"Serious" hooby jogger gets beat by pro female runners in a workout

Memphian wrote:

dedicated? wrote:

"I consider myself a dedicated runner."

At 40 mpw for marathon training?

I s'pose if your goal is to complete the marathon distance in one effort, regardless of time, then 40-mpw will get you there. I'll leave it to the the rest of you to decide if that qualifies him as a "runner."

No, no, he's a hooby runner. And you got your booby runners. And your nooby runners

cajunrunner wrote:

Washington Post writer Kelyn Soong managed to participate in a workout with the Norcal distance group recent. Soong writes about him being a "serious" runner, while running 20 MPW and has a goal to break 4 hrs at the Marine Corp Marathon.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/02/10/i-thought-i-was-a-serious-runner-then-i-ran-a-track-workout-with-professionals/

This article shows why distance running in the US isn't a popular sport.

Articles like this help popularize the sport.

Breadshoes wrote:

Broot wrote:

Props to the reporter for finally following Larry Rawsons suggestion after all theses years.

He was wearing shoes that weigh "as much as a slice of toast"?

I tried this but they crumbled.

800 dude wrote:

One takeaway: Almost everyone defines "serious" as the level that they're at. I wouldn't call 40mpw at peak "serious," but I have to acknowledge that 40mpw is probably much, much more than the average runner does.

MPW isn't the issue here. Given him 4 weeks of running 20 mpw with a couple of fast interval workouts (things like 4-8x200 and then some 400s) and he will probably be fine with this (I assume it is some tapering workout) easy workout. Anaerobic work is a whole different beast than aerobic work. Odds are the dude hadn't done any since HS.

40 mpw is something like top 2-3% of runners. Definitely serious runner territory, though if he can't break 4 hr. off 40 mpw he does suck.

Is it bad that i feel semi-okay about myself for hitting the female times? Im probably not letsrun enough

cajunrunner wrote:

Washington Post writer Kelyn Soong managed to participate in a workout with the Norcal distance group recent. Soong writes about him being a "serious" runner, while running 20 MPW and has a goal to break 4 hrs at the Marine Corp Marathon.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/02/10/i-thought-i-was-a-serious-runner-then-i-ran-a-track-workout-with-professionals/

This article shows why distance running in the US isn't a popular sport.

fun, points out the delusional nature of people.

there are about 15 levels.

first you win a little race with your class in school.

then you win the school

then you win the regionals

then your win the state.

at this point, you are exactly no where.

then you make a college team.

then you are among the best on the team

at this point you are exactly no where in the grand scheme

then you make the regional finals

then you make the ncaa

then you make an ncaa final

then you win the ncaa

then you go pro,

then you make the national final

then you medal at the nationals

then you make the og team.

then you go to the olympics and get your assss handed to you on a plate.

then you lick your wounds and god bless you place at a diamond league race.

then you got a shot at an OG meda.

you never know what's going to happen. which makes life interesting.

.

British version of this article

Won Boston in 2014.

/thread

Pangolin wrote:

He muffed the opportunity to ask Conley her best time for the 5K marathon.

Hahahahaa...Cracks me up the "5K marathon" OR 10k marathon!!

They whine about running not being popular, and why don't people write more about it..... but if someone does write about it, they come and tear it down and burn it with fire.

800 dude wrote:

I don't get the criticism. The guy obviously knows a thing or two about the sport of running and he's trying to convey something about it to the masses. How many times are people on here complaining about how someone said, "oh, you run, you should meet my friend so-and-so; she runs MARATHONS," as though pulling your butt across the finish line makes you a better runner than a 15-flat 5k runner. This is the exact point he's trying to make.

One takeaway: Almost everyone defines "serious" as the level that they're at. I wouldn't call 40mpw at peak "serious," but I have to acknowledge that 40mpw is probably much, much more than the average runner does.

Is this article from The Onion? There is no way a woman can beat a man in a running event. I don't care if the girl made the olympic team, she is still a member of the female race and they just can't compeat with the male race.

This guy isn't putting out 100+mpw. Heck, he's not even sponsored. He don't know anything about real running.

Let me help you out ... wrote:

Smooofie wrote:

You mean his "medal", right. His cyilindrical medal.

You got him good, but medals are not "cyilindrical" or cylindrical. Circular maybe?

Yiou got me good, stud ;)

Medals aren't.

But "medals" or "trophies" can be. I can assure you that my "trophy" is more cylinder-like than circular. Sort of like a lead pipe.

He dont no nuffin wrote:

sunkist wrote:

They whine about running not being popular, and why don't people write more about it..... but if someone does write about it, they come and tear it down and burn it with fire.

This guy isn't putting out 100+mpw. Heck, he's not even sponsored. He don't know anything about real running.

This pro runner isn't putting in 60 hours a week. Heck, he's not even married with kids and responsibilities. He don't know anything about real life.

Word. Kim Conley is the real deal.I liked the article. A little short, but there's such a misconception (excluding LR) that 40 mpw is sick volume, and that 20+ is for marathons only. I like putting it out there that regular people with jobs do 40 mpw.

bono. wrote:

those butts though...

For more of an "apples to apples" comparison, I wish someone like Natalie Morales (Today Show person with a 3:31 marathon PR) would do this instead of a guy who ran over 60 sec in the 400m in high school (which would MAYBE qualify you as an alternate on a girl's high school 4x4). It wouldn't matter if he ran 80 mpw, he is not good.

You'd get a better idea of the gap between a pro and a "serious runner" if the serious runner had some actual chops.

But yeah, it's nice that at least someone is doing a story like this.

sushi657 wrote:

For more of an "apples to apples" comparison, I wish someone like Natalie Morales (Today Show person with a 3:31 marathon PR) would do this instead of a guy who ran over 60 sec in the 400m in high school (which would MAYBE qualify you as an alternate on a girl's high school 4x4). It wouldn't matter if he ran 80 mpw, he is not good.

You'd get a better idea of the gap between a pro and a "serious runner" if the serious runner had some actual chops.

But yeah, it's nice that at least someone is doing a story like this.

There is no difference between 3:30 and 4:00 for the average runner. Or even 3 hours. They map to the same time. I forgot whose goto line was to have some one try and go run 1 lap at local track of the 5k/10k/marathon pace but if someone actually did it it, they would learn a lot about what pro racing is like. How many people at the local road race do you think could do 1 lap at 5k WR pace? 5%? Heck how many do you think would struggle to hold marathon pace for 1 lap? I bet most of the field would struggle to crank out a 75. Once you leave school, most people never sprint unless they play soccer.

This writer is actually one of the few at a major newspaper to give attention to and actually write about pro running. Over the last few months he's written a few pieces leading up to big races in the DC area, and now leading up to the trials:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/army-ten-miler-after-injury-filled-college-career-chris-kwiatkowski-out-to-shine-again/2015/10/08/283702e6-6de5-11e5-9bfe-e59f5e244f92_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/for-sam-chelanga-an-olympic-hopeful-becoming-us-citizen-was-one-of-the-best-finish-lines-hes-crossed/2015/11/12/1815c5be-896f-11e5-be39-0034bb576eee_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/she-beat-cancer-now-shell-try-to-beat-a-field-of-olympic-marathon-hopefuls/2016/02/10/d764d8ce-cf60-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html

I think this is great for our sport. He has also written stories from his perspective that other middle of the pack runners can relate to. The fact that he's even writing stories like this shows that distance running is more popular now that it has been in recent memory.