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2010-09-13 7:17 PM
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Subject: RE: 1% of adults can run a mile?
nc452010 - 2010-09-13 4:57 PM

Dangit.

So you're telling me I'm in the top 1 percentile of people in the US.....and I STILL get my big butt kicked on the weekends????

Son of ........



X2!!! 


2010-09-13 7:18 PM
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Subject: RE: 1% of adults can run a mile?
Tri-ingToTurn40 - 2010-09-14 9:02 AM Today I ran about a half mile. Or, at least I ran 5 minutes straight and think it was about a half mile.

On the other hand, I did do that half mile 3 times within 23 minutes.

Someday I'll be able to run a mile. (In just a few more weeks if all goes according to plan.


I'm thinking that if you can do a half mile you can tough it out and finish a mile.  Just keep the speed down and go with the flow.
2010-09-13 7:23 PM
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Subject: RE: 1% of adults can run a mile?
I only started running 3 years ago and it was just embarrassing initially. I was pretty serious (commuter) cyclist, played football and basketball religiously and well, but when it came to running, I'd be pooped in a quarter mile. The idea of pacing is fairly important and although it's now second nature to most of us here, it's not intuitive. I am happy to say that in the past 3 years I have gone from being unable to run to sub-6 min./miles. Take that, statistics!
2010-09-13 7:29 PM
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Subject: RE: 1% of adults can run a mile?
First time I ran a mile (or any distance over, say, 30 yards), I was able to complete it, running, but BARELY.  Granted I went out too fast, but still, I was ready to keel at the end.  I'd say that I was (just on the other side of) the cusp of being able to run a mile.

At that time, obviously I was drastically out of shape, but I was 'only' about 20 pounds 'overweight' (by generic standards -- 40 pounds over what I now consider OK).  What percentage of Americans are in worse shape than that?  Hard to believe it is as high as 99%.  Easy to believe that it is very, very, high.

Regardless, Heidi, don't beat yourself up over a bad race!  It happens to everyone.  Take pride in your training and racing regardless of the outcome!
2010-09-13 7:33 PM
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Subject: RE: 1% of adults can run a mile?
I believe that 1% could be accurate.

I went on a short hiking trip with my co-workers last week.  I was the oldest and most overweight person there, so these weren't blobs by any stretch of the imagination.  Only 12 people went (out of a group of 35) because the rest of the group was worried the hike would be too hard.  After spending the summer being beat down for my running speeds, I was stunned at how much faster I was than everyone else...and this was just WALKING (uphill, but walking nonetheless).  I was by far the fittest person there and I'm very much a BOP runner for sprint tri's.

I seriously doubt a single person in my entire work group could run a whole mile continously and as I said before, these are not old or fat people at all!

2010-09-14 6:39 AM
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Subject: RE: 1% of adults can run a mile?
Hi Heidi,

Saw two references - one saying that less than 10% of Americans can run a mile in under 10 minutes (I seem to recall at my daughter's school that was a cut-off time for some level of fitness, so they may have decent data on that at least for high schoolers).  Other stat (which may be what your hubby referenced) was that only 1% of Americans have run a 10K (probably run/walk counts there!).  That seems somewhat reasonable to me.  For our big race in town (a 10 miler) we get about 2K people signed up which represents about 1% of the local population... and I have no doubt that our community has a higher than average number of runners.

Stu

P.S.  Sorry to hear it wasn't a good race for you... was this the one your niece was training to complete as well?


2010-09-14 7:50 AM
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Subject: RE: 1% of adults can run a mile?
juneapple - 2010-09-14 6:39 AM Hi Heidi,

Saw two references - one saying that less than 10% of Americans can run a mile in under 10 minutes (I seem to recall at my daughter's school that was a cut-off time for some level of fitness, so they may have decent data on that at least for high schoolers).  Other stat (which may be what your hubby referenced) was that only 1% of Americans have run a 10K (probably run/walk counts there!).  That seems somewhat reasonable to me.  For our big race in town (a 10 miler) we get about 2K people signed up which represents about 1% of the local population... and I have no doubt that our community has a higher than average number of runners.

Stu

P.S.  Sorry to hear it wasn't a good race for you... was this the one your niece was training to complete as well?


