Nearing 50 and my legs are trashed

Well my knees are sort of trashed, but I am trying to get it back (age 47), after some surgeries. Just interested, why don't you get back on the bike? Much better for your legs, no?

I don't have any advice for you, but I'm interested to read any legitimate responses to your post. I'm 48 and retired from competitive running about 15 year ago, but I have continued to run off and on since then. (With the exception of a failed "comeback" attempt about 10 years ago, I've never run more than 10-20 mpw since the good ol' days.)

Anyway, my legs apparently feel about the same as yours. I'd been feeling pretty good about runnnig until about a month ago, and then out of nowhere my legs just started feeling shot. Cross-training on the bike, better hydration and diet, and outright rest have done nothing to help. (Incidentally, I feel fine on the bike.) Should I just accept that I'm old and my legs just can't take the pounding anymore?

Something's not right. Weekly mileage plays a big role. Pace is another, such as training too fast. Maybe running too many hills. Wearing shoes with less support than you need.

As for me, I have been running competitively for 45 years. Have yet to enter a race this year. I have been averaging over 50 mpw for almost two years because I have avoided serious injury. Legs have been more tired this summer. Mainly have lower pain discomfort but calves, hammies and glutes are OK.

Tired legs could result from weak lower back muscles (errectus) also SI Joint weakeness. Both of them enable us to lift our legs and stride though.

There's no reason to have tired or trashed legs in your early 50s and been running competively since 1990.

If you give more details, might be able to diagnose.

Get thee to the weight room. I'm 48 and doing lots of squats and lunges seems to have turned the clock back 10 years on my legs.

Once I was back up to 4 solid days a week I resumed running the hard days. My week looks like this:

T ~ am. easy 5-7 miles

W ~ am. track (maybe 4 x 1 mile, 5 x 1200, etc) in :83-:85 per 400 usually 8-9 miles total

F ~ am. 8.5 - 11.5 easy (7:30 - 8:15 pace)

SUN ~ 12 miles with pick up (7 min down to 6 min pace)

I have recently started riding a bit more and have eliminated the Tuesday run.

I have had no desire to race either although I ran one 5k in June (17:42) which was decent considering the layoff.

Do your legs eventually just give up and you have to end your racing?

Eeeeek, the thoughts of hobby jogging are racing thru my head!!!

first, it is summer and no one feels good in heat. So don't panic unless it becomes late September and you still feel trashed. I'm 45 and felt very crappy all summer (in the northeast US), but took one trip to a cool dry place and felt much much better.

You say you had trouble last summer too - maybe you have become more susceptible to the heat.

Second, do you sit all day? Try standing every 30 min or doing some knee bends or bring in a weight to lift.

And try the usual things - massive sleep programs, cutting out gluten, a long slow run or two, etc

Seems like this guy already faced your issue

http://www.fasterthanforty.com/how-jeff-galloway-and-a-heart-rate-monitor-saved-a-runner/

...and when you take 4 months off it may take a year to get back a decent amount of fitness at your age.

Have you ever been to a physical specializing in working with runners?

I'm 44 and I've been running since age 11. I did have about a 5 yr window in my early 30's where I didnt run at all, but since then it's been racing, marathoning etc..

I've been struggling the past 2 years. Mostly my issue is knee pain related it ITB but Im starting to wonder if it's more than that.

I always wondered what would cause me to finally give it up, and I have to say the constant pain is close to doing it. It just takes all the joy out of even the most simple easy runs and it makes it very hard to get in shape to ever perform well.

Good luck, but I have to say I'm darned close to done.

Closer to 40 than 50 here but I had noticed the last year or two that my legs feel stiff, and soar for about the first 10-15 minutes of a run regardless of what I did the day before. By chance I started doing some jump roping for a fitness comp we had at work. The first time I practiced, I jumped for a couple of minutes then went for my run. I immediately noticed that my legs felt lite and loose with none of the usual aches. I have been doing a couple of minutes of jump rope as a warm up since then and my legs are feeling great. Your mileage may vary.

Old guy runner wrote:

Once I was back up to 4 solid days a week I resumed running the hard days. My week looks like this:

T ~ am. easy 5-7 miles

W ~ am. track (maybe 4 x 1 mile, 5 x 1200, etc) in :83-:85 per 400 usually 8-9 miles total

F ~ am. 8.5 - 11.5 easy (7:30 - 8:15 pace)

SUN ~ 12 miles with pick up (7 min down to 6 min pace)

I have recently started riding a bit more and have eliminated the Tuesday run.

I have had no desire to race either although I ran one 5k in June (17:42) which was decent considering the layoff.

Do your legs eventually just give up and you have to end your racing?

Eeeeek, the thoughts of hobby jogging are racing thru my head!!!

So what's the problem? You get out what you put in and you are doing only half of what you need to be very competitive.

Why not consult a professional? Most people are covered by health insurance?

The problem is I don't think i could possibly run more than this without total muscle breakdown.

I am in a constant state of muscle soreness. By Tuesday they feel slightly better than say mid-day Sunday.

But I feel like I am in the midst of marathon training and running 85+ miles per week.

But I'm not...

I still WANT to run 85+ miles a week and be even more competitive...but I can't bear the fatigue of my legs.

Welcome to HobbyjoggerLand, OldGuy. Slow-the-f-down on your easy days and your hard days.

Smismard wrote:

Get thee to the weight room. I'm 48 and doing lots of squats and lunges seems to have turned the clock back 10 years on my legs.

here is the correct answer.....plus step ups

oh, forgot something....most important to do them before each run and after

....especially after...3 sets of 30 lunges, 2 sets of 10 step ups, and 3 sets of lunges 30 times.....no weights

-Throw away the watch

-Train for feel, not splits

-Eat more paleo (more meat, fat, veggies, fruit)

-Run 4 days/cross-train and lift 2-3 days

-more pure speed, drills, plyos, short hill reps

-work on your technique, running tall and light and with good knee lift.

-get your sleep cycles nailed down

-run mostly on dirt and softer surfaces, but at least one session of sprints/strides on the track

-get away from 400-mile intervals until your legs feel great. Then do most of your race-paced stuff as fartlek

-read more of Pete MaGill's stuff

40 great years of running (I'm 56) next week and ready for another great 40!

Tailgunner wrote:

-Throw away the watch

-Train for feel, not splits

-Eat more paleo (more meat, fat, veggies, fruit)

-Run 4 days/cross-train and lift 2-3 days

-more pure speed, drills, plyos, short hill reps

-work on your technique, running tall and light and with good knee lift.

-get your sleep cycles nailed down

-run mostly on dirt and softer surfaces, but at least one session of sprints/strides on the track

-get away from 400-mile intervals until your legs feel great. Then do most of your race-paced stuff as fartlek

-read more of Pete MaGill's stuff

40 great years of running (I'm 56) next week and ready for another great 40!

man, this is GREAT advice and this is what I find myself doing now, been running for 33 years, since age 14, and I am in pain all the time. Follow this plan and you'll feel better