average 6:30-7:00 pace on their easy days. I'm starting to believe Galen's easy run pace compared to the rest of the pro U.S marathoners is a major reason why Galen is so much better than everyone else in the U.S.
Anyone feel that way?
Maybe the fact that he has the physical ability.
He ran a 13:37 5k in high school. He ran 3:50 mile indoors. 26:44 10,000m... etc
That probably means something.
I think that he has years of uninterrupted training patiently and deliberately planned out makes a huge difference as well.
His coaching has been better than others too.
lot's of reasons more than training run pace.
And a pair of magic cheater shoes brought that all to a grinding halt.
I believe he is lying about averaging 5:20-5:30 mile paces. According to VDOT a 2:06 marathoner easy pace is 5:33 - 05:54. And remember that VDOT easy pace is too fast. Now according to VDOT a 2:09 marathoner easy pace is 5:41 - 06:02. Now Wejo was doing 7:00-8:00 minute miles for his easy runs and according to VDOT his easy runs should have been 5:41 - 06:03. Craig Mottram said that his easy runs were so slow that he would get passed by girls.
I've definitely seen with my own eyes Galen jogging slower than 7:00 pace on the track in Beaverton. Granted, it was between intervals, but... that's his easy pace.
Luke Puskedra confirms it in this interview that Galen runs his easy days 5:20-5:30 pace.
I also 5:30 pace on my easy days....
Per kilometer!
In all seriousness though, I think his easy pace is more reflective of his talent and ability rather than him actually running easy runs at a ‘harder’ pace. If any other US marathoner tried this they would burn out and get injured.
I feel like it's possible to adjust to it by slowly building up and getting the body adapted to a pace like that over time. You don't know if you will burn out or get injured until you try.
contradicts this wrote:
http://www.letsrun.com/news/2006/09/wejo-speaks-why-i-sucked-in-college/
Galen is a slightly better athlete. Just a little.
I’ve seen Rupp on easy runs at about 6:20 - 6:30 pace.
Plus...even all you hobbyjoggers could run faster than Rupp right now.
And of the approx 187 Kenyans that are faster than marathoner Rupp, their easy runs are often at 8min/mile pace.
Injured Galen is a slow Galen wrote:
I've definitely seen with my own eyes Galen jogging slower than 7:00 pace on the track in Beaverton. Granted, it was between intervals, but... that's his easy pace.
No. Easy pace and interval period jog pace are different things ... decidedly different things.
He’s not that good wrote:
And of the approx 187 Kenyans that are faster than marathoner Rupp, their easy runs are often at 8min/mile pace.
There is only 1 Kenyan that you could say is faster than Rupp. What do you think his easy pace is?
truth bomb wrote:
He’s not that good wrote:
And of the approx 187 Kenyans that are faster than marathoner Rupp, their easy runs are often at 8min/mile pace.
There is only 1 Kenyan that you could say is faster than Rupp. What do you think his easy pace is?
Galen Rupp is number 139 on the all time half marathon list.
Galen Rupp is number 95 on the all time marathon list.
Galen Rupp is number 15 on the all time 10000m list
Galen Rupp is number 85 on the all time 5000m list.
https://www.iaaf.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlelong/5000-metres/outdoor/men/senior?regionType=world&page=1&bestResultsOnly=true&firstDay=1899-12-31&lastDay=2018-12-20https://www.iaaf.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlelong/10000-metres/outdoor/men/senior?regionType=world&page=1&bestResultsOnly=true&firstDay=1899-12-31&lastDay=2018-12-20https://www.iaaf.org/records/all-time-toplists/road-running/marathon/outdoor/men/senior?regionType=world&drop=all&fiftyPercentRule=all&page=1&bestResultsOnly=true&firstDay=1899-12-31&lastDay=2018-12-20https://www.iaaf.org/records/all-time-toplists/road-running/half-marathon/outdoor/men/senior?regionType=world&drop=all&fiftyPercentRule=all&page=2&bestResultsOnly=true&firstDay=1899-12-31&lastDay=2018-12-20Alberto Salazar interview talked about him running at 5:50s. Where did you get 5:20s?
Most of those times are on the best time trial courses during ideal weather. Galen hasn't tried for a fast half marathon, and his marathon best most certainly doesn't indicate that he should only be at 2:06. His shape in Prague would have been a 2:03 in Berlin. No way anyone would have touched him in Chicago if he wasn't running injured, and would likely have ran 2:04 there.
Quote taken from Lauren Fleshman in regards to handling training loads and a plausible explanation for why certain athletes can survive more extreme training loads for longer periods of time than others:
I was unable to handle the training load that I'd been able to handle without any problem for the past few years. I wasn't resting at night; I was restless ... because of the altitude ... And I'd heard some of his athletes had seen this doctor and they had suppressed thyroids, and I knew these athletes slept in altitude tents too. And I was like, oh man, well maybe that's the problem, maybe my thyroid is messed up and maybe — instead of looking at it like the altitude tent messed up my thyroid — maybe it's something about my thyroid is insufficient to handle this altitude tent. You can see there's a different in that mentality, right? I felt like somehow I deserve to have some superhuman thyroid that can handle anything. So I talked to my coach, Vin Lananna: I think my thyroid is suppressed. He said that could very well be it, you're not responding to the training anymore, you're tired all the time. And I was like people go to this doctor, Alberto knows about him and I'm thinking about reaching out. And this was the most embarrassing moment, but the really important turnaround for me: my coach looked at me and he goes: "Ya know, you could do that, and if you want to do that, it's your career, and I don't think there's necessarily anything illegal about it, but the reason why your thyroid is as messed up as it is because you're not resting enough, you're sleeping in an altitude tent, and you're training too hard. And you have to back off, you have to change those things, you have to take responsibility."
https://www.propublica.org/article/elite-runner-had-qualms-alberto-salazar-asthma-drug-performance
Look at the body type of Rupp vs other US runners vs Kenyans:
Conclusion, Rupp is built more like a Kenyan and this explains it.
Nah, Galen is decent because of hydroworx and therapeutic use exemptions
Eliud Kipchoge does 7:00 pace