Do elite pros hurt as much as mid and back of the pack runners?

Elites don't feel pain, they feel discomfort.

Yes it’s all in your mind just run harder

The average human runs a mile in gym class and says it hurts, but ultimately, they aren't conditioned enough to even get to a point where they can feel pain. What happens is they get out hard and their body nearly immediately fails to get the oxygen where it needs to be, and their start gasping, and then their body forces them to slow down. Being fit is not having that limiter of the lungs. Being fit means 90% of running is far easier and more comfortable. But that last 10% is uncomfortable to a level that is hard to understand, and it lasts far longer.

No. I refuse.

I run fast for short distances and have no fear. Long races suck. I actually entered a 4th of July 4 mile race for charity and completed it by running 300 yards, then walking for 100...did that the whole way.

However, even an 8 minute miler can be in the best condition they possibly could but just lack the talent. Do they hurt at the end of a mile the same way as say, Nuguse at the end of a 3:43?

door number 3

I've been running competitively all my life, now 58. When I was in really good shape, sub 15 5k, sub 25 xc 5m, the first half of the race generally always felt super easy. Now that I'm old and slower, 18 5k, I'm almost positive I am uncomfortable/this hurts for way longer, using way more effort. However, mentally at this point in my life, I can take more pain and sustain high effort for longer. Thus, when you are "elite" so to speak and not saying I ever was, you don't hurt as much as you are bumping up against your physical limits, not pain limits. My buddy even faster than me and a bit older thinks the same. My best races hardly hurt at all back in the day.

My college coach use to say "I doesn't get easier, it just gets faster" in response to people complaining.

Wasn't a pro but a good college runner (sub 4 when it actually meant something). When i was in peak fitness, I woudl never feel any pain until about 50-60% of the way through - not evne in the mile

Nuguse is running at a higher intensity than the 8 min jogger. Nuguse only needs to maintain that pace for less than 4 min, while the jogger has to run twice as long.

This applies to all distances. A faster runner needs to maintain the intensity for a shorter duration of time, and therefore can run the same distance at a higher level of intensity.

I remember reading a Track & Field News interview with Bob Kennedy back in the day in which he spoke about the pain he felt when racing 5,000 meters:

“It hurts nine of the twelve laps of the 5,000m; it hurts bad. Even when you’re running well. You have to be ready to face that and go through it.”

https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/bob-kennedy.pdf

Ok, I get that. When I ran a 400 it was never feeling out of breath, in fact you only seemed to take a few breaths the whole race, it was more lactic buildup that you felt. Now when finished and started walking you started gasping but you recovered rather quickly.

But let's say what would be Nuguse vo2 and lactic numbers vs the 8 minute guy? Assuming they both maxed out wouldn't they feel the same? Is this even measurable?

The last 9 laps? So he started feeling it at 3/4 mile? Now I don't think even I started feeling that bad that early.

Often, significant breakdown suffered by runners & sprinters, due to lack of proper pacing &/or lack of preparation.

Often elites positive split 400m & 800m too much, rarely 1500m to 10000m. Camera hog elites sometimes positive split Marathon to much.

Junior high school kids to 60 or 70 minute 10K runners positive split races far too often. That's the pain, significant positive splitting.

* Did 1976 Olympics men 1500m final hurt elites? Not until about 150m to go.

* Did 2021 Olympics men 800m final hurt elites? No until about 150m to go.

* Did 1992 Olympics men 1500m final hurt elites? Not until about 200m to go.

He was not a peer of malmo.

Elites often are able to pull out more of a work load in the "deep pain cave" because of experience and conditioning.

I don't think a lot of mid packers would even hit 100% max HR on a Vo2max test (despite thinking they are at their limit)....whereas a lot of elites could hold 100% max HR for 2-4 min.

Being able to push oneself more and more physically and not give in to the intense mental feelings/perception of pain and fatigue come with experience and conditioning.

If I didn't read the name of the poster, I would think you're a professional 800m guy, or 200m freestyle swimmer, not a 50 miler.

Pro gals & guys at 800m aren't racing like that today en masse.

I don't know if you follow or followed high school or college 200 yard freestyle swimmers or pay attention to elite 200m freestyle swimmers. Swimmers take it to another level. I would love to see that, 800m T&F but it would require a four turn stagger. We have seen 200m freestyle record broken in semifinals because swimmers have difficultly knowing exactly how well they are swimming.

if you judge it based on how close the runner is to max HR it'll give you a good idea of who is hurting the most.

12313213