A Bit of This, A Bit of That

As often happens--regrettably--my "complete" reports of results are often NOT so complete!
Not only that, but marks I DO report sometimes turn out to be erroneous!!
So I'll begin this collection of "a bit of this, a bit of that" with some corrections & additions to my previous post!

At the Kentucky meet where Olivia Gruver PV'ed her 15-1 PR, Kendra Harrison rocked the 60H in a blazing 7.82--after a 7.98 heat!
She's gone faster!!
Also, Javianne Oliver sped the 60 flat in 7.20!
Omar McLeod ran a World-leading 60H of 7.53!

Shannon Osika's 2nd place Mile time of 4:28.30 at the Michigan meet makes her 23rd A-T US!!

Devin King is redshirting this INdoor season!
Thus, his 18-11.50 PV in Reno does NOT make the Collegiate list!!
Still, a significant PR!

Katelyn Tuohy's 9:05.26 3000 gets better!!
Her enroute time at 2000 meters (5:57.46) SMASHES an ancient (& admittedly totally obscure!!) HSR!!
Jack Shepard's HS Track book lists the INdoor 2K record as Debbie Quatier's 6:15.6 from 1974!!
(It happened in Moscow, Russia---then the Soviet Union!!!)
So give Ms Tuohy yet another accolade for her bravado run!!

Kaitlyn Long's WT of 74-7.25 is a mark I missed in my last report!
But this smallish PR doesn't change her various List status's!
She remains 12th A-T Collegiate, 15th A-T US, and 19th A-T World!

The Houston meet had some fast 60's!
Murielle Ahoure's 7.11 took the World lead!
And Michelle Lee-Ahye ran 7.18 in 2nd!

In the Houston Half, Guye Adola finished 2nd Man, time of 60:15.
If you remember, Adola finished 2nd in Berlin with his rookie 2:03:46 Marathon!!

Finally, some marks from Russia!
Danyil Lysenko HJ'ed 7-8.50, missing my World DDD by one-half inch!
In a 2000 meters race INdoors, a pair of Russians made my INdoor list!
Yelena Korobkina won, time of 5:41.10.
She is 19th A-T World, tied with 1 other!
Aleksandra Gulyayeva took 2nd with her 5:42.12, making her 23rd A-T World!!

One more!
In my last post, I remarked that I thought the 21-6.25 LJ mark attached to "Ayesha Champagne"'s name was "EXTREMELY" dubious!!
Well, first of all, her name is Champagnie, NOT Champagne!
She is 21 years old, from Jamaica, and competes for the University of Minnesota!

Tilastopaia, a highly respected source of marks Worldwide, includes her 21-6.25 on their lists!
And the latest eTN also includes it--with no added asterisk or comment!
But I still have STRONG doubts about its veracity!!
Why?
Because all my research has shown that her previous best was about ONE METER short of that 6.56 metric mark!!
Her previous best this year was in early December--a 5.31 jump!!!
Her A-T best is about 5.50!!

So, did she PR by about THREE FEET last weekend??
She's a Multi's performer, so she's also an experienced LJ'er!
But I can NOT find any LJ marks for her coming anywhere NEAR her alleged 21-6.25!

Yet the Meet Results, Tilastopaia, and eTN all contradict this conclusion!!
As they say, stay tuned!!

Following are a wide variety of subjects, with no good umbrella title!!

Will the retirements of Ashton Eaton (& to a lesser extent, his wife Brianne), Mo Farah (from Track racing), and especially Usain Bolt--lessen the importance & popularity of our favorite sport??

NO!!
For one thing, we have their athletic records in our History & Record books!
Until many decades have gone by, I suspect their marks will still remain as the incredible feats they were!

We should look back at OTHER true icons of T&F!
Ron Clarke was WAY ahead of his time--e.g. breaking his 28:14 WR in the 10000 by 35 seconds in one race!!
While his 27:39.4 WR didn't survive even one more decade, it was truly revolutionary at the time!
And Clarke's name lives on as the A-T great he was!

So I expect Bolt's 9.58 & 19.19 WR's to survive awhile!
And Farah's many OG & WC Golds, and Mr Eaton's WR's!!
(Though Kevin Mayer is said to be aiming for the latter--maybe this year!!)

Even if their records go, THEY won't!!
Their charismatic dynamism & unique personalities won't allow it!
Whatever they're doing, or will do in their retired years won't take whatever powers of celebrity they possess away from them---or us!
Bolt may be trying soccer or "Cool Runnings" bobsledding!
The Eaton's may be skydiving or Globe-trotting, or mountain climbing--but their human connections to their many fans-and their sport--will remain!!

It's not a loss!
It's a series of gains!!

