Nico Young: Sub 4 in the mile this spring?

Cochlear implant wrote:

Also why are we getting no where near the times high schoolers from the 60s were running on Cinders and Dirt tracks? Ryun ran 3:55 and 3:56 on Cinders and Dirt, but yet we can only get a few kids every few years to barely run 3:59

It’s entirely possible Ryun is the most talented middle distance runner of all time.

Was he ever drug tested in h.s.?

Secretariat wrote:

Cochlear implant wrote:

It’s entirely possible Ryun is the most talented middle distance runner of all time.

Was he ever drug tested in h.s.?

Did Drugs like that even exist back in 1964/65? Or even be accessible to a high schooler?

SDSU Aztec wrote:

snuffy wrote:

I actually think he has a better chance of breaking 8:30 than breaking 4.

They're kind of the same thing. A strength runner slows down by 15 seconds per mile from a mile to 2 miles.

For example, LV 3:58/8:29, Virgin 4:05/8:42 and Pre 4:06/8:42.

The real endurance monsters can get down to closer to 10s. Look at his 8:40 3200 and 4:09 mile. Now maybe one was a great race and the other just good.

If I had to guess, I would say no. How many of the guys who broke 4 as seniors were not already sub 4:06 guys as juniors? Or had already shown sub 1:50 speed?

Jamie pull that up wrote:

Secretariat wrote:

Was he ever drug tested in h.s.?

Did Drugs like that even exist back in 1964/65? Or even be accessible to a high schooler?

Dianabol showed up in 1958. So it is theorically possible (i..e how else did he survive that training:)) but realistically the odds are really, really low.

And .honestly for distance runners, I am not sure I would really worry much about doping at the HS level til the mid 90s. EPO was just a whole different category of improvement. I have no clue how hard EPO is to get from HSers. I am guessing it is pretty tough.

A football player wanting to gain 20lbs of muscle though will have no problem. I am very suspect of any of the college programs that have a half dozen guys putting on 30lbs of muscle year over year. That is nuts for people who probably have been lifting for 2+ years even when talking about genetically gifted populations.

EPO is extremely easy to get. Just google "EPO China" and pull out your credit card and order it. Almost any HS runner could get it if they were inclined to do so.

Given his PRs of 8:40 (3200) and 4:08, if he keeps the same ratio he could run something like 8:30/4:03. If he goes sub-4:00, he has a legit shot at LV's 2-mile record.

I think Young should have already ran a sub 4:05 to even be in the conversation for sub 4. I predict he runs 8:35, 4:04 this track season if healthy and sub 14 if he attempts a 5k. His racing style reminds me moreso of German Fernandez/Verzbicas But I feel like they had more speed than him. Its nice he has a 9:05 guy to train with everyday. When I was in hs I thought my team was cool having 2 sub 10 guys at once now we are looking at his school with potentially 2 sub 9 guys.

robert678 wrote:

EPO is extremely easy to get. Just google "EPO China" and pull out your credit card and order it. Almost any HS runner could get it if they were inclined to do so.

had no idea it was that easy. i searched as you suggested, and you're right. I know that a lot of guys in southern california went to Tijuana to get their EPO. I doubt high schoolers are doing it, but it's possible. Many high school and junior high baseball players were using steroids in Florida for years, being paid for by their parents (See Netflix doc: Screwball). It's conceivable that high school runners could be doing it at the discretion of their parents. I knew of similarly shady dealings going on circa 2005 at a prominent high school that continually qualified for NXN, and the parents supported the shady dealings.

Back to the question:

If Nico can get into a solid race this year, I think it's entirely possible for him to do it. There are strong local meets for him, like Bryan Clay invitational for example, or some of the meets at Occidental. Local meets would be ideal, especially for a high school kid's schedule.

Don't know if his outdoor schedule would permit, but would love to see Young race the 5k at the Payton Jordan meet on May 8 next year.

Galen Rupp ran 13:55 at this race in 2004 as a hs senior (in a race won by Allistar Craig in 13:16). Results here:

https://ca.milesplit.com/meets/177194/results/309675/formatted#.Xe609pNKiUk

Many high schoolers have run the PJ, especially the 1500s . . . hope Young and a few others can work it into their schedules.

your cousin marvin berry wrote:

robert678 wrote:

EPO is extremely easy to get. Just google "EPO China" and pull out your credit card and order it. Almost any HS runner could get it if they were inclined to do so.

had no idea it was that easy. i searched as you suggested, and you're right. I know that a lot of guys in southern california went to Tijuana to get their EPO. I doubt high schoolers are doing it, but it's possible. Many high school and junior high baseball players were using steroids in Florida for years, being paid for by their parents (See Netflix doc: Screwball). It's conceivable that high school runners could be doing it at the discretion of their parents. I knew of similarly shady dealings going on circa 2005 at a prominent high school that continually qualified for NXN, and the parents supported the shady dealings.

Oh, come on that is too much. That kind of thing would be like rich people systematically committing fraud and bribery to get their kids into better colleges. Just a fantasy.