Average guy runs 20 MPW. How fast would he run?

How is it possible to do 2 workouts and a long run and still only hit 20 miles?! What's your definition of 'long'? Most people would probably say at least 12 miles or so... but then how do you cover just 8 miles in 2 workouts?! That would be the warm-up and cool-down alone surely!

david45 wrote:

Kipchogefan wrote:

you are not average, you have said it yourself multiple times. And i have no idea how can you run 2 workouts and a long run with 20 MPW??? Roughly 80% of your mileage should be easy pace so that is 16 MPW. If you run only 4 miles of quality work in 2 workouts, that is 2 miles per workout which is close to nothing!!!!

The problem is that if I go above 20 MPW, I get injured. And yes, I am below average in talent. I only ran a mile in 7:50 minutes during PE in middle school.

Then the form is your problem. Do some mobility work, strength training, and a lot of form drills. Slow down on easy runs. After the muscular tension gets recalibrated, it'll be easier to keep a higher cadence with your foot landing more underneath you, and those injuries will go away.

Letsrun has a pretty skewed concept of average. The truly average male on 20 MPW will probably run 6:30, 20-22, 45-48. It would be a wholly different discussion if we factored in their best possible “what if”. I think a surprising chunk of men are genetically capable of running sub 5, but it’s hard to build the mechanics/capacity/threshold without lots of practice when young.

high school xc coach wrote:

5:30, 19:30, 41

This is probably about right. With two workouts and one long run per week and a 20 mile limit, this person would only be running three days a week with four rest days. Either the long run would not be very long or the workouts would be very short. The workouts could only probably be up to 3 miles of quality with warm up and cool down considered, and then the long run could only get up to around 8 miles max. Every run would end up being less than one hour, and there would be a rest day before every run day, so this would be a very easy schedule to maintain consistently.

david45 wrote:

By average guy, I mean someone who is around 18-30, at a healthy weight, runs with 2 workouts and one long run per week, and trains for a year. How fast would he get in the mile, 5k, and 10k?

I have a question for you, actually:

Why don't you fvck off and never come back?

Thanks

what do you want to hear? wrote:

4:15 mile

15:30 5k

32:45 10k

sounds about right

There are very few people on the planet who could run 20 miles per week and run a 4:15 mile, certainly not the "average" american/north american. Maybe a superstar Kenyan taking a few down weeks.

My highschool coaches knew absolutely NOTHING about mileage or building an aerobic base over many months and I'd say the average 3200 track guy was maxing out at maybe 30mpw. Still, with the track season being only 3-4 months, most workouts were pretty much just intervals and race specific (even race pace) stuff. Guys were running 50-52s 400s, low 2min 800s with a few below 2min, and a handful of 4:20 miles. It only really dropped off when you got to the 3200 and the lack of mileage really hit. Honestly, if you were a sprinter or mid-distance guy, it wasn't a terrible way to train, but you could only keep doing those workouts for 1-2 months before you were cooked.

Forgot to answer the actual question.....

SO, if we remove those with exceptional talent, I think the average, capable (meaning somewhat athletic) guy doing 20 miles per week could probably run:

58 400m

2:20 800m

4:50-5:00 Mile

If we really hammering home "average", I think we're looking at

65-70s 400m

2:30 800

5:00-5:20 mile

I can answer this as I run 20 MPW per week (usually 4-6 miles easy three or four times per week): 20:30 for the 5K, about 5:45 for the mile. I have no problems breaking 20 MPH easily in sprints.

I'm random athletic guy in my early 30s. I never ran track or cross country in school (my biggest regret), but would always be either the best or second best at the PACER test in my P.E. classes, and I always beat a classmate who ended up running 18:00 for a cross-country 5K in high school.

I've never broken 47 minutes in the 10K. Apparently mileage really is necessary to fully develop the aerobic systems. Go figure.

above average but not a real runner wrote:

I can answer this as I run 20 MPW per week (usually 4-6 miles easy three or four times per week): 20:30 for the 5K, about 5:45 for the mile. I have no problems breaking 20 MPH easily in sprints.

I'm random athletic guy in my early 30s. I never ran track or cross country in school (my biggest regret), but would always be either the best or second best at the PACER test in my P.E. classes, and I always beat a classmate who ended up running 18:00 for a cross-country 5K in high school.

I've never broken 47 minutes in the 10K. Apparently mileage really is necessary to fully develop the aerobic systems. Go figure.

I sucked at the PACER test. I was only in the middle of the class and only did around 50 reps.

The average person is not going to break 20 minutes off 20 miles per week. I'd venture the average time would be close to average time you see at races today. I would guess the average miles per week of people who compete in road races is 20 per week, maybe even higher. 2:00 hours for a half marathon and 27 min. for a 5k are my "average" guesses.

fdasfdasfdsa wrote:

The average person is not going to break 20 minutes off 20 miles per week. I'd venture the average time would be close to average time you see at races today. I would guess the average miles per week of people who compete in road races is 20 per week, maybe even higher. 2:00 hours for a half marathon and 27 min. for a 5k are my "average" guesses.

But most of them aren't actually "competing". Just out for another run.

It depends on your genes. An actn3 xx will already have slow twitch and it won't be necessary with as much volume as actn3 rr to be okay at 5k+

FinnJ wrote:

It depends on your genes. An actn3 xx will already have slow twitch and it won't be necessary with as much volume as actn3 rr to be okay at 5k+

Research has also shown that for threshold and above, RR actually has a slight advantage over xx in due to the increased lactate threshold and tolerence, and of the increased efficiency and ability anaerobic energy systems, specifically anaerobic glycolysis.

I'm 45, run 20 mpw and only do a tempo, long run, and two easy days a week. I ride twice a week and take a day off each week. Fastest I ever run in training is tempo pace (6:20ish pace). I did a mile TT a few weeks ago and ran 5:14. I did an 18:18 solo 5k TT last week. I am also 195 lbs, so I'd probably be under 5 and 18 if I lost 10 lbs.

Why do you want to run a mile in under 5? If the right desire is there, then do it. That would include doing the work to get there: quality workouts, quantity mileage, and dieting/fueling right.

Im 36, started running at 28. I’m the definition of an average person. 6’1 160lbs. About a year ago, I increased my mileage to about 55-60 mpw. I’ve not raced yet since I did that. But, prior to that, I averaged about 750 miles per year just hobby jogging. Jumped in a few races over the last couple of years and the best I did was an untalented:

2:28- 800

4:46 - 1500

5:36 - mile

21:23 - 5k

38:54 - 5 mile

1:21 - 10 miler

And, don’t want to mention this because it’s even more embarrassing. Ran a mountain half marathon with 3800 feet of elevation gain in 2:36.

high school xc coach wrote:

5:30, 19:30, 41

I’ll buy into the 5:30 and even the 19:30. But I don’t think 20mpw will provide a 19:30 guy with the endurance to run back to back 20:30s. He’ll be averaging 3 miles per day so I doubt that long run is any more than a 10k itself.

These are roughly the times I ran in 7th grade off 20mpw (except the 10k) and while I was far from the most talented when it came to foot speed I honestly have no idea if I was considered “average.” I imagine some people just have no penchant for running whatsoever.