The NY Times quotes Paula Broadwell as saying she went on runs with General Petraeus where they ran 6-minute miles in the thin Afghan air. I know some of you will talk about how slow 6-minute pace is, but I'll say that any woman who can hold that pace on a training run, not during a race (let alone while talking to someone) is pretty much an elite runner. So I tried to find her triathlon times, but my pathetic Google skills weren't up to it. I'm legitimately curious, not just calling BS--it sounds like she must be or have been a pretty awesome triathlete. So what are her results?

It is BS...none of those folks carry GPS watches. Plus, the rest of the world uses a different convention for describing run pace. To me and many of you, "6-minute miles" means "miles at 6:00." To everyone else it seems if the first digit is a 6 then that is a 6 minute mile. Could be 6:58 or 6:59, but it still starts with a 6...

http://www.sportsconnection.net/...s/other/long03fr.htm

Very old results, but she did have the fastest run split in this triathlon. I say she could or has in the past definitely run 6 minute miles fresh. Her run split is 6:36 pace.

The NY Times quotes Paula Broadwell as saying she went on runs with General Petraeus where they ran 6-minute miles in the thin Afghan air. I know some of you will talk about how slow 6-minute pace is, but I'll say that any woman who can hold that pace on a training run, not during a race (let alone while talking to someone) is pretty much an elite runner. So I tried to find her triathlon times, but my pathetic Google skills weren't up to it. I'm legitimately curious, not just calling BS--it sounds like she must be or have been a pretty awesome triathlete. So what are her results?

She obviously knows how to run, not close to that pace she stated, but was not bad. The real issue here is the general running that pace, not that is in paul ryan territory. Now way that guy is running minute miles, probably not even 8's. The best guys over 50 in triathlon don't run that fast, and he is a lot older than they are..That is the real story here..

It is BS...none of those folks carry GPS watches. Plus, the rest of the world uses a different convention for describing run pace. To me and many of you, "6-minute miles" means "miles at 6:00." To everyone else it seems if the first digit is a 6 then that is a 6 minute mile. Could be 6:58 or 6:59, but it still starts with a 6...

You are an exception I would say. Did you know anyone that wore one during any kind of training program? What I'm getting at is the preponderance of folks coming out of basic aren't using a GPS watch...

wait is this the girl he had the affair with? pretty sure she is the reason he resigned from the CIA

No more of an exception than in regular society. Yeah, the standard joe didn't own a Garmin or even realize that it was something worth owning, but among the officer corps, I'd say 50% percent had one or something similar. And while true "training" opportunities are limited over there, people are still aware of their fitness and take steps to maintain what they can. That's a hell of a lot more than most people in the US. Even my soldiers who never really had a training plan or thought to track their workouts were aware of their run paces and did regular run training.

Sorry, but I think you're off base on this one. Care to share what your data points are that tell you something different?

On a separate note, as a fellow West Pointer, I'll say that Petraeus and Broadwell make me sick...

No more of an exception than in regular society. Yeah, the standard joe didn't own a Garmin or even realize that it was something worth owning, but among the officer corps, I'd say 50% percent had one or something similar. And while true "training" opportunities are limited over there, people are still aware of their fitness and take steps to maintain what they can. That's a hell of a lot more than most people in the US. Even my soldiers who never really had a training plan or thought to track their workouts were aware of their run paces and did regular run training.

Sorry, but I think you're off base on this one. Care to share what your data points are that tell you something different?

On a separate note, as a fellow West Pointer, I'll say that Petraeus and Broadwell make me sick...

"call BS on either Petraeus or Broadwell logging 5-mile runs at anything close to 6:00 pace."

i was talking to a friend, who was having a cigar with dick morris last week, and my friend told me that morris shared with him an anecdote of which he (morris) was in a position to verify (morris was the one with the stopwatch). apparently, broadwell, petraeus and paul ryan ran 12 x 400 meters, 1 minute rest, repeating in 64 seconds. this was on a 400 meter oval on the bagram air base.

so there, disbeliever.

Secondly if a 4 star wants to know how far he ran he needs only glare at a intel analyst and a 6 page PPT will be produce about his route.

Damn straight Slowman. Lying and cheating on your spouse is one thing, but passing off inaccurate run times demonstrates a major flaw in one's character. I'm waiting for Patreaus' wife and Broadwell's husband to make similar statements. "Yeah, unfaithful twits, but it happens...However THE STATEMENT ABOUT THEIR RUNNING PACE IS INTOLERABLE" ; )

ENOUGH!!

GOOGLE her name, and her maiden name, it's all over the press for Pete's sake.

The race results simply are not there. She is a good athlete, she is not the athlete she reports herself to be. No one cares how fast she did or did not run. What we care about is she embellishes EVERYTHING:
1. "Sponsored 1/2 Ironman Athlete" give me a break. she's got one 1/2 ironman on the books at a 6:36. That doesn't merit sponsorship in ANYONE's book unless it's free socks from your local running store.
2. Worked in Black OPS. ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE!
3. Accepted to work with a Special Mission Unit before leaving Active Duty: Getting a "chance" and "succeeding once there" are entirely different things. Again, questionable whether it actually happened.
4. Push-Ups on Jon Stewart: not even to military standard
5. Book: her journalistic quality was completely panned by critics
6. At the ATM in 1995, she was 22 years old, I would hope she ran fast.
7. and FINALLY, if she really was all those things, people would tell her she was great, she wouldn't have to tell US.

