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Running Times for Beginners (Read 333 times)

pedaling fool


    I don't want to sound as if I'm obsessed with my running time, rather just really curious.

     

    I'm new to running, I started running in 2007, but wasn't really disciplined, but did get to the point of running anywhere between 5-10 milesper run, however, I wasn't really tracking time. Then I got really sick in 2012; I mean really sick, to the point of not having any energy and this lasted about 1/2 a year. I started to feel better in Nov. 2012 and started running again after a really long layoff. But this time something happened and I really got into it, started logging my runs and that brings us to today and I'm in the process of preparing for my first race on the 9th of March, Jacksonville's Gate River Run.

     

    I know this is a really tough question, but I'm wondering how quick new runners can expect to run various mileages, such as a 1-mile run, 5-K run, 5 mile run...

     

    I'm 48 year-old male weigh 210 lbs and am 5' 8". I don't consider myself as of yet having run-times per a given distance, because I seem to be improving everytime I run, but also I've never really tried and determine my time, especially since I don't have a track to run on. However, because I log my runs now I have an idea.

     

    I do run 1-mile runs and can do it in about 7-minutes, but runs are as pre warm-up and a  post cool-down run to a five mile run on the beach, which I usually do at a 10-min/mile pace.

     

    I can run a 9.3- mile course at about 10:30 min/mile.

     

    Where can I go to compare these times with other guys my age?

      if you want to see how you compare with other people, and get a % to where you rank, check out an age grading table:

       

      It's enlightning, and humbling at the same time.


      A Saucy Wench

        There is no standard.  And your times will change rapidly, especially if you stop forcing them most of the time.  You will improve faster by laying off timing them each time and just go out and run most of the time.

         

        For beginners volume and consistency mean more than speedwork.  By a lot.

        I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

         

        "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

          if you want to see how you compare with other people, and get a % to where you rank, check out an age grading table:

          It's enlightning, and humbling at the same time.

           

          I think it is merely very humbling.  :-)  Take for instance, the 5K.  As a new runner, I would think a Sub 20:00 5K is friggin fast.  For a 40 year old man, the calculator computes the following:

          Sub-20--->67th %ile     Sub 18---->74th %ile    Sub 16---->84th %ile       Sub 15!!!--->only 89th %ile....

          I thought a sub 15 minute 5K would have a person well into the mid to high 90's percentile!  Not the case.  Its accuracy depresses me, best I can run is a 21:55 and that has me at the 55th %ile only.    ---I've worked very very hard to be this 'mediocre'. :-D

           

          ---To the Original poster, if you commit to a steady running plan, you will likely see some pretty good improvements pretty quickly, followed by slower, but steady improvvement over a longer period of time.   How fast you can potentially run depends on a lot of factors, including genetics and the etc.  I have been running 2 years and again, can hit about a 22:00 5K, but I have friends who got into running and were running sub 19:00 5K's within a few months of consistent training.   The answer to how fast you can be personally really isn't determinable until you have been running consistent for a time, and have raced in some of those 5K to Half-Marathon distances to see where your times are.   ""Absolute running potential" varies quite a lot from person to person.

          The Plan '15 →   ///    "Run Hard, Live Easy."   ∞


          Roadrunner's Apprentice

            if you want to see how you compare with other people, and get a % to where you rank, check out an age grading table:

             

            It's enlightning, and humbling at the same time.

             

            Wow, my 5K PR comes in at 51st percentile - I beat the mean!  Big grin

            2014 Goals:

            - sub-26 5K : sub-56 10K : 1st half marathon

            - Tell my excuses to shut up and lace up...

            LedLincoln


            not bad for mile 25

              You can look at published race results.  You'll probably find that you're not at the bottom and not at the top.  Here's a graphic example of results from a local 10K:

               

              Fastest runners are on the left; slowest on the right.  See a pattern?  I don't either.

                There is no standard.  And your times will change rapidly, especially if you stop forcing them most of the time.  You will improve faster by laying off timing them each time and just go out and run most of the time.

                 

                For beginners volume and consistency mean more than speedwork.  By a lot.

                 

                +10   Ennay hit it on the head!     get a few races under your belt & THEN check out the age grading table.  this wont tell you how your pace matches up with "running times for beginners" (way too many variables) but will give idea of how you compare to other runners in general.

                pedaling fool


                  Thanks Boiler for the WAVA table, pretty interesting, I'll be playing with that for a while. Not really sure what they mean by "Baseline" and other things, but I'll get it after working with it for a while.

