Is this 2 mile time normal?

[KnightTemplar]

I’m in the UK ad there’s athletics clubs (sometimes several) in most towns and cities. Wouldn’t know about the US though. I run for a predominantly Road/track/cross-country club although I do mountain running.... there’s no mountain running clubs (or even mountains!) within 90 mins drive, and the flat speed work really helps.

5km in 18mins is within the top 1% of the population, and many club runners can’t achieve it, but again in proper running terms it’s not that special. The top guys in my club can do it in 15mins, and I think the world record is around 12:30...

Current world record is 13:29, held by a Swiss runner.

 

[ironkhan57]

I’m in the UK ad there’s athletics clubs (sometimes several) in most towns and cities. Wouldn’t know about the US though. I run for a predominantly Road/track/cross-country club although I do mountain running.... there’s no mountain running clubs (or even mountains!) within 90 mins drive, and the flat speed work really helps.

5km in 18mins is within the top 1% of the population, and many club runners can’t achieve it, but again in proper running terms it’s not that special. The top guys in my club can do it in 15mins, and I think the world record is around 12:30...

Yeah 5k in 18mins sounds like usain bolt, 5k in 12 mins sounds like captain america lol dont some churches have sports shits? Or are those only for the youth?

 

[wufabufa]

dont some churches have sports shits? Or are those only for the youth?

I am both deeply confused and also concerned regarding what I'm reading here.

 

[ironkhan57]

I am both deeply confused and also concerned regarding what I'm reading here.

You know how some mosque have martial arts programs, mostly for the youth but adults can take the classes too. Well i seen a few TV shows where churches do have sports programs too. But i really shouldnt join just for the sports especially if im not religous with any religion.

 

[wufabufa]

You know how some mosque have martial arts programs, mostly for the youth but adults can take the classes too. Well i seen a few TV shows where churches do have sports programs too. But i really shouldnt join just for the sports especially if im not religous with any religion.

Sorry man, I know it makes sense your head when you write it out but I would have never been able to decipher all of that from "sports shits". That sounds more like exercise induced diarrhea.

 

[Travs]

Current world record is 13:29, held by a Swiss runner.

im sure it’s faster than that? On the track anyway.... our club record is just about dead-on 13mins which was a world record at the time. I’m sure Bekele has ran close to 12:30...

no idea about the 5000metres on the road though...

 

[ironkhan57]

Sorry man, I know it makes sense your head when you write it out but I would have never been able to decipher all of that from "sports shits". That sounds more like exercise induced diarrhea.

Lol sorry man adapting to north philly hood.

 

[Ultra O’Dia]

To go from running it in 14 mins to get down to 11mins would take an amount of training that would be seriously underestimated by non runners... you’d need to be doing decent mileage and specific track work to get there...

It took me a year of hard work (although admittedly not my main running priority) to get my 5000mtr time (just over 3 miles, down from just under 20mins, to around 18:30... I’d hoped that since getting there in the summer, I could knock off the remaining 30 seconds and get down to 18mins, but it’s just not happening at the moment.

You can certainly make rapid progress quickly, I guess similar to beginners gains in strength training... but if you can seriously get from 14 mins to 11 mins for 2 miles, in a matter of months, then I suggest you make running your priority as that would be beyond remarkable...!

Sounds like he is in good shape but doesn’t know how to pace himself to me.
Which indicates that improvement will come very fast for the first little while if he actually practices a two mile run.

You are so right about plateauing. It’s just as bad as in lifting, imo. I’ve always cross trained with running, since I was a kid, and played running sports, too.

I decided some years ago, to actually try to see what my times were on some runs. I got to a 5:29 1600 (I called it a mile) within a month (remember I was already a seasoned runner, just not exclusively a runner). I was so stoked about getting a five minute ‘mile’ if I just dropped the lifting a bit and focused on running.

And it just never got better. Consistent as fuck. 5:28, 5:30, 5:28, over and over until I said fuck it and went back to normal training.

 

[ironkhan57]

Sounds like he is in good shape but doesn’t know how to pace himself to me.
Which indicates that improvement will come very fast for the first little while if he actually practices a two mile run.

You are so right about plateauing. It’s just as bad as in lifting, imo. I’ve always cross trained with running, since I was a kid, and played running sports, too.

I decided some years ago, to actually try to see what my times were on some runs. I got to a 5:29 1600 (I called it a mile) within a month (remember I was already a seasoned runner, just not exclusively a runner). I was so stoked about getting a five minute ‘mile’ if I just dropped the lifting a bit and focused on running.

And it just never got better. Consistent as fuck. 5:28, 5:30, 5:28, over and over until I said fuck it and went back to normal training.