She's smart, she's driven, she's accomplished. HUMBLE and HONEST, she is not and never will be.

Now can we get back to talking about real triathletes who have integrity?

"She ran 1/2 marathon 1:36 at 7:21 pace a year or so ago. I would think she should be able to run at least 1x6 minute mile, if she did any interval training at all."

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Maybe 1 6:00 mile, but I doubt even that and certainly no more than that. My data points are my own 1:27ish (6:41 pace) open 1/2 mary. With that, I've never been able to run a 5k at 6 minute pace. I'm pretty sure I could have and maybe even still could run 2 consecutive miles at a 6 minute pace, but not a 3rd one, and I surely am doing no conversating after about the first 500 yards.

Frankly, I think running 7 minute miles for 5 miles would be a helluva workout for her based on that 1/2 marathon time, and if she could do it, she wouldn't be talking for much of it.

"She ran 1/2 marathon 1:36 at 7:21 pace a year or so ago. I would think she should be able to run at least 1x6 minute mile, if she did any interval training at all."

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Maybe 1 6:00 mile, but I doubt even that and certainly no more than that. My data points are my own 1:27ish (6:41 pace) open 1/2 mary. With that, I've never been able to run a 5k at 6 minute pace. I'm pretty sure I could have and maybe even still could run 2 consecutive miles at a 6 minute pace, but not a 3rd one, and I surely am doing no conversating after about the first 500 yards.

Frankly, I think running 7 minute miles for 5 miles would be a helluva workout for her based on that 1/2 marathon time, and if she could do it, she wouldn't be talking for much of it.

Athlinks:

2006
Alexandria Turkey Trot 5M David Petraeus VA Age 54 11/23 33:51

2002
Army Ten Miler 2002 David Petraeus DC Age 49 10/20 1:03:46

7. So what's the point? Is it really worth calling BS on this? For running itself, no--I don't think either of them is going to be racing head to head against any of us soon, or in a forum where we might have a chance to bet on their race results. But think about Paul Ryan, and his casual boasting of a 2:50-something marathon. Paul Krugman's column in the NYT made an excellent point about this: that it's a sign of casual disregard for the facts. A guy who lies about (or is carelessly boastful about) his marathon time might also be the sort of guy who doesn't care too much about accuracy elsewhere, but simply wants to make a good impression. Say, that of being a serious-minded policy wonk, when in fact his numbers don't add up, and never will. The improbably fast marathon dazzles us with his air of personal awesomeness, so we might the more easily be dazzled by his policies.

I speak as a 40+ female with times much better than this woman and when I am hitting anything closing on 6:00, I am not having a freaking conversation! The conversation is in my head saying "breathe, breathe"

She was a driven, hard charging christian athlete and officer who put herself through hell to achieve excellence.

You can Google her race results. In 2002 she did a 1/2 ironman in Longmont, CO. Her time was 6:29. Nothing impressive at all. "Sponsorship" can be anything from free kit, a monetary stipend, a moderate discount for equipment, or a few free energy bars. So, announcing she is a "sponsored 1/2 ironman athlete" means very little in the grand scheme of things. Her 13.1 mi run split was 2:13. That's slower than an 11 minute mile. I don't think Mirinda or Chrissie or Leanda have anything to worry about. But, maybe she can run 2 miles at a 6 min/mi pace. As for the pushups on the John Stewart show, well maybe she did 58, but the Army would have given her credit for about 30. You have to meet or break a horizontal plane from elbow to elbow when in the "down" position.

I see a great deal of "veins of truth" in her information.

Hopefully, this latest transgression will not tarnish the work of team RWB (to which she has her name tied) who supports wounded Veterans through Triathlong.

Non-endurance former athlete here. Are 6 minute miles all that godd. In college, our coach would make the guards(basketball) run 2 miles in 11:30. It was a breeze and we could run the last quarter backwards.
15 years post graduation, just playing a lot of leagues ball, I entered a 10k with no training and ran 39 minutes.
I just did not think a 30 year old woman running 6 minute miles was all that bug a deal. Is it?

Non-endurance former athlete here. Are 6 minute miles all that godd. In college, our coach would make the guards(basketball) run 2 miles in 11:30. It was a breeze and we could run the last quarter backwards.
15 years post graduation, just playing a lot of leagues ball, I entered a 10k with no training and ran 39 minutes.
I just did not think a 30 year old woman running 6 minute miles was all that bug a deal. Is it?

The NY Times quotes Paula Broadwell as saying she went on runs with General Petraeus where they ran 6-minute miles in the thin Afghan air. I know some of you will talk about how slow 6-minute pace is, but I'll say that any woman who can hold that pace on a training run, not during a race (let alone while talking to someone) is pretty much an elite runner. So I tried to find her triathlon times, but my pathetic Google skills weren't up to it. I'm legitimately curious, not just calling BS--it sounds like she must be or have been a pretty awesome triathlete. So what are her results?

That NYT article has been revised and now says she interviewed him during his daily 6-mile runs, not 6-min miles.

Uhhhh, what does her choice of religion have to do with anything?