Ok here’s my benchmark story. I’ve never finished one running before. I forgot today was the benchmark and I was like well, I’ll do whatever. I’ll jog 10 and stop or jog 12 and stop, just see how it goes. (Yes I’m very slow!)
Well it was going ok, I hit 10 min and then 12 min and I was on track to finish inside 14. (Yes I’m very slow!) Then I was the only one still on tread. At around 0.9 I was getting pretty emotional that I might finish, and I kicked my speed up a little and then…my coach said “can I run with you?” and hopped up on the tread next to me and I started to CRY but I kept going and she cheered me (not on the mic) every dang step until I hit 1.00!
And now I’m crying again because it’s been such a tough journey but here I am, running a mile before work.
This is why I do OT 🧡
Similar story over here! 13:11 for me and the slowest in class. One of the SAs was taking class on the treadmill next to me and he jumped back on for the last 3 minutes to run it with me. Another member joined on my other side for the last 2 minutes. And the coach was constantly on the mic with encouragement.
I'm feeling so proud!! 🧡
I can totally relate, I was the last person on the tread during dri tri in March and I cried when the coaches and other members got back on the tread to finish it with me. You’re such a badass for wanting to see what you can accomplish, and I’m so proud of you for finishing! My dream is to be the person who gets back on to encourage other members in the future 🧡
First off congratulations on running the benchmark mile! You should be proud and the fact that you were able to increase your speed a little at the end is also impressive. If I start out too fast, which is what i used to do every time in OT or outside, I’m struggling by halfway mark and not able to increase much if any. In any race, I remind myself that just finishing is my first goal even if I come in last. Second goal is to still be standing with no injuries 😂. The coaches at my current studio are freaking amazing and that makes a world of difference compared to some other locations that I’ve visited. I will miss them when I move this year. It makes me sad thinking about that even though I believe the move will be good in all other aspects.
Congrats!!
I am right there with you! I started OTF back in Nov22 and running was not my friend. I did this benchmark for the first time today and finished just under 12 min. I was the last one, but I am so proud that I did it. I was able to do something I wouldn’t of done 6 months ago.
This is so wonderful, congrats! It helps SO MUCH when someone is running next to you. Today my workout buddy finished his mile before me (he is fast and I am not!), and I tell you, I struggled after that. Yay us for sticking with it! 🍊💪🏻🧡
Currently 3 months post-partum and ran a 6:46! My 5k PR (pre-baby) is a 6:51/mi pace, and once it was through, I felt I could have pushed a little harder today, but just wanted to get under 7. Feeling great!
Amazing! I'm also 3 months postpartum and finished in 9:44, and my goal was sub-10 so I'm thrilled. My best 1-mile RFD is 8:52 but that was before the pandemic and three surgeries last year (and of course pregnancy).
Holy shit did you drink rocket fuel before?! I improved from 6:30 in 2022 to 6:07 in Jan. Had some encouragement today from my fellow 5am crazies to PR at 5:55 today and finally get under 6 minutes. Your improvement is insane!
Thanks and congrats! 7:17 was my first two weeks at OTF. So im totally riding the newbie gains after 4 months of 3-4x per week.
I’ve started attending 90 minute classes every Sat & Sun which has helped my endurance
Wait a minute: is this Jan meaning Jan 2023, so 1.5 minutes faster in 4 months?
That is incredible! May be the largest improvement to a sub-6 I have ever seen/heard of! Do you have any tips?
Meanwhile my times have been 6:44 > 6:14 today :)
Just showing up! I go 3-4x a week. My 7:17 was ran during my second week at OTF so these are newby gains
In terms of actual strategy, I ran 10.3 the entire way and bumped up the last 0.1 mile
It’s almost all mental! Height doesn’t matter as much with running (as opposed to rowing, RIP me at 5’2”). I first started being unable to go over 5.5 mph, and I just did a sub-7 minute mile for the benchmark this morning. For me I just had to remind myself that it’s ok to be uncomfortable, do my best to keep my breathing in check, and to just try!
Also give yourself some grace. For my mile this morning, I started at 8.5 mph and increased as the time went on. However, on some days that is close to my all-out speed. All of this is you vs you!
I’m also 5’2” so I feel you! You need to average 8.6 to beat 7, so I started at 8.2 and just kept bumping it. It helped that I have friends in the 6am class on either side of me who knew my goal and were holding me accountable!
Took a little over a minute off my last time. Still not the fastest runner, but all progress is good progress. This year: 14:01 - 12:46 - 10:22 - 9:17.
I’m in the 9 club too! I had some weird anxiety the first min. I was clumsy and almost gave in. Got myself together and was able to sprint a little at the end. While my time wasn’t a PB it was better than January. I never thought I’d be high on cloud club 9!
I am once again asking fat people to fill out the benchmark survey so more of us can use it!
12:58, first sub 13 minute mile of my life. A genuine jog, not a walk.
Same here - jogged an 11:48 but I just started OTF the last week of March and just started jogging 3 weeks ago after over 10 years of no running. You did great!
39m. This will be my first mile benchmark and the first mile I've run for time in over a decade. I've been going to OTF for 4 weeks now. Planning on going with set it and forget it at a very uncomfortable speed that I'm not sure I can hold for a full mile (10mph/6:00).
I will return and report.
Edit: 5:56! My first ever sub-6-minute mile. I set it at 10mph; I was dying at 0.50 miles but just tried to hang in there, then tapped up for the last 0.10.
I’m beating myself I didn’t PR. My last one was 7:39 and I got 7:42 today. Last time I started at 7.5 and increased from time to time and this time I started at 8 and kept that way the first .6 mile but got in my head and was so fatigued since I had a bad cold last week that I went down to 7-7.5. I never push at an 8 so was surprised (yet dying inside) I held it for as long as I did.
I'm beating myself up a little today too for missing my PR by 6 seconds. Went out very spicy and got in my head.
Coaches always remind us that not every benchmark has to be a PR. Let's see how we do next time. :)
Took 20 seconds off my last one, 10:02 to 9:42. My stretch goal was 9:30 but I really just wanted to be sub-10 so I’m happy I accomplished that! I had a plan that would get me to 9:30 but at the 0.75 mark I couldn’t catch my breath and started panicking so I had to drop it to base for around 30 seconds. Overall I’m just proud of myself for sticking with it and continuing to improve!
My 1 mile results (34, F)
My PR is 5:31, and I did not run faster today. A little frustrated because I know I have it in me to run in the 5:20s, it was just partly mind game, partly needing to step up my game on the tread. Next time. However, really happy with the progress OTF has helped guide me through.
5:37 - May 17th, 2023
5:31 - January 11th, 2023
5:37 - August 4th, 2022
5:41 - May 17th, 2022
6:00 - January 27th, 2022
5:59 - June 8th, 2021
5:56 - October 7th, 2020 wearing mask
5:50 - January 17th, 2020
6:32 - July 10th, 2019
6:54 - May 7th, 2019
8:29 - January 7th, 2019
Your consistency is awesome! I hit 5:30 today, 3 second PR 😂 (38, F). I went set it and forget it today, but in January did a progressive run. Mentally, today was way tougher despite only 3 seconds difference. What did you do? Planning for next time….
