How am I this unfit?

Training Advice/Discussion

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6 years ago 01/20/2018 7:01pm EST

I will try and keep it short. I am a college freshman and I just had the worst race of my life. For context, I ran 4:39 and 17:21 on high school, didn't start running until my junior year in outdoor season. My freshman xc season I ran 27:3x on a flat xc course, but I got hurt towards the end and did not start running until a couple days after New Years. I have probably run a total of about 20 miles a week for three weeks with one workout, a 3x5 min tempo. I just ran my first indoor race, which was a mile. I flubbed and ran a 5:26. I wasn't expecting a pr or anything but should I be this slow right now? How much fitness is normal to lose in about 5 weeks of doing nothing but exercise bike.

6 years ago 01/20/2018 8:19pm EST

re: Runnerdude69

Runnerdude69 wrote:
I will try and keep it short. I am a college freshman and I just had the worst race of my life. For context, I ran 4:39 and 17:21 on high school, didn't start running until my junior year in outdoor season. My freshman xc season I ran 27:3x on a flat xc course, but I got hurt towards the end and did not start running until a couple days after New Years. I have probably run a total of about 20 miles a week for three weeks with one workout, a 3x5 min tempo. I just ran my first indoor race, which was a mile. I flubbed and ran a 5:26. I wasn't expecting a pr or anything but should I be this slow right now? How much fitness is normal to lose in about 5 weeks of doing nothing but exercise bike.

A lot, in your case. Pool running is better if you can get into a pool. But don't worry about it. Just get back to training. The thought of that 5:26 should be motivating.

6 years ago 01/20/2018 9:11pm EST

re: Runnerdude69

When I was off for 6 weeks and did nothing but bike I ran 4:41 my first race back. Previous PR was 4:37

6 years ago 01/21/2018 2:47am EST

re: Runnerdude69

You just lack speed, which is normal. Speed is the first thing that goes, which is why sprinters work on speed every other day.

Endurance does no disappear, because even though it takes a long time to build up slow twitch muscles, the fitness stays with with you for a long time.

It does not take much to build up fast twitch muscles, which is why they regress faster than the other type of muscle fibers.

As soon as you start to work on your speed, to get your anaerobic endurance back, your times will be faster.

Don't flip out over it. You're simply not in your true form. The race is part of the bigger picture, so take it with a grain of salt,

and move on .

6 years ago 01/21/2018 8:59am EST

re: Scorpion_runner

Yeah that makes sense. I didn't feel to bad I just could not speed up as the pack broke away and I was slowing down the whole race. Thank you for the positive post.

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