My biggest regret before finishing high school. Is not taking up a sport. My job was going to pay for my college, but i got laid off last thurs, they hire so many people that they look for any good reason no matter how minor. To fire people.

 

[KnightTemplar]

im sure it’s faster than that? On the track anyway.... our club record is just about dead-on 13mins which was a world record at the time. I’m sure Bekele has ran close to 12:30...

no idea about the 5000metres on the road though...

Could be. I just looked up 5 K Race on Wiki and that was the time given for the WR. I'm pretty sure that's the road time rather than a track.

 

[Ultra O’Dia]

12:37 for Bekele, btw.

 

[SandisLL]

This for 5000 meters I think.

There initially was question about 2 miles, this is approx ~3200 meters.

 

[Travs]

Sounds like he is in good shape but doesn’t know how to pace himself to me.
Which indicates that improvement will come very fast for the first little while if he actually practices a two mile run.

You are so right about plateauing. It’s just as bad as in lifting, imo. I’ve always cross trained with running, since I was a kid, and played running sports, too.

I decided some years ago, to actually try to see what my times were on some runs. I got to a 5:29 1600 (I called it a mile) within a month (remember I was already a seasoned runner, just not exclusively a runner). I was so stoked about getting a five minute ‘mile’ if I just dropped the lifting a bit and focused on running.

And it just never got better. Consistent as fuck. 5:28, 5:30, 5:28, over and over until I said fuck it and went back to normal training.

I’m 37, and though I ran at a reasonable level in school at cross-country, played football for 20 years, and did loads of running for Muay Thai, I didn’t begin to run seriously until 2015...

Even at my “old age” I reckon I could still make big improvements at those times... but it’s not my priority... my priority and passion is mountain running, so my training includes around 10000ft of ascent every week, on top of a couple of club track/road sessions... if I drop the hill stuff and concentrated on the flat I could do it, but I’m a much higher level mountain runner than flat runner.

incidentally, I’m a firm believer that even mountain runners should do a fair amount of speedwork on road and track... it’s definitely helped me progress a long way... it’s no coincidence that the best mountain runner in England is a top cross-country runner at national level, and another of the great mountain goats is around 32mins for a 10km...

 

[Ultra O’Dia]

I’m 37, and though I ran at a reasonable level in school at cross-country, played football for 20 years, and did loads of running for Muay Thai, I didn’t begin to run seriously until 2015...

Even at my “old age” I reckon I could still make big improvements at those times... but it’s not my priority... my priority and passion is mountain running, so my training includes around 10000ft of ascent every week, on top of a couple of club track/road sessions... if I drop the hill stuff and concentrated on the flat I could do it, but I’m a much higher level mountain runner than flat runner.

incidentally, I’m a firm believer that even mountain runners should do a fair amount of speedwork on road and track... it’s definitely helped me progress a long way... it’s no coincidence that the best mountain runner in England is a top cross-country runner at national level, and another of the great mountain goats is around 32mins for a 10km...

ive got a track by my place that goes up 450m over 4.5k
i use heavy oak walking sticks to make it a full body event.
i also have stones for lifting halfway up.

going up a mountain is the shit. way more heart and muscles than flat running. mental toughness and less reliance on pacing and a smooth stride.

im 43, btw. youre not old!

 

[Travs]

ive got a track by my place that goes up 450m over 4.5k
i use heavy oak walking sticks to make it a full body event.
i also have stones for lifting halfway up.

going up a mountain is the shit. way more heart and muscles than flat running. mental toughness and less reliance on pacing and a smooth stride.

im 43, btw. youre not old!

I’m a strong climber, even relatively strong at national level.... however it’s the downhills where I lose out.... UK mountain (Fell) running is generally ran off trail and you find your own way between mountain summits etc, rather than following a trail (you can of course follow the trail but it’s often not the quickest way).

uphill running can be improved through sheer effort, as your post suggests... my climbing work is generally done on treadmill... but descending over rough pathless ground requires technique and a lot of guts... there just isn’t the hills and terrain round here for me to improve as much at this...

as a consequence I can often match the leaders going up, but across the flat and downhills I lose ground and places...

Of course there is also the issue of the weather you encounter on mountains, and getting lost is a real possibility on some longer remote races, so you have the mental side of being able to navigate whilst the body is under real stress... not to mention looking after yourself in the mountains... fall apart on a road race and you’ll generally get picked up or helped back to the start or finish... lose it on a fell race and you generally have to get yourself out the shit...

Tough sport!

