Why is this website so out of touch how hard it is for most normal people to run?

We get it, you're slow. Now step aside so the real runners can enjoy themselves

Are people that can break 7:00, "Abby Normal"?

It isn't my fault I have a ridiculously low VO2 Max

Most likely because it's hard to remember or fathom what running feels like to non-runners. For many people on the boards a 9 min mile takes about as much effort as walking. People assume that what is easy for them while fit should still be doable for the average person if they try really hard.

In reality, the average person probably could run a 7 minute mile, but they would need to run consistently for a couple months to build up their fitness enough to manage it. Almost no one is willing to go through that, so most people would probably barely manage sub-10 if they were pulled off the street, because the average person probably can't run a full mile without stopping.

1/10 because you kept it simple.... but painfully obvious and you've already replied to your own troll post with more trolling.

Some of us are out of touch, but most aren't. You see the difference in opinion when there are threads about potential of average person, which is a common topic here since the beginning of this message board.

Either way, you have come to a message board where people who are good at running gather. It's like going to a cycling forum or skiing forum - you'd expect that there are good cyclists or skiers there. Or go to a car forum. You'd expect there to be good mechanics or good amateur racers there.

A lot more than a couple of months. The average person is obese. Also remember that the population includes a huge number of people over 60. Maybe the average/median person who currently runs on a regular basis would PR around 7 minutes.

So the average person can't even join high school track

I have friends in their 40s who have been running for several years that still can’t run a seven min mile .. yes, their training sucks so they never get faster . They also did not have an athletic bone in their body when they were younger . They are also skinny/fat if that makes any sense.

I bet my buddy 100 bucks that he could not run a seven min mile.. five years later he still has not tried and not says the bet is off.

We're not out of touch, normies are clueless and think running is much harder than it is.

david45 wrote:

So the average person can't even join high school track

The average person can't make their high school basketball or soccer or football or swim team either.

And I thought high school sports were no big deal

When you are a decent runner in HS and college, you set yourself up very nicely for a lifetime of running. As long as you stick to a decent training plan, you will always be able to rattle off 7 min miles when you are feeling good. So, it is pretty hard to comprehend that the average Joe at the local 5k is pretty excited to break 25 min.

I have been on both sides. I was a decent Jr High runner, but quit in HS and did not run in college. After fits and starts, I got back into running my early 30s and got down to a 2:47 marathon in my early 40s. The first few years of training in my early 30s were chuck full of injuries. It took about seven years to get to the point where my body had adjusted to the mileage and pounding. Many LRC posters never had to go through that because they started young and maintained the strength through adulthood. Also, it is hard to understand what it is like to be in someone else's body. Most good runners are very light and have some natural ability. It is an entirely different ballgame when you are big boned and have very poor cardio. That is hard to understand for many runners.

david45 wrote:

And I thought high school sports were no big deal

Why? When I was going into high school, I thought sports were a big commitment and hard to get into. That's why I did P.E. my first two years instead of trying out for a sport. When I finally decided to do high school cross country, I went for it really big the summer before my junior year. Starting as a non runner, I ran 9 miles a day the entire summer. By the end of summer, I was the second fastest guy on the team.

Precious Roy wrote:

It is an entirely different ballgame when you are big boned and have very poor cardio.

I think the OP said he was 6' 150 lbs in another thread, so skinny. Poor cardio though.

This site is primarily for runners, not joggers. It's about elite racing. People fans of elite racing. Those who were once elite, or hoped to be elite. Those who hope to be elite. Those who dream they coulda/shoulda been elite. (Oddly, though it's not for elite racers. Kinda of like an NBA site is not for NBA players).

Sure, jogger can look around, but it's not a site for joggers.

Blame my shitty genetics

david45 wrote:

Blame my shitty genetics

i'd like to argue more in favor of "nurture" than "nature", so i'm going to blame your shitty upbringing

Well, I have a VO2 Max of 37 after 6 months of running