Ins & Outs of Track & Field

Seen the IAAF's list of their AOY finalists?
They include Renaud Lavillenie and Genzebe Dibaba.
Why?

We all know what happened last INdoor season.
Genzebe shattered THREE World Indoor records by massive margins!
And Renaud eliminated a certain Mr Bubka from the list of INdoor WR holders!

So both were well deserving of being named INdoor AOY!
(See my INdoor wrap-up post from March 19th!)

Why do I so strongly disagree with the IAAF's list?
Simple.
It's because INdoor T&F is not OUTdoor T&F....and vice versa!
They are two completely separate seasons.
Following is how I view this separation.

Track and Field News has lists on their website.
During INdoor season (until around mid-March), they include just INdoor marks.
After that point, study their lists.

You will begin to see OUTdoor marks, as it should happen.
But you will ALSO see many INdoor marks, if they qualify for T&FN's Top 40 lists!
And if an athlete's INdoor mark is better than their OUTdoor mark?
Well, look at Lavillenie & Dibaba.

Renaud PV'ed that incredible 20-2.50 INdoors.
His best OUTdoors was around 19-9.
Why am I estimating his OUTdoor mark?
Because when I looked at T&FN's "comprehensive" list, all I saw ALL YEAR was his 20-2.50!!

Same for Ms Dibaba's 8:16.60 in the 3000.
Incredible time!!
But that mark was all I saw ALL YEAR on T&FN's lists!!
I THINK she ran around 8:26 OUTdoors.  Or was it 8:24?
I would have no idea if I depended on the lists from T&FN!!

The sport of T&F is a TWO-SEASON sport!!
(Actually FOUR, if you consider Cross Country and Road Racing as separate seasons also!!)
As such, all record-keeping and list-making should use that TWO-SEASON theme in their creation!

Otherwise, the general fan (and even some more sophisticated followers of our sport!) will be confused as to whom did what when!

Here are some reasons why I totally separate the seasons of Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field.

Different Venues
INdoors has a ROOF and 4 WALLS enclosing its stadia or arenas.
OUTdoors is open to the elements of Mother Nature.

Different Events
There are no 60's or 60H's OUTdoors.
Nor is there a Weight Throw.
And there is rarely (so as to be non-existent!) a 10000 Meter run INdoors.
Nor are there Steeples with water pits.
Nor are there Marathons, Half-Marathons, or any races over 5000 Meters!  (Except the rarely run 4X1500/Mile Relays!)
And how about all the Field events NOT held INdoors?
The Javelin, Hammer, and the Discus!
(And the Multis aren't the same either!)

Different Weather Conditions
As noted earlier, INdoors doesn't have to deal with whatever weather is happening outside its enclosed space.
OUTdoors is always affected by wind, temperature, humidity, etc.

Different Track Sizes
Notwithstanding the Oversize Tracks of some INdoor venues, all INdoor records and lists are created from marks made on 200 Meter tracks.
OUTdoors, all regulation tracks are 400 Meters around.

With all of the above taken into consideration, how can ANYONE see the TWO seasons as ONE?
How can you measure the value of a 28-0 LJ with NO wind against one with wind as a negative or positive factor?
How can you compare a 5000 run with a 25-lap count against a 5000 necessitating only 12.5 laps?
(Most of us think of a 25-lapper as a TEN Thousand Meters race!!)

Let's look as those "comprehensive" lists of T&FN again.

Dibaba ran that spectacular 8:16.60 INdoors.
Yet OUTdoors she couldn't come within 8 or 10 (!!) seconds of that time!

So, say on June 30, you decided to see what she'd run at that distance OUTdoors!
And you looked at T&FN's list.
All you would see was that same 8:16.60 listed!!
Same on July 31.
Ditto on September 30!
And today too!!

WHAT did she run OUTdoors??
I dunno!!!
(Give me a few minutes to look it up.   I have it in MY BLOG!!)

And there you have one of the most important reasons why I started this blog!

Because I firmly believe that INdoor Track and Field is as different and separate from OUTdoor Track and Field as, well, night and day.
Or pick any cliche'd analogy you want!!

They are NOT THE SAME!!

And thus, they deserve to be kept separate!
As they have been, are, and always will be....in my blog!!

If you think Renaud Lavillenie's fabulous 20-2.50 deserves to be considered for the IAAF's (or, later, for T&FN's) AOY, then you do NOT agree with me!!
Same for Ms Dibaba's 3-WR's from the INdoor season!

When, on December 31st, I name my OUTdoor (World) AOY's, you can bet that those INdoor WR's will NOT be considered by me!!
Not for a second!!

And when you read my blog during the upcoming INdoor season, you can also bet that you will find ONLY INdoor marks in my reports!
(Unless some OUTdoor marks come in from Down Under OUTdoor meets!!  LOL)

In closing, let me honor Mr Jack Shepard, the long-time Editor of High School Track, a fantastic record book published every year.
He completely separates the seasons!
He has OUTdoor records and lists.
Then he has INdoor records and lists!
They are NOT combined!!

And neither are mine!!

Next post will probably be soon after the NYC Marathon.

Following that, look for a series of posts looking forward to the 2014-2015 INdoor T&F season!!