Is it possible for me to run sub 22min 5K at age 50 with 17 inch biceps?

With biceps like that, you could run the first half of the race on your hands and then switch to your legs which will be fresh and ready to go.

What's a WOD?

seriously.... wrote:

I'm 50.

I'm seriously having trouble comprehending the inability to run a 22 minute 5k (or slightly under) for any man my age, big arms or not, unless you are morbidly obese. This is over 7:00/mile pace. For slightly over 3 miles. What is wrong with you?? Just jog for a month or two, somewhat regularly. You'll be easily able to do this.

Let's check that myth against reality. Will you take the data from ten 5k races and tell me what % of men finish 22 minutes or less?

realitycheckneeded wrote:

seriously.... wrote:

I'm 50.

I'm seriously having trouble comprehending the inability to run a 22 minute 5k (or slightly under) for any man my age, big arms or not, unless you are morbidly obese. This is over 7:00/mile pace. For slightly over 3 miles. What is wrong with you?? Just jog for a month or two, somewhat regularly. You'll be easily able to do this.

Let's check that myth against reality. Will you take the data from ten 5k races and tell me what % of men finish 22 minutes or less?

Doesn't it depend on the 5k race? ? (i.e., popular big-named 5k's vs your loca-mocal charity gig where cheap ribbons and a bagel is given to the top 3 in each group).

I've raced in a few of those big-time gigs over the years and dozens of 50+ runners are easily going sub-22. In fact, with my pedestrian 23+ min 5k time (57 yoa), I'm so outclassed against other 57+ year olds that it's not even funny. OTOH, I can usually place at some of these cheesy local gigs where the middle-aged speedsters don't bother to show up. Granted, I dealing with some OA issues but I would still get my ass kicked by most guys in my age group.

Times are changing; the average finishing speed for the 5k distance - 50+ age groups has gone down exponentially over the last couple of decades. Middle-age guys have gotten tremendously faster in the 21st century. And if you're skeptical, go check out the 50+ Masters thread on this site - you'll see some SERIOUS speed over there! ?

Coevett wrote:

According to the Runners World age conversion table, a 50 year old male running 22 mins would be better than 67% of his amateur peers.

You misunderstand age-grading. The percentage is based on how your performance compares to the single best ever recorded for your age and gender at that distance.

from the website you linked:

Your age-graded score is the ratio of the approximate world-record time for your age and gender divided by your actual time.

It takes a special kind of vanity to measure one's biceps and then post about it.

That's Coevett for you. ?

100m wrote:

It takes a special kind of vanity to measure one's biceps and then post about it.

He might be Hulk Hogan for all we know.

Since his idols are Coe & Ovett, I thought he'd be more on the small, thin size and an avid runner to boot.

Coevett wrote:

But the question is, could I still maintain much of my muscle mass? I never want to look like a scrawny hobby jogger, and in fact want to put on some muscle to get closer to where my physique was a few years ago when I was hitting the gym more regularly.

Only if you are juiced to the gils...which you probably are already.

Don't get fooled wrote:

Since his idols are Coe & Ovett, I thought he'd be more on the small, thin size and an avid runner to boot.

I was an avid runner as a young teen, and Coe and Ovett were my heroes at the time. Unfortunately, when Aouita came onto the scene, I could smell a rat even at that age, and could see what was coming. So I lost interest. By the time El G came onto the scene, I didn't even watch athletics anymore.

Since then I've trained entirely in MMA and general bodybuilding, hence my physique.

Unfounded concerns wrote:

Hobby joggers aren't scrawny

I've found that when I pass other male joggers, especially when I'm wearing a vest (I've been in the Canary Islands escaping winter), I tend to get either one of two extreme reactions. One is visible fear because they assume I must be a boxer or MMA fighter to be running with this build. Sometimes they actually cross the road to avoid my path, traffic or not. The other, from scrawny jealous hobby joggers running on pure hate, is to make a point of not budging an inch if we are running towards each other on a narrow path or trail, forcing me to alter my path even though if we collided, I'd just pick myself up and dust myself off while they would likely be going to the a & e ward devastated.