lfkt wrote:
"Less than 20% of 50-59 year old women can maintain a 10 minute/mile pace for 1.5 miles."
That's because they are not aerobically trained. Put them through 8 weeks of aerobic fitness training and then 90% of all abled bodied persons will be aerobically fit -be able to run 5 miles in 50 minutes or less.
The body quickly loses what it doesn't need. The reverse is true. Think an arm in a cast and an arm lifting a weight. This is why I believe that aging is not what is commonly believed. Health and fitness can go up and up well into the 80's., provided proper maintenance and repair.
No way in hell. I bet 90% will struggle to run 2 mile in 10 min pace. Think about how . many people are lugging around 50lbs+. They aren't losing that in 8 weeks. Show up at your local 5k race and see how many people who choose to run struggle to break 30 mins. Then realize these are the fit examples.
A lot of people also don't seem to understand the decline with aging. It is one thing to be a fit 50 year old. Another to be a fit 60 year old. And a fit 70 year. Age group records are far from perfect but lets look at the 5000m
40 13:06
50 - 14:52 (i.e. thats just below his prime marathon pace)
60 16:12
70 18:15
80 20:58
Your looking at 2 mins a decade. Thats rough.
Obviously the alternative to not trying is worse