ok, any one knows what are good times for:

5 mile run
5 km run
10 km run

im talking regular human times, not competition level or athlete level, but also not a really slow pace....

also the diff between doing it in a treadmill or outside. :tucool:

Not sure if this will help, but as far as the Army Physical Fitness Test goes, a male between 27 and 31 needs to be able to run 2 miles in 17:00 to pass the test with 60 points, and 13:18 to score a full 100 points in it.

So going by that, the minimum standard for fitness in a run according to Uncle Sam is a 8:30 minute mile (~7 mph), and a Speedy Gonzales pace would be a 6:39 minute mile (~9 mph).

For women, the standard for the same age group is 20:30 to pass, 15:48 to max, or a 10:15 minute mile (~5.85 mph) for baseline, and a 7:54 mile (~7.6 mph) for very fit.

If you are running at least the baseline speed, you are doing better than most Americans, and if you are going faster than the speed required to max out the test, you are FAST as a distance runner. :) I'd think that a pace somewhere between the two speeds would be what you are looking for.

Maggie

There's a huge difference between the treadmill and outside. If you've only been using the treadmill and you start running outside, running will seem a lot harder.

The Uncle Sam times causticmuse posted seem very reasonable.

For a 5k, I would consider 24-30 minutes to be average and 20-24 minutes good times. 17-20 minutes is a very good time and would place you on most highschool varsity XC teams. Less than 17 minutes is excellent and could earn you the #1 varsity spot on a highschool XC team. (Though in large highschools this cut could be much closer to 16 minutes.)

Once you get out of high school and college the numbers change a little. I'm 45 and run a little. There are many runners that want to get under 25 minutes in a 5k. There are very few that get under 20 minutes. Under 17 is way fast - you win - unless you are in a big race.

So if you run in the 25 range I would say that is respecable "human" speed and under 20 is fast. For 10k under an hour is respectable and under 45 is fast.

Just my general impressions for boards, runners personal experience.

Once you get out of high school and college the numbers change a little. I'm 45 and run a little. There are many runners that want to get under 25 minutes in a 5k. There are very few that get under 20 minutes. Under 17 is way fast - you win - unless you are in a big race.

So if you run in the 25 range I would say that is respecable "human" speed and under 20 is fast. For 10k under an hour is respectable and under 45 is fast.

Just my general impressions for boards, runners personal experience.

well how about this, i just ran 5 miles in 58 minutes in the treadmill, is that good as a cardio day?

ok, any one knows what are good times for:

5 mile run
5 km run
10 km run

im talking regular human times, not competition level or athlete level, but also not a really slow pace....

also the diff between doing it in a treadmill or outside. :tucool:


I have to say - from a non-competitive runner - if you FINISH the race, be proud. :D I've seen so many people just drop out altogether. In general, I see the bulk of people finishing between 28-36 minutes for a 5k, 55-70 minutes for a 10k. I haven't run a 5 miler race - but my own pace was just sub a 10 min mile during my marathon training.

But I'm a slow, non-competitive runner. I am bad at it (asthma, bad mechanics, etc). I'm into it to finish it. It gives me a sense of accomplishment EVERY time I run. And that is why I run. As for races..... well, It's just that I am addicted to the stupid race t-shirt. :o

58 minutes is respectable for a non-competitive runner whose focus is weight training. This is particularly true since it was just an ordinary cardio day and not a race. I'm asssuming you did not max out, talking about it casually as you are doing. It's certainly fine for calorie burning and cardiovascular fitness. Good job.

well how about this, i just ran 5 miles in 58 minutes in the treadmill, is that good as a cardio day?

well how about this, i just ran 5 miles in 58 minutes in the treadmill, is that good as a cardio day?

This all depends -- how hard was it? For some people, this level of excercise would almost kill them, for others, it is a walk in the park.

I think the thing you want to concentrate on is your heart rate. You need to decide how you want to train vis a vis your heart rate. Some advocate a high heart rate with low time, others seem to think a lower heart rate with longer time is better. Either way, the scales are you heart rate and your time, not your distance. As you become more conditioned, you will be able to travel more distance in the same time with the same heart rate. That's the goal.

