Run-Down Forums

[Angelo Z]

I'll post the link as soon as I get on a real computer. I learned some new things about his life. He was a soccer player at 14 but his mother told him to not play anymore because she had 7 children and got tired of cleaning clothes. At 15 he wins an xc championship. Hicham also stated that he runs like a foolish man until he gets sick.

I think that the number one reason people don't run like maniacs is because they get intimidated. Intimidated that they'll pass out or have some sort of a heart attack.
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My favorite all time race: Hicham El Guerrouj - Prefontaine Classic Mile 2002 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YykUTHzOL8
¥London 2012 XXX Olympiad¥

[Angelo Z]

Here it is: http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/gurrj.htm
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My favorite all time race: Hicham El Guerrouj - Prefontaine Classic Mile 2002 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YykUTHzOL8
¥London 2012 XXX Olympiad¥

[Dan]

Great article, thanks.

Reading it makes me wonder if a shortcoming in ElG's career was his dependence on training partners and rabbited races... It sounds like his workouts were carefully structured to have someone pushing him throughout. He did his best racing when a rabbit towed him through a desired pace. Tactical, championship racing was never his strong suit. Could be coincidental, but it makes sense that one would lead to the other.

Dan
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[Angelo Z]

Hicham's training is unique. He doesn't have an extremely weekly high mileage, but his training is similar to a long distance runner's. In the article, a marathoner even mentions how Hicham trains like that. Typically when you have someone training like a long distance runner, their speed should be slower than a middle distance runner. He's got speed because of his insane speed workouts especially all the hills he does. This is what I mean by running with weights. He outsprinted Bekele in the Olympics. What's odd is how runners fall behind in seconds towards the end of a race due to exhaustion. In fact it must be something that ties to the mind, because if one gets exhausted, they should be well behind for most of the race. It doesn't make sense how runners tend to "crash" at the end. Haile and Bekele tend to win oftenly just because of their training, just from being so "biologically great." Hicham on the other hand tends to win because of his mind so not all of his effort comes from just training. In his body it's mind>strength rather than mind<strength for Haile and Bekele.
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My favorite all time race: Hicham El Guerrouj - Prefontaine Classic Mile 2002 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YykUTHzOL8
¥London 2012 XXX Olympiad¥

[Dan]

Umm, Geb and Bekele have some of the best ever kicks... They're much more known for that than is ElG, in fact. Bekele just let the pace dawdle for too long against ElG, allowing it to come down to too short of a kick. The mid-distance guy is usually going to win out in that case.

Dan
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[Angelo Z]

I was astounded by Hichams kick in his 3:26:00 1500. Anyways, I thought that long distance runners start kicking earlier than middle distance runners. About 400m earlier than Hicham 1000-600m. Bekele indeed is fast as he ran the final lap in Athens in 54 seconds already exhausted, and faster than any lap of Hicham's mile world record. What do you think was the case when he was up Noah in Sydney? They were both alternating for 1st place, but Noah still managed to inch further. Maybe Hicham went out too soon, or maybe Noah just had more pure speed. I'm quite of a novice on this subject, but Hicham also manages to always win most of his races by purely staying in the lead inthe last 50m when his opponent is so close behind him. Just like Hicham's mile record, the Prefontaine classic where he had 2 runners next to him, and the race at the Van Damme Memorial with Mehdi Baala. Why is he so great at holding it until the end every..single..time? And what made Noah's case at Sydney an exception?

Mehdi Baala is also very fiercesome. He was disqualified for causing the fall of 2 other athletes in one competition, he cried when he lost to Hicham, and now this: http://d.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sp/ap_photo/20080819/all/l3345598.jpg

But oh well this is running. I've seen from falls all the way to runners using the fire extinguisher on their shoes after they won.
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My favorite all time race: Hicham El Guerrouj - Prefontaine Classic Mile 2002 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YykUTHzOL8
¥London 2012 XXX Olympiad¥

[Dan]

Kicking in a rabbited race is a totally different thing. Through most of his career, ElG had a reputation for getting out-kicked in championship races by guys with better tactics and comparable late race speed.

Dan
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[Angelo Z]

Wow, that's the exact opposite of what I thought. Hicham limited himself to 7-10 races a year so he can make them the best even though he could do 20. Many thanks for letting me know. Hicham is just considered the best because of his world records and Athens victory. I wonder why the other runners better than him didn't have the oppurtunity.
_________________
My favorite all time race: Hicham El Guerrouj - Prefontaine Classic Mile 2002 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YykUTHzOL8
¥London 2012 XXX Olympiad¥