Actually, he wasn't exactly coming from the couch as he used to play soccer, but hasn't for at least the last 4 5 months before starting to run. (he was inactive or maybe doing some little exercise, i can't say for sure). After 10-11 weeks of proper training, (he has a more or less decent training regime recommended by a friend of his), he did a 5K TT today and ran 18 high. He is not making things up. Do you think he is talented? How much potential does he have?
He is 25.
If he isn’t overweight and has a athletic background, this is a rather mediocre time. There is no way of knowing his potential. If he can break 17 in another 3-4 months, now that would be impressive.
16 minutes. I ran 34 minutes in a 10k after not running 1 step for more than a year and I ran 15:30 after 2 months of training. I am talented but didn't run much faster after years of training.
There is nothing special about this. Seems normal for a not fat person.
You think so? I don't know, when I say he's training regime is more or less decent I just mean there are some tempos and some intrevals and stuff but for me honestly it doesn't make much sense. He has described me a workout he is been prescribed consisting on 7 minutes warmup, 3 minutes all out (he tries to run more distance in this 3 minutes everyweek), 5 minutes cool down and that's it for the day... MIleage is still like 20 mpw or something, last 2 weeks more like 28-30... I mean I findt it rather impressive, not super crazy but the guy has been inactive for a long time and not exactly coming from the best sport
There have been more than one world class runners who came from a soccer background. Many African runners play soccer like we play baseball. A lot will depend on his 400 meter time. Endurance can be developed a lot more than natural top end speed.
Gees. I told you that I ran 15:30 after that amount of training. His time is very good but not really unexpected.
O.P., thousands of high school freshmen males who never participated in high school track & field and did not log summer miles are running high 18s by mid-October. There are high school females doing the same.
18:xx is a very good time compared to the general population rather than all of the Let's Run studs. If your friend keeps training, he will win some local road races.
18 high
How fast can the average person run high?
Disgusted wrote:
18:xx is a very good time compared to the general population rather than all of the Let's Run studs. If your friend keeps training, he will win some local road races.
Yeah I agree with this post. He's likely a bit overweight (compared to an ideal race weight), but putting three 6-minute miles all together with only a few months of training shows signs of an ability to progress despite his age. Normal people cannot do this. Now, his ability to progress will be tempered by the type of conditioning he had when he was a soccer player...but this is a good start.
To the posters talking about high school freshman running those times with similar backgrounds... consider the differences in weight. College soccer players have more muscle than distance runners so he was likely somewhere between 155-180 pounds depending on his height. Post-college, he probably added weight rather than lost weight. I'd like to see a 175 pound high school freshman run an 18-minute 5k with limited training.
To the poster who is saying they ran 15:30 after 2 months of training....that's even more impressive. It's so impressive I doubt it happened. Stringing three 5-minute miles with almost no real training shows an insane level of natural ability. But just because you're an extreme outlier does not mean that the runner in the OP does not have running talent.
Rational Observer wrote:
Disgusted wrote:
18:xx is a very good time compared to the general population rather than all of the Let's Run studs. If your friend keeps training, he will win some local road races.
Yeah I agree with this post. He's likely a bit overweight (compared to an ideal race weight), but putting three 6-minute miles all together with only a few months of training shows signs of an ability to progress despite his age. Normal people cannot do this. Now, his ability to progress will be tempered by the type of conditioning he had when he was a soccer player...but this is a good start.
To the posters talking about high school freshman running those times with similar backgrounds... consider the differences in weight. College soccer players have more muscle than distance runners so he was likely somewhere between 155-180 pounds depending on his height. Post-college, he probably added weight rather than lost weight. I'd like to see a 175 pound high school freshman run an 18-minute 5k with limited training.
To the poster who is saying they ran 15:30 after 2 months of training....that's even more impressive. It's so impressive I doubt it happened. Stringing three 5-minute miles with almost no real training shows an insane level of natural ability. But just because you're an extreme outlier does not mean that the runner in the OP does not have running talent.