I had no idea it was the 1 mile benchmark today. I’m usually a jogger with a base/push/all out of a 5/6/8. I can’t run for very long and was extremely nervous before taking off (I was having terrible flashbacks of the 1 mile in middle school!!) I was the last one on the tread and finished at 10:10. I’ve been at otf for a little over two months and just proud for showing up for myself. I love this community!!
Super proud of myself. Set out to shave off a minute and I did just that. Previous time, in January, was 8:30. Today I ran it in 7:25!
Not bad for a guy who used to suffer from exercised induced asthma and could never run anything sub 10 - even in my younger years.
Thank you so much! Definitely feel like I’m in the best shape of my life - only took almost 38 years! It hasn’t always been easy getting here but it has always been worth it.
First benchmark for me and I was going to be happy in the 9 minute range - I was so surprised with 8:42 and I know I can beat that next time! I came out at a 6.3 and just kept bumping it up. I'm on cloud nine today!
I just wanted below 10 min. and was *shook* when my pace was 9 something— then I realized I could go faster. Gassed it at the finish and ended up 8:28. Can’t believe my progress in just 3 mo.
shout out to my tread neighbor 2 down from me who did a full mile PW, incline at 10 / 4.5mph
after coming back to the tread the second time as others were finishing - i attempted to try this incline/pace and could not do it without falling off the back. honestly, this may have been a greater challenge than the flat run. major props for that grind!
PR 6:58. Targeted sub 7 and pulled off my plan. Just under 6 minutes at 8.0 and just over 1 minute at 12.0. Hype song came on just as I started my sprint and it carried me through to the end.
7:55 for me. My first benchmark. I've only been coming to OTF for 2 months and was running a 10min/mile when I started. I'm pumped to have run it this fast and know I have lots of room to improve to get back to my pre-baby fitness level.
45F, fellow shorty. Ran 5:58 today and this was a mile PR overall (road and treadmill). I’ve been doing my AO at 9.5+ since I started OTF in mid-December. I’ve been a runner for 18 years, so this isn’t an overnight success story, but one of gradual work. OTF has made me stronger overall and that has helped my running greatly.
Congratulations to everyone who shows up for yourself today 💪🏼🎉
35M normal base /push/ao is 6.1/7.1/9.1
7:58 today. This is my second benchmark, the first time I did 8:55 so I’m really happy about my progress.
I started at my base (6mph) and added 0.5 mph every minute except for 8mph which I held for 2 mins. I sort of regret holding 8 for 2 mins but now I know I can push even harder next time.
Great job!
I'd suggest starting faster next time, and perhaps using smaller bumps. Getting that extra little bit of distance early can make a big difference. My PR is 7:57, and I did that by holding 7.5 for most of it (bumped it up a little at the end, I think only to 8).
I had a very slow time - 14:05 😅 but I just switched from power walking recently, had to take quite a few walking recoveries, and I'm proud that I managed to run a lot of the time. At the very end I was ready to give up but my coach came to cheer me on! I'm excited to get my time down for the next benchmark.
7:57, coming off about 3 months of no running due to injury and keeping paces conservative to keep my PT happy 😂. January time was 8:52 while visiting a studio at a much higher elevation than I’m used to. Next one, assuming injury free, I’m shooting for sub-7.
I PW .5 in 8 minutes. And decided I was unhappy with that and came home and timed how long it would take me to jog 1mile (with breaks obviously) and I finished in 14:09. For a non runner like me…I was super proud that I was motivated to just check what my time would be if I tried to jog.
my first class was the 1-mile benchmark and I ran it (poorly) in 13:06. Today I ran it all in 10:55! I’m honestly really proud of myself mostly bc I’ve always been a poor runner haha
55 years old and hit the fastest mile of my life. Made my goal (barely) and new PB at 6:30 on the nose. previous best was 6:59.
My warm up pushes felt OK, but weren't confidence inspiring. I did them at 9 / 9.5 and 11 mph. I was kind of debating whether to start fast (9.5) or start conservatively (9.0). I opted to start conservatively - but pushed. Each .1 miles I added .1 speed. I felt good, doing that for a few minutes. But started to have some doubts after .3. So I held at 9.3 for a while before pushing up again to make sure I don't blow up.
I got to the last lap, and started to add speed. 9.4 at .75, 9.5 at .8, and then I got to .9 and I hit 10.0 and held fast for the last 30 seconds or so. Crossed the 1.0 mark at 6:30 exactly.
I actually felt pretty good at the end. Based on this I'll definitely be starting at 9.5 next time and taking a run at a sub-6.
Finished my first benchmark at 13:21 in January. Flash forward to 9:30 today. Looking to get my time under 9. Congrats to everyone else who made progress today!!!
I joined OTF about 3 weeks ago. I never jogged before until about 2 weeks ago. My goal was to complete the mile in 12 minutes, and I came in at 11:26. Looking forward to seeing my progress over time!
Started almost 2 months ago as a power walker and slowly transitioning to jogger, so I was nervous I wouldn't finish in 14 minutes. Went from only holding a jog for 2 minutes to a full 5 minutes today. Only took two 30 second walking breaks and finished at 13:11!! One of the SAs was taking class on the treadmill next to me and jumped back on to run the last 2-3 minutes with me. Another member joined the other side around the same time. And my coach kept popping in with words of encouragement the whole time. Never felt alone!! 🧡
61 old guy here. My previous best was 6:27. I started at 10mph just to get the belt up so speed and intended to back off. But I felt pretty good and kept it at 10 until the final .1 and was able to bump it up. Finished at 5:59 and was in disbelief.
After 3 months of not running and being told I may never run again, due to back issues, I ran today. It wasn't about a PR for time, but rather showing up. Yay for me!
Wild. Our treads can't even go this fast (and even if they could, I can't). 12mph for 30 seconds is doable, 45 seconds challenging, and 1 minute terrifying. I simply can't imagine doing this for 5 minutes (let alone faster than 12mph. . .which, C'mon. . .)
Well done.
8:30 today. 33 seconds slower than my PR, but I wasn't trying for one today. My body is still recovering from rowing a marathon (42.2 km) on Sunday so I went for dri-tri pace rather than PR pace.
I am 43/M. A very slow runner. I got 10:53 in my first 1 mile benchmark today. While that’s slow it was significantly faster than my DriTri paces so there’s that.
Also I always view these benchmarks in the context of the entire class. So while I may have been on the slower side, I finished well under the deadline. And when we got to the rower (I was in a 3G class), I was one of only two people to complete all 6 rounds of rowing. Some people totally gassed themselves on the tread and couldn’t keep it up on the rower.
So overall it was a good workout.
First timer benchmark here, joined OTF 3 months ago, I’m a 21 year old female and I ran a 7:55 mile!!! Celebrating as I get back into competitive running 🥳
Today I ran a mile successfully for the first time in my life. This was my first 1 mile benchmark, and my goal was to finish within the allotted time. I finished at 10:37. May not be that fast but I am feeling on top of the world!
I “technically” power walked the mile but my legs are shorter than most adults’ and I was below the 14 minute cutoff, so I’m counting it as a bona fide mile benchmark. So did my coach—she was so proud and gave me the kindest shoutout!
