50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Logged 53 miles last week with a Saturday race. Still feeling 100% healthy. Kind of disappointed I'm not racing as fast I think I should be. But I'm going to stay the course, trust the training and hope everything will fall into place in Syracuse in 3 weeks.

Week went like this...

M: 9 miles @ 7:49 inc. 9x20 sec strides @ 5k pace

T: 7 miles @ 7:54... horribly hot & humid

W: 8.25 @ 6:48 inc. 4xmile (600.0,558.2,556.2,555.1) + 4x40sec @ 5:00 pace

T: 5.43 @ 7:46

F: 5.35 @ 7:34 inc. 4x40 sec @ 5k pace

S: 5 mile race 29:11 ( 550.7,542.8,554.7,602.7,542) AG 88.05%

S: 8.05 @ 7:30

The race had pretty good hills the first 1.5 and a nasty hill from 3.75-4:00. I was shooting for 28:30'ish, 5:42 pace but it didn't happen. It was humid and rainy but felt ok for racing. The 50's slide continues. Same race, same course in the previous years verifies this... 2011 26:57, 2012 27:53, 2013 28:03, 2015 28:43

This week I've got 65 miles w/two workouts; Wed: 3 miles easy tempo then 5x600 @ v02 max pace, Saturday: 15 w/5 easy, 8 easy tempo and the last 2 w/8x20 sec @ mile pace

That's it from here. Have a good week.

Dave

Sounds like I may have stumbled onto your group's basic strategy. Fear of injury, and my perceived need for lots of recovery time, limit me to the 3 to 4 running days per week.

The past few months I've been pretty consistent with biking a couple of the off days ... usually 20 to 25 miles at 18 to 20 mph ... on mostly flat roads.

For those in your group who didn't do well with the long long run, and short midweek miles, are there other strategies they've tried with more success?

Thanks for the feedback!

I just realized that today is the 35th anniversary of my first marathon. Having never run more than 20 miles, I didn't know what to expect.

My goal then, as now, was 3:30. I was exactly on pace at the half, but so bored with the 8 min/miles, I accelerated through the second half, finishing with a couple sub-6s.

To be 22 again! Not the most efficient way to run a 3:15 marathon, but it removed the fear factor for the next one. Way better than crashing on the first try.

Alan Bennet wrote:

I think if you make your 3:30 goal it will be because of your previous background and not because of your recent training.

Well, to the extent that since late July I began to include runs longer than 12 miles, I think my very recent training is key to any success I may have on October 9th.

The 15-miler in July was the longest run I had attempted in at least 12 years!

But, yes, four-and-a-half decades of on-again, off-again training must count for something!

Allen1959 wrote:

But over the past couple months I have successfully included five long runs:

15 miles @ 8:29/mi (July 27)

18 miles @ 8:38/mi (Aug 15)

20 miles @ 8:18/mi (Aug 23)

15 miles @ 7:42/mi (Aug 29)

23 miles @ 8:48/mi (Sept 8) warm and humid

First, welcome to the thread. As Alan mentioned, it will be an interesting experiment. I think your 15 miler on Aug, 29 indicates you are more than capable of running sub 3:30.

I have run more than 3 hrs in training only once, and I ran a 5 min positive split in a following marathon. My longest run for the last cycle was under 2:50, and I ran a negative split. So at least for me, running for the time duration is not crucial for maintaining the pace late in the race. Each runner is different, and I think we become more different as we age. So I think it's interesting to see how your race goes.

My week:

M: swimming 1000m.

T: 4 miles / 7 miles.

W: 10 miles (4th mile @7:47, 5th-9th miles @ 7:30)

R: 7 miles.

F: 7 miles.

SA: 7 miles.

SU: 10.2 miles.

I started a mini-tapering after the workout on Wed. My half marathon will be on next Sunday.

Dave, I wanna be you when I grow up!

Allen1959 wrote:

For those in your group who didn't do well with the long long run, and short midweek miles, are there other strategies they've tried with more success?

I only know what works for me (Lydiard) and one other guy (Hansons). It really surprises me that 99% of the group (except for the triathletes) sticks with the provided schedules. Out on the trail I keep my opinion to myself -- it's not my place to knock the training plans. But the Hansons guy always brings it up, which is how I know about him.

Allen1959 wrote:

For those in your group who didn't do well with the long long run, and short midweek miles, are there other strategies they've tried with more success?

The training methodologies of our top masters are vastly divergent; from Ed Whitlock's 3 hr a day plodding to Tom Mccormack's blister it every day. Each finds their own way.

My only strategic advice;

1) If something is not working, above all, don’t give up

2) Keep trying new things until something works

3) Keep doing what works

4) Repeat, because what works now may not work next year

This week will be a bit of a write off. We arrived back in London yesterday and fly home via Singapore early tomorrow and won't be home until late Saturday evening.

I managed a gentle jog and some strides on Monday and a few easy kms yesterday.

