50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Greetings!

Dave, good luck with breaking 20, looks like the chances are good (based on your consistent training)!

I ran a 17K trail today (about 16.7 km to be precise), was 29th of 743 OA. Like a year ago, surprisingly won the masters category (45+ there). Time does not matter much there, but it was 1:19:17. Like two weeks ago during the city HM, it was hot (27C, about 80F at the start), but since it was 90% in the shadow (thick forest) it did not feel that hard. Felt OK and everything was under control today in spite of dirty and hilly course.

Great running and training to all!

I still am having a great stretch of training building towards my July 4h 10k. Over the last six weeks I have been running the same Saturday morning 10k trail loop. It gradually drops 500ft over the beginning rolling 5-1/2 miles and then climbs back the 500ft in the last 1/2 mile. My average mile pace has gone 9:20, 9:16, 9:09, 8:59, 8:55, 8:50 at the same effort level over that period. I have two full weeks plus a short taper week left before the race. I'll be very happy if I can drop my pace another 10sec/mi by the race.

Good to hear of a nice race by Orient and some very good training by dhaaga and ogII.

I've continued to be limited by my bad Achilles to running only every other day on average, 34 miles last week and 25 this week. I have a 10K coming up in a week and a 5-miler on July 4. The 10K is in Fresno which is usually hot in mid-June, but the long-range weather forecast doesn't look too bad and the race starts at 7 am, so it should be OK. The 5-miler is about a 10-mile drive from home, starts too late and is run in full sun, and will probably be bloody hot. I've run one race per month in January through May of this year and may be able to keep that up for the rest of the year. My August goal is a half-marathon two hours away alongside San Francisco Bay, which is usually cool enough even in August. But it's still not clear that my heel will allow me to do the necessary training for a half. We'll see!

Happy and healthy running to all.

It has been a while since I put anything up here because I've had almost no running to report. My hip starting hurting after a long run, not bad, but got more sore when I tried running on it again. I could do low impact training without much trouble so lots of that. I always try to do some other training to help avoid injury, but also to make it easier to switch to something different if I have to. I found it interesting how fast I got better at other training by doing more of it. More reps with the weights, and a gear or 2 higher on the bike for example. I am getting some running in now with no problems. So will increase that slowly but still cross train a lot. I had to skip 2 races I wanted to do, but should be good to go again soon.

good idea on keeping up the cross-training. It's not just for when we're unable to run at all.

Happy Father's Day to all. I'm heading out for some kayaking and hiking, attempting to beat predicted afternoon rain

20:04 for 5k last night, so a few seconds slower than goal time. Matched exactly my 2023 time at same race, and I was then about at same stage of comeback from most recent injury, so I'll take it. 69th OA, 3rd AG (1:20 behind Mark Neff, 23 seconds behind Jeff Duyn, whom I consider a ringer since he's 65 and usually not in my AG, but this race was 60-69).

I guess technically being 65 is not an advantage relative to 63, but still.....

have a great week,

Dave

Nice race, dhaaga!

I ran a Father's Day 10K today in nice conditions for mid-June, temps only in the 60s. I won my 10-year age group with 59:13, three and a half minutes faster than in this same race last year but a little disappointing given that I ran a a few sec/mile faster in my April half-marathon. (Today's course was rolling while the April HM course was almost dead flat.) I haven't been able to train much for the past two months because of my continuing Achilles problems and I've obviously lost some fitness.

I don't run with a watch, but I'm starting to think I should. Today the digital clock at the finish line read about 59:01, so I was figuring a chip time around 58:40. I was surprised to look up the results and find a clock time of more than 30 seconds slower. It wasn't just me--everyone who finished around me had the same difference of 30-35 sec between official clock time and what the clock said--so I can only assume the finish-line clock was wrong. Too bad.

I'm waiting with some trepidation to see how bad my Achilles feels by tomorrow morning, and will avoid making any firm plans until then. I'm hoping to run my local 4th of July 5-miler in 19 days.

Happy and healthy running to all!

Happy Summer! (heat wave here in DC right on cue). That's interesting about not running with a watch. As I do everything by time rather than distance these days, I always have watch, but for what it's worth on non-speedwork days ignore what it's saying along the way re pace/mile even if i'm on a marked path. More relaxing that way. To me the best use of it is early stages of half-marathon or marathon where going by feel can get me in trouble -- unlike 5k/10k it feels fine......for a little while.