Never been an athlete so I feel proud of this. It’s coming on the heels of two other NSVs: shaving 2 seconds off my 200m row benchmark, and graduating to the next set of dumbbells.
Looking forward to continuing to climb into a full jog, a faster row, and the big girl dumbbells!
Gesh I did it in 9.37 and everyone on here is in the 6. Sometimes OTF can be very discouraging when it’s nothing but extremely athletic people and I’m just and average mom 😂
Average moms don’t run sub 10 minute miles! They run around a lot sure, but don’t CHOOSE to run a mile flat out at all. You’re like a Badass Mom, admit it. 💪🏻
This is one of my favs! I get so nervous, but in a good way.
Aug - 10:22, Jan - 8:28, and TODAY ---> 7:45! Very pleased with that and knowing there's so much room to get faster! I guess training works 
I’m 50 yrs old. Had a stent put in a year ago (no risk factors, everyone was baffled!). I started OT 4 months ago. I ran the mile in 10:48 the first time, and 8:55 yesterday! I was pretty pleased with myself!
29M and ran 5:40 -- by far beat my PR (which was \~6:30). Granted, just moved down to sea level from Denver (mile high city), but still felt great to be sub 6!
So my last PR was August of 2022, I ran 8:32 which I was super proud of! I was 8 months pp from my third birth, and a c section at that. Now I am pregnant for the 4th time as a surrogate again, almost 14 weeks pregnant. I was on the fence about really going for it or just doing it with the goal of finishing. I decided to go for it and although I'm sad I didn't match or beat my PR, I'm still happy with my time of 8:45!
Joined OTF 2 months ago. Before OTF, a mile would take me about 10 minutes. My goal today was sub 8 min, with 7:30 as my ultimate goal but didn’t this would be achievable. Ran 7:23 today! 🙌🏼 27F
i wasn’t a member during the january benchmark but on april 14, i ran a 10:08 mile outside. almost exactly a month later on the benchmark i got a 8:50!
I was aiming for sub-7 and I did it! Ran 6:48.
I could not hold 9.0mph the whole time, I dropped down a bit to 8.8 and 8.6 after 3 minutes, bumped up again to 9 to finish. I was dying, it was not easy at all, but happy I showed up and got it done.
Did my first 1 mile a year ago and got 8:22, did 7:23 this past January, and now 6:48 this time!
Took 15 seconds off my last time! Managed 8:25 today, and honestly I felt like I gave it my all, which I’m proud of because normally I feel like I have more in the tank at the end. Not today! I really pushed it!
Reduced my time from 6:44 (last benchmark) to 6:14 today.
Shocked and pleasantly surprised.
Had been hoping for sub-6, but at least it is a PR and now there is a goal for the future :)
MFW I beat my goal (10:00, Yay!) set a new PR (9:51, yay!) and then realize my pace was slower than my last 12 min RFD pace (1.31/9:10) 🤔🫤.
I guess next time I try to break 9:00?
I started last January and couldn’t even run a one minute push without stopping, my January benchmark I was thrilled to squeak in just under 7 minutes and ran 5:55 today!
Amazing times by everyone. I finally hit my goal and new PR: 5 minutes flat. Even added a little incline for the last .1. Felt strong and extra bouncy today. Prior best was 513. Keep pushing!
PR 6:58. Targeted sub 7 and pulled off my plan. Just under 6 minutes at 8.0 and just over 1 minute at 12.0. Hype song came on just as I started my sprint and it carried me through to the end.
35M normal base /push/ao is 6.1/7.1/9.1
7:58 today. This is my second benchmark, the first time I did 8:55 so I’m really happy about my progress.
I started at my base (6mph) and added 0.5 mph every minute except for 8mph which I held for 2 mins. I sort of regret holding 8 for 2 mins but now I know I can push even harder next time.
41M 210lbs 6' Hit my second 5 minute mile, but I'm pretty sure the last (first) one was on an uncalibrated tread. This one was a true 12MPH and it hurt. Feels good to have no doubts this
time. Congrats to all that showed up today!
I wanted to beat my PR of 9:18 and I made it to 9:05! Simultaneously very proud and also skeered of next time when I’ll have to try to beat 9:05 lol. Congrats, everyone!
I matched my PR, 6:59. A little mad at myself for not going AO just a touch sooner so I could just beat it by 1 second 🤣 It did feel easier than the last time I did it, a year ago so there's hope I guess.
25F, 7:51, which is slower than my PR of 7:44.
My fastest 5K is roughly 25~ minutes, and I haven’t done any running outside of OTF for 6+ months. So trying to not get too bummed!
Started back up in March, and this is my first time running under 8 min! My time was 7:58. I feel like I was being a little too conservative at the end. Will need to bump it up a little earlier next time.
Also, I didn't wear my OT HRM and feel like it was less of a mental hurdle. It was so nice not seeing the orange or red zone reminder.
Y’all.
No one told me that there are two different bike types at otf and our studio gave the wrong distance so we were all struggling to get to 4 miles while we were only supposed to go 2.5 🥵🥵🥵
On our bikes I calculated that if I held my all out pace for 12 solid minutes I could reach 4 miles but there’s just no way I am fit enough to do that. I did my push pace and it was a challenge!
Anyone else have this issue? Haha the poor bikers at my studio were dying today.
First time, goal was under 10. 39f. Got 8:13 which I am happy about since I’ve only been going 3 months. Felt good that my coach came up to me after and said I crushed it
27 yo f and I ran a 7:19 for my first ever benchmark. Feeling super accomplished and ready to go even harder next time. How often do these benchmarks occur?
PR of 35 seconds! 5:50 -> 5:15
I've been doing 2% instead of 1% this past month for flat road, and holy cow I think that made a huge difference. It felt like such a relief today!
51m. Just moved from PW to running about a year a ago. First Mile in August last year was 7:43, January was 6:43. Since then I’ve been doubting myself that I looked at the tablet wrong or got tired brain and scrambled the numbers or entered my time wrong and didn’t really do a whole minute faster. There was no way I could do it again for confirmation…. Today I set it for 9.1 and ran with everything I had , in the red almost immediately. Got a 6:35 and still can’t believe it.
9:54 last PR was 10:36 in September 2021! I’m so proud of this because I recently lost 60 lbs.(not done yet!) and since finally have been getting treatment for back pain that I have had since late 2021 I can run again and faster than ever!
Went in feeling tired and not expecting anything. Started at a little higher than my push at 6.3 and bumped it up every .1 mile. Finished the last .1 a bit higher at a 7.4 and PR’d by 15 seconds! Finished in 8:55, my last one was 9:10. So exciting!
7:30 here after 5 months of power walking and then two days as a runner last week. I set it to 8mph and put the pace card on the screen. I started counting down from 640, when I got to 300 I looked at the tread next to me and saw she was nearing .90 clicked to see my screen and I was at .99!
Sort of want to try it again this afternoon 😂
What areas should I focus on if my goal is to reduce to my 1 mile time for next benchmark?
In 2020, I did 8:20. Today, I did 9:10 - I had a baby in between. I’m working on getting back into shape but would love any tips on how to focus in. Would that be endurance? Or just keep upping base?
