There are debuts and then there are debuts.
Running is his first ever indoor race, 18-year-old Oklahoma State freshman German Fernandez ran 3:56.50 to win the mile at the Arkansas Invitational in Fayetteville. The time is an unofficial indoor world junior record. (OSU web site story)
Fernandez stunned us all last spring when on May 31, 2008 he ran the greatest HS distance double in history -- 4:00.29 for 1600 meters and 8:34.23 for 3200 meters, within 2+ hours of each other. At the Nike Outdoor Nationals 3 weeks later, he broke the national H.S. 2M record, running 8:34.40.
Then in November, after an outstanding XC season, he was running in the chase pack at the NCAA Div I championships with 2K to go when he collapsed and DNF'ed with an injured Achilles tendon. There was speculation that his recovery might be long, but later reports were more optimistic -- it wasn't as serious as initially feared.
That was 8 weeks ago. One assumes the training has been light since then.
So how fast is 3:56.50? It is 3s faster than Alan Webb ran indoors at the same age. It is faster than anyone has ever run the mile indoors at that age. It is game-changing, paradigm-shifting fast.
And here's what he had to say about it:
"We just went out there to have fun... That was my first indoor meet ever, so I really didn’t know what to expect. I feel pretty good. I just wanted to go out and run a good time and run conservatively and run smart and it went my way."
Run CONSERVATIVELY?!! Incredible!
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4 comments:
that's not fair
I was baffled when I saw the time. Though this could be the US' best World Junior XC team in the modern era(if Derrick, Fernandez, and Puskedra all compete), I kind of want to see all at them at peak form for indoor nationals.
- Noah
He also said that he hasn't been doing hardly any speedwork, that it's just been base mileage for the most part. So, 3:56.50 on no speed work, what will that lead to after a few months of track workouts?
ncaa champion in 1500 apparently
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