It never ceases to amaze that track athletes will put a lifetime of effort into making the Olympic team and then ease up in the last ten meters of the most important races of their lives. I just finished watching Bernard Williams doing just that in the 200 meter final, and the only reason he still make the team was that runner number four also was pulling up.
This is, of course, a chronic problem with young runners despite the coach's mantra of "Run through the line! Run through the line!" One would think runners would get it by the time they make international competition. Must be fighting some basic human tendency here.
It never ceases to amaze that track athletes will put a lifetime of effort into making the Olympic team and then ease up in the last ten meters of the most important races of their lives. I just finished watching Bernard Williams doing just that in the 200 meter final, and the only reason he still make the team was that runner number four also was pulling up.
Are you sure he was pulling up because he was taking it easy? This was about the 4th 200 those guys ran, and if you go out too hard (all-out) in the first 100 of a 200, you can run totally out of gas in the last 25-50m. I'm guessing that's what happened. Bernard Williams would have only relaxed if he didn't know that Patton was there (which is possible, of course).
Lyndon "Speed Kills...It kills those that don't have it!" --US Olympic Track Coach Brooks Johnson
Are you sure he was pulling up because he was taking it easy? This was about the 4th 200 those guys ran, and if you go out too hard (all-out) in the first 100 of a 200, you can run totally out of gas in the last 25-50m. I'm guessing that's what happened. Bernard Williams would have only relaxed if he didn't know that Patton was there (which is possible, of course).
I wouldn't consider it taking it easy but what appears to be a natural tendency to ease up as you finish. In this case, he was lifting his head and shoulders and pulling back in a typical end-of-the-race fashion - except he still was a few meters short of the finish. Granted it's apples and oranges, but Marla Runyon would be an example of slowing as you run out of legs down the stretch. I would tend to attribute it more to lack of concentration (mental versus physical fatigue, perhaps). I don't doubt he was hurting after the heats and the heat. And I've discovered the hard way that it's always a good idea to assume somebody is coming right behind you. It wasn't a knock on Williams, it's just something I see a lot.
On an unrelated topic, it's interesting to see all the jewelry flopping around on runners during the Trials. During a high school championship this Spring I saw one kid d-q'd for a stud earing and another for having a small colored barette in her hair.
Are you sure he was pulling up because he was taking it easy? This was
about
Quoted message said:
the 4th 200 those guys ran, and if you go out too hard (all-out) in the
first
Quoted message said:
100 of a 200, you can run totally out of gas in the last 25-50m. I'm guessing that's what happened. Bernard Williams would have only relaxed if he didn't know that Patton was there (which is possible, of course).
I wouldn't consider it taking it easy but what appears to be a natural tendency to ease up as you finish. In this case, he was lifting his head and shoulders and pulling back in a typical end-of-the-race fashion - except he still was a few meters short of the finish. Granted it's apples and oranges, but Marla Runyon would be an example of slowing as you run out of legs down the stretch. I would tend to attribute it more to lack of concentration (mental versus physical fatigue, perhaps). I don't doubt he was hurting after the heats and the heat. And I've discovered the hard way that it's always a good idea to assume somebody is coming right behind you. It wasn't a knock on Williams, it's just something I see a lot.
In the sprints, there's something a little different called lifting. You have to sprint relaxed and let the speed come out as it's usually said. When you're spent, you must NOT push for more speed--you just slow down sooner. So there's the technique called lifting. You do not push to go faster, or lengthen your stride. You run erect, hold your form together, try to hold onto the speed you have, try to cycle your arms a little faster to keep your turnover up. This ends up looking a little like prancing, and this might have been what you saw. It's fairly common in the last 15 meters of a world class 100 or the last 25-50 meters of a 200.
Lyndon "Speed Kills...It kills those that don't have it!" --US Olympic Track Coach Brooks Johnson
i ran through one time right into a pool of vomit the size of a large man hole cover zilla
PaulM1125 said:
It never ceases to amaze that track athletes will put a lifetime of effort into making the Olympic team and then ease up in the last ten meters of the most important races of their lives. I just finished watching Bernard Williams doing just that in the 200 meter final, and the only reason he still make the team was that runner number four also was pulling up.
This is, of course, a chronic problem with young runners despite the coach's mantra of "Run through the line! Run through the line!" One would think runners would get it by the time they make international competition. Must be fighting some basic human tendency here.
[email hidden] (PaulM1125) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:
It never ceases to amaze that track athletes will put a lifetime of effort into making the Olympic team and then ease up in the last ten meters of the most important races of their lives. I just finished watching Bernard Williams doing just that in the 200 meter final, and the only reason he still make the team was that runner number four also was pulling up.
This is, of course, a chronic problem with young runners despite the coach's mantra of "Run through the line! Run through the line!" One would think runners would get it by the time they make international competition. Must be fighting some basic human tendency here.
Paul
The real reason for this is that tape accross the finish line, it's killed more than a few runners who boldly tried to push thier 100lb frames to run through it, and just ended up being clothslined. Sadly, they are just statistics now. This is the real reason for these electronic things, they save lives, tiny lives, but lives nonetheless.
In the sprints, there's something a little different called lifting. You
have to sprint relaxed and let the speed come out as it's usually said. When you're spent, you must NOT push for more speed--you just slow down sooner. So there's the technique called lifting. You do not push to go faster, or lengthen your stride. You run erect, hold your form together, try to hold onto the speed you have, try to cycle your arms a little faster to keep your turnover up. This ends up looking a little like prancing, and this might have been what you saw. It's fairly common in the last 15 meters of a world class 100 or the last 25-50 meters of a 200.
Well, my first impression still holds, but I won't discount the possibility/probability of being wrong since my knowledge of sprinting technique is practically zilch.
To turn it the other way around and consider the real hard chargers for the finish line, is it more productive to lower one's head and dive at the line or remain more upright and lean with the chest at the last second? It would seem to be the latter but you see a lot of runners diving pretty early.
