50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Also one of the originals, I think I was 53 when this thread started. Good to see some of the usual suspects here along with new posters.

67, retired last year, long-time runner

I was able to xc ski more this winter and have enjoyed that. Been running about 4-5 days a week and getting in about 40 miles, skiing twice a week consistently since Thanksgiving. Have only raced twice since early November, the latest was yesterday. I did a 5K tune-up race here at 6:07 pace and felt decent despite having more of a positive split than I'd like.
Have an 8K, 12K, and a couple of 10Ks coming up this spring. Maybe some big life changes (which kind of got turned upside down earlier this year). Otherwise, all is well.
Good running everyone, nice to see some of you running healthy and best at getting back on track to those who are dealing with injuries and such.

Greetings Y'all. Longtime member. Too long since any activity with this fine group. I'm approaching 65 but suffering from post left hamstring major surgery (May 2023). Rallied somewhat one year ago for a fair Indoor Meet in FLA (where Worlds is today) BUTT since has been a year of start up set backs. Have added 2x week of personal cross-training and stretching. BUTT only seem to be able to max out at 30 mpw volume. And now my question for y'all... Any masters here suffered from overtraining syndrome? If so any magically successful solutions? You know we runners struggle with "just rest for a week". My BUTT would appreciate any advice. Thanks. KPdx Kevin Paulk.

I ran the second half-marathon of my "comeback" this morning and took nearly 4 minutes off my HM 5 weeks ago, finishing in 2:04:17. Five years ago I would have thought it impossible to run that slowly, but two years ago it was impossible for me to run even a quarter-mile, so I'm very happy with the result. The half and full marathons started together and I kept my eye on the 4:10 marathon pacers, two nearly identical little Asian women taking turns carrying the pace sign. I very slowly reeled them in until I was just behind them when the half and full courses split at 7.6 miles. Then I just tried to keep it up to the finish. I had lots of company the whole way, with about ten people finishing within a minute of me. It certainly got hard near the end and my calves were threatening to cramp, but didn't. I won my age group with seven finishers by 19 minutes and placed 59th out of 344 female finishers overall.

I'd spent Tuesday through Friday traveling, with way too much time in the car, not nearly enough sleep a couple of nights, and eating the wrong things at the wrong times. However, I didn't have much time to run and I only got 24 miles in the 6 days preceding the race, and perhaps that enforced taper served me well. It was a fast course, nearly flat except for one big overpass run in both directions, and the weather was fine, dry and calm and rising from lower to upper 50s.

I now have 12 days to recover before another HM a week from Saturday. It will be hard to improve on today that soon, but I hope I can at least win my age group again.

Happy and healthy running to all!

M66+ here. Kevin, what kind of overtraining do you feel? My usual problem since youth is that though the "engine/diesel" is OK, the "suspension" (mostly legs, but butt too) is weak and injury prone. The obvious solution after 60+ was to switch to cross-training and run mainly on workout days.

E.g. 8 hrs and 7 min of training for this week. And only 29 km (18 miles) of running. The rest was on elliptical and arc.

Good luck!

With a marathon coming up soon I bumped the miles up to 60 for the week, but did a little less other training. My long run was pretty slow, but I just wanted to get some time running in, and not worry about pace. It payed off 2 days later when I did some hills and speed, and it felt pretty easy. Near the end I wanted to get some planned marathon pace in, and had to slow myself down a couple of times. So that was a good sign I'm getting where I want to be.

Have a good week everyone.

KP - Jack Daniel's had the most succinct answer ever when I quizzed him about overtraining for an article I was writing. He said, "Don't do it." Those three words pretty much sum it up. Once overtrained, the only way out is to step back and recover ... in severe cases, for up to a couple months. It's a combo muscle/nervous system burnout that can't be reversed with supplements or any altered workload that doesn't include completely backing off higher-intensity training. If you haven't quite hit the overtaining threshold yet, there are two things I've found helpful: 1) Up your carb and H2O intake (you can't absorb carbs as muscle glycogen without the water) & 2) Long, extremely slow distance for as many days as it takes for your legs to start feeling normal again (an old Lydiard standby). But if you are past the point of no return, you'll have to back off. I've had to do that in the past--no one likes it. But the quicker recovered, the quicker back to training. I miss you, man. Hope your life is going very very well.

I expect to be running despite some more medical woes, but don't expect to be close to my hoped for goal of less then 22:00. I'm expecting more like 23:00-24:00 at that point. There should be a good-sized group of Toads on the starting line and hanging out in the parking lot at Grand & State St. post-race for most of the race day. I look forward to seeing you, and not looking at your back in the race like every other time we have both been there.

