Can't Believe What I'm Hearing wrote:
I coached my my son throughout HS and his mile PB was only 4:46 at age 18. This is powerful young man who trained his butt off and he barely beat the time of a 59 year old?
What is up with this - a 59 year old running a 4:26 1500!?!
Well, if that isn't a world record for age 59, it is very close. Compare any locally competitive runner's times to the world record, and there is a huge disparity. A 2:30 marathon is impressive, but that would be, what, maybe SIX MILES behind a world class marathoner?!
What I find more astounding is just how much our performances deteriorate as we age. Really, 4:26 isn't very fast in absolute terms. I was a 17-year-old kid who couldn't even qualify for the "Sectional" meet in high school, but ran 4:30 for 1500 and a 4:45mile. About the same as your son.
The fact that 4:30 would be world class at my age is insane.
At 58, I don't feel much different. I don't really even look much different -- maybe five pounds heavier, but my legs look the same. It seems crazy that I can't move them even as quickly as my goofy 17-year-old self.
I was barely under 5:40 for a mile recently. Frustrating as heck when I think about the actual pace, rather than age-grade figures. I have heard some older folks claim, "I still feel like I am running as fast," but not me. The effort, yes, but underfoot, the ground moves so slowly!
Anyway, it's all relative. It's still fun to set goals and see what's possible.