Started training this week for twin cities marathon early October. I qualified by the skin of my teeth for a comp entry based on age grade from my best race last year. I guess flying somewhere to race for free is not going to qualify me as a personal finance wizard, but main motive for selecting this one is to visit our daughter who just moved to Minneapolis.

have a great week,

Dave

49 years over 100,000 miles

week:37.5. Miles
year: 894.26. Miles
since 2018: 11,369.36 miles

getting lower lumbar ablation soon

Running crippled….. basically

I'm still on track with my training for a July 4th 10k, but I was starting to feel a little overworked, so I took a complete rest day on Monday and Saturday. I ended the week with 34 miles and good workouts on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, plus my usual Wednesday and Friday easy days. Today I did my Sunday long run of 10 miles at close to the same pace as last Sunday (9:35/mi on a loop with 900' of climbing). From now until the race I will try to work a little on speed and getting my legs rested and feeling good for the race. My son and his family are arriving midweek from NZ and visiting for a couple of weeks, and planning to run on the 4th also. The weather here in San Diego has been great for running and looks like it will continue that way through race day.

Good running to all!

Good work, dhaaga, on getting a comp entry into Twin Cities. I have a definite soft spot for that race, having run my OTQ there under perfect conditions in 1991.

My sore Achilles is still preventing me from running on consecutive days. This week I ran three days for 26 miles, including a very nice long run of 11.7 miles on a delightfully cool morning. While the midwest and northeast are in the oven, California is having a cool spell and Saturday morning was probably the coolest we'll have for the next three months. I was able to put it to good use.

I'm still pointing toward racing a 5-miler on July 4 and then a half-marathon on August 2 (a 2-hour drive away in the bay area, where it probably won't be too hot). Then devote the rest of August and September to backpacking, forest fires willing. I'm officially retiring at the end of the month and I'll finally be able to go backpacking whenever I want during those months, after the mosquitoes have exhausted their life cycle. Finally!

I'm taking my time coming back from an injury, so only 12.4 miles running this week. It seems OK, but want to make sure before I do too much. It usually was fine with cross training, so 40 miles of biking and 6 or 7 hours of weights, rowing, elliptical and stair climber.

I apologize for my ignorance but I’m looking for some help on where to go in terms of clubs and races that suit me. A little background, never ran in HS or college or on any team. I’m about to be 41(m) and have always just trained on my own. In my 20s I was focused on Ironmans and marathons, and that shifted to ultras and then to competitive cycling. Now I’m back to run training and have been at 60 miles per week this year, some weeks to 90. In the last 2 months I’ve incorporated a speed workout, a tempo and about a 12-14 mile long run.

ive noticed that I now prefer shorter efforts and have been focusing on 1 mile, 5k and 10k. I’ve done solo time trials for all recently and have the following times: 4:58 mile, 17:30 5k and 37: 05 10k.

can you recommend any clubs in the San Diego area, races(want to try racing the mile), or general direction for me? I am open to coaching.

oldguy2 and Socal Cush post here and will likely provide you some direction. Give it a few days.

Sdrunguy, you have very good times for 40+, but as you probably know, San Diego has a lot of talented athletes here. I ran very similar times in my 40s and rarely made a podium in local road and XC races back then. San Diego USATF has a great Summer Nights Track and Field series. The next meet is listed on their website for July 16th, and has a 1600 for its first event. They also have an XC series, Dirt Dogs, that has races about every two weeks from August through early November. The information is all on the San Diego USATF website.

I can be marginally helpful on team information. Most of the local teams contest the Dirt Dogs series and a couple of the road races, like the Carlsbad 5k. Other than that most of the competitive runners have individual races they focus on throughout the year. I am a long-time member of the Jamul Toads. We would be happy to have you run for us, but we currently don't have anyone else in you age group. We have been consistently strong in the 50+, 60+, and 70+ groups for a long time. We are fairly loosely organized with our team scattered from one end of SD County to the other. We have no dues or sponsorships.

The strongest 40+ team last year was Boom-Milestone Running, which I think has some minor sponsorship from the Milestone Running stores (formerly Movin' Shoes).

Prado Racing Team (PRT) had the second best 40+ XC team. They used to have a little New Balance sponsorship, but I don't know if that's still the case.

San Diego Track Club also has a team but I don't know anything about their current structure.

You should be able to get contact information for any of these clubs through SDUSATF.

The Toads and PRT usually both get a good turnout racing at the Scripps Ranch 4th of July 10k next week. If you are considering racing or spectating at it don't hesitate to introduce yourself and ask questions. Generally, all the teams in SD are very collegial, and lots of people train and socialize with people from different teams. I hope this has been helpful.

Thank you so much for the response! I’d be honored to run with the toads, I’m fairly familiar with history of the team and importance in SD. I’m sure I could learn a lot from you guys. I was planning on doing the dirt dog series but didn’t know if I actually needed a team to run with or not(would rather try and score some points for a team if I can). I’ve never ran track so I’m kind of intimidated, but willing to give it a go.

