The American Ladies in London -- Sisson's debut/Huddle's PR

[diablita]

Very excited about Emily Sisson and her potential in the marathon Olympic Trials next year.  She ran a 2:23:08 to come in 6th in London and dropped teammate Molly Huddle (who did run a PR @ 2:26 and change) around the halfway point.

Both will go to the OTs in Atlanta next year and I can't wait to see them.  (I'm already registered for the Publix half the next day, plan to spectate the day before and then run a sloooow and hilly half with friends.)  Sisson will probably get her 10K qualifier later this year and I wouldn't count Molly Huddle out yet.  But I think it's looking like Sisson's year.

I'm also a big fan of Allie Kieffer and wondering if she'll manage to heal and pull out of whatever is going on by then.  I'm not so confident.

[Coyote Mas Loco]

I watched London yesterday AM with as much anticipation as GoT. Had tape delay on demand, and started it at about the time the race actually ended. And I was particularly interested in Sisson-Huddle, as well as the much hyped Kipchoge-Farah showdown.  It was a very good race. Men's race in particular. What a finish! I'm not 100% sure on Kipchoge, he's cranking 4:30 miles at the end of a marathon and it just looks so so easy. Will leave it at that.

Right now the USA women's marathon team favorites look like Hasay, Sisson, and Cragg. They are a notch ahead anyone else, including Huddle, right now. Desi Linden is doing Boston next year and will not run the Trials in February (or so they say). Huddle is a force, but I still think those three are stronger than her in the marathon. The next group is a notch or two behind--there are about a half dozen women in the 2:24-2:29 PR range that have a good shot if one of the top 3-4 gets hurt or has an off day (Kellyn Taylor, Sarah Hall, Laura Thweat, Lindsay Flanagan (not related to Shalane), Allie Kieffer, Stephanie Bruce). Shalane is a possibility but she just had some major surgery (reattached patellar tendon) last week and not sure if she can get rehab and trained up in time to be in shape. Plus she's 37-38 now, but if anyone could do it, Shalane could.   

Huddle would have a real good shot at making another Olympic team in the 10000 meters, whether she runs the marathon Trials or not.

[diablita]

I'm not 100% sure on Kipchoge, he's cranking 4:30 miles at the end of a marathon and it just looks so so easy. Will leave it at that.

This is really the rub, isn't it??  I'm super excited for the US Women's team (and the men's to some extent) and I hope and wish they're clean.  But then we talk about the Olympics and I really wonder which other countries are going to send clean racers.

[Coyote Mas Loco]

Yup, hope they're clean. I like Kipchoge and his persona, kind of like Haile G he seems to be a good ambassador to running.

And speaking Allie Kieffer did you catch this yet? Chris on RunningRogue is interviewing everyone these days. He's been on a roll.
It's a pretty good interview, maybe a bit long and rambling. She's interesting, but also complicated. Would be very difficult to coach because she's pretty headstrong. Sort of threw ex coach Hudson (they broke off just the other week) under the bus, when I think it's also up to the athlete to know when to back down. But I do like what she says about body image and all that.   


http://runningrogue.libsyn.com/episode-123-strong-with-allie-kieffer

[diablita]

I've been meaning to give it a listen but haven't had a chance yet.  You can definitely tell she's headstrong from her social persona.  The image of the two of them as more than coach/athlete up until now didn't seem 100% healthy either. (I think there was an interview that Oiselle was involved with, when she ran NYC IIRC.)

I think Allie has a lot of good lessons to teach but you also have to be teachable.

[Coyote Mas Loco]

Back to Sisson and Huddle. Sisson's debut was long awaited and excellent. Her coach Ray Treacy said years ago that she'd be a good/great marathoner. Huddle was pretty disappointed even though she PRd (by 10 seconds on a faster course than NYC, where she was 4th place last year).