I read that for every 5 pounds I will lose 30 seconds off a 5k run time. I’m currently 6’4", 170, and 17 years old (almost 18). And in my mind I probally shouldn’t be worried about my weight at this age nore should anybody else, however I am very competitive and want to be as lean and mean as possible. I have a 3.10 mile time of 16:40 (off of 10 miles a week and very bad nutrition!). So if I lost 10 pounds which I don’t think is that realistic can I be at 15:40? I am all muscle, however I’m sure that it will go as I keep training for longer distances each week. All considerate thoughts much appreciated.
16:40 for a 5k ??? Seventeen years old almost 18 ??? Jerk I am jealous ;0) on 10 miles a week no less …wow wish I ran when I was younger. With the 5lbs. Rule you reach a point of diminishing returns. I do not think you are there yet being so young. If you lose 10lbs by running more, say 30-40 miles a weeks safely brought up by using the 10% more a week rule. Without a doubt you can do it :0)
Well, there’s a pretty big difference between 16:40 and 15:40. At your age the furnace is burning pretty hot, but clean up your diet and see what happens. It seems unlikely you will lose ten pounds. With a better diet you will definitely have more energy and allow you to train better and get to your goal. Good luck. I’d get some good coaching. Ten miles a week in high school? We ran sixty miles a week plus way back in the stone age.
At your height, you probably don’t have much to lose before you reach the point of diminishing returns. As for the 16:40 off 10 miles a week, I call BS on that… The only way that would happen is if you’re already in awesome shape from another sport like soccer.
I think your current height and weight suggest that you are pretty near the optimum endurance athlete weight.
wouldn’t try to get lighter unless you start knocking on the door of some world records.
sadly there are people who are born able to run about that fast on no training.
while the rest of us work and work to go sub 20 =)
At your height, you probably don’t have much to lose before you reach the point of diminishing returns. As for the 16:40 off 10 miles a week, I call BS on that… The only way that would happen is if you’re already in awesome shape from another sport like soccer.
Yeah, I know it comes a lot easier for some people, especially high schoolers, I can only dream about what might have been if I had run in high school! I still find it hard to believe in sub 17 with 10 miles of weekly running, unless that 10 miles is strictly tempo running and track workouts… but, I suppose it is possible! If true, with some work 15:40 is nothing, I would think sub 15 is achievable! But this is coming from someone with a 17:23 PR so what do I know?
But this is coming from someone with a 17:23 PR so what do I know?
more than me! haha
Great advice everyone! Thanks for your input. As far as my run mileage in comparison with my running times, that is true. All my workouts would be very fast, usually all close to 6:00 or as fast as I could. I have a great coach and we are working on building me up slowly. I would cap out at 15 never going over and hardly ever going over 10 or 12 miles a week However I believe my cycling training gave me great fitness, and I also did a 7 mile trail run race that was all up and down a week or so before which I think helped a lot.
Coming from someone 6’4", if you go cutting down to 160lbs don’t go wandering around any cemeteries…they might try to bury you.
Keep in mind weight loss doesn’t neccessarily benefit cycling and swimming the way it does running. Running is all about being light, while the other two are more of a balance of muscle percentage.
Great advice everyone! Thanks for your input. As far as my run mileage in comparison with my running times, that is true. All my workouts would be very fast, usually all close to 6:00 or as fast as I could. I have a great coach and we are working on building me up slowly. I would cap out at 15 never going over and hardly ever going over 10 or 12 miles a week However I believe my cycling training gave me great fitness, and I also did a 7 mile trail run race that was all up and down a week or so before which I think helped a lot.
If your coach is having you prepare for 5k races on no more than 10-15 mpw, almost all at intense paces, then I’m not so sure that he’s a “great coach”. Coaching philosophies do go through cycles over time, and enthusiasm for high volume training seems to change over time. But this is far from normal.
As others have said, given your height you probably have other things to worry about before losing weight. First clean up your diet and do more than an hour of running per week.
Haha yes considering having muscle for the swim and being a litlle heavier for the bike makes complete sense! As for my coach, he is top notch. He is slowly working me out of this ‘minimalist’ training program I have been following by myself before I was coached, and getting me a proper scheduled out program with more miles at less intensity. This works as it will keep me from injury, thats the purpose, plus I work better off of low mileage. So all in all I will stay at my weight now and fix my nutrition, thanks!
As for the 16:40 off 10 miles a week, I call BS on that… The only way that would happen is if you’re already in awesome shape from another sport like soccer.
Not always. Genetics and youth are wonderful things. (Well, for those lucky enough to have them, anyway… for the rest of us…well, SUCK IT, TREBEK. :p)
You need to be worrying about running 50-60 mpw a lot more than losing 10 pounds. And if you slowly bump your mileage up to that level and you have any weight to lose (which I can;t imagine you do), you’ll probably lose it. And if you can run 16:xx on terrible training, you can undoubtedly run a lot faster on proper training.
Now in answer to the question you wanted answered, elite runners can be really, really lean (look at Seb Coe @ 120 pounds, every African runner, etc.). But really, your first order of business needs to be getting into a proper mileage range for someone who wants to be fast. Along the way, your weight will sort out. If you want real answers to this question I recommend you read Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald as a starting point.
Good luck.