I would agree with those statistics. Just by judging who is around me I would bet that >50% could jog a mile, but <1% could do a 10k. I also wouldn't be suprised if <.05% could run a sub 6 mile.

On a side note, I remember in fourth grade we had to run a mile everyday before we could play touch football; I remember it being like tourture. It's crazy to think that it might be that hard for most adults out there--it's sad how out of shape this country is.
2010-09-14 9:17 AM
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Subject: RE: 1% of adults can run a mile?
hfkrets - 2010-09-13 6:24 PM

I went to Disneyworld in April, and my kids and I would get furious at the people on their Rascals at the bus stop.  Not only did they get to get on the bus first (along with their entire family), but as soon as the bus came they stood up and walked like Jesus had just come along and healed them.  At the end of a long day the last thing we wanted to do was wait 15 more minutes for the poor bus driver to load the rascal on the bus.  I don't remember this happening any other time I went.  Has our health really gone that far downhill that we can't walk around Disneyworld?  Sorry for the rant, what was this thread about again?



Had the exact same experience last October, very frustrating.
2010-09-14 9:18 AM
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Subject: RE: 1% of adults can run a mile?
hfkrets - 2010-09-13 7:24 PM

I went to Disneyworld in April, and my kids and I would get furious at the people on their Rascals at the bus stop.  Not only did they get to get on the bus first (along with their entire family), but as soon as the bus came they stood up and walked like Jesus had just come along and healed them.  At the end of a long day the last thing we wanted to do was wait 15 more minutes for the poor bus driver to load the rascal on the bus.  I don't remember this happening any other time I went.  Has our health really gone that far downhill that we can't walk around Disneyworld?  Sorry for the rant, what was this thread about again?



I had the same experience in 2006 and one of the big reason I got back into shape and into triathlon. 

Second, to the original OP, congrats on towing the line.  More than most. 

Third, I call bunk on the 1%.  5% maybe. 310 million people in the US according to census.gov.  Assuming you take out the 20% of the population under 18 years of age who can run a mile just on mountain dew alone you have 250 million.  1% is 2.5 million.

According to marthonguide.com, almost 500,000 people ran finished marathon last year.  I'd imagine they can run at least a mile.  And I'd bet that for every 1 person that does a marathon, there is at least 4 other people that either a) run 5k, 10k and 21k or b) run for recreation and don't do races.  So your already at 2.5 million. 

And that doesn't count the millions of triathletes out there.  Just kidding. 

I would believe 10%.  But 1% is too low.
2010-09-14 9:39 AM
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Subject: RE: 1% of adults can run a mile?
Sammeg - 2010-09-14 10:17 AM
hfkrets - 2010-09-13 6:24 PM

I went to Disneyworld in April, and my kids and I would get furious at the people on their Rascals at the bus stop.  Not only did they get to get on the bus first (along with their entire family), but as soon as the bus came they stood up and walked like Jesus had just come along and healed them.  At the end of a long day the last thing we wanted to do was wait 15 more minutes for the poor bus driver to load the rascal on the bus.  I don't remember this happening any other time I went.  Has our health really gone that far downhill that we can't walk around Disneyworld?  Sorry for the rant, what was this thread about again?



Had the exact same experience last October, very frustrating.


Me too. Last October but I was really mad once when these two ladies on their scooters jetted ahead and there was a severly disabled girl who was dying in the heat and they didn't let her on.  There were already two scooters on so they couldn't fit another wheelchair.  I wanted to go yell at them.  So not cool.

Rant off. Back to the original thread!
2010-09-14 9:58 AM
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Subject: RE: 1% of adults can run a mile?
PennState - 2010-09-13 8:15 PM
hfkrets - 2010-09-13 7:24 PM

I went to Disneyworld in April, and my kids and I would get furious at the people on their Rascals at the bus stop.  Not only did they get to get on the bus first (along with their entire family), but as soon as the bus came they stood up and walked like Jesus had just come along and healed them.  At the end of a long day the last thing we wanted to do was wait 15 more minutes for the poor bus driver to load the rascal on the bus.  I don't remember this happening any other time I went.  Has our health really gone that far downhill that we can't walk around Disneyworld?  Sorry for the rant, what was this thread about again?



Not gonna comment on your post, but it brought back memories of a great Seinfeld episode where George ended up getting a Rascal.

Funny episode!



I now have the Hoveround song in my head. Thanks.


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