Is 100,000 lifetime miles a big deal?

We had a real close team in HS. We have 5 guys that have reached the 100k milestone.

You sir are incorrect. You state "anyone that ran in college would log a minimum of 76.x miles per week for 4 to 5 straight years in the 70's." That is not true. I'm a 3x All American in the early 70's and I came no where near averaging those miles during my 4 years. You may have hit those numbers, but only one runner on my team would consistently hit those numbers. I believe you were an outlier even in the 70's. At least that is my honest recollection without any number exaggerating through the years.

Real Lyfe Nobodee wrote:

70's were different wrote:

Thank you for taking me back to a different time.

In 1979 Boston Marathon when qualifying time was 2:50 almost everyone ran 80-100 miles a week. Now people think 70 mpw is big mileage. Different time and different attitude toward the sport.

Yeah, now they all have afib and other health complications.

That was exactly me. 1970s high-mileage marathoner. Ages 45-52 had seven heart re-starts due to A-fib. Finally went to low-carb diet (lower inflammation) and heart-rate/aerobic threshold training and now 8 years later I will run 60 miles this week with zero problems, including even aches and pains, like I had even in my 20s. If you keep your learning curve headed upwards, it cancels out a lot of the aging curve.

I wonder how many people over estimate even their daily run? You may think you're running an easy eight minute pace for an hour and twenty minutes giving you 10 miles when your actually running 8:15 pace.

In other words, if you're not logging your miles on a track you're probably not running as far as you think.

I know an ultra runner who has been running for over 40 years. He is anal about accuracy and he is only at 93,000 miles. 100,000 miles is a big deal.

old guy 72 wrote:

I wonder how many people over estimate even their daily run? You may think you're running an easy eight minute pace for an hour and twenty minutes giving you 10 miles when your actually running 8:15 pace.

In other words, if you're not logging your miles on a track you're probably not running as far as you think.

I know an ultra runner who has been running for over 40 years. He is anal about accuracy and he is only at 93,000 miles. 100,000 miles is a big deal.

Some people probably do overestimate their miles. Others don't. But 100,000 miles in forty years is slightly less than fifty a week. That's not a lot of running and someone who was doing even 3,000-4,000 for a few years when they were young will need even less per week during the other thirty years. Obviously. what constitutes a "big deal" is subjective though.

Thru 12/31/16 I have run 124,734 lifetime miles.

i am now 72. started running at 30 so had no track background. only way i could hope to qualify for boston was mileage in order to run 2:50. everyone with my ability was running at least 65-70 mpw to do so that i knew. at one point i averaged in the mid 80's for 8 years running and brought my marathon time down to 2:32:12. no other way i could do it as i could not get my 10k lower than high 32's. i still run almost every day but in slow motion. i never kept a good log except in my head but think i have run over 100000 miles as i have only been injured twice (plantar both times) for any period of time. it does take perseverance and a real love of running. right now it is 26F out in the northwest but very chilly. i will go run on frozen trails for 40 minutes.

If it is notable enough to have a website dedicated to it that lists only 91 people then it seems to be a pretty uncommon achievement

http://www.100klifetimemiles.com/p/runners-by-name.html

That proves that 91 people think it's special.

I don't.

I've missed 12 weeks since September 25th 1975. 2 six week stints for injury. Those were the only weeks that I didn't run a minimum of 50 miles a week. For 20 years I ran a minimum of 70 mpw. Yes I have them all logged. The first 3 year are in a spiral notebook. The next 27 years were in the Jim Fixx Complete Runner log. Everything since then has been done on the computer.

There is no way in hell I would add my name to that list of people that want others to talk about them.

I run for me, those 91 are doing it for other reasons.

You read it wrong wrote:

That proves that 91 people think it's special.

I don't.

I've missed 12 weeks since September 25th 1975. 2 six week stints for injury. Those were the only weeks that I didn't run a minimum of 50 miles a week. For 20 years I ran a minimum of 70 mpw. Yes I have them all logged. The first 3 year are in a spiral notebook. The next 27 years were in the Jim Fixx Complete Runner log. Everything since then has been done on the computer.

There is no way in hell I would add my name to that list of people that want others to talk about them.

I run for me, those 91 are doing it for other reasons.

Wow your just an old bitter man. Sorry a sense of self accomplishment and sharing offends you.

The 100k does mean something to anybody who runs, its shows a determination and pride of a physical accomplishment. Yes they want others to talk about it and share the stories of how they got there, thats what its all about.

Oh BTW, you gave it away what a dweeb you are by telling us you used the Jim Fix Complete Runners Log.

Idiots galore wrote:

The 100k does mean something to anybody who runs,

.

Obviously you are wrong as I run and have well over the 100k documented miles. Meaningless.

You are probably one of those guys that have all of there medals displayed. It is supposed to be for YOU.

It is a big deal because of the longevity of training req'd to achieve that. Must runners, even at the highest level, don't stay in it that long.

I'm in my late 20's and training at a high level for the marathon the past few years. I don't have great logs from High school but from college on I'm a about 37K, with before that maybe I'd be aroung 45K.

I run way more than the average person and I think it almost impossible I hit 100K by the time I'm forty. I have a couple years over 5000 miles but its hard to string that high of mileage together year after year with injuries and other factors. Hitting 100K should be a big deal for anyone and hitting it by the time you're 40 is rarefied air. I don't think there's anyway I continue anywhere near my current volume more than a few more years. I might power through 60K in a few years but then my progress will likely slow dramatically.

Hey Buddy,

I get it, trust me I do. I'm old school. My medals, etc. are all packed away. I'm not fan of the "look at me" world of social media and I've coached young people all the way to Olympians so I'm pretty realistic about what is "good". No one cares other than your teammates, training partners, family. I'm closing in on 100,000 miles and yes I run because I have passion for it, not for external reasons. I don't make a big deal about anything, but I will sure as heck celebrate that milestone because I've gotten to share that journey with A LOT of people at different stages of my life. It's more than a number, it's been about the process and the experience, but also being very thankful to overcome some obstacles that could've ended my running. So each to their own. But don't be such a downer because someone wants to commend someone else for something that took many years to achieve. It's not like a finisher's medal trinket at the local Turkey Trot 5k.

Estimate the % of the total population in the USA has run over 100,000 miles? With that estimate what percentile do you fall into?

not my registered handle wrote:

Real Lyfe Nobodee wrote:

Yeah, now they all have afib and other health complications.

That was exactly me. 1970s high-mileage marathoner. Ages 45-52 had seven heart re-starts due to A-fib. Finally went to low-carb diet (lower inflammation) and heart-rate/aerobic threshold training and now 8 years later I will run 60 miles this week with zero problems, including even aches and pains, like I had even in my 20s. If you keep your learning curve headed upwards, it cancels out a lot of the aging curve.

What? Meat and dairy cause inflammation, not broccoli.

What you probably did was cut junk food out of your diet I am guessing.

Well said

Wow cool miles bro. Too bad your PRs suck. You should find a new waste of time.

Drill - You hit it on the head.

A significant number of high school and college runners run because they are good at it. Many stop running soon after college, because they are not good enough to make $$. Most people who get to 100,000 run for the love of running not because they are world class athletes.

You have to run a lot of 90+ mile weeks to average 70 MPW.