Don't compare yourself with others, compare yourself with yourself. You'll notice that John Stone does not post his distances or weights (how much does he bench press?). This is because he does not want to get into a "pissing contest." Ok, if you did 5 miles in 58 minutes, terrific -- next time, do 5 miles in 57 minutes.

Well talking about heart rate, during the 58 mins i mantained a 155-165 during all, after the run, i felt tired but not "o my god I need oxygen".... i did this only for one reason:

I saw ozzy osbourne ran 5 miles in one of his shows and i told myself, if a 50 plus man with a history of drug abuse, alcoholism etc can doit, then i should do it in a breeze.... :tucool:

haha. Ozzy! I saw that too. That's fine-I think that workout is doing what it needs to for you. You could up the intensity some if you want to, but I don't see any real tangible benefit to doing so for the purposes of fat loss, and it's working your cardiovascular system without exhausting it.

Well talking about heart rate, during the 58 mins i mantained a 155-165 during all, after the run, i felt tired but not "o my god I need oxygen".... i did this only for one reason:

I saw ozzy osbourne ran 5 miles in one of his shows and i told myself, if a 50 plus man with a history of drug abuse, alcoholism etc can doit, then i should do it in a breeze.... :tucool:

Remember that running on a treadmill is a lot different than running unrestricted.

A treadmill forces you to keep a set pace and allows your body to adopt to it. Unrestricted running has a constant variances in terrain and causes your heartrate and level of exertion to vary a lot as well. So, the experience is very different.

To accurately gauge your level of fitness or "really" compare with some arbitrary times, you need to run off the treadmill.

Hello there. First post on these forums. I'm not up to 5 miles yet :d_smile: . The fastest I've run my one mile on an outside track is 7 minutes and 47 seconds. That may not sound very fast, but four or five months ago, I weighed a little over 270 pounds and couldn't run a mile :eek: . I'm down to 230, so I've lost 40 pounds so far, but I've put on some muscle too, so who knows what the total "fat loss" in pounds is. Funny you say that running outside is harder, chicanerous. I'm the exact opposite. :cool: Unless it is 20 degrees outside, I'll take the outside track over the treadmill anyday. I always feel like I'm about to trip, if I look around me while I'm on a treadmill. A few times, if it weren't for a quick reach-out on the handle bars, that feeling would have become a reality :) .

btw, does anybody else find about a 30 second variance in your runtime? my quickest one-mile so far has been 7:47 as I stated, but somedays it'll be as high as 8:18.

Funny you say that running outside is harder, chicanerous. I'm the exact opposite. :cool: Unless it is 20 degrees outside, I'll take the outside track over the treadmill anyday. I always feel like I'm about to trip, if I look around me while I'm on a treadmill. A few times, if it weren't for a quick reach-out on the handle bars, that feeling would have become a reality :) .

Haha, I meant running outside is physically harder on your body, not that, for some, it's psychologically preferable to run on the treadmill (and psychologically harder to make oneself run outside). You would never catch me on a treadmill either; outside running is much more enjoyable and rewarding.

For me, it's amazing how a training program can make you improve. Just one month ago I was struggling to run 6 miles at 8 min/mile, which is my goal pace for the incoming London Marathon (next April 17). Last Saturday I had a scheduled run of 9 miles at 8 min/mile. I did 7:30-7:45 min/mile in all of them and finished fresh. Next day I run 19 miles at 9:30 min/mile. And didn't finish wasted. Tired, but not exhausted.

I felt invincible after that run.

And one year ago I hardly could finish a 5-miler!!

Improving your running times is a matter of training. To run faster, you just need to train faster on some specific scheduled days.

Man, I'm really addicted to running. :jumping:

haha-treadmills, treacherous things. Running outside on a TRACK is not harder. It's flat, and the surface is actually faster than a treadmill's. But running on the roads, grass/fields, and trails is. There are constant changes in elevation as well as terrain. So much more enjoyable though IMO that laps around a track or treadmill running. For those who run on treadmills and would like to better approximate outdoor running, put the incline at 1% and set the speed .1 faster than the control panel tells you you should be running to get a specific pace.

