Lately, I am obsessed with the McMillan Running Calculator. Not with the video that auto-plays when you go there, don’t they realize that I’m at work and their loud video gives away the fact that I’m not working? Why not just send an e-mail to my boss of my daily internet history and instructions on the best way to fire someone. It’s a good thing companies can’t really track internet usage among employees, right? Right?If you’re not familiar with the McMillan Running Calculator, it is a tool that allows you to plug in a recent race time and then tells you what your training pace should be for your long runs, tempo runs, intervals etc. But the really cool thing about it is that it also estimates what your race times should be at other distances. This is the part that I’m obsessed with. I like to go over there, plug in my PRs and compare how they stack up against each other. In my case, the shorter distances (5K, 10K) always project out to faster finishing times than I’ve been capable of at the longer distances (13.1, 26.2). Granted this could be a glitch in the formula that McMillan uses but I prefer to think that it means I’m built for speed.
If any of you use McMillan, I’d be interested to find out if your results skew towards the shorter distances or if I am (as I suspect) just a speedy guy over shorter distances. If you are looking to waste some time in the office today or if you are looking for a way to delay your run and procrastinate you should totally head over to McMillan. Of course the number one recommended way to waste time in the office today is to watch the NCAA tourney online, I heard they were streaming the games free today.
The one thing that has always bothered me about my predicted race times from McMillan was that it claimed that my time for the 100 meter dash would be 20 - 21 seconds. That was way too slow for my liking, but it’s been pretty close on predicting my other times so I just figured I was slower than I thought. However, earlier this week I was back at the track for my weekly abuse and after I was done with my intervals (or after Intervals was done with me) I decided to run a 100m sprint, just to see how I fared. 15.7 seconds! Suck it McMillan! Plus, this was after I had finished my intervals so my legs weren’t entirely fresh. I figure if I did the 100m with fresh legs I could shave off another 5 - 6 seconds. Yeah, 9.7 sounds about right.
For the record, a 15 second 100m time in McMillan translates to a 2:51:56 marathon time. Wow, I really underperformed in the Arizona Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon (4:31:06).
I’m off to watch some free online basketball. (Update: Free on NCAA.com. You’re welcome!)
Podcast
Be sure to check out the new Laugh Tracks podcast featuring me, Amy, Nitmos, Raz, and guest starring the ridiculously talented J-Money. Apparently, we ruffled some feathers with this one, and when I say ‘we’ I mean Amy. Nice going Amy.
I've found the same thing: punch in my 5K and get a much faster 1/2 marathon projection than I've been capable of. I chalk this up to two things: 1)I still have a "make sure I finish" mindset so I run too conservatively to make sure I have something left in the tank (which explains why I ran the last 1.1 of my last half at almost 2:00 faster than the rest of the race); 2)not enough weekly base mileage to fit MacMillan's calculations. I doubt his calculations are based on the 20 mile/week jogger who does a few halfs each year.
ReplyDeleteIt's good as a guide for your training paces, but it's as good for predicting finish times as a Magic 8-Ball. My short races predict long race times I haven't come close to, but if I plug in my half-marathon PR, it predicts a 5k time I haven't approached. Just run!
ReplyDeleteNever even close for me either...yes, suck it McMillan because I should be a daym Boston Qualifier. Whatever... Keep running, that's more than most of the world does anyway.
ReplyDeleteDo I get to sue McMillan for not even being close OR is McMillan in bed with the weather forecasting team?
Dude.
ReplyDeleteI cant thank you enough for that link.
I love free sports.
9.7 seconds baby hoo ha! Usain Bolt better watch his back.
ReplyDeleteAnd a 2:51 marathon eh? That does seem a tad bit optimistic for even the fastest of 100 meter dash aficionados.
I will plug in my numbers to the Macmillan calculator when I'm not "working" and see whether it also skews my times similarly and report back.
If you are trying to estimate marathon length, I think punching in anything less than 10 miles is pie-eyed optimism.
ReplyDeleteBut, ultimately, who the helllll caarrres?!
