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

A 7:00 mile can be doable even with crappy training. I was slow and overweight last summer and was able to run 6:46 during 3x1600 reps, and that was while battling a kidney stone and a bad diet.

It's actually better than it used to be here.

I would say that people can progress real fast if they dedicate their time.

I picked up running last year November (at age 26) and at the beginning of March I've ran a 3:19 marathon after 4 months of training with no prior sport background. I progressed quickly because I started running 11:30 miles.

I guess I was lucky in a sense that I did not experience any major injuries, just some bugging shin splints but it went away with time.

isit wrote:

I would say that people can progress real fast if they dedicate their time.

I picked up running last year November (at age 26) and at the beginning of March I've ran a 3:19 marathon after 4 months of training with no prior sport background. I progressed quickly because I started running 11:30 miles.

I guess I was lucky in a sense that I did not experience any major injuries, just some bugging shin splints but it went away with time.

Jesus Christ. If you started running in high school , who knows how fast you could run.

isit wrote:

I would say that people can progress real fast if they dedicate their time.

I picked up running last year November (at age 26) and at the beginning of March I've ran a 3:19 marathon after 4 months of training with no prior sport background. I progressed quickly because I started running 11:30 miles.

I guess I was lucky in a sense that I did not experience any major injuries, just some bugging shin splints but it went away with time.

100% fake.

Nobody go from a 11:30 mile to a 3:19 marathon in 4 months , especially with zero sport background.

Don't be fooled.

I'm happy how things have turned out, so running is a good hobby for now.

Also, I would like to add that I'm from Europe and I was already kind of slim before starting to run.

Height: 186 cm (6 feet 1 inch)

Weight before: 71 kg (157 lbs)

Weight now: 68 kg (150 lbs)

Jilis Off wrote:

isit wrote:

I would say that people can progress real fast if they dedicate their time.

I picked up running last year November (at age 26) and at the beginning of March I've ran a 3:19 marathon after 4 months of training with no prior sport background. I progressed quickly because I started running 11:30 miles.

I guess I was lucky in a sense that I did not experience any major injuries, just some bugging shin splints but it went away with time.

100% fake.

Nobody go from a 11:30 mile to a 3:19 marathon in 4 months , especially with zero sport background.

Don't be fooled.

I agree

isit wrote:

I would say that people can progress real fast if they dedicate their time.

I picked up running last year November (at age 26) and at the beginning of March I've ran a 3:19 marathon after 4 months of training with no prior sport background. I progressed quickly because I started running 11:30 miles.

I guess I was lucky in a sense that I did not experience any major injuries, just some bugging shin splints but it went away with time.

Biggest load of crap on the internet this week... send us the link for your time.

And dox myself?

Thanks, but I will not do that.

isit wrote:

I would say that people can progress real fast if they dedicate their time.

I picked up running last year November (at age 26) and at the beginning of March I've ran a 3:19 marathon after 4 months of training with no prior sport background. I progressed quickly because I started running 11:30 miles.

I guess I was lucky in a sense that I did not experience any major injuries, just some bugging shin splints but it went away with time.

Thanks for the laughs.

You could have at least given a 5k time to look half serious instead of going full retard with a fake marathon time.

All this indicates is that the 11:30 was a non-effort. A 26 yo male could walk fast and cover a mile (or close to it) in 11:30.

Dear OP

I want to encourage you. Go ahead and challenge yourself and set as a goal to run a 7-minute mile.

Providing you're relatively healthy and fit, and not over 40, and medically cleared to train, its possible with the right preparation.

I'm not a coach, but here's what you do:

Go to a local HS track (providing its not locked or has No Trespassing signs) and run one lap at a quick but not all out pace (no huffing and puffing). If you can cover it fairly comfortably in 1:45, you have a real chance.

Then run 3x400 at 2:00 each with a minute rest. Do this 3x a week. On alternate days runs 3mi. easy (I mean shuffle easy).

Do this for one month.

Now, run two laps in 1:45.

Repeat. Next month, try to run three laps in 1:45 each.

Repeat. The third month run your four laps in 1:45.

3-month commitment. If you're serious, you can do it.

Let us all know.

Best of luck!

Jilis Off wrote:

isit wrote:

I would say that people can progress real fast if they dedicate their time.

I picked up running last year November (at age 26) and at the beginning of March I've ran a 3:19 marathon after 4 months of training with no prior sport background. I progressed quickly because I started running 11:30 miles.

I guess I was lucky in a sense that I did not experience any major injuries, just some bugging shin splints but it went away with time.

100% fake.

Nobody go from a 11:30 mile to a 3:19 marathon in 4 months , especially with zero sport background.

Don't be fooled.

Steve Way entered his first marathon in 2006 (32 years old) and with only three weeks' training, finished in 3:07:08. Overweight chain-smoker. No sport background.

The only thing that is in favor of your argument is that Way probably would never be as slow as a 11:30 mile, probably around 6 flat untrained.

Then he took a almost 2 year break, started running again and after 24 weeks of training a sub 3 marathon plan raced 2:35. One year later he was 2:25, one year later sub 2:20. Peaked at 2:15 with 40 years old.

IF someone has the talent of a 2:15 marathoner, rapid improvements in the first few weeks/months are not out of the ordinary. He had an extremely high, genetic VO2MAX and just needed to condition his legs and body to run fast and up to his high potential. Most people have a low/average VO2MAX, and need to train damn hard to just make modest gains/improvements.

ilikefalafel wrote:

As a high schooler who's broken 6, I wouldn't really call it easy. I ran for 2 years before I broke 6:30 and it took another year after that to break 6. It takes a while to get used to sustaining any pace. Your main problem is that you're not giving it enough time and you have unrealistic expectations.

please tell me you are a troll lol

i was a mediocre at best miler and ran under 5:20 my first year of running in middle school. i wasn't doing much mileage or training that hard, just running a bit most days.

it doesn't take much of anything at all to run a 6 min mile, pretty sure i could have done that at like 12 with no training

He started running 11;30 miles as in pace more likely. Not for a single mile.

Because this is a forum with a high percentage of competitive runners. I would say most people if they went on a conditioning program for 8 weeks could then run 9 minute miles and run 5 miles at a time on flat asphalt. Once you get to below 8 minutes running becomes hard (and a high risk for injury) for the average person. It is also not necessary for aerobic fitness. Aerobic fitness can be achieved thorough even regular walking. Unless you are an elite running a marathon is not smart.

Woah there you don't know if he's peaked yet!!! Don't write the man off, he's obviously bonkers talented and trains hard to boot!!

Precious Roy wrote:

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.

Yes, we're very lucky when we get a start as runners during our teen years. Running must be so hard for an adult to start new. Although I do know a couple guys who never ran until their 30's and ran sub-4:30 miles in their 40's. But that is a talent level that probably would have taken them to D1 All-American status had they run earlier.

But I think almost any normal-sized teenager could easily run a 7-min mile, but many are just lazy. I also believe most teens could break a 5-min mile with a year of solid training. Some of us forget how many people out there refuse to tolerate voluntary physical discomfort especially when it involves your heart jumping our of your chest.

Yeah I would've gotten there a lot sooner but the track/XC teams at my school were an absolute joke (4 days of practise a week, longest run was a 2 mile run once a season, most days I doubt we ran a full mile) and my legal guardians were neurotic beyond belief so I wasn't allowed to run by myself outside of practise "because it's not safe for girls to run alone." Top all that off with an eating disorder and it'll take you a while to break 6.

Once I got past the ED mess and I got to be on a real team in high school where we did real training, it took me maybe 2 weeks before I broke 6 in a workout, so yeah, it really does come down to training.