50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

amkelley wrote:

The silver lining is that this forced time off has made my bad Achilles tendon feel better than it's felt in months.

This might be a good test case for "Zatopek effect." I have read some accounts of this among elites athletes, but those are young people. I don't know how that affects us differently. I don't want to raise any unsubstantiated hope, but it can be a good learning experience one way or the other.

My week.

M: off.

T: 6 miles.

W: 7 miles.

R: 6 miles.

F: 7 miles.

SA: 6 miles.

SU: 12.2 miles.

Still very low intensity with a bit more volume than last week. I had another chiro session, and I am getting used to my "readjusted" legs. My standing desk has finally arrived on Thursday, and I am going to order another one for home. (This one is for a laptop, so a smaller & simpler one would be enough.) Still debating whether I should race the next half (Apr. 22) I have raced a semi-decent half with even less prep before, but I was four years younger back then. I will take one week at a time, and see how it goes.

The week was rough. Took a couple days off after last week's HM race. I'd done a 14-week buildup and needed a break.

When I got out for a 4.8-mile easy run, my right achilles barked loud. Ouch. Took another day off, then tried a 7-mile tempo run, and nice negative split out-and-back. The achilles, OK going out, just a bit sore. Coming back, forget it. Hurt bad.

So, 11.8 miles on the week.

This achilles thing, I'm looking at a training break it appears. I'm signed up for a 14-mile trail race this weekend. I was going to take it as a training run. As of today, I'd say it would be foolish to subject my tendon to this run.

Anyhow, I had a good build and two HM marathon PRs clustered about my 60th. How can I complain? (Never ran a HM until 58, thus the PRs). I blogged about the runs here:

http://thegrumpyrunner.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-to-pr-half-marathon-start-fast-or.html

amkelly, congrats on your fine HM run. Interesting to see you run pretty high mileage on race week. Everyone has their own ideas on that, but it did not slow you down. If you can shake the flu and do your HM this weekend, go out slow, is my thought!

Thanks to all for the insights and inspiration.

mo'pak, how is your son doing? Was he close to his flatmate?

He is going ok now Alan, thanks.

The young man was a former work colleague who had nowhere to stay, no money and seemingly no family. My son gave him a place to stay for a few weeks which turned into a year. He also arranged a new job for him.

They were pretty close although the lad had a major problem with drink, rec.drugs and dark moods.

The suicide was a couple of days in the planning not a spur of the moment thing.

Unfortunately 2 of my son's workmates found him.

Unfortunately suicide is the number one killer of men under 40 in our country.

I called in to see my son today and he seems to have moved forward pretty well.

He said he feels no guilt that it happened while he was away. He feels, quite rightly, that he had done everything he could to help his mate.

mo'pak,

In my previous career I was a college coach here in the States. I once had an athlete that had a very dark side. I was eventually forced to remove him from the team and he left school. A year or two later this individual moved in with a former student-athlete of mine, under similar circumstances to that of your son. The conclusion to the story was even more horrific, with the dark one murdering the helpful friend.

Igy

This young man's darkness always manifested itself in self harm and suicide ideation. He was very much a sensitive and gentle soul unfortunately lost in despair.

mo'pak,

Too bad. Sad for those that remain. Best to your son.

Igy

So incredibly frustrated.

Got my feet swept in a dick move in a hockey game 4 weeks ago and my back is still not recovered.

I've been shuffling along for only 5 miles at 9:00 - 9:30 miles (feels slower) for a couple of weeks now thinking that I would recover once hockey season ended. But hockey has been over for more than a week and if anything my back feels worse.

With spasms in the car yesterday, decided to take a couple days off.

Weather just hit 55* here in Minneapolis; perfect weather so seriously bummed.

Ken

racerdb wrote:

Coyote Montane wrote:

Went a long ways to get oh so close to an age grad 90%!

Very nice. A 90% (or 89.9%) is always a good day!

Dave

Thanks. You've been an inspiration with all your 90%s and up and top USATF finishes.

