Well, yes. I didn't run in HS or college and I never ran a 1-mile race until age 57, when I entered one (a road mile) on a lark. OMG, I thought it was going to kill me. I did set a PR, although probably 1:30 or so slower than what I could have run in my prime.
One thing that helps me keep persepctive at 45, and I often need reminded of it. My wife will often tell me, "Hey, you are competing with people half your age and could be their dad, there aren't a ton of people out there that can say that". That will often put my mind in the correct place after a race that maybe didn't go quite as I wanted it.
I struggle with that at 40. I see tons of runners on insta, Strava and on reddit that are super-fast and I have to remind myself of that too--a lot of them are between 18-35 and in better shape. Thanks for putting that into perspective!
My remarks pertain to the post I quoted, in which you say to another poster, “But if ….” And yes, I know what the thread title question is. I indirectly indicate this in noting about it being “broad enough to involve answers related to runners’ different circumstances. and my other point about the question pertains to the way OP focused his own situation, which is something I highlighted because I found it odd that you decided to go the “but if” route with another poster.
My point is that those people who say "I am still hitting PRs and I am in my 40s!" are almost always (95%) runners who started training seriously in their mid- to late-thirties. That is fine and I am happy for them. That is a fun way to be part of the sport! Congrats!
The "but if" is just as reminder that they would have had even faster PRs if they had done the same training and racing a decade earlier, and as such, they would not be setting PRs in their 40s.
The answer to the OP is "if you trained and raced in college, you hit your PRs in your 20s. If you start much later in life, you probably PR after 3-5 years of serious training."
p.s. I will admit that I am 100% jealous of people who are still running well in their 40s but I would not trade all the fun I had between 14 and 30 when I was grinding out mileage and racing 50 times a year.
This post was edited 9 minutes after it was posted.
I struggle with that at 40. I see tons of runners on insta, Strava and on reddit that are super-fast and I have to remind myself of that too--a lot of them are between 18-35 and in better shape. Thanks for putting that into perspective!
The problem with that line of thinking is that in Boulder, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, and many other cities with active populations, the old runners are also crushing it!
When people hear that I finished "20th overall in the XYZ road race" they say, we'll that's pretty good because you are twice their age! But what they don't realize is that something like half (or more) of the top-20 in most every road race are masters runners!
This post was edited 5 minutes after it was posted.
I struggle with that at 40. I see tons of runners on insta, Strava and on reddit that are super-fast and I have to remind myself of that too--a lot of them are between 18-35 and in better shape. Thanks for putting that into perspective!
The problem with that line of thinking is that in Boulder, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, and many other cities with active populations, the old runners are also crushing it!
When people hear that I finished "20th overall in the XYZ road race" they say, we'll that's pretty good because you are twice their age! But what they don't realize is that something like half (or more) of the top-20 in most every road race are masters runners!
Good post, and I needed to hear that. I turn 41 in November so this gives me hope that I still have a little bit left in me.
Lifetime goals are to break 3:20, 1:30, 45:00 and 18:33. Once I break all four goals I'll be done. The sub-threshold thread has done wonders in terms of helping me create my own plan. I looked into Jack Daniels but his plans are too involved at times.