50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Longtimer wrote:

lucKY2b wrote:

I just don't like to see good people's names smeared.

Are you aware of this 'good' person's history here? How he stole a username from another poster by weaving a web of lies?

Anyhow!!!!!!!

Running, for me:

15th., Snow on ground, for 47 1/2 min., a very easy run. AHR 128 MHR 139.

16th., For 26:25 min., more of a lively pace.

17th., Snow! Slowly & carefully for 31:54 min.

18th., no run.

19th., Slushy conditions, cold air temp., for 33:46

20th., no run.

21st., Windy day, for over 33 3/4 (33:47) min. A lively pace. Made it a good clip & effort, surprised HR MAX was only 149 AHR 139.

Mon: Painful 1:07 on some snow and ice + walking 0:10, over a course that usually takes 1:00.

Tue: Off

Wed: 1:00 easy on treadmill.

Thu: Off

Fri: 1:00 TM including 0:20 at marathon pace.

Sat: Tried for 2:00 easy TM but bailed at 1:20.

Sun: Off

Summary: Nursing the right hip flexor, a running stupidly injury from December 2009, which has now flared up. I did the 1-hr treadmill runs without too much discomfort. Longer than that (Mon, Sat) my form was breaking down. I know better than to keep running when that happens. Saturday's problem may have been the length, may have been the back-to-back. I'll do a test this week, seeing how many back-to-back easy 1-hr TM runs I can put together. Looking for seven.

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Week 35

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Start of the semester has been a little crazy. Having a hard time getting in all that I'd like to be doing right now. You know it's going to be rough when, for one reason or another, you can't even get out the door for a Sunday run (and the Packers lost, to boot)! Finished out the week fairly strong, so I still managed 40-41 miles for the week including a few harder sessions.

My weekly log reads as such:

S: 0 (ugh!)

M: 6 w/5k tempo @ 19:22 (eased up a bit from the previous week, was able to complete run without tightening up.)

T: 0 (more ugh!)

W: 7 w/5x(.2 on @62-63s, .2 off @81-83s); finished those 2 on/off miles in 11:58.

R: 7 easy to moderate

F: 6 am easy, 4.5 pm easy

S: 7.1 am Fartlek run with 8x1.5-2.5 min surges @3k effort (48:19 total time), 3.2 pm easy.

I won't be teaching this other person's class this week, so hopefully, that will give me enough extra time to get back up over 50 miles for this coming week.

Part of the reason for not getting my miles in has been that I've just not had the fire to get up early and get out the door during these dark, cold (and often damp) days. Then the day just starts getting busy. I haven't done any runs before 10am since before Christmas!

How disciplined are you all about adhering to your regimen regardless of the conditions outside? Yesterday morning I stepped outside to grab the morning paper, and some guy was running down our street and he kept repeating the mantra "gotta keep going, gotta keep going", it seemed a bit weird, but then I thought to myself: "man, I've gotten soft". Well, at least I did get my harder efforts in even if the mileage was down.

Hope you all are getting out the door and getting it done.

Cheers.

Charlie Jones, What Makes Winners Win [1997], pp.88-89

Bart Conner was 25 years old in early 1984, 26 at the time of the games. Probably, in gymnast years, he was already a master.

I don't have mantra or a verse I repeat but I have a thought I usually go back to: 'No matter what'. I usually get my workout in, no matter what. If I'm tired, or it's late, or I have to get up early, or if it's hot-cold-raining-snowing. I'm kind of weird that way. Stuff just doesn't get in the way.

Now with that being said, I might just let it warm up to 40 later in the day to get my Sunday run in. Tired of the cold. After today's run, I should come in right at 70 for the week. Had three pretty good runs on Mon/Wed/Sat. Yesterdays 14 at 6:45 pace was the best run of the week. The rest were un-timed easy runs. Got smacked with a bunch of snow and single digit temps Thurs/Fri.

Feeling fit & healthy these days...

All the Best,

Dave

A good week, 22 days in a row now, starting to come together.

It sure does become more difficult to run in the mornings as one gets older. The desire to get back to top race shape gets that door open. Keeping the running clothes near the bed helps too. Once on, there is no turning back. A quick gulp of coffee or ten, and the legs start moving.

Have a good week!