Last week included some good running Thursday and Friday. We arrived back at Holyhead from Ireland (ferry ) @ midnight and drove our van up to Holyhead mountain for our night sleep. I ran a tough hour up the 2 peaks of Holyhead in the morning, both have old Roman fort ruins on top. I also did the 4 mins of stairclimbing up from South Stacks Lighthouse. All done in horizontal hail.

Friday morning I completed the 3 peaks with Wales highest Snowden. A wild windy day from the start got far more interesting grom half way. A number of times I was blown to a standstill and had to crawl up the steps to reach the summit cairn unable to stand upright in the wind. No views for the last half due to low cloud.

About 75 mins for the climb. The return was tricky as gusts of tail winds blew me down the track out of control at times. I caught up to my wife a km from the end. She had hiked up to half way. About 2 hours total running time.

mo'pak wrote:

She had hiked up to half way.

Further evidence that women are more sensible than men.

@paul061 - Growing up is no fun.

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Week 276

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Greetings, 50+ers! Got more miles in, but I'm fatiguing more easily and taking breaks more frequently....need to be getting more sleep, still hovering around 6-6.5 hours/night--I need closer to 7.5 function well. Somehow managed about 34 miles on 5 days of running with one workout and a few other embedded "effort" miles. Log reads as such:

Sun: 7.1 w/ running drills

Mon: Off

Tues: 5.6 on the track w/2x2000m, 400 jog between (8:18,8:17)

Wed: 4.1 mostly easy (7:51 avg pace)

Thur: Off

Fri: 7.1 variable pace (7:39 avg pace)

Sat: 10 (7:35 out, 7:58 back w/15-min midpoint break)

I was pleased with the 2x2000, both were at sub 6:40 pace. Had hoped I could possibly do a third one, but that was wishful thinking. Hidden in both the Friday and Saturday runs were a few other short breaks to catch my breath. The Friday run had a 6:55 at the 4th mile, and the previous Sunday run had a 6:38 mile at the end. The out and back on Saturday was more even pace than it looks---the out had more downhill and was with the wind, the back was obviously the reverse. The hip got pretty stiff by the end of the run; been here before, it'll work itself out with consistent stretches/foam roller/trigger point massages...takes time though.

-Props to racerdb on a fine race last week.

-Welcome, Allen1959. Not much of a marathon runner myself, so I can't really give you much feedback in that regard. Positive splitted badly on both efforts around age 50....but I also never did true marathon training, so not a surprise.

-I see that trailblazer Ed Whitlock is still crushing road records:

http://www.irun.ca/blog/index.php?p=27040

. His 49:47 10K bested the previous AG (M85) record by over three minutes; that record had stood for 23 years!

I really don't have much else this week....nose to the grindstone. How are things in your corner of the globe?

All the Best!

LONG time no chime in...became a member of 60+ group back in May but have only raced twice since doingg so...track 5,000 in 21:40something in a wind storm and 3K flat roads in 12:03...no big shakes.

Passed 106,000 lifetime miles last Monday and shall surpass a whopping 1,000 for the year in a few more days (remember when we regularly tallied 3000+ miles annually...uggghhh)

Considering a half marathon in 4 weeks...would shoot to run 7 something or other...a high high 7 something.

Am basically in maintenance mode limbo with an eye towards running a sub 6:00 mile on the track next spring...ran but one this past April in a PW 6:02 (personal worst)...aging: it ain't for sisissies ;}

Train don't strain,

MF

congratulations on the 106K! I remember back when your odometer turned over 100,000; seems like just yesterday.

ok week on my end:

Mon. 13 [double]

tues 11 with hill repeats

Weds. 16 with a few pickups to marathon pace

thurs 12 [double]

fri. 7

sat. 10 with 2 X 2 (2:00 recovery) marathon pace (13:16/13:15)

sun. 8

Had intended to run an x-c race Saturday, but some calf and hamstring soreness as of Thurs morning made me decide to scratch. I think less frequent racing [approx. once/month] works better for me anyway.

have a great week,

Dave

Thanks dhaaga...100K was 12/17/12...so took nearly 4 years to scratch out these past 6,000...granted, most of the time was focused on 800/1500 training which results in lower mileage weeks, but nonetheless, nearly four years to accumulate just 6K...eeegaaaads ;}

Great to see that you are running strong...that was one solid week you just amassed...mr steady eddy indded.

MF

Hi all -- looks like many of you are making the most of early autumn!

I missed last week's update. Rather than go over all the workouts for two weeks I'll just say that I got to 55 last week, and 45 this week. Today marks two weeks from my marathon (Wineglass in NY) and training is going as well or better than expected.

My only plan is to stick to the plan -- basically the Hansons program, adjusted as I see fit. I usually finish each week with about 5 to 10 percent less mileage than prescribed. But I follow the overall structure pretty closely, and do the 16-mile long runs as ordered.

Looking forward to my taper! Hope everyone stays or gets healthy. Ciao!

61 years old. 100,000 (approx.) miles since 1977. two knee surgeries, 6 epidurals, prostate cancer, colectomy.

week: 31 miles (so far)

Mon: Off

Tues: 3.1

Wed:6.2

Thurs: 7.3

Fri: 4.1 went to Dbacks/Dodgers game.