Thanks for the kind words, but not close to you these days. Breaking 30:00 will be a real challenge. My conditioning is good for two miles and under, but just starting to run more after a pretty good break. I definitely will look for you and say hello. 23:00-24:00 is really fast in my view, but you are one of the best M75, and that is what it takes.

This might be a good time to chime in as I see a few other
old time original posters this week! I’ve been around here so long, this thread
used to be called Masters Weekend Races & Runs. I began in 2004, I think. And
since I don’t have much of a running life outside of this virtual world, this is
where my running world existed…

I wasn’t sure how my ‘retirement’ from competition would
play out. Would I get fat? Get slow? Pickup some unhealthy dietary habits? Lose
motivation? Become normal like every other 65 year old I know? Well, it’s kind
of cool because none of that happened! I can say 100% truthfully that my
fitness has never been better. Without all of the crazy obsessive habits I had
with just running. I’m fitter, healthier, much stronger, feel better and
unbelievably, just as fast or faster.

I’ve cut my running down to about 20-25’ish miles each week.
Never two days in a row. My average pace is about 7:35/mi for my 4-7 mile runs.
Once a month I’ll do a 10 mile test run. February’s was in 1:13:55, 7:24 pace.
It was my fastest 10 mile run in maybe 7-8 years. And once a month I’ll push
a 3 mile run. Those are around 19:30, about the pace of my tempos when I was
racing. I did jump in two low key local races; a 40:37 freezing cold Turkey
Trot 10K and a 19:50 while falling on the ice in an even colder New Years Day
5K. Vo2 Max has been the same or higher. Currently 55; it was 58 in November. (According
to Garmin)

My alternate days away from running have been 3+ mile brisk walks
and biking, or both. I got a Wahoo Kickr Core indoor bike trainer last year so
that’s made indoor biking very enjoyable. I’m also still working full time in
my construction business.

Another cool thing is my pushups. On June 9 I could do only
12 pushups. Twelve! How pathetic. My typical everyday is now at least 40. With
my record being 37 in a row. And 100 for a 15 min session. Bench press has
improved from just ONE set of 5x85# in June, to three sets of 8x115#. I never
would have imagined improvements like this. I know it’s a stretch but I might
even look better…

Lastly, my main goal was to gain some lean weight. Maybe 10 pounds.
I was an unhealthy 160-161# last June. At 6’2” that just wasn’t a good look. I’m
now at a real nice 169'ish, with no fat.

So that’s it from here. All is well and will hopefully keep
getting better!

Have a good run! Or walk, or ride…

Dave

KP,

I'll echo Pete's comments. I went through it in 2020 during the height of COVID (what else was there to do?) I looked back at my training: after dropping out of a 1500 TT in early July because I was overcooked, I spent nearly 2 months mostly doing easy runs and added some mileage - got up to a 20 miler by the end of Aug. After that, worked in a few sessions of hill repeats then went back to the track feeling fresher.

Good luck - hope to see you on the track sometime.

Racerdb, you are running some pretty good times yet on not a lot of training. But there are lots of studies showing that strength training and aerobic training is best for aging well. And those are some good gains with the strength for you. I never got into running much until 15 years ago, but I did hard work all my life, and started lifting weights right after high school. I still do some weight lifting twice a week, and I've been doing it harder the last few months. Running Level also has a strength training calculator for some things. I had open-heart surgery just over two years ago, so had to take it easy on the chest for a while. So I didn't do any bench presses until 2 weeks ago, although I did push ups. My best recently is 30, but by doing more and adding bench presses I hope to get up to 51, which is better than 97% of men at 71 doing them. I can still do 11 chin ups which is better than 97%, and I need a marathon time under 3:47:13 for that 97% again. I was under that last fall, just have to do it again. Kind of a goal to get all 3 this year.

Some improvements in severe sciatica by doing back exercises that I was taught during similar injury back in 2008.

Knees are still shot. Going to 50th anniversary of my local hometown race. Flying back in July.

Probably the only race I will attend. All the old guys are coming back.
Hope they have medical there ha

It’s my PR course, 37 years ago. (17:06)

Training is …… well, it’s not training anymore but I spend a lot of time out there. I’m near 500 miles for the year now even though I’m near entirely broken down.

Its funny, here’s an example of a day:

5am: .50 mile walk before breakfast

8:30am: 3 mile “run”/1 mile walk

10:30: 1 mile run

1pm: 1 mile walk

It’s important that in the back of my mind, the goal must be to not break down so badly that I’ll need assistance In living. I’m a widower, no family.