Well, this guy seems like a rational observer to me.
He has very normal talent.
I don't consider myself talented. It took me 2 months to drop from 6:16 to low 5:20 in the mile.
Oh yeah, and I also play soccer.
maaaybe... wrote:
Actually, he wasn't exactly coming from the couch as he used to play soccer, but hasn't for at least the last 4 5 months before starting to run. (he was inactive or maybe doing some little exercise, i can't say for sure). After 10-11 weeks of proper training, (he has a more or less decent training regime recommended by a friend of his), he did a 5K TT today and ran 18 high. He is not making things up. Do you think he is talented? How much potential does he have?
He is 25.
Every year there are a bunch of not spectacularly talented 14 to 15 year olds who run mid 18 minutes on cross country courses after 10 or so weeks of training. I was one of them. Most of them go on to run in the 1630 to 1730 range after 3 more years of training. Your friend is a young adult, so is showing even less talent than those kids. He likely isn't too special of a runner, but is still faster than a lot of hobby joggers at their local 5k.
* wrote:
18 high
How fast can the average person run high?
Can’t really answer that but back when I was 19 I would down 5 or 6 shots of 100 proof moonshine and a glass or two of the cheapest possible red wine you can find(moonshine and wine produce a crazy buzz when combined) and I’d go out and run a timed mile when I couldn’t even walk straight. Fastest was a 5:34
He's running a 10K TT next week. Will post the result.
We don't know what the starting point was. Report back after another training cycle (8-20 weeks).
For all we know, your friend could have been faster when he was playing soccer and then gotten slower.
?? wrote:
Rational Observer wrote:
Yeah I agree with this post. He's likely a bit overweight (compared to an ideal race weight), but putting three 6-minute miles all together with only a few months of training shows signs of an ability to progress despite his age. Normal people cannot do this. Now, his ability to progress will be tempered by the type of conditioning he had when he was a soccer player...but this is a good start.
To the posters talking about high school freshman running those times with similar backgrounds... consider the differences in weight. College soccer players have more muscle than distance runners so he was likely somewhere between 155-180 pounds depending on his height. Post-college, he probably added weight rather than lost weight. I'd like to see a 175 pound high school freshman run an 18-minute 5k with limited training.
To the poster who is saying they ran 15:30 after 2 months of training....that's even more impressive. It's so impressive I doubt it happened. Stringing three 5-minute miles with almost no real training shows an insane level of natural ability. But just because you're an extreme outlier does not mean that the runner in the OP does not have running talent.
Well, this guy seems like a rational observer to me.
I am more on the side that this is decent athletic talent overall but pretty run of the mill running talent. I went couch to HM July 2019 starting at 240+ lbs and was at 17:20 by October 2019 at 190 or so. Fast forward a year and 15:45. Good progress but nothing exceptional or indicative of anything beyond good amateur running. Doesn’t mean he shouldn’t enjoy it!
maaaybe... wrote:
Actually, he wasn't exactly coming from the couch as he used to play soccer, but hasn't for at least the last 4 5 months before starting to run. (he was inactive or maybe doing some little exercise, i can't say for sure). After 10-11 weeks of proper training, (he has a more or less decent training regime recommended by a friend of his), he did a 5K TT today and ran 18 high. He is not making things up. Do you think he is talented? How much potential does he have?
He is 25.
Who knows what this means? I was similar situation in high school, a broad soccer background but no formal running training. After soccer ended in fall of soph yr, I played tennis fall of junior year. In the spring, I “went out” for track the following February with a haphazard approach. Just having fun. Think I ran like 4:45 and 10:20. Took most of summer off but probably ran three days a week, all hard. Senior year cross country I ended up w a 15:29 5k PR and all state designation.
But, I was always outside playing basketball or pickup soccer games. I think years of doing that kind of stuff as a youth really helps build a broad base that can be leveraged later. Midfielders especially have to be very fit.
Anyway, 11 weeks is nothing to be sure. Hopefully he continues to improve.