Annoying, but... whatever (Read 1558 times)

I had a similar conversation with someone a while back. They did a local 10k race over the weekend, he said he was cruising along and it wasn't a fast pace. He claimed to do the race in about 36 mins. He kept playing it down saying it wasn't fast, he used to row in college and used to run a lot. I looked up his results, he did run it in 36 mins, but the race was a 5k.

Maybe he misspoke about the distance?

Maybe he misspoke about the distance?

He was very insistent that it was a 10k. He's also one to quite frequently embellish his stories. I take everything he says with a grain of salt.

Some people do just seem to run faster even with NO training. My husband is like this and it bugs the #$%@## out of me. I run more consistently than he does but when it comes to races he takes part just for fun. In July we both did a 1/2 marathon. Him with NO and I mean NO training and he did it in 2:01:15. I know I am slow but that is pretty quick consider the last time he ran was in February. Then on Saturday we did a 10km and he did it in 48 minutes. This is just so NOT fair.

Life's too short, dude.

Yup. Why even care what some other guy does? What's the point?

Some people do just seem to run faster even with NO training.

And if you're going to care, there's the obvious danger in assuming the guy is talking nonsense. There are plenty of people with a little natural talent who can just plain run fast. I've been doing monthly 2-mile races with a guy like that. He has enormous natural talent, but doesn't train at all. He did used to train; he ran cross country in high school, a decade ago. But now he does not run. Period. Doesn't have the right shoes, doesn't even know much about it. But he's a natural. A perfect runner's body, natural leg speed. He always beats me. But I figured since I'm training and he isn't, I have to catch up, right? The last time around, I did 13:20 or so and he ran 12:40 or so. It was a bad month for me, but I got in 100 miles; he trained not at all. Not one step. So at the starting line, I thought I'd have a chance. But as we stood there, he says: "I think I'm going to try a little harder today." Yup. I hung for the first half mile. While he chatted and I wheezed. Then he just ... went. It was beautiful to watch, it really was. Great stride on this guy, amazing natural ability. He ran 11:55. Zero training. I'd be careful assuming somebody is slow.

Maybe he misspoke about the distance?

More likely either a moron or a liar. Difficult to say -- math is hard.

I'd be careful assuming somebody is slow.

That is a good point. There's an old story at my high school about one of our school's "legendary" runners (14:55 3-mile PR, 4:20 mile, sub 2:00 half). Apparently, freshman year somehow or another (I forget the details), someone challenged him to a race and untrained, never-ran-track-dude, blasted out a 5:19 mile. In jeans. However, I've found that the vast majority of the time, running claims that sound like BS (either out of naivete' or deception) usually are BS. Like a guy I worked with who told me he ran a 4:30 mile on the track. After my jaw hit the floor said to me, "A mile is three laps, right?"

However, I've found that the vast majority of the time, running claims that sound like BS (either out of naivete' or deception) usually are BS. Like a guy I worked with who told me he ran a 4:30 mile on the track. After my jaw hit the floor said to me, "A mile is three laps, right?"

Hah.

Now for another side of the coin. I used to work with a pretty serious runner dude. But not the type of guy who wanted to encourage other people to run. I had just started running and was getting out there probably 3 miles 4 days a week and he asked what I was running and I said "about 10 minute miles" and he snorted and said "that's not running, thats jogging, why bother" Yeah. I beat him in my half marathon this summer. Revenge is sweet even if it is 10 years cold. OK OK, he is a good bit older than me and has slowed. Which actually makes it still sweet in that whole "pride goeth before a fall" way.