Why do military guys feel the need to lie about their mile times?

Not surprised that military people lie about their mile times. Actually many people lie about what they did in high school. Back in the 80s some famous runner said that when you go to college so many guys who don't run in college say they ran a 4.30 mile in high school, or a 10 flat 100 (100 yards in those days), or a 52 sec. quarter mile.

former USMC rifleman wrote:

I rarely run into military personnel lying. I have often crossed paths with life long civilians claiming prior military service. Often civilian weapon contractors. Civilian weapon contractors who never served think they know enough about military to get away with lying about military service.

In my experience, growing up in the years after the Second World War, people who talk about their military experience generally had an easy time in their service. The people who never talk about it are the ones that saw the real action and the nasty stuff. I had a teacher who went over on D-Day +10. Almost weekly he would make some comment about how during D-Day this or back when I was landing in Normandy that. Meanwhile our next door neighbor lived next to us for over 10 years before I found out he landed on D-Day itself. When I asked him about it all he said was, "I guess that makes me somewhat unique."

same old story wrote:

Military liars wrote:

Why do military guys feel the need to lie about their mile times?

Why do distance runners feel the need to lie about their bench press?

Reading threads here it seems that the average posters has BMI 20 and "used to" bench 1.5x their bodyweight.

Same difference.

This is true. Every letsrunner benches 225lbs.

I agree with this sentiment. My uncle and grandfather served in the Canadian Air Force.

My uncle talked a great deal about the joys of brotherhood, seeing the world, and the honour of protecting his home. My father told me that my uncle's entire service was spent on an air base fueling plans and doing small repairs; he never experienced much stress or risk. My uncle never lied about his service, he did travel the world and serve for 11 years, but it was a chill 11 years.

My grandfather fought in the Battle of Britain and I only know that as my father told me. My grandfather refused to speak about his service; even small details like rank he didn't want to say. He pawned his uniform and medals decades before I was born. Fighting in WW2 made in a very angry and bitter person.

I spent four years in the army and did 10-12 APFT's (w/ a two mile run) and at one post the companies did a monthly formation race. (the 18 fastest guys from each company doing two miles in formation) that I ran 10 -12 times.

In a company of a couple hundred new recruits (which meant at 22 I was one of the oldest guys in the company) we could usually come up w/ 18 people who could run 12:05. Once I got to a permanent post with a wider age rande. I only got beat in an APFT a couple of times and I ran around 11:40 most of the time. In Basic training one guy in our battalion broke 10 minutes which was legendary (like none of the Drill Sergeants had seen a time that fast and they cycle thousands of troops through a year). I also saw a female break 11. I served in training and then airborne units but not hardcore combat units. When I went to PLDC (Sergeant's school) w/ a bunch of 82nd airborne types they were faster as were the ranger units I got attached to a couple times, but that just meant lots of people able to run 12:00 minutes but very, very few much faster (ranger standard is 5 miles in 40 minutes). I don't think military types lie about it anymore than anybody else until they get to be old farts like me.

Because they are insecure. Thread over.

Did you ever consider that those who join the military make a sacrifice for everyone in this country? My mind doesn't doubt what people in the military say, I only imagine he's running whatever time he says at 5 AM in the morning, or through brush and carrying way more than the average runner, wearing boots etc, and thinking about more than running. I imagine where he could be running and under what circumstances, and I'd believe him if he told me he could break 4. But that's because I understand something you do not.

Your feeble mind can't filter itself and wants to share this disrespectful insight into those who enlist. I think it's far more revealing about you than this country's servicemen and servicewomen.

haha...

I met a military guy that ran a "3:26 mile." I said wow you ran the world record...and he said, "yea there was a couple of us."

don't get me started on the people that say they "ran a marathon" when it was 5k!

Well said!

If you go to the military lying really ist the least of offenses. You are signing Up to the us. army because you enjoy killling other people in offensive wars. Lying about your running times does not matter really

I am a disabled veteran and your post couldn't say more. Running is fun but everyone on here bashing military members is disgusting. These men and women my brothers and sisters sacrifice as much as there lives to serve this country. I had heart failure injury and more for this country. I still proudly serve as a GS civilian today. So the moment you want to bash military members about running think about the fact that at least you don't have to say bye to your wife and kids for 6, 9 months or even a year plus my daughter was a 3 months old when I deployed in 2009 and she was close to 2 years old the next time I saw her think about that. Running is a privilege but today I have that are missing legs arms and some that even went to boot camp with the only conversation I get to have with them is sitting on the grass in front of there head stone.

San Vicente wrote:

Did you ever consider that those who join the military make a sacrifice for everyone in this country? My mind doesn't doubt what people in the military say, I only imagine he's running whatever time he says at 5 AM in the morning, or through brush and carrying way more than the average runner, wearing boots etc, and thinking about more than running. I imagine where he could be running and under what circumstances, and I'd believe him if he told me he could break 4. But that's because I understand something you do not.

