Marshalled my first Parkrun NYD and realised I'm a terrible human being

Most people aren't built for running. They get injured constantly.

From what I know of parkruns most participants are not young males and are not really the population the OP is writing about.

Sure, runners here have a misconception of talent and fast here, but let’s not go guardrail to guardrail. At the end of the day, whether you’re fast or slow, it doesn’t really matter. You’re doing what you’re doing for your reasons. Great. Yes, it’s commendable when some fat woefully out of shape person is looking to turn things around, but that is all it is. 13 min pace indicates a lifetime of undisciplined slothful living, so lets hold off a bit on holding such people as great heroes who are role models. Even if they just strung together a few months of somewhat minimal erratic 4 days/ week exercise, most of them would be at least sub10 which is still slow, but not a result of talent alone. When anyone no matter where they are at are moving forward, then great. But, I’m going to hold off just a bit on celebrating people who have made 5 healthy decisions in the past half year after years of being terrible role models for everyone around them.

I’d say the same about a drug addict that’s 3 days sober. Also, if a 90 year old person who once was stunningly brilliant now does the most basic crossword puzzles, I may recognize and appreciate their past ability and even think it’s good on them for continuing on, but, no, their current ability is not impressive. The notion of having divisions for age and even weight is ridiculous and emblematic of a sad culture where everyone needs a medal and be recognized as a winner. It’s so pathetic.

By all means, forget the past. go do whatever is good for you, and continually make changes for the better. But let’s be real about what’s good and not so good. Also, let’s understand that while a person may be productive, achieve great accomplishments, and create things of value, that is not where their value comes from.

I've read in a few places now that there are health benefits that come from as little as fifty minutes of exercise a week. There are more benefits as you do more, but I've got to think that people doing a parkrun are at least getting in the fifty minutes. Heck some of them are sixty to eighty per cent there just from the parkrun. Why do you say they're exerting themselves for no health benefits?

Average, or rather most young male should be able to run 15 min 5k if trained properly. Here the emphasis is on "trained properly".

Weight is everything in running. I've long suspected the only reason I'm a decent runner is because I'm naturally skinny, not as much now that I'm old, but 5'6 / 115 without having to work at it when young.

I ran during my last pregnancy until my pace slowed to 13 minutes per mile. I was at that point doing 2 mile "runs" with a long break between the first and second mile. It was absolutely brutal - as hard as any tempo or interval workout when not pregnant, though in slightly different way. More just constantly uncomfortable at a lower intensity. So hard in fact, that I decided I'd had enough and switched to walking and swimming.

Last but not least, thanks for volunteering for Parkrun. I'm in the US an I LOVE parkrun. It's so many things Letsrun claims to want - a timed run without a bunch of medals and fuss, and it's FREE. 5Ks in the Seattle area tend to run around $45 - 50 if you sign up on race day. Parkrun is just not that popular here (probably because no medal) and volunteers keep it alive. If you're American, check out your local Parkrun and support a great thing.

I DO think everyone who completes a Parkrun is a winner in some sense - it is a prize to be able to complete 3 miles under your own power, to be able to use your body and exercise and improve your health.

We should also recognize the winners in the sense of the fastest individuals. There's room for both - that's part of the beauty of running.

But one thing I love about Parkrun as an old lady is that you can sort the results by age-graded time and see how you stack up once age and gender are considered.

I’m in the UK and have done over 250 parkruns, across different countries, including USA. I’ve heard it said that parkrun hasn’t taken off that well in USA because, in general, many Americans are sceptical of anything that is free!

In UK, parkruns are permitted to put on ‘special events’ on Xmas Day and New Year’s Day, and my local one was very busy both days.

Your "One Explanation" is likely the only explanation. I know, that's how I started. I've told this story on here many times, but in April 2008 I was 34 years old and 284 pounds and pretty fed up with life.

In my early 20s I was in the Army and had the PFT badge ("300 score"). At the time that was sub 11:54 for two miles and something like 80 pushups and 80 situps in two minutes. Got out at 155 pounds, 5'11.

Suffice it to say I had a rough ~12 years after, nearly doubling my weight. My first thought to get in shape was only what I knew, Army PT. However after trying to jog even a single mile, which was surprisingly just under 10 minutes, I knew that running, or push ups, or situps, was not possible.

So I rode my bike. (cutting long story out), Jan 1 2009 I was 201 pounds, a couple days later, under 200. I started running. In May 2009 I ran a 136 half, in October 2010 I ran 127 half, and ran a bit faster the next year.

However my constant freaking injuries from the pounding, the way I lost weight, perhaps my age...I just gave up running, getting divorced, and weight came back. Not all the way, I've been about 230 for a year. Haven't run in a while.

I've seen both sides, multiple times. I know better yet here I am. It's a weird thing.

