Slow runners - just how slow do you go?

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  • mcrowe1016
    mcrowe1016 Posts: 647 Member
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    My happy and comfortable pace is 5mph, though I recently ran a 5k on the treadmill at a pace of 5.5. About once or twice a week I try to do HIIT with short bursts of 8mph. It is pretty cool to run that fast, thought I don't know how some people can sustain that pace.
  • ktbia
    ktbia Posts: 118 Member
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    Does anyone else use runkeeper?
    When I run outside, I average around 11-11.30 minute miles. I just ran a 5K on January 1st in about 34 minutes.

    But on the treadmill, I stick to 5 mph. So, a 12 minute mile? Any faster and I am just soo tired. I feel lame for going slow. I, too, am hoping I pick up the speed a bit.
    I am training for a half marathon in March. If I averaged 12 minute miles, I guess that would be fine.
  • gleechick609
    gleechick609 Posts: 551
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    My average speed is 4.6 mph. I try to stay between 12:00 - 12:59 minute miles and I am usually sucessful!

    If anyone wants a new slow runner friend, add me! :)
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Wow, what a lovely lot of runners who know in their hearts that slow and steady does in fact win the race! I was recently reminded that back in May I wrote in my blog:

    "My final bit of advice is YOU ARE A RUNNER the minute you set foot outdoors and go faster than a walk. Forget all the stuff about jogging, or how fast you have to be, just do it. Have fun out there! "

    Like Gleechick, if anyone wants a running buddy, especially an exponent of of a more stately pace, feel free to add me!
  • shiseido_faerie
    shiseido_faerie Posts: 771 Member
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    Just fast enough that I am not walking but slow enough not to have a heart attach. :^)

    ^ That's me!
    I like to call it shuffling lol :) But it gets my heart rate up and I figure sooner or later i'll be able to get faster.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Here's a weird thing, though - I recently have developed a minor case of asthma and have had to bump my run/walk interval to run 1 min/walk 1 min (from run 4/walk 1), and my time has improved dramatically! Like by 2 min/mile. Weird, but I'll take whatever speed I can get (though I actually don't care very much these days about my speed).
    As a fellow asthma sufferer, this is pure awesomeness. I average pretty much the same speed over distance whether I steadily plod along or do 4/1 or even 3/2. What's that all about?! My speedy running friends swear they got their marathon times much faster (to under 4 hours - gasp!) doing 4/1 rather than running all the way.
  • Jaytee79
    Jaytee79 Posts: 237 Member
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    I just finished C25K in December- and now I can maintain a pace of 4.8-5 mph for 5 kms. I'm looking forward to gradullay increasing my time- but if I push too hard, too fast I just want to quit running.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
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    Doesn't matter how slow you go, you are still faster than the person sitting on the couch!!
  • Jconner30
    Jconner30 Posts: 311
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    When I first started running - I was doing 13 min/miles. I now feel comfortable at an 8:30 min/mile pace but if I really pushed myself, I can easily do a 7 min mile but only for one mile :smile: I hear it takes 2-3 years to become a good runner. It will be 1 year for me in late April. I also made a promise that I if I cant come back with a smile then I pushed myself too hard.

    Currently I am training for a 1/2 marathon on March 4th in New Orleans! I want to finish the 1/2 in 2 hours or under. I would love to do it around 1:45 but that is unrealistic for me at this point.
  • kowai
    kowai Posts: 14
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    I run most of the time 5.5 mph, 6.5 when I run hard but i'd rather run longer than faster
  • staceyseeger
    staceyseeger Posts: 783 Member
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    I agree...doesn't matter how fast or slow you are. Kudos to you for "getting out there & doing it". :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

    If it's any MOTIVATION...:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

    I went from an 11:25 / mile for half marathon in 2009 to sub-8:00 / mile in 2011 after losing over 50 lbs. :smile: :smile: :smile:
  • katcod1522
    katcod1522 Posts: 448 Member
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    Ive been running since May 2011. My pace is 11:40 min miles. Averaging about 5.2 miles an hour. Have my first half marathon in March...wanting a 2:45:00 finish. Doing 6.5 in 1:20:03...so hoping I can sustain that pace for 13.1. Training is in full force for that :)
    I do have trouble keeping my first mile the slowest...I can cruise thru it at 11:13...but then my 3rd mile is like 13:06....need to learn to slow down at the start!
  • chosengiver
    chosengiver Posts: 1,493
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    I used to be a C25K running coach and before back injury, my fastest 5K was 28 minutes.
    After a patient fell on me and I attempted to break the fall, I now run a 36 min 5K.
    I'm re-training (2nd time) for my first 1/2 mary, & I'm hoping to sustain a 12-13 min mile pace & THAT IS OK!!
    At least I can still run.
    There was a point where I couldn't run to my mailbox due to back injury!
  • sjtreely
    sjtreely Posts: 1,014 Member
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    The only time that should be measured with great care is the time you spend with those you love.

    However, with that being said .... I do time myself when I run. To date, I've finished 36 half marathons - PR was 2:17ish. Slowest - 4:25ish. True story. I did my full marathon in 5:16.

    My last half marathon last Saturday was at a pace slower than my full marathon. I've gained weight and I'm out of shape and it was hilly! We'll see how this weekend goes. I have two planned. FL on Saturday. LA on Sunday. My goal for FL is to have a faster pace than last Saturday. My goal for Sunday's half is to finish.

    For me, I've found life goes in cycles. I'm in the "Let's get fit and faster," cycle now. Let's hope it continues. :smile:
  • SunSand76
    SunSand76 Posts: 83 Member
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    Doesn't matter how slow you go, you are still faster than the person sitting on the couch!!

    AMEN to that!!! Thank you!!!!
  • joscy_18
    joscy_18 Posts: 6
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    Yeah, we may be slow but we aint quitters :)
  • jjlibunao
    jjlibunao Posts: 78
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    I've done 5 half marathons and my finish times range from 2:06 (9.26 mile pace) to 2:40 (12.12 mile pace). I was miserable doing it in 2:06 because I was stressed myself out on having to run it fast the whole way. In the 2:40 race, I took many walk breaks, stretched - talked to people. Yes, it was much slower, but I was much happier. LOL When I run now, I range between an 11 or 12 minute mile. I think anything under 10 minutes is fast.
  • miniosiris
    miniosiris Posts: 9
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    I hadn't run for a long time but walked regularly. September last year a work colleague introduced me to Parkrun, a 5K run in a park local to me each Saturday. I though I would give it a go hoping that if I got round it would be in under 45 minutes expecting that I would be mostly walking the distance, a 15 minute mile being my fast walking pace. Was thrilled to complete that first 5K part jogging and part walking in just under 40 minutes. At each succesive Parkruns I was improving my time until the last run in November I completed in 33:02. I was still unable to continuously run the distance though. Unfortunately I have been unable to take part in Parkrun since November as my car died and getting to the course any other way was difficult. I have therefore been running round the block outside my home in order to keep the momentum up. Yesterday for the first time I ran 5K continuously in 31:25 :)

    I would advise anyone who is doing C25K and looking for a run to look Parkrun up. There are international courses for all ages, sizes and abilities and gets you challenging yourself each week to strive for a PB.

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