Your feeble mind can't filter itself and wants to share this disrespectful insight into those who enlist. I think it's far more revealing about you than this country's servicemen and servicewomen.

Get off the patriotic horse a bit. Obviously people who serve their country give a great sacrifice and deserve the utmost respect. But being in the army doesn't make someone immune to personal criticism. Servicemen and women are still people and shouldn't be given a pass for embellishing running times.

I have absolutely no doubt that a lot of men in the army can run a mile in under 5 minutes on top of a lot of other impressive physical feats. Yet when a 200lbs+ man comes forward saying he can run a 4:30 mile in boots, it is reasonable to have some doubts.

Literally everything in the military is a lie. Would mile times really be any different?

They'll justify it as "national security."

San Vicente wrote:

Did you ever consider that those who join the military make a sacrifice for everyone in this country? My mind doesn't doubt what people in the military say, I only imagine he's running whatever time he says at 5 AM in the morning, or through brush and carrying way more than the average runner, wearing boots etc, and thinking about more than running. I imagine where he could be running and under what circumstances, and I'd believe him if he told me he could break 4. But that's because I understand something you do not.

Your feeble mind can't filter itself and wants to share this disrespectful insight into those who enlist. I think it's far more revealing about you than this country's servicemen and servicewomen.

What lol

ok gotta respond now. 27 year career retiring E9. I volunteered for deployments and my wife knew what to expect. Yes missed a lot of birthdays, holidays, family events, but I made the decision to serve and stay 27 years. I NEVER threw it in amyones face about what I sacrificed for 27 years. I do not demand "thanks for your service" from anyone. Just like firemen and police do not demand constant gratitude, they chose their career, not forced to serve. Why do IT geeks brag about SAT scores, (there is a boatload of 1500-1600 IT folks out there, just ask) why are there so many IM folks who claim they have qualified for Kona but on group rides average 15 mph and suffering, why so many runners who have BQ times but never do more than a 6 mile long run at 10 minute mile pace. Ever met a size 4/6 woman, every woman has been or is a size 4/6 but damn if I you can find one, I have a guy at the gym who swears 650 deadlift at 145 lbs.

Time to bow out of this thread real 4:04, and if you did serve, thanks for your service but hope your shoulder doesn't hurt from patting yourself on your back.

I am a personal trainer at a gym and a client of mine is in the reserve. He had his annual fitness assessment and he had to run a 2 mile in 12 minutes or something. So we started with 1 mile and he ran it in 8 minutes. He swore up and down that he has never run faster than 7 minutes but that everytime he tests the 2 mile it's under 12 mins. I tried to explain to him how impossible it was to do that lol

I did serve 8 years Navy not patting my self on the back. I am just tired of reading about people constantly bashing military and as a man that served 27 years you should be standing up for those in uniform. Not patting myself o. The back I worked hard on active duty. If you are talking about entitlement you bet you a$$ I feel those that served and got hurt deserve there compensation for it. I am a veterans activist as it is. Yes I still do work I as a GS employee. I am just tired of people assuming because someone wears a uniform there runni g credentials are lies. I ran 4:04 and can prove it. I know plenty of others that also ran fast. People on here will say things like well if you really did that why did you not join WCAP or some program well hard to believe not every fast guy that joins the military is trying to get tbe Kenyan runner free ride and yes I said that. Some of us got passed off about 911 and joined to simply help our country.

Yeah bring on the grammar police I wrote this via cell phone voice recorder. But if anyone tries to slam the military I will come right after you for it. Especially if you have never served. You will find b's runners out of uniform also but nobody seems to make a big deal about them.

I ran 10:15 for two mile when I graduated from Military Police school back in 1991. I had about 230 soldiers in my company. I was out front by a LARGE margin. I think the next fastest was mid 11 and then 3rd was in the 12's. I was a mid 15:00 5k runner when I went in. I did gain weight while in basic/AIT and weighed about 180 when I graduated from MP school. My race weight in college was 160 (5'11" and I ran 24:40 for 8k xc in college post Army. I ran DII as I was about 27 when I ran in college and did not run xc in HS). So not sure how you only ever saw 4 guys break 11 but I do know within my company it was rare. I was in the Cal Army National Guard and no one at my station ran under 12 besides me in the three years I was there.

youtube watchers are so gullible wrote:

Not even close to a 6:00. I agree with the guy who commented that it looked like he was running somewhere in the 8's.

Everyone in the military has run 10 flat for the APFT 2-mile … in their last unit. Over ten years in the Army and I have seen exactly four people in any of my units break 11:00, and that includes both infantry and cavalry companies. Two of them were of Kenyan background, one of whom broke into the high 9's.

Maybe we should try to get this guy hooked up with Ashley Horner?

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=8917856