Can My Fat Roommate Beat Me in the Mile?

i think he's probably lying, and even if he's not you're going to win.

That blog is hilarious. I bet he'll take you.

you'll win easily. just run like you usually do and by all means dont get injured. if you dont run fast because of injury, he'll definitely say you made it up even if its legitimate refuse a rematch, and declare victory

Soccer players frequently make up time trial distances. My high school had 4 sub 9:20 "2 Milers" from the soccer time trial. On a road course. In the summer. In Texas. When we finally got the course from them, it was a hair longer than 1.5 miles.

Meanwhile, I can sometimes find the local college soccer team doing repeats on the track in the off season. On one curve they just run on the grass about 10 feet inside of the track. On the other curve, the cut all the way to the inside of the steeple pit. I once ran evenly alongside them while I was doing a workout. I was on the actual track, they were on their "track". I ran 75, they ran 64. Strangely they made up a lot of ground on the curves....

I read his blog, and he's either full of shit or a massive talent, I can't tell which. If I had to put money on it I'd say the former.

IF he really did run 4:19 off of minimal training a month is enough time for him to get under 5 minutes. You might have a race on your hands. If he's near you in the last 200m you're probably toast...

From the way he described it I bet he really did run a 4:19 mile, he seems to have a plausible story and it sounds like he ran it in a real track meet.

That said, you're still going to destroy him. He's heavy and out of shape, I predict he doesn't break 5.

edumacator wrote:

Soccer players frequently make up time trial distances. My high school had 4 sub 9:20 "2 Milers" from the soccer time trial. On a road course. In the summer. In Texas. When we finally got the course from them, it was a hair longer than 1.5 miles.

Meanwhile, I can sometimes find the local college soccer team doing repeats on the track in the off season. On one curve they just run on the grass about 10 feet inside of the track. On the other curve, the cut all the way to the inside of the steeple pit. I once ran evenly alongside them while I was doing a workout. I was on the actual track, they were on their "track". I ran 75, they ran 64. Strangely they made up a lot of ground on the curves....

I know soccer players make up times a lot, but he DID run track (400/800) and he showed me a video of his 2:00 to prove it (I don't have it, sry).

I suspect the "4:19" claim is just an outright lie, but he IS my friend so I'll take it as braggadacio rather than any less-than-classy indication of character

Running 4:19 with "minimal training" while hammering at soccer practice for years is much different than running fast after doing nothing for years. I don't think he has a chance.

Very funny blog. I think you'll beat him though. On only a slightly related topic, where are some good places to run in Portland? I'll be out there in a week.

bored computer nerd troll?

Posting in super awesome thread.

I added his blog to my RSS feed. Hoping he keeps at it.

I don't think he ever ran 4:19. Even being sedentary and 24 pounds overweight wouldn't slow you down from a 4:19 to 6:24. I've seen guys go off to college and put on 25-40 pounds and they don't lose that much speed.

You'll definitely win. It's a shame, though, that he agreed to this. I'd like to see you guys race an 800, or a mile after 3 months. That would be something.

you're going to crucify him

You are going to kill him. Please keep this updated!

UsedToBeKnowItAll wrote:

I don't think he ever ran 4:19. Even being sedentary and 24 pounds overweight wouldn't slow you down from a 4:19 to 6:24. I've seen guys go off to college and put on 25-40 pounds and they don't lose that much speed.

I think you underestimate the effect of not running a step for 5 straight years. If you don't do anything athletic at all, you lose everything very severely. For instance, I ran a 4:25 in high school...not a 4:19 like this guy claims, but pretty fast. I didn't run in college because I didn't want to, but then my girlfriend after college wanted to run a "road mile" so I did it with her, and LOST to her, running a 6:19. I'm not sure how much weight I'd gained...maybe more than 24 lbs., but I lost it all, running-wise. Not that hard to believe; 5 years is a hell of a long time.

Maybe he meant 4:19 for 1500m, isn't that what they run in Oregon?

Don't believe for one second this is real, but it is entertaining. Good job.