Slow runners - just how slow do you go?

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BerryH
BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm in awe of the speed and race times many of the lovely runners on MFP and I'm completely inspired by them. However, I've been running for 15 years and despite following training programmes to the letter, adding in sprints and intervals, hill training, fartleks (snort) tempo runs, cross-training, weight training and joining a running club, I've barely improved past the "happy speed" I achieved a year after I started.

So let's hear from all you happy chuggers. What kinds of speeds do you trundle out, happily waving the gazelles past you as you take in the scenery?

Looking at my past few weeks on Cardiotrainer, my regular cruising speed is 4.7mph (12.7 minute miles). My fastest (perhaps my fastest ever - it was cold!) was 3 miles at 5.5mph (10.9 minute miles). My slowest was 4.5mph (13.3 minute miles) - no, I wasn't walking! I often go faster on my long runs when I take walk breaks - Jell Galloway is right!

On the dreadmill my go-to speed is 8.2kph (5.2mph).

In races I think my fastest 5K was 36 minutes and 10K was 69 minutes. My one and only marathon to date doesn't really count as I was ill and injured but running it for charity so had to finish. I crawled across the line in 7 hours 15.

I have finally win a non-charity ballot entry in the London marathon this year which in perfect conditions I'd love to finish in 5.5 hours but would be happy to get over the line in 6 hours.
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Replies

  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    My average is 5.1mph. I'm just too heavy to get much faster that that. When I push myself I can go at about 6 for a little while, but can't maintain it.

    My 5k run (up and down little hills) takes me 35 minutes.

    I'm sloooooooowwwwwww. :-)
  • hastalawaista
    hastalawaista Posts: 5 Member
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    I did two 5Ks in 2011: one at 39:05 and one at 36:23. I am slow. The competitive side of me is bothered by the fact that I'm so much slower than lots of other people. OTOH, 2011 was my first year of running in events, so I should cut myself some slack there. My motto? "Forward is a pace."
  • sandy2006
    sandy2006 Posts: 483 Member
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    I think Im the slowest runner ever! I can be running on the treadmill at 4.5mph and the guy next to me is WALKING at 4.5. I can run faster but I won't last as long. So I run at 4.5 for 3-4 miles. I am just a newby at running though. About 3 months into it.
  • cparter
    cparter Posts: 754 Member
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    Just fast enough that I am not walking but slow enough not to have a heart attach. :^)
  • TheGoktor
    TheGoktor Posts: 1,138 Member
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    I was averaging 4.5-5.5mph, although if I'm doing my uphill route, by the end of 3k I'm lucky if I'm doing 4mph! I *have* got up to 7mph.....which I kept up for all of 5mins...but that was in the autumn, before I got every bloody virus going. I dread to think how slow I am now!

    OTOH, I don't really mind going slow - as long as I'm getting out there, I'm happy. :bigsmile:
  • xSophia19
    xSophia19 Posts: 1,536 Member
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    i cant jog for long for starters!! 3 mins max that i can jog for? i then have to power walk for a little to catch my breath and drink down lots of water (thats how unfit i am!) soo im not entirely sure on my fastest or my slowest. but hopefully when i can jog for longer periods of time i will know just how slow or fast i can jog :)
  • kmillers
    kmillers Posts: 144 Member
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    Somedays I run intervals at 5mph for 90 seconds and 30 seconds at 8mph and can go for 40 minutes no problem. Somedays I steady pace at 5.5 mph. However, today my legs were like lead and I struggled at 4.5 mph. But I ran it for 45 minutes, cursing the whole time (Hail Mary, full of grace....X40) and I finished. I am proud of any of us who run, walk, work out at any capacity when God knows it would be much easier not to. I was not built to be a runner, I was built to be a couch potato. So any time I get up and move my *kitten*, I win.
    Be proud of what you do, I will run those races with you and we have more time to see the scenery and talk. That sounds more fun to me.
  • whiskey9890
    whiskey9890 Posts: 652 Member
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    i'm currently doing c25k so can't even run 5k at the moment but just looked at my stats and including my warm/up cool down walks my average pace is in the 13 min miles area just started week 5 today
  • kmillers
    kmillers Posts: 144 Member
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    Somedays I run intervals at 5mph for 90 seconds and 30 seconds at 8mph and can go for 40 minutes no problem. Somedays I steady pace at 5.5 mph. However, today my legs were like lead and I struggled at 4.5 mph. But I ran it for 45 minutes, cursing the whole time (Hail Mary, full of grace....X40) and I finished. I am proud of any of us who run, walk, work out at any capacity when God knows it would be much easier not to. I was not built to be a runner, I was built to be a couch potato. So any time I get up and move my *kitten*, I win.
    Be proud of what you do, I will run those races with you and we have more time to see the scenery and talk. That sounds more fun to me.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    Apparently I can sustain 4.5 mph. That's about it.
  • jlewis2896
    jlewis2896 Posts: 763 Member
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    I've been running for 3 years, but my 'happy pace' is always a ten-minute mile, despite adding intervals and such. I'm not super competetive, though, so maybe that's why I don't really ever see much in terms of speed gains.

