50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Basically rested this week. Today ran 4.3 miles at about 8:25 pace. In a word, "ouch".

I have a problem! I don't take enough time off between builds and I get injured. Currently, the left leg is inflamed (Achilles, hamstring, well and sore knee from a bang on the furniture). In the past 13 months, it's been 3 builds with an average ten days or less between for rest. Here we are. You'd think I'd have learned by now! Nope!

So, I'll take time off until it's better, then start slow. AND I'll take at least a 2-week break after the next build.

Charlie, that was a good comment on the camaraderie runners feel after a well-run race. I know of nothing like it, it's a shared feeling of catharsis and exhilaration, a mutual achievement. I've made great friends over a near 50 year period with fellow competitors. Good luck with the Virtual Masters Challenge!

Newbi the speed merchant, nice work!

Mopac sounds like a lotta fun plus great workouts.

SCgal, solid week! And agreed, it is harder to dig deep when you're running alone. During “shelter in place”, I found myself racing people on the trails once the park reopened, unplanned. The adrenaline just kicked in.

old guy II, solid week, SMART running too! I could take a page from your book.

amk – great to hear your husband helped you out and got you the needed med! Good luck going forward.

Olde Farte, good luck with the Achilles. I literally feel your pain!

Happy running to one and all!

Nice Cut-Down 400s Charlie.

nothing to post from as I still haven't done the Monster Workout. Maybe today; maybe tomorrow.

KP

38 miles last week + 1 day of cycling.

Average pace for the week under 7:00, couple of workouts including 2.5mil @ 5:58 & 5 mile progression @ 6:26.

Starting to get warm in Texas after a "mild" spring.

Looks like some road races are starting up again in DFW area.

I'm back under a new name. Seems I no longer exsisted under my old handle name of 65. Anyway I like my new name. It sort of fits me. It's French which translates to "One who runs in the woods." It's my favorite place to run. I had my share of ups and downs over the last 17 months with my last race being Club XC Nationals in Spokane. Between surgeries and injuries it has been a long road. But I have learned many times never to give up, no matter how bad things appear.

So I recently returned back to this forum only to be encouraged by all of you that are still at it in spite of the world falling apart. Charlie and KP (as well as others) nice running. Coyote, nice to see that you have returned from that bad injury and are beginning to run well again.

For me, I have been at it since early February, except for a two week hiccup where I had to recover from bruising my foot while rafting on some rapids in front of my cabin. I am near full volume 50-60 miles a week. One long run 12-14 miles fairly hard effort and one mid week workout consisting of things like repeat miles on the track, tempo runs, CV workouts, etc. Last week my two main workouts included a hilly 12 miler at 7 min. pace and a 5,000 tempo on the track at 6:25 pace followed by 4 x 800 around 3 min. pace. I feel like I am about 75% fit right now. My racing plans include two 12k's in September (if they are not cancelled) and Club XC Nationals in December. Even if the races are cancelled I still enjoy training (perhaps even more than racing). So I plan to keep at it.

I will be heading to Alaska in a couple of weeks to visit my kids and grandkids. Not sure how long I will stay, thus my reason for only purchasing a one way ticket.

Stay well everyone and keep motivated.

Rick Becker

T: 3km x 2.

R: 3km x 2.

F: 3km x 2.

SU: 6km.

So I ran four times last week, for the first time since March. 6km on Sunday was also the longest I ran since March 31. My legs felt a little heavy near the end of the second rep on Friday. I guess my legs are not used to running on back to back days.

My state "reopened" five weeks ago. In the first three weeks, there was only a modest increase in new cases. (45 to 54 in three weeks.) Then we had 9 new cases in Week 4. Last week, we had 22 new cases. Part of this was due to a mass test conducted locally on Friday. So they discovered some asymptomatic cases there. Hopefully there will be fewer new cases this week. But I am concerned since many people are behaving like "it's all over" since the reopening.

I love your new handle Rick. "wood runners" and bush-lopers".

KP

Rick,

Good running. Enjoy the time in Alaska, I imagine the weather is nice there now.

Hey RB thanks for the encouragement!

AKA Coureur De Dunes De Sable speaking of which ran a sandyhilly 40 minute tempo today and felt really good.

Random Idea

XC Team for male 60 age group who post on this thread

Coureur des bois

CM

Tx runner

RacerDB

KPdx

Pretty good B team as well

MF

Cavorty

Charlie

Allen59

Rtype60?

Mopac 60? logistics

Dhaaga 59?

Too broken down to really run these days, but still trying to do what I can. Enjoy reading what others are up to.

Last week:

M: 2 miles walking, upper body strength (pushups and dumbbells), stretching

Tu: 2 miles walking, lower body strength (situps and dumbbells), hip stretches, back stretches

W: 2 miles walking, upper body strength (pushups and dumbbells), stretching

Th: 2 miles walking

F: 2 miles walking, upper body strength (pushups and dumbbells), stretching

Sa: 2 miles walking, lower body strength (situps and dumbbells), hip stretches, back stretches, AND 1.75 miles slow jogging at the track, untimed, maybe 12:00 pace. First run since May 18! All week it was my goal to run today, and I did.