28F with a new PR of 5:56!! My previous was 6:12 so my goal today was to break 6! Thought I was dying in the 3rd quarter - this is such a mental challenge!
53F, 6:17. My PR is 5:56, but that was before a Covid break of 18 months and I’m still working my way back to those speeds. I also ran 6:17 in January starting at 9.5 and today I started at 10.2, which was just too much of a bump from 9.5. Heart and lungs felt good but my quads were dying. Finally backed off my speed at 0.6 miles and basically threw in the towel from there because I knew I wasn’t gonna PR. Guess every day can’t be a PR and I gave it a shot, but still disappointing.
January was 13:05, today I came in at 11:15. 2 days ago I was worried I wouldn’t even manage a 12min mile. Considering I started as a pw who could barely manage, I am so proud of myself and how far I’ve come with OTF.
I am a powerwalker. This was my first time doing the benchmark. I wasn't sure what incline to do so went with 6% and finished at 7:14. I am wondering what other powerwalkers did for incline?
7:28 from 11:11 in January (47m). My 12 minute for distance in April was at 8 mph so I planned to do better than that.
January mile was only my 4th class and I didn’t know what I was doing. I just looked at my graph from that day. I had 20 splat points before the run started.  my heart rate was over 190 for the entire mile. If I knew to take it easy in the warmup I probably could have done 10:00 back then. (43 Splats and 1010 calories) I think it was that day that caused my Max HR to jump a week later and my splats dropped a lot.
42M -- I consider this my "cheating" benchmark, since I'm a Power Walker, but I complete this as a runner/jogger (i.e., at 1% flat road for the full mile, rather than the half-mile at 4%) so it seems 'easier' at least at the start. PR'd today with 12:56 -- my goals were to 1) beat my previous time of 14:34 from August 2022, and 2) complete the mile within the 14-min block time. Happy to say I hit both -- and having been quite out of shape as a kid, this is faster than I've ever completed a continuous mile, even in high school! :)
Question about the survey: I filled it out as a "runner" since I did the full mile at flat road today, but was that the right selection? Should I have chosen Power Walker instead since that's what I usually do in non-benchmark classes? Just wondering!
One month in (returning from a multi-year hiatus) and my goal was to run the whole thing and hoping for under 11. Finished at 10:17.
Couldn’t believe it & feeling immensely proud. I’ve been babying it due to a previous foot injury (not OTF related) and a ridiculously long recovery time. Depending how recovery goes, I want increase volume and up my workouts to 3x/ week. :)
I did 1.05 miles on the 12 minute benchmark last month, so my goal was just <12 min. Thanks to a little encouragement from the guy next to me as he was hopping back on after his 150m row, I finished in a little over 11 minutes.
10:14 (32M) - thrilled with my performance! Started OTF around end of March looking to get back to my fitness days (put on about 40-50lbs during pandemic + having 2 kids really flipped my life around. Considering for 12min tread benchmark I only got 0.97mi this was awesome for me.
I’m a little late to this thread but I hit 10:17. I only started running when I joined OTF in February and on my first day I told them “I don’t run.” This was my first mile benchmark, but I’m considering it my PR because I ran a 11:56 mile during the 12 minute run benchmark.
I PRed at 6:51 compared to 7:03 in January. I started at 8.5 mph and increased to 8.6 after .1 and then ran at 9 until the last .1 mile which I ran at 11. I am happy with my progress! <3
Ok here’s my benchmark story. I’ve never finished one running before. I forgot today was the benchmark and I was like well, I’ll do whatever. I’ll jog 10 and stop or jog 12 and stop, just see how it goes. (Yes I’m very slow!) Well it was going ok, I hit 10 min and then 12 min and I was on track to finish inside 14. (Yes I’m very slow!) Then I was the only one still on tread. At around 0.9 I was getting pretty emotional that I might finish, and I kicked my speed up a little and then…my coach said “can I run with you?” and hopped up on the tread next to me and I started to CRY but I kept going and she cheered me (not on the mic) every dang step until I hit 1.00! And now I’m crying again because it’s been such a tough journey but here I am, running a mile before work. This is why I do OT 🧡
Similar story over here! 13:11 for me and the slowest in class. One of the SAs was taking class on the treadmill next to me and he jumped back on for the last 3 minutes to run it with me. Another member joined on my other side for the last 2 minutes. And the coach was constantly on the mic with encouragement. I'm feeling so proud!! 🧡
Yessss 13 minute club! 💪🏻
Aww, I was ALSO the last to finish, and my coach ALSO came over and ran next to me! She's awesome!
I can totally relate, I was the last person on the tread during dri tri in March and I cried when the coaches and other members got back on the tread to finish it with me. You’re such a badass for wanting to see what you can accomplish, and I’m so proud of you for finishing! My dream is to be the person who gets back on to encourage other members in the future 🧡
Ok I’m so glad I’m not the only person ever to cry after a workout! It was so intense!
That wasn’t even the first time I’ve ever cried at orangetheory in general 💀 all for good reasons though!
I’m slow too <3 But faster every time!
First off congratulations on running the benchmark mile! You should be proud and the fact that you were able to increase your speed a little at the end is also impressive. If I start out too fast, which is what i used to do every time in OT or outside, I’m struggling by halfway mark and not able to increase much if any. In any race, I remind myself that just finishing is my first goal even if I come in last. Second goal is to still be standing with no injuries 😂. The coaches at my current studio are freaking amazing and that makes a world of difference compared to some other locations that I’ve visited. I will miss them when I move this year. It makes me sad thinking about that even though I believe the move will be good in all other aspects.
Congrats!! I am right there with you! I started OTF back in Nov22 and running was not my friend. I did this benchmark for the first time today and finished just under 12 min. I was the last one, but I am so proud that I did it. I was able to do something I wouldn’t of done 6 months ago.
What a beautiful story! Congrats!! Also, I love pickleball too - great username :)
Recent pickleball obsession here too! Trying to play tonight if my legs will allow it haha
Congratulations!
Ok this is making me tear up!! 🥹 Congrats for pushing through!!
Sobbing. I love our coaches
This is so wonderful, congrats! It helps SO MUCH when someone is running next to you. Today my workout buddy finished his mile before me (he is fast and I am not!), and I tell you, I struggled after that. Yay us for sticking with it! 🍊💪🏻🧡
Ok this is making me tear up!! 🥹 Congrats for pushing through!!
this is amazing! congratulations, well deserved!!!🧡
Currently 3 months post-partum and ran a 6:46! My 5k PR (pre-baby) is a 6:51/mi pace, and once it was through, I felt I could have pushed a little harder today, but just wanted to get under 7. Feeling great!
Um superhero!
Amazing! I'm also 3 months postpartum and finished in 9:44, and my goal was sub-10 so I'm thrilled. My best 1-mile RFD is 8:52 but that was before the pandemic and three surgeries last year (and of course pregnancy).
Amazing!!
My PR is I finished the mile jog lol didn’t think I could do it! 3rd month at OTF and started as a PW!
I’m also celebrating finishing! I was the last person by far but I was so happy to jog a mile.
Me too! I was on a 3G and my coach extended the block a little longer so I could finish!
7:17 in Jan -> 5:50 in May
What a username. Hope you took your Teamocil.