Speaking of "loss", it seems Lolo Jones is ITCHING to lose her virginity!!
Losing out on making her final Olympic team (in bobsledding), she might be about to lose something more precious!!
In a tweet (Where else, for this Social Media Grande Dame??), Lolo said (to the NBA's Jimmy Butler--star of the Minnesota Timberwolves team) "Welp there goes my virginity", with a laughing face emoji!
Butler's response---
Lolo Jones messing with me--things come and go quickly--pun intended--haaaa"!!

Sooooo, will she or won't she---at Age 35--FINALLY give "it" up??
But maybe the real question should be---HOW will it be done??

NO, I do NOT mean the sexual performance!!
I'm talking about the logistics, the "before & after"---the PUBLICITY---for which "Lolo Jones" is fairly synonymous!!
Will she milk it for all it's worth?
Appear (before the act!) on all the morning shows--perhaps create a "reality" show of her own??
Be written up in all the papers & mags?
Sign a "tell all" multi-million dollar book contract??

Gosh, let's hope so!!
Stay tuned!!

OK, on to more serious stuff!!
(As if Lolo's sex life isn't serious!!  LOL)

Don't get me wrong--I LOVE Track and Field News--its website, the magazine, and its statistically-focused eTN (Track Newsletter)!!
But as my readers know, I find a few "flaws" therein!

In the newest T&FN (December's AOY issue), there were a couple of errors.
In the Table of Contents, the centerfold photo is listed as being Kori Carter!
But the photo is of Ajee Wilson!
You see, Ms Carter was the photo subject in the November issue!!

Then, in a "Last Lap" article, Brianne Theisen-Eaton is called Brianne THOMPSON-Eaton!!
Oops!!

The eTN often has marks that turn out to be false!
Probably can't be blamed on T&FN.
They report what the coaches and media contacts give to them!
But better research might prevent some of these errors!
(I should talk!!  See above!  LOL)

Then we come to their website's Message Board!
For about a week, I've been boycotting them!!
I've not written any comments there for several days!
Why not?

As is my habit, I got "enthusiastic" about Katelyn's Tuohy's 3K on January 6th!
At one point, I compared Tuohy's recent record to Mary Cain's historic 2013 season!
(With Tuohy basically emerging the "winner"!)

But it was in the Cain thread (about her return to racing in 2018) where the disconnect happened!!
After her agent's one-liner (in October) about her being ready to return to racing in 2018, several of us used the MB to speculate on said return!
After 2017 turned to 2018--with still no details clarifying her agent's comment forthcoming--I for one remained curious!

So I said--ending a longer sentence--"WTF is she??".
Normally--in Twitterese--"WTF" stands for "WHAT the fuck!"--an exclamation of amazement or shock!
But I meant the "W" to stand for "WHERE"---giving my comment new context & meaning!!
After months of waiting for new information---and becoming ever more doubtful we'll see Mary race again--I said "But WHERE the fuck is she"??
It was basically a request--to Ms Cain or her agent--to put up or shut up!!
Nothing more, nothing less!!

But I was then attacked & smeared & insulted & accused of being "obsessive"---by a few people on the MB!
This had happened before--especially during her 2013 season!!
It was the feather that toppled the bridge!!
ENOUGH!!

For the indefinite future,  these hypocrites can do withOUT my knowledge & expertise!!
(I still read the MB, and have seen several places where my experience would have answered their questions--or filled in the gaps in THEIR comments & questions!!)
Their loss!

Speaking of Ms Cain---WHERE the fuck IS she??
But I can ask the very same question about--
Raven Saunders--yet to appear in action this INdoor season for Ole Miss!
Demi Payne--MIA at recent PV events--yet said to be in training!!
(She's also said to be caring for her sick mother---which would be a totally valid excuse!!)

How does my theory of "slow-down rates" work in predicting the potential of distance runners?
(Or any runners!)
For 100 & 200 people, I believe you can double their 100 times to predict their 200 potential!
It works--for Usain Bolt!
His 9.58--when doubled--comes to a 200 time of 19.16!
His WR is--19.19!!

For 5000 & 10000 specialists, the "slow-down rate" is generally from 30 to 40 seconds per 5000---for the most elite runners, male or female!
Some examples--
Ken Bekele has 12:37 & 26:17 times.
That's about 31 seconds slow down per 5K!
Same for Haile Gebresilassie's 12:39 & 26:22.
32 seconds S-D rate!
Tirunesh Dibaba has PR's of 14:11 & 29:42.
Close to 40 seconds S-D rate!