I'm sure you've often wondered if things might have ended differently if you'd handled things better. I'm happy not to be in your shoes.

Run-walk, baby! ... The back needs whatever time it needs.

I point to Tiger Woods, who is always trying to return to form "in time for X tournament". (The latest X is the Masters, if I recall the headline correctly.) Instead, he should let his back dictate the return timeline. News flash, Tiger: there's a golf tournament every weekend. You can skip a few.

Same principle applies to running.

mo'pak wrote:

I'm sure you've often wondered if things might have ended differently if you'd handled things better. I'm happy not to be in your shoes.

Hi Iggy this is not a post from me.

I am guessing your demented personality disordered cyber stalker is back in action.

mo'pak,

Yes, I figured as much so did not respond. I refer to him as the Detector Dude. He was harassing me at the same time on another thread. Off now for the morning routine before work. Have a good day.

Igy

On my infrequent visits here I often see that some things don't change. 🙄 I visit because I enjoy reading the escapades of the real runners here. I admit to generally skipping posts about "alternative" training, anything to do with treadmills, and the obvious exaggerations. I guess some people just cannot help themselves. Still there is much worthy material here and to you stalwarts I say, "Well done!"

Getting back to the comments about being breathless during a race, I would concur that a physician assessment and treadmill (most likely need a stress echo) would be in order, and/or pulmonary function testing. Between the two, you can discover if you have cardiac vs. lung issues.

I have scheduled a stress echo for myself in a couple weeks. Just seems like I've not been able to run nearly as fast or energetically in just the last few months, as I approach age 66. Though I eat very healthfully and take a statin, and maintain a low weight, my family history is for heart problems. Only "problem" I have with the stress echo is that my share of the cost is $750! Yikes.

On a running note, last Sunday's attempt at 12 miles in cool weather ended at 11.5 instead. I felt mentally/psychologically/emotionally exhausted. I don't know if it's just a need for vacation, need to get my own "house" in order (including my home, which needs rehab), or if it was a bad reaction to using Gu (instead of another gu-like product, such as Huma gel). So my Tuesday track session was quite slow and discouraging, too, with my two 800's at barely under 3:50 each. So suggestions/input appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Mike, I know you said you are a healthy eater, but have you had your ferritin level checked? Just a thought.

Mike L,

I am similar age (66.5). I currently weigh 180 lbs and I should be 160 lbs. A lttle over 6' so carry the extra weight well, but 160 lbs better track racing weight. I eat healthy, may need to go to statins. Last check-up was total Cholesterol and LDL was high. Everything else was good.

I do find I break down when stringing to many running days together. Up to age 60 I could run every day with no issues. Also, I feel backing up the cardio with weights and core are optimal at this age.

Not sure if any of this helps. Here is what seems to be working lately:

Monday: Tempo runs (warm-up 2 miles, tempos 3-4 miles, cool-down 1 mile)

Tuesday: Spin bike, weights/core

Wednesday: Repetitions/intervals (warm-up 2 miles, repetitions/intervals 2-3 miles, mile cool-down)

Thursday: Spin bike, weight/core

Friday: Easy run/strides (2-3 miles, mile of strides)

Saturday: Long run (8-13 miles)

Sunday: Off

Best,

Igy

Did you have some advice for him, or do you just like talking about yourself?

To OF, the ferritin suggestion isn't too bad, but I did just have a complete CBC done in the last month, and my RBC values were all normal, and I've never had issues with anemia, so seems unlikely.

To Igy, I have been thinking of an occasional day off but I do love to run a little each day, even if slowly. The funny thing is that it was raining so hard the day before the 11.5 miler that I just went back to sleep before getting up and going to work for the day. So it was my first day off running since Jan.28. Go figure, right!?

We can ignore BB, just a troll,

I did see suggestions that you had. I do think I'll get that stress echo done, even though it may be a very expensive negative test.

Anyone else have adverse reactions to Gu products (I see it has fructose in it).