Hello there. First post on these forums. I'm not up to 5 miles yet :d_smile: . The fastest I've run my one mile on an outside track is 7 minutes and 47 seconds. That may not sound very fast, but four or five months ago, I weighed a little over 270 pounds and couldn't run a mile :eek: . I'm down to 230, so I've lost 40 pounds so far, but I've put on some muscle too, so who knows what the total "fat loss" in pounds is. Funny you say that running outside is harder, chicanerous. I'm the exact opposite. :cool: Unless it is 20 degrees outside, I'll take the outside track over the treadmill anyday. I always feel like I'm about to trip, if I look around me while I'm on a treadmill. A few times, if it weren't for a quick reach-out on the handle bars, that feeling would have become a reality :) .

Back when I was running for the fun of it in the mid 80s, anything under an eight minute mile was considered running and anything over eight minutes was considered jogging. I ran a few 5 Ks and one 10 K. I averaged between seven to eight minutes per mile. I ended up in the middle of the pack at the finish line in each race.

When I was in good shape i ran a 6-7 minute mile for 5K's

now I'm lucky to be under 10 :)

These are good times in my book and are easily achievable with proper training.
5 mile run 30-40 mins is a good range
5 km run 18-24 mins
10 km run 38-50

As far as treadmills go their great tools to get faster as they teach you pace control when used properly.

The biggest secret to running is to build up a strong weekly running base of 2-3x the distance you plan to run. However, you build to this level using the 10% rule increasing your milage only by 10% each week. Additionally you train on building your base for 6 months before you move onto hill's/stairs for 3 months then speedwork for 3 months.

-Phil

Does anyone know whether a 1 on the distance on a treadmill is a kilometre or mile?

Does anyone know whether a 1 on the distance on a treadmill is a kilometre or mile?

It depends on your treadmill and where it was sold. They come in both. :) Mine is miles, a couple at the locak gym are in K's, and my friend's over in the UK can't find any in miles only K's there.

precor i reckon the brand is.

Funny you say that running outside is harder, chicanerous. I'm the exact opposite. Unless it is 20 degrees outside, I'll take the outside track over the treadmill anyday.

Maybe it's pychological for me..I don't know, but running outside is a lot easier than a treadmill for me.

On the treadmill I usually feel like I get tired faster, & can't breathe as good for some reason (even when at a slower pace than off the treadmill)...maybe I have dirty air inside or something..maybe it's in my head. But, I definitely know that I feel more at ease, & feel like I can run farther when I'm NOT on a treadmill.

I feel the same too. Maybe its because its more of a forced action to stay up to speed with the treadmill rather than go at your own pace, in your own style. Plus when your running fast on a treadmill, i feel as if im not going anywhere cos im still stuck on the treadmill. Outside though your blazing past stuff, which is a lot more interesting.

I feel the same too. Maybe its because its more of a forced action to stay up to speed with the treadmill rather than go at your own pace, in your own style. Plus when your running fast on a treadmill, i feel as if im not going anywhere cos im still stuck on the treadmill. Outside though your blazing past stuff, which is a lot more interesting.

Ah, it's interesting that we have different views on why treadmills are not our choice to run on.

I've found that the lack of constant change in pace and intensity of the treadmill not only makes it boring, but easy compared to what I would run outside. I don't like this; even an HIIT workout, while difficult, does not gratify me psychologically like a run outdoors would. After an HIIT workout, my response is "oh that sucked, but it wasn't something that makes me now want to collapse and die" whereas the inverse would be my response to many normal runs, which is what is gratifying for me.

I view the treadmill as limiting my speed, rather than forcing me to maintain that speed ("stay up to speed" as you put it).

My mindset seems to be different in that I face a run or particularly hard obstacles from an understated positive point of view. I guess it's a sort of self-deception in order to allow me to accomplish things I could view negatively.

Naturally, outdoors during a jog, I have to consciously set my pace so that I don't push myself too hard -- the treadmill gives me a pace so all I have to do is maintain it (all: mindset again).

My normal runs are on very hilly forrested terrain -- not rolling hills but steep ups and downs where constant pace adjustments are needed and the intensity remains very high. I despise flat terrain, especially when I'm racing. As well, most of my running has been done in preparation for or in 5k cross-country races -- I don't run on the road ever (always grass or wood-chips); "distance" work solely lies within warm-up and warm-down and is never more than six miles each, more often two to three. So, my running style is also a totally different experience than treadmill work; the lack of comparisions keeps me off the treadmill.

