Gabby Thomas highlights the unique differences sprinters have over distance runners, from training routines to lifestyle flexibility.
Gabby Thomas has addressed some of the biggest misconceptions that people have concerning sprinters compared to distance runners.
The triple Olympic champion seemingly loves being a sprinter and, in another life, she would still choose to be a sprinter owing to some of the advantages that come with her choice of event.
Gabby Thomas disclosed that sprinters have a lot of room to make mistakes when it comes to dieting and having the much-needed discipline for an athlete.
Jamaican great Usain Bolt may have been used to winning on track but he has had to endure painful losses off it, going by the multi-million ventures that lost him big money.
Distance runners like Faith Kipyegon and Eliud Kipchoge have for long insisted on having discipline in training and sprinters like Gabby Thomas never really need to be like the Kenyan legends to excel in their track careers.
“Even down to our lifestyle, I think sprinters get away with a little bit more than distance runners do when it comes to nutrition and overall discipline. I hate to say that but you do get away with a bit more,” Gabby Thomas said in an interview with Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce on You Tube.
She further noted that one of the major misconceptions people have is that sprinters run distances during their training.
Gabby Thomas refuted the claims, revealing that there are a few who do it but it’s more of running a 500m distance and that’s it for training.
The world 200m silver medallist explained that her coach subjects them to mile runs once in a while to just see their endurance levels and notes that it is great for their gut health.
“But, we don’t go for jogs, we don’t go for runs, I don’t do trail runs, I don’t do any runs on the street. It’s like I go on the track and I do my sprint work out which is really fast running and I go home,” she revealed.
“I do a mile gut check like in the fall and that doesn’t benefit me, it’s like a mental exercise. It’s kind of like a therapeutic thing that my coach has us doing cause she wants to see how far we can go, how far we can push ourselves and that’s it.”
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Gabby Thomas is one of the most accomplished sprinters in the US and this season, she will be chasing her first individual gold medal at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
At the 2023 edition of the race, she finished second in the 200m behind Shericka Jackson who successfully defended her title.
