Mid-distance training is worthless

The funny thing is now I greatly enjoy slow runs of 60 minutes or more. But I am too far gone and behind the aerobic development curve that I have no hope of catching up to even slow hobby joggers who have been doing long mileage for years. Fml.

I see many of my former teammates and other elite mid distance runners who run in local 10Ks at times around 37 minutes or 2:50 for the marathon and we are all only 5 or so years removed from All America status. Really sad.

You are a pretty garbage troll.

Go buy some more fanny packs, hobby jogger.

formerD1 wrote:

Go buy some more fanny packs, hobby jogger.

Would this be the same hobby jogger that in your previous post you run behind?

With 1:50 and 3:47 and those sessions you have plenty of aerobic fitness. Perhaps you lack threshold running, fat metabolism and muscular endurance but you should be pretty fit. If you give yourself a year for transition to a higher (and easier) workload there is no reason why you shouldn't have a shot at 14:low, sub 30 and a hell of a half marathon/marathon. BUT: This will just happen if your body and mind is suited for longer stuff. Some people just don't have it. Don't be negative - give it a try.

formerD1 wrote:

I was a 1:50 800m and 3:47 1500m runner.

But there are no opportunities for track racing for a college grad. I suck at 10k road racing.

Discuss.

This just means you are not really looking. Sure, you won't win much money trying to run those times (although you might find some chances to win some cash in road miles), but there are PLENTY of races. Any improvements on your 1500 time, and you are knocking on the door of a 4 minute mile - that will get you into a lot of decent D1 meets. And even if you don't improve on your PR's, there are plenty of open D1-D3 meets that would not hesitate to let you run. Entry fees are not too much different than road races, usually around $25 or so.

Yeah I am pretty much a hobby jogger now getting smoked by people who never ran in college. Sucks.

Been doing lsd for a month now and its embarassing how slow I am.

You may be a troll, but I am in your shoes as well. I was a 5k/10k guy in college and I am a solid 6 minutes slower than I was in college in the 10k. I am still fit and I bet I could still run within 3 minutes of my time on a track when fit, but at a certain point life just catches up with you.

I love running and I hope to get back to running races for fun, but I can't race right now and get beat by hobby joggers running 35 minutes. It just kills me.

Its not that 35 minutes isn't impressive. I think it is very good, but these guys are training their asses off and running 35 minutes while I am running after work (when I can) for 45 minutes and getting out kicked. It just hurts the ego when a short time ago, I could run sub 30 on a consistent basis (on a track, of course).

I think it is something most collegiate runners go through for a few years. Unless you head straight into sub-elite training, you're going to backslide. When you backslide, there will be guys willing to work harder than you. Good for them!

Not a troll bro. Just sucks.

One sad thing I do is search for my ex teammates race results. The Turkey Trots are always particularly depressing, some of these former All americans barely breaking 40 minutes.

Makes you wonder what was all that running for?

Why can't you race track? Where do you live? Just run unattached in college meets.

Have you even looked? Road miles are everywhere and can pay more than enough for your expenses. Many communities also offer races that are shorter than 5k as well. I'm guessing you can run anything under 2 miles pretty well when in shape.

Also, you mention that you could do 20x400 at 65s with 90s....

Why not work on doing them faster? Why not set a personal goal of getting under 4 minutes for the mile? You should work toward doing 10x400 @60s with 60s rest. Get there, and then run your mile.

Contrary to what many people on this board will tell you, getting under 4 minutes is a huge accomplishment - even if it doesn't get you close an Olympic team.

I don't get it, I thought you said people who started in the 5/10K go on to become faster hm/m? Did you stop running after college? Why would you ever stop it's too fun.

Why don't you get to 100mpw then? You could do it in a year. I'm 28 started running this June and I am low 20 for 5k but i will try and get to sub 15 i know i can do it because i love running fast when i do 800m and i will never stop running!

letsrunthen wrote:

I don't get it, I thought you said people who started in the 5/10K go on to become faster hm/m? Did you stop running after college? Why would you ever stop it's too fun.

Why don't you get to 100mpw then? You could do it in a year. I'm 28 started running this June and I am low 20 for 5k but i will try and get to sub 15 i know i can do it because i love running fast when i do 800m and i will never stop running!

You're the guy who is beating me in races, and I commend you for it. For me, personally, it is hard to get beat by you. I consider you to be a worthy opponent, don't get me wrong, but it hurts my ego. The problem is with me, not you.

I started running competitively at age 14 and did the whole D1 thing, so now that I am in my early thirties, it is hard to muster the same excitement for 100-mile weeks and hard track sessions. Compound that by 100 when you add in the FACT that I'll never beat my old PRs. I am hoping that soon I can feel good about age group records or just running to beat the guys around me.

The problem is when I will place 2nd or 3rd in a race, but get beat by guys who have only been running for a short time and are beating me with times that are minutes slower than my PRs.

I want to lose the ego and just have fun. I realize that this is a problem with me, not other people. I think the OP is in the same boat, maybe not...

Social Drinker wrote:

I am hoping that soon I can feel good about age group records or just running to beat the guys around me.

Sorry, meant to write age group placing. I am not beating any age group records. Too many badass, grizzled, old guys who are way tougher than me.

I understand now. I have no idea what my potential is yet as I've never ran over 20mpw but you have already gone through the journey.

Well you can always do it again but do it different. Try a new training plan, you can never try two at the same time right? How about a high carb vegan diet? That will help you recover faster. How about running barefoot no shoes until you reach 80mpw, your form would be amazing starting fresh running with your bodies perfect stride.

I would still train to my my old PR if it was sub 17, I just love running fast, or is that the point, it becomes boring after so long?

letsrunthen wrote:

I understand now. I have no idea what my potential is yet as I've never ran over 20mpw but you have already gone through the journey.

Well you can always do it again but do it different. Try a new training plan, you can never try two at the same time right? How about a high carb vegan diet? That will help you recover faster. How about running barefoot no shoes until you reach 80mpw, your form would be amazing starting fresh running with your bodies perfect stride.

I would still train to my my old PR if it was sub 17, I just love running fast, or is that the point, it becomes boring after so long?

I speak only for myself: Not boring, per se, but just harder to get the motivation to really train hard. I think hard training - true training - takes near 100% dedication, which is something that you could never do in the real world. So changing diets or working on form are never really going to get you that same feeling.

I still love running every day. I think that I'll come to terms with training again, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Social Drinker wrote:

I speak only for myself: Not boring, per se, but just harder to get the motivation to really train hard. I think hard training - true training - takes near 100% dedication, which is something that you could never do in the real world. So changing diets or working on form are never really going to get you that same feeling.

I still love running every day. I think that I'll come to terms with training again, hopefully sooner rather than later.

You 100% can be dedicated to running in the "real world" just look up all of the guys from the 70s who would run sub 2:20 marathons while working blue collar factory jobs.

Yes now that you are in your 30s you probably won't run as fast as you used to.

Either grow a pair and put in the work or stop birching about how your job prevents you from training. (Family is a different story obviously).

If you don't want to run the fastest you can that is 100% ok, run for whatever reasons make you happy or if running doesn't make you happy then don't run. Just don't make it someone else's fault.

I thought I was overly clear that it is no one's fault but my own. I do have three kids, hahaha, so I'll just blame them ;)

No, my main point was that I just don't have the drive anymore, especially since I am not going to hit any PRs. I mean, there is no way I - personally - could train as hard as I did in college, so it's hard to justify it now.

I'm not blaming anyone else. I'm just saying I am looking forward to being able to race without the ego side of things messing with me.