They didn't run with GPS watches..
I've been wondering how it's possible, that everyone has gotten so much slower in our area, across the board. I'm really starting to think it has to do with technology.
They could train with stop watches etc, but when it came to racing -> they had to just race. They had to go by feel. The only feedback they'd get would be from possible mile markers with the time on it etc. Other than that, no instant feedback. Nothing to tell them they were going "too fast", or "too slow" etc.
It just doesn't make sense how this same area, could be considerably faster in the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's, and then just (generally) become so much slower 2010+. The same "old people" are still beating all of the young people.
I was told there's also many more races, which dilutes the overall race pool. So that's definitely a factor as well.
But, this idea about tech interests me because, even today, I felt like crap, looked at my watch midway through my mile, was doing ok but just felt like crap, and bailed. Had I just kept running by feel, I might have finished it off. The watch basically was my "out", for whatever reason. And at times, in races, you see your pace and you think, "damn this is too fast". Some of my better races have come without look at my watch at until much later in the race, or not at all.
Elites aren't constantly checking their watches in races either. Most Kenyans still refuse to look at their watch or even wear one. Some are "required" to wear one for the coaches/team to gather data, but they themselves aren't even looking at it during a session. Tech can be amazing, it can help push you forward, but it can also hold you back.
dno just interesting.