 

[Ultra O’Dia]

I’m a strong climber, even relatively strong at national level.... however it’s the downhills where I lose out.... UK mountain (Fell) running is generally ran off trail and you find your own way between mountain summits etc, rather than following a trail (you can of course follow the trail but it’s often not the quickest way).

uphill running can be improved through sheer effort, as your post suggests... my climbing work is generally done on treadmill... but descending over rough pathless ground requires technique and a lot of guts... there just isn’t the hills and terrain round here for me to improve as much at this...

as a consequence I can often match the leaders going up, but across the flat and downhills I lose ground and places...

Of course there is also the issue of the weather you encounter on mountains, and getting lost is a real possibility on some longer remote races, so you have the mental side of being able to navigate whilst the body is under real stress... not to mention looking after yourself in the mountains... fall apart on a road race and you’ll generally get picked up or helped back to the start or finish... lose it on a fell race and you generally have to get yourself out the shit...

Tough sport!

wow, man. cool sport.

Fell? is that from Fjell, which i believe is Norse for Mountain?

love the different abilities in the sport. i grew up on a steep hillside overtop of my town. my neighbour and i used to time ourselves on the descent as kids.

id probably be cut out for this game, lol. although i hate anything over about 2 hours. hip flexors lock up, im hungry, and it takes way too much time to train for that shit.

 

[ironkhan57]

ive got a track by my place that goes up 450m over 4.5k
i use heavy oak walking sticks to make it a full body event.
i also have stones for lifting halfway up.

going up a mountain is the shit. way more heart and muscles than flat running. mental toughness and less reliance on pacing and a smooth stride.

im 43, btw. youre not old!

Arent you one of the military vets on here? If you are i dont find any of those crazy mountain running jawns unbeliveable. Some of them military vets are like saiyans in dbz, always pushing themselves and getting stronger and faster in every aspects, and eating a big meal after too.

 

[Travs]

wow, man. cool sport.

Fell? is that from Fjell, which i believe is Norse for Mountain?

love the different abilities in the sport. i grew up on a steep hillside overtop of my town. my neighbour and i used to time ourselves on the descent as kids.

id probably be cut out for this game, lol. although i hate anything over about 2 hours. hip flexors lock up, im hungry, and it takes way too much time to train for that shit.

I believe that’s where the word comes from, yes...

the sport contains everything from 1.5 mile up-and-down races, to things like the Dragon’s Back, which is a 5 day race down the length of Wales... and everything in between.

my optimum races are around 15-20 miles, although I’ve recently had some good results in shorter races... I prefer the real steep up and downs as they play to my strengths as a “battler” rather than a technical athletic runner.

can’t really compare race times to those on the flat... all depends on the ascent, terrain, ground conditions, weather.... I’ve done 23 mile races which have been so severe they’ve taken longer than 32 mile races.

there’s the typical English mentality of wearing adversity and suffering as a badge of honour... last year I started one of the toughest long races... there’s not even so much as a road-crossing in well over 20 miles... I was well in the top half of the field when one of my shoes fell apart, and I completed the final 11 miles over some of the rockiest and steepest parts of the Lake District in one shoe... think I came 5th last..
But they gave me a prize for my efforts...!

Earlier this year I did a race where you don’t know where you’re going until about half a mile after the start when you are issued a map with no route shown... just a load of numbered checkpoints which you must get to in order.... after 5 hours we were still heading away from the start valley...l. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the 7th checkpoint therefore was out of the race... not usually a problem, only I was 2.5 hours running away from the start/finish, across a high mountain pass... obviously I had to make my way back as fast as possible so they didn’t send Mountain Rescue out looking for me...

 

[MeatPlow]

I’m 37, and though I ran at a reasonable level in school at cross-country, played football for 20 years, and did loads of running for Muay Thai, I didn’t begin to run seriously until 2015...

Even at my “old age” I reckon I could still make big improvements at those times... but it’s not my priority... my priority and passion is mountain running, so my training includes around 10000ft of ascent every week, on top of a couple of club track/road sessions... if I drop the hill stuff and concentrated on the flat I could do it, but I’m a much higher level mountain runner than flat runner.

incidentally, I’m a firm believer that even mountain runners should do a fair amount of speedwork on road and track... it’s definitely helped me progress a long way... it’s no coincidence that the best mountain runner in England is a top cross-country runner at national level, and another of the great mountain goats is around 32mins for a 10km...

Anything done in the mountains makes a beast of you. That goes for rucking and running.

 

[Thorpedo28]

Travs has nailed it.
He's a bit quicker than me over the longer stuff (20mins for a 5k and 11:5X for 3000m)
It's all about what you are looking to achieve from the running