Why do fitness buffs and physiologists think that in order to run a fast 5K you only need to run 15-20mpw?

I'm a physiologist and I think that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

I second that you know not what you speak of. I don't know a single physiologist who would say that. Why do you feel you can speak for physiologists?

I have a feeling that Dr. David Martin would disagree with that.

And there's one Joe Vigil, who happens to have a PhD in Exercise Physiology.

Its called crossfit and they proclaim superior mitochondria build-up using their sprinting a few times per week routines.

It's generally something like 20% of work that gets you 80% of results. I'll bet a 15 minute 5k guy could go sub-16 off 15-20 MPW.

So, they may not have in mind completely maximizing one's potential, and they may also have a different definition of fast (for instance, most "civilians" would think that sub-19 was ungodly fast).

I will take that bet, muppet.

They don't. Next.

A Skeptic wrote:

I'll bet a 15 minute 5k guy could go sub-16 off 15-20 MPW.

No.

Of course, someone who is a 15min 5k guy who drops his milage for a few weeks will be able to still run sub16, but over time, this will not hold.

Ex: sub15 runner, training 15-20mpw for 2 years, will have a hard time running sub18.

Name one physiologist with at least a master's degree that advocates such a position.

Nutella1 wrote:

A Skeptic wrote:

I'll bet a 15 minute 5k guy could go sub-16 off 15-20 MPW.

No.

Of course, someone who is a 15min 5k guy who drops his milage for a few weeks will be able to still run sub16, but over time, this will not hold.

Ex: sub15 runner, training 15-20mpw for 2 years, will have a hard time running sub18.

Okay, Bannister and his buddies were putting in 25 a week. Bannister ran 3:58; Chris Chataway ran 13:51. You do something like 10 on Monday, 3x mile with 1 up, 1 down on Wednesday, 12x400 on Friday, you aren't going to be to far off your PR.

No physiologists, but i do remember about 8 years ago when I was a sophomore in highschool, there was a sports medicine doctor telling me I should not run more than 40 miles per week.

Granted I did go to see him because I was having a pain in my foot and I told him I had been running 55 mpw. Still since my dad was there too, for the next year of two of high school it always seemed like my parents were constantly questioning my running. If i went out for a morning run i always had to talk about it like a shakeout jog. every time i ran i always had to downplay it.. So sports medicine dr.s have gotten in the way in the past and have influenced the thinking of ppl around them..

to a certain extent though the words i used to say to downplay my extra running got ingrained in my head, and that might have been a good thing. A 5 mile morning run i still refer to as a shakeout. Or if im doing a long cool down or a afternoon run after a run in the morning, i will just say i need to loosen up. so i kind of think of it as not a big deal because i make it out that way to ppl

Like similar to what Emil Zatopek did?