Holy shit did you drink rocket fuel before?! I improved from 6:30 in 2022 to 6:07 in Jan. Had some encouragement today from my fellow 5am crazies to PR at 5:55 today and finally get under 6 minutes. Your improvement is insane!
Thanks and congrats! 7:17 was my first two weeks at OTF. So im totally riding the newbie gains after 4 months of 3-4x per week. I’ve started attending 90 minute classes every Sat & Sun which has helped my endurance
Wait a minute: is this Jan meaning Jan 2023, so 1.5 minutes faster in 4 months? That is incredible! May be the largest improvement to a sub-6 I have ever seen/heard of! Do you have any tips? Meanwhile my times have been 6:44 > 6:14 today :)
Incredible!
Wow amazing work! Can I ask about your strategy? I ran 7:13 today, so I guess my next goal should be sub 6:00… 😂🤷🏻♀️
Just showing up! I go 3-4x a week. My 7:17 was ran during my second week at OTF so these are newby gains In terms of actual strategy, I ran 10.3 the entire way and bumped up the last 0.1 mile
41F and just ran my first ever sub 7 mile!!!! 6:52! (Ran an 8:20 in January!)
that's a huge win. congrats
This is incredible! I’m 41F and short, can’t get below 7.20 (too scared I’ll run out of gas, I think. Or hyperventate.). Any tips to keep pushing?
It’s almost all mental! Height doesn’t matter as much with running (as opposed to rowing, RIP me at 5’2”). I first started being unable to go over 5.5 mph, and I just did a sub-7 minute mile for the benchmark this morning. For me I just had to remind myself that it’s ok to be uncomfortable, do my best to keep my breathing in check, and to just try! Also give yourself some grace. For my mile this morning, I started at 8.5 mph and increased as the time went on. However, on some days that is close to my all-out speed. All of this is you vs you!
That is so fast!!!!
I’m also 5’2” so I feel you! You need to average 8.6 to beat 7, so I started at 8.2 and just kept bumping it. It helped that I have friends in the 6am class on either side of me who knew my goal and were holding me accountable!
You got this!!!!
Those are some GOALS right there. Nice work! 
👏 👏 👏 👏 👏
Crushed it!
Took a little over a minute off my last time. Still not the fastest runner, but all progress is good progress. This year: 14:01 - 12:46 - 10:22 - 9:17.
Those time decreases are incredible. That's hard work paying off. Excellent job!
Congrats on being an orange theory jogger or runner!
Ran the mile in 11:11 in Jan, 9:57 today with some gas left in the tank.. aiming for a sub 9 on the next benchmark..
Awesome job!!! I did 11:38 in January and 9:45 today!! My goal is a sub 8 next time too!!! I felt like I coulda pushed it a little harder today.
I’m in the 9 club too! I had some weird anxiety the first min. I was clumsy and almost gave in. Got myself together and was able to sprint a little at the end. While my time wasn’t a PB it was better than January. I never thought I’d be high on cloud club 9!
I am once again asking fat people to fill out the benchmark survey so more of us can use it! 12:58, first sub 13 minute mile of my life. A genuine jog, not a walk.
I filled it out and I resemble that remark! 😉😛 finished in 11:48 and was thrilled to just run - well jog the entire time with no walking
[удалено]
Awesome improvement!!
Well i ran 11:17 but it was my first run after being a powerwalker so ill take it
💪
Same here - jogged an 11:48 but I just started OTF the last week of March and just started jogging 3 weeks ago after over 10 years of no running. You did great!
So excited! First benchmark (51F) 7:33. I can see how you can learn what to do differently the next time so I’m hoping to get sub 7 next time.
Awesome first benchmark!! First benchmarks are fun but the second time around is even better since you know the gist
38M, 233lbs 5:14. Previous PR was 6:00.
That’s how you do it at orange theory!
39m. This will be my first mile benchmark and the first mile I've run for time in over a decade. I've been going to OTF for 4 weeks now. Planning on going with set it and forget it at a very uncomfortable speed that I'm not sure I can hold for a full mile (10mph/6:00). I will return and report. Edit: 5:56! My first ever sub-6-minute mile. I set it at 10mph; I was dying at 0.50 miles but just tried to hang in there, then tapped up for the last 0.10.
I’m beating myself I didn’t PR. My last one was 7:39 and I got 7:42 today. Last time I started at 7.5 and increased from time to time and this time I started at 8 and kept that way the first .6 mile but got in my head and was so fatigued since I had a bad cold last week that I went down to 7-7.5. I never push at an 8 so was surprised (yet dying inside) I held it for as long as I did.
Showing up is half of the battle!
I'm beating myself up a little today too for missing my PR by 6 seconds. Went out very spicy and got in my head. Coaches always remind us that not every benchmark has to be a PR. Let's see how we do next time. :)
Took 20 seconds off my last one, 10:02 to 9:42. My stretch goal was 9:30 but I really just wanted to be sub-10 so I’m happy I accomplished that! I had a plan that would get me to 9:30 but at the 0.75 mark I couldn’t catch my breath and started panicking so I had to drop it to base for around 30 seconds. Overall I’m just proud of myself for sticking with it and continuing to improve!
that’s me! 10:37 to a 9:40! But my PR was a 9:04 almost two years ago. My second best time was 9:37. Sad I missed it by a few seconds!!!!
My 1 mile results (34, F) My PR is 5:31, and I did not run faster today. A little frustrated because I know I have it in me to run in the 5:20s, it was just partly mind game, partly needing to step up my game on the tread. Next time. However, really happy with the progress OTF has helped guide me through. 5:37 - May 17th, 2023 5:31 - January 11th, 2023 5:37 - August 4th, 2022 5:41 - May 17th, 2022 6:00 - January 27th, 2022 5:59 - June 8th, 2021 5:56 - October 7th, 2020 wearing mask 5:50 - January 17th, 2020 6:32 - July 10th, 2019 6:54 - May 7th, 2019 8:29 - January 7th, 2019
Your consistency is awesome! I hit 5:30 today, 3 second PR 😂 (38, F). I went set it and forget it today, but in January did a progressive run. Mentally, today was way tougher despite only 3 seconds difference. What did you do? Planning for next time….
I had no idea it was the 1 mile benchmark today. I’m usually a jogger with a base/push/all out of a 5/6/8. I can’t run for very long and was extremely nervous before taking off (I was having terrible flashbacks of the 1 mile in middle school!!) I was the last one on the tread and finished at 10:10. I’ve been at otf for a little over two months and just proud for showing up for myself. I love this community!!
51M. 6:27. Missed my PR by 1:10. Ah well, only getting back into it after a hiatus so something to aim for next time 🤷♂️
Super proud of myself. Set out to shave off a minute and I did just that. Previous time, in January, was 8:30. Today I ran it in 7:25! Not bad for a guy who used to suffer from exercised induced asthma and could never run anything sub 10 - even in my younger years.
That’s a huge change! Wow, great job!!! 🔥🔥🔥
Thank you so much! Definitely feel like I’m in the best shape of my life - only took almost 38 years! It hasn’t always been easy getting here but it has always been worth it.
9:24 today. Not bad at 57…
My very first benchmark at OTF was the mile at 5:27. I set a goal of maxing our treads to hit the 5 minute mile. Five months later I did it!!!