                   

                   

                   

                   

                  There is no standard.  And your times will change rapidly, especially if you stop forcing them most of the time.  You will improve faster by laying off timing them each time and just go out and run most of the time.

                   

                  For beginners volume and consistency mean more than speedwork.  By a lot.

                   

                  I understand there is no standard and I hear you on not doing speedwork. I haven't done speedwork yet, those are just my typical runs, none of them are me really pushing it hard. I'm sure one day I'll start doing speedwork, but for now I'm  more concentrated on increasing distance/time running. Just getting really curious how I compare to others. Big grin

                  Elly.


                    That age graded table is so humbling, it would stop most people from pulling on their running shoes ever again.  This is NOT a helpful tool.

                     

                    Running and running in a race, no matter how you place, is helpful.  The shared camaraderie with the other runners is helpful, feeling good about yourself is helpful.

                    http://www.ellyfosterphotography.com/

                      That age graded table is so humbling, it would stop most people from pulling on their running shoes ever again.  This is NOT a helpful tool.

                       

                      Running and running in a race, no matter how you place, is helpful.  The shared camaraderie with the other runners is helpful, feeling good about yourself is helpful.

                       

                      I I think the tool is helpful for a few reasons:

                       

                      1st - since I ran in HS and at a small college, I use it to get my equivalent time from those early days. It gives me an idea how my fitness compares.  I figure if my age equivalent is close to what I use to be able to run, my training is going well. (I'm not there yet)

                       

                      2nd - I think it keeps someone grounded (or humble).  Placing in your age group in a local race can begin to make someone think they are a pretty decent runner (in reality your place is just a function of who showed up for that race), but when discovering they're _only_ in x'th percentile, that is an eye opener to see just how good some runners are. I think it can help you appreciate the achievements of other runners.

                        2nd - I think it keeps someone grounded (or humble).  Placing in your age group in a local race can begin to make someone think they are a pretty decent runner (in reality your place is just a function of who showed up for that race), but when discovering they're _only_ in x'th percentile, that is an eye opener to see just how good some runners are.

                         

                        ---Personally I'd rather just skip the tables and just bask in my Age Group wins.   Never mind that no fast runners showed up in my age group on that particular day.  Big grin

                        The Plan '15 →   ///    "Run Hard, Live Easy."   ∞


                        Why is it sideways?

                           

                          I think it is merely very humbling.  :-)  Take for instance, the 5K.  As a new runner, I would think a Sub 20:00 5K is friggin fast.  For a 40 year old man, the calculator computes the following:

                          Sub-20--->67th %ile     Sub 18---->74th %ile    Sub 16---->84th %ile       Sub 15!!!--->only 89th %ile....

                          I thought a sub 15 minute 5K would have a person well into the mid to high 90's percentile!  Not the case.  Its accuracy depresses me, best I can run is a 21:55 and that has me at the 55th %ile only.    ---I've worked very very hard to be this 'mediocre'. :-D

                           

                          It's not a percentile in terms of the numbers of people able to achieve a performance. Obviously, fewer than 11% of runners are running sub15 5ks at 40 years old. The percentage simply takes your time in seconds as a percentage of an age-calibrated world record. It's only humbling or demoralizing if you misunderstand the meaning of the percentage.

                           

                          Here's a way to think about those percentages in terms of level of runner (copied from CoolRunning race results.)

                           

                          The meaning of a performance percentage as given by WAVA are:

                          100% = Approximate World-Record Level

                          Over 90% = World Class

                          Over 80% = National Class

                          Over 70% = Regional Class

                          Over 60% = Local Class

                          Wing


                          Joggaholic

                             The percentage simply takes your time in seconds as a percentage of an age-calibrated world record.

                             

                            So, a 50% number means he/she is running half the speed of the world record speed for his/her age, is that right?


                            Why is it sideways?

                               

                              So, a 50% number means he/she is running half the speed of the world record speed for his/her age, is that right?

                               

                              Yep.

                              Elly.


                                 

                                So, a 50% number means he/she is running half the speed of the world record speed for his/her age, is that right?

                                 

                                So, Jeff, where can I find the World Record holder for Female age 65-69?  Confused

                                http://www.ellyfosterphotography.com/

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