is there a special middle distance running ability?

Alright, I've seen this so many times and I'm always pondering it. Someone will have better speed, endurance, and strength than I do and I will still at least equal their middle distance times. (like from 800 to 3k)
I was running with a college girl who just turned twenty, she has superior speed, killed me in endurance runs, was totally ripped with a serious sixpack and such, yet I can beat her in a race 800 to 3k, out prs are within a second of eachother.

What is it that allows me to do this?

Is this talent... even though it would appear I have no advantage over her?

I guess what I'm asking is, some people are talented at sprinting, some are blessed with great endurance abilities... are some people talented at middle distance?

I am just confused because there are so many people who would beat in both a 400 and a 5k but not the events in between, and it does'nt really seem logical.

I don't get it either. I used to think I was better at distances longer and shorter than the mile, but then I figured out I was just running it the wrong way. Maybe with her (and some other people) it's some kind of mental/strategy thing. You're right, it doesn't seem to make any sense.

That's interesting. It's probably something to do with how you train. Maybe they do more LT and fast reps, while you focus more on vo2max intervals?

yea i've seen that before too. it might have to do with different forms of speed training. butmaybe it's mental. i knew a guy last year who ran a 17:10 5K but couldn't get under 5:10 in the mile. that's less likely though because the person you're talking about is an experienced college runner.

It's the idea of pacing. There are a monumental amount of times to do the 800 to 3k in which you can get a great pack and learn to race and pace yourself the way you can do it to get a decent time. You've built up some speed over the time because of the 16/8 and that's helped a lot also. Remember your first 800? It wasn't bad but it wasn't pretty either. Once you got into big racing opportunities you were more experienced in racing. The same also applies to others who might beat you in longer distances because they're not trained well in middle distance running. You don't have as many opportunities to go in big 5k races during xc because of the lack of races you can go to. The best competition you face all season is at the Whickham invite or states probably.


There's also a kid on my team who will absolutely beast me in the mile, but I down in easily in a 5k, 800, 400, and 8k.

I second the mental thing. However, you might have better endurance than her, because although you said she 'killed you on endurance runs' she could have been running them too hard, and you could have been taking it easy.

yes I know a kid who can't run faster than 59 in a 400 and can't break 17 in a 5k, but runs a 4:30 mile. perfect blend of fast/slow twitch. he has neither great speed nor great endurance, but he has great speed endurance which is a totally different ability

AudienceOfOne wrote:yea i've seen that before too. it might have to do with different forms of speed training. butmaybe it's mental. i knew a guy last year who ran a 17:10 5K but couldn't get under 5:10 in the mile. that's less likely though because the person you're talking about is an experienced college runner.

That doesn't have anything to do with what she's saying. That guy clearly lacks enough fast twitch muscle fibers. In order to fit in this discussion he would also need to have a fast time at a distance under a mile.

Oh you people and your fibers.

800 and down =me
1600-5k= my team mate
5k and up= me

Same with me only backwards. I win the sprints and distance and he wins the mile to 5k range.

FinishingKick wrote:

AudienceOfOne wrote:yea i've seen that before too. it might have to do with different forms of speed training. butmaybe it's mental. i knew a guy last year who ran a 17:10 5K but couldn't get under 5:10 in the mile. that's less likely though because the person you're talking about is an experienced college runner.

That doesn't have anything to do with what she's saying. That guy clearly lacks enough fast twitch muscle fibers. In order to fit in this discussion he would also need to have a fast time at a distance under a mile.

anybody who can run a 17:10 5k can break 5:10?

yes.

P2 wrote:yes.

that's what i'm saying....

AudienceOfOne wrote:

P2 wrote:yes.

that's what i'm saying....

no sillybilly. i was replying to the op and the topic name.

P2 wrote:

AudienceOfOne wrote:

P2 wrote:yes.

that's what i'm saying....

no sillybilly. i was replying to the op and the topic name.

oh well i'm sure sub 5 will enjoy your articulated and well-thought-out answer.

AudienceOfOne wrote:

P2 wrote:

AudienceOfOne wrote:

P2 wrote:yes.

that's what i'm saying....

no sillybilly. i was replying to the op and the topic name.

oh well i'm sure sub 5 will enjoy your articulated and well-thought-out answer.

well its fairly obvious.
im good at the 100 suck at the 800 and everything over im good. which sucks cause the 800 is my favorite race

I think its what sports u grew up doing
I played soccer as a cub scout when i was younger and I played alot of basketball and football during middle school and I think I was gifted with speed and football improved that and I gained minimal endurance from running on a soccer field and basketball court.

If I only did football I would be all speed hardly any endurance.

Middle distance takes a combination of both economy and resistance to lactate buildup.

Economy is how efficiently your body expends its energy (ie. biomechanics).

At a fast pace, you are almost immediately putting your body into oxygen debt (which is when lactate levels begin to skyrocket). If you have good biomechanics, it will slow the buildup of lactic acid at any given speed (above vVO2) as compared to another runner with a worse economy. When lactate does start to build up, how fast you are able to recycle it is the next biggest factor.

Once you start to experience lactate buildup, its only a matter of time before you start locking up, which is why you can't run a 9 minute 2 mile off of speed.

To illustrate this...if you look at any pro race under 5k, you won't see anybody with bad mechanics. If you start moving up a little, 10k+ you start seeing guys like Abdi with the old-man stride.

The only exception I can think of is MJ, who was a freak.

nice avatar militia im upsessed with relient k.