How can elites run 26.2 miles at well under 5 pace and I struggle to run one at that?

i completely agree.

I weight trained for 15 years seriously and only managed to bench 245. Friend of mine never exercised in his life wanted to get into working out so I brought him to my gym. He pressed 245 easily the first time he ever touched a barbell. I pretty much quit after that to take up running. Was fed up with not being able to put on any muscle and everyone always asking me if I was a runner (at that time never ran even close to one continuous mile in my entire life). First 10k I did after just starting to run two months prior was a 38 flat. Some old lady and a fat guy out sprinted me at the finish so I thought that I just ran a crappy time. Then I find myself the hero of the local running store running club. My first 5k about three months after that was 16 and change. Easily won my age group. Only a few people in the running club I come to find have ever run low 16s. I am now hoping to be able to go under 15 soon now having just over a year of running in. Trust me when I tell you I do not work even close to 1/3 as much as the serious dudes in the club. I am sticking with this sport for that very reason. I just have to go thru a few motions to be able to do what most people around here will never achieve at any amount of effort. I found my niche. Too bad this sport doesn't really impress the ladies. That's what my other hobby ( motorcycles) is for.

how is it possible? wrote:

5 minutes for one mile feels so fast for me. I don't understand how another human can run 26 miles, with ease, at that pace. How can they possible be THAT much more talented? As humans, we are not yet thaaat evolved to start seeing such huge difference based on region and race.

You've touched on exactly why I so love watching those folks run. It's awesome to see these guys/gals do what they do. And I mean "awesome" in the truer sense of "awe".

The bell curve of human talent for anything is simply staggering. I'm a professional musician, and have spent countless hours teaching kids of all ages and backgrounds how to play guitar. And trust me, the difference between the "elites" and the masses is just as great in music, in all art, in mathematics, in every single thing that we do, as it is in running.

I swam competitively in high school. Now I watch these guys swim 56 second 100m for a mile like it's nothing. It's ridiculous to move through the water that fast.

how is it possible? wrote:

5 minutes for one mile feels so fast for me. I don't understand how another human can run 26 miles, with ease, at that pace. How can they possible be THAT much more talented? As humans, we are not yet thaaat evolved to start seeing such huge difference based on region and race.

Well, no one can run 5 minute pace for 26 miles with ease for one.

How fast can you run, with ease? Figure out percentage wise how much slower that is that 5 minute pace and I'd guess it's not a mind boggling number. Do you really think it's not that surprising that there are people that are that much more equipped to run fast than you?

I make my living as a computer programmer and I think I'm very good at it. But it wouldn't surprise me at all that there are other programmers out there that could do a project better than me in half the time.

Maybe that's a bad comparison. I like to golf and I'm not particularly good at it, but probably a little better than the average person out on the course. It doesn't boggle my mind at all that there are guys that would hit it 100 yards further than me or score 30 shots better than me.

asdefjh wrote:

.. snip ... I like to golf and I'm not particularly good at it, but probably a little better than the average person out on the course. It doesn't boggle my mind at all that there are guys that would hit it 100 yards further than me or score 30 shots better than me.

Try to play a simple, steady drum beat, in 4:4 time, and then throw in a set of 16th notes with your left hand. At about 60bpm. And keep good time with your left foot. Then go watch a video of Terry Bozzio playing the Black Page.

It's mind-boggling, to me, how much better these world class people are than even "talented" individuals.

There are elite marathoners from every region and race.

Well, almost every one.

Jacking aaas wrote:

Then I find myself the hero of the local running store running club. My first 5k about three months after that was 16 and change. Easily won my age group. Only a few people in the running club I come to find have ever run low 16s. I am now hoping to be able to go under 15 soon now having just over a year of running in. Trust me when I tell you I do not work even close to 1/3 as much as the serious dudes in the club. I am sticking with this sport for that very reason. I just have to go thru a few motions to be able to do what most people around here will never achieve at any amount of effort. I found my niche. Too bad this sport doesn't really impress the ladies. That's what my other hobby ( motorcycles) is for.

The not-so-humble brag. I needed that.

Consistent hard work leading to a well developed aerobic system. Talent.