I get up have a cup of coffee ( first ) and wake up. Then before my regular workout I do a short easy neighborhood jog of 5-10 minutes just to get the kinks out. It is very slow. I break into walks all the time.

If there is anything in my digestive system, this run gets rid of it.

Then I either drive to where I want to run or just begin my regular workout.

In the old days I just went out the front door and was running within 15-30 minutes of waking up. Now it takes an hour for me to get the engine running.

Mon - 1hr kyak, legs pretty weary from previous days 9hr excursion in the mountains.

Tue - 1hr kyak, split in the middle by a 35min easy run.

Wed - Up @ mid-day after a night shift (3hrs sleep!) then drove 3hrs down to Westernport Bay with my wife. No opp. for a run just a nice meal @ the pub and a walk around the beautiful village of Flinders.

Thu - Easy 50min run around Flinders in the a.m. 3hrs of hiking around the Cape Schank Nat.Park then a 1hr run in the eve.

Fri - Long drive home. Ran down to the golf course and did 2x400m strides on a fairway then 10x150m strides on the driving range in around 30secs each.

Sat - Very hilly 25km mountain bike ride.

Sun - Steady 8km run in 38m. Feeling tired from night shift, only 3hrs sleep again!!

Conditions never really bother me. I'll get out and do what I want to do regardless of conditions I'll just modify if necessary. This time of year it often is 35-40+ celsius and because of my shift work I don't always have the luxury of picking the best time to get out to "play".

Today for instance it was about 35-36 deg C and my only opp. to run was in the early afternoon. I just took it quiet and cut back the distance. Also was quite tired from lack of sleep.

If I don't feel like running I'll ride or go out paddling instead.

Racerdb wrote:

Stuff just doesn't get in the way.

+1

Kicker wrote:

Then before my regular workout I do a short easy neighborhood jog of 5-10 minutes just to get the kinks out. It is very slow. I break into walks all the time.

Johnny Kelley had a slow morning routine like yours. See Frederick Lewis, "Young at Heart" [2005], p.7. Kenyans start *very* slow.

1500Master wrote:

The desire to get back to top race shape gets that door open.

For me, running itself is the gift. (Sorry, Pre.) I imagine a scene where I am 90+, living in a retirement home, and for "my safety" they don't want me to run. To keep me from running they take away my sneakers and running clothes. So I run naked. Ha!

Sat = 5, 5K Track Tempo @ 7:05 pace, 1mile warm-up mile warm-down

Sun = 3.7, Mountain

Mon = 5K @ 6:59 pace w 1 mile warmup

Tue = 5K @ 7:23 pace

Wed = 5K @ 7:30 pace

Total Miles = 19

Average pace for 12.4 timed miles = 7:15

This was an odd weather week and it affected the runs. Sat was super cold and windy and I developed some exercise-induced asthma wheezing the last 2K or so. Sunday I got to run in a few inches of snow on the mountain. No other place got snow so that was interesting. By Tuesday it was 60 degrees and we were running in shorts. I turn 53 today and just learned I’ll be a grandfather for the second time. Whew, talk about a reminder of time passing by! I wonder if we have many grandparents in the 50+ crowd here?

As for the topic of discipline I think it is easier for me running so few miles. Just 5 days a week and only 20 some minutes means I can tolerate just about any weather for that brief of time. So I have not missed a scheduled run in 16 weeks. I just never run on Thursday’s or Friday’s.

And Dave, damn, awesome 14 ‘er. A$$ kickin!

Grandparent of two girls aged 6 and 4.

Rtype wrote:

I turn 53 today and just learned I’ll be a grandfather for the second time. Whew, talk about a reminder of time passing by! I wonder if we have many grandparents in the 50+ crowd here?

Have good Birthday, Rtype!

We have a one year old Grandaughter about 700 miles away. So now upState South Carolina is our main destination for vacations!

Dave

lucKY2b wrote:

How disciplined are you all about adhering to your regimen regardless of the conditions outside?

Am a real geek in this capacity...I RARELY miss...today is 389 days in a row...almost cost my marriage a few years back.

