OT: Molly Seidel (USA) wins Bronze in the Olympic Marathon
Absolutely phenomenal - she becomes only the third American to medal in the Olympic marathon.
Her story is incredible - five years ago, after a stellar career at Notre Dame (we'll forgive that one), she skipped the Olympic Trials to seek treatment for disordered eating. She built back her strength and confidence, and in her first ever marathon, she qualified for the Olympics in 2020.
And now, in her third ever marathon, she makes history by holding on to the pace with the current world record holder (Brigid Kosgei) and the eventual winner (Peres Jepchirchir) -- both of whom had personal bests of >9 minutes than Molly. This was all done in 85-degree heat with 75% humidity, and nearly 30 percent of the field dropped.
My wife is a XC coach and we were watching the race tonight. I still don't understand how they can run that fast for that long. I can barely do 4 miles at a much slower pace. Really an amazing story about Seidel.
Genetics.
It's the same reason why I'll never be a star NHL player or NBA player; these world-class athletes are born with an advantage over the average individual.
I have never liked running, but I finally started last month- 4 miles a day. My pace is not great, but I went from not being able to do half of it without walking to basically finishing the whole thing without stopping (I'll walk a minute or two at most). I'm sure if I push myself enough every day I'll get to a point where I'll be pretty solid, but there's just no way to compete with the best of the best.
They work their asses off, no doubt, but if they weren't born with the ability, they'd be just like us lol.
And 99 times out of 100, their parents are sports stars. You never see "his mother was an accountant, his father was a store manager." It's always, "the mother played college basketball, the father ran track semi-pro".
If you’re interested in a deeper dive into what you outlined, I really enjoyed reading The Sports Gene by David Epstein. The whole book is delving into what you mentioned with a lot of fascinating science. It’s really been interesting watching the Olympics and vast array of athlete body habitus’ based on the particular sport and then the homogeneity within each sport. If you were an alien coming to earth for the first time, you could easily be forgiven for thinking that a high jumper, a shot put’r, a gymnast, and wrestler were all different species.
August 6th, 2021 at 11:48 PM ^
Interesting book and worth reading. I thought Paavo Nurmi was a particularly interesting case.
Very true. I'm sure genetics plays a big part. I'm a fairly athletic guy and have done a few half marathons at an 8:30ish pace and thought I was dying. I don't know how it's possible to go at a 5:40 pace for twice as far.
Yep. The world class distance runners have a genetic ability to cycle fresh air through their system much quicker than the average person, they have body structures which allow them to take the punishment and recover quicker- everything that the average person does but 50x better.
You don't even have to go looking at the best of the best- I have been on the basketball court in pick up games/leagues with people who played college basketball- the spring in their legs, the explosive ability- that's just stuff the average human is not born with.
August 6th, 2021 at 10:09 PM ^
I can't say that I'm a phenomenal athlete, but I started getting into running a bit more in my early 30s and have gotten progressively faster into my 40s. Consistency, taking care of my feet, resting when i need to, and not being afraid of visiting the PT has kept me fresh.
August 7th, 2021 at 10:32 AM ^
I ran a 5:48 mile in the seventh grade for track and came in third. My legs were rubber at the end. That's the fastest I ever ran a mile. I can't conceive of ever doing that for more than one mile. (I also threw shot which may explain why the mile probably wasn't the best event for me.)
I have far more respect for the person running a 4-6 hour marathon than those finishing ahead of me (less than 2:50). I cannot image the mental fortitude it takes to keep going for that long and that goes double when it’s hot.
Ding, ding! Elite athletes like to humble-brag about how hard they work (and they do!), and "anyone can do it." (I've heard a world record holder literally say those words.) Don't believe it. Talent trumps. You coach athletes, but you recruit championships.
It's not just genetics. These people work harder than basically anyone on this blog (or in this country for that matter) ever will. Sure, them having the genetics they do is the last ingredient that takes them from being great to being the best in the world, but it's not the only factor. If the average person was willing to work as hard as these people do at a singular task, they would be surprised how far off from their individual potential they currently are and it's not from lack of genetics, but from a lesser work ethic.
Also, repeated exercise over extended periods of time changes your body on a cellular level and can change gene expressions, as well as influence muscle/tendon elasticity, maximum O2 consumption, etc. So it's very misleading to say that genetics dictate one's ability to do something, when in reality one's work ethic is far more likely to be the limiting factor.
August 8th, 2021 at 12:16 AM ^
Their father is Bruce Springsteen.
Congratulations, Molly! Third American medal in Olympic marathon. Wow.
Was glad to catch it. That was awesome.
Marathon runners boggle my mind. I’m a pretty active person who plays hockey 3-4 nights a week, but I cannot imagine being able to run for that length and - like mentioned above - at that pace. The mental game is obviously a huge part of it.
she was amazing, in brutal conditions.
I'm happy that walking is healthier for you than running. I can still walk.
August 7th, 2021 at 10:23 AM ^
That’s a myth that caught traction by anybody attending medical school in the late 70’s-late 80’s. It has been debunked many times over. If your Doctor is over 55 he/she is probably telling you that because that is what they were taught. They were actually taught (and still tell patients) that females shouldn’t run because it will make their uterus drop, which is 100% false.
At NIFS (National Institute for Fitness and Sports) in Indy, where the Olympic, professional & amateur athletes are medically tested & treated, it was proven 30 years ago (and ever since), the “walking is healthier than running” theory is false.
My Dr. is 32. I am a male. I didn't know about the female issue you mentioned. I'm older,with injuries and arthritis. Walking is healthier for me. And much less painful. For me,walking is healthier. Maybe not for everyone but for me it is.
August 6th, 2021 at 10:37 PM ^
Congrats. Considering everything, I guess I'll be nice and say To Heck With Notre Dame.
August 7th, 2021 at 12:27 AM ^
My goodness. What bad ass athlete. Mental toughness, she has.
She was running in a group of 4 with about 6 miles to go. After a few more miles of that, she dropped back into 4th place pretty solidly. Looked like she was going to be just outside of the medals, but one of the girls collapsed from exhaustion.
I thought the Nigerian who won gold was going to fall out, she seemed to be struggling toward the end, but then she pulled away in the last mile or so. Congrats to Molly!
August 7th, 2021 at 12:25 PM ^
Kenyan
August 7th, 2021 at 10:14 AM ^
It was mentioned several times during the broadcast that the torrid weather conditions were a great equalizer so that those with previous faster times had the same chance than those with slower personal best times.
Molly ran a well executed race. Seems that she also had fresher legs going into the race. She ran through as much shade as possible plus hydrated as often as possible. I imagine she had great coaching to prepare her for the race of her life.
August 7th, 2021 at 12:26 PM ^
Her coach also has a pretty wild story. Long story short, he wasn’t even USATF certified until she placed 2nd at the Trials.
August 7th, 2021 at 10:38 AM ^
Awesome example of the incredible human spirit.