The training you think should have someone elite only got me to 15-16, probably because I'm injury prone. If I did less, I'd run slower because I'm untalented.
Why do it? Everything else seems stupid or is expensive. What am I going to do 30-60 more minutes a day of watching tv? Play video games?
How about this - the difference between my 15xx 5k and Jim Bob's 19 minute 5k is Jim Bob knows a whole lot about the Bruins/Celtics/Cavs/Nascar whereas I do not know Jeff Bordon from Lebron Lemieux. This summer are you really sitting around thinking hell ya I drank a lot of beers and watched 60 Wizards games on tv? Is that really something to look that fondly on?
It’s a relatively harmless thing for people to pursue. If it doesn’t get in the way of truly important and meaningful pursuits, then no one should mind.
I will state that this sport does attract a lot of OCD, autistic, and ADHD folks that can make chasing performance look unhinged to outsiders. That gets amplified when they insist on sharing with disinterested parties and then get angry when praise isn’t received in return.
All that training is very time consuming and takes a lot of energy.
I ran in the 15s way back in my youth. I don't know if I "trained like a pro" but I did put a lot of time and effort into it. I guess you're suggesting that I was wasting my time? Perhaps so, but is it any more of a time waste than any other hobby?
Now I'm an old masters runner and am nowhere near my old times, and I doubt anyone would say I "train like a pro" although I do still run daily. I also race almost every weekend of the year. Lots of letsrun posters think that's nuts. Again, it's my hobby, and one that keeps me lean and in shape, as opposed to most guys my age.
I have a friend who is always asking me to play golf with him. I'm not a golfer and couldn't imagine giving 4 hours of my Saturday to a round of golf. He does it every week. Is his hobby more or less commendable than mine?
That's the thing with hobbies - since you're not getting paid, you get to do it on your own terms. Would playing video games or watching tv be a better use of my free time? I don't think it would be, but if you disagree, that's great. You do the hobby thing that you like, and I'll do the same.
I trained pretty hard for a few years and ran 15:00. Am I reasonably proud of this? Yup. Would I do it again? Nope.
I should have run 16:15 on half the effort, and pursued other things. I feel I'd be happier now. Then again, you never know.
That being said, why would anyone else care how I chose to dose out my physical and mental energy for a few years in my early 20s? It doesn't affect them.
If you wanna train like a pro, absolutely do it. It's better than most alternatives.
Why do you work so hard at your job? You’re never gonna get that big raise or be a multimillionaire. You’re further from wealth of Bezos or Musk than a 5 hour marathoner is to Kipchoge
I did it because golf, bowling, softball and the typical recreational sports didn't seem like they were a challenge from a physical standpoint. I appreciate the fact that some people want to be good at stuff like that... but there is something about making yourself continue running when you are hurting like hell and setting a pr seemed more honorable than tapping in for birdie.
Why do you work so hard at your job? You’re never gonna get that big raise or be a multimillionaire. You’re further from wealth of Bezos or Musk than a 5 hour marathoner is to Kipchoge
And the company you work for would undoubtedly lay you off in a heartbeat if an AI bot told them they make a 5% profit by streamlining.
I will state that this sport does attract a lot of OCD, autistic, and ADHD folks that can make chasing performance look unhinged to outsiders. That gets amplified when they insist on sharing with disinterested parties and then get angry when praise isn’t received in return.
Why do some runners train like a pro even if they only run a 15 or 16 minute 5k?
I would argue it's not "some", almost all of them are training like pros to achieve that. If you don't and still run 15min 5K than you are special.
Personally I'm high 18 guy, but I still train "like a pro". One, because, as another poster said, I would be 21 min guy if I don't and other reason is that this soaks up time and energy which I would otherwise spend in decaying on my coach scrolling social media and eating to death. I know myself well enough and I know that if I don't occupy my free time with training I will do stupid stuff.
I really don't think "almost all" 15-min, 16-min, and especially18-min guys train like pros. I didn't when I was a 15:xx guy in my 40s, or 29-min guy in my 20s. I did a ton of mileage because I like running/moving through scenery (on a bike or skis is fine too) for 2-hours a day, but otherwise either raced into shape or did something like one tempo run a week in race season/no hard workouts at all not in race season. (Yes, I don't think I came anywhere near my full potential, never willing to push things after two years with chronic fatigue in my early 20s.) I never got a sense that most 14-, 15-min guys in my local trained anything like real pros like Jakob, Cole, Kessler, etc. Maybe a handful who also coached and worked at the local running store maybe, not most. Similarly, my GF was winning tons of local races off of basically just a lot of hours/mileage with the dogs/no hard workouts.
They are training while most Americans watch TV or goof around on social media. Hobbies are healthy and a sign of intelligence. Also, 15-16 minutes in a 5k is usually enough to win small-medium road races. Winning road races is a great opportunity to make friends or meet a future spouse.
They are training while most Americans watch TV or goof around on social media. Hobbies are healthy and a sign of intelligence. Also, 15-16 minutes in a 5k is usually enough to win small-medium road races. Winning road races is a great opportunity to make friends or meet a future spouse.
At that pace, you’ll meet nothing but skinny dudes.
From what I’ve seen, the fit women who aren’t 5ft & 90lbs can be found at 8-9min 5K pace.
All that training is very time consuming and takes a lot of energy.
I stopped training really really hard when I realized that I was as fast as I was ever going to get in most races, and that was far from elite. Plus life outside my sport got a lot more interesting. I started coaching for instance. My kids got older. I train probably 6 hours a week now, stay in great shape, occasionally compete, and generally have a good “relationship” with my sport.
I also have time to put my energy into other things that I am much better at, or are important to the people around me.
I am always a little suspicious of middle-aged people who pour all their energy into some sort of athletic or training activity. It makes me wonder what they have eliminated from their lives to be able to spend so much time on a self-gratifying pursuit. I knew a man once in his 40s and 50s who lived for a few years off an inheritance, just so he could train. He was very good, but there was absolutely no chance of him earning a living or even real glory.
All that training is very time consuming and takes a lot of energy.
I stopped training really really hard when I realized that I was as fast as I was ever going to get in most races, and that was far from elite. Plus life outside my sport got a lot more interesting. I started coaching for instance. My kids got older. I train probably 6 hours a week now, stay in great shape, occasionally compete, and generally have a good “relationship” with my sport.
I also have time to put my energy into other things that I am much better at, or are important to the people around me.
I am always a little suspicious of middle-aged people who pour all their energy into some sort of athletic or training activity. It makes me wonder what they have eliminated from their lives to be able to spend so much time on a self-gratifying pursuit. I knew a man once in his 40s and 50s who lived for a few years off an inheritance, just so he could train. He was very good, but there was absolutely no chance of him earning a living or even real glory.
Are you suspicious that they value athletics or training activities in a way that is different than you?