    My race PR's are:
    5k -- 27:11 (that was my very first 5K and I don't think I've ever gone that fast again!)
    10k -- 57:37
    HM -- 2:11:41
    FM -- 5:15:01
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    I run at about 6mph, jog at about 5.5. Any less than that and it feels like I'll trip over my own feet.
    Any more than that, and my legs/shins will feel like hell the next week!
  • nopeekiepeekie
    nopeekiepeekie Posts: 338 Member
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    My one and only 5k I did in 41:23 (I ended up having to walk most of it) - I cannot run fast at all. In fact, my husband walks faster than I run. I would say I run about ..... 4 - 4.5mph
  • KLo924
    KLo924 Posts: 379 Member
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    My motto? "Forward is a pace."

    ^^ I love this! Also, thanks for starting this thread! As a new, verryyy slow jogger (well, jogger/walker most of the time - 5mph on the treadmill, averaging about 4.5-4.7mph outside) this is heartening. :flowerforyou:

    PS: I've not done many races yet, but a recent 8K was 1:05
  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
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    I "jogged" a mile and it took me 14 mins. When I walk, I usually hit about 3.6 mph - I guess I should call it speed walking, lol.
  • shavonne
    shavonne Posts: 46 Member
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    5 - 5.5 mph is a comfortable pace for me, i'm hoping i'll gain speed in time.
  • dngortegae
    dngortegae Posts: 27 Member
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    I have always been a very slow runner. Even at my best weight (5'5", 145) and fitness ever (Army, biathlons, triathlons, etc.), I typically ran 5.0-5.5 on the tread mill. I would go to a 6.0 or 7.0 and sprint for a few seconds/minutes and then go back down to my cruising speed. I was not built for speed. I use to hate it. However, I can run for days, if I want to. You may be the same.

    I figure, it isn't how fast you go or how far you go, just that you go!
  • kellykaye_xo
    kellykaye_xo Posts: 66 Member
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    I love this post! I'm a slow runner, too. I usually run at a 5.0 - 5.2 mph. I can walk almost as fast as that! A fellow MFP friend calls it "wogging". I really like to focus on increasing my distance and endurance and don't worry to much about speed (obviously). :)
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Jeff Galloway IS right! If I run longer intervals, my overall pace ends up being about the same as if I run shorter intervals. Incidentally, I'm hoping to meet him at Disneyland in a few weeks when I'm there for the Tinkerbell race. He'll be speaking several times over the weekend.

    I can sustain 5.5 - 6.0 MPH running and my walking intervals are about 3.5 - 4 MPH. My overall pace is usually around 5.0 - 5.2 MPH although during cooler runs I can go a little faster. Yesterday, it was 75° and sunny and my pace stunk.
  • roxyjomar
    roxyjomar Posts: 12
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    I just started running again after a bad ankle break/surgery 4 months ago. I can only go 4.5-5mph. However, after being on crutches for 2 months & a walking boot for additional month, I'm happy with that. I really didn't expect that I would be able to run again so soon. I guess I should send my ortho surgeon a thank you card.

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