At What Point Do You Just Accept You're Not Fast?

SMJO wrote:

Some people can't run fast so the advice to "run fast" when doing speedwork is kind of pointless.

There is no denying that what may feel like sprinting to some is just jogging to the talented.

If you go to the track and sprint as if your life depends on it once a week and nothing much happens, you don't have ANY inherent speed.

Dumbest post on here so far. Sprint intervals will ALWAYS elicit an adaptive response from your body. Even if that means trimming your all-out 100m from 30s to 29.

If you started running late, are running 20-30 MPW, and don't have a coach, I don't think I'd totally accept that you don't have any talent at this point. I have seen a lot of kids (JH/HS) look like they are really slow for a few years, and then suddenly improve. Of course, there is a growth aspect involved at that level, but I think sometimes your body and mind just needs something to click. I've seen slow kids have breakthroughs multiple times.

On the flip side: I don't have any talent as a runner. I'm female, ran all through HS and college, and ran 3,000 miles last year. I don't currently have a coach, but my college coach helps me with my training, and I know what I'm doing to some extent.I run speed workouts and periodize my training.

I was thrilled when I broke 5:55 in the mile, and I don't think I'll ever break 20:00 in a 5K. However, I have't stopped running because I love training and competing. I also am motivated by the idea that if I train just right, I might be able to get close to or reach my full genetic potential.

+1

I think you also need to remember that while some of these people are running 20-30 MPW now, they ran significantly higher mileage in college. This mileage had an adaptive effect that is still likely helping them.

I have a friend that didn't train for a marathon (ran 20-30 MPW) and ran just under 2:55. I don't think there is probably anyone with the genetic talent to run a marathon that fast if they had just run what he ran over the past 6 months. However, he had years of mileage under his belt, including seasons where he ran 100+ MPW.

Work up to 60-80 MPW...if you still don't improve, it wasn't meant to be.

You have at least a ten year period in which you can expect to improve almost continually. Don't shift plans continually but take a longer term approach of gradually increasing mileage, improving workout times and lengthening workout quantity, and shortening rests.

The basic template is:

mile pace or faster intervals once a week

5k pace 800-2k intervals or 4M+ tempo (5M-1/2 Marathon pace) once per week

longer progression run with possible tempo

long run

50 mpw increasing gradually over time with double up to a theoretical 120 mpw if you do serious marathon training and are training for your lifetime peak years from now.

Also, you should start running with a club where you have faster people to train with.

jewbacca wrote:

SMJO wrote:

Some people can't run fast so the advice to "run fast" when doing speedwork is kind of pointless.

There is no denying that what may feel like sprinting to some is just jogging to the talented.

If you go to the track and sprint as if your life depends on it once a week and nothing much happens, you don't have ANY inherent speed.

Dumbest post on here so far. Sprint intervals will ALWAYS elicit an adaptive response from your body. Even if that means trimming your all-out 100m from 30s to 29.

The point is that the runner will still be incredibly slow and the speed improvement will barely register.

Hopefully you're smart enough to realize this but I'm not betting on it.

SMJO wrote:

jewbacca wrote:

Dumbest post on here so far. Sprint intervals will ALWAYS elicit an adaptive response from your body. Even if that means trimming your all-out 100m from 30s to 29.

The point is that the runner will still be incredibly slow and the speed improvement will barely register.

Hopefully you're smart enough to realize this but I'm not betting on it.

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Um, no. Speed work makes people faster. That's just how it works. Sure, some people will improve more quickly and have a much faster "fast" pace, but your assertion that speed work will "barely register" is inconsistent with basic human physiology.

PS- In what 100m race does a 1 second difference NOT matter? Do you even watch track?

You know running is about who has the longest breath. I mean common 3 years of running almost no miles and probably not a good training program doesn't show anything. You probably don't know what training is. Get your miles up and stay working on that. Then find a coach and start to learn what and how training works. Comeback in 6 years and post your PB's. Maybe join an athletics club. What do you think ? Most faster runners put a lot of time in theire running.

GD wrote:

SMJO wrote:

The point is that the runner will still be incredibly slow and the speed improvement will barely register.

Hopefully you're smart enough to realize this but I'm not betting on it.

_________________________________________

Um, no. Speed work makes people faster. That's just how it works. Sure, some people will improve more quickly and have a much faster "fast" pace, but your assertion that speed work will "barely register" is inconsistent with basic human physiology.

PS- In what 100m race does a 1 second difference NOT matter? Do you even watch track?

People do speedwork for years without improving basic speed. Do you even run?

The point is that the OP can go to a Usain Bolt sprint camp and they will just become slightly faster molasses.

Look at the paces listed. S L O W

I would pay anything to run 7-8min miles again, but can no longer run/bike due to osteoarthritis at a depressingly early age. But i do have a lot of great memories, and at least i don't have something horrible like cancer or MS.

So, be thankful for the privilege of running and enjoy it while you can. You will get to meet a lot of excellent people, races provide an excuse to travel and you will feel more alive whether you're running 4min/mile or 10min/mile, rather than not running at all.

Yes, you will get faster by following plans of other posters (jjjjjj etc), it took me 10yrs to PB in marathon. However i hit my 10k pb in just 3 yrs training only 30-40mpw with 10mile long run (i was clueless back then).

I'm not sure you will ever be really fast (usually good mid-dist runners can hammer a solid 400m right out box on little training), maybe marathons or ultras might be better for you.

What i am sure of is that you can have a rich and meaningful life without that sub 40 10k that averagely fast women aspire to.

You have to learn to sprint, and that doesn't just mean go and try to sprint until you get faster. If you do that you'll just be shuffling real fast.

If you don't have a coach, you just have to study and absorb as much info as possible on how to sprint.

Knowing how to sprint will eventually alter your form at all distances and you'll break through your pace plateaus.

You probably have some more speed left in you. I highly suggest joining a training group with a good coach. A oompetent coach and other runners will make you work harder and you'll see some results. You might not get as fast as you dream about, but you will improve.

Looks like I followed a similar path to you (as a male) in my first 3 years of running. In those 3 years I improved from 10-20 mpw and 7:30 pace (for 10 miles) to 50-60 mpw and 6-00 pace.

5 years later, I was on 80-90 mpw and 5:20 pace for 10 miles.

I would say never compare your inside to somebody else\'s outside. You don\'t know what difficulties your competitors have overcome to get where they are, so all you can focus on is your own satisfaction and your own improvement. When you go out for a run and bump into yourself coming back from the previous run, then you know you\'re having fun.

I may not be fast by LR standards (fabricated, most of them), but I can run a faster mile than the average 25 yo and the vast majority of pot-bellied men my age.

And, no, I am not going to pay someone money to coach me through improving a few seconds off my PR. I'm not an idiot.

Can you post your mile/400m time and we can see what we have to work with?

You don't have to pay for a coach, many clubs are free with speed workouts led by experienced runners. Running with people faster than yourself will provide significant impetus.

pics?

SMJO wrote:

People do speedwork for years without improving basic speed. Do you even run?

The point is that the OP can go to a Usain Bolt sprint camp and they will just become slightly faster molasses.

Look at the paces listed. S L O W

OP's pace is slow by your lofty standard. So what? Does it ever matter to her? What matters to her is whether 1 sec/100m improvement is meaningful to HER or not. She is not running to get your approval.

1 sec/100m is 50 sec in 5K and 7 min in marathon. I don't know if anyone finds this insignificant.

I've honestly never done a timed 400 meter sprint so I don't know my time for that.

My fastest mile time is 6:35. Not too quick, but I was thrilled to get under 7 minutes for the first time in my life. I never ran track or anything in high school.