A question for old timers.

Do most of the older guys who are no longer competing stop because of physical issues from running all those years or from mental issues?

I see runners who come to the sport late competing later on and I tend to attribute that to mental fresness - it's exciting and they're setting PRs as opposed to the "fresh legs" theory. I guess I think it's more of a mental thing for the guys who competed when younger because they're tired of the routine and the PRs set a long time ago. Just curious what people thought. I was just wondering what others thought.

ambassador orange wrote:

Do most of the older guys who are no longer competing stop because of physical issues from running all those years or from mental issues?

I see runners who come to the sport late competing later on and I tend to attribute that to mental fresness - it's exciting and they're setting PRs as opposed to the "fresh legs" theory. I guess I think it's more of a mental thing for the guys who competed when younger because they're tired of the routine and the PRs set a long time ago. Just curious what people thought. I was just wondering what others thought.

For me it's a bit of both why presently I'm just not motivated to enter any race...still I may have a change of heart.

You know that moment - comes at about 8k in a 10k - when you're red-lining it. You're right on the edge of what you can and can't do. How often do you get a feeling like that in everyday life?

I'm 52, re-started my running at 38 (I say re-started because I ran 2-milers in high-school track with a PR of 9:55 and hung up my spikes at 18...just a short 20-year break) and somehow still find the motivation to get out there. Last summer, I lost 3 months due to a stress fracture, and came back to pretty decent form by the end of November. Then, at a 10K X-C race in early December, I got tripped up by some dude behind me, less than a quarter-mile into the run. I finished, muddy and bloody, and my knees were terribly banged-up. My right one hasn't felt good since - I probably did some damage to the meniscus or cartilage and have an appointment soon with a specialist. I think mentally, I'm still pretty much into it, and keep trying to work my way back from setbacks.

I've trained through pain for a half marathon, the Boston Marathon, and a 10K road race this past weekend. So for me, right now, the physical stuff is presenting the biggest challenges. But I refuse to stop and am determined to get treated and healed up for a blistering fall marathon. I'm not setting PR's anymore and I don't care. It's all about feeling alive.

Thanks guys.

I have been the pain/training route myself for years it now seems.

For me I would used to go to a race feeling eager, ready to fly....knowing the training was there..more so, no aches & pains..benefits of being a lot younger?

I still think sure, enter a race & run it for fun? But, the price of entry? And my ego, bigger than Vancouver Island? Also, knowing there is a lingering problem which will be aggravated if I try to push it to recapture the feeling 'nifty at fifty' so accurately describes at the last stage of any 10 km....bottom line, I would HATE to tot up HOW MUCH I have spent over last 1 1/2 years visiting acupuncturist, chiros, PT's all to resolve something which is probably bio-mechanically unfixable..won't go into any more detail or I'll be using sailor language here to express how I feel...thinking back to the questions I used to ask about gait analysis, running style, etc.

Have a good day gents, another dull one here on the West Coast, the Canucks lost last night too!!!

ambassador orange wrote:

Do most of the older guys who are no longer competing stop because of physical issues from running all those years or from mental issues?

I see runners who come to the sport late competing later on and I tend to attribute that to mental fresness - it's exciting and they're setting PRs as opposed to the "fresh legs" theory. I guess I think it's more of a mental thing for the guys who competed when younger because they're tired of the routine and the PRs set a long time ago. Just curious what people thought. I was just wondering

what others thought.

