Any runners 207lb and over running less than 30 mins for 5K?

jogy

Woman 40 pounds overweight here. During the summer, I have a hard time running in the heat. So friends of mine suggested that I do shorter runs but in intervals. It works. I ran a 7km the other day and I cut down 30 seconds from my usual pace.

There is a lot of intervals apps out there so I am not gonna suggest one in particular because I feel it's personal.

So, if you are cutting time every time you run, go on doing what you are doing. If you have come to a "cruise control" speed, than you should try intervals.

TMattP

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. Some very interesting comments.

I'm primarily a cyclist who wanted to have a go at running. I'm big legged, toned muscular from a lot of time in the saddle etc. Just got a death ring around my middle which I'm starting to get rid off (Looking back I was training my *kitten* off but over eating the calories so I was gaining or maintaining weight regardless of how hard I worked. Thanks to MFP for clearing that up).

I had no experience of running at all before trying the c25k. I can now run 10k in 66 mins and 5K under 30. Thats taken about 10 months.

I've seen steady improvements since I've gotten fitter and started to shed the weight. My original thought was that it was the weight that was stopping me from improving my times. I thought this because I had no baseline to compare myself against.

I can see now that this probably isn't the case. I'm going to continue what I'm doing. When the plateau comes I will try a program etc.

Dedulaney

It's about finding the right method for your own body to building the endurance. I started with C25K when I was pushing 250lbs. I more or less finished it but kind of got into my own groove for running intervals. This way, I was pushing myself to gain endurance and strength based on how my body was responding. Otherwise, just need some patience. I kept up with it and never let myself get discouraged if the "results" weren't immediate. Now I'm able to do a 5k in under 30 mins in the heat of a Gulf Coast summer and I'm still at 220lbs. The weight can be discouraging sometimes but the endurance (including cardiovascular) is still being built. Your body adapts to its given environment so it definitely is possible. I'm sure when I get near 207lbs I'll be running the 5k in about 25 mins.

_Waffle_

I've seen steady improvements since I've gotten fitter and started to shed the weight. My original thought was that it was the weight that was stopping me from improving my times. I thought this because I had no baseline to compare myself against.

Weight is still a factor. The elite runners are thin on purpose. Every pound you lose will give you about 2 seconds per mile improvement simply because you're carrying less. I don't know if this applies to a 5k but it can make a bigger difference for longer runs.

I can do a 5k in about 23 minutes @ 205 - 210 pounds. I'm hoping to get that down to 22 minutes. My last half was 1:54. I know that I'm not going to win any races at my size but I still have lots of fun.

Fluffyndelightful

My ultimate goal is to run a 5k in 30 minutes. I know that weighing less will definitely help me. I know some women around my size that run a 5k in about 35 minutes, but I can't seem to finish in less than 40 min. I'm currently 218. I'm sure my pace will increase with weight loss.

SonicDeathMonkey80

ran 20:37 weighing 212. so whats the point of this thread? you can be bigger and still put out good times

That's great. So what you're saying is that you can get fit enough to run faster and still be pretty big. I've started doing 5k races and all the guys who win are tiny. I don't want to be tiny.

yes this is true. There is a limit were weight will be a factor. You'll never see any Olympic sprinters weighing in the 200s..lol

Well I suppose, but I guess the sprinters are in their own little bubble of existence. All the distance runners are tiny.

I do wonder what Usain Bolt's 5 and 10K times are.

I know a guy who is around 200lb and he runs a 16:45 5K and can do a flat 10 miler in 61min. He totally caught me by surprise because he wears skintight tri gear at the races and looks like a lumpy sausage.

And Usain Bolt ain't your guy. He's a sprinter and does 100-200M. If you want fast 5K/10K, you need to look at folks like Galen Rupp (he does a 26:44 10K, American record). To put that in perspective, a lot of running noobs struggle to break the 30min 5K barrier. He's already eating bananas, drinking beer, and touring the vendor tents by then.

SonicDeathMonkey80

My ultimate goal is to run a 5k in 30 minutes. I know that weighing less will definitely help me. I know some women around my size that run a 5k in about 35 minutes, but I can't seem to finish in less than 40 min. I'm currently 218. I'm sure my pace will increase with weight loss.

Marginally. Your pace will really increase with consistency and dedication over time. Weight loss is difficult to quantify as it relates to speed improvement due to training benefits over the period of weightloss, but the generally accepted number is 2sec per mile per pound.

tappae

I managed 25:25 at 197 pounds, which is >30% body fat on my frame. Weight isn't a great thing to compare because there are guys well over 200 pounds with a lower body fat % than me.

