A question for old timers.

Older runners? wrote:

Do you or any of your contemporaries stop running altogether or just run on their own and not compete?

most quit, a few still run a little, a fewer still (like me) enter races 30 years after their first road race and 33 years after their first track race

Older runners? wrote:

Do you or any of your contemporaries stop running altogether or just run on their own and not compete?

Especially the real competitive guys "in the day" don't run seriously, and def don't race, but many would still run 3 or 4 times a week to blow out the cobwebs...particularly if they have a desk job.

What is an older runner? Most of those in their 40s to mid 50s call themselves that so I guess my friends and I are Older Older Runners. I ran my first race in 1952 and my first marathon in 1961. Now I try running (I guess it would be considered jogging? by most) every second day and run in a race once or twice every few years. The last one was last October. I started running with a group of marathoners, many were older than I, in 1971 and we still get together ever Sunday for our exercize and breakfast. 3 are in their 80s and three more will be 80 this year. (Three of our group, all in their 80s, passed away in the last few years but none have died of a heart attack.) About half of the 50 in the group walk only. One 74 year old runs marathons but the others stick with occassional 5 and 10 Ks. We are all still having great fun.

Thank you all.

Condolences on losing your friends Mr. Atkins.

74 years old and marathoning? Tough dude. That's not

Ed Whitlock is it?

I'm in my fifties now (WOW how did that happen?) and am still out there. My race times are abysmal owing to back issues and PF, which is currently quiet, and which makes me very stiff and sore at times (like getting out of bed in the AM) but I still try to get out regularly.

Family issues and work actually interfere more now that ever. I have a parental caretaker issue plus a full time job with an early-AM starting time. Gets me to bed early.

My goal this year is a 10K I have my eye on in the fall. I have a time goal in mind. If I don't hit it I will bag the racing most likely.. If it gets so painful that I have to walk, then maybe I'll add cycling and walk a ton.

To my fellow old-timers: what shoes are you wearing now? I came across an old Runners' World and looked at the shoe section. Radical difference between shoes in the 70's versus today. I keep wondering if all the added features on shoes today really help?

Ed lives near Toronto and I am in LA. I have only known Ed for 4 years and he is not part of our group. I hope to see him in June when I visit Canada for the Cambridge Classic Mile. Ed Whitlock is now 76. He ran the Rotterdam Marathon in 3:04.55 two weeks ago. The temperature got up to 27 degrees celsius. Ed said he passed about 70 runners in the last few miles.

3:04 at age 76. Inspiring.

Older runners? wrote:

Do you or any of your contemporaries stop running altogether or just run on their own and not compete?

I'm not really still rolling but I still run everyday for an hour or so. Keeps everything moving in the right direction if you know what I mean.

Don't compete except for Basketball at which I still get up and down the court better than most of the players.

I started running in 1970. Raced in high school and college, but my collegiate career was a disappointment--although I won two duel meets in cross country and qualified individually for nationals.

Time is an issue for me. I only get to run in the woods on Sunday mornings. Every step is delicious. I usually go 11 miles on Sundays. Otherwise, I roller blade in the dark in my subdivision at night, or use my elliptical machine, usually for 90 minutes a day. This keeps my legs fresh. Very rarely, I will run pavement at night instead of the skating or elliptical. I almost never get injured. Running, even 5 miles a day every day, just keeps my legs always achey.

I think of myself as a RUNNER, although running is now only a small part of what I do. I just do the cross training stuff so I am fit enough to make my 11 mile forest circuit. I never race anymore. I follow the men's and women's NCAA running scene very closely and that motivate me more than anything else to keep going and think young.

Except for a couple of more trail 50ks (not considered running on letsrun) I haven't really done much running this year--sort of settling into the 65th year.

Why would anyone stop? Running becomes a part of life.

Where is this forest - just geographically curious.

Older runners? wrote:

Do you or any of your contemporaries stop running altogether or just run on their own and not compete?

A lot of guys I used to run with back in the 70's aren't running at all it seems...for various reasons.

Myself a life long runner since my teens now run perhaps 5x - 6x, 20 plus/minus per week nothing fast any more due to some chronic problems. Haven't raced since 2002 and honestly I don't think I miss races that much, though I sometimes will time myself over a known route while training, generally alone. I should say due to beginning a 7 day a week 4:00 AM job I'm probably going to run less times a week.

Emphasis is to keep active, running is the best activity I still say.

Meant to add I'm 6 mos. away from turning 60! Hope to be getting out 4x a week for 60 min. a good goal for me.

What I HAVE seen over the years is; guys/gals brand new to running find this activity after canning sports like rugby, hockey. baseball. Others come to running after tossing 30 lbs. as well as their smokes and do very well. Easy to understand these folks are using 'young legs', they don't have much of the wear & tear which most 35 - 45 yr. runner types have.

A Pied wrote:

3:04 at age 76. Inspiring.

Yes, 3:04 at age 76 really makes you stop and think a minute. It's incredible.

Does anyone know former elite, or former sub-elite runners (in your area) from the 1970's that still run socially? I bet 95% of them don't race, but was curious about them running for exercise.

Kinda curious.

Here in San Diego we have Steve Scott, Thom Hunt, Al Scharsu, Phil Camp, and a number of other elite, and a lot of sub-elites from the 60's and 70s that still run and race regularly.

Some who recently turned 40 are still running hard. The older guys I know, including me, just run. Some for exercise, mostly for the joy of it. Trails still feel good under foot, even at a slow pace.

There does seem to be something to the "wear-and-tear" theory which limits how long a person can keep hammering.

I believe that there are more runners in their 50s that still compete than is indicated here. They just quietly do their thing. I talked to a mid 50s guy today who had run Chicago and continues to race. I believe he ran around 2:50 in 2006. It appears that Rono, Rodgers, the Dillons and a good number of their former teammates and friends are still racing. The wear and tear seems to get the better of a number of long term distance runners as they move out of their 50s and approach 70. As one ages, it may help to retain as much conditioning as possible but be conservative when it comes to hard running. I talked to a former teammate this week who had run Boston in 1962 and then ran Boston 25 years in a row beginning in 1975. He is now in his mid 70s and races a few short races each year but no more marathons. If you scour the continent you will find a good number of long term runners still competing.