Sat: 6.2 went to opening day of Coyotes rookie camp

Sun: 4.1 Going to Dbacks/Dodgers game. Will do another run when I get home. Sure hope Dodgers stick to their best line up. I hate to drive 30 minutes to downtown to se Gonzales is out, Saeger is out....Although I am a Dbacks backer, I HOPE they play all rookies. They are out of it anyways.

I think the Dodgers will stick to their good line up because they are just 4 ahead of the Giants and play the 6 more times in the next couple of weeks.

Yesterdays Coyotes rookie camp was great and this team will be a Stanley Cup contender in the next 3 years.

Injury update: Having problems in lower plumbing area. Don't know if its from the colectomy (adhesions) or maybe the cancer. I and my docs have been on top of it though and I decided on active surveillance but it psyches you out!

Oh well, tie to hit the road for another ballgame..a 1:10 game.

Season tickets for NHL hockey and MLB baseball. Retirement is tough ha.

Three weeks to go before my first marathon attempt since 2003. As I noted earlier, I have been doing low mileage with a lot of days off. I went back over my log, and tallied up weekly mileage and total running days each week. It's a little disconcerting to see just how low the mileage has been, but I am still looking to run 3:30:00.

A look at the past 16 weeks:

Week...............Total miles......Run days............Key workout

05/30-06/05.....12 mi total.....1 running days.....12 mi @ 8:20

06/06-06/12.....17 mi total.....3 running days.......7 mi @ 7:26

06/13-06/19.....16 mi total.....2 running days.....12 mi @ 7:46

06/20-06/26.....17 mi total.....2 running days.....5x800m @ 3:00

06/27-07/03.....17 mi total.....3 running days.....10 mi @ 7:47

07/04-07/10.....24 mi total.....3 running days.....5x800m @ 3:00

07/11-07/17.......5 mi total.....1 running days.......5 mi slow jog

07/18-07/24.....21 mi total.....3 running days.....12 mi @ 7:50

07/25-07/31.....20 mi total.....3 running days.....15 mi @ 8:30

08/01-08/07.......6 mi total.....2 running days.......4 mi @ 7:00

08/08-08/14.......7 mi total.....1 running days.......7 mi @ 8:08

08/15-08/21.....33 mi total.....3 running days.....18 mi @ 8:38

08/22-08/28.....31 mi total.....3 running days.....20 mi @ 8:18

08/29-09/04.....31 mi total.....4 running days.....15 mi @ 7:42

09/05-09/11.....30 mi total.....2 running days.....23 mi @ 8:48

09/12-09/18.....22 mi total.....3 running days.......9 mi @ 7:22

I think I will try one more 18 to 20-miler early this week, and maybe a 12-miler the next week, and taper to race day.

A pretty good week of training for me with a fun race on Friday:

Mon: 6.3 E

Tue: 6 Track

Weds: 6.3 E

Thu: off

Fri: 6 with 2-mile race (1st sr. grandmaster in 15:29)

Sat: 6.3 E plus 3.1 measuring XC course

Sun: 9.5 E

Total 40 miles

The BMW race is on the test track which has some hills and lots of curves. It was 85 degrees at race time with high humidity. My goal was to just put two miles together under 8:00. Without any buildings or trees around the track, it's difficult to judge pace and I knew my competition went out way too fast. It only took about 3/4 of a mile before I passed them going up a hill. The winners got beer glasses as prizes but I think we should get free "Hot Laps" on the track with the test drivers. It's amazing to watch their driving!

I'm still not where I want to be fitness-wise but I know I'm making good progress. Next up: 5k XC race in ATL on Saturday so this will be a cutback week.

racerdb - Good training! It will be great to see what you can do in 'Cuse now that you're healthy...have faith in the work you've done.

Mike F - Glad to see that you're back!

C0l0rado - Enjoy your taper and good luck in the M!

ghlm - Welcome - are you training for any races? Cubs fan here...

Allen1959 - It will be interesting to see if your plan works. I don't run Ms but get in lots more miles just training for 5-10ks than you have. Good luck in reaching your goal.

LucKY - Hope you can get some rest - that's not enough sleep!

Whew, congrats MikeF on 106K. I started running in 1975 and I’ve amassed only about 46K miles. I’ve basically been almost continuously injured since about 1979… :-)

12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 min of easy running on 5 days. Had to do a “reset” as I irritated my heel again. THIS time I fowled myself up by dragging out the heart-rate monitor to try something different. Historically my cardio-pulmonary system far outstrips my mechanical system. While I had my eye on keeping my heart-rate at a moderate level (150’s) my heel rapidly deteriorated. So, back in the drawer goes the HR monitor. I don’t think I did a very good job of transitioning 90 min of slow, mostly trail running to moderate road running. So, this go-round the supposed plan is to spend a little more time on the road and get to about 20 miles a week. Then decide where to go from there.