50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Continuing to try to rehab my strained quad. I didn't help things by re-straining the quad with a minor slip on a sand-covered rock during a low-ambition mountain hike last weekend. Over the past two weeks I ran one mile once, and within a few hours the quad was talking to me. So it's been mostly cycling, too much of it on the indoor trainer because it's too dark in the morning.

Totals for the past two weeks: 1 mile running, 8-9 miles hiking, 194 miles outdoor cycling, 5 hours on the indoor trainer, and 11.9 km of swimming. Plus nine days of resistance work in the gym and two horseback riding lessons, as I decided to try riding again after not being on a horse for about 45 years. (It ain't pretty.) The riding makes me sore in other places but I don't think it aggravates the quad.

I'm still hoping to be able to start running again before I lose all the fitness I clawed back over the summer. Sigh.

I had a really low week (35 miles) rehabbing my lower left ham, but it's feeling much better now. Prior week was 60 miles, which is fine, but too much intensity on hills and pace. Learned my lesson I hope LOL.

I gotta throw this out there: today there's the annual cyclocross race at my local park, which attracts teams and riders from Virginia, Maryland (Annapolis and Baltimore big showing), and of course DC. Age groups plus Category 4-1 racers. For those who don't know, Cat 1 riders are the highest performers at the amateur level. You move up in categories by accumulating points in sanctioned races. Anyway, it's always a well attended interesting day.

As someone on the cusp of 60, who still trains decently hard, and watches my diet, I was flabbergasted by the males in my age group in terms of whole body strength. Not just very large defined leg muscles, as expected, but very low fat and upper body strength as well. Are we runners just not training enough core, or are these cyclists getting there with help?

I don't need to look/feel strong and muscular, but I do still want to run as fast as I am capable for 5k - 10 miles. I'm not a marathoner, but jeesh, I seemed weak compared to many of these dudes LOL.

Another consistent week for me. 50 miles with a strong threshold run of 9 miles at 7:37/mi for me yesterday. A muscle just above my ankle was definitely sore when I started to run this morning, so I just walked for 80 minutes. I'll take everything easy this coming week until our next 5k XC race on Saturday.

Good running to all!

Somewhat lower mileage for the week with 44 miles. I like to do an easier week about once a month, partly for recovery, but this time also to be fresh for a marathon relay this weekend. I've signed up for 3 relays and have only done the first one. It was kind of fun supporting the other runners on the team, and doing my best to not let the team down. But one several years ago and the one this weekend were cancelled because of weather. Maybe I'm just bad luck for the team. I hope not because I'm signed up for one more relay later this year. Now back to training for my next marathon in 4 weeks.

hope your marathon relay went well. Relays are a fun change of pace. I was on a team for one on Cape Cod (total 80 or so miles in about 8--10 legs) in the early 80's for a couple years with my brother-in-law and his friends. Lot of fun and good competition

Back here in the 21st century I had a mostly good week, highlights being:

1:00 with 20-min tempo Monday (flat, slow, sluggish)

1:40 with 6 X 5:00 (3:00 jog) at 5k effort Thursday [felt better, livelier)

20 mile race this morning in 2:34:31 (11th OA, 1st AG). Approached it as a hard training run 4 weeks out from marathon. 1:21:30 in 25th at halfway, 1:13:02 on the way back. IIRC Frank Shorter supposedly would do 20 milers with first half at 6:00/mile and second half at 5:00/mile, so I'm going to start thinking of myself as "similar to Frank Shorter, only about 2:15/mile slower"

Hoping for the best for those of you in the Southeast. My daughter in South Carolina has lost power but otherwise ok, while my cousin in North Carolina near Asheville is personally ok so far but in much worse local situation in terms of flooding etc.

--Dave

Dave, congratulations on your impressive 20M race result! Was the course mostly uphill at the first half, and then down at the second? Time difference seems pretty high!

My week was a routine one but rather good as it was the second (and final) week of vacation (thus good rest and recovery procedures). Logged 49 miles with a good portion of uphill work in the mountains and also did two broken tempos 2x2k @5k pace and 2x3k @10k pace.

Happy running to all!

dhaaga, congrats on an excellent race! I wish there were more 20 mile or 30K events around--I've enjoyed those distances the few times I've been able to race them.

It was another week of trying to rehab my strained quad. I did three short runs on Mon-Weds-Fri for a grand total of 9 miles. The quad still gets quite sore and stiff after a run and I don't dare push it any further right now. I also logged 102 miles of cycling, as it gets progressively harder to ride on weekdays because of the late sunrise, and 6 kilometers of swimming.

There was a small 5K/10K race 5 miles from my home this morning. I really wanted to run it, but felt it wasn't a good idea to further aggravate that quad. I just looked up the results, and 9:30/mile pace would have won my age group in either race. Oh well. I'm now targeting a 5K/10K in two weeks, 40 miles from home. I'll see if I can be recovered enough by then to risk a race.