Brian Sell has commented that he is amazed that he could run a marathon at a pace equal to his high school two mile (or was it mile?) time.

how is it possible? wrote:

5 minutes for one mile feels so fast for me. I don't understand how another human can run 26 miles, with ease, at that pace. How can they possible be THAT much more talented? As humans, we are not yet thaaat evolved to start seeing such huge difference based on region and race.

They can run 26miles at 5 minute pace because they can run 1 mile at sub 4 pace

Because of this wrote:

how is it possible? wrote:

5 minutes for one mile feels so fast for me. I don't understand how another human can run 26 miles, with ease, at that pace. How can they possible be THAT much more talented? As humans, we are not yet thaaat evolved to start seeing such huge difference based on region and race.

They can run 26miles at 5 minute pace because they can run 1 mile at sub 4 pace

Not true for most. I remember when Rod Dixon for years was the only one that had the claim of someone who had broken 2:10 and 4 minutes.

Although it would be hard for me to believe that all of these sub 2:05 guys would not be able to do it.

otter wrote:

Because of this wrote:

They can run 26miles at 5 minute pace because they can run 1 mile at sub 4 pace

Not true for most. I remember when Rod Dixon for years was the only one that had the claim of someone who had broken 2:10 and 4 minutes.

Although it would be hard for me to believe that all of these sub 2:05 guys would not be able to do it.

Greg Meyer actually ran his sub 2:10 about six months before Dixon ran his Sub 2:10 and was also a Sub-4 miler.

I always think it is funny that I could start at the beginning of mile 26 of a marathon and couldn't keep up with the top elites as they are finishing.

That's what I've always thought too. In running, the difference between the elite and the average guy is measured so easily. But I think running shows how mind bogglingly better the elite are in any endeavour than all of us average Joes. It's just harder to see it in medicine, law, engineering and all the other fields most of us work in every day.

You are saying an old lady and a fat guy ran in the 37:XX? While not super fast, that sure is fast for an "old lady" and a "fat guy" - I am not sure the rest is true either.

In my 50s now. I look back at my running career and can't believe the times/pace I ran, and the times I'm currently running. But at least, I'm upright (most the time).

It's amazing what you can condition yourself to do.

As a freshman in college, I could not understand how these guys could hold sub 5 pace for 5 miles.

And then I eventually did it myself.

Still don't know how I did that.

26 miles is pretty crazy but establishing good efficiencies is the main thing.

Donald Trump wrote:

You are saying an old lady and a fat guy ran in the 37:XX? While not super fast, that sure is fast for an "old lady" and a "fat guy" - I am not sure the rest is true either.

Not only is the rest true but to add to that I am white. When I ran 38 I had no idea how fast that was (relatively) until the others in the running club were literally bowing down to me for being able to pull that off as basically a newbie. And yes, I wish Brightroom was at that race so you could see how pathetic the old lady and fat guy looked that outsprinted me. It made me really think that I just ran a shiattay race.

Anyways, goes to show you what having some talent can do to your advantage in this sport but kill you in others. I would not survive even an easy tackle in the NFL.

How "old" was the old lady? How "fat" was the fat guy? If old lady was 50-plus, running a 37:xx would make her probably top 5 in the world. If fat guy was short and 250-plus, running a 37:xx would make him top 5 in the world as well.

asdefjh wrote:

I like to golf and I'm not particularly good at it, but probably a little better than the average person out on the course. It doesn't boggle my mind at all that there are guys that would hit it 100 yards further than me or score 30 shots better than me.

I think you've highlighted a reason why golf--and autoracing--are popular spectator sports. Professionals can play golf and drive cars better--phenomenally better--but a lot of people can get around a golf course, and can drive a car. They can relate to what the pros are doing.

By contrast, most people *cannot* do what elite runners do--not in any sense. Not only can almost no one *race*--consciously compete, all the way--a marathon; very, very few can genuinely *race* 100 meters!

I think the appeal of the marathon, for many who do them, is that getting through it is a real athletic achievement, even for the fat and slow. But in their heart of heart, I think most of these folks *know* that the elites are not just doing a marathon faster--they're doing it different. And for most people that's simply much harder to relate to, compared to golfing and driving.