People think everyone needs to exert the same amount of discipline and willpower for the same results. It is like an early morning person thinking a night owl is lazy because they can't wake up in the morning to run at 5am. Maybe they can but it would take a ton more energy, thought and discipline than someone biologically wired to wake at sunrise anyway.

This applies to running pace as well as how much you want to eat. The people with the most disdain for fat people, like Bill Maher, can't understand why people can't stay away from food because he doesn't care about food at all. He has said that. He eats the same thing all the time and he doesn't care if it tastes good or not. His thing is weed. Everyone has a thing they turn to (maybe misplaced) for comfort and pleasure. He doesn't have any more discipline than a fat person, just more indifference toward food.

I understand the point here that we don't need to celebrate short-lived habits and just-begun turnarounds. I just don't think that's necessarily what's happening here with a runner doing 10-13 minute mile pace because I've seen too many counterexamples. There are lots of runners out there who train with at least seasonal consistency, are quite cognizant of diet, and yet are somewhat fat and run this slowly. And watching this kind of pace group at say, your local half marathon, you might be surprised by how calculated and controlled their efforts are--towing the line at this pace, neither blowing up nor dogging it, but relatively "fit" for this activity.

Most women would be obese at 200lbs. Not sure if you're just unable to judge weight or are confused about what fat means

I like most of your post OP, but this is delusional. Less than 1% of women are tall enough to be anything less than obese at 15 stone. I am a 6'3" male and when I once briefly got to 14 stone I knew I had to make drastic changes to my diet (and did).

I am closing in on 50 parkrun volunteer sessions and the big problem I can see is people like myself who don't mind standing out there for up to an hour but who really get cheesed off with the (able-bodied) casual walkers who are now encouraged to "take part". By all means have a 5k stroll and by all means take 75 minutes but why does this need to be in a timed event?

Look, I don’t want to come across negatively. The downvotes indicate that I’ve offended some people. If someone is just starting to make good first steps, then I’m all for it regardless of how small those initial steps may be.

But, I’m not down with lying about where someone is at. It is patronizing and unhelpful. I’m not buying all the counter-examples you claim to have observed. I’ve coached for many years. The first year of dedicated discipline in exercise after having let go for many years can be slower running (if you’d call it running bc some can’t for awhile) because the initial emphasis is usually on losing weight and just being consistent. But, a very large majority of people who have reached a healthy weight (which is not the people you’re describing) and who have built up to just 20-25 miles/week (mostly 4-5 miles that’s not all plodding along) for just 40 weeks out of the year will have no issues whatsoever running well under 10 min pace.

There will be a few exceptions, mostly having to do with injury prevention precautions due to weight/age and/or previous injuries. Some will need to cross-train, but will still make improvements.

Your perception of what is “fit” is out of whack because the norm is so unfit. If an illiterate adult is learning to read, we would definitely encourage his progress. But, after he reads a Dr Seuss book, we wouldn’t say he’s well-educated (or at least well-read) individual, and we wouldn’t expect him to stay at that level would we? When just a small percentage read beyond a high school level, then the ability to read “the cat wears a hat” is celebrated even though just about everyone is capable of so much more. This thread exemplifies this.

I think that is all you need to say. It seems really odd that we runners look down on the sedentary population for being so unfit but then gatekeep about what pace or mileage we approve of. As you can see from my previous post I don't approve of or understand the casual strollers. If however the casual stroller takes a minute less each week and keeps this up then at some point they will be running. I am dubious from watching them that this will happen but I cannot definitely rule it out.

OK, you're a terrible person. But one who volunteers because he made a commitment to do so, has empathy for those who don't have your talent, and even converts English "Englishisms" onto terms that even an ugly American could understand.

Hey...Winston Churchill was a raging alcoholic. Yet, you haven't mentioned any issues with the sauce, and still have done good in the world, just like him.

Yes, I would see the casual walkers in the exact same way as you. No issue whatsoever with the walking if that’s what they want to do, then great. However, making others wait for you (without giving hardly any effort) feels like some weird passive-aggressive power move. It disrespects other people’s time as though they have nothing better to do than to watch you walk.

It would be like a jacked guy at Gold’s gym calling over a couple of employees over to spot him (just stand there and watch) as he effortlessly does 5 reps of the bar for a warm up.

It’s all about respecting others’ time, energy, and resources by giving a minimal effort.

since I got old my 5k pace is over 10min/mile. At that pace my hr is close to max, blood oxygenation down in the 80s, and it's far harder running now than I remember from the days when I could run 15min 5ks..

The whole point is that you are out there giving it everything you have. What will the currently smug effortless 15 minute for 5K people be doing at your age? I suspect they have the youthful belief that they will stay in the same shape until they are killed in a freak hang-gliding accident aged 120.