In the Navy, we have a semiannual physical readiness test (PRT), the test is maximum situps in 2:00 minutes, 2 minutes rest, maximum pushups in 2:00, 10 minute rest, and lastly a 1.5 mile run. As fitness tests go, it's very mild. Anyways to the point of the post, every cycle there are a couple guys that run at the front of the pack that inevitably never really run. Last test (a few months ago) I came in 2nd place in 9:05, only 5 seconds back. In all reality, I probably should've beat him, but when he took off at the start, I let him go, thinking he would die, like people usually do. I closed 45 of the 50 second gap on him, but couldn't get that last 5 seconds....oh well, learning experiences...
Anywho, a couple days later I was talking to him and he was saying that he wants to run sub-8:00 on the next PRT (november), and I was trying to convince him that is ALOT of time to shave off in only 5-6 months - hell it's 40 seconds per mile! Anyways, I've seen him a few times since then, and he tells me that he is running here and there, only going 'up to' 6 miles, which means that most of his runs are shorter than that.
There is another guy that I work with who has your typical runner's build - 5'11/140-150lbs - he is fresh out of high school where he did alot of rollerblading, he says up to 15+ miles a day. The streets here are cobblestone, so he can't blade anywhere. On the last test he finished behind me in 9:12, and has said that he wants to run the Rome Marathon with me. He runs shorter distances quite often (3-6 miles) but I've never really seen or heard of him doing more than that (this island is so small, you KNOW when someone runs that much, you can't help but see them). So on the 1/2 mary I ran last month (VERY hilly course and warm/humid) he was there too, when he asked me what I planned to run, I told him 1:45 - half of my goal marathon 3:30. He replied by telling me that 3:30 is slow and he is planning on running around 3 flat...I responded by telling him not to underestimate the distance. During the 1/2, he drops out after leading through 3.5 miles (about 1 minute ahead of me). After the first mile, he was running the same 8:00 miles that I was. In his defense, he had been playing basketball for awhile prior to running the 1/2, but none the less, it just goes to show how he overestimates his abilities.
I love to hate these types of people because I know that they are not willing to put in the work to REMAIN quick/fast. Anyone that played a major sport in high school is fast by Navy standards when they join, but once age/having a real job/etc... starts catching up with them and they realize they have to actually work to stay at the pace they were running, they stop training all together and procede to wimp out from then on during all PRTs by saying, "oh, I just don't care, that's all." They seemed to care when they were at the front of the pack and not trying.
Anyone else experience this?
Jsut for the record, it doesnt really take more than 6 miles of quality work a day to run a sub 5:30 pace. It has to be QUALITY work, not quanity work. Obviously the longer the distance, the longer the training. In high school track, our longest run was 50 minutes, and I could run 4:30 for the mile. XC season rolled around, and the long run went up to 70 minutes and the pace dropepd a bit.
But yeah, people who don't wanna do the wrk, then fail and complain SUCK. After my first Oly last month, I came to the realization that I hadnt be training the run enough after a sucky race day run. But I knew it was my fault and why I got the results I did. therefore didnt complain. But if someone asked how my race went,. I tell em I didnt do so great.
First off, I agree with triguy -- it's the quality of the training that matters when it comes to lowering pace for a 1.5 mile run.
And I don't really hate the people who aren't willing to try, it just makes me feel stronger in my efforts since I know I will improve and get to train. They also provide a nice subtle smile of "yup... here is where my effort pays off and I pass you".
But I totally agree with what you said about giving up -- It makes me sad that people feel that they always have to be their best or it's not worth it. It also makes me sad when people give things up because they aren't good enough (in their own eyes). There is no "enough". I may be faster next week, but that will just mean I'm reaching to cut those next few seconds. And there will always be many people who can pass me. But that's ok, cause what I do makes me happier.
I should clarify, I agree that training 6 miles a day is enough to do very well for a 1.5 mile run (especially in high school, when the body is extremely adaptive to change). The problem with this guy is that he's so used to being fast, that he only runs a few times a week, and it's not always 6 miles - usually 4ish. It's possible that he can improve some doing limited mileage like that, but in my opinion, he'll get to the point of dimishing returns from only quality before he reaches his goal.
For speed...Quality,not quantity. For distance.... Quality and quantity.
I think there is probably a little too much ego involved in folks like that...And what can you expect from someone who has no life experience? He and others like him need to learn early and quick,or they quit.
I think i wrote this before, but ti is a Mark Twain quote. " When I was 18 I couldn't believe how stupid my father was. By the time I was 21,I couldn't believe how much he learned."
I see it all the time with young and older racers whose ego's are the guiding force in their lives.
Anymore, I just smile and hope it doesn't hurt too much when they get smacked down.