How Good Is Good when it comes to running?

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sophie-xx

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Hey all :sport:
Im wondering what distance is classed as good, for a runner, timewise. I really like running and want to be the best I can be at it, when I started I was really useless, out of breath ofter 3 minutes, and now I can go non-stop for 25minutes. Distance wise not sure what that is, its about 200 calories.
For me, thats good, but when i compare it to others, decent proper runners, its pathetic.
Guess im wondering how long everybody else runs (im on the treadmill, softer on my joints) and any tips to go longer? x
 
sophie-xx said:
Hey all :sport:
Im wondering what distance is classed as good, for a runner, timewise. I really like running and want to be the best I can be at it, when I started I was really useless, out of breath ofter 3 minutes, and now I can go non-stop for 25minutes. Distance wise not sure what that is, its about 200 calories.
For me, thats good, but when i compare it to others, decent proper runners, its pathetic.
Guess im wondering how long everybody else runs (im on the treadmill, softer on my joints) and any tips to go longer? x
Click to expand...

It is all relative to you. For the record, Usain Bolt holds the 100m record in 9:6x. Most people can't break 13:00. The record for the 5k is 12 something, the record for the 10k is in the low 30s, and the marathon record is just over 2 hours. For adults who have jobs and families, breaking 20 minutes in a 5k is very respectable and 25 minutes is not bad at all. Breaking an hour for a 10k is not embarrassing, 50 minutes is respectable and 40 minutes is very respectable. Just finishing a marathon, especially without having to walk, is respectable in itself, breaking 4 hours in a marathon is very respectable, 3:15 is close to qualifying for

There is always someone faster, stronger, leaner, smarter, better looking and wealthier around the next corner.

BTW, you should be burning more than 200 kcals in 25 minutes.
 
Thanks for that, very informative ;-)
Running for an hour seems like another life time away, but if sometime told me I would be able to do 25mins, i wouldnt have believed them.
I really want to do longer and better..running makes me feel alive, this is going to sound really daft, but sometimes i lie awake thinking about running and i cant sleep, I get a riht kick out of it ;-P
200 cals is what the treadmill says, but I agree, pretty rubbish for a long run.
I think i can push 30 mins next time, cos im not knackered knackered after 25mins..but the next day my knees feel a bit clicky and sore, so i try not to over-do it.
 
First thing, ignore the treadmill for calories! Heart Rate Monitors give a better result but even they can overestimate. I tend to find gym machines over react to the tune of 30%-100% and it can be depressing to see how many calories you really burn!

See if you can run outside- its better in many ways. You see on a treadmill, the floor moves for you, all you need to do is to maintain your place on the spot, you learn how to move up but the muscles that propell you forward are not really being used (these are the muscles you use when running outside).

Try seeing if you can manage this maybe once a month? once a week? it can make all the difference and its actually quite a bit more interesting, you run towards things, you see things in 3D (Not a computer screen or TV shot of a skinny dancer with an ugly fat bloke rapping). If you do get a heart rate monitor you can often see your heart rate rise higher if you move at the same speed as you tend to work harder at the running.

I used to be rubbish at running. It was about 2 mins then I had to stop as I was out of breath! I was skinny (BMI 15) and had next to no muscle! Now I run differently- I have an old injury which keeps flaring up so can only run up hill which itself is quite exhausting, but on a 10% incline at 10km/h you can really train up your thighs and its given me a huge boost to my running and improved things alot so maybe also considering other forms of running is worth a shot too: things like running backwards, sideway galloping, running whilst flicking your legs towards your bum, interval sprints (sprint for 30 seconds, run normally/slower for 1 min and then build on this).

As far as bettering yourself, you'd need to work out what you were trying to better as there are quite a few aspects in running. Speed and stamina for example. You could train to run 200m. very fast or to run 30 miles and not stop. Its really dependant on which stregnth you want to build on. Don't worry about being "the best" just worry about bettering yourself. Keep times and distances and whatever else you feel would motivate you to improve, maybe on a chart or a graph or something? Over time you'll be able to see results.

Don't forget there are other ways to train your muscles like squats, lunges, the plank,... don't forget to include all of your body when training as it all works together to get you your results. Good luck!
 
Thanks Summer, That was really informative and I appreciate you taking the time to type all that out, your certainly know your stuff and have given me a lot to think about. I agree running treadmill is easier ;-)
However, I kind of prefer in that way. Running on concrete plays havoc on my joints. The first time i did it, i pulled my hip and I had to give up running for 6 months, now my hip is fine, but my knees are starting to play up, so i need to take it easy, treadmills spongier...My knees are 'clicky' by nature anyhows.
Tonight i got to 27.5 mins, which was 240 cals and 2 miles, best so far and i could have easily got to 30 mins but i was worried about my knees so i stopped.
Oh and I do make sure I do squats, plank, upper body weights etc.
God, who knew id love working out? I hated exercise soo much before, I love it now!
 
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