Robert Johnson seems like an idiot. He's not coaching young women trying to be the best in the world - just college athletes. It's amazing to me that he hadn't figured out that doing body fat scans on his athletes was going to get him in trouble, and probably be harmful to some athletes. (Though the bone density part sounds useful.)
But on the flip side, it makes me crazy when people try to deny that weight has an impact on speed. Goucher's statement is interesting: "There is NO ONE WAY to look as an athlete. Bodies are different, humans are different. I am so sick of the focus on how something looks instead of what we can do to aide our bodies with love and nourishment to perform at its best. " It's like she's saying it doesn't matter what you look like, but allows that how you eat and take care of your body impacts performance - almost a tacit acknowledgement that while looks don't matter, weight does.
I find the statements that weight doesn't matter an interesting contrast to today's photos on Insta from Shalane, showing her in all her emaciated glory. (I also find it ironic that Flanagan writes cookbooks, which are actually excellent.) Also, if you read Meb's books, he talks a fair bit about race weight, and the sacrifices he had to make to get skinny enough to be at his best, even running 100+ mpw. (I really enjoyed 26 Marathons if you haven't read it yet.) And then there's Kastor talking on "Spirit of the Marathon" about needing an excuse to eat cheese. I wonder what these former pro runners think about this?
Robert Johnson seems like an idiot. He's not coaching young women trying to be the best in the world - just college athletes. It's amazing to me that he hadn't figured out that doing body fat scans on his athletes was going to get him in trouble, and probably be harmful to some athletes. (Though the bone density part sounds useful.)
But on the flip side, it makes me crazy when people try to deny that weight has an impact on speed. Goucher's statement is interesting: "There is NO ONE WAY to look as an athlete. Bodies are different, humans are different. I am so sick of the focus on how something looks instead of what we can do to aide our bodies with love and nourishment to perform at its best. " It's like she's saying it doesn't matter what you look like, but allows that how you eat and take care of your body impacts performance - almost a tacit acknowledgement that while looks don't matter, weight does.
I find the statements that weight doesn't matter an interesting contrast to today's photos on Insta from Shalane, showing her in all her emaciated glory. (I also find it ironic that Flanagan writes cookbooks, which are actually excellent.) Also, if you read Meb's books, he talks a fair bit about race weight, and the sacrifices he had to make to get skinny enough to be at his best, even running 100+ mpw. (I really enjoyed 26 Marathons if you haven't read it yet.) And then there's Kastor talking on "Spirit of the Marathon" about needing an excuse to eat cheese. I wonder what these former pro runners think about this?