They're relevant to YOU and that's what matters! Will you ever make a living off running fast? Likely no. Could you have a great time trying to run fast and setting PRs and be old one day and have fond memories of your effort? Absolutely.
It's not important. There will always be someone faster than you. In your case, maybe a lot of people, but it just doesn't matter. If you train to be faster using a sensible training plan then you should be satisfied if you are doing your best.
I coached track for over 40 years and my athletes I was most proud were those who always gave the best they could. The rule was 'You can never do better than best'. I had an award for the 'Got the most out of what God gave them'. My least favorite athlete was a Genetic Wonder who ran fast as hell without achieving anywhere near their potential.
They're relevant to YOU and that's what matters! Will you ever make a living off running fast? Likely no. Could you have a great time trying to run fast and setting PRs and be old one day and have fond memories of your effort? Absolutely.
I rarely reply because as well-meant as this forum is it is full of trolls or ignorant people.
Coloradoclimber: I've ran at the highest levels in track, but now I hobble at age 81. Your reply was wonderful and made my day. Thank You!! You gave great advice.
It's not important. There will always be someone faster than you. In your case, maybe a lot of people, but it just doesn't matter. If you train to be faster using a sensible training plan then you should be satisfied if you are doing your best.
I coached track for over 40 years and my athletes I was most proud were those who always gave the best they could. The rule was 'You can never do better than best'. I had an award for the 'Got the most out of what God gave them'. My least favorite athlete was a Genetic Wonder who ran fast as hell without achieving anywhere near their potential.
Next time I lament not being fast enough, I should probably think that there are people who take their 35 minute 5ks down to 27, and those people are training successfully. My most recent 10k was over a minute faster than 10 months earlier, and 50 seconds faster than a 60p feet downhill one just over 2 years before. So that year and a half or so of consistency has made me 50 seconds faster on a flat course than I was on a super downhill one, so because of that it's successful.
Get into ultrarunning and you'll see what being serious and slow truly is. Plenty of guys there run 100 mile weeks only to rarely enter a race and then DNF or massively underperform when they do enter a race. If you ever feel down on yourself, just remember there is an ultrarunner out there running more miles while doing zero workouts and continually disappointed in their results.
Nah, I know a guy who can't break 19 with consistent 70 mpw for over a decade. And he has read all the running books, JD's running formula, Road to the top.....you name it. He's literally a running guru.
About 19 5k/40 10k are my relevant times. 2.75 years running, last year-year and a half mostly 30-40 mile weeks, a lot of inconsistency before it. Is there any man under 30 who tries to be fast less successful at it than me?
So with this admission, can we also assume that you don't have the hot trophy GF/wife, nor do you pull in $500K/ yr working only 5 hrs per week like all others on LRC?
About 19 5k/40 10k are my relevant times. 2.75 years running, last year-year and a half mostly 30-40 mile weeks, a lot of inconsistency before it. Is there any man under 30 who tries to be fast less successful at it than me?
Get the most out of what you can/are willing to/ have time to put into it and celebrate your successes and accept the failures and move on.
Ultimately whether you can run only run 5k in 20 minutes or 15 minutes it doesn't matter. You're a million miles away from being elite but still a better runner than 99.9% of the general population
A 19:xx runner isn't wasting their time any more than a 14:xx runner is, as long as they both genuinely enjoy pushing themselves at running it's a worthy pursuit. It's when you stop enjoying it is when you should question why you care so much
About 19 5k/40 10k are my relevant times. 2.75 years running, last year-year and a half mostly 30-40 mile weeks, a lot of inconsistency before it. Is there any man under 30 who tries to be fast less successful at it than me?
ok so here's the rough math
19:00ish 5k runner
avg training pace when everything is lumped in: 7:45ish pace give or take
35mpw x 7:45 =~ 270 minute
so you've spent 4.5 hours a week running over the past 1 - 1.5 years and are prob faster at 10k than 99% of the population
i'd say you're getting pretty incredible ROI
personally, based on you even posting this though, i think for your own self-confidence you should up your volume
consider your max running volume if you "lived the pro life" long enough to be around 12 hours
also remember the fibonacci sequence expressed in nature: in this context 38.2% and 61.8% are relevant
you're currently at that first node we see in nature, 4.5 hours out of a possible 12 is right around the 38.2 % mark where many will never push beyond
at this point, you want to work towards the 61.8% level, or roughly 7.5 hours of running a week
transition from 4.5 hours/wk to 7.5 hours/wk over the next year, then sustain it for another year and a half
then make a new thread how upset you are with your 2:50:30 marathon aaad debut because you didn't run your goal of 2:49:59
It's unlikely that you're the slowest man under 30 who cares about trying to be fast, though it might feel that way at times. Everyone progresses at their own pace, and the fact that you're focused on improvement is already a big advantage. Speed, whether physical or metaphorical, is a skill that can be honed through dedication and effort. Even if you feel behind others, consistency and a growth mindset will help you close that gap. Remember, comparison is tricky because each person's journey, strengths, and obstacles are different. Focus on your progress and celebrate the gains you make along the way.
avg training pace when everything is lumped in: 7:45ish pace give or take
35mpw x 7:45 =~ 270 minute
so you've spent 4.5 hours a week running over the past 1 - 1.5 years and are prob faster at 10k than 99% of the population
i'd say you're getting pretty incredible ROI
personally, based on you even posting this though, i think for your own self-confidence you should up your volume
consider your max running volume if you "lived the pro life" long enough to be around 12 hours
also remember the fibonacci sequence expressed in nature: in this context 38.2% and 61.8% are relevant
you're currently at that first node we see in nature, 4.5 hours out of a possible 12 is right around the 38.2 % mark where many will never push beyond
at this point, you want to work towards the 61.8% level, or roughly 7.5 hours of running a week
transition from 4.5 hours/wk to 7.5 hours/wk over the next year, then sustain it for another year and a half
then make a new thread how upset you are with your 2:50:30 marathon aaad debut because you didn't run your goal of 2:49:59
It's unlikely that you're the slowest man under 30 who cares about trying to be fast, though it might feel that way at times. Everyone progresses at their own pace, and the fact that you're focused on improvement is already a big advantage. Speed, whether physical or metaphorical, is a skill that can be honed through dedication and effort. Even if you feel behind others, consistency and a growth mindset will help you close that gap. Remember, comparison is tricky because each person's journey, strengths, and obstacles are different. Focus on your progress and celebrate the gains you make along the way.
Thinking about it a little made me realize that the reason seeing myself almost always closer to 1st than mid pack in my age group at races doesn't sway me is the tendency to think that anyone slower than me must not be trying. It's the old "anyone slower than me needs to train harder, anyone faster than me is super talented". I think I just really took that to heart.