There are other slow-down rates you can use---
20 to 30 seconds between the flat 3000 and the 3000SC!
Three minutes (or from 2:30 to 3:30) slow-down between the Half and Full Marathon!!
5 to 7 seconds between the 400 and 800!
10 to 12 seconds between an 800 and Mile!
12 to 15 seconds between a Mile and Two Mile!!

But while these figures might seem arbitrary, they're not!
They're drawn from decades of study and observation--and from personal experience, during my running years.
My times were MUCH slower than the elites run, yet I had a slow-down rate theory that worked for my own needs!!

To make these predictions work, however, an athlete needs to---
be in top shape!
want to PR at several different distances!
be willing to RACE---not "jog & kick"!!

The ultimate ingredient drawn from this exercise is CONFIDENCE!!
If you can run a Mile in 4:00, and want to run a Two Mile in 8:30, it's easier if you have the knowledge & experience of having RUN a 4 minute Mile!!
Then, going out in 4:12 or 4:15 would be seen (& felt!) as "cruising"---or in more modern lingo, feeling like a "tempo run"!
Thus, the 2nd half would have that added confidence in your head as you cruise through another 4:15!!
Ditto with someone who's run--say--a 5000 in 15:00!
Slowing down 30 to 40 seconds for each 5K would give you the potential for a 10K in 31:00 to 31:20!!
(Even when your current 10000 best is "only" 32:07!!)

THAT is how i come to some of my predictions for POTENTIAL times run by XYZ athlete!!

Just a reminder of where the research for and inspiration for this blog began!
My 50+ year old Track & Field Record Book!
A "sketchbook" list of what it includes---
Miscellaneous (Place & Class Records, generic listing of WR's, CR's, and HSR's!  My "Combined Events" records!  The Place & CE's are for OUTdoor only!!)
Age Records (Individual Year Age Records for Ages 17 to 40!)
Meet Records (All the major Meets are covered--though not EVERY MR is included!!)
National Records (Many Nations are included, but only the "major" nations have ALL their NR's listed!!  The US is included in this section!!)
DDD's (DDD stands for "Double Dandy Dozen", or my Top 24 All-Time Performers lists!!  They began as Top 30's, were reduced to Top 25--and finally, to Top 24---thus the DDD acronym!!  These include most events (No Walks or INdoor 500, among other exclusions!), and have separate DDD's for INdoors & OUTdoors, and of course for Men and Women!

My blog is different in other ways too!
I include the Boston Marathon in my Marathon lists!
I do NOT include any marks by Caster Semenya, Margaret Wambui, or Francine Nyonsaba!
I IGNORED the USATF's non-ratification of Gwen Berry's 250-4 HT, Emma Coburn's 9:11.42 AR, and Ajee Wilson's INdoor 1:58.27 AR!!
I totally separate INdoors from OUTdoors!
I do not honor marks made on Oversize Tracks!
Also, the 1600 & 3200 (or times converted from them) are NOT included in my Record Book or blog!

There are going to be 6 IAAF World Tour meets this INdoor season!
(See my posted schedule!)
Only one of these--Boston--is in the US!
The USATF meet--basically the WC Trials--is scheduled for February 16-18--AFTER the World Tour meets are done!!

Question---
How many Americans will travel 1000's of miles to & from Europe for the IAAF meets??
Won't they be peaking for the USATF meet--at least those intending to compete in the World Championships??
There's Boston, plus Millrose, Camel City, and other domestic meets where the elites can expect World Tour-type competition!!
Who needs to traipse all the way to Europe??

I've noted many announcements of scheduled appearances by many Olympic-level athletes (Renaud Lavillenie & Genzebe Dibaba, among many others) for those "overseas" World Tour meets!
They won't be lacking "star power"!
Just not (most) US star power!!

Hope I'm wrong!!

Secondary question--
Since the WC's is scheduled for a whole week or more before the NCAA's, might we see some Collegiates vying for spots on WC teams---especially TeamUSA??
Why not??
Major Collegiate stars (Keturah Orji, Raven Saunders, Trey Culver, etc etc) should be allowed to go to the USATF meet (scheduled BEFORE most Conferences!!) to qualify for the WC's!!
And their competing at the WC's will give them several days to recover for the NCAA!!
Please Coaches, let them have BOTH!!

Finally, let's talk of Rivalries!!
One in particular!
In HS last year, Shot Putters Tripp Piperi and Jordan Geist battled week after week for SP supremacy!!
And here, in the early stages of the 2018 INdoor season, they're at it again!!
But this time for Collegiate Freshman dominance!
Both have solid opening marks of just under 64 feet!!
Will Geist come close to his HSR of 68-4?
Can Piperi reach that level--and beyond?
Watch their great rivalry--with respect & awe!!

See you soon!