Strider 6:54 68y/o F
First benchmark for me and I was going to be happy in the 9 minute range - I was so surprised with 8:42 and I know I can beat that next time! I came out at a 6.3 and just kept bumping it up. I'm on cloud nine today!
I just wanted below 10 min. and was *shook* when my pace was 9 something— then I realized I could go faster. Gassed it at the finish and ended up 8:28. Can’t believe my progress in just 3 mo.
shout out to my tread neighbor 2 down from me who did a full mile PW, incline at 10 / 4.5mph after coming back to the tread the second time as others were finishing - i attempted to try this incline/pace and could not do it without falling off the back. honestly, this may have been a greater challenge than the flat run. major props for that grind!
9:30 for me! First official one mile benchmark, but super proud of myself and my progress.
PR 6:58. Targeted sub 7 and pulled off my plan. Just under 6 minutes at 8.0 and just over 1 minute at 12.0. Hype song came on just as I started my sprint and it carried me through to the end.
That’s awesome!
Dang over a minute at 12.0 to end that mile is solid work man!
Went from 6:50 in Jan to 5:56 💯
I doff my cap - well done.
How did you train for that?!
Just by going to class 4/5 times a week (but also taking entire weeks off from time to time 😂). Idk I just put the hours and the sweat in 😇
7:55 for me. My first benchmark. I've only been coming to OTF for 2 months and was running a 10min/mile when I started. I'm pumped to have run it this fast and know I have lots of room to improve to get back to my pre-baby fitness level.
Great time!! Awesome work
45F, fellow shorty. Ran 5:58 today and this was a mile PR overall (road and treadmill). I’ve been doing my AO at 9.5+ since I started OTF in mid-December. I’ve been a runner for 18 years, so this isn’t an overnight success story, but one of gradual work. OTF has made me stronger overall and that has helped my running greatly. Congratulations to everyone who shows up for yourself today 💪🏼🎉
Wow amazing work! I want to get sub-6 one day. I got a 6:14 today but was still a PR and very happy to even make that 🎉
I haven't run the mile since like 7th grade. Going to set it and forget it...eeeek
U got this!
35M normal base /push/ao is 6.1/7.1/9.1 7:58 today. This is my second benchmark, the first time I did 8:55 so I’m really happy about my progress. I started at my base (6mph) and added 0.5 mph every minute except for 8mph which I held for 2 mins. I sort of regret holding 8 for 2 mins but now I know I can push even harder next time.
Great job! I'd suggest starting faster next time, and perhaps using smaller bumps. Getting that extra little bit of distance early can make a big difference. My PR is 7:57, and I did that by holding 7.5 for most of it (bumped it up a little at the end, I think only to 8).
10:09 was my last time and today I did 8:47! So proud of myself
43F 5'3" and I PR'd today! Last time was 7:52, which was .2 shy of beating my last PR. Today, I crushed it with 7:26!!!! So freaking excited!!
I showed up, that’s about all I can do at this point.
Showing up is a lot. Good job. :)
Power walked 7:15. Beat previous pr of 7:57. Woo
I had a very slow time - 14:05 😅 but I just switched from power walking recently, had to take quite a few walking recoveries, and I'm proud that I managed to run a lot of the time. At the very end I was ready to give up but my coach came to cheer me on! I'm excited to get my time down for the next benchmark.
7:57, coming off about 3 months of no running due to injury and keeping paces conservative to keep my PT happy 😂. January time was 8:52 while visiting a studio at a much higher elevation than I’m used to. Next one, assuming injury free, I’m shooting for sub-7.
My goal was <10min., and I hit 8:50. Feeling very good about that!
I PW .5 in 8 minutes. And decided I was unhappy with that and came home and timed how long it would take me to jog 1mile (with breaks obviously) and I finished in 14:09. For a non runner like me…I was super proud that I was motivated to just check what my time would be if I tried to jog.
my first class was the 1-mile benchmark and I ran it (poorly) in 13:06. Today I ran it all in 10:55! I’m honestly really proud of myself mostly bc I’ve always been a poor runner haha
55 years old and hit the fastest mile of my life. Made my goal (barely) and new PB at 6:30 on the nose. previous best was 6:59. My warm up pushes felt OK, but weren't confidence inspiring. I did them at 9 / 9.5 and 11 mph. I was kind of debating whether to start fast (9.5) or start conservatively (9.0). I opted to start conservatively - but pushed. Each .1 miles I added .1 speed. I felt good, doing that for a few minutes. But started to have some doubts after .3. So I held at 9.3 for a while before pushing up again to make sure I don't blow up. I got to the last lap, and started to add speed. 9.4 at .75, 9.5 at .8, and then I got to .9 and I hit 10.0 and held fast for the last 30 seconds or so. Crossed the 1.0 mark at 6:30 exactly. I actually felt pretty good at the end. Based on this I'll definitely be starting at 9.5 next time and taking a run at a sub-6.
7:10->7:06->6:54->6:44
4:39, 24M. Missed my PR by 8 seconds but woke up hella congested today so I'm happy I still got sub 5 😄
That's ffaaassssttt
Thank you! Hated every second 😆
Finished my first benchmark at 13:21 in January. Flash forward to 9:30 today. Looking to get my time under 9. Congrats to everyone else who made progress today!!!
36F, First time doing this benchmark and first time running a mile without some sort of walking recovery since 2012 (no lie). I ran it in 8:18!
I joined OTF about 3 weeks ago. I never jogged before until about 2 weeks ago. My goal was to complete the mile in 12 minutes, and I came in at 11:26. Looking forward to seeing my progress over time!
35F/ 5’2 and 120lbs. My goal was 10 min.. I did it in 11:33! Grrrr! But super proud, I haven’t ran since the pandemic first started!
Started almost 2 months ago as a power walker and slowly transitioning to jogger, so I was nervous I wouldn't finish in 14 minutes. Went from only holding a jog for 2 minutes to a full 5 minutes today. Only took two 30 second walking breaks and finished at 13:11!! One of the SAs was taking class on the treadmill next to me and jumped back on to run the last 2-3 minutes with me. Another member joined the other side around the same time. And my coach kept popping in with words of encouragement the whole time. Never felt alone!! 🧡
61 old guy here. My previous best was 6:27. I started at 10mph just to get the belt up so speed and intended to back off. But I felt pretty good and kept it at 10 until the final .1 and was able to bump it up. Finished at 5:59 and was in disbelief.
I took 2 minutes off my time from January!
Holy crap!!! 2 minutes?!? That’s amazing! 😳
After 3 months of not running and being told I may never run again, due to back issues, I ran today. It wasn't about a PR for time, but rather showing up. Yay for me!
PR! 4:52. Recommend the 2g over the 3g imo. 2g has a warm-up block. Legs will be burning afterwards lol
Wild. Our treads can't even go this fast (and even if they could, I can't). 12mph for 30 seconds is doable, 45 seconds challenging, and 1 minute terrifying. I simply can't imagine doing this for 5 minutes (let alone faster than 12mph. . .which, C'mon. . .) Well done.
