slowest you know who run 100 miles a week

15:30

Low 16s

I ran about 90mpw the summer before my senior HS cross country season, with a few weeks at 100mpw. I fell ill before the fastest race (course) of the year and with poor pacing wound up running 16:36 for 5k. That was the reason I quit running, really.

So as a 20min+ 5km runner if I build up to 100miles per week I'll pop something in the 16min range.

How long would I need to stay at 100miles for this to happen? 6 months?

-Averaged 12 weeks @ 80 mpw leading up to Boston 2010 with 3 weeks over 100 mpw. Crashed during Newton Hills and limped in at 2:46.

Also ran 16:2x and 33:3x in summer of 2010.

If you can build close to or more than 100mpw you will see more of your potential which for you could be anywhere from (I'm guessing) like a 13min 5k to probably 17min 5k depending on talent and how long you've been running, etc - but that shouldn't matter because What matters is being the best YOU can be. And to do that you need mileage.

I've noticed that most 16-17min plus 5k types running close to that much (or maybe more like 80mpw) are sub-elite post collegiate women. Most often they have a goal of getting a 2:45 OT qualifier? They can be good to follow as examples if you want to get better though. We men around 15-16min 5k probably do not have motivation to chase the sport in the way they have/do.

casual commentary wrote:

I ran about 90mpw the summer before my senior HS cross country season, with a few weeks at 100mpw. I fell ill before the fastest race (course) of the year and with poor pacing wound up running 16:36 for 5k. That was the reason I quit running, really.

you quit running but post on a running website?

35 miles per week for 12 weeks in high school. Ran 17:15 for 3 miles.

350 miles per week for 12 weeks now. 12:33 for 5k. lolz

10:00 3k

18:20 5k.

I know a guy that runs 80-90 a week that can rarely run below 19:30 for the 5K (averages about 20:00). I think he broke 19 once about 5 years ago (still in his mid 20s, not an old dude). His marathon is usually 2:56-3:05, which while not amazing, is solid, much better than the 5K. Not quite 100 miles a week, but still surprising. Definitely a lack of speed...

So far I have coached dozens of kids that have ran 15:20-16:40 on 40 miles a week. If you run 100 miles a week and only running 16:20........you should try something else.

It is a proven fact that the VO2 return on miles above 75 is so diminished that its not worth it.

ccrunner609 wrote:

So far I have coached dozens of kids that have ran 15:20-16:40 on 40 miles a week. If you run 100 miles a week and only running 16:20........you should try something else.

Why? What if you love running? Quit being an ass, you sound like a god awful coach.

ccrunner609 wrote:

So far I have coached dozens of kids that have ran 15:20-16:40 on 40 miles a week. If you run 100 miles a week and only running 16:20........you should try something else.

It is a proven fact that the VO2 return on miles above 75 is so diminished that its not worth it.

Oh, I forgot that VO2 was all that mattered in running. Thanks.

I was well over 100 mpw, topping 6000 miles for three consecutive years. I never broke 15 minutes for 5k, but I ran 2:27 for the marathon. I knew a guy back in the early eighties who consistently ran 80 per week and was a 3:20 marathoner. And there were plenty more like him back then. I think one reason that the RW message of low mileage found fertile ground in which to sprout years ago was that many many runners ran high mileage and were still not very good. If you hear you can run nearly as fast on half the mileage and still reap the same health benefits, when you're not running very fast to begin with, then you'll probably cut your mileage.

I never understand why so many people care so much about what OTHER people do. If someone likes running 80 miles a week and runs 3:20, who gives a shit? Who are you to tell them to do it any differently? Also, if someone wants to run 10 miles a week and race 5ks, who cares?

haha YO wrote:

I never understand why so many people care so much about what OTHER people do. If someone likes running 80 miles a week and runs 3:20, who gives a shit? Who are you to tell them to do it any differently? Also, if someone wants to run 10 miles a week and race 5ks, who cares?

Because if you are running 100 miles a week and you arent fast but someone told you to do it then you are wasting your time.

define wasting your time. we're posting on a running website. and we get little or nothing out of it, other than killing time. running's no waste of time. I run 100 mpw in my early 40s and get a lot out of it, even if the fastest I've run on this program is 9:20, 16:04, 1:14, 2:39. If I get healthy soon, I think that I can get a bunch of those pr's, but the point is that unless you have other goals, you should always try to maximize your potential. Give all that you have got and you will never have any regrets. If I had gotten over my knee problems in my 20s, obviously I could have run a lot faster, but that's how it goes. What do you gain by not trying your hardest? That easy satisfaction of thinking that you could do better if you tried?

I love all those people who ran 70-80 mpw in college and were faster than me when I was doing 130. They all told me that I was wasting my time and surely I'd be faster if I wasn't overtraining myself. Not only did I run faster than they'd ever run my junior and senior years of college, but I'm still competing post collegiately and they're sitting around at the bar telling stories about the good old days, maybe putting in 20 miles a week. Wonder what would have happened to them if they put in another 20 or 30 miles a week instead of playing video games and staying up too late to put in consistent morning runs. Well at least they didn't waste their time.