TBO is Gonna Get You

[26mi235]

Race this season, go for times in 2014.

[mump boy]

I always thought that CO's success was based primarily on two things:
1) She peaks to perfection (never leaves her best racing on the circuit);
2) She paces her race to perfection with relatively even-paced running.

Sounds like she may be messing with perfection. That said, she needs to somehow find fresh motivation, so good luck to her. I always felt that she had got closer to her her absolute potential than any other British athlete and I can't see her ever breaking 49.5. In terms of pure ability I don't think she's even the best British 400 runner of her generation - Nicola Sanders should have gone quicker in 2007.

To pull her new race strategy off presumably she will need to get a lot quicker over 200. In the past, she may have gone through 200 half a second or more behind SRR but in doing so she was probably as close to her 200 pb as SRR was. Can she get quicker however without messing with her training and losing some of her strength?

Can anyone think of 400 flat runner who has successfully changed tactics relatively late in their career?

I agree with all of this but i think TBO's lack of commitment to the first half of the race is most egregious i can remember at this level. It has worked on the right occasion but only by tiny amounts. She won in 07 by 0.04 in 08 by 0.07 in London she won silver by 0.02

I don't want her going out crazy but i do think a better distribute of pace can get rewards, there is certainly nothing wrong with trying, especially on the circuit

[Gabriella]

I'm not so sure she needs to change tactics and go our harder from the gun, rather she just needs to start her kick earlier. She looks to make her move at around the 230-250m point. If she just started to kick that bit earlier and that little bit harder then that in itself would make a difference; indeed she would have won gold in London (ok, shoulda woulda coulda)

I felt she was lucky in 2007 that Williams didn't dip at the line; she could so easily have been the silver and not gold medalist. 2008 was better judged and 2012 wasn't quite right. To me, the 'simple' answer is to kick that little bit earlier.

She is a fairly even paced runner, that is how she runs, so to make her go harder from the gun I just dont see as benefiting her as she simply isn't fast enough. Also, she got out faster in at least one race last season (can't remember which but it was televised in the UK) and she still didnt win.

Until she gets her 200m PB down by at least another 3/10ths then she will remain in the same ilk as Guevara and Miles-Clark - even paced runners that give the impression of a strong finish when the others are faltering.

So, I would like her to work more over 100/200 this seaosn and start her kick at 200m and no later. Simples

[mump boy]

I'm not so sure she needs to change tactics and go our harder from the gun, rather she just needs to start her kick earlier. She looks to make her move at around the 230-250m point. If she just started to kick that bit earlier and that little bit harder then that in itself would make a difference; indeed she would have won gold in London (ok, shoulda woulda coulda)

I felt she was lucky in 2007 that Williams didn't dip at the line; she could so easily have been the silver and not gold medalist. 2008 was better judged and 2012 wasn't quite right. To me, the 'simple' answer is to kick that little bit earlier.

She is a fairly even paced runner, that is how she runs, so to make her go harder from the gun I just dont see as benefiting her as she simply isn't fast enough. Also, she got out faster in at least one race last season (can't remember which but it was televised in the UK) and she still didnt win.

Until she gets her 200m PB down by at least another 3/10ths then she will remain in the same ilk as Guevara and Miles-Clark - even paced runners that give the impression of a strong finish when the others are faltering.

So, I would like her to work more over 100/200 this seaosn and start her kick at 200m and no later. Simples

This all makes sense but while Sanya, Jeremy, Michael etc have made a career of getting up to optimum speed asap and then relax she seems to relax for the first 200m and only then wake up. I know nothing about running 400m but it doesn't seem a very sensible plan.

[eldanielfire]

I'm not so sure she needs to change tactics and go our harder from the gun, rather she just needs to start her kick earlier. She looks to make her move at around the 230-250m point. If she just started to kick that bit earlier and that little bit harder then that in itself would make a difference; indeed she would have won gold in London (ok, shoulda woulda coulda)

I felt she was lucky in 2007 that Williams didn't dip at the line; she could so easily have been the silver and not gold medalist. 2008 was better judged and 2012 wasn't quite right. To me, the 'simple' answer is to kick that little bit earlier.

Williams was 3rd mate after Nicola Sanders as well. That would be some dip to stretch out in front of both 2nd and 3rd.

One thing I'm always amused by TBO is how she literally always runs exactly 400m. She always stops with the very step she takes that takes her over the finish. No mroe and no less. I can't recall a serious dip either from her.

She is a fairly even paced runner, that is how she runs, so to make her go harder from the gun I just dont see as benefiting her as she simply isn't fast enough. Also, she got out faster in at least one race last season (can't remember which but it was televised in the UK) and she still didnt win.

Until she gets her 200m PB down by at least another 3/10ths then she will remain in the same ilk as Guevara and Miles-Clark - even paced runners that give the impression of a strong finish when the others are faltering.

So, I would like her to work more over 100/200 this seaosn and start her kick at 200m and no later. Simples

Me too.