Runner at my club does 125+ miles every week

Absalon wrote:

He is gifted at not getting injured tough, [that's very] high mileage like a professional, without all the support and recovery.

This. Lotta people don't realize that the ability to run 200km/wk--without injury--is a talent in itself.

I very rarely got above 120km/week and still managed to cripple myself permanently.

When I’m feeling neurotic and questioning whether or not I’m talented at all, it’s nice to come into these threads and remember I ran 15:50 as a senior on 35 mpw.

Talent on its own is the last thing to brag about - you obtained it by being born. Are you looking for a feeling of inherent superiority? Look elsewhere than 5k times.

Like Really Bro wrote:

When I’m feeling neurotic and questioning whether or not I’m talented at all, it’s nice to come into these threads and remember I ran 15:50 as a senior on 35 mpw.

Tell us how old he is.

Talent is the main thing to brag about. Anybody can get something through hard work.

talent is the ability u r born with and the ability u can acquire from training

lease wrote:

Absalon wrote:

He is gifted at not getting injured tough, [that's very] high mileage like a professional, without all the support and recovery.

This. Lotta people don't realize that the ability to run 200km/wk--without injury--is a talent in itself.

I very rarely got above 120km/week and still managed to cripple myself permanently.

There is no such thing as talent to run high mileage.

Most runners are too fixated on avoiding running injuries.

Like most things in life, they would go away if you ignore them long enough.

You can run 200km/wk if you believe that you can do it. It's all about motivation and commitment.

I think it typically goes talent = genetic potential. Given at birth, expressed during life (or not). There are very talented runners who don't know it.

The 5k and 10k times indicate either that he has not tried to run good ones fresh or that he really does not train for speed, because that speed decay is almost preternaturally good from 10k to marathon. 2:31 seems to show that he is really using those miles to good effect at the event he obviously cares about. A coach or training group might help him to break 2:30 by a lot, however, with training that allows him to cruise at a faster 5000/10000m pace. He should be running sub 16 and sub-33 easily.

zxcvzcxv wrote:

The 5k and 10k times indicate either that he has not tried to run good ones fresh or that he really does not train for speed, because that speed decay is almost preternaturally good from 10k to marathon. 2:31 seems to show that he is really using those miles to good effect at the event he obviously cares about. A coach or training group might help him to break 2:30 by a lot, however, with training that allows him to cruise at a faster 5000/10000m pace. He should be running sub 16 and sub-33 easily.

Maybe but maybe not. If the guy is older (40+) then getting faster over shorter distances is hard. The body just can't generate the speed. Then some people are just built for endurance. My own HM and Mara paces are a lot more impressive than my 5&10k, my HM pace is pretty close to my 10k. I've tried everything to speed up at thr shorter distances but it just won't happen for me

True. I know a former women's XC runner at my HS with mediocre times at the shorter distance who became a Olympian marathoner. She was running 21 minute 5k's from HS even to her junior year in college and somehow got down to a 2:37 in the thon. From an interview, she said that her current marathon pace is the same as her HS mile pace. Crazy things can happen if you give it your all to train. Of course, most people won't improve as much as she did, going from a JV runner to an Olympian, but I suspect that many could improve greatly with high mileage. In addition, she always had the slim build suitable for marathoning. For those interested, her name is Joanna Reyes.

uh ok? wrote:

Talent on its own is the last thing to brag about - you obtained it by being born. Are you looking for a feeling of inherent superiority? Look elsewhere than 5k times.

Like Really Bro wrote:

When I’m feeling neurotic and questioning whether or not I’m talented at all, it’s nice to come into these threads and remember I ran 15:50 as a senior on 35 mpw.

Is not a brag at all—it is exactly what I said.

I agree with Hans Solo. Perhaps he just enjoys running. I don’t know him, but I understand running just to run and if the times come its an extra benefit. I cook & bake, but I’m not opening up a restaurant- just running and enjoying the process

curious09821904 wrote:

Is this guy crazy or just extremely gifted? His longest weekly run is about 22 miles.

PBs:

5k 16:57

10k 34:56

marathon 2:31:06

His 5k time has got to be a joke. Excellent aerobic strength if you are suggesting his 5k/10k PRS are the best stuff he has got.

Weekly long run is short for someone averaging that many miles, so sounds like he is doing a lot of doubles. Just needs to do some 200s though and he could be ripping!

curious09821904 wrote:

Is this guy crazy or just extremely gifted? His longest weekly run is about 22 miles.

PBs:

5k 16:57

10k 34:56

marathon 2:31:06

Idk if he's crazy but he's not gifted

There are many, many high school boys who can run a 17 flat 5k on 1/3 of that mileage

You are incorrect. Most of us are incapable of high mileage. I have haglunds which makes it impossible to run for months at a time. At most, I can manage 30 MPW for a few months. Others develop stress fractures regardless of how slowly they build mileage. Others have IT band issues their entire life or plantar fasciitis.

zxcvzcxv wrote:

The 5k and 10k times indicate either that he has not tried to run good ones fresh or that he really does not train for speed, because that speed decay is almost preternaturally good from 10k to marathon. 2:31 seems to show that he is really using those miles to good effect at the event he obviously cares about. A coach or training group might help him to break 2:30 by a lot, however, with training that allows him to cruise at a faster 5000/10000m pace. He should be running sub 16 and sub-33 easily.

I was thinking the same thing. He may be someone who just doesn't put much emphasis at all on anything as short as 5 and 10 km. When I got out of college I didn't think or care about anything other than the marathon, there wasn't much else for a post collegiate runner if you weren't at least near national class. I rarely raced at 5 or 10 km and when I did, except for the rare cross country race, I trained through all of them and considered them as "speedwork" for marathons and longer races. I'm sure I could have had significantly faster times at those distances if I'd been even half serious about them. On the other hand, maybe this does take those distances seriously and just is able to run close to 10 km pace for whole marathons.

RancidCupNoodle wrote:

curious09821904 wrote:

Is this guy crazy or just extremely gifted? His longest weekly run is about 22 miles.

PBs:

5k 16:57

10k 34:56

marathon 2:31:06

His 5k time has got to be a joke. Excellent aerobic strength if you are suggesting his 5k/10k PRS are the best stuff he has got.

Weekly long run is short for someone averaging that many miles, so sounds like he is doing a lot of doubles. Just needs to do some 200s though and he could be ripping!

pretty regularly

His long run is 22 miles. Really, you think that's short? I would think he must be doubling pretty regularly.

pinkerton wrote:

Impressive that he slows down less than 10s per mile from his 10k PR to his marathon PR.

The reality is that he doesn’t race 10k’s. I’ve run a couple sub 3 hour marathons and my 10k PR is in a triathlon at just under 40. I haven’t raced a 5K since high school.