slow runners pity party (Page 2)

I come out of the swim front of the pack, off the bike middle of the pack, and then watch the freight train go on by during the run...but I have gotten very good at cheering people on as they pass by.

However, I have dropped from mid 11mm to 10mm in 6 months with the help of the track coach at the school I work at - he had me to sets of 220's, 440's, and a couple of 880's at 30 seconds below target pace (9:30 for target 10:00) on Mondays, short 2-3 mile run on Wednesday trying to go at that pace, with a longer "fun" run on Fridays. Been getting good results (for me) with this.

I think this is my situation.  I'm usually in the top 10% women (in my AG) on the bike and now that my swim is improving...that only leaves the run to drag me down.  I would LOVE the day where I'm only passed by 10 people!  For me, it's a constant stream of people passing me which often makes me feel like I must be stuck in reverse.  It's discouraging.  The only people I get to pass are those who are clearly injured.  Oy.

I'd kill for a consistent 10 m/m pace!  I've hit it once or twice on race day, but barely.  I often blame my short legs until someone with even shorter legs motors past me....

I passed three 20 year old's in the final mile of my last Oly.  Does it count if they were volunteers walking back to T1.

Ha Ha Ha. I may be in the last group at track night, but I'm always the most improved.

Sharyn5 - 2011-10-04 10:54 AM

turtlegirl - 2011-10-04 11:19 AM

blueyedbikergirl - 2011-10-04 10:10 AM

I figure I'm on the run to make everyone else feel better about the fact that they get to pass someone... ME! 

I'm hellaciously slow on the run (no matter what distance), though I'd like to think that I'd be a touch faster if every forward stride with my right leg wasn't accompanied with pain... I'm probably wrong with that thought.

Team Turbo Turtles!  

I like that!  I've been known to be a good "zone 1" runner. Never mind that I'm doing zone 4.   My coach wanted to chat with me on our warmup before track.  My easy pace is 11:20.  His is 8:30.  I told him we'll chat after.  HA.

that's his ''easy'' pace? lol i wonder if some are just born to run. and some of us have to work at it.

I'm pretty sure running comes a lot more naturally to some than others... and I'm firmly in the 'others' camp! 

Wow, I'd love to be a steady 10 minute miler.  I work hard but I'm significantly slower than you.  But my coach will kick my arse if she hears me calling myself slow.  I would not have stayed part of a group that called those that are slower the "slowpoke group" for very long.  But I refuse to dwell on the fact that I'm slow.  I'm faster than I was and I'm faster than the person who isn't out there at all. 

Have to say I am a very slow runner for a mid 30s male.  Most recent 5K was 23:30 and that was a stand alone 5K.  Here is the problem, I have run a grand total of 522 miles all year!  In the world for fast runners that is basically nothing.   Last year I ran a 22:30 5K, but only ran about 780 miles all year and the vast majority in the first 6 months, still nothing.

In my last OLY race which was in June 2010, I ran 49:40 off the bike on a very hilly run course.  It doesn't seem that fast, but I was only passed twice that day on the run and I my run split was 63rd overall out of about 310.  Certainly not FOP, but one of the more respectable runs I have had off the bike.  I had spent the winter and spring running a minimum of 5 days/week, usually 6 and had averaged 30 miles/week over the 6 weeks leading up to the race.  As the season progressed and I began riding a lot more and running a lot less.  My run miles came mostly in the form of 1 long run, 1 tempo run and 1 easy run every week, at most 25 miles/week and my run began to suffer especially off the bike.  By the end of the year a promising season was destroyed because I was back to running like caca.

What I learned?  Really I already knew this and ignored it.  If you want to run fast you have to run more.  This is especially true for those of us limited by natural running talent.  For me there was a big jump in my running on just 30 miles/week over at least 4 weeks (building to it slowly of course).  If I could ever commit to building to 40 miles/week and staying there for say 6 months who knows what could happen?   

I would encourage all of you to try a run build in the off season.  Focus on frequency and make your weekly long run no more than 25% of your total mileage.  To avoid injury, avoid speedwork, just run lots.  See what happens, you might be surprised. 

I'm pretty sure we all know that.  That's not what this thread was about.  And FYI - a 23:30 5k isn't very slow and it's somewhat insulting for you to post that it is in this kind of thread. 

As others have pointed out, everything is relative.  I can't imagine why you would feel insulted.  If a 23:xx runner is getting hammered by 15:xx runners, and wants to get up to that level, then it is slow.  The OP is faster than many others, should they be insulted because she called herself slow?  Come on.