At the same time, I hope to make the entire 5k and celebrate afterwards.

Hello,

Nice to read from the long time poster. Overtraining is no joke and takes the joy out of everything (except the couch). Was a I bit tired on Monday. Spring weather came. Wished some recovery and some quick fun running this week:

Mo 6 km very easy

Tu 7 km easy

We 12km incl. 6x200m with 300m jog.

Th 13 km started very easy and finished 2km at SubT

Fr 12 km incl. 2x(3x200m with 20s recovery) with 4min jog

Sa 12 km easy

Su 8 km incl. 5x100m with slow walk back. Tried to progress speed to nearly max for the last rep.

Stay healthy, keep the fun. BR

Greetings!

7 hours and 20 min of total training this week with only one workout. Today did 3x3 km on road with 3 min in between (1 min walk and 2 min jog). The main goal was to stay slightly under the LT HR. Sure it varies throughout the season, and now it is definitely lower than at the peak, but I assumed it was 145 and tried not to surpass it. Also, was monitoring the breath: have it either 4/5 or 4/4/5.

Per 3 km loop (time per km with HR in brackets):
1) 4.24 (135) – 8:45 (137) – 13:07(139), HR 1 min after – 103.
2) 4.22 (139) – 8:41 (141) – 13:02 (142), in 1 min - 108.
3) 4.22 (140) – 8:45 (142) – 13:06 (143), in 1 min - 114.

About 9.5 miles in total.

Happy running/training to all!

This week was recovery from last Sunday's half-marathon. Everything felt fine except for some mild tightness in one hamstring for the first few days of the week. I logged 46 miles for the week including a "long run" of 11.6 miles yesterday and a 4.2 mile hill run today.

Next week I'll taper back down and try to have as much in the tank as possible for Saturday's half-marathon. The weather forecast thus far is very good, unseasonably cool but dry. I'm planning to wear my lightest shoes, which are not the ones I wore in last Sunday's HM. I'm going to need some kind of edge to improve on that race!

This is my last semester of teaching, and I have six weeks left to go. I'm already sniffing the finish line.

Happy and healthy running to all!

congrats in advance on end of semester and faculty career. I'm planning on 4 more years and occasionally wonder what my attitude/motivation might be like in the final year -- definitely won't be doing stuff like organizing our annual grad student progress eval as I am now

ok hamstring-rehab week for me with a lot of cross-training and some slow running, mostly short but up to about 10 miles today. Starting a new round of physical therapy this coming week. Enjoying the warmer weather, peak cherry blossoms, and start of baseball season (Nats just 2 games behind with 160 to go).

Have a great week,

Dave

Been a while since I posted. Enjoy following others, while I have been silent.

Been running steady, 45 miles this week. About to turn 65, and looking forward to a new age group, while trying to stay healthy. Starting to lower mileage as a seasonal adjustment as it starts to heat up in Texas.

Had a few good workouts this week, including a 17:21 3 mile run. Need to start incorporating some shorter specific intervals, as I generally focus on tempo runs as I enjoy them and seem to be able to handle them regularly. Have a few shorter races in the next few months, and need to develop some speed.

Hi all,

Mo 12km incl 6x100m builups/jog back

Tu 12 km incl 6x200m/300m jog

We off, no time

Th 12 km incl 3x1500m/100m jog

Fr 12km incl 6x100m/jog back

Sa 12km incl 3x100m, 3x30m flying

Su 12 km incl 6x700/100m jog

Happy and healthy running!

BR

I ran my second half-marathon in 13 days yesterday and managed to improve by another 43 seconds. Three seconds per mile isn't a lot but I'll take anything I can get. I felt I ran a well paced race with a slightly negative split. After a little "down" between 8-10 miles, I picked it up and ran hard over the final 5K. Won my age group by 15 minutes with 9 finishers. The weather was fine, 48 degrees at the start, 57 by the finish, dry and sunny. I was seeking shade over the last few miles but never felt too hot. A satisfying race overall. My 2:03:34 was 13 minutes slower than the last time I ran this race six years ago, but I'm happy just to be running again.

I felt pretty wiped out the rest of the day yesterday and woke up several times last night with bad calf cramps, so today I just jogged two miles easy and will do a short bike ride later this morning after it warms up. This is probably my last half-marathon for a while, since it's too hot here during May through September. I plan to focus on trying to improve my speed over 5k to 10k during the next few months.

Happy and healthy running to all!