Is it possible for a sedentary teenager to run a sub 5:30 minute mile after 2 months of training if they have average talent?

Casual Impartial Observer wrote:

david45 wrote:

Pasta parties? Bus rides? Messing around with friends?

Pasta parties? You mean basic dinner?

Bus rides? Not so much.

Messing around with friends? Can't say I did that.

The camaraderie is also extremely fun.

david45 wrote:

It just makes me sad when I see posts on social media about how much fun people are faving in HS XC

Don't worry about that. I bet you have way better things to be sad about.

Nutsack McGee wrote:

david45 wrote:

It just makes me sad when I see posts on social media about how much fun people are faving in HS XC

Don't worry about that. I bet you have way better things to be sad about.

Like what?

PB&J FTW wrote:

IIRC, Jim Ryun ran his first mile in 5:30-ish, and he wasn't even sedentary. So no, an average sedentary teenager couldn't even run a 5:30 1500m off 2 months of training, let alone a full mile.

I went off the couch to junior high T&F then I became a XC and T&F athlete. I was off the couch sedentary in junior high school to sub-5:30 miler in 6 or 7 weeks. I had played other sports earlier in my life but I did not play sports fall or winter before I went out for T&F in spring. Jim Ryun is not a good example. Maybe Ryun was goofing around and just racing mile with his buddies when Ryun was a 5:30 plus miler.

out of all of the sports teams to fantasize about you choose cross country? really?

im the top guy on my team and i can tell you it is not all that's cracked up to be. youd rather be in football or basketball. football and basketball players are usually way better looking and arent dorks. pasta dinners are total dorkfests.

The Predictor wrote:

out of all of the sports teams to fantasize about you choose cross country? really?

im the top guy on my team and i can tell you it is not all that's cracked up to be. youd rather be in football or basketball. football and basketball players are usually way better looking and arent dorks. pasta dinners are total dorkfests.

How are past dinners dorkfests?

?

Nutsack McGee wrote:

First of all, you are incredibly annoying. Please go away.

To answer the question, yes it is possible. However, I think that it is highly unlikely. Most people answering “yes,” here are not giving enough appreciation to the “sedentary” part of the question. Kids from even 10 years ago were not sedentary like kids today. These other people are thinking of kids they’ve observed who weren’t very athletic and didn’t play on varsity teams, but those kids still weren’t actually sedentary. They ran around the neighborhood playing tag, wiffle ball, touch football, riding bikes, etc.

+1

david45 wrote:

Except that HS XC is super fun and results in memories people will never forget

Your mom is a memory your coach will never forget. That's why he cut you.

david45 wrote:

Nutsack McGee wrote:

Coaches expect kids to try to make the team during tryouts.

They want the kids who will be the best for the team because they have talent and/or tried to prepare for tryouts. If I was a coach, I wouldn't want a kid who had been sedentary on my team. On the other hand, if they somehow miraculously ran fast and seemed like they could contribute to the team, I would take them. I'd just set a cut-off goal and let that be the deciding factor. If a kid can't make it, they can't make it. If they barely make it, they're on the team even though they probably won't contribute much. If I wanted to have a better team, I'd make the goal more difficult. I would want to have a better team.

Except that 5:30 is not reasonable in almost any case

I know several schools that have times to make the team. I have standards for the travel team, but exempt freshmen, because they are learning how to race. Maybe I am too lenient, but 5:30 is actually slower than my times and than the other schools I know that have times.

Steve Martin wrote:

david45 wrote:

Except that 5:30 is not reasonable in almost any case

I know several schools that have times to make the team. I have standards for the travel team, but exempt freshmen, because they are learning how to race. Maybe I am too lenient, but 5:30 is actually slower than my times and than the other schools I know that have times.

WTF? How are people supposed to join then?

So this is like the millionth time that people tried to explain to you that HS XC isn't the only place for memories/camaraderie, yet you choose to selectively read/ignore opinions and input that you disagree with, again.

There are ways/places you can find a friend group for an activity that you enjoy. You don't enjoy running. You're only making your life more miserable with what you're doing.

They have a tryout just like every other sport does. It is very easy to hold a time trial and cut every one who does not run 5:30. And guys as slow as you should not bother trying out since you know you can't run 5:30.

predictors wrote:

They have a tryout just like every other sport does. It is very easy to hold a time trial and cut every one who does not run 5:30. And guys as slow as you should not bother trying out since you know you can't run 5:30.

I am slow because of DNA, not because of the lack of hard work.

David, you're 18. You're headed to college soon.

High school is over, give it up already and stop looking back.

You're making yourself miserable and clogging the board with the same basic questions over and over again while not actually listening to information and ignoring advice.

Swim Bike Run wrote:

David, you're 18. You're headed to college soon.

High school is over, give it up already and stop looking back.

You're making yourself miserable and clogging the board with the same basic questions over and over again while not actually listening to information and ignoring advice.

But I want to talk about what I miss from high school. College sucks

david45 wrote:

Swim Bike Run wrote:

David, you're 18. You're headed to college soon.

High school is over, give it up already and stop looking back.

You're making yourself miserable and clogging the board with the same basic questions over and over again while not actually listening to information and ignoring advice.

But I want to talk about what I miss from high school. College sucks

Then buy a diary and scribble in it every day. Every online forum you're part of it doesn't need to hear it, especially when you ignore everybody who says something you don't agree with.

+1

thiscupisnthaflfull wrote:

david45 wrote:

But I want to talk about what I miss from high school. College sucks

Then buy a diary and scribble in it every day. Every online forum you're part of it doesn't need to hear it, especially when you ignore everybody who says something you don't agree with.

I just want to become a fast runner. I want to someday run a sub 16 minute 5k, yet everyone says I don't have the DNA for that