EDIT: I should state that I'm referring to our differences in mindsets here (and quite rambling at times). My original point in this thread (not this post) was that running on the treadmill is physically less demanding on the body than running outside.

Alot of people are not comfortable with treadmil running because of two main factors.

Factor One: Boredom
The treadmil is boring (some people disagree with this facet but I must point out that alot of those people use headphones or watch tv while they run) so just straight running on the treadmil with no distractory aids is downright boring. This in turn gives your mind a chance to think about what is going on and how much it sucks thus causing the running expierence to be that much worse.

Factor Two: Pace
Most people will complain that they can not hold a 8 min mile pace on the treadmil for two miles but can run two miles in 16 mins easily on the road. Why is this?? Well without going into a wickedly long phsyiology sermon basically your body constantly adjusts to fatigue, enviromental factors and your mindset. During this you may hit a 7 min mile pace during your run and slow down to a 9 min mile pace later thus making your overall progress 16 mins but not at a "steady" pace.

This is one of the best things about a treadmil in my opinion, control. The ability to set your pace and then gradually push it higher to get your body used to doing long runs at a fast CONSISTENT pace is amazing. By properly utilizing grade settings and speed settings you can simulate road conditions, hill conditions, or track conditions. Additionally, you can fully control the pacing of your run in order to further develop the part of the run in which your week with whether that be mid run, a hill, the end of the race and so forth.

However, most importantly for competive runners. You can plot a "mock" race on the treadmil to simulate the conditions you will face on the run.

Well, if any of you have any specific questions about treadmils I have been using one consistenly over the past 6 months and have alot of charts to convert treadmil times to road times and such.

-phil

This is one of the best things about a treadmil in my opinion, control. The ability to set your pace and then gradually push it higher to get your body used to doing long runs at a fast CONSISTENT pace is amazing. By properly utilizing grade settings and speed settings you can simulate road conditions, hill conditions, or track conditions. Additionally, you can fully control the pacing of your run in order to further develop the part of the run in which your week with whether that be mid run, a hill, the end of the race and so forth.

However, most importantly for competive runners. You can plot a "mock" race on the treadmil to simulate the conditions you will face on the run.
I've found that most of the time, the race course is available to run and train on prior to the actually run. When it is available, why approximate conditions in a simulation when you can experience them directly? Or, in these cases, do you not advocate using the treadmill?

I've found that most of the time, the race course is available to run and train on prior to the actually run. When it is available, why approximate conditions in a simulation when you can experience them directly? Or, in these cases, do you not advocate using the treadmill?

Well, if you have a chance to run the course before hand have at it. But say your training to run in the Boston Marathon but you live in L.A. it is in cases like this that the treadmil can come in handy imho.

-Phil

well how about this, i just ran 5 miles in 58 minutes in the treadmill, is that good as a cardio day?

Roy,

That depends on your fitness level.

i'd have to agree with maggie wang on the running times for the events.

it would honestly depend on the person, what your goals are, and what you're trying to achieve. naturally, not everybody can do what cziffra does! my hat's off to you, sir!

as for me, i run a 5K in about 21:03 (this weekend actually!). it's a decent time, but NOWHERE near competitive.

for the 10K, i can run it in about 46 minutes.

for the 10 mile, well, i'm not exactly sure. i just ran 8.2 miles in 1 hour flat yesterday, so i'd assume i'd probably add another 15 minutes on top of that to complete the 10 miler.

i'm a runner, so i hope that helps with your estimates. however, it would seriously depend on you, your goals, and what you believe is good....

there is no such thing is as a bad time to me, as long as you finish it. and if u can't finish it (dizziness, ringing in ears, etc), then stop! there's always another time, and better you stay healthy and safe, than in the hospital or dead...

I recently came across a chart that showed that the treadmill must be at a one degree incline to equal the difficulty of 'real' running.

I use a treadmill only because I work in downtown S.F. and I'm not one of those people who's willing to run in place at all the interesections.

The treadmill can be fun if you change up the pace a lot and keep a record of progress. But it's not the nice feeling of running outside on a crisp cool day, particularly if you're on a trail or by a lake or something nice like that.

Running on the treadmill is slightly more fun than running laps around the track.