Was a high school senior who joined the track team as a sophomore.
Long story short, I trained my ass off for a 56.3 400, only to lose to a basketball player who didn't wear spikes and had never even run the 400 before. He ran a low 55, IIRC.
Was a high school senior who joined the track team as a sophomore.
Long story short, I trained my ass off for a 56.3 400, only to lose to a basketball player who didn't wear spikes and had never even run the 400 before. He ran a low 55, IIRC.
I got to the point where I could race at 5:14 pace. Then I noticed that no matter the distance, I was running 5:14 pace. I ran a ten mile race (that was a thing back in the day), where I was number 514, and yes, I ran the race at 5:14 pace.
I pretty much gave it up at that point. I knew exactly what I could run, for any distance, so the fun was gone.
Absolutely true story here wrote:
I got to the point where I could race at 5:14 pace. Then I noticed that no matter the distance, I was running 5:14 pace. I ran a ten mile race (that was a thing back in the day), where I was number 514, and yes, I ran the race at 5:14 pace.
I pretty much gave it up at that point. I knew exactly what I could run, for any distance, so the fun was gone.
Running a marathon at 5:14 pace is pretty impressive!
Swimmer turned pro triathlete.
First pro race: got excited and led the swim for 400m or so. Blew up and everything went downhill.
Got passed by a chubby girl from Japan on the run.
Never really got much better.
I trained hard, was consistently in the 2:11-2:14 range in HS, and lost to a girl in a random all-comers meet. I pretty much gave up any hope of being a great runner after that.
When I came to LetsRun and found out that any time slower than 2:08 marathon, 1:02 HM, 28:00 10K, 13:30 5K is a hobby jogger.
Full disclosure: I never ran close to any of these times. I also do not have a supermodel wife or make 250K per year. However, I do qualify as a real man.
When I couldn't meet the time trial requirements during tryouts for XC
When I realized I pretty much can't go over 50 mpw without getting hurt.
Although I have run decent times on 45 mpw (Mid 16's 5k)
At age 59 when I had a heart attack after running a 54 minute 10K 4 weeks before.
Thankful that I did not embarrass myself by dying.
david45 wrote:
When I couldn't meet the time trial requirements during tryouts for XC
Your 12 minute mile pace and stress fractures on 20 mpw were indicators long before.
I thought you got injured before the tryouts and stopped showing up?
You have so many different stories that I don't even know what's true.
Very early on. I didn't break 21 as a freshman in hs despite training seriously. Everyone in races who finishes around me runs much lower mileage and does easier workouts and its always been this way. It is what it is though. I can beat some people who I out train. I've taken 8 minutes and 50 seconds off my 5k since I started running, from my first race in the high 24s and if there is ever a track meet I can get into again, I may drop some more.
thiscupisnthalffull wrote:
I thought you got injured before the tryouts and stopped showing up?
You have so many different stories that I don't even know what's true.
He didn't run for his hs team. The reason why always changes. Sometimes he got cut, sometimes injured, sometimes he wasn't up to snuff in a time trial.
high 15s 5k wrote:
thiscupisnthalffull wrote:
I thought you got injured before the tryouts and stopped showing up?
You have so many different stories that I don't even know what's true.
He didn't run for his hs team. The reason why always changes. Sometimes he got cut, sometimes injured, sometimes he wasn't up to snuff in a time trial.
The answer is both. I got a stress fracture before tryouts, but assuming I wasn't injured, I would still have not pass tryouts
I started 8th grade year. In 9th grade, I only ran 5:13. My friend who had run 5:11 in 8th grade won our District meet in 4:53. He goofed off all the time and didn't take training seriously. My other friend who trained diligently ran 5:02 in that race.
In the end, the guy who goofed off didn't amount to much on our team. Gotta give him some props, though, because he stuck with it until graduation despite getting passed by some less talented kids, including me and the 5:02 kid. He should have easily been a sub-16 kid his junior year but he ended up running 15:48 in a 3-mile his senior year.
Absolutely true story here wrote:
I got to the point where I could race at 5:14 pace. Then I noticed that no matter the distance, I was running 5:14 pace. I ran a ten mile race (that was a thing back in the day), where I was number 514, and yes, I ran the race at 5:14 pace.
I pretty much gave it up at that point. I knew exactly what I could run, for any distance, so the fun was gone.
You could have had a monster career in ultras.
In my soph year in college, when my teammate took off 6 weeks from running without running a step, jogged around for a week with a few striders, then ran an 8:51 2-mile in flats indoors to kick and win the race. I never ran faster than 9:03 indoors or out when in top shape. He ran an 8:51 in terrible shape and in racing flats, indoors. I knew right then that there were some people I was never going to beat no matter how hard I trained. It was hard to accept.
The first time I realised I had no talent as a runner was the first time I went for a run. Though I'm now a mid 15s 5k guy, so some would argue that means I have a tiny glimmer of talent. I would still disagree.
Zero talent wrote:
Long story short, I trained my ass off for a 56.3 400
Exactly the same story for me, down to the tenth of a second.
Never broke 18 minutes in a 5k but came within 10 seconds of doing so. Best mile is a 5:05. 10k is 39 and half is 1:27. Not much to talk about.
When I ran 2:58 in Chicago 2019 after running for just under 3 years but still can't go under 19 in the 5k or 38 in the 10k.