5 ms·

Hmm a 7 min mile is equivalent to 13.79 km/h. That gives you a hair over 13 min time on a 3000m run. When I was in the (Norwegian) military, that time would ge

Hmm a 7 min mile is equivalent to 13.79 km/h. That gives you a hair over 13 min time on a 3000m run. When I was in the (Norwegian) military, that time would get you a 7 out of 9 score for males, and 8 (or 9) out of 9 score for females on a physical test. Pretty solid score. It would also almost give you a sub 3 hour marathon. You'd be a pretty capable runner if you can keep a steady 7 min mile, for the sake of running efficiently!

kijin 2y ago
Another commenter talked about prehistoric hunters chasing game. I would assume that those hunters were quite a bit more fit than the average Western dude today. It's also not surprising that a human body in good shape is still optimized for that prehistoric lifestyle.
- davzie 2y ago
  I think they benefited from slower runs across the course of days rather than sprints to chase game. Lots of animals are faster than humans, but in order to cool down they have to stop. From what I've read, humans' ability to run and stay cool through sweating allowed them to, over the course of days track and just simply wear out animals to the point the animal would just collapse from exhaustion.
fire_lake 2y ago
That is an impressive marathon time but over 3km it’s not very fast at all! I expected military standards to be more stringent?
- TrackerFF 2y ago
  A 7 min mile would pass most special forces (selection) requirements around the world. For BUD/S (Navy Seals), it seems like a 1.5 mile run is part of the physical screening test, a 10m30s time would put you 10 seconds from the "competitive category". Minimum requirement is 11m And from my memory, that was roughly the same requirements in my country for most SOF positions. But, of course, those screening tests aren't necessarily done under ideal conditions. But if you can do a 7 min mile, it's not your conditioning that will stop you. You should be able to pass the minimum requirements for every position in the military.
- PaulDavisThe1st 2y ago
  I use the Navy standards as a rough guide to reclaiming some fitness I've lost over several years. They are remarkably non-stringent. Basically the ones I pay attention to (running, rowing (on an erg), pushups etc) have a highest level that means "good athletic conditioning, but not particularly competitive at this activity".
- meroes 2y ago
  My lay observance is many soldier's are stronger+heavier than WWII for example. Strength doesn't quite offset the increased body weight effects when it comes to running medium to long distances. So typically you'd be right, but recently I think we're selecting for strength which requires higher bodymass more than in the past.
- ninininino 2y ago
  Special forces tend to care most about physical endurance and mental tenacity/toughness. 1 rep max, 3km speed PR, not so much. Can you hike for 48 hours without sleep matters more.
brewdad 2y ago
You actually need to run 6:51/mi to break 3 hours in a marathon. Source: Guy who once ran a marathon in 3:00:06. I did eventually break 3 hours multiple times but that near miss hurt for a long time. And yes, anyone who can run that fast, even for a single mile, is above average by a fair bit.

kijin 2y ago

Another commenter talked about prehistoric hunters chasing game. I would assume that those hunters were quite a bit more fit than the average Western dude today. It's also not surprising that a human body in good shape is still optimized for that prehistoric lifestyle.

davzie 2y ago
I think they benefited from slower runs across the course of days rather than sprints to chase game. Lots of animals are faster than humans, but in order to cool down they have to stop. From what I've read, humans' ability to run and stay cool through sweating allowed them to, over the course of days track and just simply wear out animals to the point the animal would just collapse from exhaustion.

fire_lake 2y ago

That is an impressive marathon time but over 3km it’s not very fast at all! I expected military standards to be more stringent?

TrackerFF 2y ago
A 7 min mile would pass most special forces (selection) requirements around the world. For BUD/S (Navy Seals), it seems like a 1.5 mile run is part of the physical screening test, a 10m30s time would put you 10 seconds from the "competitive category". Minimum requirement is 11m And from my memory, that was roughly the same requirements in my country for most SOF positions. But, of course, those screening tests aren't necessarily done under ideal conditions. But if you can do a 7 min mile, it's not your conditioning that will stop you. You should be able to pass the minimum requirements for every position in the military.
PaulDavisThe1st 2y ago
I use the Navy standards as a rough guide to reclaiming some fitness I've lost over several years. They are remarkably non-stringent. Basically the ones I pay attention to (running, rowing (on an erg), pushups etc) have a highest level that means "good athletic conditioning, but not particularly competitive at this activity".
meroes 2y ago
My lay observance is many soldier's are stronger+heavier than WWII for example. Strength doesn't quite offset the increased body weight effects when it comes to running medium to long distances. So typically you'd be right, but recently I think we're selecting for strength which requires higher bodymass more than in the past.
ninininino 2y ago
Special forces tend to care most about physical endurance and mental tenacity/toughness. 1 rep max, 3km speed PR, not so much. Can you hike for 48 hours without sleep matters more.

brewdad 2y ago

You actually need to run 6:51/mi to break 3 hours in a marathon. Source: Guy who once ran a marathon in 3:00:06. I did eventually break 3 hours multiple times but that near miss hurt for a long time. And yes, anyone who can run that fast, even for a single mile, is above average by a fair bit.