Thats my point. She has been training (presumably) a lot like a 400/800m runner. Ballastic exercises, repeat quarters,, etc. I'm assuming that her couch isn't risking knee injuries by having her run quarters without some longer steady running.

I seriously doubt she can run a 52, but she's a great athlete, trains some for running, and this year in the US 2 Freshman HS girls ran under 53 for 400m. So why is it impossible for LV to do it.

I put it in the same league as meeting some guy who says he ran under a 4 minute mile in HS. I'm highly skeptical, except its been done by 4 guys in the US, so before I lay into the guy, I'm at least going to ask his name.

Styrrell

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Styrrell

Plyos and track repeats are only a very small portion of the training of a serious 400/800 runner. Her training has some superficial similarities, but they're not at all the same. Her training is oriented towards a different sport, so she will go about it differently. Lance illustrated this wonderfully with his marathons- he was an uber-elite endurance athlete who ran a couple of decent marathons. Above average? Absolutely. World class? Not a chance. And he spent a few months preparing specifically for it.

Keep in mind we aren't talking world class. Not even national class. Giving the benefit of the doubt and calling 52.99 "52" she would be the 50th best this year in the US, and only the 3rd best High School Freshman.

Do you really think someone with world class talent in the 400 couldn't do 52.XX off of fairly light training if she were already in great general shape? That 5 seconds slower than Sanya Ross's best.

Its highly unlikely that LV could do it. Its not very unlikely at all that someone could do it.

Styrrell

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Styrrell

if anyone knows lindsay vonn, i'll bet my $1000 against her $200 she can't break 62 seconds. i'll bet my $1000 even money she can't run 65. not that she's interested in my $1000. but, no, she can't run 52, she can't run 62, and she probably can't run 72. but she's one helluva skier.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I remember seeing that NBC special where they talked about how Apolo trains like 8hrs a day, 7 days a week. When it's not coming directly from the athlete's coach - usually in a very specific context - these numbers are way overinflated.

Do you know how much "real" runners run? Like a guy, say Craig Mottram? Mottram said he would run anywhere from 10-14 hrs a week. So based off 1-2hrs a day, that basically means that Ohno - who is a speedskater - is running as much as someone who ONLY runs and is one of the very best in the world at it.

If Ohno ran even 5hrs a week, I'd be shocked. The vast, vast majority of pro triathletes I know - really good ones included - do not run "one - two hours per day." And again, that's a sport where running is actually an integral part of it.

I get that your point is really that Ohno isn't a runner but runs quite a bit. But what that "alleged" training really shows is how casual most athletes are with training volume. I'm sure a lot of it is the media hype. I can see a reporter being "disappointed" with an athlete "only" training 25 hrs a week. So they basically just exaggerate everything. And of course, the average person has no real context, so they think "wow, that's amazing!"

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

Not ever having seen her run I'd put the over / under around 75. I haven't been arguing that she can run 52, I think she made a mistake. I'm arguing that its not impossible for a fit woman, who does some sprint specific training, to run 52.

Heck I think if someone described Chrissie Wellingtons history prior to her first IM win, this same type of thread would happen. Most would call bullshit. No athletic background a little bit of mountain biking for transportation, etc.

Styrrell

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Styrrell

Heck Jordan, I ran a lot more than 1-2 hrs a day as a coach! Now granted that was run 100ft, rest 5 minutes, run 100ft, rest 5 minutes :)

Slowman I'll match your $1000 and say she can't do 62, but I aint so rich as to put a g on 72.

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When someone pulls laws out of their @$$, all we end up with are laws that smell like sh!t. -Skippy

"I think she made a mistake."

i think she made two mistakes. the second was talking (bragging?) about her 52sec quarter with a reporter.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Lindsey Vonn vs ITU Women's front pack over 400m, with track spikes....I'm putting my $$$ on Ms. Vonn :-)

Rahlves' sister had pro triathlon ability so genetics are probably on his side.

I wish I was there to see it. Maybe she could have gave me a few pointers.

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-Michael Welch My Blog
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For all your endurance shopping needs

Hold on a minute Dan... a few hours ago you had the even money bet at 76 seconds and here you are at 65. Why the sudden enthusiasm?

"a few hours ago you had the even money bet at 76 seconds and here you are at 65. Why the sudden enthusiasm?"

a few hours ago was my guess. now it's my bet. i only bet on a sure thing ;-)

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

You are a genius. Yes, in maybe 6 or 7 countries skiing may be marginally more popular than running, but in the other 200 plus countries running probably dominates skiing by a factor of five and in 75% of the countries in the world there are zero skiiers. So stop being stupid, skiing is a niche sport by any reasonable definition.

Again this post shows a total misunderstanding of downhill skiing. Yes there is only about 15 countries where it is practiced. But in theses countries, downhill skiing is arguably the best organized sport to bring out talent. Most skiers enroll in ski clubs at 5-6 years old, start to seriously race at 8. You have hundreds of these in the USA and in Canada. The level of coaching is high, and, mostly, there is a lot of money involved. That means, training camps, top equipment and great facilities.

Yes it is a niche sport obviously, but the depth of talent and the ability to develop it is fantastic. Nothing like triathlon which is a niche sport at a whole other level.

I don't know enough about track sports to comment, but I doubt it comes anywhere close to the level of skiing when it comes to developing depth and talent.

Obviously, she did not run 52 seconds, but to dismiss the ability of top skiers based on the fact that skiing is a niche sport is just plain ignorant.

Francois in Montreal

...every high school in the country has a track and field team.

Can gurantee she cannot run those times...
Like guarantee

Now? or back in 2010 when this thread is from? :o)

The thread is old as the hills I would like to chime in.

My dormmate was a lower-tier WC apline skier. He was also national junior elite (Think he won) the 400m on, as he said "minimal training".

To be a great alpine skier you need sick AWC. You need to be born with it, then work it even higher with training. Sprints of different kinds is used, both running and on a bike. He did around 48 at 16.

Maybe 52 is too fast for a world class female skier. Maybe she would need actual track training to do it. No doubt she could if she set her mind to it though.

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Endurance coach | Physiotherapist (primary care) | Bikefitter | Swede

 
Can gurantee she cannot run those times...
Like guarantee


I'll guarantee that she can run those times. But I won't like guarantee that she can

Who are you talking about?

You are right ...For example Markus Larsson has stuck with it fir many years ...
The plyometrics the Scandinavians do in dry land are second to none
Aamodt and Kjus could both do standing back flips and could both probably KQ hungover

No prob, family ties

So you're saying plyometrics are the key to long course?

Lol...not entirely ...druken rambling may though

Actually, downhill skiers have more in common with motocross racers or pursuit cyclists.