Can an average man run a 6-minute mile

[Guest]

Re: 6-minute mile

Mile times in mph compared to man made machines.

17.5mph -Geb's world record - top submerged speed of WW II German U-boat

15 mph - 4 minute mile - Speed of first British passenger train 1820.

12mph - 5 minute mile - Top speed of first WW1 German/ British tank

10mph - 6 minute mile - Submerged speed of typical WW1 sub.

6.5 mph - 10 minute mile - Top speed of Union Iron Clad Monitor from civil war.

24 mph - Carl Lewis - Speed Titanic hit iceberg.

[Guest]

Re: 6-minute mile

60mph - 1 minute mile - Steve Auston

[Guest]

Re: 6-minute mile

>60mph - 1 minute mile - Steve Auston

A man barely alive. We can rebuild him; make him better than he was before. Better............stronger.........faster!!!!

[jhc68]

Re: 6-minute mile

17.5 mph, sheesh... OK, nevermind an average guy running a 6 minute mile, put an average guy on a one speed cruiser bicycle. Could he break Geb's WR taking the turns on a standard track??? I say no way.

[Guest]

Re: 6-minute mile

17.5 MPH WOULD BE A 3;30 MILE, WHICH IS FASTER THAN GEB, EL G OR ANYBODY HAS DONE YET.

[Guest]

Re: 6-minute mile

17.5 mph is a little fast for the mile. The last generation WW2 diesel electric subs could come close to 18 mph submerged.
A modern seawolf nuclear sub is capable of 35+knots submerged.

[Natasha]

Re: 6-minute mile

I don't know much about subs. How about a comparison within the animal kingdom?

[Guest]

Re: Can an average man run a 6-minute mile

Sorry, but it is totally wrong to regard one's mile time as the standard of physical fitness. Distance running and "aerobic" endurance activities are but ONE type of exercise which yield but ONE type of fitness, and are generally overrated as far as the health benefits go anyway... and this is coming from a diehard runner. Now, how many 5-minute milers can squat twice their bodyweight? How many have lost a significant amount of muscle mass? How many have suppressed testosterone, elevated cortisol, and high levels of free radicals as a result of excess aerobic exercise? Most, I'll bet.

[Guest]

Re: Can an average man run a 6-minute mile

Maybe tri-athletes are the ones in the best all-round condition.

[Brian Gates]

Re: Can an average man run a 6-minute mile

>Maybe tri-athletes are the ones in the best
>all-round condition.

No, triathletes are endurance athletes just like distance runners. They possess huge levels of aerobic fitness and generally lack everything else.

[jhc68]

Re: Can an average man run a 6-minute mile

Brian is right... I would like to run a faster mile except that I hate those damn free radicals!!! :-)

Brian brings up another interesting side topic: I'd guess he is right again... that a lot of 5 minute milers cannot squat 2X their body weight, but I would also guess that a lot of sub-4 minute milers CAN squat 2X their body weight. At least the only sub-4 miler I know personally can, and easily.

[Brian Gates]

Re: Can an average man run a 6-minute mile

I doubt that most sub-4 milers can squat 2x their body weight, at least not a TRUE ass-to-the-grass squat.

[Guest]

Re: Can an average man run a 6-minute mile

>I doubt that most sub-4 milers can squat 2x their
>body weight, at least not a TRUE ass-to-the-grass
>squat.


Yeah, there's no way most sub 4 milers can squat 2x bodyweight. But who cares. Athletes are specificly trained for the sport in which they compete. For most athletes this means deglecting one area of fitness ( ie. strength for distance runners) because to train too much in that area would be detrimental.

A truely rounded fitness enthusiast would have a hard time excelling in any one area - jack of all trades master of none. While this is best for one's well-being it is not the best thing for a competitve athlete.

[Guest]

Re: Can an average man run a 6-minute mile

The average man can certainly manage a 6-minute mile. However, the average man of today is certainly less fit than the average man of 40 years ago. Remember Percy Cerutty? In his day he said he could take an average man off the street, and with proper breathing and form, that man could run a five-minute mile.

[jhc68]

Re: Can an average man run a 6-minute mile

It is certainly true that average Americans of any age are less fit than 40 years ago when more people were obliged to use their bodies for more things (walking, running, actual physical labor, etc.) That must be one reason why the best American milers are now a whole plateau behind runners from nations where kids grow up in a physically active environment (i.e., economically deprived!) But, as for Percy C., apparently he was a great coach and guru but also at least a little bit nuts.