I was thinking of doing the Old Pros 10k. I’m someone who likes to scout a course before doing a race and compare relative times to prior results. So last week I ran the Old Pros course and got my 10k PR. Issue is, I am not sure I want to pay $65 for the race.

Anyways, I’ve always kind of tried to stay aware of the better runners and teams in the area so I am familiar with the teams you mentioned. I don’t think at Prado, Milestone, B-Side, etc level.

If I don’t run Old Pros, I will try to swing by for the race as I live in the area and try to meet some of you guys.

I have nothing too exciting to post, but I'll do so to keep this thread from falling too many pages down!

I'm still fighting my sore Achilles and being limited to running roughly every other day. Over the past 14 days I've logged 67 miles including two longish runs of 12.3 and 10.6 miles and a 5-mile race on the 4th. The 5-miler is my local race which I've run many times but not since 2019. It's rather bush league--nominally only one filthy port-a-potty for nearly 600 runners (I did find more associated with the parade a couple blocks away) and chip timing only at the finish, so I didn't get back the seconds it took me to cross the starting line. The weather was about as good as it gets here on July 4, temps only in the upper 60s with a dew point near 50, but the course is almost entirely in full sun and it felt plenty warm. I felt I paced myself well and finished strong, and won my age group in a time that's about what I'd expect based on my 5K 6 weeks ago and my 10K three weeks ago.

My husband and I both officially transitioned to Professor Emeritus status on July 1, although for another year or so we're only semi-retired as we are both still advising Ph.D. students and I'm finishing up a research grant. It's going to be weird when mid-August rolls around and we don't have to go back to teaching!

Happy and healthy running to all.

Like amkelley posted, nothing too exciting, but not much else from anyone this week. Looking at I want to do for fall marathons, maybe Las Vegas and one in the Northeast. But coming back from a sore hip I need to get the miles up, but not too fast and get another injury. I also plan a lot of cross training getting ready for a half and maybe 2 marathons.

For the week:

running: 27.1 miles

biking: 54.2 miles

rowing: 8000 meters

elliptical: 6.8 miles also weight lifting 3 days

Haven't posted for a long time.

Ran 11:33 3000m in a good scrap with "Charlie," another poster not seen for a while, in the Hayward Classic three years ago (age 65), ran 19:45 for 5000m in the Butte to Butte, the same year, and ended up the campaign by managing to win the 3000m at the World Senior Games that October.

At that point had already started having some odd right leg problems. That April, I fell over sprinting flat out on the track, while the right leg just failed to function, and was having to straighten myself up from a lean coming out of the bends on the track. I also found after around eight miles, I had a hip flexor trouble and pain at the bottom and outside of the leg just above the ankle (which would hurt like crazy driving).

Didn't do a lot for a couple of months after the World Senior Games the when I came back was running well initial apart from hip flexor trouble.

Looking back at film of the Hayward Classic I eventually worked out that I was leaning to the right and had a straight right leg (rather than under the center of the body) in the stance phase on the right leg. Eventually I was struggling to walk and had lean to the right to do that. I also notice a fair bit of muscle atrophy on the right leg.

Have been doing a lot of physio and slowly getting back to a little running (starting with a mile of walking 100m/jogging 100m), but had a major breakthrough about six weeks ago.

I've always had right SI joint issues, mainly with it sticking. What the physio came up with, however, is the possibility that I had right SI joint instability.

A combination and an SI Stability belt, taping and Stoko shorts (they have a cable system to stabilize the hip and SI joint), has made a big difference.

I've started doing a session of 2 miles of 200m run/100m walk, and having begun taking about 25 min, over about 5 weeks, I've got it down to just under 23 min.

I've got a lot of work to do to strengthen the right leg, but at least we're back running and doing something close to training again.

So at the moment I'm doing three runs a week - 2 miles of 200m run/100m walk; 12x1 minute run/i minute walk; and a 2 mile jog (very slow) and two or three 15-20 minute treadmill sessions. I've also been doing upper body weights, and a lot of step-ups and glute bridges for leg strength (can't handle leg weights and recover to run yet).

It looks like the unstable SI joint has been causing right leg dysfunction for some time hence the muscle weakness, and stabilizing is having a big positive impact.

At the moment, I'm just happy to be improving again and having less pain (driving has been horrible, and sleeping tough), and I'd settle for being able to run normally by this time next year, giving me 12 months to get fit for 70+. We'll see!

My son and his family are visiting from NZ, so I was not looking at the message board this weekend. I was happy with my effort at my July 4th 10k, although I hoped to be a little faster. I was about 25 seconds faster than last year running 7:32/mi pace, but had I hoped to be running around 7:15/mi pace. Now I just need to consistently put in the mileage until our local XC series starts in mid-August.