That's a very good question, one that has crossed my mind many times recently. I would have to say it's actually pretty even. MENTAL: how many times can you go to the line and be pumped up, anxious for that gun to go off?? I started racing at a fairly high level in 1962 and have raced hard at every distance from the mile to the marathon until the late 1980s. I have pretty good PRs at all distances from mile to Marathon, and I can say I got as much out of this body as could be expected. The racing thrill just ain't there, but I still love to run.... trail, etc. PHYSICAL: While I have no debilitating injuries, I have chronic stiffness and sciatica that has compromised my running stride/gait. In my "youth", I trained a lot at 6-7 min/mile, did a lot of quality intervals and hill work. Raced a ton. Now (at just-turned 60), that same effort produces 9-10 min/mile that actually feels harder than the faster pace did! It takes 15-20 minutes of "Galloway-stuff" before I can really do a workout. I have compared notes with others of my vintage and have heard basically the same story. It just takes awhile to get the body comfortable. (It's weird, though, sometimes I feel "fast", but in reality it's pathetically SLOW. I think that our eyes and mind play tricks on us.) Would I like to compete again? Sure, but the body says "no"....enjoy the limited amount and quality of running you're able to do. You're right about the guys that are fairly new to racing as masters; their legs are relatively fresh and going to that start line is a thrill they maybe never experienced when younger. STEVE

It would be interesting how F. Shorter & B. Rogers feel, physically & mentally. I know B.R still races/runs & F.S. has tried duathlons. Good for them both! Excellent athletes.

So, how you describe your running now Steve sounds a lot like me.

With me, I'm now doing a daily 4:00 AM route which means near 1 1/2 hr. plus on my feet delivering the morning paper as income suppliment, a great way to get extra cash since I left the public service early few years ago. This means like you I'm careful of how my legs are. 4x a week running for me instead of 6x - 7x a week.

Cheers Chris

Victoria b.c., good point about Bill Rodgers. He did last a lot longer than many elite runners. He loved racing, and I think he still races at a fairly high level, though probably not as often. Amazing athlete, mentally and physically! We have some runners locally, although not in BR's class, that have raced a very long time and still do okay at masters racing. Through a lot of tenacity, they keep at it and get something from it. A few have persisted to the point, though, where they have done irrepairable damage to their body (knees, hips, back) and can't run at all. I guess that's my situation: I can still run at some level and enjoy it,but I don't want to train/race to the point where I could not run at all. As I said before, my PR's are way behind me and I just enjoy the activity of running. Like you, I have to watch what I do to keep running. BTW, more power to you, doing a 4 A.M paper route....that's gotta count for something!! STEVE

victoria, b.c., canada, runner wrote:

It would be interesting how F. Shorter & B. Rogers feel, physically & mentally. I know B.R still races/runs & F.S. has tried duathlons. Good for them both! Excellent athletes.

So, how you describe your running now Steve sounds a lot like me.

With me, I'm now doing a daily 4:00 AM route which means near 1 1/2 hr. plus on my feet delivering the morning paper as income suppliment, a great way to get extra cash since I left the public service early few years ago. This means like you I'm careful of how my legs are. 4x a week running for me instead of 6x - 7x a week.

Cheers Chris

I still run. I have been running for 40 years and have never stopped. As I aged I adjusted. I started running mostly every other day at age 45 and I have stayed with that program to present day (just turned 62). So at my tops I ran 70-75 mpw. Now I run half that amount. I stopped racing at age 50. I fun run races (as in I don't push) now and then but that's about it.

Hey I just wanted to chime in and say that I'm only 19, but every one in this thread is very inspiring. Every time I see some old guy out on the trails I think "God I hope I'm still doing this when I'm 60". Lots of my friends have echoed this sentiment. Just thought you'd like to know that some of us look up to you because you're still going, regardless of speed.

Hey, Just A Kid - Nicest words I've heard from someone with '-teen' attached to the end of their age in a long time. Thanks, my younger colleague.

i'm a former sub 2.22 marathon runner,50's now, i just can't hack fast running any more cos i just can't motivate myself to train enough now,plus work,plus rebuilding my 19 th century spanish farm, plus being a coach ,plus having to look out for an 17 elite year old runner with big

running and scholastic ambitions.I still get out 3 times a week, about 25 miles in total and hack a few 10K's each year,maybe a half-marathon every fall.

