5 ms·

A couple points: * He ran 50 KM in 7 hours and 45 minutes, which amounts to fast walking. In real terms, he probably ran some but probably walked most of it.

by runjake 11y ago

A couple points: * He ran 50 KM in 7 hours and 45 minutes, which amounts to fast walking. In real terms, he probably ran some but probably walked most of it. * If you're going to do something like this, please do it under the supervision of a medical doctor. A 50km isn't a big deal, virtually anyone who can run a marathon can run a 50k, but people do die during this events. Respect the distance. Edit: Here is his Strava entry for the event: https://www.strava.com/activities/morning-run-436423654?utm_campaign=ride_share&utm_content=4091010&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=lab.xavivives.com https://www.strava.com/activities/morning-run-436423654?utm_... From my sloppy napkin math, it looks like he ran the distance (slowly) and probably stopped a lot and had his device configured to pause the time when he stopped. I don't mean to sound down on the guy, he got out there and did 50km. And he specifically mentions he's no athlete. I am glad he documented his experience. But please don't use this as part of any "Couch to 50K" kind of scheme. Ketosis doesn't work like creatine. Edit 2: A metric/imperial conversion pace chart here: https://www.globe-runners.com/sites/default/program_builder_pdf/Metric%20Pace%20Conversion%20Chart.pdf https://www.globe-runners.com/sites/default/program_builder_... Edit 3: pneumatics' comment, below corrects me: "The time spent moving was 5:49. His pace, excluding the time stopped, was 11:12 min/mi. With the elevation gain, this is most definitely running." This is a pretty good performance for a newbie, IMHO. For those saying it's slow, you've either never ran an ultra on rough terrain, or you've been on the cover of running magazines.

xavivives 11y ago
I did ran all the way. Surely it wasn't fast, but take in account that there was 2000+ meters of elevation gain.
- runjake 11y ago
  I found your Strava data and updated my comment. And pfft 2000m+ elevation gain over 50km. Those are gently rolling hills ;-)
- bluedino 11y ago
  15/min miles make that more of an 8 hour 'walk'
  - runjake 11y ago
    See the clarifications from pneumatics. It looks like he ran it, just stopped a lot.
odonnellryan 11y ago
50K isn't easy for even people in good physical shape, especially if there are hills!
pneumatics 11y ago
This is a gnarly run. Almost 7000 ft of climbing (he gives the value in m, but all my reference points are in feet). It appears he was not auto-pausing, but did stop quite a bit. The time spent moving was 5:49. His pace, excluding the time stopped, was 11:12 min/mi. With the elevation gain, this is most definitely running.
- brianwawok 11y ago
  To a decent runner that is nearly walking though. A record road race marathon pace is ~4:45 min miles. A slightly above average runner can do say 8 min miles over 26.2 miles on flats, which is only a titch under the 50k of this race. Trail races are slower, and 7000 feet is a decent amount of climbing.. but he was in no danger of setting any land speed record. 15 min miles is not that much faster than walking. So this proves you can speed-walk an ultra in a fasted state. Which is cool and shows how strong our bodies are. scott jurek is amazing at ultras, and a vegan - but he definately eats and runs off sugar.
  - runjake 11y ago
    pneumatics corrects me and says his actual moving pace was 11:12 min/mi. This is a pretty good pace, given the terrain, and far beyond speed walking. I've run everything from flat, paved marathons to alpine mountain ultras. The paces are totally different. I'm going to be running a technical ultra a good 3-4 minutes/min slower than I'd run a flat road marathon.
    - brianwawok 11y ago
      50k in 7:45 is 15 minute mile pace (14 min 58 second to be precise). I don't know what this moving pace thing is, if you choose to take a 45 minute break that still counts on the clock. So at best, his 15 minute technical ultra translates into a 11 min mile road race, which is below average.
  - zimpenfish 11y ago
    > A slightly above average runner can do say 8 min miles over 26.2 miles on flats I make that a 3:30 marathon which I would suggest is rather more than "slightly above average" - you'd be in the first 25% male finishers at London 2015, for example.
kazinator 11y ago
Running means you are jumping through the air, so that at most one foot is in contact with the ground at any time. This can be done without moving forward, so there is no lower bound which separates running from walking. Walking means that at least one foot is in contact with the ground at all times, and there are at least brief periods of double support (two feet down). I can walk up to an 8:30 mile pace. Elite race walkers can outwalk recreational runners; the paces are around 6:00 at that level, which is astonishing (though not in comparison with elite running of course). If someone covered some distance at 11:00 to the mile, we have no idea whether they ran or walked without eye witness or video evidence of what it is their legs were doing. I definitely ran my first marathon in 2003, in some 5:05:12. That's like 11:44 to the mile or thereabouts. I definitely made a point of not taking any walking steps in this thing. It happened by accident several times, but I immediately went back and re-ran those small stretches of the course where I had strayed from the pure running discipline. On subsequent ones, I didn't make a point of that at all, just the first one. I've never taken planned walking breaks or walked extensively, but I never re-ran any walked steps. The clock is ticking; no time for foolery! :)
xavivives 11y ago
Strava shows the spent moving time by default. If you want the overall time to be shown you have to tag it as a "Race". https://strava.zendesk.com/entries/22428904-Using-Strava-Run-Type-Tags-to-analyze-your-Runs https://strava.zendesk.com/entries/22428904-Using-Strava-Run... I also want to point out that when running barefoot/minimal you reduce the stride and increase the cadence. In my experience the result of it is that speed its generally reduced, specially downhill and flat surface. And by going completely barefoot the surface of the terrain it really defines the speed you can go. When going fast the pressure on the sole its greater and if the terrain its harsh you are forced to slow down. A lot of time until the point of walking, or even slower. In complicated terrains the potential outcome for stepping over the wrong stone it really makes you to be conscious about every movement, slowing down as well.

