Looking back, I think one of the great things running seriously did for me was keeping me from getting caught up in taking a career seriously. Jobs have just been jobs, means for keeping alive and being able to do things I wanted to do, e.g., run, hang out with my family, travel, and so on. Of course you have to do that sort of work stuff somewhat but for so many people it seems to become the point of their lives. I'm glad something kept me from doing that.
I realized that around 2016-2017, that I had to work hard at my job but there was no need to try to overachieve if the corporations didn't care and I was wearing myself out unnecessarily.
So was she running 150-170miles per week?
if you can’t run more than 120mpw you are a hobby jogger. I was running 90mile per week in the 9th grade
All that training is very time consuming and takes a lot of energy.
Classic LRC starting a thread like this. What are you even doing here OP?
This world would be much better off if people trained to run their best 5k. Running is about testing yourself/finding your limits. It's not just for those with the fastest PBs. Most 15-16min 5k runners are training hard but it's still less than 10 hours/week. We've all got time for that. The difference between those times & faster times can just be genetics/talent so who cares. At least those runners are clean & are getting outdoors/enjoying themselves. Do so much less OP.
Because I enjoy the training & it keeps me healthy, both directly and indirectly by making me make better decisions in other aspects of my life
yeah I’ll never be a professional marathoner, but I know I can go sub 2:20 and I’m excited to see what my ceiling is (well relative to what I can get to without being able to live running like a pro). Once I get to a point where I’m no longer improving then I’ll wind down on the training and just run more for fun, but I’ll always be proud of the time I managed to get to
Try competing in the UK as a masters. Most open meetings are seeded by PB / SB so you will end up racing U13s.
When I was young athlete (ok standard) I promised myself I would never be as slow as the old guys I raced and beat regularly. 30+ years later and a period away from the track, guess what..? Ageing sucks, nothing wrong with doing something that you enjoy that slows the decline and maintains or improves your health if it doesn't inconvenience others.
Try competing in the UK as a masters. Most open meetings are seeded by PB / SB so you will end up racing U13s.
When I was young athlete (ok standard) I promised myself I would never be as slow as the old guys I raced and beat regularly. 30+ years later and a period away from the track, guess what..? Ageing sucks, nothing wrong with doing something that you enjoy that slows the decline and maintains or improves your health if it doesn't inconvenience others.
Ron Hill once said something like "Why should I stop doing something I love just because I'm not as good at it as I once was?"
Ron Hill once said something like "Why should I stop doing something I love just because I'm not as good at it as I once was?"
Indeed. Baiting or otherwise from the OP and others, so many looking in fail to understand that the majority of us train purely for the enjoyment of doing so.
I had a look at the stats U13 vs V50 sprinting. Last year 2024 in the UK, the fastest U13 100 was 11.74, the fastest V50 11.47 (World M50 200 champion, so no slouch) and only one other athlete was quicker than the young athlete. This year so far, the U13s have the upper hand.,
So, yes, you will end up racing younger kids in open competition as you get old.
15-16min 5k isn’t better than 90 percent of the world population. It is better than 99 percent of «runners». As for the population of the world you’re in the top 0.0000001 percent
No, I think in many cases they are harming others with their actions. Obsession with personal, athletic achievement can lead to neglecting more important things in life, like family or kids, or neighbors or community.
In your exampled, was he unable to provide for his family? Were they without food and shelter?
Do you think he ever donated money to charity? Bought Girl Scout cookies? Helped a family member or neighbor? What if he encouraged other runners at a local race?
He lived off his inheritance (money given to him that he could choose to do with as he pleased), and he used it in his 40s and 50s when he was in good health to do something that he enjoyed. What should he have done with it?
Like many posters here they hate running but did an in depth ROI analysis and decided this was the right amount of training to get the results they wanted.
I would challenge the assumption that there has to be less sleep per night or that strength training has to be more limited. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Some might de-prioritize sleep and choose to spend 6 hours on their phone per day and drink alcohol or go out at night, while others might prioritize 10 hours of sleep per night and a 30-minute nap and not have children and only meet business and running friends in the mornings and Sunday brunch which is the great equalizer between people who prioritize nightlife and people who prioritize sunrise life.
Look, I'm 100% on board with the notion that most people have more time in the day than they think they do. I ran 130 miles/week while working as an associate at a global law firm. But at the point that you're talking about prioritizing strength training over having children, you've lost me. Of course, there's nothing wrong with not wanting kids, but if somebody wants kids yet chooses not to, just so they can prioritize amateur running...that's nuts.
Not sure anyone is still following this thread, but here’s my two cents:
A wise man once opined that “it’s not so much that we [humans] are searching for the meaning of life, but rather we are searching for the experience of feeling truly alive”. And as privileged and varied as my life has been as a dedicated family man, teacher, entrepreneur, author, financial services professional, and community volunteer, some of the most satisfying peak experiences I’ve had in my life came during my 30s when I was consistently training to race 15 min 5ks as a club runner.
You see, it was never really about the times themselves; that was the bonus. Rather, it was the joy and camaraderie derived from pushing my mind and body to the near limit with a band of brothers and sisters who shared my interest in becoming the best we could each be while enjoying scenic runs and bonding speed work.
As a committed club member who served as newsletter editor, race director, and president for a number of years, it was also immensely satisfying to be pursuing my own running goals alongside others of all ages and backgrounds. Cheering on a youngster finishing their very first race/5k in say 24 minutes was every bit as inspirational as watching the event winner break the tape in 14:16.
Life moved on and my priorities and responsibilities shifted, without regrets. Now in my 60s, I still jog 3x a week to attempt to stay in shape, but I’ll always treasure those years of dedicated training.
I would challenge the assumption that there has to be less sleep per night or that strength training has to be more limited. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Some might de-prioritize sleep and choose to spend 6 hours on their phone per day and drink alcohol or go out at night, while others might prioritize 10 hours of sleep per night and a 30-minute nap and not have children and only meet business and running friends in the mornings and Sunday brunch which is the great equalizer between people who prioritize nightlife and people who prioritize sunrise life.
Look, I'm 100% on board with the notion that most people have more time in the day than they think they do. I ran 130 miles/week while working as an associate at a global law firm. But at the point that you're talking about prioritizing strength training over having children, you've lost me. Of course, there's nothing wrong with not wanting kids, but if somebody wants kids yet chooses not to, just so they can prioritize amateur running...that's nuts.
I get you but not having kids is a cheat code in life--not just so you have more time to run, of course, but find balance in other areas of your life.