Su: 2 miles walking, upper body strength (pushups and dumbbells), stretching

Hope everyone is having a good week.

Charlie wrote:

Hey RB thanks for the encouragement!

AKA Coureur De Dunes De Sable speaking of which ran a sandyhilly 40 minute tempo today and felt really good.

Random Idea

XC Team for male 60 age group who post on this thread

Coureur des bois

CM

Tx runner

RacerDB

KPdx

Pretty good B team as well

MF

Cavorty

Charlie

Allen59

Rtype60?

Mopac 60? logistics

Dhaaga 59?

Can I be student helper, pick-up shoes and sweats? Sounds like fun.

Hey Igy,

I figured OGII and YOU would be on the 70 age group XC Team? I mean 70 is right around the corner right?

But I did forget some regulars 60 year old like Big Red and NDJY and several more which is just amazing depth.

Gotta give em a plug as they need our support sign up post a time and feel good about supporting a good cause:

https://www.mastersrankings.com/2020-worldwide-virtual-masters-challenge/

Hey Charlie, we’ll also get MikeL for that 70 team. amkelley, SCgal and muddy girl for the women’s squad. No, not SallyVix who is actually a dude named Bob.

I am still willing to be student helper and watch the fun :-)

Charlie wrote:

Hey RB thanks for the encouragement!

AKA Coureur De Dunes De Sable speaking of which ran a sandyhilly 40 minute tempo today and felt really good.

Random Idea

XC Team for male 60 age group who post on this thread

This sounds interesting. I clicked the link to see what events are available but see only standard track and field events, no XC. Perhaps I'm missing something on the page as I'm not familiar with it.

I am more than happy to be part of any 70+ team (thanks Igy!) though I won't be 70 until next May 5. I have been wondering what racing I can do then to "celebrate" it.

The WMA virtual events actually sound like fun, and at only $2.35 each, a great price. This week is a cool front here in KC MO, hope it stays that way till Sunday, as I can have a relaxed morning before hitting the track. Only issue is that a lot of people are using it, what with being off work, etc.

Nothing special to report for me, still just running intervals of 1/4 to 1 mile and then walking. Did do a road mile this week of 9:18 in the midst of 4 total miles run of various distances, all in high heat and humidity. Feel so lucky that my birthday 7:59 mile was in near-ideal weather last month.

Actually, I do have a bad big toe toenail problem I need to get corrected, might have to get our podiatrist to have it cut out. Ah well, small problem considering.

At the moment I would be a somewhat grumpy, mostly useless 70+ team member. This morning I was thinking about my 70 yr old body being analogous to a vintage sports car. With good maintenance and careful use I sometimes can still coax a surprising amount of speed out of it. On the other hand, parts also seem to randomly break from normal use simply because they have gotten old and fragile. I seem to have spontaneously acquired a sciatica issue in the last couple of days. I took yesterday off and started on Naproxen this morning. Hopefully, I will be back to business as usual in a couple of more days.

At present I would also be a pretty useless team member, although I realize we don't have many women as possibilities. I believe SCgal, muddy girl, and I are all in different age groups too. At present I can chug through lots of mileage but I seem to have lost all of my leg strength and can generate no speed at all. However, I see the distances offered go up to the half-marathon and maybe not much speed is needed there.

It's not really clear to me from the web site what needs to be submitted for a result to be valid. I don't have any timing device beyond an ordinary watch and I don't have access to a certified half-marathon course that I'd be willing to run with no traffic control. I can measure out a half-marathon course using a car odometer and/or Google Maps and time it with my wristwatch, but it doesn't seem that should be acceptable. Do any of you have more insight?

Mike Lundgren wrote:

I do have a bad big toe toenail problem I need to get corrected, might have to get our podiatrist to have it cut out. Ah well, small problem considering.

Several years ago when I was visiting a friend in Las Vegas, I had a problem that might have been similar to yours. A toenail was digging into my flesh and got infected. Day after day the toe got more painful, and since I was far from home it was less easy to go to a doctor.

On my friend's advice I soaked my foot in a bucket of hot water with Epsom salts.

My toe problem went away like a miracle, just as our POTUS promised a few months ago would happen with COVID-19. Except my toe problem actually did go away. The pain went away, the swelling went down, and I was able to trim the nail myself. I can't tell you why it worked, but it did.

Just a thought--might save you a doctor bill, and at least might ease your pain if you are having any.

Speaking of ugly toenails. Actually got better during the shutdown when I was running less. I suppose 50+ years of running will do that. Although the skin of my foot could use a session in Trump’s tanning bed. I have both small hand and feet. :-)

https://imgur.com/a/ANgtxpX

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

Speaking of ugly toenails. Actually got better during the shutdown when I was running less. I suppose 50+ years of running will do that. Although the skin of my foot could use a session in Trump’s tanning bed. I have both small hand and feet. :-)

https://imgur.com/a/ANgtxpX

You just can’t undo seeing that.