by runjake 11y ago

xavivives 11y ago

I did ran all the way. Surely it wasn't fast, but take in account that there was 2000+ meters of elevation gain.

runjake 11y ago
I found your Strava data and updated my comment. And pfft 2000m+ elevation gain over 50km. Those are gently rolling hills ;-)
bluedino 11y ago
15/min miles make that more of an 8 hour 'walk'
- runjake 11y ago
  See the clarifications from pneumatics. It looks like he ran it, just stopped a lot.

odonnellryan 11y ago

50K isn't easy for even people in good physical shape, especially if there are hills!

pneumatics 11y ago

This is a gnarly run. Almost 7000 ft of climbing (he gives the value in m, but all my reference points are in feet). It appears he was not auto-pausing, but did stop quite a bit. The time spent moving was 5:49. His pace, excluding the time stopped, was 11:12 min/mi. With the elevation gain, this is most definitely running.

brianwawok 11y ago
To a decent runner that is nearly walking though. A record road race marathon pace is ~4:45 min miles. A slightly above average runner can do say 8 min miles over 26.2 miles on flats, which is only a titch under the 50k of this race. Trail races are slower, and 7000 feet is a decent amount of climbing.. but he was in no danger of setting any land speed record. 15 min miles is not that much faster than walking. So this proves you can speed-walk an ultra in a fasted state. Which is cool and shows how strong our bodies are. scott jurek is amazing at ultras, and a vegan - but he definately eats and runs off sugar.
- runjake 11y ago
  pneumatics corrects me and says his actual moving pace was 11:12 min/mi. This is a pretty good pace, given the terrain, and far beyond speed walking. I've run everything from flat, paved marathons to alpine mountain ultras. The paces are totally different. I'm going to be running a technical ultra a good 3-4 minutes/min slower than I'd run a flat road marathon.
  - brianwawok 11y ago
    50k in 7:45 is 15 minute mile pace (14 min 58 second to be precise). I don't know what this moving pace thing is, if you choose to take a 45 minute break that still counts on the clock. So at best, his 15 minute technical ultra translates into a 11 min mile road race, which is below average.
- zimpenfish 11y ago
  > A slightly above average runner can do say 8 min miles over 26.2 miles on flats I make that a 3:30 marathon which I would suggest is rather more than "slightly above average" - you'd be in the first 25% male finishers at London 2015, for example.

kazinator 11y ago

Running means you are jumping through the air, so that at most one foot is in contact with the ground at any time. This can be done without moving forward, so there is no lower bound which separates running from walking. Walking means that at least one foot is in contact with the ground at all times, and there are at least brief periods of double support (two feet down). I can walk up to an 8:30 mile pace. Elite race walkers can outwalk recreational runners; the paces are around 6:00 at that level, which is astonishing (though not in comparison with elite running of course). If someone covered some distance at 11:00 to the mile, we have no idea whether they ran or walked without eye witness or video evidence of what it is their legs were doing. I definitely ran my first marathon in 2003, in some 5:05:12. That's like 11:44 to the mile or thereabouts. I definitely made a point of not taking any walking steps in this thing. It happened by accident several times, but I immediately went back and re-ran those small stretches of the course where I had strayed from the pure running discipline. On subsequent ones, I didn't make a point of that at all, just the first one. I've never taken planned walking breaks or walked extensively, but I never re-ran any walked steps. The clock is ticking; no time for foolery! :)

xavivives 11y ago

Strava shows the spent moving time by default. If you want the overall time to be shown you have to tag it as a "Race". https://strava.zendesk.com/entries/22428904-Using-Strava-Run-Type-Tags-to-analyze-your-Runs https://strava.zendesk.com/entries/22428904-Using-Strava-Run... I also want to point out that when running barefoot/minimal you reduce the stride and increase the cadence. In my experience the result of it is that speed its generally reduced, specially downhill and flat surface. And by going completely barefoot the surface of the terrain it really defines the speed you can go. When going fast the pressure on the sole its greater and if the terrain its harsh you are forced to slow down. A lot of time until the point of walking, or even slower. In complicated terrains the potential outcome for stepping over the wrong stone it really makes you to be conscious about every movement, slowing down as well.