Lance Armstrong on Lance Armstrong's running ability

I'm guessing maybe high 16:xx at best in that video.

I very much doubt that many triathletes can run 30:00 in a straight 10k, let alone off the bike (But let me stress, there are exceptions). Tri's and duathalons are notorious for having short courses. As someone mentioned earlier, they don't have to have the courses certified.

As an example, Simon Whitfield who won Olympic Gold in Sydney is a pretty good runner. His run is always his stronger event and this is where is he beats a lot of guys. Now, I'm not knocking Simon but he is not a 30min 10k runner. I know this because I have raced him and beat him on several occasions in a straight running race.

Don't take this as me bashing triathletes, they are great athletes and compete in a tough event. Most triathletes would kill me in their event as I would breat them in my event.

rick wrote:

Maybe I'm ignorant or wasn't paying attention but I don't remember watching any triathalons on tv where the men were running sub 5 minute pace.

It always seemed like mid to low 5 minute range.

Lance was clipping along in that video posted previously but it doesn't look like sub fives.

It was a big deal when Lance broke 20 or 21 a couple of years ago and he's lighter and wirier now and has got a bigger "engine".

He ran 18:00 minutues for a 5k trail run on the first leg of a moutain bike Tri a few years ago.

back to the point wrote:

going back to the original point, he could run a 5 min mile. even if he was going 20 mins for his triathalon 5k's, thats still 3 MILES. we are talking about 1 MILE. he bikes hundreeds of miles a week and has an arobic compacity none of us will ever touch. i think a few laps at 75 pace is relatively reasonable......

try hundred miles a day

Hunter Kemper ran 14:14 in the 5k in College and now gets out kicked by Witfield all the time. Of course he no longer run that fast becuase he riding the bike 15 hours a week and swimming 10.

That video is awesome. Pre-drinking age. Pre-cancer.

he looks like a spaz on the nike commercial...no way he would be that good of a runner

Have to agree with Luv2Run - only Larry Rawson can tell from the video what pace Lance is running. He is the master when it comes to examining turnover. In fact, I bet Larry can actually pinpoint Lance's pace for each length of football field he covers in the triathlon!

Think muscle groups and which he has maximized v.distance runners/milers muscle use,then debate.

Since you all are so fast why don't you go compete in a triathlon and see how you do? You sub 30:00 10k types will get KILLED (brutally I might add) by these slow 10k guys turned triathlete. Freaking smug asses. Tri guys don't run well in open 10ks. That's a no brainer. Ask yourself why? Because they are training for races 2, 3, 4 times as long.

This quote is old news and has already received a lot of discussion. Lance was making a joke when he said it.

BS in Ex Sci wrote:

Since you all are so fast why don't you go compete in a triathlon and see how you do? You sub 30:00 10k types will get KILLED (brutally I might add) by these slow 10k guys turned triathlete. Freaking smug asses. Tri guys don't run well in open 10ks. That's a no brainer. Ask yourself why? Because they are training for races 2, 3, 4 times as long.

Take a deep breath and go back and read my post again. I said that the majority of triathletes WOULD KILL ME in a triathalon. I know why most tri guys can't run well in open 10k's but I was disagreeing with the statement that most elite tri guys are running 30min 10k pace after swimming and biking. My point is that most tri guys can't run 30mins in an open 10k let alone at the end of a triathalon. Once again, I am not bashing their athletic achievements or their sport.

HHH wrote:

I very much doubt that many triathletes can run 30:00 in a straight 10k, let alone off the bike (But let me stress, there are exceptions). Tri's and duathalons are notorious for having short courses. As someone mentioned earlier, they don't have to have the courses certified.

As an example, Simon Whitfield who won Olympic Gold in Sydney is a pretty good runner. His run is always his stronger event and this is where is he beats a lot of guys. Now, I'm not knocking Simon but he is not a 30min 10k runner. I know this because I have raced him and beat him on several occasions in a straight running race.

Don't take this as me bashing triathletes, they are great athletes and compete in a tough event. Most triathletes would kill me in their event as I would breat them in my event.