I am CERTAINLY not trying to be insulting and I understand it is relative.  In most races I get passed on the run constantly!  Keep in mind I am 34 year old male with no physical limitations.  I had 1 outlier where I did not get worked over on the run and it was a result of changing my training dramatically in the offseason (the same advice that I then of course ignored myself the rest of the season).  I can also point you to the 7 hour Ironman marathon split I had as a result of my lack of run fitness or the 2:28 HIM split I had earlier in the season despite very cautious bike splits in both if you want further proof of my dynamic running abilty.

I would be curious to know how many people in this thread have done a true run build in the offseason based on lots and lots of frequent running and have averaged 30+ miles/week for a while.  Most of the people I train with have never tried it.  I think many of us are slow runners but are still nowhere near our potential.  It bothers me, I don't like getting swept up on the run.  I thought it may bother others as well and just wanted to offer some insight.  I apologize if that came off as insulting.   

Disagree.  This thread is the "slow runners pity party", not the "faster than average but want to be elite pity party".

How do you think people in a fat-loss program would feel if someone joined the class and complained about having 15% body fat?  If Mr 15% kept calling themselves fat, you'd bet all the 30+% people would be insulted! 

There are relatives and absolutes.  Sub 25:00 5k is relatively slow compared to sub 20:00, but as an absolute 23:30 is in no way slow. 

If you choose to be offended or insulted, I'm sure you can find a way.

ETA: If you get over the times, you'll see that very fast rude, insulting runner offered some very sound advice that us slow runners would be wise to follow. 

In my first 5K I was passed by a three legged dog three times...I kid you not.

When I first started running, I was embarrassed as I was so slow so would only run in the dark so my neighbors couldn't see me and avoided busy roads. My son came along with me when I first started running but he'd just walk and keep up.

I'm relatively slow. My 5K times started around 35' and best few years ago was 26:4?....but last year was mostly in the 29:30+ range.

I have some injuries now so gave up running in May in order to preserve my knee and avoid total knee replacement as long as possible. I'm planning on walking my IM run and find a 16:30 pace hard work. I wish I cold back to the days I was a slow runner as it is better than being a slow walker.

The run?

Here's me getting beat out by the 10 year old...

The good news is the 10 year old beat out the other two behind me too!

I am not faster than average and I am certainly nowhere near elite.  I have never broken 20 minutes in a 5K and in the longer the race the slower I get.  In 5 marathon attempts I have never broken 4 hours.  I have also been racing for over 10 years!  Running has been a major frustration of mine in those 10 years, so much so that I have contemplated quitting the sport altogether.  Then in 2010 I changed some things and finally had a breakthrough only to lose it again for my biggest races.  In my last race I was passed by 631 people on the run??  631!  That worked out to 24 people per mile!  If you want to know what going backwards feels like, I submit this to you.  So I took the entire year off in 2011 in more frustration.  If that isn't a pity party I don't know what is!  Along the way I have had some brief glimmers of hope and I offered some insight as to what I did to get over a hump albeit briefly. 

Running is not mythical, there is a very strong correlation between how much you run and how fast you run.  500 miles a year isn't anywhere near enough even for the talented.  1000 miles a year is getting closer but still doesn't even work out to 20 miles/week.  If someone (aged 18-50) has run 1500 miles in a year without any prolonged lay-offs during the year and is still running 10 minute miles I would truly feel for that person.  Yes that person is out there, but it is rare.  For most of us, we just haven't run enough.  I have a major problem staying dedicated long enough to reach my goals, but I cannot believe that it isn't possible to overcome.  I thought perhaps others felt similarly.

Please don't pretend to understand where I am coming from based on 1 post.  You don't know what I have experienced in this sport.   

I should have left out the insulting part (I'm not seriously insulted but it's annoying to have people way they are very slow when their 5k pace is fully 3 minutes per mile faster than mine) because really my bigger point was that this wasn't a thread as I read it looking for advice on how to get faster.  It was a vent/pity party so having someone come in and try to fix it was annoying.  Of course this may come down to a difference between men and women.  I think women often just need/want to vent about something.  Men want to fix it rather than just acknowledge and listen. 

I think I hit an 11 average over a 5k once or twice, but on longer runs I'm usually upwards of 14s and 15s in my longer/hotter races.  10 minute miles sounds pretty good to me!

It's all relative.  Give yourself motivation or beat yourself over not improving, but DON'T just compare yourself to others.  Compare your better self to your pre-improved self!

That is a fair criticism.  Please understand that I have aplogized as well and I am slightly annoyed that hasn't even been acknowledged.  Maybe BT isn't the best forum for me. 

I will step away now as I had no intention of hijacking the thread.  Best of luck to everyone and their goals. 

I would definitely not call myself slow, but an 11 year old girl smoked me at the finish of my only 5k this year!

