Not Born to Run??

Steve

I'm a leisure runner have been running for the past few months 3 to 4 times a week 10Km each so as
to be able to complete a 10km run. Some people are just born to run. They able to run really fast
and long and hardly go breathless while I'm gasping for air at the end of the 10km run. I would like
to be able to complete a half marathon in under 2hrs.Is this a achievable target? I just completed
my first 10K(9.1km exact) run at a really slow time of 53 minutes. Can one really improve one's
timing and endurance through training or I,m just not born to run? I,m in my early thirties with a
BMI 23.4 with no health problem. What I mean to say is you put in the time and effort to train for
the run but you still end up running really slow while other runners are able to complete the run
effortlessly with little or no training.......

Donovan Rebbech

In article <976e0586.0312100211.242f904f@posting.google.com>, Steve wrote:
> I'm a leisure runner have been running for the past few months 3 to 4 times a week 10Km each so as
> to be able to complete a 10km run. Some people are just born to run. They able to run really fast
> and long and hardly go breathless while I'm gasping for air at the end of the 10km run. I would
> like to be able to complete a half marathon in under 2hrs.Is this a achievable target?

Yes.

> I just completed my first 10K(9.1km exact) run at a really slow time of 53 minutes.

That's a pace of 9:22 per mile. You need about 9:10 per mile for your half marathon goal. That
sort of improvement (similar pace for about double the distance) is perfectly feasible with
proper training.

> Can one really improve one's timing and endurance through training or

Yes.

> I,m just not born to run?

Well, maybe you won't run a 4 minute mile, but your goal is somewhat more modest than that, and
certainly achievable.

> I,m in my early thirties with a BMI 23.4 with no health problem.

After a long layoff, I finished a 10k at about 7 minutes 24 seconds per mile with a similar BMI to
that. After a few months solid training, I ran a 4 mile at 6:07 per mile (comparable to about 6:15
pace for 10k)

Even without losing weight, you should be able to run 10k proper (not 9.1k) in about 50 minutes or
so, and if you can do that, you should be good for less than 2 hours in the half marathon.

> What I mean to say is you put in the time and effort to train for the run but you still end up
> running really slow while other runners are able to complete the run effortlessly with little or
> no training.......

I doubt that you'll have any trouble running a half marathon in less than 2 hours if you're prepared
to train consistently for it.

The bottom line is that even a fairly ungifted runner can make it to the middle of the bunch or even
close to the front in a typical road race with some serious training. There is a small percentage of
runners who can run very fast times with little or no training, but again, this is a relatively
small group.

Regarding training: typical BMI for an elite male runner is about 21. Conclusion: your weight is
just fine, I wouldn't worry about that. The main thing you need to do is train consistently, and
slowly build up to a reasonable amount of milage. Can't give more specific advice on training
without knowing where your training is at (how many miles per week do you run, what pace, how many
months have you been training, what other exercise do you do/have you done, etc).

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

Itchy Sanchez

Phil Margolies

> Can one really improve one's timing and endurance through training

Yes

> or I,m just not born to run?

Very few of us are "born to run." However, a good training program will maximize your potential. Do
you have a training plan? It sounds like you don't since you are running 10K every time you run.
There are many books and web sites to guide you in the right direction.

Here's a book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0140469303/104-9576361-9607900

Here's a web site: http://www.runnersworld.com/home/0,1300,1-51-55-639,00.html?site=RunnersWorld

-Phil

Ed prochak

ngsteve@my-deja.com (Steve) wrote in message news:<976e0586.0312100211.242f904f@posting.google.com>...
> I'm a leisure runner have been running for the past few months 3 to 4 times a week 10Km each so as
> to be able to complete a 10km run. Some people are just born to run. They able to run really fast
> and long and hardly go breathless while I'm gasping for air at the end of the 10km run. I would
> like to be able to complete a half marathon in under 2hrs.Is this a achievable target? I just
> completed my first 10K(9.1km exact) run at a really slow time of 53 minutes. Can one really
> improve one's timing and endurance through training or I,m just not born to run? I,m in my early
> thirties with a BMI 23.4 with no health problem. What I mean to say is you put in the time and
> effort to train for the run but you still end up running really slow while other runners are able
> to complete the run effortlessly with little or no training.......

A "few months 3 to 4 times a week" means you are still in the very beginning of running. You will
improve a lot in the next year and there's been discussion that runnings achieve their best about 10
years into running.

Now don't abandon your goal of a sub-2hr half, but set some near term golas up to help yourself get
there. Some relatively random suggestions:

There is no magic do-all training program. Infomercials try to sell the concept that there is.
They're wrong.

plan on running a 5K race. the goals include learning about the race environment, meeting other
runners and establishing your first race time.

alter your routine. Don't always go the same distance, same pace every run. Vary your runs. At the
beginning level you should have most runs based on time (30minutes or so) with one longer run. Run
races on occasion.

Take time. You will not be able to run that half marathon next week, so relax and let your body
adapt to running. Joints, muscles, and connective tissues, heart and lungs, even your mental view,
all have to be conditioned to running.

Enjoy the progress. Keep a log and you will see your progress over the long term. Review your
progress on occasion so you can make plans for your next training goal. And remember the most
progress is made in the beginning year or so.

Make achieveable goals. at the beginning and even more later, your need to set goals to make
progress. It helps to keep you motivated too.

So if you are looking for the quick fix, go check alt.mind-altering-substances.

If you are looking for health and fitness, then set one goal of running as a part of your lifestyle.

Hope that helps.

Enjoy the run. Ed

Dave Andersen

Steve <ngsteve@my-deja.com> wrote:
> I'm a leisure runner have been running for the past few months 3 to 4 times a week 10Km each so as
> to be able to complete a 10km run. Some people are just born to run. They able to run really fast
> and long and hardly go breathless while I'm gasping for air at the end of the 10km run. I would
> like to be able to complete a half marathon in under 2hrs.Is this a achievable target? I just
> completed my first 10K(9.1km exact) run at a really slow time of 53 minutes.

It's an easy target. Just train consistently and properly, and you'll be able to smash it with
no problems.

You won't smash it in a month, however. :)

-Dave

--
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