Sometimes i leaf through old training diaries and see that

20 years ago today ,i ran 12 miles in 1hr 5, mornings and doubled up with 6x1.5 miles at 5.10 mile pace the same

evenings, then i throw them lying ol'diarys back in the drawer cos i just can't have gone downhill that quick can I???

Hi guys. Glad this thread is still going strong. Sorry to hear about the aches and pains. A few years ago i wa on the verge of packing in - pbs well behind me and a mounting number of injuries that were invading not just my running but my everyday life. Even took up Karate for a year, but couldnt keep away from the running so looked at every aspect of my training. Found a lot of help from 'Power Yoga' and 'The Van Aaken Method' but mainly from Romanov's 'Pose Method'. I know pose gets a lot of stick on this board, but all i can say is it worked for me. The final part of the puzzle was the minimalist shoes - something I wouldn't have dared try before reading Romanov. This is how i got back to regular racing. I'm not fast anymore but i get more satisfaction now than ever and am able to train twice a day (to and from work) without any problems. My advice - keep looking - the answers are out there!

all the same guys and girls that beat me is the mid 70's are still beating me. I notice that a lot of the same names are still in the results.

I started running back in 1976, so I barely qualify as an old timer. I still run but don't have any desire to race. I run 4-6 times a week for fun, fitness, and weight control. My body is a little beat up from all the running and racing I did, so I also bicycle and lift weights. I still follow the sport closely and still love to run!

I started running and racing in 1969. I still have the desire to train and compete, but I'm limited physically (neurological problem: calves have twitched non-stop for 3 years; legs fatigue easily). I get out every morning to walk or jog, to at least move for an hour. I follow the sport closely and collect books on the history of athletics and distance running. The Internet generally and letsrun i particular have been a great boon to the sport, keeping people connected, informed, interested, and motivated.

Just A Kid wrote:

Hey I just wanted to chime in and say that I'm only 19, but every one in this thread is very inspiring. Every time I see some old guy out on the trails I think "God I hope I'm still doing this when I'm 60". Lots of my friends have echoed this sentiment. Just thought you'd like to know that some of us look up to you because you're still going, regardless of speed.

Thanks there.

In 1975 I was finishing the Vancouver marathon painfully having gone out way too fast when the two top master runners both caught me in the last mile. I have to laugh now at my bemusement then at age 27 on seeing a couple of 40 year olds go by me...both awesome runners in their day to be running 2:41!

I started running in 1967 and still enjoy it, but have no real desire to compete anymore. My husband, however, ran to accomplish goals, and found he didn't really enjoy it when the high-level racing wasn't the motivation anymore. Up until I was past 40, I was still able to compete at a top level, but got tired of working hard to run slower. Also, I had the good fortune to not have to pay entry fees, travel, etc. I wouldn't chose to spend the money to travel somewhere to run. Family life definitely entered in as my family became more of a priority than my racing. They had already sacrificed a lot for me to be able to acocmplish what I did. I'm really having fun now running with my son in his high school off seasons. I guess I actually get into pretty good shape, but when his high school season starts, my motivation goes by the wayside a bit. Maybe that will change now that he'll be able to drive himself to and from school, practice, etc., and I have more time. Anyway, I have found that there are many elite runners who gave up running completely and got into other things. My son actually talked me into running a local Race for the Cure in October and I managed 18:22. Part of me wanted to work and try to get the time down, but reality set in quickly. I have to admit I was a little tempted when I turned 50 in March - not to run on the track, though, just the roads.

I'm 50 and train seriously. I think that relatively speaking, I am in as good a shape as I've ever been, helped along by the broad availability of training info. I use Age-Graded percentages to gauge where I am. Once I accepted that I couldn't run 5 miles at my old marathon pace, it became more fun. And in bigger races, I first look to see my age-group place.

Dick Beardsley still runs marathons at 50, but he's almost as slow as I am. You have to figure he does it because he loves it.