As an exception Tim Don is one of the top UK triathletes and has a pretty mean set of PB's. I think he ran very close to 30mins in the british tri champs a couple of years ago (if the course length is to be believed) but i think he's gone well under 14 for 5000m. He would be one of the best in the country if he devoted purely to running but he can get money doing triathlon.

I know of pretty average triathletes who can run 16-30 for 5k so a good one like Armstrong running an easily sub 5 mile seems very possible.

Mottram wanted to do the Noosa Triathlon last year but they were too scared to give him a professional licence so he had to start after the elite guys. He ended up coming about 10th and winning the Open category (not Elite) and ran 31high off the bike. Someone can google it if they are really interested

I'm a decent 38 yo runner who works too much and has a lot of family responsibilities. I'm heavy into marathon training right now (very little speed). As a test last week, I went to the track and blasted a mile. It wasn't too difficult for me to lay down a 4:55 on a hot morning. I can not FATHOM that a dude with Lance's abilities and top-notch triathlon history could not, with minimal training (maybe a month or so), run a sub 5 mile. Something tells me he may have been joking a little.

back to the point wrote:

going back to the original point, he could run a 5 min mile.

The original point:

Quoting Armstrong, "I'd hurt for a week after but I'd love to see if I could do that. Four laps, 75 seconds a lap, wouldn't that be something?"

actually, he had 17:XX 5k split on the front leg of the Dirty Duathlon in Austin...it was Dec 2002 or 2003. He didn't wear a chip, but the race director, Jon Hill, clocked him by hand. He also rode the last 6 miles of the bike portion of the duathlon on a flat tire and ended up getting 2nd overall to some pro mountain biker who Lance nearly ran down.if Lance Armstrong wanted to run a sub 5 minute NOW, he could no problem. I'd love to dig up his high school track times before he turned pro for those triathlons at the age of 16. He is a damn talented athlete at whatever he wants to do.

Question wrote:

He ran 18:00 minutues for a 5k trail run on the first leg of a moutain bike Tri a few years ago.

Lance Armstrong Wins the Dirty Duathlon

from results from Jack on December 8, 2002

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Dirty Duathlon

Sunday, December 8, 2002

Rocky Hill Ranch, Smithville Texas (30m east of Austin)

3 mile run, 13 mile mountain bike, 3 mile run

Look for results at

www.dirtyduathlon.com

Nearly four hundred people turned out for the Dirty Duathlon in Texas, the first race in the four race new Dirty Duathlon Series. Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong was looking to improve on his sixth place finish in 2001, when he was slowed by a flat tire. Armstrong finished the first run with a 90 second lead over mountain biker Jason Sager, but Sager outsplit Armstrong by about 2.5 minutes on the bike and was in the lead with just a 3 mile run remaining. That wasn't nearly enough as Lance came back to win by 2.5 minutes. Sager finished second, while former Dirty Duathlon winners Rip Esselstyn and Will Ross finished third and fourth. Another non-mail delivering US Postal worker, Victor Pena, finished ninth.

The men's relay division was dominated by more US Postal team members. Floyd Landis was on the winning team, with Arkansas alum Adam Daley doing the running. George Hincappie teamed with former University of Texas runner Steve Sisson to take second. New Postal member Max van Heeswijk and duathlete Adam Reiser took third, while Michael Barry and Dirty Duathlon race director Jon Hill took fourth.

The mixed team division went to Ironman triathlete Andrea Fisher and Hill Able. Former pro duathlete Melissa Ruthven and Mel Steele won the women's relay. The women's race was won by Shae Rainer, who finished five minutes in front of Cathy Duryea.

Look for complete results later on

www.dirtyduathlon.com

.

Men

1. Lance Armstrong 1:36:05

2. Jason Sager 1:38:33

3. Rip Esselstyn 1:42:09

4. Will Ross previous winner 1:43:21

5. Kyle Rodemacher 1:48:38

6. Scott Trainer 1:49:16

7. Brandon Marsh 1:49:25

8. Jerry Taylor 1:50:43

9. Victor Pena (US Postal) 1:51:05

10. Kevin Stankiewicz 1:51:20

He's running like 5:40's. That's like 17:30 pace for the 5K.