The 2 hour Marathon
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| Rick |  | ... | 12-04-2011 @ 11:48 |
 I am a bench-only guy Member 3, 10035 posts SQ 185, BP 175, DL 235595.0 kgs @ 140kgs UnEq Administrator | The obvious question in response to that piece of aboriginal archaeology is why this isolated population, whose way of life famously didn't change until they encountered white settlers pretty recently, got so much slower - they weren't noted as remarkably fast when the colonists landed. None of the usual deevolution-in-response-to-civilisation theories work at all here. (The obvious suspicion is that the footprints are deceptive in some way, or that this guy was simply an one-off and the preservation of his stride a freak accident.) | ||
| Simeon | | ... | 12-04-2011 @ 11:56 |
 tight in the hole Member 2057, 3121 posts SQ 205, BP 140, DL 260605.0 kgs @ 95kgs UnEq | Rick said:Is the long-distance running equivalent of double-ply suit and briefs rollerblades? A bicycle? And you obviously wouldn't need to run to the end of the raee for the judge to deem that you have finished. | ||
| Sen | | ... | 12-04-2011 @ 12:28 |
 Member 2310, 140 posts | that is a very good point; it would surely be noted; although there have been many populations undiscovered that appeared and vanished "under our noses" so to speak. I don't know how you work out the speed someone is travelling from footprints; I'm sure its a lot of estimation of bodyweight, distance between strides etc; or I could offer suggestions, I would love to know the truth to the story though | ||
| mikeyp | | ... | 13-04-2011 @ 19:45 |
 bollocks to global warming Member 475, 1735 posts SQ 200, BP 125, DL 235560.0 kgs @ 115kgs UnEq | It's impossible to say how soon the 2 hour barrier will be broken, there could be a 16 year old Kenyan out there who has been running 10km each way to school for the past 8 years building his aerobic base without specifically training. He may also be a genetic freak aerobically and durable enough to withstand 150 - 200 mile training weeks, then he discovers competitive running wins his first few 10k races, is extremely ambitious and builds up the training load over say 10 years by which time he may well have the strength and experience to break 2 hours. It will take a unique individual with the natural talent, desire, resistance to injury and environmental factors (being able to be a full time athlete etc) but it will happen. As has been said this is the long distance equivalent of the 4 min mile. | ||
| IainKendrick | | ... | 13-04-2011 @ 20:42 |
 some nice relaxing jazz. Member 77, 12599 posts SQ 265, BP 165, DL 280710.0 kgs @ 93kgs UnEq | Sen said:(sorry to nerd up the thread) Interesting read on the evolution and de-evolution of humans; with a piece relating to running speeds http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240527023045107045755626... The notable portion: Archaeological evidence suggests that today's fastest sprinters would be defeated by Aboriginal Australians of 20,000 years ago. Usain Bolt, currently the world's fastest man, has a peak speed of about 27 miles per hour. In 2003, archaeologists discovered human footprints in a fossilized lake bed in Australia that indicate a running speed of about 23 miles per hour. But the Aboriginal man was running barefoot on a soft, muddy lake edge, which extracts a significant energy cost. His lengthening strides, preserved in the clay, also indicate that he was accelerating. Correcting for energy loss, his potential speed was likely around 27.6 miles per hour—and chances are that he wasn't even the fastest runner around. makes ya think.. Homo sapien sapien or another species of human? | ||