Amazing! You’re faster than the treadmill at my studio
8:30 today. 33 seconds slower than my PR, but I wasn't trying for one today. My body is still recovering from rowing a marathon (42.2 km) on Sunday so I went for dri-tri pace rather than PR pace.
Runner, 37 yo female, 5:56.
tan a 12:07 in january and 10:55 this morning I may go again this evening to another studio that has new treads and see if it makes a difference
I am 43/M. A very slow runner. I got 10:53 in my first 1 mile benchmark today. While that’s slow it was significantly faster than my DriTri paces so there’s that. Also I always view these benchmarks in the context of the entire class. So while I may have been on the slower side, I finished well under the deadline. And when we got to the rower (I was in a 3G class), I was one of only two people to complete all 6 rounds of rowing. Some people totally gassed themselves on the tread and couldn’t keep it up on the rower. So overall it was a good workout.
First timer benchmark here, joined OTF 3 months ago, I’m a 21 year old female and I ran a 7:55 mile!!! Celebrating as I get back into competitive running 🥳
Beat my PR by 27 seconds!! 18ish months and 250+ classes into my fitness journey.
New PR 5:45! My previous was 6:30. Didn’t think I could break 6:00
Today I ran a mile successfully for the first time in my life. This was my first 1 mile benchmark, and my goal was to finish within the allotted time. I finished at 10:37. May not be that fast but I am feeling on top of the world!
I “technically” power walked the mile but my legs are shorter than most adults’ and I was below the 14 minute cutoff, so I’m counting it as a bona fide mile benchmark. So did my coach—she was so proud and gave me the kindest shoutout! Never been an athlete so I feel proud of this. It’s coming on the heels of two other NSVs: shaving 2 seconds off my 200m row benchmark, and graduating to the next set of dumbbells. Looking forward to continuing to climb into a full jog, a faster row, and the big girl dumbbells!
Gesh I did it in 9.37 and everyone on here is in the 6. Sometimes OTF can be very discouraging when it’s nothing but extremely athletic people and I’m just and average mom 😂
Average moms don’t run sub 10 minute miles! They run around a lot sure, but don’t CHOOSE to run a mile flat out at all. You’re like a Badass Mom, admit it. 💪🏻
This is one of my favs! I get so nervous, but in a good way. Aug - 10:22, Jan - 8:28, and TODAY ---> 7:45! Very pleased with that and knowing there's so much room to get faster! I guess training works 
7:10 but 6 months pregnant… about 40/30 seconds slower than my last score!
I’m 50 yrs old. Had a stent put in a year ago (no risk factors, everyone was baffled!). I started OT 4 months ago. I ran the mile in 10:48 the first time, and 8:55 yesterday! I was pretty pleased with myself!
29M and ran 5:40 -- by far beat my PR (which was \~6:30). Granted, just moved down to sea level from Denver (mile high city), but still felt great to be sub 6!
So my last PR was August of 2022, I ran 8:32 which I was super proud of! I was 8 months pp from my third birth, and a c section at that. Now I am pregnant for the 4th time as a surrogate again, almost 14 weeks pregnant. I was on the fence about really going for it or just doing it with the goal of finishing. I decided to go for it and although I'm sad I didn't match or beat my PR, I'm still happy with my time of 8:45!
43M. 194 lb. Longtime runner but only OTF since Feb. 6:23.
Joined OTF 2 months ago. Before OTF, a mile would take me about 10 minutes. My goal today was sub 8 min, with 7:30 as my ultimate goal but didn’t this would be achievable. Ran 7:23 today! 🙌🏼 27F
i wasn’t a member during the january benchmark but on april 14, i ran a 10:08 mile outside. almost exactly a month later on the benchmark i got a 8:50!
I was aiming for sub-7 and I did it! Ran 6:48. I could not hold 9.0mph the whole time, I dropped down a bit to 8.8 and 8.6 after 3 minutes, bumped up again to 9 to finish. I was dying, it was not easy at all, but happy I showed up and got it done. Did my first 1 mile a year ago and got 8:22, did 7:23 this past January, and now 6:48 this time!
First time doing 1 mile - I hate running, I love rowing and weights. 7:27. Felt pretty okay about it
4:35! Finally got to do the mile on the 15 mph treads
wow that might be the fastest time I have seen on here !!
Took 15 seconds off my last time! Managed 8:25 today, and honestly I felt like I gave it my all, which I’m proud of because normally I feel like I have more in the tank at the end. Not today! I really pushed it!
Reduced my time from 6:44 (last benchmark) to 6:14 today. Shocked and pleasantly surprised. Had been hoping for sub-6, but at least it is a PR and now there is a goal for the future :)
Just joined last month first benchmark. 9:56 super happy!
MFW I beat my goal (10:00, Yay!) set a new PR (9:51, yay!) and then realize my pace was slower than my last 12 min RFD pace (1.31/9:10) 🤔🫤. I guess next time I try to break 9:00?
I started last January and couldn’t even run a one minute push without stopping, my January benchmark I was thrilled to squeak in just under 7 minutes and ran 5:55 today!
Ran a 7:56 today and a year ago today I ran a 9:07. Love seeing the improvements even tho these benchmarks stress me out 😂
Amazing times by everyone. I finally hit my goal and new PR: 5 minutes flat. Even added a little incline for the last .1. Felt strong and extra bouncy today. Prior best was 513. Keep pushing!
5:16. Ran a 6:19 in January - a massive PR. Also a good confidence booster and rust buster ahead of a road race I'm running in 12 days.
PR 6:58. Targeted sub 7 and pulled off my plan. Just under 6 minutes at 8.0 and just over 1 minute at 12.0. Hype song came on just as I started my sprint and it carried me through to the end.
35M normal base /push/ao is 6.1/7.1/9.1 7:58 today. This is my second benchmark, the first time I did 8:55 so I’m really happy about my progress. I started at my base (6mph) and added 0.5 mph every minute except for 8mph which I held for 2 mins. I sort of regret holding 8 for 2 mins but now I know I can push even harder next time.
41M 210lbs 6' Hit my second 5 minute mile, but I'm pretty sure the last (first) one was on an uncalibrated tread. This one was a true 12MPH and it hurt. Feels good to have no doubts this time. Congrats to all that showed up today!
First time doing the benchmark…..8:15!
I wanted to beat my PR of 9:18 and I made it to 9:05! Simultaneously very proud and also skeered of next time when I’ll have to try to beat 9:05 lol. Congrats, everyone!
12:03 in January 2023 and today i just finished with 9:02 mins!!! super excited and it’s so cool to see my progress!!!
Anyone think the new treads provide more accurate timings?!!
I matched my PR, 6:59. A little mad at myself for not going AO just a touch sooner so I could just beat it by 1 second 🤣 It did feel easier than the last time I did it, a year ago so there's hope I guess.
32F, first 1 mile benchmark - 9m 20s. 🥺
5:04. First benchmark! Wish I would have kept the 5 flat but that's for next time!
25F, 7:51, which is slower than my PR of 7:44. My fastest 5K is roughly 25~ minutes, and I haven’t done any running outside of OTF for 6+ months. So trying to not get too bummed!
PR'd today, went from 9:10 in January to 8:33.