Happy and healthy running to all!

Came home to run one of my favorite races from the 80’s

Didnt feel quite right. Woke up and the GERD I’ve been terrorized with since 2008, was on fire!!!

I had to go to the local small town ER which was the best ER I’ve ever set foot in. They couldn’t find anything!!!! I had this tremendous headache…called my sister and asked her if she had a Covid test kit. She did.
She met me in the hotel parking lot and I did the test

Positive for Covid. Temperature 100.

second test positive, temperature 100.5

Hotel said I could still stay. I’ll have to cancel flight home I guess for a couple of days and hope hotel will extend my stay by at least 3 days… car in garage at airport will cost more to get out.

I contacted everyone I thought I hung out with yesterday to include 4 freshmen runners that I ran into from the local high school I ran into at Golden Corral.

The crazy old man with the “ glory days “ stories. I really made an ass out of myself with my enthusiasm. I nearly climbed up on the tables…ridiculous and in the busiest Golden Corral in the United States.

Still got 11 miles in before all this.

great vacation

dhaaga, nice negative split 20M race. As I planned last week, I took a very easy week of just 90 minutes walking with a 100m stride every half mile on Monday through Friday. Saturday I had a 5k XC race, which was OK, but didn't feel as good as the one two weeks ago. My time was about 15 seconds slower than last year. I was at nearly the identical time at two miles, but was the fastest guy in the "slow pack" and had a big gap to the guy in front of me and definitely eased up in the last mile. The next XC series race in two weeks will be 8k, and I plan to get some good training in before then.

Good running to all.

Pardon me for mentioning the subject in this thread, but I have to ask:

Vaxxed ?

I got the first two….

100.5 again….i gotta pay 4 more days for a room and changing my flights cost me 235 bucks!!!

Is everyone doing strides? How many etc?

hi everyone,

We hope you are all doing well. Lots and lots of changes for Michelle and I. Currently taking refuge in a cabin next to a river in Central PA.

Anyway Michelle is in base training and is possibly in petter performance range then ever.

We are looking for some options for road Mile, 5k and 10k in the up coming months. They need to be record qualified contacts. They are the last age group records she doesn't hold. We are not as familiar with the road races as we are track stuff so I thought I would ask you all. Also I ran a 5k! Like I said - a lot has changed.

Mike

I've had a good long stretch most of this year with no injuries, so instead of pushing my luck with too many miles I'm adding in more cross training. So for the week 55.2 running, 56.4 on the bike, and a little rowing and other things. This week will be 2 medium long runs back to back instead of a long run. Long run again next week. Then pretty soon a marathon or two or three yet this year. Stay healthy or get healthy soon everyone.

Hi Alfie,

I am doing 5x100m with jog back after each very easy run three times a week. Recently, I ramped up to 6x100m and the total duration of this very easy runs including strides is 80 to 85 min.

BR

Current weekly structure (of course life and works gets in the way some days):

Mo 80 min very easy incl 6x100m with jog back

Tu 60-75 min incl 10x400m @5k with 400m very slow jog

We same as Mo

Th 60-75 min incl 4-5x1500m @ST with 100m slow jog @45s

Fr same as Mo

Sa 60-75 min medium paced run (call it AT)

Su whatever I feel for, could be 1.5 h very easy in the hills or same as Monday or off or whatever easy short or start running for a couple of miles and cont. walking in nice forest...

BR

M53, don't race, just recreational hobbiest, hobby MD (800m) from age 15-35, low-medium talent, would target 40-42 min for 10k if I would pick a race in a couple of weeks...

You sound like a mess. Why don't give a plant-base raw foods diet a chance & see if your health improves? Markus here is 62 but easily could pass for 30! He has no physical ailments, isn't on any medications & work outs almost everyday. He says a 100% organic raw foods diet was a game changer:

Increase testosterone levels naturally with a raw foods diet:

I'm 63 & started a plant-base diet a few years ago. The diet cured my chronic GERD & Barrett's Esophagus problems. It also significantly reduced the pain & inflammation from my post-traumatic OA. I work out everyday with a 50/50 cardio-strength training split & feel great! 💪The diet is unbelievable & very cost effective. 👍

14 miles

Flew home on 25th

Met local HS freshman XC guys at Golden Corral. Got so excited talking about our sport, I completely made ass out of myself. 48 years hard work building a reputation down the drain in my old hometown.

Tested positive for Covid on 26th after going to ER for what I thought was digestive issues… they couldn’t find anything but I left ER with terrific headache. Sister met me in parking lot of motel, tested me. Positive. Temperature 102.3.

Temperature stayed there nearly 48 hours. Sister brought me food, motel staff good ole hometown folks. Leaves stuff at my door.

Temperature is normal now, dry cough is just miserable. Fatigue is miserable and lungs are burning.

Had to extend motel 4 days, get new flight ( that cost me 235 bucks) May go out today.

Great vacation