Wait, does this mean I shouldn't be basing my planned marathon pace on my best 100 meter dash time? Hrrrm. This will mean changing my entire strategy.
ReplyDeleteOddly, I found that I ran my recent half marathon faster than my 5K or 10K times would predict, but my marathon is much slower than the predictor said. I guess my personal feeling that the half is a really good distance for me is correct.
ReplyDelete"Why not just send an e-mail to my boss of my daily internet history and instructions on the best way to fire someone. It’s a good thing companies can’t really track internet usage among employees, right? Right?"
ReplyDeleteLove it, if they ever figure out a way to track online histories at work, I'm screwed;)
Man I glad I'm not the only one who's had that annoyingly loud music come on during work...
ReplyDeleteI find it a bad idea to run 100 meter dashes after high school. It's just begging for a pulled SOMETHING.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nitmos, any race/time under 10M and you are unlikley to get an honest estimate. I agree with everyone eles who has sated, who cares...just run.
ReplyDeleteNice 100 sprint! :) I'm impressed. I love that calculator too. :)
ReplyDeleteI hate the McMillan calculator. As if I already didn't feel inadequate enough. Doesn't stop me going back to it time and again though. Stupid freaking abuse relationships...
ReplyDeleteI must be a speed demon like yourself. ;) I have been hooked on McMillan for a while now and obsess over the numbers, but my half and full marathon times don't come close to the prediction based on my 5K and 10K.
ReplyDeleteMy 5K (23:35) indicates that I should be able to run a 3:49:54 marathon. HA! I was almost an hour slower. Maybe one day.. (dreams)
I only dream through McMillan. I plug in time I would LIKE to run and see how the other distances come out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the NCAA.com tip! Now we can both lose our jobs.
When I put in my 10K and 5K time it seemed to be off across the board in the other distances I've run. When I put in my 15K time, it was much, much more accurate at my shorter distance runs.
ReplyDeleteI heart March Madness on Demand...thank you CBS!
ReplyDeleteI have a slight addiction to that silly calculator . . . When I have a race coming up, I'll spend hours plugging in potential times and seeing how they translate to other distances. It's sick . . . really sick.
ReplyDeleteOh, and P.S. I keep my computer's sound muted after such an "incident" with the McMillan page . . . jerks!
I check that thing at least once a week, like it's going to change. Then there's www.triathloncalculator.com which predicts race times (and has been pretty accurate for me). It also spits out a stand alone run time, and there's NO WAY I could ever get those times.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to hear the podcast--saving it for my long run Saturday and hoping J-Money doesn't make me pee my pants mid-run.
ReplyDelete..It’s a good thing companies can’t really track internet usage among employees, right? Right?....
ReplyDeleteThats what I thought too.....
Love your blog...
I think with the McMillan Calculator it's showing your potential. Thus, you have your 5k time and it's estimating your VO2 max and what a person with that VO2 make is capable of running
ReplyDeleteAs you said before your marathon, it predicted that you could run a 4hour marathon. Meaning, that you have the VO2 max to run the marathon in four hours but in order to do that you have to have the endurance and lactate threshold.
But that's sort of my point as to why I wouldn't waste your time doing intervals. You already have the speed to run <4 hours for the marathon, now you need to develop your LT and endurance to reach that goal, intervals will not help.
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ReplyDeleteOK Thanks for nothing. Now I am hooked. Step one, Go to Control Panel, and Mute the speakers.
ReplyDeleteI used 10k data from a couple of years ago, and the times were within a minute or two for my 10 mile, and half marathon.
My training paces were almost right on.
And at this rate, I'll make it to Boston. WOO HOO.
I've only ever used the Runner's World Training Calculator: http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/trainingcalculator/0,7169,s6-238-277-279-0-0-0-0-0,00.html
ReplyDeleteStrange, it gives me faster training paces than McMillan, but slower predicted race times.
I'm taking a bow--but mostly for making that girl want to stick a pen in her ear.
ReplyDeleteHi:
ReplyDeleteTry www.runcalculator.com. It seems to be way more accurate for longer distances.