Do retired elites keep running and stay in shape?

I'm convinced the only reason I place as highly as I do in the masters division is that the guys who were faster than me in our prime are no longer competing.

I wish I could deny that, but it's an absolute truth. 14:15-14:50 guys who stayed with or came back to the sport filled the itch vacated by the 13:50-14:15 guys, and the scale slides from there.

I also believe in the brand new Porshe that was never driven theory : People who get into running after the age of 30, and turn into quality, serious runners. I fit in that category. Even though I have been running since I was 19, I didn't start competing until I was 39 ( I'm 44), and I just feel there is lot of ability that I have yet to tap into.

My plan is to run until I'm dead, and that is what a lot of Master runners want to do. They just simply love to run, and to run for competition.

I agree with your sentiments scorpion runner. I'm a 50 year old New Zealander and love to run. I am unusual in the fact that despite running all my life, I always run alone and have never entered an official event. The weird thing is that I am highly competitive within myself and often time trial on the track alone. Recently I ran 25 laps (10km) in 35.07 which I am very happy with given that I've never been a club/event runner.

I average 90km per week and run everyday. I love it and will also try to run until I'm dead!

Scorpion - I agree with your new porsche theory, as I'm an old porsche (or old clunker). I like to run, but no longer for competition - as I mentioned earlier today on this thread. Being a decent (but not great) D1 runner, I guess I would have beat you if we were in college at the same time (since you didn't even run in college), but I have absolutely NO desire to race now. Although I've lost all desire to compete, I'm also happy running about 40 mi/week and plan to run until I'm dead as well!

Hill Run wrote:

I agree with your sentiments scorpion runner. I'm a 50 year old New Zealander and love to run. I am unusual in the fact that despite running all my life, I always run alone and have never entered an official event. The weird thing is that I am highly competitive within myself and often time trial on the track alone. Recently I ran 25 laps (10km) in 35.07 which I am very happy with given that I've never been a club/event runner.

I average 90km per week and run everyday. I love it and will also try to run until I'm dead!

Wow. That's awesome time. You should really get into a couple of races. I hope to maintain that ability at the age of 50. That is what I I am aiming for.

Art Vandelay the fake one wrote:

Will you continue to go to the office after you retire?

Will I go to the office... doubtful. There are plenty of professors, executives, etc who keep an emeritus title after retiring. They get to keep an office, stay engaged, and share wisdom without the daily grind. I'm sure having an easy place to get out of the house doesn't hurt either.

As far as elite runners, sure there are people like Bob Kennedy who was a stud in his day, but when he hung it up, he quit for real. As in no running, and gaining a lot of weight (he was my hero back in the day).

I could also point to a guy like Scott Baughs, who isn't running at nearly the level he once did, but still likes to show up at road races and compete with the sub-elites.

Kid running after kipchoge wrote:

In general, do elites that have retired keep running (obviously less) and stay in a reasonable shape for their caliber (like 15 minutes for 5k or 30 for 10k)?

Or they retire completely and don't run at all, being sick of it?

It really depends on why they retired? Serious injuries, a new corporate job, a family on the way, coaching position.

Strangely, the Kenyans tend to put on the most weight in retirement, so watch out Kid.

Former D1, sub 13:50 guy. I enjoyed competing, not running for the sake of it. Don't miss it at all. I do trail runs sporadically with a friend, but have zero motivation to run on my own. I can finally play soccer, tennis, and other sports without worrying about injury.

It does really depend. After college, I ran huge amounts of mileage and became a sub 2:20 marathoner. Once I became older, my body deteriorated due to those years of high miles. I still run 4-6 miles everyday, and am still thin, but haven't raced in years, and will probably never race again. Glad I ran all those miles when I was younger, and drained every ounce of talent out of my body. Some elites' bodies can do high mileage, and still run fast when old. Other elites would get blasted by guys who took 10 years off from running after college, and are now back to training hard. Others have just quit running forever. Some have just plain gotten fat, and even a 5 mile jog would be difficult.

My guess is most probably continue to do some running, but not serious competition.

