I really thought about how unusual it is to have long runs be something that's just part of the weekend.

I'm also a retired competitive runner (late 20s but ran through high school, college, and after). I respect the people who got into the sport much later in life. But I must say I'm very happy to have had the time to reach my potential before I had to worry about a family or got too far into my career. I don't know how you people do it. I'm getting married soon and while plan on continuing to run and lift regularly I'm happy to rest on my laurels and step back from racing.

Not enough rancor?

It never leaves you. There is no sleeping in even after not putting in the long run on the weekend. Or the guilt of not doing it. Now I take the dog out for about the same time on feet. I miss it sometimes because when it clicked it was such a high. Don’t miss being tired or the upset stomach for the rest of the day if I wasn’t disciplined with post run breakfast.

It's not an either-or situation. Why do you puds act like it has to be one or the other?

I maintain a 17 minute 5k on 3 runs per week. Age 36.

I think a 1:18-1:20 half is doable for me on 3 runs as well, as long as my 10k was in the 36-36:30 range.

I enjoyed yesterday, taking my daughter to the trail and sitting in the car with a donut while she warmed up (2 mile loop) then walked on the trail as she did 6 x 0.25M hills and then cooled down with another trail loop while I waited in the car.

I'm not against actually being in shape and doing the long runs again but lately I've been picking up minor injuries and every time I finally lose weight and start to feel good I get another thing that won't heal without rest so it's been frustrating. So I've learned to enjoy watching my daughter train and improve dramatically, and who doesn't enjoy a donut while doing that?

*lying

Or *laying. 😏

Wow! You sound really out of touch! I hope that you don't coach or advise other runners

I too know myself and know that if I am not all-in to fitness, than I tend to be all-out. I am also this way with my studies, work, and other hobbies. You may counter and say, you can't be all-in to so many things at once, to which I would say, I know. I wish I could be more balanced, but I don't feel wired that way.

I can answer that.

1. many people have their identity tied to running. without it, no purpose.

2. many people are unable to perform a hobby "casually". It is all or nothing. For them it's more about making progression on a goal then it is about that hobby specifically.

3. some might think it is ridiculous of you to ever have "fret" over scheduling a long run. It's 2 hours of a 24 hour day. cut the internet and you'll have all the time you want

I'm closest to group 2 I think. Having something to make progress on has been very beneficial to me. I like that it's something outside work I can work to improve on that's objectively measurable.

My father passed away a couple of years ago. My mother is currently bedridden and on hospice care. If you watch loved ones' bodies fail them up close, running can take on a whole new significance. I profoundly appreciate the ability to go out and run the hills near my home every Saturday morning with likeminded people. I'm pushing 60, and I plan to keep doing this as long as I can.

Yes, there are sacrifices, and I don't pretend that long runs are the only way to find fulfillment in life or anything like that. But it works for me.

This is a lesson I didn't fully grasp until this year. After I stopped running regularly, I gained almost 20 pounds in a year - which isn't a ton, but going from 135 to 155 is quite noticeable, especially when the weight gain isn't muscle. I'm not overweight by any stretch, but I need to figure out how to balance my few runs with a more normal diet (and perhaps some weightlifting thrown in there, too).

Overall this is one of the nicest threads I've read on LR. I see both sides. I pushed hard for years and was a pretty good ranking up til 40 but was tearing myself apart w injury and surgery etc and decided to retire from endlessly pushing harder. I MISS THE LONG RUN along Saddle River path in NJ. I didnt get wiser, just older. Now I run/lift/bike recreationally every day to deal with the struggle of physical and emotional pain. It helps. At 60, I am very fit but ONLY FOR MY AGE. I am just plain old now at 60. Wife passed, kids moved away. Getting old IS hard. Staying in shape helps. If I were still young, I sure would be training and always pushing to medal but I am not young. I am not experienced at being old either. This is my first time being old and threads like this are special in understanding how we all age and think about it.

Thank you everyone for sharing your thoughts of special runs and the tradeoffs in life that come along with it. Glad you got to have those runs when you could. Glad you chose health when you could. Glad you chose to be the best you could be and set goals when you could.

Peace.

The emails arrives every Thursday telling us when and where we will meet on Saturday mornings. For over 40 years, the group has done the Saturday long run. Sun, rain, snow doesn’t stop it. If you show up, make sure you know the route because no one is waiting for you. Now in our late 60s, 70s and yes looking at 80s, the 20 to 22 miler at sub 6 minute pace has turned into 10 to 13 at 9 to 10 minute pace with more time spent drinking coffee and hot chocolate after than actually running. But the race day stories are always the same and they get faster with age!

Nothing wrong with being a hobby jogger!