For those of you who don't know, Mary Cain and Galen Rupp are chasing some records in the not so distant future. Tomorrow night on Flotrack Pro Cain goes for a slew of different 1k records and Rupp goes for the American record in the 5000m.
I was foolish enough to get sucked into the hype of Flotrack Pro and purchased the sucker for myself so I will be able to watch the race. So if you really want to watch come to Muhlenberg tomorrow night around race time. Unless I don't really know you then that may be awkward.
Cain is joined by Rowbury and Moser in this race, both of whom I seriously doubt are willing to just let Cain walk all over them. I honestly think Cain isn't winning this race out of the American crew, which may be foolish, but I'm not sure that she can beat either of these girls at this distance. My money would be on Rowbury who just jumped on the Salazar plan and is a complete wild card here. I don't think the American Record is falling here. Sorry folks.
But Cain can go after plenty of records in this race, she isn't just limited to the American Record (although that is what the meet directors are hyping her up for).
Here is a list of records she is eligible and the high school record just for fun (she is a pro now so she can officially chase any more USHS records, despite the fact that she is still a senior in HS!)
Note that all of these are indoor track records
HS: 2:43.40
American Junior: 2:40.1
World Junior: 2:40.1 (go USA!)
I think Cain is taking all three of these down (even though only two will count) which is pretty amazing.
Interesting side note: Tirunesh Dibaba owns the world junior indoor record at 3000m with a time of 8:33 which is roughly 2:50 pace per 1k .... so maybe the world junior record is a little soft at 1k?
I'm predicting Rowbury at like 2:36ish maybe and Cain 2:37 right near by, Moser falling of the pace a bit. Hard to say with any sort of certainity on times though because this is far from my area of expertise. But hey I'll give it a shot!
As for Galen, I think he is going to miss the record as well, but just barely. He and his buddy Bernie have been trading indoor american records for the last couple years in a truly dramatic fashion. I love it, even though I'm not a big supporter of either guy.
But then Lopez Lomong said screw you guys and came flying in to steal the record from both of them! Easy to forget that he was the guy who ended up grabbing the record among all the trading between Bernie and Galen.
Bernie originally set the record in that race at Millrose with Ches and Lawi where he was pushed hard the whole way by Lalang. I'm not sure who is going to be out there dragging Galen around the track: Cam Levins is said to be in the race too, but he hasn't looked like a sub 13:20 kinda guy in over a year now.
When Lopez did it he was far from alone either: He had both Evan Jager and my boy Chris Derrick to help him with pacing. Lopez did it with a big time kick at the end.
Look does Galen have skills? Yeah any guy who can run 3:50.92 up to 26:48 is a straight thug on the track.
I'm sorry I have to pause to laugh briefly at the fact that I just said Galen Rupp and straight thug in the same sentence. Back on point.
Galen clearly is taking indoors seriously and after grabbing the 3k record in 7:30.16 indoors last year, I feel that Galen and Alberto are not afraid to put a big emphasis on indoors. But I'm nervous that a guy trying to run 3:49 in the mile in just a few weeks is going to struggle to run 13:07.00. He has the talent, but will the pieces fall in to place for him to break a record that has slowly been becoming more and more impressive? I don't think so.
I'm saying 13:08ish for Galen with Cam not really in the picture.
But what's great about this is I'm wrong a lot so I think anybody who can should find a buddy with Flotrack pro and jump on to watch this because it is going to be exciting. Alberto Salazar is a great coach and he will get his guys ready to chase records if he says they are chasing records.
So as Bane would say,
Let the games begin!
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