I was a good but not great collegiate runner - 8:20/14:19/30:22. Basically didn't train seriously from 24 through my late 30s. Would mess around for a few months and the man not run at all for a few months, etc. Put on a fair amount of weight, etc.

Finally decided to get serious about it again and have had a good masters career (7th masters at NYC, 1st masters in Chicago, 3rd in 45 and up in Boston, 1st masters at Cherry Blossom) and cannot imagine not being a runner again, but I also recognize that I basically already gabe the sport up for more than a decade already once, so it really is hard to say I am a runnner for life.

Thank you Scorpion, - I think you will retain what you have,its all about consistency and attitude. Luckily I have never once had a running injury. The only issue I notice at my age is that it takes me longer to recover from hard workouts ! Ive also discovered the importance of resistance exercise to combat the increasing pace of muscle wastage with age.

But yeah I`m a consummate solo runner which is probably why I enjoy watching Almaz Ayana run - ha, ha!

Rob MF Watson

Bullshit.

Hill Run wrote:

I agree with your sentiments scorpion runner. I'm a 50 year old New Zealander and love to run. I am unusual in the fact that despite running all my life, I always run alone and have never entered an official event. The weird thing is that I am highly competitive within myself and often time trial on the track alone. Recently I ran 25 laps (10km) in 35.07 which I am very happy with given that I've never been a club/event runner.

I average 90km per week and run everyday. I love it and will also try to run until I'm dead!

Steve Moneghetti is still in great shape at 54. As former winner of Berlin, he's there right now for the HoF induction.

Thank you for your thoughtful reply,- Let's run posters are such a supportive bunch!

While a slight degree of body dysmorphia from years of high level running would like to tell me differently, I've managed to keep in relatively good shape despite not having trained competitively since winter of 2015 (maintaining

***sorry for the multiple post, it appears most got cut off for some reason***

While a slight degree of body dysmorphia from years of high level running would like to tell me differently, I've managed to keep in relatively good shape despite not having trained competitively since winter of 2015 (maintaining within about 10lbs weight gain from ideal race weight when the going was good). Working 40hrs a week, with odd hours, is a drag (my choice, i know), and balancing a social life with exercise is often cumbersome.

However I still get out to run about four to six times a week, and I've been able to avg mostly in the 6:20-6:40 range for the bulk of training runs (its a mircale how fresh you feel when you arent consistently working out). I tried doing a couple fartleks here and there, but too many soft tissue injuries have resulted from trying to do anything faster than sustained 5:45 pace efforts despite having the aerobic capacity to do so.

I enjoy getting out for a run after work, more so then I every did while running "professionally." I think what i enjoy most is being able to play pick up basketball, join rec leagues etc. that I never had time for when I was running full time. Being able to balance my life with sports (and other) things that I enjoy more instead of worrying about a small injury that would ruin a season turns out to be pretty important to overall mental health.

Groucho said it best in running with the buffaloes (paraphrasing here), but when you run you often think of only the boring, the mundane, and too often are focued on the minutiae of the task at hand (completing interval at a certain pace, putting your left foot in front of the right, and so on) when competing at that level. Being removed from that has given me a better appreciation of running as a whole, and while thankful for all the opportunities given to me running professionally, Im glad that I dont have to obsess over EVERY (or mostly every) detail and can just enjoy the smattering of horns on the 80 during rush hour traffic as I run through the berkeley marina every now and again.

For the longest time I had a fear about what I would be without running or competing professionally, what I would be when no longer discussed on message boards such a this, and so on. I'm heading out for a run at Sawyer Camp tomorrow, and its nice to not be encumbered by those doubts any longer. I can enjoy the sights and scenery, and just go out for a freaking run. Thats pretty cool to me, and I look forward to it each and every time now.

deltabravo wrote:

Steve Moneghetti is still in great shape at 54. As former winner of Berlin, he's there right now for the HoF induction.

I heard that the "retired" Steve Moneghetti on Saturdays would get up early and run 🏃from his house across town (Melbourne, Ballarat etc) to the children's athletics where he would help out. When that was finished if