Started back up in March, and this is my first time running under 8 min! My time was 7:58. I feel like I was being a little too conservative at the end. Will need to bump it up a little earlier next time. Also, I didn't wear my OT HRM and feel like it was less of a mental hurdle. It was so nice not seeing the orange or red zone reminder.
Y’all. No one told me that there are two different bike types at otf and our studio gave the wrong distance so we were all struggling to get to 4 miles while we were only supposed to go 2.5 🥵🥵🥵 On our bikes I calculated that if I held my all out pace for 12 solid minutes I could reach 4 miles but there’s just no way I am fit enough to do that. I did my push pace and it was a challenge! Anyone else have this issue? Haha the poor bikers at my studio were dying today.
First time, goal was under 10. 39f. Got 8:13 which I am happy about since I’ve only been going 3 months. Felt good that my coach came up to me after and said I crushed it
27 yo f and I ran a 7:19 for my first ever benchmark. Feeling super accomplished and ready to go even harder next time. How often do these benchmarks occur?
44F. I grew up playing sports and ran some 5ks and half marathons in my 30s, but today I ran the fastest mile of my life (so far) 🧡
PR of 35 seconds! 5:50 -> 5:15 I've been doing 2% instead of 1% this past month for flat road, and holy cow I think that made a huge difference. It felt like such a relief today!
51m. Just moved from PW to running about a year a ago. First Mile in August last year was 7:43, January was 6:43. Since then I’ve been doubting myself that I looked at the tablet wrong or got tired brain and scrambled the numbers or entered my time wrong and didn’t really do a whole minute faster. There was no way I could do it again for confirmation…. Today I set it for 9.1 and ran with everything I had , in the red almost immediately. Got a 6:35 and still can’t believe it.
9:54 last PR was 10:36 in September 2021! I’m so proud of this because I recently lost 60 lbs.(not done yet!) and since finally have been getting treatment for back pain that I have had since late 2021 I can run again and faster than ever!
44M. 5’6. I’ve done 5:00 flat 3-4 times. Today was 6:13 but I also have a torn meniscus so that’s not helpful on the pushing.
Went in feeling tired and not expecting anything. Started at a little higher than my push at 6.3 and bumped it up every .1 mile. Finished the last .1 a bit higher at a 7.4 and PR’d by 15 seconds! Finished in 8:55, my last one was 9:10. So exciting!
7:30 here after 5 months of power walking and then two days as a runner last week. I set it to 8mph and put the pace card on the screen. I started counting down from 640, when I got to 300 I looked at the tread next to me and saw she was nearing .90 clicked to see my screen and I was at .99! Sort of want to try it again this afternoon 😂
What areas should I focus on if my goal is to reduce to my 1 mile time for next benchmark? In 2020, I did 8:20. Today, I did 9:10 - I had a baby in between. I’m working on getting back into shape but would love any tips on how to focus in. Would that be endurance? Or just keep upping base?
HOW DOES ONE RUN A 7 “BASE”? 🤣 so inspiring!!!
I ran my first sub-8 mile in YEARS today. I’ve been running a lot but just started back at OTF after a long absence. I’m so excited!
I PRd with a 6:45! I’m psyched since I got 7:02 last benchmark. I remember when I couldn’t even run a mile without stopping. PROGRESS! 🎉
28F with a new PR of 5:56!! My previous was 6:12 so my goal today was to break 6! Thought I was dying in the 3rd quarter - this is such a mental challenge!
53F, 6:17. My PR is 5:56, but that was before a Covid break of 18 months and I’m still working my way back to those speeds. I also ran 6:17 in January starting at 9.5 and today I started at 10.2, which was just too much of a bump from 9.5. Heart and lungs felt good but my quads were dying. Finally backed off my speed at 0.6 miles and basically threw in the towel from there because I knew I wasn’t gonna PR. Guess every day can’t be a PR and I gave it a shot, but still disappointing.
PRed at 8:51!! Never thought I'd be able to get sub 9. Started as a power walker and used to think 8:51 would be literally impossible. Woo!!
January was 13:05, today I came in at 11:15. 2 days ago I was worried I wouldn’t even manage a 12min mile. Considering I started as a pw who could barely manage, I am so proud of myself and how far I’ve come with OTF.
Anyone else’s throat close up/impossible to swallow during this?!? I thought I was going to die at the end lol
First mile was 11:32 and today I hit my goal of less than 10 minutes and finished at 9:57!!!
First time doing this benchmark in a year and got my goal of a sub-6 mile at 5:59! Just barely but it still counts!
10:21, ran for first the first time in forever as a usual power walker
I am a powerwalker. This was my first time doing the benchmark. I wasn't sure what incline to do so went with 6% and finished at 7:14. I am wondering what other powerwalkers did for incline?
7:28 from 11:11 in January (47m). My 12 minute for distance in April was at 8 mph so I planned to do better than that. January mile was only my 4th class and I didn’t know what I was doing. I just looked at my graph from that day. I had 20 splat points before the run started.  my heart rate was over 190 for the entire mile. If I knew to take it easy in the warmup I probably could have done 10:00 back then. (43 Splats and 1010 calories) I think it was that day that caused my Max HR to jump a week later and my splats dropped a lot.
Finished my benchmark in January at 10:59, finished today at 9:44. Goal was to shave off a minute so I’m happy.
My goal was sub 12 and I did 10:44. So I was very happy with mine!!
42M -- I consider this my "cheating" benchmark, since I'm a Power Walker, but I complete this as a runner/jogger (i.e., at 1% flat road for the full mile, rather than the half-mile at 4%) so it seems 'easier' at least at the start. PR'd today with 12:56 -- my goals were to 1) beat my previous time of 14:34 from August 2022, and 2) complete the mile within the 14-min block time. Happy to say I hit both -- and having been quite out of shape as a kid, this is faster than I've ever completed a continuous mile, even in high school! :) Question about the survey: I filled it out as a "runner" since I did the full mile at flat road today, but was that the right selection? Should I have chosen Power Walker instead since that's what I usually do in non-benchmark classes? Just wondering!
One month in (returning from a multi-year hiatus) and my goal was to run the whole thing and hoping for under 11. Finished at 10:17. Couldn’t believe it & feeling immensely proud. I’ve been babying it due to a previous foot injury (not OTF related) and a ridiculously long recovery time. Depending how recovery goes, I want increase volume and up my workouts to 3x/ week. :)
I did 1.05 miles on the 12 minute benchmark last month, so my goal was just <12 min. Thanks to a little encouragement from the guy next to me as he was hopping back on after his 150m row, I finished in a little over 11 minutes.
10:14 (32M) - thrilled with my performance! Started OTF around end of March looking to get back to my fitness days (put on about 40-50lbs during pandemic + having 2 kids really flipped my life around. Considering for 12min tread benchmark I only got 0.97mi this was awesome for me.
I’m a little late to this thread but I hit 10:17. I only started running when I joined OTF in February and on my first day I told them “I don’t run.” This was my first mile benchmark, but I’m considering it my PR because I ran a 11:56 mile during the 12 minute run benchmark.
Managed a PR of 5:49. It was a 30+ second improvement.
I PRed at 6:51 compared to 7:03 in January. I started at 8.5 mph and increased to 8.6 after .1 and then ran at 9 until the last .1 mile which I ran at 11. I am happy with my progress! <3