Had an overnight flight from Capetown to London en route back home to San Francisco...since it was a new day when we landed at Heathrow, I had to get in my training run to keep the streak alive. I had carried on board my running gear, went out through customs etc and got in a 4 miler...was a bit waylaid trying to get back in through security and after an OJ-esque scamper to the gate, my flight to SFO had already boarded and the wife was standing there tapping her toes with a furious scowl...a brief negotiation later and we were allowed to board...she was fine by the second bloody Mary... disclaimer: "don't try this at home" ;}

GO Niners!

MF

MikeF wrote:

...today is 389 days in a row...

Oh, please tell us what happened 390 days ago.

Happy B-day Rtype. Hope your friends and family make it special for you (already have with the baby news).

No grandkids here. We waited before having our daughter, who will turn 20 next month. I wouldn't expect grandkids for another 5+ years....but you never know.

Dave, I agree with Rtype, you really seem like you're gearing up for a pretty nice season, if this is what you're running now.

Man, you guys show a lot more discipline than I do, that said, I will be heading out the door shortly to get 10 miles in....no FB games I really feel like watching. Although, if the Har-bro's make it to the Superbowl, that'd be interesting.

Thanks to all of you for keeping this thread interesting and relevant. Keep 'em comin'.

Hi everyone, Looks like everyone is getting through the winter months with some pretty good training, way to go! That fall I took about 3 weeks ago really messed up my left knee and hamstring. I thought I had the hamstring issue taken care of but this morning on my run when I started to pick the pace up around 8 miles it cramped up on me again. My knee did feel a little better though. I feel like I'm a bit behind where I'd like to be at this point getting ready for Boston but there is not much I can do right now except run easy. I'm blessed I can still run at all! Take care all and have a great week of running!

Dick :-)

Playing catch up AGAIN.

Haven't posted in a couple weeks, so I won't bore you with the details. We went down to Houston to watch the marathon trials and run the half marathon the following day. Gotta say, the weekend was INCREDIBLE.

The trials course was set up so well for spectating. Without much running around, we were able to see the runners 3-4 times per lap. When Ritz passed up just before 20, he was grimacing and grabbing at his hamstring. I felt so badly for him. Very impressive to see Meb win.

My half marathon went, in a word, average. I ran 1:26:30 which included a "natural break" around mile five. I kept trying to ignore the urge to no avail. Didn't time the time I spent in the porta-john, but I'm pretty sure I would have been in the 1:25s without the pit stop. The past two years, that would have been good enough to get me in the top three of my 50-54 AG. This year? Seventh! C'est la vie.

Spent a couple days in Austin right after Houston and ran the path around Town Lake. It was 66 degrees with 91% humidity at my 8:00am run last Tuesday! Not what I'm used to back here in PDX.

When we boarded our flight back in Houston last Tuesday, it was 77* out. When we landed in PDX a few hours later, it was SNOWING!!!

This past week, I got in about 45 miles post half marathon, without any hard workouts. Will take it easy for another week before getting back at it for the upcoming spring race season.

Cheers!

Tim

I ran in the Run For The Dream meet Friday. It's mainly a high school/collegiate meet with a few masters events scattered in. I PR'd in the 55m hurdles...it was a PR by .24, which is huge for such a short race. The race felt fantastic. Every season before my first race I wonder, "Am I still fast?" So for one more year at least, the answer is yes. Unfortunately I have been battling a head cold and sore throat and I felt my energy level deflate in the one hour wait before my next race. By the time I had to race again I had no energy or intensity at all; in fact I wanted to lie down and rest. So my 55m sprint was less than stellar. But a PR in my first race of the season....I'll take it.

Keep running and stay healthy!

Well done Spikez. Or shall we now call you SpikePR.

Great job all Hartshorne Milers too. Yes even the Sub-50s. We know you'll join this club soon enough. How 'bout that Nolan and his 4:50 at age 62!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Week started off with 5 dead legs days but ended with a solid Saturday workout at Glendoveer and Portland Christian Track...

2m tempo @ 12:20 (2min 400m rest)

1m tempo @ 6:00 (2min 400 rest)

4 x 1/2m @ 3:35 steep Glendoveer hill, 2:55-3:00 on soft sloppy chips (2m rest in-between each)

Nothing spectacular but was good strength work for me.

Today's 1hr 26min LSd 11-miler sucked but I got it done.

Have another steady but great week M50's.

KP