My PR was down around 173 pounds (22:43), but I was only 7 seconds slower two months later, having gained 10 pounds.

There's no linear relationship between weight and speed, but all else being equal, extra body fat is going to slow you down when you try to run fast (doesn't affect my training paces very much).

Mr_Knight

I know there are training plans to increase speed but I'm wondering if the bulk I'm carrying is simply going to stop any further improvement when I get to a certain level.

Yes, it will, but you're still a fair distance from that level (as am I, that's not a criicism :drinker: ).

For a dedicated amateur, a 18min 5k is feasible. Assuming a 150lb runner, you're looking at about 2:30 extra time for added weight, up to ~200 lbs. That puts the target range at a little over 20 minutes.

(All numbers approximate)

TMattP

ran 20:37 weighing 212. so whats the point of this thread? you can be bigger and still put out good times

That's great. So what you're saying is that you can get fit enough to run faster and still be pretty big. I've started doing 5k races and all the guys who win are tiny. I don't want to be tiny.

yes this is true. There is a limit were weight will be a factor. You'll never see any Olympic sprinters weighing in the 200s..lol

Well I suppose, but I guess the sprinters are in their own little bubble of existence. All the distance runners are tiny.

I do wonder what Usain Bolt's 5 and 10K times are.

I know a guy who is around 200lb and he runs a 16:45 5K and can do a flat 10 miler in 61min. He totally caught me by surprise because he wears skintight tri gear at the races and looks like a lumpy sausage.

And Usain Bolt ain't your guy. He's a sprinter and does 100-200M. If you want fast 5K/10K, you need to look at folks like Galen Rupp (he does a 26:44 10K, American record). To put that in perspective, a lot of running noobs struggle to break the 30min 5K barrier. He's already eating bananas, drinking beer, and touring the vendor tents by then.

Using Bolt was just an example of a big muscular sprinter. I have no idea what he weighs but I am curious as to what his distance times would be. Would a sprinter even bother to run a mile for example. I have no idea how a sprinter even trains.

aledba

Sadly, I'm below 200 lbs and can't run a 5K in less than 40 mins.
Scale number doesn't mean you're fit.

TMattP

My ultimate goal is to run a 5k in 30 minutes. I know that weighing less will definitely help me. I know some women around my size that run a 5k in about 35 minutes, but I can't seem to finish in less than 40 min. I'm currently 218. I'm sure my pace will increase with weight loss.

Hello.

I'm sure you will achieve your goal.

smarieallen85

Holy shmoly. I ran my first 5k a couple months ago at 155 pounds or so and it took me 33 minutes. I'm just not good at it.

_Terrapin_

bump

jmcclus920

Great thread to read as 5K's are still a kind of fitness benchmark for me. My original fitness goal (once upon a time) was to simply complete a 5K without stopping again - which is kind of sad as I used to run cross country in High School. Thankfully, I achieved that goal several months ago and have been steadily aiming to get faster having improved my endurance so much more. I'm 212lbs and my last 5K race was just over the 6min mile pace (31:38). I am running steady 6min miles for distance now more and more, so I am hoping to crack 30:00 before long. I've also been trying to run intervals, do inclines, and mixing treadmill running and outdoor running. That has got me this far and continuing to lose the weight will help, but I will have to do a hell of a lot more to get back to my cross country days of 22:00ish -- and to think I was always the slow guy on the team then! I'd kill to be that fast now LOL.

cwrig

> my last 5K race was just over the 6min mile pace (31:38).

That math does not add up in this universe. If you were running 6 min miles your time would be about 19 minutes.

sm1zzle

ran 20:37 weighing 212. so whats the point of this thread? you can be bigger and still put out good times

You could have just answered the guy's question without being a jagoff.

Mr_Knight

...my last 5K race was just over the 6min mile pace (31:38).

That's a 6min kilometre -> 10min mile.

scorpio516

I've read that you can shave about 2 seconds per pound per mile so long as you're losing fat and not muscle. It's probably a fairly accurate estimate.

It's theoretically 0:02/lb/mile no matter what it is - fat, muscle, bone, water, etc.
Your optimal muscle mass is different. Loosing 10 lbs of biceps muscle isn't going to slow you down too much. On this topic, I'd suggest "Racing Weight" by Matt Fitzgerald.

Basically, lighter is faster, to a point. Most people in this thread won't get that light, or want to. For example, I know that I am fastest at 138 lbs. I'm 6'-0".

_Waffle_

> my last 5K race was just over the 6min mile pace (31:38).

That math does not add up in this universe. If you were running 6 min miles your time would be about 19 minutes.

I believe he means 6 mph or 6min kilometer.