Oh now come on. You don't need to run away from the entire forum because I called you out on one thread.  Like I said, I think it's the difference between psyches where you wanted to solve a problem and she(we) just wanted to vent.  There will be plenty of threads out there that do want advise. 

Ok, understand the venting. 

Did I mention I was passed by 631 people on the run in my last triathlon?? 

On behalf of the slowest runners EVER, Saltman - stick around. I was not at ALL offended at your posts, but I can see the very astute observation of COskigirl that sometimes a pity party doesn't want a solution. Go watch White Men Can't Jump. Excellent scene on this on the topic of being thirsty.

So ok, I seriously doubt anyone on this forum has EVER run slower than me. I'm dead serious. I have been in races where people who gave up and walked were 15 feet ahead of me and I couldn't pass them.

It IS all relative. When you compare yourself to podium/AG winners, or heck, people who show up to race a tri, you can look slow at 10m/m. But what about compared to the fat guy at the back of the local 5k? (that's me) - At my last trail run, I went for the 10k just to finish it. Almost 1:45. And the course was definitely short. Now, if you want to feel better, go to Wal-Mart. That's where I buy my doughboy tshirts that I race in. (Seriously.) You're probably in the top 3% of random strangers.

When I started running, Dec 1, 2010, I doubled the weeks needed for couch to 5k. I didn't even know my pace for several weeks, then I bought a FR305. By mid Feb, I was doing a 17:11 mile.

17:11. think about that. You'd have to not just walk, but literally CRAWL to get that slow.

I focused on swimming (where it turns out I am also ridiculously slow, but can go for a long time) and did not get my act in gear with running.

With the half-marathon looming in January, I finally upped my runs to 3 a week, with a long run just now approaching 7 miles, adding 1/2 mile to it each week.

Today I ran a pace that was pretty solid for me. 8 months after my 17:11 pace, you want to know what I was psyched about? 15:29 for 4 miles. John Bingham would have to slow down to a limping walk to keep pace with me. The only reason I was happy about it was that the half marathon has an actual sweeper time, though probably the most generous I've heard of - 16m/m pace.

I tell you all this not to derail, and actually not to join the pity party. I was pitying myself the other day. I have been at this for almost a year, and I've seen so little improvement. I'm still morbidly obese, I lost very little weight since beginning training, I'm still worried about the most generous course cutoff in half-marathon history. Meanwhile, my wife does one or two runs a week, and beats 14m/m for 10 miles at a pop, and a facebook friend just started running, isn't all that lean, and cries about only doing a sub 30 5k.

I'll tell you why I'm happy. It may give perspective. I'm still a novelty right now. I wear the doughboy tshirt on purpose. I know that the sight of a 270+ pound man on a triathlon course is odd, especially in trishorts. No one expects me to be a speed demon. So I own it, and I've got a smile on my face. And when I say I've seen little improvement, I have to say that is a relative statement. I was knocking on death's door once, weighing in at over 360 pounds. I lost a good bit just being sensible. I started training at 285. I have a long way to go. But every step matters. I'm tired of baby steps, but I didn't get this way overnight. So when I look at my total training, I've really amped it up in the last month. I wonder why I didn't run more. But then I remember how much I ran in September 2010. Zero miles. Biking? Zero miles. Swimming? Zero yards. Zero to 16minute miles beats zero to zero. I plan to get to sub 12. Someday. I'll still be slower than everyone in this thread.

Your experience is far and away in another galaxy from mine. From your profile pic, I'd say you're fit and attractive. You look like you belong in a race. Your slow is my dream pace. But, I know how it is to line up with people who are faster, so I can indeed join the pity party. I actually passed people on the bike at my last race, finishing ahead of 99. (How? I just started biking in april, and never train better than 13mph) they all passed me on the run, and after the waves behind me did too, I beat fewer than 10 on the run. (field was about 800)

But holy crap, 10 people toed the line that were even slower than me? Crazy world, this triathlon thing. It is all relative. I hear you. And though I may roll my eyes when I hear people 1/2 my size and twice my speed talk about how slow they are, I'm not offended by anyone here. (Just a couple trolls. On BT in general, not this thread.) At a race, I meet my rack neighbors and when I tell them to look for the last guy finishing, no one mocks my speed. They congratulate the doughboy for showing up.

I know what it is to be slow.Pity Party on. We'll work on it, but we still want to smack the ones who look like it's easier for them. We don't smack them. We just talk to each other and vow to chase em down next time.

I have been passed by men and women older and younger than me (one kid was wearing unlaced high top basketball sneakers), I have been passed by a woman pushing a friggin' double stroller and one Halloween 5k, I was passed by a guy dressed as a dragon!!!  I may be slow but somehow I always finish!